Will stared blankly at the plane soaring in the sky. Then it disappeared behind a cloud. It was really gone. Will fell to his knees. Shouts from security guards and people in uniforms
came behind him, but Will didn't care. Not even when they grabbed his arms and led him away, dumping his sorry arse in front of the airport. Will sat down on bench and stared
emptily at the air in front of him. He did not cry. He did not scream. He stared there as if he was a statue. Blank. Empty. Numb.
"I got Mercedes," came a voice. Will didn't register it in his mind. He was shutting down.
"He didn't catch her," came another one. This time, it was female.
"She'll come back," came the first voice. "They love each other too much. We just need to explain some things."
…
Tessa tried to shut her eyes, as if that would stop the tears from flowing. The annoying boy kept kicking her seat and finally, Tessa turned around, and glared at the little boy.
"Stop kicking my seat," she said harshly. With her bloodshot and redrimmed eyes, along with her angry voice, it wasn't hard to scare the little boy. She dropped back into her seat,
covering her face with her hands once more.
"You can always go back," Magnus suggested.
Tessa shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Perhaps he wanted to apologize for his behaviour, but he still wouldn't want me back. He can send me a postcard or whatever." Tessa
leaned back in her seat.
"Do you really think that?" Magnus asked, quirking an eyebrow. "The boy who's been head over heels in love with you since the first month at your school?"
Tessa bit her lip. "Magnus, stop," she said.
Magnus stayed silent for the rest of the flight, leaving Tessa alone with her demons inside.
…
"Tessa!" came a familiar shout. Tessa surged forward to meet her friends, leaving her suitcase behind with Magnus. She hugged each one of her friends before smiling at them.
Tessa stood next to Alec and whispered to him. "Clary and Jace together yet?" she asked.
"Hard to find them separated," Alec scoffed.
"Simon and Izzy?" Tessa asked.
Alec grimaced. He didn't like talking about his younger sister's love life. Isabelle was a tall and gorgeous girl and had many boys chasing after her. Much like Jace, actually, who
was Alec's adopted brother. "Don't even remind me. They're sickeningly sweet together," Alec shuddered.
"Hey," Isabelle protested, putting her hands on her hips. "You should see Alec with this new guy. His name is Magnus and… there he is!" Isabelle pointed. Magnus was not a common
name. Questions filled Tessa as she followed Isabelle's gaze and found Magnus Bane fumbling with both Tessa's unwieldy suitcase. The wheels were stuck and Magnus looked
hilarious.
"I hate your suitcase. I'm buying you a new one," Magnus said, finally arriving at Tessa's side. "Maybe a sequined one."
Magnus went over to Alec and dropped a peck on his cheek, making Alec blush furiously. Tessa raised an eyebrow. "I met Magnus in England," Tessa said. All eyes turned to the
glittery man. Magnus merely shrugged.
"I get around," he said vaguely.
Staring at her friends, she recognized so many traits that they had in her friends back in England. There was Isabelle, who could have been Cecily's copy, if not for the eyes.
Isabelle's were a charcoal colour, while Cecily had the telltale Herondale blue.
There was Clary, who had the fire like Sophie did, yet she could take matters seriously. She reminded Tessa an awful lot of Henry and Charlotte, who Tessa had met back in
Sophie's Halloween party.
Simon could have been as bad as Gabriel Lightwood. He was just as sarcastic and let loose the innuendos like no tomorrow.
Gideon and Alec were similar in their calmer, shyer way. They were the reason of the group and the eldest.
Then there was Jace, who could have been Will's exact copy, if not for his looks. He had the same flirty demeanor, he had girls frolicking around him all around the clock and Jace
had a sweet, sensitive side that he only showed to the girls he loved. Like his mother, his best friends, his adopted sister and Clary, the girl he had loved for the longest time. But
Will had lied. He didn't love her. Tessa stiffened but shook her head.
There was no one quite like Jem though and Tessa found herself missing Jem the most – the first person she had spoken to at the Institute. He was like healing waters, cool and
comforting. But she was never going to see them again. Never.
"Let's go," Isabelle said, slinging an arm around Tessa's shoulders. "Party at our house!"
Clary rolled her eyes and smiled, taking Tessa's other side.
She was back in the hustle and bustle of New York City. She had her friends by her side and she was happy. But there was still an empty hole haunting her inside her chest. The
aching place where Will used to be. The place in her heart that he held. But that hole was not going to be replaced and as much Tessa wished she was never hurt, she did not truly
regret the times spent with Will.
