Simon wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he knew something had changed. For the past few weeks he'd notice strange behaviour in his friends. At first it was just Maia who was down cast and quiet. The only reason she'd give for this was that her and Bat decided to call it quits, which Simon supposed was a good enough reasons, but even so it didn't quite feel right to him. Simon never really got the impression Maia was all that attached to Bat.

Then just as Maia was starting to seem like herself again, Simon noticed something else. Jordan started acting very odd indeed, almost overly cheerful like he had something to prove. Yet at the same time, when no one else was in the room Jordan looked tired. Simon just couldn't figure it out.

"Maybe they slept together," Izzy said with a shrug one day when Simon confessed his worries to her.

"Jordan wouldn't do that to Paige!" Simon said at once, but Izzy didn't look impressed.

"Last I checked, Jordan was human," Izzy stated. "It's a species wide failing."

Simon turned to face her. "Does that mean you think I could do that?"

"You as you are now no," Izzy replied, thoughtfully. "But there is a situation and a world in which anyone could do anything."

Simon rolled his eyes and kissed her before turning to the task at hand, which in this case was making dinner. Simon was chopping onions - and crying quite a lot about it - while Izzy had the carrots finished and was putting them in a pan.

"Now, are you sure about this whole vinegar in with the veggies thing?" Simon asked, cautiously.

"Yes," Izzy said firmly. "It's called pickling, or how did you think pickles were made?"

"Walk to store," Simon began smirking. "Find pickles. Purchase. Eat."

"Cheeky," Izzy laughed, turning her back on him as she continued twirling around the kitchen making dinner. Simon loved her laugh. Combined with that glorious smile on her face, it was all he had to wait until she was done the prep work before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"Hmm," Izzy sighed, as her arms came around him. Simon often lost track of his thoughts and his hands when kissing Isabelle. Today was no different.

"Sweetheart, if you do that we are going to be eating burnt tacos tonight," she gasped as he kissed her neck while his hands traced lines over the sensitive skin under her shirt.

"What if I like burnt tacos?" Simon teased, moving down to kiss her collar bones.

"Then you are hornier than you are hungry," Izzy explained matter of factly.

With a sigh, Simon pulled back. "Okay I am hungry," he said. "And I love you."

"Good," Izzy grinned as she returned to continue cooking. Simon had to wait a whole minute for her to turn back to him grinning and say. "Oh, and I love you too."

"Good to know," Simon laughed, moving forward and wrapping his arms around her from behind. "You little tease." Izzy giggled, and Simon kissed the top of her head before letting her free to finish the tacos.

They were just plating their dinner when Simon heard the door and Maia's voice call out. With a smile, Simon asked if she'd like to join them, but Maia shook her head saying something about grabbing a bite at school and went right to her room.

"Did she tell you why she and Bat broke up?" Izzy asked as they were eating moments later.

"Nope," Simon sighed. "I just don't get it."

"Your friends problems aren't your problems," Izzy reminded him.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't want to fix them," Simon replied.

"Just because you want to, doesn't mean you can," Izzy smiled at him lovingly.

"I know," Simon sighed, reaching forward to take her hand. Looking away from Maia's door, he turned to his girlfriend. "At least we solved our problems."

"Oh no, this is miserable Sizzy," she giggled. "Or couldn't you tell?"

"Sizzy?" Simon asked confused.

"Oh come on," Izzy scoffed. "You're the one with the crazy ship naming ex-girlfriend not me. Surely you remember what name Clary gave us."

Simon blinked for a moment, staring aimlessly before it came back to him. "Just your name with a little bit extra," he chuckled.

"About sums it up," Izzy giggled.

"You know, sometimes I forget that Clary's all the way on the other side of the world," Simon remarked. "It's strange."

"Have you talked to her lately?" Izzy asked before taking another bite of her taco.

"Mostly texting," Simon shrugged. "She's been too busy to video chat."

"I bet Jace hates that," Izzy replied.

"Oh probably," Simon said. "But with Jordan the way he is, my 'Jace Watch' is getting very slack indeed. Maybe it's time to enlist Alec."

"I promise Alec is already on that watch," Izzy chuckled. "For two people who once so disliked each other, they are all but brothers now."

"Doesn't that make him your brother too?" Simon smirked.

"I suppose," Izzy sighed. "If you look at it that way. How about estranged, adopted brother." Simon couldn't help but laugh from the look on her face. "Then again, that does make the times he hit on me in high school way creepier." Now she was laughing too.

"What family doesn't have it's problems?" Simon sniggered.

Despite his best friend being miles away, plus his other friends strange moods as well as everything else going on around him, Simon couldn't help but be happy. There was something about spending every day with the one person you loved most in the world that makes everything more bearable. Not that Simon had much to bare. He knew Clary was having fun, and he knew Jace would be happy once Clary got back. Maia and Jordan needed to sort out their out stuff, and Simon knew there wasn't anything he could do about it unless one of them came to him for help. To his great surprise, that is exactly what happened just a few days later.

"Ah Simon?"

He looked up from his books to see Jordan standing beside him.

"Can we talk?" Jordan asked. Then he turned to look around at all the quietly studying people and added, "Not here."

"Sure," Simon replied as he packed up his books and homework. Together the two of them left the library, turning down a hall to sit in an isolated corner.

