"Mental health is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all." --Bill Clinton
-------------------
Roselle kicked the elevator door, but it still didn't open. She ran up to it and threw her body against it, but it remained closed. She jumped up and down, but they were still stuck.
"Ro, don't do that!" Armani pleaded. "That's dangerous. Let's just wait for someone to come save us."
Roselle spotted a security camera in the upper corner. "I KNOW YOU'RE BEHIND THIS!" she shouted at it. "LET ME OUT OF HERE!" she banged her fists on the elevator walls, screaming and crying.
She'd been trying not to have an episode her entire time in D.C., but she finally snapped. Roselle plopped on the floor, twitching and shivering uncontrollably. Somehow, it was as though the temperature had plummeted below freezing even though her rationality knew it hadn't. To her body however, the elevator was like a frigid freezer. Her chest was compressing, and her head was throbbing. She could hardly breathe.
Armani stooped on the floor and scooted next to her. "It's alright, Ro. Everything is going to be okay. I pressed the emergency button. Someone will come and rescue us."
"I . . . I can't breathe," she mustered out. "Are we running out of air?"
"There's plenty of air. Let's breathe together, alright? When I count to five, breathe in through your nose, and when I count backwards breathe out of your mouth. Are you ready?"
She gripped his hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white, but she nodded.
"One, two, three--"
Roselle panic-breathed again, giving quick short breaths. "I'm sorry!" she cried.
"That's alright. We'll try again. One, two, three, four, five."
She inhaled successfully this time.
"Five, four, three, two, one."
She exhaled.
"That's it. You're doing great."
* * *
The two continued the breathing exercises until Roselle was finally calm. Well, maybe not calm. Calm-ish would be a better term. Calm enough that her body wasn't tricking her into thinking she was suffocating.
It was then that she realized she'd been gripping Armani's hand for a long time. Slowly, she relaxed her hand and let it go.
Armani stretched his hand out, and it was red and blue from the squeezing. There were also dents that were made from her nails, which had pressed into his skin.
"I'm really sorry I hurt your hand," Roselle quietly said, staring at the floor.
"Don't worry about it," he shrugged off. "I hardly felt it. I was more concerned about your well-being than my hand."
"Thanks."
It was silent for a few minutes. The only sound was the two of them breathing, and Roselle tapping her nails against the wall.
"So, how are you and Dylan?" Armani finally asked.
"Yeah . . . We're great. Everything is just awesome. What about you and Lily?"
"The same," he said.
"Ugh," groaned Roselle. "I hate this."
"Having to wait for help for hours in an elevator?"
"No, this. That we're having awkward small talk as if we're strangers or something."
"If you don't want to be strangers, then don't talk to me like one. Be authentic with me, and I'll be authentic with you. You get what you give. I'll ask again. How are you and Dylan?"
"Things are weird, alright? I thought he was a great guy and everything, but one day he accidentally called me Lily. He said he was still in love with her too. Has Lily ever mentioned still having feelings for him?"
Armani looked up for a moment as if he were processing this information. "I remember Lily saying she used to date him, but I never got the hint that she still had feelings for him.
"Then how come she hates me?"
"She doesn't hate you."
Roselle raised a brow.
"Okay," Armani said, letting out a breath. "That was a lie. She definitely hates you."
"See?"
"But I think it's more than just because you're going out with Dylan. I think it's because you're soaking up all the attention in D.C."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Lily is used to being D.C.'s gem. Ever since you came into town, you've been in the press back to back, stealing all the attention away from her."
Roselle crossed her arms. "So you admit you're marrying an attention seeker."
"Yes, but she's not a bad person. I think if you guys met under other circumstances, the two of you could even be friends."
"Can I ask something?"
"Anything."
"Do you love her?"
"She's an admirable woman."
"You didn't answer the question."
He looked her in the eyes deeply. "You know the answer, Ro. Don't play coy with me."
She looked away.
"I already told you, I made a commitment and I want to follow through with it. It's for the country."
"For the country, or for your reputation?" Roselle snapped.
"For the country!"
"Why does it matter to the country if you're married or not? This isn't medieval times. We live in a democracy."
"My backers want me to get married, alright?"
"Why?"
"Because everyone wants the President of the United States to look a certain way to give off a certain impression. You've got the president, the first lady, and their kids. It's gotta be a picture perfect family to everyone."
She scoffed. "Oh, yeah? Since when do you care about what anyone thinks? You're the youngest president elected. Even more so, you were elected even though you weren't in the two major parties. You're living proof that the president doesn't have to fit a mold. There's something you aren't telling me, isn't there?"
He nodded. "You caught me."
"Well, what is it?"
"It isn't my place to say."
She held out a pinky. "I pinky swear I won't tell anyone."
The future president chuckled. "I didn't think the validity of a pinky swear was still existent between adults."
"Oh, it is. Pinky swears are for life."
Armani narrowed his eyes for a moment and studied her, but she didn't budge. He took his pinky and wrapped it around hers. "I feel like I'm seven again. You can't tell anyone this, okay? It would jeopardize everything."
"I won't. We just pinky swore."
"Lily is pregnant."
Roselle staggered back at his words. "What? You mean you two--"
"No, we didn't. The baby isn't mine."
"So that's why she wasn't drinking her wine . . . And that's why she's in such a hurry to get married!"
"Yes and yes. Her father was my main backer, and he was distraught when he heard the news. He asked me personally to get engaged to Lily and raise the child as my own. Since he's done so much for me and I swore loyalty to him, I told him I would think about it. He gave me seventy-two hours to decide. I came to ask you to be with me, but you declined. I decided that I should just accept Warren's offer, so I did. And that's why Lily and I are engaged."
"Oh my gosh," Roselle said. "Who's the father?"
"I don't know. Even Lily said she didn't know his name."
"But that's not right. You're going to raise a child that's not yours for a woman you don't even love?"
"Yes. To be honest, I wouldn't mind having a child right now. In fact, I'd be thrilled to have a kid. I've wanted to have a family for a long time." He faced the ceiling. "I lost mine when I was seven years old."
"Oh . . . Yeah."
"So you understand now, right?" He asked. "I need to go through with this wedding."
"I get it. I do."
"I want you to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"Promise we won't be strangers anymore. Whenever I see you feel awkward around me and Lily, it makes me sad. I would really like us all to get along."
"It's a hard thing to do. I really do feel like a fish out of water that's just shadowing rich, famous, and important people."
"You're important too, Ro. You always have been. To me, at least." He held her hand, and they shared eye contact.
The elevator started moving again. The two jumped up and untwined their fingers from one another. It didn't stop on the third floor though. It was on its way to the rooftop.
"Finally!" Roselle exclaimed. "We're getting out of here."
"That's odd," Armani said. "Why are we going up to the roof?"
"Who cares? Freedom!"
The elevator reached the roof. There was a ding, and the doors opened. They both ran out.
"It's freezing out here," said Roselle. She took a breath and embraced the cold wind, for it was proof that she finally made it outside.
"What the--" said Armani.
"What? I'm happy to be out of there."
"No, look over there."
Roselle turned around, and there was Dylan and Lily, holding each other and kissing, running their fingers through each other's hair.
They exchanged looks of horror with one another, both wide-eyed in shock.
"Still think Lily doesn't have feelings for Dylan?" Roselle asked.