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I can see the anger brewing in his eyes the moment I finish. The corner of his mouth picks up in a grin, bunching the scar along his face. An evil, depraved, vicious grin. He inhales loudly through his nose, then lets it out quickly before raising his hand.
I close my eyes and wait for the impact, but it never comes.
I open my eyes slowly and look in front of me. I see the most beautiful but wayward thing. Lucas is standing behind Teddy, gripping his arm, while their eyes battle with unspoken words.
Julius steps up and watches them fixedly like he’s ready for the war that’s about to wage between them. I can see the indecisiveness pooling in his eyes, contemplating which side to take.
“You aren’t this person, boss.” Lucas finally breaks the silence.
Like something clicks, Teddy lowers his hand, shoots his eyes to the ground, then storms outside without a word.
Once the door clicks closed behind him, I release a breath that’s been stuck in my lungs. I close my eyes and breathe deep through my nose, then release it, taking a moment to compose myself. I walk to the hallway and drop to my knees, careful not to cut myself, then start picking up the biggest pieces of glass from the vase.
Carl comes from the kitchen with a broom and paper bag. My eyes catch his and immediately start to water when I see the pain in his. I drop the glass from my hands and lean back on my knees. “What am I doing wrong, Carl? I’ve done everything possible to show him I’m here for him. I’m his.”
He shakes his head lightly, then sweeps the broom in front of me, pushing all of the glass in one pile. “That man is a different creature. An enigma if you will. What he does may not make sense to us, but it’s perfectly coherent in his own mind. You just need to have patience with that devious king of yours, Charlotte.”
A sad chuckle boils from my throat. “Patience? Seems like I need a bulletproof vest and skin of steel instead.”
“You’ll be okay, kid. Just give it time. From what I overheard, he’s hitting his own turning point.” He brushes all of the glass into the paper bag before folding the top and disappearing back into the kitchen.
Once he’s out of sight, I stand and walk to my room. Once I’m in the safety of my own space, I sink to the floor and replay everything in my mind. How can any of them think what Teddy is doing is normal? How can they justify it? Nothing in my world makes sense anymore, and I don’t know how to piece it back together. How to make shit normal again.
