Chapter EighteenWhy Are You in My House?Rin
2215 Words
Rin had left the inauguration early.
That was the truth.
He had not left with Senator McCarthy.
He had not gone anywhere suspicious.
He had not disappeared.
He had simply left.
After the ceremony and the beginning of the ball, Rin had spoken with Senator McCarthy for a while.
The senator had wanted to discuss something personal with him.
Nothing political.
Nothing scandalous.
Nothing romantic.
Just a private conversation.
They had stepped outside for some fresh air, talked for a while, and then Rin had realized he was tired.
Very tired.
So he left.
That should have been the end of it.
Except it wasn’t.
Because somewhere between leaving the inauguration and getting home, Rin received a phone call from a friend.
“Rin, where are you?”
“I’m heading home.”
“No, you’re not.”
Rin frowned.
“What?”
“You’re coming to my birthday.”
Rin froze.
Her birthday.
Oh.
His eyes widened.
“Oh my God.”
She laughed.
“You forgot.”
“I didn’t forget.”
“You absolutely forgot.”
“I forgot that it was today.”
“That’s literally the definition of forgetting.”
Rin rubbed his forehead.
He had completely forgotten that he had agreed to attend her birthday celebration.
The day had been overwhelming.
The inauguration.
The ball.
The president.
The speech.
The photographs.
The people.
Everything.
So somehow, his friend’s birthday had disappeared from his mind.
“Fine,” he said. “Where are you?”
She gave him the location.
Rin sighed.
“Okay. I’m coming.”
And that was how he ended up spending the rest of the evening at a friend’s birthday party.
He stayed longer than he intended.
There was music.
Food.
Drinks.
People he hadn’t seen in months.
For the first time that day, Rin wasn’t thinking about politics.
He wasn’t thinking about Gideon.
He wasn’t thinking about the inauguration.
He wasn’t thinking about anything.
By the time he finally left, it was late.
Very late.
Around two in the morning.
Maybe closer to two-thirty.
Rin was exhausted.
He drove home, parked, grabbed his keys, and walked into his apartment building.
He was already imagining his bed.
A shower.
Silence.
Sleep.
He unlocked his front door.
“Finally.”
He stepped inside.
Closed the door.
Turned on the living room light.
And froze.
There was someone sitting on his couch.
Rin’s heart nearly stopped.
A tall figure was sitting in the darkness like he had been waiting there for hours.
Rin stared.
The figure looked up.
And the light caught his face.
Rin’s mouth fell open.
“What the—”
Gideon.
Gideon Vance.
The President of the United States.
Sitting.
On.
His.
Couch.
Rin stood completely still.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Gideon stood.
His expression was furious.
Not presidentially annoyed.
Not mildly irritated.
Furious.
His jaw was tight.
His eyes were hard.
His entire posture radiated frustration.
And before Rin could ask the obvious question—
What are you doing in my house?
Gideon spoke.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Rin blinked.
“What?”
“Where have you been?”
Rin stared at him.
Then looked around his apartment.
Then back at Gideon.
“What are you doing in my house?”
Gideon stepped forward.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Rin’s confusion turned into disbelief.
“How are you even in my house?”
“Rin.”
“No, seriously.”
Gideon’s voice became louder.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Rin took a small step backward.
For the first few seconds, he was genuinely intimidated.
This was the President of the United States standing in his living room at two-thirty in the morning.
He looked angry.
Very angry.
And Rin had absolutely no idea why.
He swallowed.
“I’ve been out.”
“I noticed.”
Gideon’s voice was sharp.
“I noticed you have been out.”
He took another step.
“But where?”
Rin frowned.
“Where?”
“Where have you been, and who the hell have you been with?”
Rin stared at him.
“I went to a friend’s birthday party.”
Gideon’s expression changed slightly.
“Oh.”
Rin waited.
Gideon wasn’t finished.
“And what about Senator McCarthy?”
Rin frowned.
“What about him?”
“I saw you leave the inauguration with him.”
Rin blinked.
“I didn’t leave with him.”
“I saw you outside with him.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you go?”
Rin stared at him.
“I didn’t go anywhere with him.”
Gideon’s jaw tightened.
“Then explain.”
“I went outside with him.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to talk to me about something personal.”
Gideon folded his arms.
“And then?”
“And then I left.”
“With him?”
“No.”
Gideon’s expression hardened.
“So you left my inauguration and went outside with another man?”
Rin stared at him.
“Is that your defense?”
Gideon looked genuinely offended.
“Mr. President—”
“Please don’t call me that right now.”
Rin paused.
Gideon looked at him.
“Call me Gideon.”
Rin blinked.
“Okay.”
He was still trying to understand what was happening.
“Okay, Gideon. I don’t understand what you’re thinking right now, but I talked to Senator McCarthy outside. That’s all.”
“Then why didn’t you come back inside?”
Rin opened his mouth.
Gideon continued.
“And why the hell weren’t you picking up my calls?”
Rin frowned.
“Your calls?”
“Yes.”
“What calls?”
Gideon stared at him.
“Mine.”
Rin slowly reached into his pocket.
His phone.
He had completely forgotten.
During the inauguration, he had put it on silent.
Then the ball.
Then the birthday party.
He hadn’t checked it.
He unlocked the screen.
His eyes widened.
Thirty-seven missed calls.
Rin stared.
“Thirty-seven?”
Gideon said nothing.
Rin looked up.
“You called me thirty-seven times?”
Gideon’s expression remained completely serious.
“Yes.”
“Who calls someone thirty-seven times?”
“You weren’t answering.”
“Thirty-seven times!”
“I was worried.”
Rin stared at him.
His mouth opened.
Then closed.
He looked at the phone again.
Thirty-seven missed calls.
This was insane.
“My phone was on silent.”
