“Yes,” I snapped. “Again. We’re working some things out.”
Her hand came down in a slashing motion. “Doesn’t matter. Even when he’s pissed at you, he’s obsessed with you. He’s been fine, Evie. Something is very, very wrong.”
I blinked at her. “He’s fine?”
“Yes. He gets up. He eats. He goes to his meetings. Caelan laughs and smiles and jokes. Everything looks normal, but he’s not normal. He’s forgetting things. Important things.”
I stared at Simone for a long moment. “Do you need to sit down?”
“Are you listening to what I’m telling you?” She scraped a hand through her hair and glared at me.
“I am. But I think your head might explode if you don’t take a beat.”
We stared at each other before Simone let out an explosive sigh and sank into a leather chair. Her eyes fluttered shut and a deep sigh racked her body.
“Alright.” I took a seat closer to the door. “What you’re saying is everything is normal with Caelan but it’s…not normal?”
One eye cracked open. “I’m not crazy.”
“You are the least crazy person I know,” I assured her. “Tell me what’s not normal about his behavior.”
“That bitch is here and he has yet to follow up on the reason why. He was supposed to call her father days ago and he still hasn’t done it.”
I nodded. “Okay. Can you do it?”
Simone stared at me like I had a third head. “No. I cannot contact a Shifter Lord in Europe and question him about his heir.”
Her voice practically dripped acid.
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at her affronted tone. “Fine. Protocol, I guess?”
“The Lords live and die by their protocols.”
“You could have fooled me,” I muttered. They’d violated their supposed protocols every time one of them came after me and no one seemed to care.
Simone let her eyes drift shut again. “This is not about you, Evie. Let’s stay on track.”
Had I walked into an alternate universe? “Fine. Caelan didn’t call Rachel’s father. That is unusual, but is it so weird that you feel like you need to spiral about it?”
“No one needs to spiral. It just happens. But this? It’s weird. Rachel randomly showed up and he isn’t the least bit suspicious about her motives?” She shook her head. “Something is rotten in Joy Springs.”
“Alright. Fair enough. What else?”
She cracked open an eye. “He’s not out stalking you. No texts, no calls, and he’s not at the Keep waiting for you to throw yourself on his mercy.”
I huffed. “As if I would ever do that.”
One of her eyebrows rose.
“Fine. I might be here, but the rest is an exaggeration.”
“Whatever,” Simone said with a slight smile. She bent over and plopped her face in her hands. “I’m telling you, something isn’t right.”
“Want me to talk to him?”
“I’ve already tried. He insists everything is fine.” She frowned. “What kills me is he sounds so reasonable, and I walk away feeling like I’m the crazy one.”
“Is he in his study?” I wanted to talk to him, anyway, so I might as well kill two birds with one stone.
