Tessa sat at the glass topped table by the window and looked down at the words on the page in front of her. She always preferred to read in natural light. Sunlight somehow improved the entire book reading experience. This was one of her favourite places in town to read, with its organic assortment of chairs and couches and the piano in the corner. Anyone was welcome to play it and Tessa enjoyed reading here even more when someone sat to create beauty with its fine black and white keys. There was something about live music that really completed the ambiance.
She always came here when she needed some alone time or she needed to think. Today she needed to think. Will and Jem were starting to become quite a challenge in her life. Will was a little confusing but she still cared for him. And who couldn't help but care for Jem with his kind eyes and loving heart? They were best friends, however, and Tessa wasn't sure how long she could keep seeing them both before they found out about each other or initiated the exclusive talk with her. Neither option sounded particularly appealing.
She feared losing them both but she also feared them losing each other. She had listened to each of them talk of the other with great affection and knew their bond was too valuable to be worth breaking for her. Will was estranged from his family and Jem's family died years ago leaving him alone in the world save for Will. The way each of them talked of the other made made Tessa even more sure that dating her wasn't worth ruining their friendship. If she was really a selfless person she would stop seeing them both but Tessa couldn't do that. She couldn't even figure out who she liked more.
Jem was in his last year of classical music school and Will worked as a fireman. The two of them were so different and yet they were inseparable. They were brothers in all the real ways that matter, but they looked nothing alike. Jem had brown hair with light streaks in it and his eyes were like Magnus's, the way they angled up giving him an exotic appearance. Jem had told her once when she asked that his mother had been asian. Will on the other hand had pale skin and dark black hair. Where Jem's eyes were brown Will's were violet blue.
"Tessa!"
She turned and it was as if the universe had been listening to her thoughts. There, with a smile on his face stood Will Herondale. Tessa breathed a sigh of relief that Jem was not with him.
"Hey Will," Tessa said as he approached her table.
"What are the chances of meeting you here?" Will said as he sat across from her.
"Quite high," Tess said smiling back at him. "I come here often. The real question is what someone like you is doing in a silly little half-cafe half-bookshop like this?" She smiled. Whenever she was with Jem or Will she couldn't help but smile.
"You can't tell anyone," Will said reaching out to take her hand. Tessa let him and felt the warmth of his skin on hers as he spoke. "I am a huge bookworm."
"Why keep that a secret?" Tessa laughed at him.
"The guys at work do not think it is an appropriate hobby," Will laughed.
"Well then I think you need better work friends," Tessa stated.
"Maybe I do," Will agreed. He was smiling at her in such a way as to melt her heart. Only this morning she had been leaning toward choosing Jem but knowing they shared a love of books was making things confusing again.
But she couldn't keep stringing them along like this! She had to pick. Why was it so hard to choose?
"What is your favourite book?" Tessa asked, unable to stop herself from asking Will a question on this new exciting topic.
"What kind of question is that!" Will exclaimed.
"A very important question," Tessa said with a grin.
"I could never pick a favourite," Will said. "That is just wrong on so many levels."
"Correct answer," Tessa beamed at him. The conversation flowed easily as they talked of Alice in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice, The Three Musketeers, Charles Dicken's The Moonstone, Jane Eyre, Lady Audley's Secret and many more. Tessa found herself pleasantly surprised by Will's excellent memory. He could quote passages word for word that she could only vaguely recall the meaning of. She did catch him off guard once, however.
"I can't believe you haven't read The Wide, Wide World," Tessa said. "I have to confess it isn't entertaining in an obvious way by today's standards, but in the 19th century it was hot stuff." Will laughed gently, but not as if he was laughing at her.
"I've never seen someone get so excited over books before," Will said smiling at her and Tessa realized he had been laughing at her enthusiasm, but again she couldn't find any insult in the gentle way he teased her. "You'd think they were diamonds."
"Books make better friends than diamonds," Tessa replied, blushing only slightly at the look Will was giving her.
"Is that why you love stories?" Will asked. He seemed rather intent on the question as if it mattered more than he let on.
"I love stories for so many reasons I couldn't count them all even if I had three lifetimes," Tessa said passionately. "Sometimes, when I have to do something I don't want to do, I pretend I'm a character from a book. It's easier to know what they would do." Will didn't reply. He seemed to be thinking over her answer.
