“Bailey,” said Peter, in a quiet voice, “can you enlighten us on what is going on?”
I shoved out of the chair and surged to my feet.
My heart was beating fast.
I took a breath and stepped around Matt. Seeing Kash, seeing how gorgeous he was, his piercing eyes, how all those hours in the gym and swimming had sculpted his body so that even just standing there he was the definition of graceful deadliness…
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but I lifted my gaze. Catching how stormy his eyes were, locked on me, pinning me in place again, but sliding inside and, as if he could read my thoughts, feel my feelings, I gulped. My own vision grew blurry at the edges.
“Bailey.” A soft prompt from Matt.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
My throat ceased working.
What was happening to me?
I was moving.
My foot went forward.
My next, right after.
I was going past Matt, around Kash.
“Bailey?” Peter called after me.
I should stop.
I should explain.
I did neither.
I kept going, into the hallway. Past the guards. Past the elevators.
Fitz was coming after me. “Bailey? What’s going on?”
I couldn’t stop.
I pushed through the door to the stairs, but I didn’t go down. I should’ve gone down.
I went up.
All the way, all eight flights, until the roof access door loomed over me, and I didn’t pause. I shoved it open. Fitz was right behind me. I could almost feel his confusion, but get in line, buddy.
I had no clue what I was doing.
My body wasn’t answering my own commands.
I was on the roof and I went to the edge, and there, once there, I stopped.
My hands grasped the railing. I was staring out over the back parking lot, and I closed my eyes. I threw my head back and I gulped, taking in the fresh air.
I suddenly couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t move.
Everything was pulsating around me, pushing down on me, pushing from behind, from below, even from in front of me.