The Prince and the Girl

Gillian felt as if her stomach was made of silk and it was slowly unravelling inside of her.

“What?” She managed finally.

“Just remember what I said.” Harry responded backing further away from her, as if afraid that she might lash out.

“What you said?” Gillian asked deliriously, tears growing in her eyes.

“What I just told you.” Harry responded.

“That you love me?” Gillian asked, water now stringing her upper lip.

Harry nodded slowly and reluctantly. “I think you should go now.”

••

Gillian had managed to stop the flow of tears and walk away from Harry, but as soon as she got in the car, the warm stream of water returned and she leaned over to hide the tears from George. They hit her bare legs, warming her skin. She didn’t know if George noticed, but he didn’t say anything if he did. They rode in silence.

As she arrived at home, she staggered through the door, tears blurring her vision.

“Iris!”

“You’re home early, I thought – “ Iris began, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen. “What happened?”

Iris crossed the foyer and wrapped her arms around her friend and repeated her question.

“He –“ Gillian stuttered. “He ended it.”

“What?”

“We broke up.”

Iris enveloped Gillian in her arms and didn’t say anything further, just letting her cry into her shoulder. The night passed much like this until Gillian fell asleep early in the morning.

She woke up, her eyelashes sticking together, at about 11.30 in the morning. Iris had let her sleep in even though she was supposed to be working that morning. She felt dry and dehydrated as she brushed the dried salt off her cheeks.

Gillian rose and made her way to the bathroom where she took a long cathartic shower. She resolved that she wouldn’t scamper off to Canada in embarrassment the same way she done before; she would face this with strength and determination.

“Are you okay?” Iris asked when Gillian came into the kitchen to make tea.

“I’ll get through it.” Gillian responded as she put the kettle on. “I’ve had a good cry, and now it’s time to move on.”

There was a silence and Iris raised her eyebrows. “Well, we need a new grape press.”

“What’s wrong with the one we’ve got?” Gillian asked leaning against the counter.

“It’s bruising the grapes. And also, we’ve got someone coming in to talk to you about label redesign.”

Gillian nodded as the kettle started to whistle.

•••

Two weeks passed in which Gillian did not allow her thoughts to fall on Harry. She focused herself on her work and soon her current life much resembled the life she had lived before she had met Harry, except for one thing. She ate very little, as if her stomach was still simply a pile of silk that had unwound and lie in the bottom of her abdomen, slowly trickling down to fill her legs and impeding her walking. In those two weeks that passed she lost noticeable amounts of weight.

She was tired from constant work and the weight of the silk in her legs as well as malnutrition, which gave her skin a blue sheen. Her bones started to stretch and pull at her dermis and she could feel it. All in all, she did not look healthy.

Because of her weight loss, Gillian was forced to buy new clothes as her old wardrobe was starting to get too big. She went into to London to Whistles, where she was hoping to make a quick shopping trip. She tried to make herself look as healthy as she possibly could, but not much difference could be made.

As she was perusing the racks, trying to ignore the looks she was getting from other customers, she heard a gentle voice call out her name.

“Gillian?”

She looked up and saw Kate, with her hair pulled back in a loose, low bun. She walked to Gillian, arms outstretched.

“Gillian, how are you doing?” Kate said maternally as she wrapped her arms around her. “You look…”

Gillian grimaced. “I know.”

Kate smiled sympathetically. “Tell me everything.”

She hooked her arm through Gillian’s and led her threw the store, shopping as they went. Her company was relaxing to Gillian, although Gillian was dying to ask after Harry.

“Harry’s been coping.” Kate said, as if reading Gillian’s mind.

“Has he?” Gillian tried to sound disinterested.

“No.” Kate responded flatly. “Unless you can call compulsively locking yourself in your room and refusing any human contact coping.”

“Is he alright?” Gillian asked tentatively, picking through a rack of clothes.

“I have no idea, I haven’t seen him in two weeks.” Kate shrugged. ‘William’s been trying to convince to come out, spend a little time outside with him before we go back to Anglesey, but to no avail.”

“I hope Will’s not too worried.”

“Oh, you know him. He loves Harry too much not to fret over it.” Kate said as Gillian held up a sweater to her own chest. “That’s nice.”

“I don’t understand.” Gillian said, perplexed.

“You don’t understand what?” Kate asked.

“Why Harry ended it. He obviously didn’t want to, if he’s so upset now.” Gillian responded.

Kate sighed. “There are some things that Harry needs to do, things that would make your life much harder if you were together.”

Gillian was silent, trying to analyse what Kate had said to find some answer, some reason. Kate glanced at her watch.