"What about you?" Tessa asked, the look on his face was making her curious about his answer. "Why do you love stories?"
"They are always honest," Will confessed after a moment. "They make me feel less alone."
"Don't feel alone," Tessa said unable to stop herself from reaching her hand up to stroke Will's face. He closed his eyes and Tessa saw a peaceful expression on his face she hadn't seen before. Usually Will was sarcastic and guarded. Never before had she seen him like this, so open and vulnerable. The conversation topic was bringing out a whole new side of him.
"You seem different," she said without thinking and instantly wished she hadn't spoken. Will stiffened as if remembering something unpleasant. The open expression on his face vanished and it was as if he sunk back into himself. This was the Will she had known for the past few weeks, distant without provocation at a moment's notice.
"Why do you change like that?" Tessa asked. Will didn't speak. He looked down at his hands. Tessa tried to encourage him, tenderly stroking the side of his face.
"You are too kind. I know I seem...," Will whispered after a long silence, still looking anywhere but at her. All Tessa's attention was fixed on Will now. She studied his reluctant blue eyes and pained expression. She watched as he ran his hands through his black hair nervously. "I seem like I am okay but I… the people in my life they…"
Tessa waited for him to finish his sentence, but he remained silent. Her mind was trying to find the end of his sentence. The people in Will's life did what? No matter how she tried, Tessa couldn't think of one thing the people in Will's life could do that would make his face look like that.
"Tessa!"
She jumped when she heard her name yelled out. Tessa's hand went up to her throat in surprise. She suddenly remembered she was in a busy coffee shop. She wasn't alone with Will, no matter how focused on him she had been. Tessa caught her breath and turned to wave Magnus over, but Magnus was standing frozen staring at Will. After having his eyes locked on Will just long enough as to almost be creepy, Magnus slowly walked toward them.
"It's you," Magnus said in a whisper.
"Me who?" Will asked, his vulnerable expression completely gone now. Tessa mourned its loss almost as if it was Will himself that had left.
"You were at the party in the Quad on moving day at school."
"Will doesn't go to our school," Tessa said quickly. She had no clue what Magnus was going on about.
"But I saw him there," Magnus said to her.
"Unless you saw me standing next to Tessa," Will said addressing Magnus, even though the comment was clearly intended for Tessa. "You didn't see me. I have never set foot on that campus without her."
Magnus shook his head, looking slightly stunned.
"Sorry," Magnus said. "I guess if you were that guy you'd be with that black haired half-asian girl anyway." Tessa caught a touch of annoyance in Magnus's tone before it shifted to pleasant again. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Will, and there is a freshman at my school who looks just like you."
"I will take that as a compliment," Will said. "Seeing as I am too old to be a freshman."
"I thought you swore off dating?" Tessa teased Magnus rather than worry about the change in Will. "Why would you care if Will was the guy from that party?"
"Just because I'm not going to date him," Magnus said. "Doesn't mean I don't want to meet him."
"You my friend," Tessa said. "Make no sense."
"Well are you still going to a movie with your senseless friend?" Magnus asked. "Or should I just leave you two alone?" He smiled and Tessa knew her generous friend would graciously excuse himself if that was what she so desired. If Will's expression hadn't been so dark she might have done just that.
"Will," Tessa said turning to him. "Sorry. I would love to continue our discussion but I do have a prior commitment."
"Of course," Will said. "See you later."
"Yes later," Tessa said. "Oh before you go, I have been meaning to ask if you have read a Tale of Two Cities?"
"Once," Will said. "But I didn't much care for it."
"I see," Tessa said, disappointed. Will excused himself quickly and left the cafe. Tessa stared after him. She couldn't quite identify her emotions at the moment though she knew hope, confusion, yearning and hurt were among them. She sat back down in her seat still gazing at the door.
"So," Magnus said cutting the silence after a few moments. "That is the infamous Will Herondale huh? I can't wait to meet Jem."
"Hush," Tessa scolded. "This isn't funny."
"I don't know. It's a little funny" Magnus smirked. "I could imagine worse problems then picking between two attractive men."
"I knew this whole 'I will never date again' thing was all lies," Tessa turned to face her friend and found him sitting across from her.
"I can appreciate the fragrance without indulging in the sweets, thank you" Magnus replied.
