Chasing Freedom (Book 2)

Chapter Forty-Two: What's Left Behind (Aislinn)

Chapter Forty-Two: What's Left Behind (AISLINN)

It made sense, once it finally hit me.

Skylar was hesitant and there was an urgency in her tone when she asked to be alone with Derek. And later, when she walked out of her bedroom, her eyes were full of tears; not the kind of tears one would have if they were happy to be where they were.

Which I guess, was clearly saying that she wasn't.

"You're not staying, are you?" I ask, although there's a part of me that already knows the answer.

I inwardly curse myself for being so stupid, for thinking I was lucky enough to finally get my best friend back after so long of being apart.

This person standing in front of me had Skylar's hair and eyes and smile, but it wasn't her, not the old her, not the one that I admired.

Skylar smiles sadly, shaking her head and opens her mouth, although no words come out.

I don't think she knew what to say, that somehow, she told Derek what she just not-really told me without having to explain herself thoroughly.

"I..." she starts but I cut her off by raising my hand.

"You don't have to explain," I say, rather coldly, reminding myself that I'm not upset because she's leaving, but because I knew I couldn't go with her, would never have the courage to do what she's doing, or I guess, would never have the coldness in my heart.

Her face squints in confusion before it opens in realization, "you already know. We've talked about this once, before all the scary stuff happened that separated us."

"Was it scary though?" I ask, "Being in The City of Lost Souls? Was it really all that scary?"

"Oh, not really," she breathes, and gestures for us to walk downstairs.
"The sky was always dark, and there were people trying to kill me left, right and center; seeking vengeance for all the horrible things my father did to them, but I met people I never would've been caught dead associating with if I were still in Belmount. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for that place, or all those people."

I hear the truth in her words although I could tell there was something she wasn't saying, something she was explicitly leaving out.

"I imagine you must've hated it there, that you wanted to leave as fast as you could."

Skylar shakes her head and then hesitates, almost as if she were conflicted about her answer.

"Yes?" she squeaks, "no?" then sighs in frustration. "I don't know. It's complicated."

I shoot her a look, taking it offensively that she thought I wouldn't understand what her time without us could've possibly been like; almost as if she believed she was the only one that had a hard time these past six months.

"That was the thing with The City of Lost Souls," she starts. "It gave you the opportunity to have everything you've ever wanted and showed you just how easy it was for it to all go away. And the only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying, but the only thing more impossible than staying, was leaving."

"And your brother?" I ask curiously, "what was it like figuring out you had family that you didn't know of, besides Malum, of course."

Her eyes flash with anger at the mention of her father.

"It was crazy," she starts. "I met him the first day I was in The City of Lost Souls; I was confused and scared and his eerie calm didn't help because I had this feeling like I knew him from somewhere, I just couldn't figure out where... I annoyed him," she smiles, lost in her memory, "like a sister would, but what surprised me was that he stuck around. I mean, he lived with Malum all his life, he was broken and scarred when I found him, well on his way to living life bitterly like our father did, but, I guess you could say I saved him. Or more fitting... we saved each other.