What Happens On The Balcony

5 - dumped

one month later | 2:45 a.m.

i could hear the yelling from my bed.

jace's voice and a second i vaguely recognized reached my ears from his balcony, all the way through my closed window and over the booming rumble of the party he was hosting on the other side of the wall. i tried to not eavesdrop, but even if my curiosity wasn't getting the best of me i wouldn't have been able to ignore them. harsh words and distasteful curses passed hastily between jace and the mystery voice. although i couldn't hear every word, they were yelling just loud enough for me to understand what was happening and it wasn't pretty.

"FINE. JUST GET OUT OF HERE IF YOU WANT."

"DON'T MIND IF I FUCKING DO."

the next thing i heard was the overly aggressive slamming of his front door.

with curiosity dictating my next move, i jumped up from my bed and scurried to my front door. i carefully cracked it open, deliberately being as sly and quiet as possible. i peaked my eyes around the dark wood, making it just in time to see a head of long black hair whip around corner of the tiny hallway, which gave me a clue as to who jace was fighting with.

i quietly shut the door and pattered to the window on the opposite end of the apartment. i peered through the glass to see jace leaning over the rail on his balcony.

i watched him for a moment, waiting for him to turn his head or make a move of some sort so i could read an emotion on him.

a minute passed and the only movement from him was an occasional ruffle of his messy curls with his fingers. slowly i opened the latch and lifted the glass, carefully stepping through the window onto my balcony. i was sure he could hear me as i crawled outside, but he still remained motionless, staring out at the city lights.

i mimicked his position on the rail of my side of the balcony. i took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp, early morning air. i didn't really know why i had come out here. maybe i was just tired and delusional.

"what are you doing awake?" jace broke the silence, his voice slow and solemn. i glanced in his direction, but he remained in his staring contest with the building across the street.

i shrugged. "couldn't sleep."

"because of-" he started, gesturing toward the party inside his apartment and finally breaking his gaze to look at me. he looked exhausted. his dark eyes were softer than normal and his lips drooped down in a natural frown.

"no i couldn't sleep before." i explained. i had been having a night where i wasn't particularly sleepy and was far too in to the season of criminal minds i was on. when jace and his friends rolled in about 2 episodes ago, it just pushed my bed time even later. i wasn't typically a light sleeper, but there was something about my floor vibrating and the words of asap rocky that didn't exactly sing me into a deep sleep.

i wondered why none of his party goers had come out here yet. if i could hear the fight i was sure they could too.

jace nodded, accepting my answer and turning his attention back toward the city.

"shouldn't you get back to your party?"

he shrugged. "nah. they're all a bunch of tools anyway."

i nodded, joining him in staring out into the world. "was that the girl from halloween?"

"yeah." he hesitated.

"your girlfriend right?"

he sighed, a soft chuckle escaping his lips like even he couldn't believe what he was saying. "not anymore."