Exception ~Interracial Story~

Prologue

Prologue

Ian is here.

Her mind kept repeating the sentence like a harsh mantra, as if her brain was stubbornly refusing to absorb the truth and it had to be pounded in to her consciousness by force. Even though she'd suspected that it was Lissa at the door, she still groaned in annoyance when she saw her standing on the other side of the door.

"What do you want?" Brandi was in no mood to deal with her sister-in-law and her smartass remarks. She'd just been ambushed by her and her family. She was fed up with everyone and she really didn't want to take her anger out on her brother's wife.

"Why'd you run away?"

"I DIDN'T run. I distinctively remember WALKING away." She snapped through clenched teeth.

"It looked like ru -"

"What do you REALLY want, Lissa?"

"Calm down. I was only coming up to check on you and see how you were doing. You looked pale after seeing Ian."

Brandi stiffened at the sound of his name but held her chin high, "I'm fine. You can go now." She says before closing the door in Lissa's face.

"IF YOU NEED US OR ANYTHING, I'LL BE DOWN WITH IAN!" She yelled through the door. Brandi rolled her eyes at the remark. She wanted to forget that Ian was back. But she coudln't help but wonder. Had her family really forgotten that he'd vanished for nine months, one month before their wedding? Had they really forgiven him so easily, so quickly?

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Groaning, thinking it was Lissa, Brandi threw open the door, "Leave me al -"

Ian.

Ian was standing on the other side of her door. Not Lissa. He looked the same, in the face, as he did nine months ago but he looked like he's been working out. She couldn't help but gaze at his bicepts spilling out from his shirt. It was rare to see Ian in eans and a t-shirt. When she did it was to go on a ride on his bike all over the city. When he was dressed down he looked younger, more relaxed which was far from what he looked and or seemed when he was dressed for work in his suit nad tie.

He went to speak only to have her attept to shut ths door in his face. Lifting his hand, he pushed against her force to keep the door open, "B -"

"Go Away!" She hissed. All the anger and hatred she had for him these past nine months flooded her every being. She was so ANGRY with him that she could not see straight.

He went to speak again but she interrupted him, "Where have you been?" she asked without preamble, unable to stop herself from expressing the question that had burned inside her for over a year. He didn't reply for a moment. The air around them becoming thicker.

"France."

"Why?" Her one word query seemed to hang between them, its various meaning hovering like a toxic cloud, "There are things I have to take care of...look into." 

She waited for him to explain further but he said nothing else. "That's it?" she asked with a bark of laughter. "That's all you have to say for an explination for you disappearing for over half a year?"

His mouth tightened. "Would it really matter what I said?"

"No," she said without a pause, " it wouldn't."

His expression hardly altered. But because she knew him she knew he was either angry or frustrated with her . "So, you reall don't want an explination, "he clarified.

"No. I don't. I mean, there isn't one that would suffice. So, why even bother."

His nostrils flared a bit. "I see you are no longer wearing the ring." he says after a moment, his gaze lowering to her left hand which hung at her side.

"Are you surprised?" She wasn't meaning to come off as rude as she sounded but her heart was stubborn. It refused to forgive him for what he did to them. 

"No. Not really." he says quietly.