Ember ↠ Paul Lahote ✓

18

𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒
some people come and go, but i know i will always have you guys.

"ARE YOU GUYS okay?" Clary asks, concerned.

She's sitting on her bed, facing Lizzie, Josie, and Hope—her three best friends. She'd awoken to them by her bed, looking like they'd just seen a ghost.

Lizzie nods. "I mean, I never expected to see her, you know. And especially to take her life." She pulls her twin into her side, sighing. "It was a shock. You never really expect to see someone that's been dead since before you were born, especially someone you don't even know."

"She was our mother, Lizzie," Josie speaks softly, unshed tears in her brown eyes.

"Bio Mom, maybe, but she wasn't our real mom," Lizzie replies. "I feel sorry for her, and I care for her, but we barely knew her, Jo," she says softly, not wanting to hurt her sister's feelings. "Caroline is the one who birthed and raised us for sixteen years. She's the one who's been there since the moment we were born. She might be away recruiting, but she still comes running back when we really need her."

Josie sighs. "I know. I love Mom, but I miss Jo. I wish we could've had a little more time to get to know her."

"I'm sorry to say this, but she was a zombie," Hope tells them, placing her hand on each of the twins' shoulders, giving them a small squeeze.

Clary turns to Hope. "Oh! Tell me about the Avengers Squad. Who's on it again?"

Hope smiles slightly. "MG and Penelope."

"She who shouldn't be named is on the Avengers Squad?!" Clary gasps, shaking her head in disappointment. "She broke our little Josie's heart, and you go ahead and put her on your squad?"

"Well, we fought real, actual zombies together," Hope says before sighing. "But don't worry—we're still our own Super Squad, okay? No one can replace us."

Clary smirks. "Good."

"So, what's happened since we were here two weeks ago?" Lizzie asks curiously.

Clary sighs with an eye roll. "You guys are in for one hell of a story."

For the next half hour, she explains to the girls everything they've missed since returning to Mystic Falls.

She includes the fight with James, Paul imprinting on her, and Clary mustering the courage to take their relationship to the next level.

"You've gotta tell Emma and our dad!" Lizzie exclaims. "You need to tell them so that you have a good reason to come back home and get away from this hellhole. You need to come back to the school so that you're safe."

"Even though I want to, I can't." At their looks, Clary sighs and explains further, "Imprints and Shifters can't go long without being near one another because they grow depressed." She rubs at her forehead in frustration. "Also, even though I really want to go back home, I've actually come to like Forks. I've gained some new friends, and I've actually started to get along with Bella, who isn't as much of a loser as I previously thought."

Lizzie huffs, then frowns. "Hey... About that depressed feeling and the pull thingy you were talking about?"

Clary hums. "The imprint?"

"Ever since our last visit, I've been getting this pull to come back here. And I've been getting more and more depressed," Lizzie says, confused.

"More than usual?" Hope asks, raising an eyebrow.

Lizzie nods, lying down on the bed. "Yeah."

Clary frowns, playing with Lizzie's hair as the blonde rests her head in her lap. "Maybe somebody imprinted on you."

Josie frowns, raising her hand slightly. "I've been feeling a weight on my chest too, like I'm being smothered. And something kept telling me to come to Forks. I just thought it was because I missed you, but maybe it's something else. Like I got imprinted on too."

Lizzie grips her sister's hand and looks into Clary's hazel-green eyes. "Do you think it's possible?"

Clary nods, her eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, I do. Whenever I'm away from Paul for too long, I get this feeling pulling me in the direction he's in. It might be good in a fight, but it's kind of annoying," she explains with an eye roll, even as a small smile graces her lips just thinking about Paul.

"Oh, my God!" Hope gasps, her eyes wide, making the three girls turn to her. "You're in love with him!"

"What?" Clary's eyes widen and she automatically shakes her head in denial. "No!"

Lizzie sits up, analysing her best friend before turning to her twin, who nods in silent agreement.

They both say in sync, "You're in love with him."

Clary shakes her head again. "No, I can't be!" She shouts, jumping out of bed. "It's too early in our relationship to have fallen in love!"

"You can fall in love at any moment," Josie says, glancing at Hope before looking at the redhead with soft eyes. "Trust me."

Clary starts to pace before stopping. "Oh, my God!" She exclaims, facing her best friends who simply nod at her sudden realisation. "I am in love with him!" She falls down into her beanbag by her bed.

Lizzie and Josie nod sympathetically. "Yup."

Clary shakes her head. "I can't believe I fell in love with a boy in less than two fucking weeks."

Hope chuckles. "Don't worry, babe—we're here for you."

Clary smiles at her best friends, knowing they'll always be here for her, and vice versa. "I love you guys so much."

"We love you too."