Catwalk Love

CHAPTER SIX

Theresa Gray

I woke up in a feeling of safety. Still sleepy, the only thing that I wanted was to snuggle deeper into the warmth that was behind me. I wanted to feel safer and happy. But when I snuggled deeper there was a low moan that came behind me, and suddenly I didn't feel so safe anymore.
I screamed.

Yeah I know it was stupid, but when you wake up and there's a random person behind you, a normal reaction would to scream bloody murder and jump off the couch.

"Bloody hell Tess." Came a voice from the couch. The voice was muffled by a pillow that they had put over their head, but from the voice I knew. It was Will, "What was that for?"

"Will." I said letting out a sigh of relief. Then anger ran through me as I realized that are bodies had been so closely smashed together mere seconds ago, I would never…

That's when last night came to me and a fresh wave a fear and grief washed over me. Will seemed to notice the change in my face, because his was now covered with concern. I didn't want him to worry about me, and I hated how weak it made me feel. I felt tears start to form, but I was done crying for weeks. Weakness was not something that I practiced.

"Tess, are you okay?" He asked me from the couch. I looked up at him the Gray smile on my face. He didn't buy it, and the smile soon slid off replaced with a blank expression that I had mastered many years ago.

"To be honest I'm not," I said, "But it is not your job to deal with all this…this baggage."

"But…"

"Nope," I said interrupting his protest, "you have done enough, I'm sure you just want to get out and away from the emotionally ruined person in front of you." A little smirk appeared on his face, and I suddenly had the idea of slapping him. But then that wouldn't be very nice after what he did for me. Would it?

"What if I want to help you?" Will asked softly. He sounded almost shy, and when I looked at him I saw that his blue eyes looked darker than they usually were. I bit my lip, holding back a small smile.

"Then I would have to say no." I said.

"Tess." Will said so softly that I wasn't even sure I heard it, more like I just read his lips. My heart suddenly ached to be in his arms, for Will to hold me close and keep me safe and away from the world. I honestly didn't want to be anywhere else in the entire world right now.

But I couldn't that wouldn't be fare for him. I could not drag him into this mess further than he already was.

"Will, the best thing you could do for me right now is just give me some time to think. I promise that I'll talk to you later. I know I owe you an explanation and I know you deserve one, but I just don't have one right now. I don't even have one for myself." I said to him in a pleading voice.

Will got off the couch and took a step toward me. I sucked in a breath as he moved so there were only centimeters in between us. Softly, he put two fingers under my chin, lifting my head so that I was looking into his dark blue eyes. My heart beat feverishly as his gaze flickered from one of my eyes to the other.

My heart was on maximum drive when Will finally nodded and very slowly and leaned closer to me.

"Ok." He whispered. I felt his warm breath fanning over my flushed skin, and a tickling sensation on my cheek where his lips moved when he talked "I'll leave, but you have to promise me something."

"What?" I asked breathlessly

"You have to call me or somehow tell me if this happens again. I just…I just can't stand the thought of you dealing with this alone, and this guy. Theresa it just makes me so mad that someone is hurting you like this." Swirls of emotions ran through me at his rant. He cared, and the rage and sorrow in his voice only proved that. Will actually cared about me.

But I couldn't care about him.

Not now.

Not after this.

I couldn't risk it again.

Never risk it again.

"Ok." I whispered back. It was a lie. I would never tell him about this again, that would just suck him into this black whole of a problem. "I will." I tried to pull back, but Will's hand under my chin spread out and held it there, forcing me to remain looking at the darkening blue eyes.

"Why don't I believe you." He said. He looked almost hurt that I hadn't planned to tell him.

"I can't Will." I said feeling tears start to brim in the corners of my eyes. I tried to turn my head so that he wouldn't see, but Will was holding me there. "You don't need to be apart of this." Will chuckled, sending a vibration through me because of our closeness.

"Honestly Tess," he said. He was moving his lips across my cheek as he spoke, sending little shock waves all across my body. "I think I'm already in it." By the last part his lips were now at the corner of my mouth, millimeters apart. If I could just move my head are lips could have come together. But I didn't. I stood there, motionless. My heart was now beating an impossible speed. It felt as if it was going to just beat out of my chest.

I knew he felt my heart too, because I could feel his own beating almost as fast as mine. Maybe that's what spurred Will on, are heartbeats that could never lie. Whatever it was he moved the rest of that millimeter and kissed me.

I don't know if you could even classify it as a kiss. It was more like a brush of the lips. So soft, so sweet. As soon as his lips where there they were gone, leaving me breathless and leaning my head against a man that I had just met feeling completely satisfied.

"Promise me Tess." He said into my ear.

"I promise." I said into his chest

"Good." Then he pulled back away from me, a cocky grin on his face. "Now if you would. I wouldn't mind another kiss." I felt my cheeks blush, and my eyes heat up with a sudden anger that rushed through me. We were back to arrogant ass Will, and that meant bitchy Tessa was back too.

"William Herondale!" I yelled, "Get the hell out of my house!"

"It's bloody hell love." He said backing up towards the door, and away from a furious me. The nerve of him! "We are in London."

"Out!" I yelled again. With a laugh and one more grin Will bowed and walked out the door, shutting it lightly behind him.

I waited, frozen in place, until I heard the elevator shut and begin its descent. Then I made a mad dash for my phone.

Jessamine picked up on the third ring.

"Tessa why are you calling me at nine thirty. I have a break day, and I planned to sleep in till at least eleven."

"I got another one." I said back frantically. A year ago she would have known exactly what I had meant. She would have already hung up and be on her way.

"Another what?" she asked yawning.

"A letter," I whispered, "From him." I heard a gasp on the end of the line.

