Trust Me. I'm Lying - (SLOWLY EDITING)

And Then Loved: Chapter 30

"Love?" Michael smiled down at his hands. "Love, real love, is being seen. Being known. Knowing the ugliest part of someone, and loving them anyway. And... I guess I think two people in love become something else, something more than the sum of their parts, you know? That it must be like you're creating a new world that exists just for the two of you. You're gods of your own pocket universe."

—Michael Wayland, The Evil We Love (Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy), Cassandra Clare.

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CHAPTER THIRTY:

And Then Loved.

"I thought I'd never seen someone worse than Chris and Aiden," I said, shaking my head. "Turns out, I'm wrong."

"Hey!" came an indignant response from the waiting line at McDonald's, where Chris was helping retrieve our order. I looked at my boyfriend helplessly.

Carson took a napkin from the middle of the table, made it into a little ball and threw it at Sebastian, who then stopped looking at Jess like he was a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. Jess giggled, and Sebastian cracked the smallest of smiles. It was so weird to see him smile— it still took me a little by surprise. Carson looked a little exasperated. "Guys, seriously."

"I don't know which were worse," Aiden mused. "Bells and Carson trying and failing to hate each other, or you two," he jerked his head in the direction of the couple, an almost disgusted expression on his face. "Being all in love and shit."

I turned to my adopted brother in law, as Chris liked to call it. "There was nothing worse than you and Chris. I could barely stand withing ten feet from you. It was like a freaking rainbow erupted from where you stood."

Aiden shook his head. "But—"

"Nothing," the rest of the table said in unison.

Chris laughed as she set the food from the table. Not at all surprising, she sat down next to Aiden, though I noticed they kept their distance, probably not to get any more teasing than they already did. She took a fried potato and popped into her mouth. "You do know your relationship with Carson is kind of illegal, right? Very illegal in fact."

I rolled my eyes. Neither of us had realized this until a few days after Carson's birthday. His disastrous birthday, though none of them needed to know that. "I turn eighteen in like, two months, so it doesn't even count."

"Still illegal," Sebastian murmured, a smirk on the corners of his lips. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd live to see the day when Isabelle Ryans would do something illegal if you people know what I mean."

Aiden, Jessica, and Chris burst into laughter. I couldn't hear over the blood thumping on my ears. I looked at Carson, and he was beet red. I burst out laughing just at the mere sight of that. It was so very rare to see him blush. I kissed his cheek, and then kept on laughing.

It had been a week since his kind of horrible birthday, and yet he talked to Olivia every day, if only to her. The girl had an iPhone. He was happier, even if he didn't like to admit it.

I wanted to throw a fry at Sebastian, but then again, I considered wasting McDonald's fries as near sacrilege, so I ignored him. Which was hard, when another wave of laughter erupted. I shook my head. "You people enjoy making us suffer."

Sebastian opened his mouth to retort, but Jess placed her hand over his. "Stop bickering," she scolded, if only to him. His expression softened, and he dug in. Then Jess raised her paper McDonald's cup and, blushing, as was usual for her and said, "I propose a toast. Because there are thirty days left of school, and then freedom. And after freedom, we are Seniors!"