𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓲 𝓵𝓲𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾?| 𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓬 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔀𝓸𝓸𝓭

Chapter Twenty-Eight

(sorry this is a lil late y'all! am i gonna make this completely awkward for them? yes! am i gonna be able to stop laughing at them? no <3 sotc is using you, by mars argo. btw i can't write seggsy bits so just like...u can decide how that went down for urself. happy reading!)

Ness's POV

I did the absolute worst thing that you could do once you've hooked up with the guy who's in love with you, and who you may be in love with too.

I bolted.

Yes, yes, you're thinking: "Ness, are you insane? You got the guy who's built like a Greek God, and you're running away? I would've stayed for round two!"

And trust me, I would've too, if it weren't for one little problem. 

Commitment.

If you were to be one of those psychologists, like that Dr. Phil dude that Izzy is so crazy about, you'd probably tell me that because I never had anybody stable in my childhood, that I'm now an avoider of commitment, as I feel like it'll trap me. My lack of parenting has made me flighty, fickle and inconsistent, likely to get bored of things that aren't ever-changing, and it's highly probable that this would never change.

You'd continue to inform me that the thought of being with somebody steady and serious like Alec, who seemed to feel everything more deeply than he should, would scare me off, especially if I felt that I was developing feelings for that person. You'd tell me I'd bolt at the first chance I got and refuse to feel guilty about something I convinced myself was all made up anyway.

If you were an astrologer, you'd tell me that my Gemini sun made me indecisive, unreliable, and maybe a little bit erratic, and I was probably likely to flirt with anything that moved. Put that with my attention-loving Leo moon, then you just have one massive flirt-loving, commitment-hating heap that is Ness Birch.

And if you were me, you'd say I left to avoid any kind of awkwardness. 

I liked my explanation best, because it wasn't in any way deep.

I hated deep stuff. 

I slipped out of Alec's room quietly, making sure not to wake him, or take his hoodie or anything, and shut his door silently. I walked down the hallway, feeling as though I was doing something I shouldn't be. Sneaking out of your sort-of-boyfriend's room at five in the morning kind of has that effect on a person.

I was going to pretend it had never, ever happened, and hopefully he thought it was a dream, or something, because quite frankly, I wasn't prepared to deal with this right now. 

When I got to my room, I was more than dizzy with a lack of sleep, and I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath. Lack of sleep, and lack of food. I hadn't eaten since Alec had gone missing.

And I'm a real bitch when I'm hungry.

I walked into my bathroom, dragging my arm across my tired eyes, trying to get them to focus, and leaned on the sink, glancing into the backlit mirror above it.

Oh shit. 

Well, so much for pretending it had never happened.

Alec and I had clearly gotten carried away, because I could barely see my neck, for mottled blotches of red and purple that decorated my neck like flowers. I could feel myself turning scarlet, as I surveyed my body, most of my chest decorated with the same pattern as the one on my neck.

I didn't care that it was July, I would wear a turtleneck if it suffocated me. 

I am so embarrassed right now. 

I figured there was no point in going to bed, so I got in the shower and switched it onto the coldest setting. I was hot from embarrassment and even hotter from the Alec-Lightwood-aftermath. I couldn't get him out my head, and it took every ounce of my self control not to run back into his arms right then and there, and forget everything.

It took so much effort not to care.

Before I could fall down the hole of self-doubt and irritation, my phone rang, and I flipped it open and checked the number that was ringing.

No-caller ID is calling you. 

I rolled my eyes and answered, expecting some creep trying to sell double glazing or something.

"Hello?"

Lexi's POV 

"Venus?" I said to the voice on the other end. "It's Lexi."

"Um, hey?" she sounded confused. "I don't think I know a Lexi."

Of course. She didn't know me, but I certainly knew her.

"I see" I said, calculating my reason for having her number.

I could lie and defend Jace.

I could avoid the question.

Or I could just do what I was best at and look out for myself.

I went with the last option.

"Jace gave it to me" I smirked, biting my lip at the thrill of being a bitch.

"Jace" she said, in complete disbelief. "How do you know Jace?" 

"We hook-up" I shrugged. "He likes the demon blooded ones, but I'm sure you know that, right?"

I'll readily admit that I was being bitchy. She was Jace's ex, and I was jealous. Period.

"Oh, so you're the rebound?" she asked, her tone light, but bitchy.

I'll admit, I liked this girl. I liked that she didn't back down.

"Haha. No" I deadpanned. "No, that's not why I'm calling you."

"Then why are you?"

"To warn you. I owe it to Enyo."

"You're friends with Enyo?"

Her voice was full of surprise and concern.

"Yes" I reassured her. "We're like sisters."

"Oh" she said, sounding sort of hurt. Well obviously, Lexi, she's supposed to be Enyo's sister.

"Yeah, well she made me call and warn you."

"Oh" she said, brighter this time. "About what?"

"Lucifer's activated Inferni. And he's one step away from destroying the Nephilim."