Much later that night, alone on his balcony cradling a glass of scotch, he was thinking about Laurie and Afida, and how he’d imagined himself in love with her. He hadn’t liked the feeling – on many levels. He’d betrayed his closest friend, and he’d been prepared to ruin their marriage simply to protect Laurie. It had been enough to turn him away from meaningful relationships ever since.
Laurie had never been right for him, though. She was a beautiful soul, but too passive, too amenable. Elon had felt most alive, most invigorated, when Ella had argued with him, pushing back against his ideals, his obstinacy, his tendency to not answer her questions. She’d levelled with him from the first day they’d met. No one else had ever done that.
His gut tightened; he gripped the glass, lifting it to his lips and throwing back the rest of the amber coloured liquid. It burned; he was glad.
The night stretched before him, long and dark, and most importantly, lonely. He craved Ella in a way that was making it difficult to think, and breathe. Suddenly, nothing mattered more than seeing her again. Just once. If she’d let him.
“Oh my God.”She froze, a teacup halfway to her lips, her body suddenly reverberating at a strange, unnatural frequency.
“Madam?”
The morning tea had been organised months earlier – it was one social event she couldn’t cancel, despite her desire to simply crawl under a rock. Hosting school teachers from underprivileged areas, Ella had been looking forward to meeting them and hearing their ideas for improvements to the regional education system, and so she’d forced herself to leave her apartment for the first time in over a month, dressing with care and applying her make up carefully, to bring some much needed colour back to her face.
What she hadn’t expected was to see Elon through the glass windows of the morning room, striding past as though he belonged here.
Her heart lurched and her stomach twisted painfully. Surely he was here to see Tasim? She should stay where she was, pretend she hadn’t recognised him.
It was almost impossible to get through the rest of the morning tea. She couldn’t concentrate and kept getting names jumbled in her head. She spilled tea across the table at one point. But somehow, she managed it, excusing herself at the allotted time, promising to be in touch with any follow up questions.
When she stepped out of the room, a senior staff member was waiting for her.
“Madam, His Royal Highness Sheikh Elon Katabi of Salim is here to see you. He asked that you not be disturbed until you were ready to meet him.” The girl frowned, as though hesitant to relay the rest of the message.
“Go on.”
“He said that if you would like to keep him waiting, he’s happy to wait all night.”
Ella’s heart turned over. That sounded like Elon.
“That won’t be necessary.” She wrung her hands in front of her, looking up and down the passageway. “Please have him brought to my apartment.”
“Your apartment?” The servant confirmed with a frown.
“It’s fine,” Ella assured her. “My brother will not mind.”
She crossed her fingers behind her back, then began to move through the palace, her nerves running at hyper-speed. Once ensconced in her private rooms, she took a moment to check her appearance, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. It was all she had – one moment. Then, a sharp knock at the door heralded his arrival.
“Come in.” Her voice was croaky.
The door pushed inwards. A servant came first, announcing Elon, but Ella only had eyes for Elon. With a tight nod and smile, she dismissed the member of staff.
“Thank you. That will be all.”
He looked impossibly handsome. So much stronger than she remembered, with his broad shoulders and features that looked to have been cast from granite. She knew she had to brace herself for this, but she couldn’t. Just for a moment, she wanted to be weak.
But what was he doing here? Why had he come?
“Your Highness,” she murmured, out of habit, then wished she hadn’t when his eyes glowed with remembered intimacy. “Elon,” she cleared her throat. “Please, have a seat.”
He looked towards the sitting area, shaking his head.
“Were you offered refreshments?”
He stared at her, bemused.
“Elon?”
“I’m fine.”