Loving The Enemy

31: Home

I spent the next day, trying to avoid Will. I had felt his eyes on me a few times, and it took everything in my power to ignore him. He didn't try to talk to me, and I felt grateful. I spent the evening packing, and then I went to go say my goodbyes, since we were leaving early the next morning.

I told Mark and all of them to come visit London, and hugged each of them. Cecily, Isabelle, and Clary all hugged me, sadly, saying that they would talk to Will. I hugged both Gabriel, Alec, both asking me why I was leaving. I had only brushed it off. Simon said he would ask Izzy about it when I left, and I only laughed and hugged him. Jace had promised me that he'd pull a good prank on Will for me, and I had only rolled my eyes, grinning. Everyone watched as I had neared Will. He stood there, looking me dead in the eyes.

"You know that you don't have to go back." He had said quietly.

"I'm going back because I want to. I need to be..." I trailed off.

"Away from me." Will finished bitterly. "You know that this won't fix it."

"I can try." I breathed out.

He looked at me, hard. "I meant what I said."

"Goodbye, Will." I whispered.

I then had walked away, not looking back. Currently, I had just boarded the plane back home. I sat beside Celine, since the rows were of two seats. Stephen was sitting only a little bit away. The plane took off awhile later, and I sighed, looking out of the window.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you come back so early?" Celine asked curiously.

"Will, he and I--we---I--" I struggled for words.

"Ah." She said. "It's complicated, I get it."

I sighed. "Too complicated."

"Will, he's a special boy." Celine chuckled fondly. "I had always thought so. He feels things deeply, maybe too deeply at times. He and Jace are both like that, but I would say more so Will."

"Him and Jace are basically twins." I smiled slightly.

She laughed. "They are, aren't they?" She then became serious again. "You know, Will came to my room that night when you said you wanted to come home early, begging me not to let you go."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes." Celine said. "I told him that it was your choice, not mine. He was quite angry with me." She chuckled.

"He told me he likes me, but he then he said he wouldn't date me." I wrung out my hands in my lap, not believing I was having this conversation with Jace's mother.

Celine sighed. "Will is strange like that. He thinks that he deserves no happiness."

"Why, though?" I whispered.

"I don't know, Dear." She said sadly. "Ever since his parents died, he's been like that."

I only remained silent, and our conversation ended after that. I tried reading "Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen, but I couldn't focus on anything that was happening. Not too long after that, we arrived back in London. We all got our stuff, and Celine and Stephen dropped me back off at home. I thanked them, and walked into my house. Aunt Harriet was sitting in the kitchen, awaiting my arrival. I had called her saying I was coming home early.

"Tessie!" She exclaimed, hugging me.

I smiled, and hugged her back. We then pulled away, and she studied me carefully.

"There's something wrong. What is it?" Aunt Harriet questioned.

I sighed. I hated how she always knew when something was wrong with me.

"It was Will." I mumbled. "We--we're not on the greatest terms right now. I needed space. "

"Were you two dating?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No." I replied. "But--but--"

"You liked him." She finished, smiling. "I understand."

I gave her a forced smile, and then said that I was going to go unpack my things. I walked up the stairs to my bedroom, and threw myself down on my bed. I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I dreaded having to go back to school, and being forced to sit beside Will. It would be horrible.

I unzipped my suitcase, and started to unpack all my things. Everything was mostly going into the wash, so it only took me about ten minutes. After I was finished, I continued to read "Pride & Prejudice". This time, I was actually able to focus on it. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were perfect for each other, I just wished it hadn't taken them so long to figure it out.

I couldn't help but compare myself to Elizabeth, and Will to Mr. Darcy. Just like Elizabeth, I had hated Will and then had ended up falling for him. Will had liked me from the start, like Mr. Darcy, or so I thought. Not anymore. I felt the rush anxiousness run through me. Had I made a mistake? Was he telling the truth? No, he couldn't be. I mean, what a convenient time to tell me his feelings, right after we had just slept, together.

I stayed holed up in my room for most of the day, and refused to have dinner when aunt Harriet called me. Against my will, she pulled me downstairs and made me eat with her. I swirled my pasta around my plate, having no appetite whatsoever.

"Tessa, what happened in Mexico?" Aunt Harriet started. "I know that it was with Will, but what exactly happened?"

I sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it. I just need to forget."

"You do need to talk about. It's eating you away." She said.

I shook my head. "I'm fine, I just need to be alone right now."

And with that, I went back up to my room, knowing that I was anything but fine.