This was it. Tessa entered the airport alone, dragging her suitcase with her. She had already shipped the rest of her stuff
to her parents. This was it. She was leaving. No regrets. No emotions. That was her promise to herself.
There were too many memories in London, most of them tainted by Will. Tessa once again cursed herself for letting William Herondale worm his way into her heart. She was an
idiot for believing him.
Taking a deep breath, she walked deeper into the airport, dragging her suitcase behind her as she walked. Tessa tried to cheer herself up with thoughts of Nate and her parents.
Perhaps she could meet up with Clary, Simon, Isabelle, Jace and Alec at home. That would be nice, to see her old friends again.
"So you're really leaving, huh?" Tessa whirled around to see Magnus Bane, standing right behind her with an unusually serious look on his face.
"I'm leaving," Tessa said simply.
"Great," Magnus said, though his tone lacked its usual cheeriness. "I'll come with you!"
"What?" Tessa asked, completely confused.
"I could see Alec again," Magnus said, walking ahead of Tessa. He turned around. "Are you coming?"
Tessa followed the strange man, but she had gotten used to Magnus' eccentricity. "How do you even know Alec?" Tessa asked.
"I know a lot of things, Tessie," Magnus said simply. Tessa chose not to ask. For two seconds, Magnus had distracted Tessa from her thoughts. How blissful were those precious few
seconds! But they had ended, just like everything else, Tessa thought bitterly.
"You still love him," Magnus said. It was not a question, but a remark. A statement.
"No," Tessa said, shaking her head adamantly. "I don't. Not after what he did to me." Both Magnus and Tessa got the feeling that she wasn't trying to prove it to Magnus anymore.
"You do," Magnus insisted. He made Tessa sit down on a nearby bench. "If you didn't, you wouldn't be so hung up on it all."
"Well, hooray," Tessa said miserably. "I still love him. That's great. Now I can just go back home, feeling even worse."
"Girl, you need to chill," Magnus said, sitting lazily on the bench next to her. "People are lucky to find one love in their lives, you know. And you're just letting him go like that."
"Magnus, he doesn't love me," Tessa said and she couldn't help but think she sounded like a whiny brat. "It's fine. I'm fine," Tessa said, looking at her feet.
"Obviously," Magnus sighed, "You aren't. And Tessie, you didn't even wonder why he suddenly, out of the blue, just break up with you, when you know you had him wrapped around
your little finger. I'm a little disappointed in both of you. What happened to true love?" Magnus said dramatically, waving his arms wildly. "It was so easy for you to just believe
he never cared. But have you ever seen that boy with you? One glance at him and you would think that he was in heaven. You had that boy caught, Tessa. Why didn't you question
it?"
"I…" Tessa started, but she shook her head. "You're just getting my hopes up. Stop," Tessa said, standing. "I should go check in. The plane is leaving in two hours."
"Tessa," Magnus sighed, shaking his head and looking at her with the saddest look. Tessa held back a flinch. "I'll come," he said and stood, following Tessa with a depressed look.
…
She was leaving today. Will knew it. "Get off your butt and chase her!" Cecily shouted at him.
"She would just destroy her…" Will said quietly, referring to their biological mother. "I can't let that happen to her."
"For Raziel's sake, Will!" Cecily sighed. Will turned away from her, shoving his face into his own pillow. Technically, it was Tessa's old room and so, her pillow. It didn't really help
Will's willpower to stay away from Tessa. He could smell her intoxicating scent and… Will sat up abruptly, exiting the door.
He heard Cecily sigh, but it seemed as though his little sister had given up.
Bitter and angry thoughts filled Will's mind as he exited Jem's house and stalked towards his car. Now Will had lots of cars, but he preferred Mercedes over the rest. Don't ask him
why he named his BMW Mercedes, but still. It was a nice name. So Will had kept Mercedes, his sleek, black BMW convertible, and his other cars were at home. It was depressing to
part with his cars, but he had to. He had to escape his mother.
Poor Isacc, Piggy and Trevor. They were all stuck in the Herondale garage.
But going for a drive always soothed him, especially with the windows and top down… the wind in his hair… His mind would always go back to Tessa, but at least driving distracted
him slightly. Even if it rained, he would enjoy it.
Will unlocked his car but suddenly, an ominous black Town Car appeared, rolling to a stop right in front of Will. Will recognized the driver immediately. How many times had that
same driver drove Will around? Will rushed forward to his car and he was so close… his hand was on the handle but…
"William?" Linette asked, sliding out of the car. Will sighed heavily. There was no avoiding that woman. It would be extremely rude to just ignore her and drive away… but then
again, when has Will been a stickler for courtesy and politeness?
