This is the second-to-last chapter; actually, it is the last, but there's going to be an epilogue. I hope you enjoyed it, I know I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and put-on-alerted this story. Also thanks to Shakespeare and Charles Dickens for the quotes. I apologize this took so long, but I couldn't think of the poems, and then I was just too lazy... sorry.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own these *sob* wonderful characters, but I do take credit for the poems... unless they suck. Then I abandon them.
Tessa's grey eyes widened almost absurdly. She took a step back, genuinely taken aback. "Yes, I did, but it was a mistake. I do not like you, William Herondale, and I cannot pretend to. I'm sorry that I left, but I'm glad that I got the chance to get away from you." She turned around and stormed away, slipping into Jem's room with (much to her annoyance) Will following close behind. She tried to smile, but knew it came out more as a weak grimace. "Sorry, Jem, didn't mean to be so long."
Any hope she might have had that Jem didn't hear the conversation in the hall was shot down as soon as she saw his face. It was pale and drawn, as it had been since he woke up, but now he looked disbelieving, sad, and possibly a bit angry. "Jem, I can explain–"
"Can you? I'd love to hear the explanation, then," he said dryly, which anyone who knew him would find quite unusual.
Tessa faltered. "I– I think you, um, know what happened…"
He sighed. "Yes. I know. Question is, why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think I needed to–"
"Didn't need to? You didn't think I ought to know that you made out with my best friend?"
"I just didn't want to tell you–"
"And why is that?"
His voice was colder than she had ever heard it, which for some reason made her angry. Why was he being like this? Why was he refusing to listen to reason? She stood fluidly and yelled, "because I love you!" She waved her arms wildly, watching as Will's eyes widened and he took a step back toward the door, clearly hoping to escape. "I love you, Jem, and I didn't want to hurt you! Will kissed me, not the other way around, and I did push him away! It's why I had to leave, don't you see? I didn't want to see him, still don't want to see him –" She paused to glare at Will, who took the hint and left. "But I came back, because you were sick and I wanted to see you."
He nodded, looking a little sheepish. "Thank you for telling me the truth… I apologize for acting like such a– such a–" He looked around, as though waiting for a bad enough word to swoop down and claim him. As no such word did, he continued speaking. "Anyway, I do love you, Tessa, and I don't want to hurt you."
Tessa smiled through the suddenly-there tears in her eyes. "Jem," she said softly, just to hear the way his name sounded against her ears. She took a seat next to Jem, on his bed, and leaned closer. Their lips met softly, tentatively– neither was practiced enough to be more concrete about it. Jem lifted a shaking hand and stroked Tessa's hair, while she ran her fingers through the damp silver hair that started to curl against the nape of his neck. He smiled against her lips, which opened automatically beneath the pressure, and as pleasant as it felt, he had to pull away. He was breathing heavily, and his heart was hammering like a jackrabbit beneath his ribs.
"I never knew how difficult
It would be to say goodbye,
It's too hard to stop loving you,
So I'm not going to try," he murmured, searching her face hungrily with his curious silver eyes. He couldn't look at her enough, and if her lived forever, he could never get bored of her. It hit him– she had forever. It was only he whose time was running out of time, only he who cutting their time together short. She blushed, casting her gaze down to her hands, folded in her lap, Jem's rested atop them.
"I don't mean to be so forward,
It's not like me at all,
But I just wanted you to know
There's a long way we can fall.
This might not be the best idea,
We seem to be in quite a bind,
I'm giving you a chance to just say "no",
A chance to change your mind.
I'm not budging, never fear,
I'll love you ever more,
I just want you to think this through
Before we shut the door."
Jem widened his eyes, amused. "You think I need a chance to change my mind? I don't. I will never change my mind, because I love you, Tessa, more than anyone I've ever known, even more than Will."
"That's good, because I love you more than I love Will, too," she retorted, making him laugh, though he clutched his stomach and winced. "Oh. Shouldn't have done that."
"So… can we shut the door?" Tessa asked boldly, and Jem nodded. She smiled coyly– most unlike her and made sure there was no one in the hall before she shut the door and crawled back into bed with Jem. Tessa Gray, the before-two-weeks-ago-had-never-been-kissed quasi-warlock, who until recently was full of inhibition, wrapped her arms around Jem and crushed her lips to his, reveling in the softness, the honey-sweet taste of his mouth, mixed with the coppery taste of blood. Jem, on his part, was enjoying the smoky flavor that was Tessa, something familiar and safe, but also somehow new and exciting; the mélange pleased him to no end.
"'I'll follow you and make a Heaven out of Hell, and I'll die by your hand which I love so well,'" Jem quoted. "Shakespeare knew what he was talking about."
"'I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul,'" Tessa replied, "so it seems that Charles Dickens knew love as well."
"A Tale of Two Cities. Of course."
"Do you disapprove?"
"I could never disapprove of you," Jem said quietly, leaning in to kiss Tessa once more.
Review, because if I don't get 5 more reviews, I do not post epilogue! Then you're all alone in the dark, never knowing what happens next! LOL!
