replied, “I hope you don’t greet all your guests in this manner? I was about to say, you haven’t changed a bit, you still look absolutely fantastic.”
Jess looked Alison up and down. Well you have and not for the better I might add . The thought relaxed her a little. “Thank you, but what can I do for you?”
“I was hoping we could talk?”
Jess raised an eyebrow. “I thought you told my uncle if I wished to talk to you, I would know where to find you?”
Alison stepped forward. “I hoped you’d have been, at least, a little curious. I wasn’t expecting to have to wait for two days, with nothing to do and then come and find you.”
Nothing to do! Jess couldn’t believe it. Her uncle had remembered that she had invited herself the last time as well, and that Jess had spent the time attempting to entertain a person who had no interest in the outdoors, at all. She obviously still didn’t. So why was she here? Jess folded her arms across her chest. “Alison, you still haven’t answered my question, what do you want?”
Alison placed a hand on the desk separating them. “I came to see you. To talk to you.”
Jess was losing patience. This day couldn’t get much worse. “Talk away.”
“Can we go somewhere a little more comfortable?”
“No Alison. This has been a long day and my dinner is waiting for me.”
Alison moved around to the side of the desk, and Jess felt suddenly claustrophobic. Alison was bigger than she remembered. “Listen Jess, I know it’s been a long time. You may not believe this, but a day has not gone by where I haven’t thought of you. It’s true. What we had back then was something special, and I’ve regretted letting you go ever since.”
Jess couldn’t comprehend what she was hearing. “You never let me go. I left.”
Alison closed the gap further. “I gave you no choice.”
Jess snorted. “Please don’t tell me you’ve come back to rekindle what we had sixteen years ago.”
“I hoped we might at least get to know each other again and see if the flame still burned. I know mine for you hasn’t been extinguished.”
Jess grinned incredulously. “You were always good with the sweet talk, that hasn’t changed.”
Alison touched Jess’s arm. “Does that mean we still have a flicker?”
Jess shrugged her arm out of Alison’s reach. “No, it doesn’t. Don’t be so ridiculous. There will never be anything between us again, so don’t even fool yourself.”
Alison frowned. “Do you have someone else?”
“That, Alison, is none of your business.” Jess was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Was this woman serious?
Alison looked at her confidently. “I don’t think you have. You wouldn’t still be living with your uncle.”
“This is where I live and work. Why wouldn’t I still be living here?”
Alison ignored her question. “I know I hurt you, and I want to let you know how sorry I am.”
Jess was dumbstruck at the audacity of the woman to think she had that great an influence over her life. She went to say something but fell silent. Damn. The woman was right. She had been a warning that getting involved with someone had a cost and that cost was too great. “Alison, I really am hungry and tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow?” Jess could hear the weakness in her voice. She couldn’t fight it tonight and she knew this woman wasn’t going to go easily.
Alison smiled. A smug one Jess thought. “Fine with me. Until the morning then?”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Tomorrow, fine.”
Alison stepped back. “Don’t hide this time. I will still find you.”
***
Rachel sighed with contentment as she slipped into bed. The lack of sleep the night before worrying about Jess and the frustrating day she’d had left her weary. She’d been attempting a set of illustrations for a new comic and they looked as lifeless as the day outside. Only the midges appeared to enjoy the damp, still days like today. Even the mountains that could usually
Jess looked Alison up and down. Well you have and not for the better I might add . The thought relaxed her a little. “Thank you, but what can I do for you?”
“I was hoping we could talk?”
Jess raised an eyebrow. “I thought you told my uncle if I wished to talk to you, I would know where to find you?”
Alison stepped forward. “I hoped you’d have been, at least, a little curious. I wasn’t expecting to have to wait for two days, with nothing to do and then come and find you.”
Nothing to do! Jess couldn’t believe it. Her uncle had remembered that she had invited herself the last time as well, and that Jess had spent the time attempting to entertain a person who had no interest in the outdoors, at all. She obviously still didn’t. So why was she here? Jess folded her arms across her chest. “Alison, you still haven’t answered my question, what do you want?”
Alison placed a hand on the desk separating them. “I came to see you. To talk to you.”
Jess was losing patience. This day couldn’t get much worse. “Talk away.”
“Can we go somewhere a little more comfortable?”
“No Alison. This has been a long day and my dinner is waiting for me.”
Alison moved around to the side of the desk, and Jess felt suddenly claustrophobic. Alison was bigger than she remembered. “Listen Jess, I know it’s been a long time. You may not believe this, but a day has not gone by where I haven’t thought of you. It’s true. What we had back then was something special, and I’ve regretted letting you go ever since.”
Jess couldn’t comprehend what she was hearing. “You never let me go. I left.”
Alison closed the gap further. “I gave you no choice.”
Jess snorted. “Please don’t tell me you’ve come back to rekindle what we had sixteen years ago.”
“I hoped we might at least get to know each other again and see if the flame still burned. I know mine for you hasn’t been extinguished.”
Jess grinned incredulously. “You were always good with the sweet talk, that hasn’t changed.”
Alison touched Jess’s arm. “Does that mean we still have a flicker?”
Jess shrugged her arm out of Alison’s reach. “No, it doesn’t. Don’t be so ridiculous. There will never be anything between us again, so don’t even fool yourself.”
Alison frowned. “Do you have someone else?”
“That, Alison, is none of your business.” Jess was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Was this woman serious?
Alison looked at her confidently. “I don’t think you have. You wouldn’t still be living with your uncle.”
“This is where I live and work. Why wouldn’t I still be living here?”
Alison ignored her question. “I know I hurt you, and I want to let you know how sorry I am.”
Jess was dumbstruck at the audacity of the woman to think she had that great an influence over her life. She went to say something but fell silent. Damn. The woman was right. She had been a warning that getting involved with someone had a cost and that cost was too great. “Alison, I really am hungry and tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow?” Jess could hear the weakness in her voice. She couldn’t fight it tonight and she knew this woman wasn’t going to go easily.
Alison smiled. A smug one Jess thought. “Fine with me. Until the morning then?”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Tomorrow, fine.”
Alison stepped back. “Don’t hide this time. I will still find you.”
***
Rachel sighed with contentment as she slipped into bed. The lack of sleep the night before worrying about Jess and the frustrating day she’d had left her weary. She’d been attempting a set of illustrations for a new comic and they looked as lifeless as the day outside. Only the midges appeared to enjoy the damp, still days like today. Even the mountains that could usually
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