She pulls into the parking lot of the local high school. Rain drums on the roof of her car as she parks near the fence. Ear-buds in, she leans back and stares through the sun roof at the drops of rain ever falling through the sky, the last time she was in this parking he'd been sitting next to her. They'd been talking about how life had been in those past 2 months of separation, in her small two door coup. He wasn't happy then, but he's happy now, a little over a month since that talk in the car. They talk sometimes; they're "friends", whatever that entails.
She hates it. Hate's seeing him in public, hates knowing that he doesn't need her, and he never will. Hates seeing him with Her, knowing that She makes him happy, that She's part of the reason why there's a smile on his face, where she couldn't place one. Hates looking at his beautiful face, knowing what it's like to kiss those lips, to run her hands through that hair, hates missing him every waking moment of every single day.
Her phone vibrates, filling the silence of the car. She knows it's him, filling his weekly friend obligation, because he knows it's what she wants. A single tear rolls down her face as she reads the text, a single "hey", and nothing else. Turmoil consumes her thoughts, should she text back? What should she say? What is there to say? The tears flow freely now as her fingers fly across the keyboard, knowing that she shouldn't be telling him this, that she doesn't need to get her hopes up, again.
The response is immediate, she knows it's only because he cares about her as a friend, that he blames himself for her depression, because he thinks it's what she wants. She goes back to staring out the sunroof window, taking her ear-buds out, the silence is deafening. She's tried so hard to not be alone with her thoughts, hanging out with Simon and Isabelle whenever she had the chance. Today was different, today her thoughts couldn't be held back by the dam, they came rushing out, and with them, a pain so profound that she curled in on herself. Then, she drove here.
She looks to her right, and notices another car pull into the parking lot, obscured by the rain. The car parks on the other side of the parking lot, and the figure climbs out. He races towards her coup like a man on fire, she undoes the seatbelt, and ducks out of the car.
The rain is heavy, and she feels its weight weighing her down. He stops a few feet in front of her, and notices the tears streaking down her face. He closes the distance and cups her face, looking at her the way he used to, when they were together.
"I am so sorry Clary, I am so incredibly sorry for everything I've done to you, I was stupid, I realize that now. I need you, I really truly do. My life has been miserable, I don't know where I'm headed, and I don't care unless you're by my side again. I can't do this without you; my world has been so incredibly grey, please, please forgive me. I need you in my life."
She stares at his face, mouth open in shock. Not having any logical thought process, she asks the first question that comes to mind. The question she's never been able to ask before now.
"What about Aline? I've heard that she's in love with you, and you two have been talking, I thought she was making you happy."
"She isn't you Clary, she's never been you, and she won't ever measure, I am so, so sorry."
She looks into his swirling gold eyes, and knows with absolute clarity what must be done.
So she does the logical thing, she cups his head and brings his mouth down to hers. Implying all of the things left unsaid. Ending the era of despair, and ushering in a new period of happiness that she knows in her heart will never end.
Her world lit up again, during that kiss in the rain.
