A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews!

You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are?

Through the continuing storm, Clare remained still, wide-eyed on her porch steps, transfixed with horror, though most prevalent was shock. Forcefully, she blinked. Perhaps only a second had passed since she had so inadvertently swung open the door allowing him to waltz back into her life.

Neither spoke.

Another second came to pass and Clare couldn't shake the memories.

I learned to live half alive
And now you want me one more time

She took Eli's hand, finally allowing him to let him pull her up off the floor. When Clare was up on her own two feet and the tears subsided, Eli gently let her hand fall. Wondering, Clare became strangely aware of how limp it laid at her side.

To distract herself and to ward off another painful conversation about him—whom she did not wish to speak of—Clare asked the first thing that came to mind. "Don't you have an exam to take?"

Eli shrugged it off. "It can wait."

Positively incredulous, Clare stopped in he tracks. "What do you mean," she spoke slowly, not understanding. "'It can wait?'"

Smirking, Eli stopped alongside her. "It means," he spoke lightly in assurance, "I'll take it later when you do."

But Clare shook her head not at all feeling Eli's confidence. "Look Eli, I really—" her voice cracked though she tried so hard to keep the emotion out of it. "…appreciate it, but you need to go."

This time it was Eli who shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry about my test. I'll take it later."

"Eli," she sighed, hopelessly looking to the ceiling as if for support. "There is no 'later.'" Her voice was a whisper now, like she didn't have the energy to speak up. "It's done. It's over. That's it." She wasn't even sure of what she was talking about anymore. Her head was a mess.

Clare's eyes found Eli's as she spoke next, her voice the same hoarse, low murmur. "You should go."

Silently and unsure, Eli stood there observing her, contemplating whether to listen. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak when—

"You heard her, emo boy. Leave."

Like the last time she saw him that morning, Clare felt like she was struggling underwater and the world was spinning off its axis, upside down.

"Mark," she managed to choke out.

He turned on her. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" Broken indignation. "This where you've been this whole time?" Disgustedly he thrust a thumb in Eli's direction. "With him?"

Feeling as helpless as ever, Clare vaguely noticed that her eyes were filling up again. Filling up and overflowing. His anger barely registered with her. All she could manage was all she could think right then: "How could you?"

No longer aware of Eli's presence in the opposite side of the empty hallway, a guilty dark cloud appeared to pass across Fitz's face. But he remained stoic. Silent for once.

"How long?" she choked out roughly.

Softening some, the tables turning, Fitz took a step forward, ready now with open arms. But Clare took a step back. She wanted none of that—none of him right now, not anymore.

Louder this time, she repeated a bit more clearly: "How long have you known about…" Clare struggled with her words, conscious of Eli silently standing there and Fitz's looming, sorry face. "…how long have you been a part of this… this bet?"

A shadow moved over Mark's features. "A little while."

Clare blinked back the tears that kept coming, trying to focus. "How long is a 'while?'' There were parts of her that wanted his horrible, honest answer and sick, pathetic, broken parts of her that almost wanted to be lied to.

Fitz stared off at a spot over her shoulder. Reluctant, he admitted, "Since last summer."

Again, Clare felt the waters rise and the feeling of a tide pulling her under, her world falling off course and off its axis.

"So," she started shakily, deciding right then that more that anything, she wanted to set the record straight. "You mean to say that last night you wanted me to… because they were paying you?"

Fitz's eyes darted everywhere but Clare's. Quickly he spoke in a desperate rush. "No, no, that wasn't all of it, Clare. You know I love you, babe. I did it—we did it—because we wanted to." His dark eyes were adamant. "Last night was the best."

Clare felt her cheeks flush but it wasn't because of the "compliment." Every word out of his mouth just made the tide-pulling-sinking-sick-to-her- stomach feeling ache even more. She bit her lip. "Better than Bianca?"

It was like she flipped a switch right then. Fitz knew she knew. And he was pissed. And suddenly aware of Eli's presence in the hallway again. "You!" he pointed. "You the one feeding her these lies? You sense a weak spot and you come crawling in through, trying to make time with my girl?"

In a matter of seconds, Eli's expression transformed from silent distaste to animated indignation. "I'm not 'crawling through' anything trying to 'make time' with anybody's 'girl.'" The volume increased as Clare just stood there, hearing it all unfold.

"She knew about Bianca all this time!" Eli had no idea why he said that in that moment, but was glad he did. He was tired of skating around the truth. The Neanderthal hurt Clare. Fair was fair.

Fitz blinked in surprise but swiftly changed course. "There's nothing to know."

Eli laughed darkly. "And would 'nothing' happen to be a synonym for 'boiler room?' Because I'm afraid even you can't deny there's truth to that statement."

Fitz seemed to growl. "You don't know a thing, Goldsworthy."

"On the contrary, Fitzy," Eli spat, moving himself between Mark and Clare. "I know plenty."

Tangibly, Fitz's enmity seemed to radiate in waves off of him. Shivering, Clare could feel it even with Eli standing in her way. "It was nothing, Clare!" he spoke with rage, desperate to convince her and himself. "She just gives me the weed. Honest."

Clare closed her eyes, sick of seeing his poorly concealed lies. And instead, deadpanned: "I though you were done with that stuff? That you didn't need it now with me there?"

Mark said nothing while trapped in his corner.

And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore

Clare blinked back to the present, a single tear cascading down her cheek. "I was never enough for you, was I?"

You lost the love I loved the most