"So this mystery guy from the party, who you only want to smell, looks like Will?" Tessa asked.
"Well when you put it like that!" Magnus cried. "It just sounds gross."
"You were the one who brought up fragrance."
"It was a metaphor," Magnus said. "You would think a literary type like you could appreciate a good metaphor! But, to answer your question, yes the guy from the party looked just like Will. Same eye colour, same hair, same pale skin, even their face has a similar shape."
"Well isn't that strange," Tessa said. "Do you think they are related?"
"No idea," Magnus said then added with sarcasm. "But please let's go to a movie where the blonde who looks like Camille and the stunning black haired beauty I can't have run off together happily into the sunset. Roll credits."
"Maybe we should pick a different movie," Tessa said. They had planned to go see the current romantic movie playing, but Tessa hadn't bothered to check what actors were in it. Magnus it seemed had.
"No it's fine," Magnus said sarcastically. "I'll just cry through the whole movie and everyone at the theatre will hate us. We will probably get kicked out and wander the streets like zombies."
"Speaking of zombies," Tessa said hopefully. "Any decent action movies free of gorgeous blonde women and dashing blue eyes boys playing?"
"I don't know," Magnus said sagging in his chair. Tessa watched as her friend gave up entirely and flopped his head down onto the table.
"Oh Magnus," Tessa said reaching out to her friend. "Why do you torture yourself so?"
"I miss her," Magnus whined. "I miss the stupid cheating wh-"
"Now now," Tessa said. "None of that language in public please." Magnus sighed and laid his head on his arms again.
"I think you need some Clary time," Tessa told him.
"I am sure Clary is very busy," Magnus mumbled into his arm. "Hell, I should be busy. We are already a month into the school year and I have two papers to write."
"Fine then," Tessa said. "We will do homework. Now get up!"
"I don't want to," Magnus whined.
"I know you don't," Tessa said. "But you aren't going to fail your semester just because of her." Magnus groaned but got up and followed Tessa out of the coffee shop.
Later when they finished their homework Tessa inflicted a movie on Magnus where the blonde screamed a lot then got eaten by a giant monster, which seemed to cheer him up if only slightly. Tessa considered their evening a success regardless.
Beta read by Holly0114
OMG I AM SO SORRY! I haven't uploaded in freaking forever. I didn't write all week which felt SO very weird let me tell you. I had to work more than usual but mostly I got lazy. ^_^ I have now finished binge watching the show on netflix I have been binge watching for weeks so I probably will be writing more. lol. I also started writing a fanfic for the show I have been binge watching so... there's that...
Also there are two book quotes in this chapter! Both are from the Infernal Devices and are in the dialogue between Will and Tessa. Can you guess what they are? I will post the answer in the author's note on the next chapter.
So anyway how are you?
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Yes I know none of you are going to tell me how you are in reviews because most of you don't review... little devils. (Yes I know this because I can compare my visitors to my reviews. It isn't rocket science I know when you just stalk silently.) Seriously guys! The more reviews the happier the writers. The happier the writer the more chapters you get! Again it isn't rocket science! Please say something!
Any who this is the first time I have written Tessa POV. What did you think? Am I taking on too many different characters and you are totally confused? The title of the chapters will let you know which POV each chapter is. I hope that is helping with the confusion.
Author's notes still confuse me... what do you want me to say here anyway? Hmmm... I am talking to both a group of people and just one person at the same time. Because you are one person reading this now but also according to my follows 52 people will get an email when I upload this chapter... hence a group and a individual. Wow I am all about the strange author's notes these days... okay I will shut up now.
Sneak Peak for chapter 6:
Alec shook his head at his crazy cousin then returned his attention to his laptop. He was once again pulled away from homework when voices from down the hall reached his ears. They were raised voices and he couldn't quite hear the specifics but he could gather it was a couple fighting. Alec tried to ignore the voices but as they got closer that became harder.
When he finally looked up he saw the pair. The man was tall and lean with black hair and caramel skin. He was rather beautiful Alec thought even with his face so full of hurt and pain. The woman walking beside him was tall as well and very blonde. She was also attractive in an obvious sort of way but Alec's eyes were fixed on the man. He was the one on the point of tears not her. He was holding something in his hand and seemed to be motioning to it as he spoke.