He ignored his mother's call and slid into the car, shoving his key into ignition but he wasn't fast enough. His mother slid into the car in the passenger's seat. Will groaned. He tried
opening his door, but two very buff men in black stood there, leaning against Will's door to keep it shut. Will may have been strong, but he wasn't strong enough to push against 350
pounds of muscle that was obviously pushing back.
Will pointedly turned away from his mother. Seeing the very fat butts of the guards would be a lot better than seeing his mother's face.
"Will…" Linette said, her hand touching Will's. Will recoiled, snatching his hand back as if he had been burned. Linette winced but Will didn't care. This was the woman who
threatened Tessa.
"What?" Will said bitterly. "Can you get those goons out of my way?" he asked venomously. Goons… it had been a word that Tessa had shared with him. He had been hysterical
when Tessa used it. Goons. But now the word was tainted with memories, memories that left him hating his mother just a bit more.
"I…" Linette started. Will froze. Was she really going to apologize?
"I don't know what to say," she finished. And once again, Will's hope plummeted. Will desperately looked to the back, looking to see if those doors were unblocked but no luck. The
entire car was surrounded with men dressed in black.
"Of course you don't," Will said, crossing his arms. "Why am I not surprised? People who lock their sons in their own cars, threaten their girlfriends and make their lives miserable
usually don't know how to apologize," he said, eyes icy with mirthless anger.
"Look…" Linette said.
"Look at what!? That I haven't been sleeping for the last week?" Will said, his voice rising with each word. His mother was wincing, but Will didn't care. He gestured to his pale face
and dark circles. "That I've been starving myself because I feel so guilty?" Linette looked miserable but Will was just getting started. "That I spend most of my time doing nothing
but my mind always comes back to the same girl? The same girl that you had threatened," Will snarled.
"I…" Linette said, but words seemed to be unable to form.
"Don't even bother apologizing," Will said, shaking his head. "Tessa's gone anyways. You've messed it all up. She's gone," Will said, leaning back in his seat angrily.
Linette swallowed. Will had never seen his mother like that. Perhaps… she was nervous? Remorseful? Guilty? But she did not say a word and Will felt no pity.
"Let me leave," Will said, his voice almost growling.
"No, I…" Linette started, but before she could finish, Will cut her off.
"No. No!" Will repeated. "You always say no. You never let anyone else have a choice! If I want to go jump of Blackfriars Bridge, then I'll jump off that bloody bridge. If I want to
pitch myself off Big Ben, then I'll sure as hell do it! You can't stop me anymore!"
"Will… I'm…"
"You're what?" Will asked bitingly. "You're not going to apologize because you were 'right?'" Will asked, the same freezing tone in his voice. "You still think that you're correct and
everyone else is wrong? Well, I can make my own mistakes and Tessa wasn't one of them."
"William…"
"No! You can just shut up and go to…"
"I'm sorry!" Linette blurted out. Will stopped midsentence.
"What?" Did Will hear wrong? Will was completely unsure. Was she just saying that or was she sincere?
"I'm so sorry…" Linette apologized, covering her face with her hands. "What have I done?"
It seemed as if his mother had broken out of the hardened shell that had continued hardening over the years. Will didn't dare speak. This was Linette's time to talk and if she did it
well… then Will would think about it.
"I…" Linette was sniffling then. "It's so hard. Being a mother," she said, hastily wiping away a tear. "You don't know what you're doing right or wrong and my mother never liked me. She wasn't there to guide or help. Obviously, I've been doing it all wrong. I've been rejected by society, tossed into the dumps… Just because of who I was. Because I was a
poor little girl from a small little town."
She shook her head. "It was your father who eventually came along and turned it around. But he was looked down upon by his peers. Eventually we moved from London to Wales
and when we made a name for ourselves, we moved back to London."
"Then…" Will was getting angrier. "You should have known that Tessa wasn't there for money! You were once in her position!"
"That was an excuse," Linette said sadly. "I… I just didn't want you to be shunned as well!"
"That's no excuse!" Will roared. "You… you…" Will shook his head. "Parents are suppose to use their brains!? Isn't that in the parent pamphlet?! Even if I was shunned, who cares! I
would be happy! Did Dad ever complain?! He didn't! Because he was happy! I don't understand you!" Will said, throwing his hands in the air before letting it drop onto his lap.
"I…" Linette said, stammering again.
"I appreciate it," Will realized. "I know that you love me," he said, voice more gentle now. "But you have to understand that I can make my own decisions," he said firmly. Linette
gave Will a small smile. Will understood the sacrifice Linette was making, offering up her pride. It was hard enough on her and she was trying. At least she was trying.
