EDITED JUNE 4TH, 2017

She thought she had fallen asleep as soon as her head had brushed the cool material of her pillowcase, but she didn't remember, and she was still tired. Perhaps that had something to do with Isabelle swinging the entire top half of her body over the railing on the top bunk and cackling loudly. But the joke was on her, Clary knew—because Isabelle was much more tired than she, and definitely looked it.

The sound of something smashing was what had roused her from her half sleep, where the redhead swore she saw her twin coming to sit on the edge of her bed, swore she felt him moving her legs gently aside and tucking her hair back behind her ear the way he so often had—when he'd been able to move, when his lungs still drew breath and his heart still beat.

But she'd woken up. Just like she always did.

And he hadn't been there, and she'd wanted to curl in on herself and sob into her pillow. These mornings were the worst—and they were much too frequent for all the money her mom had washed away on therapists.

Clary didn't know if Izzy had known, been able to tell somehow, but the dark-eyed girl jumped down from her bed and pulled her hair up into a low-hanging ponytail, groaning as she stretched her arms high up over her head and stood on her tip-toes, Clary slipping into the bathroom to brush her teeth and splash some water on her face.

She didn't want her friends to know how much the survivor's guilt still choked her, but Clary had a sneaking suspicion that her friends knew it anyways.

But there had been pride shining in Isabelle's eyes at Clary's outfit—built from a pair of high-waisted jean shorts with the American flag printed on them and a thin, long white muscle shirt over top of her floral print bikini and black sandals—and something the redhead wasn't quite sure she liked flashing in Jace's eyes as she entered the kitchen, gone the second he noticed her steady gaze upon him.

"Morning," Clary smiled at Alec and Magnus, who were chatting softly as the latter poured himself a bowl of cereal.

Magnus wriggled his blue, glittery eyebrows at her. "You two certainly look like you just walked off of a hipster blog."

"Thanks," she remarked dryly, rolling her eyes. Turning to ask Isabelle whether they should go pick up some groceries or not, the question seemed to catch in her throat at the hot glare her friend bore. It wasn't at her, though—it was at Jace, who glared back at Isabelle for a moment before giving up, seemingly tired, and dropped his head in his hands before dragging them down his face.

Alec cleared his throat. "Do—does anyone want to go swimming? I want go swimming—Clary!" He looked towards her desperately as Magnus rose from his barstool; most probably to mediate whatever it was that was going on between Izzy and Jace. "Clary," he said again, "Come swimming with me."

"Sure?" She thought her voice might have cracked mid-word, thought that she caught Jace's eyes boring into hers, pleading with her to leave. But as soon as it registered, Alec was tugging her hurriedly out the door, Isabelle was opening her mouth to shout, Jace was glowering, and she was down the stairs.

Clary tugged the thin material of her shirt over her head as Alec ruffled his rumpled hair, realizing that neither of them had towels. "Fantastic," he sighed and tossed his shirt into the sand. Clary piled her clothes on top of the shirt, loving the warm feeling she got over her skin when the sun hit it.

Clary turned to Alec suddenly. "Do you think they'll ever stop?"

His eyes widened. "Fighting?" He sighed again. "I hoped…one day…But it doesn't seem likely."

"That's reassuring," Clary laughed tightly.

The two of them were still standing there, not really looking at anything, when Isabelle bounded out, tossing towels at their heads. "How are you two standing around when there's a perfectly refreshing lake right there?"

Clary pulled the towel off of her head, frowning, and hair now in disarray. "Iz! Come on!"

Isabelle chuckled and tossed her long ponytail over one shoulder, pulling off her shorts in quite possibly the most awkward manner Clary had ever seen. An arm slid around her shoulders, and she whipped around in surprise. Magnus grinned down at her. Had they already resolved things with Jace or had they just left him be at the house?

Izzy, in her brilliant red bikini, was waving Clary and Magnus down to the shore where she stood, gentle waves lulling at her feet, Alec beside her. Magnus looped his fingers around Clary's wrist and pulled her along behind him as she began jogging, and she had no other choice but to run or fall face first into the hot sand and have Magnus drag her—because she was quite certain Magnus would drag her.

But Magnus didn't stop at the shore—no, he pulled Clary right into the water with him. While it was at Clary's waist, it barely came up to Magnus's hips. She hissed out a few rather uncomplimentary words as the cool water came into contact with her skin.

Isabelle splashed her brother suddenly, and Clary felt a grin slide into place on her face as she watched his expression turn from surprised to slightly vengeful. Izzy splashed him again, and Clary rushed over, Magnus in tow. They all laughed as Alec spewed out a mouthful of water, wiping it from his eyes and shaking his hair. Clary yelped as the cold water touched her arms and hit her face.

They all laughed at that, too.

"Maybe I should just go suntan," she said sarcastically, motioning to the spot on the sand where they'd all piled their clothes and the few towels Isabelle had unceremoniously chucked at her head.

"Maybe you should," Isabelle agreed, nodding, a little smile playing on her lips. "You are really pasty."

Clary's mouth popped open, a sort of betrayed yet surprised expression written across her face. "Isabelle Sophia!" Isabelle giggled as Clary's hands went to rest on her hips.

