Clalec: Single Life (Book 4)

Chapter 6 - Destruction

Clary POV

I looked at myself in the mirror admiring my blonde hair. It had taken me a while to get used to it, but I was starting to like it more.

It had been a month since everything had happened and I had seen Alec. Elijah had gotten me a job at a pharmaceutical company in North Dakota. It wasn't really that interesting. Mostly paperwork and promoting new drugs and painkillers for various illnesses and medical problems. It was definitely not like my old job but I guess that was point. If Santorini was going to try and find me he'd start with pursuing my interests

Including art. He might check art galleries or other places so it was good that I was here.

I had just got ready for work and was getting in my car. Elijah had provided me with an entirely new wardrobe, a small but fully furnished apartment and a car

It was a nice place and a nice car, but a lot of the time it felt lonely. At least when I went to work I had made new friends and there were people I could talk to. But when I got back to mine

artment it was quiet and, empty. I had a double bed to spread out in but I still only slept one one side, as if I was leaving the other for Alec.

I still couldn't get used to calling it home either. Because it wasn't home. New York was. Alec was. Tom and Flo were. This was just like a really long lonely vacation that I had no choice in.

I was trying to take everything one day at a time, but it was hard. I wasn't living right now. I was surviving. Elijah checked in every couple of days to see how I was doing and my answer was always the same "I'm fine"

He'd tell me there were no updates as to Santorini's whereabouts right now, but they were trying. That's how every conversation went

I'd lost count of how many nights I would have dreams of my family, or cry myself to sleep because of missing them so much.

The first thing I did when I got home was put some comfy clothes on, including Alec's hoodie. Most nights I slept in his t-shirt, clinging to the one thing I had of him

Truthfully the hoodie and T-shirt needed washing but I couldn't bring myself to it. As soon as I put them in the wash the smell of Alec would be lost forever and I wanted to keep it as long as possible

I know it was kind of gross not washing them but I couldn't do it. Not yet at least.

I know it had only been a month and I was always going to miss everyone, but I thought the pain would ease soon.

I hoped.

Alec POV

One month. One month had passed since I saw Clary and I missed her so much. But today was different. Today I was going back to the office. It wasn't too work though. I'd thought about it a lot an decided to take time off work. A year maybe more. Now I had to tell the others.

Jack was the only one who knew right now. He was officially in charge now. Not me. I looked in the mirror and straightened my tie. Usually Clary always did it for me. I took a breath. I hadn't stepped forward in the office since...that night. And to be honest I was terrified

When I drove to the office I arrived around 10 am so everybody was already hard at work. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator the office went silent as everyone looked up at me. But what hit me most was the pity.

The look on all their faces. The pity look. I was no longer the boss. I was the guy who had lost his wife. My eyes glanced over to the spot where everything happened. The place had been cleaned thoroughly so it was almost impossible to tell that anything had happened in this office