Gideon’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh.”
Rin immediately recognized the tone.
“Don’t.”
“Is that the excuse you’re giving me?”
Rin’s eyebrows shot up.
“Excuse?”
“You were outside with another man.”
Rin’s patience finally snapped.
“Gideon.”
He pointed toward the couch.
“I was not outside with another man.”
Gideon stared at him.
“I went outside with Senator McCarthy.”
“Exactly.”
“Because he wanted to speak with me.”
“About what?”
“I don’t have to explain every conversation I have to you.”
Gideon fell silent.
Rin took a breath.
“I went outside. We talked. Then I left the event alone. I went to a friend’s birthday party.”
He pointed at Gideon.
“And then I came home.”
He looked around his living room.
“Where I found the President of the United States sitting in my apartment like a creepy burglar.”
Gideon’s eyebrows lifted.
“Creepy burglar?”
“Yes.”
Rin folded his arms.
“So between the two of us, you have a lot to answer for.”
Gideon looked stunned.
Rin continued.
“First, why are you here?”
Silence.
“Second, how did you get into my apartment?”
Nothing.
“Third, why have you called me thirty-seven times?”
Gideon finally spoke.
“Because you weren’t answering.”
“That doesn’t answer the question of why you’re in my house.”
“I came here because I was worried.”
“That’s not an excuse.”
“I didn’t know where you were.”
“You could have waited until tomorrow.”
“I couldn’t.”
Rin stared at him.
“Why?”
Gideon looked at him.
For a moment, something changed in his expression.
“I wanted you there.”
Rin went quiet.
Gideon’s voice became softer.
“I wanted you at the inauguration.”
Rin swallowed.
“I was there.”
“I know.”
“I was literally there.”
“I know.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“You left.”
Rin stared.
“I left an event.”
“Yes.”
“The event ended.”
“Not when you left.”
Rin rubbed his forehead.
“Gideon…”
“I wanted you there.”
There was something almost vulnerable in his voice.
Rin didn’t know what to do with that.
Gideon continued.
“Not outside with someone else.”
Rin immediately shook his head.
“Stop saying that.”
“What?”
“Someone else.”
Rin pointed at him.
“I did not go out with another man.”
Gideon sighed.
“Fine.”
“Thank you.”
“So what friend’s party did you go to?”
Rin blinked.
“What?”
“Your friend’s party.”
“Why?”
“Give me her name.”
Rin stared at him.
“What are you saying?”
“I said give me the name.”
“Gideon.”
“You said you were there.”
“I was.”
“Then give me the name.”
Rin couldn’t believe this conversation.
“Sarah.”
“Sarah what?”
Rin stared at him.
“Sarah is her name.”
“Where was the party?”
Rin told him.
Gideon immediately pulled out his phone.
Rin watched in disbelief as the president of the United States made a call.
At two-thirty in the morning.
To confirm where Rin had been.
Rin crossed his arms.
This was ridiculous.
After a few moments, Gideon ended the call.
He looked at Rin.
“Fine.”
Rin raised an eyebrow.
“Fine?”
“Fine.”
Gideon looked exhausted now.
The anger had faded slightly.
“I believe you.”
“Good.”
Gideon rubbed his forehead.
“I’m too tired for this.”
Rin almost laughed.
“You came into my apartment at two-thirty in the morning.”
“I know.”
“You called me thirty-seven times.”
“I know.”
“You accused me of leaving your inauguration with another man.”
“I know.”
“And now you’re telling me you’re tired?”
Gideon looked at him.
“Yes.”
Rin stared.
Then laughed despite himself.
Gideon didn’t laugh.
He simply looked exhausted.
“Fine,” he said. “We’ll talk about this in the morning.”
“Talk about what?”
“Everything.”
Rin frowned.
Gideon moved toward the door.
“I’m leaving.”
Rin watched him.
Gideon turned back.
“And please…”
He paused.
“Pick up my damn calls next time.”
Rin’s eyebrows rose.
“Thirty-seven calls?”
“Yes.”
“That’s excessive.”
“I was worried.”
“You could have sent one message.”
“I did.”
Rin checked his phone.
There were several messages too.
He sighed.
“Okay.”
Gideon opened the door.
Then looked back at him.
“Good night, Rin.”
Rin stared.
“Good night, Gideon.”
The door closed.
Silence.
Rin stood in the middle of his living room.
He looked at the door.
Then at his phone.
Then at the couch.
Then back at the door.
What the hell had just happened?
He walked over and dropped onto the couch.
His eyes fell on the spot where Gideon had been sitting.
The President of the United States.
In his apartment.
At two-thirty in the morning.
Angry because Rin had left an inauguration.
Calling him thirty-seven times.
Jealous of Senator McCarthy.
And somehow, the two of them had just argued like an old married couple.
Rin covered his face with both hands.
“Oh my God.”
He sat there for several seconds.
Then slowly lowered his hands.
“Why were we fighting like a couple?”
He had no answer.
And that was the most terrifying part.
Because there was something even stranger than finding the president in his living room.
It was the fact that, underneath all the confusion, Rin had actually been worried when he saw Gideon looking so angry.
And when Gideon finally left, Rin realized something else.
He hadn’t been angry because Gideon came into his house.
Not entirely.
He had been angry because Gideon had looked genuinely hurt.
Rin shook his head.
“No.”
He stood.
“Absolutely not.”
He was too tired for this.
Tomorrow.
He would think about it tomorrow.
Tonight, he needed sleep.
Rin walked toward his bedroom.
Then stopped.
He looked back at the couch.
“Thirty-seven calls.”
He shook his head.
“Crazy.”
And finally, after the longest day of his life, Rin went to bed.
Without having the slightest idea that the president of the United States had just spent half the night worrying about him.
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