Distractions

Thirty: Bear Hugs

"What happened to you?" Harper asked, sniffling.

Everest let out a small chuckle. "That's a situation." When Jay gave her a sharp look, she elaborated.

"My dad didn't die in war like Mom always said." Everest swallowed thickly at the mention of her mom. "He survived and he...kidnapped me and Jace."

"Who's Jace?" Brad sounded wary. Which made sense considering she had just said that she had been kidnapped. She was surprised that they weren't freaking out right now.

"My brother." The three sputtered. "I know, I had the same reaction." Well, her reaction had been more or less that, just also to shoot Valentine, but still. It was the principle of the thing. "So long story short, Roslyn's brother is working for my lunatic father, my brother and I were kidnapped by said lunatic father for too long, which is really any time at all, Clary of all people saved us, and when we escaped I ended up in a river and met someone named Blaise. Speaking of which, did I ever know anyone named Blaise? I couldn't remember. I meet a lot of people."

Brad, who looked more than glad to have a subject other than her kidnapping to focus on, frowned. "Didn't you have a thing with a girl named Blaise one summer?"

Everest's jaw dropped. How had she forgotten Blaise Fox? A year or so ago, she and Blaise had spent the entire summer in a no strings attached sort of relationship as both of them figured themselves out and what they needed from a relationship. She had no idea Blaise still lived in New York. She thought she had moved to Bulgaria full time once the school year started again.

"Shit I did." Her eyes widened. "I was saved by my ex." Everest facepalmed.

"Can we get back to the part where you were telling us about the bullshit you've done?" Jay asked, somewhat hysterically.

Everest winced. She decided to skip the part where she and Jace got tattoos (she needed to show Izzy, Alec, Magnus, and everyone else her tattoo still), Jace was arrested and released, and the demon-related details. "Mom's dead," she said bluntly, eyes stinging.

Silence. Dead silence that was tangible and fragile enough to be cut with a broken pen.

"Oh fuck," Brad muttered. "I'm so sorry Forest."

Harper buried her face in Everest's shoulder and hugged her tightly. Everest didn't mention the wet patch she could feel growing on her shoulder.

"What happened?" Jay whispered, gripping her hand.

"Not fully sure. All I know is that she was murdered." She glanced down at Harper then mouthed, Her heart was ripped from her chest.

Brad and Jay inhaled sharply. It was silent once more.

"Do you want ice cream?" Brad offered, standing up. Jay stood up with him.

Everest shook her head. It was only nine in the morning. She didn't need ice cream that early. Brad gave her a small, reassuring smile and then he and his husband went into the kitchen.

Everest rubbed Harper's back and rested her chin on her head. They just sat there for a long time, long enough for Brad and Jay to come back into the living room and curl up on the other couch and start a Disney movie.

"You're not leaving again, right?" Harper whispered.

Everest's heart shattered further somehow. "I have to go talk to Gino, but no, I'm not leaving the way I was just gone again. Not if I can help it."

Harper pulled away and looked at Everest's face intently. She found what she was looking for apparently, since she nodded and hugged Everest again, briefer than before. Everest stood up and accepted the papa bear hugs from Brad and Jay, as well as the warnings to be safe and the teary smiles that conveyed more than words, verbal or written, ever could.