Alec had re-read the last paragraph three times.

They were just words, and these words weren't making sense. Plus, they were starting to blur on the page. Time to stop.

Alec slid his makeshift bookmark (a straw wrapper from Starbucks) between the last two pages and reached over to set the book down on the bedside table. He fumbled with the switch on the lamp, turning it off.

Brrr.

If it was up to him, the thermostat would be perpetually set at 75. AC off, air in the house a little humid. Like a comfortable fall day. But majority ruled here, and Jace and Isabelle wouldn't let it fly. He'd tried to turn it up a few degrees before, and one or the other had angrily jacked it back down. And once his parents returned, it was probably going to stick at 71. Dad had left a printed memo by the thermostat, warning them not to change it.

While they were away, these warnings didn't hold much weight for Jace. Alec suspected he was the one responsible for turning it down to 68.

Body heat, what's that? Alec shivered, wondering why he was the only one of the Lightwoods with an internal heating problem.

Ten minutes later, Alec tossed back the comforter and braved the cold, grabbing a pair of socks from his dresser and dashing back to the bed. He burrowed back in the covers, tugging the socks on his feet before resuming his insulating position, knees up, arms close to his chest, hands fisted beneath his chin. It was a little better.

Alec was so focused on fighting hypothermia, he hadn't been listening to anything outside of his chattering teeth.

There was a soft, muted crying. It was muffled by the walls between rooms. Isabelle's room was next door.

Isabelle, crying? It seemed unlikely.

Alec sat up, pulling the comforter along with him.

It was definitely crying he heard. Maybe she was watching a movie?

But then he heard something crash. It sounded like glass shattering.

Concerned, Alec reluctantly left the cocoon he'd made of his comforter and got back out of bed. The hall was dark. Jace's light was still on, he could see that. Music was playing through the door. Alec quietly approached Isabelle's door, resting his hand against the knob.

"Are you OK?"

Something thudded against the door. It sounded kind of like a shoe.

"F*ck off."

Alec frowned at the door. "Izz--"

Another shoe hit the door, harder this time. "That's French for: leave me alone!" Isabelle's voice broke towards the end.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Alec persevered, twisting the knob. The door wasn't locked. But he wasn't going to go in there without permission. That was an important sibling rule, especially since they hit high school. No trespassing.

"No. I want to wallow in Ben and Jerry's and skip school tomorrow."

"Well...I think we've got Magic Brownies in the fridge?" He didn't like the raspberry in it. Plain chocolate was more his taste.

Isabelle seemed to consider. There was some sniffling, and she cleared her throat.

"Fine. Bring me a spoon too."

"OK," Alec replied, relieved. He went into the kitchen and removed the pint from the freezer, grabbing her a spoon and some napkins. Then back at her door and knocking this time.

"Come in," she allowed. Alec turned the knob and ducked inside.

Sure enough, two shoes were stuck in front of the door. High heels. He carefully stepped around them, looking for broken glass too. There were shards of it, soaked in a puddle of water in the corner.

"Hook it up," Isabelle ordered, hands out for the ice cream. Alec sucked in a breath. Her eyes were rimmed in red, her mouth puffy. There were still wet trails down her cheeks, tinged black from her mascara. Her eyelashes were black, wet spikes.

She realized he was staring and scowled, snatching the ice cream and the spoon with one hand and swiping angrily at her face with the other.

"Thanks," she gruffly replied, tossing the lid and digging in.

"No problem."

He was pretty sure she said "I hate men" around the spoon.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't hate you," Isabelle clarified, filling up her spoon again. "You're just annoying."

"Thanks."

"But I'm through with high school boys."

"What happened?"

"He broke up with me," Isabelle said, glaring at Alec as if to say Isn't it obvious? Idiot.

"I'm sorry," Alec said, more genuinely this time. He stood awkwardly a foot from the bed. "At least...you were only going out for three days?"

"What does that mean?"

"You didn't really..have much time to get attached?"

"Ergo my feelings shouldn't be hurt? Do you think I'm faking?" Isabelle said, angry all over again.

"No!" Alec said, ringing his hands. "I'm sorry you're upset."

"I'm sorry I went to second base with that foreign exchange freak!" Alec colored at the details of their relationship - it was TMI. "He didn't deserve to touch my boobs."

"OK!" Alec lifted his hands to his ears until she was finished. "I don't need to know!"

"Do you know he was practically the size of a pencil? It must be the water in France."

"ISABELLE!"

"...stunted. It's so weird..."

Alec turned away, muttering "leaving" with his hands still clamped to his ears.

"...and uncut. Freakiest thing I've ever seen..."

Alec reached for the knob with a whimpering sound, unwittingly catching that part.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be making me feel better?"

"Not if it's going to give me nightmares!"

"Fine, I'll stop talking about his...yeah."

"Please."

When Alec turned around, Isabelle was smiling around a spoonful of ice cream.

"I thought you'd want to know."

"Why would I be interested in...that?" Alec challenged, making a face.

"No reason," Isabelle replied, brows raised.

"So," Alec swallowed. "What went wrong?"

"He wanted to go all the way. And he turned into an asshole when I said I wasn't ready."

Alec frowned, sitting down on her beanbag chair. "That is pretty asshole-ish."

"I can see why he thought I might...be more willing, but I'm not that kind of girl."

"I know you aren't."

"Maybe it's false-advertising, with the heels and my attitude, but I'm tired of being scared whenever I'm around boys. I wanted to be a strong, femme fatale."

"Why would you be scared?"

Isabelle didn't answer, digging in the ice cream again. "I just wanted to be normal."

"Izz, you are normal. I mean, you're scary with knives, but no one thinks you're weird at school. Don't let a kid with fruit loop hair make you feel differently."

"It's not his fault."

Alec blinked, clearly not following. He thought this was about their breakup.

"I'm tired," Isabelle announced, pushing the half-eaten pint away. "Will you put it back?"

"Sure."

"Thanks," Isabelle said.

Alec took the lid and the pint with the spoon sticking out of it, heading for the door. Before he reached it, though, he said paused.

"I don't think the whole man-eater thing is right for you. But you are strong."

"Man-eater? Is that what Jace calls me?"

"Sometimes," Alec admitted with a blush.

"He's such a dick."

Alec smiled a little, conceding it. "He doesn't sugar coat the truth."

"No, he doesn't."

"But he's still right, a lot of the time."

"Yeah. I hate that."

Alec laughed a little, grabbing the door knob.

"Thanks, Alec. You're better than mom with this kind of stuff."

"Ummm, thanks?"

"But you're still a loser."

"I am a guy."

"Yeah. But you get the loser status just being my brother."

"Oh, OK. Thanks for clearing that up."

"Now get out of my room."

"Love you too," Alec said over his shoulder. He heard Isabelle chuckle before he closed the door.