Empty Gold

Chapter 22: Northern Lights

"Alright Ali, hon, you're with me today," Cece chirps happily striding into the mansion foyer with a spring in her step. Alison shuts the door behind the agent, tilting her head in confusion as she examines the older blonde. Cece looks extra nice today, even more professional and composed than usual. Cece's lifts her sunglasses to examine Alison a little closer. Her face is a little paler and she's genuinely more run down today, Cece covers her frown.

"Its bring your favourite to work day," Cece cheekily winks at the timid blonde and Ali understands she's being teased by the agent and smiles faintly. "But seriously I think you need a break from this— I don't even know what to call this dreary place."

Cece shudders looking around the dark space. Usually Emily's house is so open and fresh with its rustic beauty but with the swimmer's bleak, deteriorating mood, the house seems to reflect its owner. The mansion is rather dark and closed off with almost all the windows covered by curtains, its all depressingly gloomy.

Emily and Hanna used to be the ones to open all the curtains and give the space light, but Emily of course still retreats to her room and Ali feels like Hanna's been buried in work outside of her studio and Aria only comes back to the mansion to sleep ever since the party. And Spencer...Spencer has been sticking to her office in the little time she also seems to spend at home. It's foreign to Ali to feel so alone in this house, when it used to be the very space that breathed life into her. Now it's a shell.

"Let's go," Cece suggest turning for the door. She doesn't want to spend another minute in the closed off estate, it feels like someone freaking died or something.

"Should we tell Emily?" Ali asks apprehensively as she follows the agent out the door.

"Already taken care of," Cece assures her young charge, shaking her phone in the air for Ali to see. "She'll read it if she ever wakes up."

Ali takes one last look back into the cold empty house and then shuts the door, trying to ignore Pepe's despondent whine as she follows Cece out to her car.

x-x-x

"So Ali whats it like being in Casa de Fields post the party apocalypse?" Cece asks as she waits at a stop light. The agent is clearly trying to make light of the situation but the younger blonde barely musters a faint smile. Alison merely shrugs— it's different for sure, Emily is still different around her. Ever since the party the brunette has been incredibly apologetic with the blonde but it's as if she's treading on thin ice, like Emily is avoiding any situation that will get her in trouble. The swimmer merely comes out, says hi, exchanges a few polite words, and goes about her business quickly before retreating back to her room and avoiding the others. Alison hasn't figured out a way to further any conversation with the brunette, and for the most part she isn't sure Emily even wants to have a real conversation with her anymore.

Cece sighs when Ali doesn't verbally offer more and the timid blonde decides Cece is reaching out for conversation.

"How's Jake?" Ali asks shyly ducking her head when the older agent looks to her. Cece chuckles at the nervous blonde, noting the sincere interest in her blue eyes.

"He's good," Cece assures Ali as she slides the car around a sharp corner, thoughts of her boyfriend distracting her for just a split second. "He asked about you the other day."

"Really?" Ali lifts her head in shock her eyes wide like she's just found out her favourite artist is playing a concert in town. "Wh-what did he say?"

Cece smothers another chuckle at Ali's eager blue eyes. Alison doesn't understand how adorable they all find her, and Cece wishes more people could appreciate the slave.

"Oh you know this and that," Cece baits and Ali blinks, clearly not understanding she's being teased again. "I'm kidding, hon, he said he hoped you were well and he wanted to know when we could all do dinner."