Chapter 12 - Joy

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Sorry I haven't updated in over a year. This chapter isn't spell checked but enjoy :)

Clary POV

8 months. It had been 8 months away from them all. In my new life. Alone. And I had made some friends.

Daniel and Caroline. I met Caroline at work when the photocopier broke again and I was ready to smash it with a hammer.

She came in seeing the frustrated look on my face and fixed it for me. We got to chatting about work and our lives and before we knew it 30 minutes had gone by.

The next week we were paired up on a sales call and it went amazingly well. We started hanging out more and we've been friends ever since.

Daniel I met a few weeks later. He and Caroline already knew each other. He'd messed up a sales pitch but luckily Caroline saved him. She seemed to do that for a lot of people in the office. But never sought to take credit for it. She was amazing.

Before I knew it the three of us would be over at each other apartment and going out on weekends.

There was still a void in my heart. Always waiting for Alec. Tom. Flo. All of them.

But it was nice to not be alone for once. To feel genuinely happy. I'd forgotten what it felt like. To have people you could laugh and joke around with. I was so grateful for both of them.

But sometimes that feeling crept up. I was lying to them both. Everything they knew about me...was wrong.

One day I would tell them. I work show the real me. When I could see my family and go home. I would come back for them both and be honest.
.................................................................................Alec POV

I dropped Tom and Flo at school again and then went grocery shopping. I came back and made myself lunch. Cleaned the apartment. And then grabbed my laptop. Flo had asked me to do her hair again this morning and I had failed spectacularly.

I had to call Izzy to fix it.... Again. So today I vowed no more. I went on YouTube and started to look for hair videos. I was half way through learning how to do a Fishtail braid when someone started hammering at my door.

"ALEXANDER! " the voice bellowed.

It sound like Valentine. We hadn't really spoken much since Clary's funeral. I'd tried to keep in contact but he didn't seem to interested. I knew it was hard for him having lost his only daughter but after a while I guess we just stopped talking to each other.

I took a deep breath preparing myself for what was on the other side of the door. I opened the door standing straight up, a stoick expression on my face. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. Drunk.

Just like I used to be months ago.

His eyes were red, a tired look on his face. He wasn't coping. Wasn't okay. Angry. Distraught.

"You" he pointed his finger at me" you're the reason my daughter is dead"

I gulped not knowing what to say and forced myself to show no emotion. To keep that wall up so he couldn't see that what he'd said was breaking down the shield I had built.

"I'm sorry" I breathed. He moved closer towards me but suddenly Jocelyn and Luke stood in front blocking his path.

They looked out of breath, clearly having chased Valentine up to my apartment. They knew he was coming here. They had tried to stop him.

"Val stop" Jocelyn said "we're all upset but it wasn't Alec's fault"

"Why don't you go into the kitchen? Give him some space" Luke said quietly, putting his hand on my shoulder. I nodded. I went and sat down on one of the stools holding my head in my hands

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