Page 28 of Shotgun Spouse
Bunny felt the way she had when she was back in the kitchen, just before the knock on the door, just before reality came crashing in. The memory of his kiss flickered in her mind. Her body leaned into his instinctively. She felt the pull, the inexplicable need to close the distance between them again.She wanted to start something with him, something amazing, something that felt like it had been waiting for years.
But not like this. Not at the cost of her whole life.
She stepped back, putting just enough space between them to force clarity. “What if I run against you?”
Teddy blinked, clearly startled.
She crossed her arms, feeling her defenses rise. “Mrs. Imani mentioned she had an interest in backing my campaign.”
His expression shifted, surprise melting into something unreadable. “You’re considering launching a campaign? Against me?”
Was she? She hadn’t been—not really. But now that she’d said it out loud, the idea felt less absurd than it should have.
“I don’t agree with you on a lot of policy,” she said instead, dodging the question.
Teddy was quiet for a long moment. Then, slowly, he nodded, as if he’d come to some internal decision. He met her eyes, his voice soft but steady. “I don’t care if you run against me. Just don’t run from me.”
His words stole her breath. They wrapped around her chest and asked her heart if they could come inside. Not to work. Not to play. Just to hold her.
Bunny pulled away from him completely, her arms wrapping around herself like armor. “I need a moment.”
Teddy studied her for a beat longer, then nodded once more, another decision made. When the door clicked shut behind him, Bunny felt the tension in her chest burst free. She paced the room, her thoughts spinning like the snowstorm outside.
She couldn’t do this. Not like this. She had to get out of here. She glanced toward the window, then toward the door. A plan started to form in her mind, shaky but growing stronger with every step she took.
If she was going to make her move, it had to be now.
Her coat was back in the living room. So she pulled one of his from the back of his closet. He'd taken some of her choices away, so she wouldn't feel bad about taking his coat.
She lifted the window, the bottom of which was as high as her hip. But it took a big hop to get her leg over and then out of the window. She closed the window behind her and faced the biting cold.
Now what? The air was thick with the promise of more snow. Her boots crunched against the icy ground as she carefully made her way toward the cars parked in a row near the edge of Teddy’s driveway.
The faint glow of a phone screen caught her eye, and Bunny froze. There, leaning casually against one of the cars, was Preston. His polished leather shoes—completely impractical for the snow—stood out starkly against the frosted gravel. He was talking animatedly into his phone, his free hand slicing through the air as though the person on the other end could see him.
She squared her shoulders and called out, “Preston.”
At first, he didn’t respond, too engrossed in whatever backdoor deal or smug commentary he was delivering. But then, with an exasperated sigh, he looked up, his expression shifting from irritation to surprise—and then panic. His hand tightened reflexively on his phone.
“I need a ride back into town.”
Preston blinked, scrambling for composure. He straightened his tie with a free hand. “Back to town? You’re going to abandon your”—he gestured vaguely toward the house—“kid?”
Bunny’s breath puffed out in little clouds of steam. “The baby isn’t mine, and you know it. It’s not Teddy’s either. This whole thing is a misunderstanding.”
Preston tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. “Misunderstanding or not, the optics are what they are. And let’s face it—this scandal is going to tank Carter. The voters mighthave forgiven his laissez-faire leadership style, but this? This is a nail in the coffin.”
Bunny bristled, the weight of his words pressing down on her chest. “Teddy hasn’t done anything wrong. The baby was left on his doorstep. He’s been doing everything he can to handle the situation.”
Preston sighed, slipping his phone into his pocket. “You know as well as I do that it doesn’t matter what actually happened. Perception is everything.”
Same thing Teddy said. The truth didn’t always win in politics—it was the story people chose to believe.
“I need a ride back to the city.”
He shrugged, unlocking the car with a soft beep. “Your call, Bunny. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—this is going to get messy.”
As she climbed into the passenger seat, she couldn’t help but glance back at the house one last time. The faint outline of Teddy moving through the kitchen was visible through the frosted window.