Then suddenly, Clary was marching—as well as one could march being about five-two and up to their waist in water—over to Isabelle. She stood still a moment, Izzy regarding her a little apprehensively but still smiling faintly, and then Clary, mustering all her strength, pushed Izzy over into the water.

Alec was positively dying of laughter, bent over clutching his clutching at his stomach, the sound deep and so loud Clary thought it was possible the people closer to shore were hearing it, too. Isabelle came up gasping and wiping water away from her eyes, leaving black smudges of mascara in her wake. Long pieces of dark hair stuck to her arms and her face and just about anywhere they could reach. She glared at her brother, now gasping too—but for an entirely different reason than his sister—and moved closer to him in the water, reached out, and pushed against his side.

Alec all but dropped dead into the water.

"When did you get so strong?" Magnus eyed Isabelle's biceps like they had threatened him, somehow.

She admired her biceps lovingly as Alec rose up out of the water, still laughing as he panted for breath. "When I realized most boys don't understand the word 'no'."

They were silent a minute, Magnus wrapping his arm around Alec's waist. It must have looked weird, she thought, seeing them all just standing there in a kind of circle shape after having fought and splashed at each other.

"Still wanna go sunbathe, Clare?" Magnus asked, cocking his head. Clary wondered how he still had glitter in his brows and how not one gelled hair had come out of place.

"Sounds like a plan!" Isabelle chirped happily and led the way to the shore.

When they were all stretched out on their towels—Clary lying on her stomach, Isabelle on her back with her hands folded on her stomach and her eyes closed against the harshness of the sun, Magnus and Alec with their heads bent together and talking in low voices—and "soaking up the rays", as Alec had so eloquently put it, Clary asked Isabelle, "Why were you mad at Jace earlier?"

The conversation between Alec and Magnus died off. Isabelle sat up, cleared her throat.

"He was staring at you," Isabelle told her simply, refusing to meet her curious gaze.

"So?" Clary laughed a little. "He's Jace. He wouldn't be Jace if he wasn't checking out every girl within a five mile radius."

Isabelle turned her head slowly to look at Clary, who was still lying back on her towel. "He was looking at you like you were a piece of meat, like you were just any other girl he wanted to get with. But you aren't. You are Clary mother-effing Fray, and my best friend and I'll be damned if I—"

"Izzy." Alec interjected sharply.

"He said he'd just rather not come," Magnus said placating, a hand going to rest on Alec's thigh.

"He's my best friend Izzy, and it's not fair to put all the blame on him all the time. He isn't such a bad guy!"

Clary, drawing designs in the sand, listened confused, to the argument unfolding before her.

"He's a complete ass, Alec! Why can't you see that?" Izzy shouted, face flushing with anger.

"Because I know him, Isabelle, that's why!"

"Why you're friends with him is beyond me!"

"Evidently," Alec fumed.

Isabelle ran a hand through her drying hair, glaring at the ground through narrowed eyes as Magnus laid a placating hand on his boyfriend's thigh. "If Isabelle and Clary don't like Jace, let them—besides, Jace isn't the mst likeable person on the planet, you know." He pointed out.

Isabelle stuck her tongue out petulantly at her brother, as if to gloat: Haha, I'm not the only one!

Alec looked like he was just barely stopping himself from launching back into the argument. He also looked like he kind of didn't know how to respond. And Clary wondered how you could respond to that—how she would respond, if she knew what was going on, exactly.

Then he muttered, half sarcastic, half bitter, "I can't compete with that."

"Come on," Isabelle hopped to her feet. "Let's go get changed, Clary."

Clary held her hands up to Isabelle and groaned. Isabelle rolled her eyes and took Clary's hands and pulled her to her feet. The redhead couldn't help but smile.

The two of them gathered up their clothes in their arms and headed for the beach house.

The house was quiet, almost like Jace had wandered off and they had it all to themselves—but that thought was quickly dismissed when Jace walked past them to the kitchen, glaring at the pair of them. Clary rolled her eyes and briefly entertained the idea of flipping him off; Isabelle actually did. Jace returned the gesture with a flourish of his hands.

Clary tugged her friend up the stairs. They had stuff to do, and a certain plan to break a certain blond boy's heart.

Lowering his hand, Clary felt more than noticed his eyes lingering on her. She propped a hand on her hip. "Never seen a bikini, Herondale?"

He smirked at her. "Most definitely, I was just thinking about how offended the creator of the bikini would be if they saw you in one."

"Then maybe stop checking me out. Just a thought."

"I would never dream of subjecting my precious eyes to such a thing," Jace brought his hand to his chest; looking slightly offended she'd ever suggest he would do something like that.

"Then why are you still staring, Jace?" Isabelle cocked her head to the side. Her tone was vaguely threatening, and Clary thought she caught a hint of curiosity there, too. Did Isabelle like Jace?

The thought nearly made Clary gasp out loud. It would explain why she always got mad when she caught Jace checking out other girls—staring at Clary. Maybe he knew and had rejected her, and that's why she was always mad at him.

It would explain why Isabelle had agreed to break Jace's heart.

It was because he had already broken hers.