Collins' Penthouse
London
Early Morning

Ayla leaned against her dresser looking down on the sprawled figure in her bed. She watched his bare chest rise and fall as he slept. She was thankful he hadn't awakened yet. She was still trying to process everything that had happened the night before. The pair had been spending a lot of time together over the summer. Both on their own and with other friends. She didn't think any of it was getting serious and she had been hesitant to think that they may have been more than just friends, not looking to have a repeat of the Blake Incident.

Everything seemed to change when he gave her a present close to a month before. It was a simple gesture, a beautiful blue leather bracelet. Then again in Ayla's experience jewelry was never just jewelry. Especially when it came from a guy. After that they spent more time alone and Alistair even started to sneak in a kiss here and there.

It had all culminated in an actual date. One that ended with her now having a naked Spectre in her bed, desperately trying to figure out how to keep it from either her parents or her siblings. She was thankful that her parents had already left for work for the day but if either Dahlia or Erik caught sight of him she'd never hear the end of it.

It didn't matter that she was only a few months from being an adult or that they had used protection - Dahl was still likely to scold her and Erik would probably do something idiotic like give Alistair a High Five.

She twisted the leather bracelet on her wrist absently, trying not to think on it. What she thought had been a sweet gesture turned out to be anything but. It turned out - as she discovered in the heat of the moment the night before - the bracelet was charmed with a contraception spell, which meant that Alistair had been planning all of this at least a month in advanced, if not more. Part of her wanted to appreciate the thought he had put into it but she couldn't help thinking it had somehow dirtied the entire experience. It was almost sinister in It's methodicalness.

Ayla glanced over at a suitcase she had next to her desk. She was packed and ready to spend the last two weeks of the summer overseas with her Cousins Athena and Ginny. She was supposed to leave that day. She contemplated just leaving now and letting Alistair figure out how to get out all on his own.

As the thought struck her, she rolled with it. She glanced at the vanity mirror that was attached to her dresser, making sure she was presentable before grabbing the handle of her suitcase and heading out of her room.

To hell with Alistair Spectre and all his preplanning. Let him get himself out of this mess.

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Alistair's involvement approved by Kelly