The Choice

Chapter 8

Surprise

I woke up in the morning and tried to get to the kitchen to make some coffee when I realized I wasn't in my apartment anymore but somewhere else. I looked around me at the bright white walls and the window that I noticed I could see my apartment building far away. I looked at myself noticing what I was wearing, or better the lack of it. Next to me laid Jace, his arm hovering above my waist, his face so close to mine that I could smell him.

I stayed there watching him, his chest moving as his breath tickled my neck. Yesterday had been a mistake and just thinking of Alec made me feel nauseous but I couldn't shake the feeling that it also felt good despite my guilt. I had came here to the sole purpose of making sure I didn't feel anything about him but instead I realized that he attracted me in ways I thought no one would after Alec.

He opened his eyes and a smile spread over his heavenly face. I took in those golden eyes and all my worries went away. I could pretend for a little while that nothing else existed. Just a little longer.

"You're up," he said and made a move to get out of the bed. I grabbed his arm.

"Stay a little longer."

He grinned. "I need to feed you as well." He kissed me and then got up and left the room.

I gathered my clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom and tried to make myself presentable. I hadn't worn a lot of make up last night and didn't have any black smages under my eyes. My hair though was another thing. I went to grab a rubber bun to haul down my hair but I didn't have my purse with me. I went towards the living room searching for it.

"Bacon?" Jace called from the kitchen. The smell of eggs filled the room.

"Sure." I found my purse under the sofa where I also found my coat and shoes thrown together into a pile. "I'll help you with the toast." I said.

"No worries. All you can do is drink coffee." He said and slid me a cup of steamy coffee.

"When I wakeup I don't drink coffee right away. I wait a couple of hours."

He arched his eyebrow. "I don't have juice. I hate that stuff."

I laughed. "I guess you hate other healthy stuff as well."

"No I don't. For example, the other day I let myself have a slice of lettuce in my burger. That was healthy enough."

The omelet was delicious I wondered how long have he been living on his own. His apartment was tidy and clean almost as no one was living here.

"Do you know to cook other things except from eggs?"

"Don't forget bacon."

"Of course," I smiled.

He drank his coffee. "When you live alone you kind of need to know."

"How long have you been living alone?" I watched him as he placed his cup down, his mind elsewhere.

"Since I left for college." He turned towards me. "How about we spend this day outside? It has such a beautiful weather."

"I don't… I mean I can't…. I have… a thing. Doctor appointment," I lied. This may have been good but I hadn't forgotten all about Alec. My phone was out of battery but I was sure he was trying to reach me the whole night. He must have even called the girls seeking for me. I had to come up and a pretty good excuse because no way I was going to tell him the truth. Jace was just a destruction that will end soon. Alec and I had something more than that.

"Oh, come on." He said flashing me one of his blinding smiles. He reached my face and grabbed a strand of hair that had escaped and tucked it behind my ear. His smile never left his eyes.

"All right. I guess I can stay a little longer."


When I reached my apartment I still hadn't come up with a good excuse and my hands were slippery as I inserted the key and unlocked the door. Alec had already left and after I plunged my cell into the charger, I noticed he hadn't called or searched for me either.

I felt a little uneasy of how easy Alec hadn't noticed my absent. I know I should have felt relief but it was not what I was feeling right now. I was feeling sort of hurt and confused. Where did I stand right now? I had cheated on Alec and he didn't suspect anything. What was I suppose to do?

Before I let myself think any further I went to the shower and got ready for work. At least I would get myself distracted at work until I got home again and face Alec. Maybe he did after all notice me missing but didn't do anything, waiting for me to return tonight. Maybe he knew already. I panicked at the thought. I told my self there's no evidence whatsoever that he may know what I did. Still it felt awful.

At work I tried to relax myself and think of anything else but tonight's conformation. I even called Isabelle and Aline to see how they are and to find out if Alec had been searching for me. Nothing. He had done nothing. I didn't know how to feel about that. To top that Jace kept texting me and even called me when he saw I wasn.t answering.

I didn't left the office for my break but rather sat in my office and took out my Wedding Notebook that Aline had given me and got myself absorbed into the details of the wedding. It hadn't passed a few minutes when the phone rang. Without realizing that I was on break I reached for it. It was Alec.

"Alec?"

"I hope I'm not disturbing. I was hoping to catch you before your break." I nodded, my voice a little shaken to speak now but then remembered he couldn't seem.

"Yeah," I said carefully.

"So, I was thinking to wait until we meet tonight but I couldn't wait any longer."

I swallowed hard. Where is the water when you need it? "What?" my voice barely a whisper.

"You don't sound well. Are you busy or something? I can wait till after-"

"No!" I said a little too loud. "I mean… now it's fine." Was it?

"Okay… well I just spoke with my parents and…" his parents? "…arranged for a dinner to finally meet them. I know it's a couple of hours away but I was hopping we could stay for the weekend. Leave Friday morning and return Sunday. I can get Friday off two weeks from now. I don't believe it would be difficult for you to get that Friday off. Besides we have four weeks till the wedding and you have to meet them already." My mouth fell open and relief filled. He wanted us to meet up with his parents. I let out a nervous laugh and agreed to whatever he said. Next thing I knew I was packing my suitcase.


