Aligned (Book #2 in the Divided Series)

Chapter 6 - In which we all lose our minds - Izzy's POV

Isaac stayed and asked lots of questions, but he didn't run, and he never said anything about breaking up with Tara. In the end, just before Isaac left, it was Tara who brought up the whole deal about them still dating. I was really jealous of Isaac's answer, and when Luke left with him, not saying a word, it made me feel even worse.

"So," Tara started, grabbing Isaac's hand as he was about to leave, having already said his good nights, "Do you still want to keep dating me? Now you know?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Isaac asked, looking at her blankly, "You're still the girl I fell in love with."

"No, I'm not. I'm also a princess. I could be Queen." Tara said, looking up at him, "I could be the ruler of England. Or I could always stay a princess, but either way, once it comes out who I really am, and I don't have Tara to hide behind, things could get difficult."

"I'll deal with that when it happens." Isaac waved off, glancing around the room.

"No, I need you to think about it now." Tara said firmly, "If you can't deal with that, if you can't live with me always being in the spotlight, even if it is a distant 'someday' at this point, then you need to let me go. This is who I really am. I'm going to be surrounded by people the rest of my life. I'm going to have bodyguards wherever I go. I'm going to have to do nearly everything in the public eye. And if you're with me, you're going to have to do that too."

"Tara." Isaac took both of her hands, "I love you. I have for years. I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle what you're saying, but I can at least try. I promise that."

"Are you sure?" Tara asked, and I could hear in her voice that she was trying not to cry. She was offering the boy she loved a way out, a way to leave her, and she hated it. "Are you really sure that if we keep going, you can be there? You can live with what's going to happen?"

"Yes." He said simply, "Because I'll be with you."

"You mean it?"

"Tara," Isaac laughed, "You almost sound as if you want to get rid of me."

"I don't want to get rid of you." Tara said, "But I need to make sure you know what this means."

"You'll help me learn." Isaac said confidently, "We can do this."

"Okay." She flung her arms around him, and I watched on, jealous and envious. I wanted what she had so badly. But the boy I loved couldn't love half of me, the half that would one day become the whole. I was going to have to find someone else, someone who knew who I was, and accepted that, and loved me for it. Loved me without being scared of when it finally became who I was, 100% of the time.

I glanced at Luke, watching Tara and Isaac in their small, happy moment. He looked so sad, almost like I looked right then, I thought I looked anyway. I had no idea I was glaring at him until he glanced at me and flinched. I realised then I was glaring at him, as if saying this could have been us, until he got scared, and was about to say sorry, then realised I wasn't. Not sorry one little bit. I was proud of who I was, and I was learning to live with who I was going to be. I may not have liked who I was forced to be, but I was coming to terms with it all now.

Tara and Isaac let go, eventually, and Isaac left, Luke going with him.

"I'm really happy." Tara said, lying on her bed, arms spread, and a massive smile on her face.

"Mmmhmm." I muttered, flopping onto my bed in disappointment. I was hoping that Luke would have tried again at some point to convince me we belonged together. We were 17, almost, but that didn't make it any less special, or awkward when it didn't happen. Age didn't lessen the heartbreak.

I heard Tara's bed rustle, and felt the bed dip as she came and lay down next to me. "I'm sorry Izzy." She said, wrapping her arms around me, "I wish Luke was better too."

"He hasn't said anything, or done anything, nothing." I got out, fighting back the tears that were threatening to come out, "I wish he would, or I wish he would stay away from me, anything!" I cried, "But he should have done something by now!"

"Maybe he's scared?" Tara suggested, "Maybe he loves you enough o want to be near you, but has no idea what to do to win you back?"

"Are you siding with him?" I asked, looking at her in astonishment, "Really?"

"No. I'm on your side. He should have done something." Tara admitted, "I suck at trying to make people feel better. I always seem to give the wrong advice."

"Oh. Well, the hug's good." I offered, and felt her laugh, "You give really good hugs."

"Maybe, if the princess thing doesn't work out, I'll go and be a professional hugger." Tara suggested lightly, "Get paid to hug people."

"Sounds like a good job for you." I sniffed, my nose running, but the tears still not falling.

"Well, anything to keep your mind off things." She hugged me tighter, "One day, we'll find you someone who isn't scared of who you are. Someone who loves you, and cherishes you, and if anyone breaks your heart again, I'll kick them." She said smugly, "I've always wanted to use that awesome looking roundhouse kick on someone, but they never let me." She sighed, disappointed.

"Think you could do it in heels?" I asked, amused, in spite of myself.

"Ballgown and all." Tara said, and pressed an awkward kiss to the top of my head. "Want me to sleep here?"

"Yes please."

We snuggled ourselves up together, and I finally let the tears fall. Tara simply held me, and managed to find some tissues for me, and let me cry myself to sleep.

The next morning, we got up, and snuck off early, stopping in to let Mr Nelson know where we were going, and that others would be stopping by on their way up to see us later. He waved us off, and we left for the Palace.

Getting there, I went straight into my room, and started to get ready. I was almost done, despite moving slow. I was about to ring for some headache tablets, when I heard shouting in the corridor. It sounded like Tara and Katie, but Katie wasn't due here for at least another hour. I was pretty confused, and stopped at the mirror next to the door to make sure I had my wig on, makeup done, contacts in, and dress all arranged nicely, before stepping out into the hall.

I was kind of wishing I had stayed in my room when I saw what was happening.

Katie was in the hallway, like I thought I heard, shouting at Tara. And I mean, Tara. She hadn't got her wig on, she was still dressed in the same clothes that she had come here in, and Katie was almost screaming at her. Albert was leaning against his door frame, looking as shocked as I was, watching the two of them. Tara was just standing there, tears running down her face, as her best friend screamed at her.