Mix-Up

You

"I'm home!"
"Yay." Will muttered, as Jessamine trailed into the room with about thirty bags of shopping.
"So you'll have me believe you've spent the past two days shopping, and not screwing the first guy you met in the bar?" Will spat.
Jessie looked bewildered; Will had never blatantly addressed what they all knew she did behind his back.
"I don't know what you mean, William."
"Don't play the fool, Jessie, it does you no credit."
"Fine. Yes, I was off with my latest fling. What's it to you?"
Will blanched. "I'm supposed to be your boyfriend, Jessie."
"There's no 'supposed' to be about it, Will."
"Maybe there is. I've met someone, Jessamine. And I'd rather wait for her than be with you."
Jessie's eyes narrowed. "If you're talking about Tessa, then you can stop right there."
"I slept with her last night, so I don't think I can."
"Wanna bet?"
"Try me."
"You're going to squash any illusions Tessa has about your feelings for her, or I'm going to tell Jem all about 'last night.' I don't care how you do it- tell her you only want her for sex, I don't care- just do it. And don't let her think I'm behind this- make her believe it's really you, that you believe what you're saying. You're mine, Will, and don't you think otherwise."
Will swore in Welsh. "You're a bitch, Jessamine."
Jessie smiled. "I know."
"I'll do it on one condition." Will didn't want to do it at all, but in order to protect both Jem & Tessa, he knew he must.
"Which is what, William?"
"You stop your flings. And give us a real go. Otherwise I'll go tell Jem myself what happened, and your bargaining chip is gone."
To his surprise, Jessamine grinned. "Sure, Will."
She turned on her heel and walked away.
Will sighed, bracing himself.
Tessa couldn't have developed feelings for him that quickly, he assured himself. Besides, she loved Jem.

****
Tessa knew she was in trouble; she couldn't stop thinking about Will.
Will's hair, Will's eyes, Will's hands on her body...
Will's love and enthusiasm for books, his darkly witty personality...
If Tessa didn't know better, she'd say she was falling for him.
Goodness, one night together and she was falling for him?
No, that simply did not happen. She was being ridiculous, that's all.
"Tess?"
Tessa's head snapped up; there was only one person in the world who called her Tess.
"Yo." Tessa patted the bench beside her.
"Since when did you say 'yo'?" Will inquired.
"Since about two seconds ago. You okay?"
"Well- I actually came to talk to you about something."
"Oh?"
"Earlier, when I said we'd do nothing about last night, well- I wasn't being honest. There is something we could do."
"Oh?" Tessa couldn't help the blood rushing to her face.
"We'd have to be careful, of course. My place would probably be better- Jem doesn't go there as much- and Jace would keep it quiet, of course, so no-one need ever know-"
"Will." Tessa interrupted. "What exactly are you suggesting?"
Will grinned his quicksilver smile, but now there was malice behind it. "Don't be silly, Tess. Surely you know? After all, you're not as innocent as you pretend to be."
Tessa couldn't breathe; this wasn't Will, this, this- person talking to her, saying these things, this wasn't her Will.
"Will, this isn't you saying these things, please, tell me what's wrong."
Will closed his eyes as though in pain.
When he opened them again, there was no emotion there.
"It is me, Tess." Will's voice cracked on her name.
"No, it's not. Do you take me for a fool? I know my Will, and this isn't him."
"Yes, it is, Tessa."
Tessa went cold.
"That is my offer. Take it or leave it. It is the best I can give you. We can not hurt Jem in this way more than we already have, and for you to leave him for me would be for us to hold a gun to his head and pull the trigger together."
Will stood and walked away.
Tessa knew something was wrong, yet she could not help but despair that Will had said those things to her.
So Tessa did the one thing she had promised herself she would never do, and cried over a boy.

****
"Well? Did you do it?" Jessie demanded.
Will sighed. "I did it, Jess. I don't know if she believed me."
Jessie's eyes narrowed. "Make her believe you."
Will exploded. "No, Jessamine. I'm not going to fucking do that."
Jessie relented. "Oh, alright. I suppose you've done enough."
Will sighed. "I loved you once, Jessamine. Did you know that?"
Jessamine smiled as though he'd said he still did.
"That's why you're so easy to manipulate."
Will whirled around. "That's why I'm what?"
Jessie paled. "I only meant-"
"I know what you bloody meant, you bitch."
Jessie snarled. "Watch it, Will. Or your little secret won't be as much of a secret anymore."
Will slammed out, seething.