Before, Will would have never forgiven her. Will would have been standing over her as she begged for her son to come back, an angry glint in his eyes. But that was before Tessa
and after Ella. Those were the darkest days – no, years – in Will Herondale's life. Tessa had offered Will forgiveness, so Will would extend the same courtesy. The broken look in
her mother's eyes had disappeared slightly and Will felt slightly lighter as well.
Linette rolled down her window and slid out of the car, shutting the door behind her. Through the open window she grinned, a twinkle in her eyes. Will hadn't seen that look since…
forever.
"What?" Will asked.
"Go get your girl," Linette winked and the guards backed away. Will grinned, a genuine one this time, and he revved the engine, and took off, leaving the smell of burnt rubber
behind him.
Inside his mind, there was an imaginary crowd, cheering him on as he chased after Tessa, the girl that he so desperately needed.
…
Will didn't know that Tessa was already walking to her terminal gate, Magnus beside her. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Magnus asked, giving her a knowing smile. "For all
we know, he's chasing you right now to explain things."
Tessa doubted it. Shouldering her battered messenger bag, she sat down in one of the chairs, Magnus dropping lazily beside her.
…
Will put on an extra spurt of speed when he saw the time. It was 3:02 PM. Two minutes after the plane was suppose to depart. He heard sirens behind him, but Will could care less
as they chased him, as he chased Tessa. The airport loomed in front of him. It was so close… yet so far… He could almost feel Tessa in his arms and he only hoped that her plane
had been delayed.
…
Tessa's plane had been delayed. She paced back and forth, an amused Magnus watching her with his catlike eyes. His smirk told Tessa that he had done this – he had delayed her
flight somehow, but Tessa didn't know how. She knew better than to ask. Tessa checked her watch. 3:07.
"Boarding flight," came the monotone voice of an attendant. "All first class passengers please come forward."
Magnus frowned then, checking his watch. Tessa didn't bother to question it. She was finally getting away. Away from this place that had made her feel loved, welcomed and hated.
…
Will roared an angry shout as traffic in front of him lagged. They weren't going to move any time soon. He got out of the car and began to run, run as hard as he could while texting
Jem that he had left Mercedes in the middle of a road, idling.
Once he finished texting Jem, he sprinted forward to the airport, which was at least several blocks away. It was 3:13 and Will could not afford to lose any more seconds. His Tess
was waiting and Will needed to get there. He knew how insane he looked.
A sweating teenage boy, running as if hell was on his heels through a busy road that was filled with cars. And some people even recognized him as William Herondale, the heir to
the Herondale business. But Will found it hard to care. There was only one thing on his mind. One girl. One woman.
Tessa.
…
"All economy passengers," the attendant called then. Tessa stood up, exhaling. But there was already somehow a long line and the attendants were extremely slow. Sluggish even.
Tessa looked at Magnus as they walked to the very end of the line. He had a nervous and mischievous look in his eyes. Tessa only narrowed her eyes, but Magnus shrugged.
…
Will swore at the security guards that refused to let him pass the point without plane tickets. The security guards looked as if they wanted to kill Will, but Will didn't let them. He
punched them and turned around, running to where the planes took off. The Herondale family had a private jet there. They had to let him go through.
So Will began to run. Running was always something he had excelled at. But this time he wasn't running away. He was running towards.
…
Tessa settled into her chair, but she found it hard to. There was an annoying little kid behind her, kicking at her chair. Tessa grimaced. At least she had the window seat. She gazed
outside into the sunny London weather. Then a boy that reminded Tessa awfully of Will came running. Tessa's eyes widened as she recognized the blue eyes. Will was running
alongside the airplane, looking like he was shouting.
Tessa leaned back in her seat. She bit her lip. She had to be imagining it. She was imagining it. Still unsure, she shut the window, completely nervous for no reason.
"Something wrong, Tess?" Magnus asked, the same mischievous glint in his eyes. "Did you see something?"
Tessa shook her head. "I imagined it. I completely imagined it."
"Imagination is just another version of reality, Tessie," Magnus said quietly, but by then, the plane was already departing. Magnus looked at Tessa somberly. "You saw Will, didn't
you," he asked.
Tessa covered her face with her hands. Her crying face. "It doesn't matter," Tessa managed to choke out.
"It doesn't look like it doesn't matter," Magnus said.
"It's too late anyways," Tessa asked, staring at her closed window.
…
Will shouted as loud as he could. When the airplane started to take off, Will's eyes widened. People in uniforms saw him then, shouting at him to move. But he couldn't. Even when the loud sound of the airplane hit his sensitive ears, he couldn't move. When the airplane began leaving ground, that was when Will continued to shout. He ran after the plane,
pleading for it to stop, but it didn't listen.
The plane had taken off.
Along with Theresa Gray.