"What's up?" Simon asked.

"Well I-" Jordan began. "I don't really know how to- I mean it's not something I'm proud of- I-"

"Whole sentences, my friend," Simon smiled.

"Right, well I guess I should just come out and say it," Jordan began, taking a deep breath. "I slept with Maia."

Simon just stared for a second, his mind blank, then he whispered, "Well what do ya know, Izzy was right."

"Izzy knows?" Jordan gasped.

"She guessed," Simon shrugged.

"Oh, well I guess we haven't been acting as casual as I thought we were," Jordan sighed.

"Izzy is just a very intuitive person," Simon offered. "At least when it comes to other people." He paused then added, "And sex."

"Have you told Paige?" Simon asked next. Jordan shook his head. "And why not?"

It was at that moment that Jordan lost it. "I didn't know, and well, now I've ruined everything and I just- I'm so lost. I don't know what I should do, or if there is anything I can do."

"Breath," Simon instructed. "Start again. What didn't you know?"

"When I met Paige, I am sad to say I thought of her like a crutch," Jordan began. "Someone to hold me up and get me through the pain. Then Maia told me how she felt, and it was like everything else disappeared. But after, I suddenly realized what I'd done to the kindest person in the world and I bolted."

"So you're feeling guilty that you love Maia and hurt Paige?" Simon offered.

"Yes but it's not as simple as that," Jordan sighed. "I realized, I mean once I messed it all up, I suddenly understood with perfect clarity-" Simon tried not to interrupt, leaving him space to speak. "I love her."

"Maia?"

"No, Paige," Jordan exclaimed. "And probably Maia, but it's different. I once loved Maia with my whole being, but that feels like a very long time ago now."

"Oh boy," Simon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You are in it now."

"What should I do?" Jordan begged.

"If you love Paige, then you owe her the truth. Don't lie to those you love," Simon stated firmly. "If she loves you, and you can promise it was all a big mistake, maybe there's a chance to save your relationship. But if you love Maia more than Paige, break things off with Paige and come clean. Either way you have to tell her."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Jordan whined, dropping his head into his hands.

"Oh come on, cheer up," Simon teased. "Two beautiful women love you. There are worse problems to have."

"You sounds like Isabelle," Jordan chuckled.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Simon smiled.

The smile faded from Jordan's face. "I don't want to hurt her," he whispered.

"I think it's a little too late for that," Simon replied, reaching forward to put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You have already hurt her."

"Urg, why am I so stupid!" Jordan cried. "Not once, but twice now I've been happy and found a way to muddle it all up."

"I thought it was your parents who broke up you and Maia?" Simon inquired.

"And I let them," Jordan sighed. "If I'd said no right away and run after her at once rather than ages later…"

"Don't you think you're being a little hard on yourself?" Simon asked.

"No I don't," Jordan snapped. "I don't deserve either of them."

"Now wait a minute," Simon chuckled. "Maia cheated on someone too. It's not like she's blameless in this."

"She tried to leave," Jordan explained. "She said all those things then she tried to leave, and I just moved forward and-"

Simon sighed. He had a feeling he knew how this had all gone down. "It might be my fault that she said all those things," he whispered. "When you told me that you'd rather know than not, and it wouldn't change how you felt about Paige, I might have suggested to Maia that she talk to you."

There was silence for a moment into which Simon said, "Sorry."

"You didn't make me sleep with her," Jordan sighed. "This isn't your fault, and I did want to hear what she had to say. You were just being a good friend. I was the one who messed it up."

"Not that I agree with you," Simon replied. "But thanks for letting me off the hook." There was silence again, but this time Simon didn't know what to say.

"So… what now?" Jordan asked sorrowfully with a shrug, as if they had lunch plans.

"Uh, you need to tell Paige," Simon stated, confused.

"What, like right away?" Jordan said shocked. "This very minute kinda right away?"

"YES!" Simon exclaimed. "The longer the wait, the worse it will get." Jordan bit his lip, looking like he was heading for the gallows.

"I'd offer to come with you," Simon said. "But I really doubt it will help. Just come find me when it's over okay?"

A deep gulp cut the silence as Jordan swallowed nervously. Simon reminded him to breathe. Then with a wave, Jordan turned and walked away looking about as brave as a gazelle about to face down a lion.

"Yep," Simon sighed. "He's screwed."

And with that, Simon headed home to his wonderful girlfriend to convince her to help him bake a batch of cookies for when Jordan inevitably showed up at their doorstep in tears.

You know how sometimes you get up in the morning and nothing's right, your life just sucks and all you want to do is go back to bed? Yep, I'm having one of those days today.

I don't want to adult. Let's be Dragons!

I'm trying to wrap up this story now but thanks to what I already have in motion and the slow burn structure of R&S it will be quite tricky to accomplish.

Sneak Peek Chapter 136

"This seat taken?" a soft female voice spoke beside him.

"I'm married," Jace said to try and get the girl to go away.

"I don't see a ring on that finger," she replied.

Seized with a sudden idea, Jace reached for the bowl of pretzels and put his finger through one of them as if it were a ring.

"You're funny," the girl giggled and sat down anyway.

Jace sighed. Maybe the bar wasn't the best idea. Usually people left him alone, but tonight didn't seem to be one of those times.