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“I don’t know. Just different. There was this wild look in his eyes but they were almost vacant. And he was physically there. But in a way he wasn’t. Is that normal behavior? Have you seen him get that angry before? Is his temper something I should be concerned about? What happened tonight can’t happen again.”
“Come with me.”
“Why?”
“Cress, just come with me, please. You need to talk to him.Heneeds to explain this.”
Something felt off and had my pulse thumping like I should be worried even though Ez’s eyes were soft and pleading. I toyed with my ring, worrying my lip with my teeth, and my eyes drifted to Christian who had his back to us and a phone to his ear. His stance was wide and I could tell from the stretch of his suit jacket that one arm was pressed across his chest while the other was bent up cradling the phone to his face. The conversation didn’t appear to be friendly, but Ez’s voice brought my gaze back to him.
“Don’t worry about Christian. I’ll let him know where you are.”
“Okay.”
I followed Ezekiel out of the ballroom, through the house, up the left side of the stairs. When we reached the landing, he turned left, entering a long hallway. Halfway down there was another staircase that matched the ones in the foyer but only about half its capacity. We talked up those and made another left to the end of another hallway until we reached two large black doors that started near the ceiling extending to the floor.
“Give me a minute.”
I nodded and he pulled down the handle to open one of the massive doors and disappeared inside. I heard his footfalls move away from where I was standing then murmured voices. I couldn’t decipher what they were saying but it was definitely Elias and his brother. A few minutes later, Ez appeared again and pointed to the room behind him.
“You can go in. He’s on the balcony.”
He said he needed a minute. Did I really want to go in there?
“Maybe I shouldn’t…”
“Cress, you want answers, he’s the one who has to give them to you. He knows you’re out here.”
“Does he know I’m coming inthere?” I arched a brow and Ez smiled, nodding. “He does.”
“Okay then does he know I’m coming in expecting answers?”
His smile expanded. “Yes, he knows why you’re up here.” His hand squeezed mine gently almost like a sign of comfort then he was gone. I peeked into the room trying to decide if I really wanted to be on the other side. My need to understand the man I was supposed to marry took over and I walked inside.
The room was classic and contemporary with a range of grays and charcoal hues. The floors were paneled wood a few shades darker than the modern sleek gray furniture and the wall behind the bed was textured with a simple pattern that mimicked the strokes of a paint brush, while the others were alternating grays.
There was an illuminating chandelier above the king sized bed and sitting area but the ceilings were so tall you’d barely notice they were there. The space was simple, yet cozy and very clean and neat. That was what stood out the most. Everything was organized and tidy.
I stepped onto the balcony where I found Elias sitting in a chair, body extended, head back, and angled to the ceiling with his eyes closed.
“Hey…”
He didn’t respond so I moved closer, electing not to touch him. I simply stared at his profile which was shaded by his arms being folded in front of him, hands linked over his head.
“We should probably talk.”
“About your surprise guest. Yeah, that might be a good idea to discuss your boyfriend with your fiancé.”
“He’s not my boyfriend…”
Elias lifted his head. His body was tense. After a long pause, he laughed darkly and jerked to his feet, pushing past me. I followed, not caring that he didn’t want to have this conversation. We were having it.
“Stop ignoring me. Tell me what happened out there.”
He paused his movements, his back was to me, muscle straining against the fabric of his shirt since he was no longer in a suit jacket.
“Explosive rage. A very common symptom with bipolar disorder.”
Explosive rage.