“I have to go.” Kate leaned in and kissed Gillian on the cheek. “I’ll tell Harry I saw you.”

•••

“I’m going out for the night, and everyone else has headed home, I think.” Iris brushed her hair aside as she checked her reflection in the mirror. “Are you sure you’ll be alright without me?”

Gillian nodded, sitting on the stairs. “I’ll be fine. Go, have a great night.”

Iris smiled back at her. “Get some sleep, okay?”

Gillian weakly returned her smile and nodded as she shooed her out the door.

With Iris gone, the house was empty all but for Gillian. Most of the lights had been turned off, and Gillian found a strange peace in the dark vastness or her home. She retreated to her bedroom and shut off all the lights in the house on the way so as to immerse herself in an abyss of complete darkness. Her eyelids began to droop and found herself falling asleep peacefully for the first time in two weeks.

Suddenly, she heard a faint knocking rupture her world of silence. She sat up, straining her ears to identify the sound. She realised that someone was at the door.

It was late and she was tired, but her curiosity had been aroused. She got up from her bed and padded down the hallway quietly, still immersed in darkness. She managed to get down the stairs without tripping from lack of vision and was guided by the light of the moon shining in through the door window. She saw the silhouette of a person standing on her doorstep.

It was Harry standing at her door. He looked up in surprise as she swung the door open slowly.

“Did I wake you?” He said after a pause.

“No.” Gillian lied.

“Good, good.” Harry said, clasping his hands together. There was a silence.

“Can I help you with something?” Gillian said finally when she could no longer bear the silence.

“Can I come in?” Harry asked quickly.

“No.” Gillian replied boldly.

“Oh.” Harry looked down. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Gillian asked resentfully.

“I don’t know … I’m sorry for bothering you.” Harry said softly as he turned around to leave.

“I’m better off than you, I’d say.” Gillian called after Harry, immediately regretting it.

Harry slowly turned to look at her. “What’s the supposed to mean?”

Gillian closed the door behind her and walked down the first few steps, completely ignoring the fact that she wore only a short nightie.

“I don’t lock myself in my room every day.” Gillian said angrily. “I don’t act like a child.”

“Why are you angry with me?” Harry looked up at her, trying to keep his voice straight.

“What kind of question is that?” Gillian stepped one pace closer to him. “After the way you’ve treated me?”

“And what way is that?” Harry said, now obviously angry.

“You ignored me! You stopped talking to me without even giving me a reason why!” Gillian retorted furiously.

“Did it ever cross your mind that maybe, I couldn’t tell you?” Harry returned.

“What is there, Harry, that you couldn’t tell me? Don’t tell me that I wouldn’t understand.” Gillian said.

“You wouldn’t!” Harry cried. “You think you are so smart and so considerate, and that you are the only one that’s ever been hurt in this relationship, but you’re wrong! About everything!”

Gillian was silent as she glared at him. “I wasted my best years on you.”

“Those were your best?” Harry snapped quietly.

Gillian sucked in a breath of air, astonished at his insensitivity. She felt water begin to well in her eyes as she turned away from him and started back towards her house. She slammed the door behind her.

She heard a soft knock on the door again, and she opened the door.

“Gillian, I’m sorry.” He said. “For everything.”

And suddenly he was next to her again, his mouth on hers. He was hot with anticipation as his hand snaked up her nightie and onto her bare back. Gillian’s arms found their place around his neck and settled in as if they were home. Her tears, still wet on her face, were wiped on his cheeks.

He picked her up in a newlywed carry and quickly padded up the stairs and into her bedroom, setting her down so that her feet gently touched the carpeted floor. Very soothingly, he tugged her nightie over her head so that she stood bare in front of him. She began unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it over his shoulders and let it waft to the ground. He picked her up again and laid her softly down on the bed before removing the rest of his clothes.

He lay gently down over her, kissing her again and again, on her mouth and then her neck, and then her décolletage. She put her hands on the hot skin of his bare back. Gillian felt her body slowly piecing itself back together again, as if Harry were the adhesive that held everything together. He filled her with himself slowly.

•••

Gillian faced Harry in bed as he stroked her cheek. Both of them lay on their side, their faces only inches apart.

“This is going to make everything harder.” Harry said softly.

“What do you mean?” Gillian whispered tiredly, her eyelids drooping over her irises.

“We still can’t get back together.” Harry responded calmly.

“Why not?” Gillian asked deliriously, yawning.

“You’ll find out soon enough, my love.” Harry said and kissed her sweetly on the crown of her head just as she fell asleep.