Falling

02| breakfast

jace's pov:

Growing bored, I crept into Ivy's room to see if she was still awake. I walked into the shockingly unfamiliar space and glanced around.

The posters and pictures that once flooded the fluorescent yellow walls when we were kids had now been torn down surrounding me in a plain white space. When Ivy first painted her room yellow from the dull brownish color, she gushed about it for weeks but now it was just white. The only reminder that I was in the room I spent countless days and nights in ages ago, was the small dent on the door to her closet. I smiled and touched the rough scar on the back of my head from the stitches I received after our little wrestling tournament. I turned towards the bed where she slept peacefully, with her unruly curls settled across the pillow.

I tried to recall the times when she and I would lay with each other or wrestle on that same mattress (after we learned that the floor was unsafe), but it seemed too long ago to be in this lifetime.

I crept back into the kitchen to reassess the mess that covered the counters and floors.

We've always heard everything from downstairs. From crying to shit breaking, we've heard it all so when there hadn't been yelling for days, I worried that Brent had maybe taken it too far. Although my mom told me countless times to leave it alone and pretend like we hear nothing, I could never just ignore the pain in Ivy's screams. 

When she opened the door instead of Brent this morning, my nerves actually settled knowing he was gone. Ivy was finally safe.

I started to clear the bottles from the counter and sweep the glass from the floor. She deserved better.

***

ivy's pov:

I stood against the wall adjacent to the kitchen violently shaking. The hammer in my hands trembled not ready to attack whoever or whatever was rustling around in my kitchen. My knees bent and the sweat from my hands nearly slid the hammer right from them. I braced myself to jump into the room when someone walked out. 

Screaming, I swung the hammer as hard as I could aiming at the stomach of my attacker. I embarrassingly missed and the hammer flew into the wall behind whatever was in my kitchen. Something shattered on the floor and I opened my eyes, which had shut at some point, to face my certain death. 

Instead, Jace stared in pure shock. Blood raced to my cheeks my neck grew hot. He looked at me then back where the hammer had smashed a bowl of eggs. His snickers echoed through the apartment. Attempting to hide my embarrassment, I tried to push past him into the kitchen but his hand flew out stopping me while pointing at the ground.

"Glass" he stifled through laughs. My eyes traveled to the fragmented bowl that sprinkled eggs all over.

"I am not cleaning that," I said successfully shoving him away this time. I tiptoed around the glass and went to grab the broom by the fridge. " Jace, why are you still here?" 

I wasn't necessarily thrilled to see him but I was also glad to not be by myself. The first few days were relaxing but in all honesty, I was scared to be alone.

"You didn't tell me to leave" he replied confidently shrugging his shoulders. I looked at him in disbelief.

"Well, I didn't tell you to stay either. Do you typically just invite yourself into strangers' homes?" His eyes softened and for a second I thought I hurt him. I know it was defensive but I hadn't talked to him in almost 7 years.  I watched his life through pictures at this point so he was a stranger to me. 

"I guess I just didn't think you were a stranger," he mumbled eyes hardening again. My stomach dropped as I watched his back walk into the living room and my body filled with regret. 

***

We ate in silence except for Jace's obnoxiously loud chewing. After the egg explosion, I decided cereal was a safer option. 

For the third time, I glanced around the apartment shocked by its cleanliness. My eyes traveled to Jace's figure and although he wasn't looking at me, I flashed him a small smile. 

"Why did he leave?" Jace asked through chews breaking the silence. I guess I had forgotten that Jace could hear everything and that the quietness was probably bliss for him as well. He glanced up at me reading my mind.

Shrugging he said, "You don't have to tell me. It's just been pretty quiet that's all."

"He's been seeing some woman and went to stay with her for the summer. " A tear fell and I wiped my cheek hoping it would go unnoticed. It didn't.

His blue eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed. "You're upset?"

"I guess so," I whispered. I wasn't upset that he left, I couldn't be after what he's done to me, but the thought that my solitude was only temporary ridiculed me. Jace shook his head in disbelief with his hair flailing messily. 

He's always been really handsome, I won't lie. His bright blue eyes and his brown hair complemented each other and his jaw and cheekbones made girls drool and not to mention, his attitude and confidence that projected through a whole room.  I used to know him too well to ever feel the same as the numerous of the girls wrapped around his finger, and now I only knew him as the dick that lived downstairs but after his change in demeanor that morning I started to see him a little different.

Simple movements like lifting a spoon or pouring the cereal made his muscles ripple and I felt myself staring multiple times. Looking back at his face, his eyes met mine signaling he caught me staring and my cheeks instantly flushed.

A smirk plastered his face. 

"Enjoying the view?" 

"Nope" I deadpanned and returned to eating my food.

He clung his hand to his chest mockingly, "Damn Ives, cold as ice."

The hair on my neck stood up with the use of my old nickname and blushed again. I could feel his eyes wandering around on my face so I avoided eye contact and tried to focus on spooning the rest of the cereal from my bowl. I wasn't going to let him win.