Chapter 13: Part 2

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"Aislyn?" asked Jackson stepping into the room, "What was that about?"

Aislyn took a deep breath and subtly rubbed her eyes.

"Oh nothing, Galen's just a bit sensitive. It's his time of the month."

Aislyn turned around and pasted a smile across her face, "He'll get over it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep," she replied walking over to her wardrobe and opening the doors.

"Okay then, so are you going to tell me what the hell you're wearing?"

"Shit," Aislyn mumbled under her breath.

She turned around, crossed her arms and leant back, "Can I not decide to wear something nice every once in a while?"

"Uh you can, but it's a bit strange to be doing it when you're going back to prison to fill out some forms."

"There's never an excuse to look slobby."

Jackson huffed a short laugh and turned away from Aislyn only to halt in his tracks at seeing the diadem headpiece discarded on her bed.

"Is-is that real?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Oh, that? No- no it's not. It's just made from glass; it was a present from uh... Galen."

"It's impressive."

"It's alright, I guess."

Silence followed that. Jackson stood in the room, rocking back on his heels and Aislyn stood still, eyes wandering the room aimlessly waiting for Jackson to leave.

"Well then, I'll leave you to it."

"Okay, see you for dinner in a bit?"

"Yeah."

Jackson began to walk out the room but just before he was about to close the door, Aislyn called out to him.

"Don't set a place for Galen. He won't be joining us tonight... or for the foreseeable future."

"But- "

"He's gone. Just-," she sighed, "just leave it, okay?"

Jackson just looked at her for a moment before nodding slowly and closing the door behind him as he left.

Aislyn stood there for a while, just listening to Jackson's footsteps going down the stairs. She heard him stopped and talk to Tamani.

"I think its best to leave her alone," he said.

Aislyn stopped listening at that point and began to strip off her clothes.

She let the jumpsuit fall to the floor and pool at her feet, she then reached for a shirt she had stashed away at the back of her wardrobe. It was a plain linen shirt that fell just short of her knees and the sleeves just above her elbows.

She lifted the collar to her nose and breathed in deeply. It was Galen's.

Not bothering to fold away her outfit, Aislyn stepped over it and settled for crawling into bed instead.

She closed her eyes but the vision of Galen walking out and slamming the door constantly replayed behind her eyelids. His face yesterday when she had kicked him down the stairs. His pleading voice begging her to explain to him what was going on.

Only a while longer, she reminded herself. With any luck, the Council Ball would be the last time she had to see him. After then she was going to go off on her own. She'd have to find a way to remove herself from Jackson, Logan and Tamani's life too.

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