"I'll be right over." Jess said. She hung up, and I went to go crawl up in a ball. Wishing that Will was here to tuck me in his arms and keep me safe.

William Herondale

I hadn't wanted to sound like a complete ass again, but I knew that's what Tessa had needed. Something familiar, normal at the least. But as soon as I was on the elevator the cocky smile that I had shown Tessa was gone.

Silently, I pushed the ground floor button. No way was I going back to my room, it would be too close to her, and I'd probably end up running back to her apartment demanding more than just a brush of the lips this time.

A sudden shiver ran through me as I thought about the kiss. The one that had made my heart stop, start racing, and then stop again all in mere seconds. The warmth of that kiss still burned on my lips, and god did I not want it to go away.

A dinging sound told me I was at the lobby brought me out of my day dream. Still in a daze I walked through the lobby in a blur, ignoring Max's goodbye Mr. Herondale, and the many ogling eyes of the female population at the institute. I was to busy thinking about one female in particular, still at the top of the building, probably still a mess and needing comforting.

I shook my head.

What was this girl doing to me? What happened to William Herondale? Playboy of England, lady killer, sarcastic twit, asshole! Damn it! I would have taken any name at the moment.

But you only really want to be one thing, my traitor mind thought: You want to be hers. Theresa Gray's guy, the one that could hold her, loves her. The guy that she came running to when she was sad, or would laugh at because I said the simplest thing.

No! I thought, this time the better part of my brain was talking. The part that still held some sanity. I couldn't let her get this close. Tess was already in turmoil, she didn't need to deal with all the shit that came with me.

Sighing, I kicked the rock in front of me. My feet had brought me to a hidden park on the south side of London. It was one of those places that tourist never went too. It was to far away form all the attractions, and the lure the city had over what seemed like everyone was under. And there was the fact that it was hidden by overgrown shrubs and uncut hedges.

The park was small. A little patch of green and trees instead of the stone and iron of the more busy parts of the city. There was still a rusting iron swing that had sat there when my true dad had taken me to it so many years ago. I couldn't help but smile at the memories of little me swinging with my dad, my head but back and blissful look on my face. No death bothered me, no images of a hauntingly beautiful girl refusing to get out of my head.

My feet carried me the rest of the way. I chuckled wanting nothing more than too swing and let my head hang back so that all you could see was the sky. I wanted to feel that bliss. The same feeling that had overwhelmed me when Tessa had fallen asleep in my arms.

So that's what I did.

I let my head lull back casually and the tension sore off my body as the slight breeze wound around me.

"You're going to break that." A voice said. My head snapped back to reality and my feet were immediately planted on the ground. My eyes roamed hastily trying to find the speaker. I sighed in relief as I finally saw a head of newly familiar pale blond hair and bright green eyes.

"Camille you scared me." I said softly. She still heard.

"One of those days?" she said smiling.

"You could say that." I mumbled. I shook my head trying to forget the emotions that began to swirl as I thought about last night and this morning. "Why are you here?" I asked her out of plain curiosity. This park wasn't someplace I would think to find a high end make up/wardrobe specialist. At least that is what Tess had called her.

"It is a public place William." She said cocking a pale eyebrow at me. Her piercing green eyes made for a very creepy effect.

There was a long silence. The only sound was the slight squeaking of the rusting swing and the sound of my breathing; Camille didn't seem to breathe at all.

"She makes quite the impact doesn't she." Camille suddenly asked me. I looked at her my brow furrowed in a confused expression. She gave a slight chuckle, it sounded humorless on her. "Don't give me that William Herondale. You know exactly who I'm talking about." Of course I did, it wasn't like I could get her out of my head. Tessa. My perfect, fragile Tessa who I wanted to be wrapped in my arms at the moment.

"She does." I said, giving up on trying to hide anything from the wardrobe and makeup artist in front of me.

"You should be careful William." She said softly, "Many of boys have had there hearts broken by the elusive Theresa Gray. Even players like you have fallen head over heels." I chuckled.

"I think," I said, "You're a little late with the warning." Camille smiled at me sadly.

"Then may she have mercy on you." She said slightly chuckling. And suddenly I was laughing too. No idea why, but it felt good to just let the emotions go again.

"She's had a tough life to Will." Camille said.

"I know." I said thinking back to the estrange message that had been sent to her. The horror and grief in her eyes as I read the letter out loud, making my heart brake with every word. The fakeness in her smile the first day I had meet her. She definitely hadn't had a cakewalk of a life.

"Then you know that you should be careful with her too. We don't need a heartbroken Tessa on our hands."

"I thought you where just warning me about her." I said a slight chuckle in my voice. But as soon as I saw Camille's look I sobered up almost immediately. It wasn't a smile, but an almost protective glare.

"But you're the same as her William," she said, "Same unattached behavior, distance yourself from people. The question isn't if one you will get hurt, it's when."

Another silence over came the small park as we both thought about the words that had just been spoken. So true but something that we would rather forget.

"Hey Camille?" I asked

"Yeah."

"Do you know why a person named M would send Tess a letter?" Camille's face turned to one of shock and fear at the mere mention of it. Slowly she shook her head in dismay, her face an even paler white than it usually was.

"I really hope that she told you about it William." She said giving me a wave and an expression that I couldn't explain, "If not... I wish the best of the luck to you. You'll need it." Then she was gone, like dust in the wind.

I thought about my conversation with Camille all the way back to the institute. Wishing with all my heart that she had been wrong. That Tessa and I wouldn't have this massive problem standing in between us. Wishing that Tess hadn't gotten that letter today, that her life was the catwalk she pretended it was.

But it wasn't.

It was so very far from that.