Maryse and Robert's house turned out to be a three and a half hour road trip, something that I wasn't happy with. Instead of taking next Friday off, we decided to go this Friday after his mother phone call. His brother had finally found the time to visit them this weekend and it was the perfect opportunity for me to meet him.

"What are your parents like?" I asked nervous now that we were getting closer. I had briefly met his parents once when we started dating but I doubted they remember me.

"They are not that bad, remember?"

"I remember that's why I'm asking. I barely got the time to know them. I'm not even sure they remember. I was kind of wasted." I cringed at the memory. Great way to meet your future in-laws.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad." His voice trailed off and I knew it was bad. I just hoped I wasn't that memorable.

"It's your fault if they hate if they don't already. You and your stupid party. You should have told me there were coming."

"I had no idea that they were coming! How was I suppose to know?" he said and glanced toward me. I stared outside the window. Of course it wasn't his fault it was mine. I was the one who got drunk and I was the one who cheated on him. I got the sorrow feeling again.

"Hey," he said and grabbed my hand. "Everything is going to be okay. They are going to love you. You'll see. And if they don't do who cares. I do." He smiled at me and kissed my palm.

We reached the house after that and gasped at what I was seeing. The house and scenery blended so nicely that you thought the house came out of the forest behind it. It had a huge driveway and from what it looked a second floor. I wouldn't be surprised to find a pool at the back yard.

"Wow."

He chuckled. "Wait until you get inside."

The door answered his mother wearing a long sleeved dress her long black hair past her shoulders. She only looked at Alec.

"Alec!" She gathered him in a hug. "It's been so long! How was your trip?" She was still staring at him when Alec turned her to me.

"Mom, this is Clary I was telling you about."

She smiled at me. "Of course. I remember you. Last time I visited Alec." I think I just died inside. She rushed us inside. The inside was a reflection of the outside. Elegant lines and peaceful colors were covering every inch of the house. The entranced opened up into a huge staircase with led to the second floor. At our right from what I could see was the living room. Across from it was the kitchen were sounds came as if someone had taken a pan and was hitting it with all its force against a metal surface.

"Ah, your father again. He is convinced himself these days that he can cook. Don't worry," she added after she saw my face. "I have made dinner just in case." She said and smiled revealing a small dimple in her left cheek, where Alec's was too.

She guided us upstairs where she showed us to our rooms. Apparently until we were married Alec and me would have to sleep in different rooms.

"This is our bedroom and next to ours is Alec's. Yours is down the hall." She pointed two bedrooms down. Nice. Not even she didn't like me but she wanted to put space between Alec and me like she was expecting me that I would go crazy around him or something. There goes my plan on sneaking into his room.

"Excuse me?" She turned to me.

Had I said that aloud? "Em, what a lovely house you have." I smiled hoping she hadn't heard my previous comment. Her tight smile that she gave me made me think that she did.

"Well I'll leave you to get settled while I take care of tonight's dinner. Alec, would you like to join me? I need your help with something."

"Sure. I'll be just a minute." She nodded and left us alone.

"She hates me." I stated.

"No she doesn't. Besides, we just came here. You have all the weekend to get to know each other." He kissed my forehead. "Get some rest. I'll join you later."

"But your mom assigned us different bedrooms."

"She was just being typical." His eyes showed mischief. "I'll sneak in later tonight, after they've gone to bed." I gave him a peck kiss.

"As much I would love that I'm trying to get her on my good side and that means following her rules. Now go before she comes and drag you down."

He gave me a sympathetic shrug and I went to the bedroom she had assigned me to. The bedroom was big enough that could fit a queen bed, a dresser and a vanity. Next to the closet it had a bathroom with a huge tub.

I left my suitcase on the floor and jumped on the bed, the soft comforter hugging my back. I took out my cell phone. It was almost two o'clock and I had two missed calls. Jace. He had tried the last three days calling and texting me but I couldn't bring myself to answer him. What would I tell him? I should just text him that whatever we did or had it's over because simply I'm with someone else. Thinking of Alec made my stomach feel uneasy. I didn't want to hurt him so why hadn't I said anything to Jace?

I don't know how long I laid there but the moment I opened my eyes I found myself in dark room, Alec above my head talking to me.

"What time is it?" I asked him and stood up groaning. My muscles were sore.

"It's almost 6." And planted himself next to me. "Dinner is almost ready. I came earlier too but I couldn't bring myself waking you up. You were so tired."

"I bet your mother didn't mind."

"My brother came a couple of hours ago so I was occupied." I realized then that Alec had never talked to me about his brother.

"How come I didn't know about your brother?"

He shrugged, "it never came up I guess. He travels a lot for his job. It was a surprise that he's in New York. He hasn't been here for the last five years."

"That explains it." I rubbed my head. "I'll change and meet you downstairs." I said to him and tackled my way through my suitcase. I was going to grab a simple T-shirt when I remembered how his mother looked. I went for a simple green dress instead.

I walked down the stairs and turned to the living room. No one was there except from a figure crunched in front of the fireplace. I looked around for Alec. Should I go introduce myself to his dad or wait for him? I could easily just step slowly backwards and get out of the room. I stayed there contemplating what I would do when he stood up and turned to me.

"Jace?"