Page 129 of Tempting the President

“Tell me,” Kellion repeated. “Please.”

My head shot up at the sound of that one last word, and that was when I realized just how good I was at pretending.

Oh God.

The world that had been so damn bright because of Kellion now started to blur again. Not just because my eyes were hazy with tears. The world was dark and evil again, but it was all because of me. Because of what I had done to Kellion.

His eyes were dull and lifeless, no longer the Kellion Argyros I knew. “I need you to see me, Aria.” His voice was painfully thin. “I don’t give a fuck if the whole world doesn’t know I exist but...I need you to see me.”

Suddenly, I remembered all the stories Helios shared with me. All Kellion’s most daring exploits on the race track, his daredevil stunts, even his wild gambles in the stock market.

His parents and Jack had taught him that he had to earn their love, had to do something just to be seen.

In front of me, Kellion’s body was taut with tension, as if he was only waiting for me to tell him to stop breathing in order to be seen. “I can’t go back to before.” His laugh was hollow and dark. “You changed my life so completely that there’s no going back. So tell me, dammit. Tell me what I can do to make you see me.Please.”

He was begging.

Because of me, my own doubts, my goddamn fears, he was begging.

Without realizing it, I had become exactly like his parents, demanding Kellion to take a risk for me – without willing to take a risk for him in return.

“Aria,please.” The words were wrenched out of him as he fell to his knees.

I turned cold at the sight of it.Oh God, what had I made him do?

“If you have to keep pretending, then do it. I’mbeggingyou.” His smile, oh God, his beautiful smile, was as dead as the rest of him, no longer reaching his eyes. “I just need you to see me—-”

With a sob, I threw myself at him.

His arms wrapped around me tightly even as we fell to the ground, Kellion kissing me through my tears.

I lifted myself up, needing him to see my eyes, to see the blank mask was gone from my face so he would know that I was telling the truth.

“I’m sorry.” Crying, I placed a kiss on his lips, and my tears fell faster. “I’m sorry.” I stroked his cheeks. “I see you.” I touched my eyes. “I see you.” I touched my heart. “Kellion Argyros, I’ll always see you.”

Epilogue

Dear Ashton,

So...I’m curious. What do you guys study in heaven for second grade?

Flying lessons maybe? I just hope you become my guardian angel if that’s possible. That way, we can still be close. I miss you so much, Ashton. I miss you so, so much. I hope to see you – but not too soon. I’m finally having fun here. But don’t worry, I won’t ever forget you. It’s impossible, not when I have the cutest little brother in the world. The sweetest. The cuuuuuuutest.

Love you so much, Ash.

Dreaming of you, Big Sis

ONE WEEK LATER

“This isnotfair,” I grumbled as I took my seat at the table. Everyone but Kellion was already there. I was looking forward to having a delicious breakfast, but instead the first dish Hailey served me was a cold, ugly, long list of club duties.

I was only the President’s girlfriend. I wasn’t actually the President. So why did I need to have club duties, too? I didn’t even know how to ride a bike, dammit.

And just so Hailey knew how I felt about my duties, I made sure to write my every thought on my board and showed it to her.

Hailey crossed her arms over her chest. “You can grumble all you want, but those will still be your duties.”

Kellion appeared at the doorway then, looking unbelievably gorgeous with nothing on but his sweatpants. “Good morning,terataki,”he greeted me with a yawn as he scooped me off my seat. Taking his seat at the head of the table, he placed me on his lap.