He had made her happy, if only for a little while. Perhaps it had been fake for him, but it had been real for Tessa.
…
5 years later…
Tessa shoved her final draft into her bag, stuffing toast into her mouth before dashing off. She heard the laughs from Isabelle and Clary, who had bought a flat – no apartment
New York City with her.
"Tessa!" she heard Isabelle holler. Tessa quickly ran back into the apartment.
"I'm running late! The publisher needs me in…" Tessa checked her phone. "Five minutes!"
"Aren't you forgetting something, Tessie?" Clary asked, looking at Tessa's feet. Tessa groaned. She had forgotten shoes. Quickly, Tessa slipped her worn Converse on and ran away,
ignoring the laughing coming from her apartment.
Twentytwo year old Tessa Gray ran as hard as she could, pressing the elevator button over and over again until it finally opened, revealing the startled faces of Alec Lightwood,
Jace Wayland and Simon Lightwood. Magnus Bane was there as well, but he was smirking.
"Out! Now!" Tessa screeched. Jace, Alec and Simon scampered out immediately but Magnus paused, slipping something into Tessa's hands.
Magnus shot her a small smile before sauntering out of the elevator, leaving Tessa frantically pressing the lobby button and hoping there would be no other passengers.
Unfortunately, there were about seven more and the elevator was extremely slow. Sighing and giving up on being on time, Tessa took out the thing Magnus gave her.
It was an envelope. It didn't look brand new though. It was handwritten and on the front, it said Tessa Gray in fancy script. Tessa was wary. She had bad experiences with
handwritten letters with fancy cursive. She took out the letter and began to read as the elevator continued its slow descent.
Tess,
Tessa gaped immediately. There was only one person who called her that.
Tess… Tessie… Tessa… Theresa… Every variable of your name sounds so beautiful. So amazing. To speak your name is like to call to an angel. To speak your name is to hear my
heart ringing inside my chest.
But then pain comes. Because I know that you will never be there to call back to me. To touch me with your soft hands and send shivers down my veins. I will never be able to feel
your embrace again, never be able to kiss your lips again.
You may think I'm being dramatic, but I'm not. There is only one name on my lips as I wake and one name on my lips as I succumb to sleep.
Tessa.
You may never forgive me for the things I said. You may hate me for what I've done to you. But this is after I have broken not only your heart, but mine, that I write this to you. I
told Magnus to give you this letter the second you've published a book. The second you've completed your dream.
This is just a small sliver of hope I hold to my heart, that you'll come back to me once you've heard this. That you'll allow me to shower you with love and affection again. Because
it hurts to wake up in the morning and know that I won't be able to see your face. Every day, I'll live with that. But I deserve it. I poured those harsh words on you, those hateful
sayings that I cannot take back.
I regret yet, yet I don't.
Because my tyrant of a mother had threatened you.
Tessa froze.
She told me that your dreams would never come true if I stay with you. I was a cage and you were the bird the needed to soar. I was restricting you. If I became selfish, then your
dreams would plummet and you would have been shunned from society as a disgrace when you are one of the most pure people I have ever met.
Your light had drawn me to you and I was addicted to the warmth you offered. The light that shone.
Perhaps you are laughing at me now, at the dramatics of this letter that I send.
But by the time you read this letter, you would have been an author with a published book. I would have bought several thousand copies of your book and declare to the world that I
knew you. This author that is so beautiful, so talented, so amazing. How many times have I used beautiful and amazing in this letter?
Well I should use it more.
Know that every year, I come to New York City in September. The day I had met you. The day I had kissed you and you had slapped me. Perhaps not one of my best moments, but
one of my most memorable. I had hated you. You were one of the first to refuse to my orders and I hated what you did to me. You made me begin to feel and I was so scared I
would lose another person yet again.
And I did. I lost you.
But you taught me how to feel again. So I will not forget.
I sit in the center of Central Park, sitting blankly there for a week. I bring food and water, of course, but I sit there, reminiscing of you. You may call me stupid, especially when it
rains, but I do not dare move from there. It reminds me of you and I need it.
When you leave, you leave with my heart. You leave with my soul. And I hope that one day, you can come back and return it to me.
With hope , love and sadness,
Will Herondale.
Tessa wanted to scream. What just happened?
…
Tessa had made it through her meeting with the publishers with relative ease and they were going to publish it… Tessa wanted to squeal with joy but her joy was quenched when
she heard the thunder rumble in the distance.
"Looks like a storm is coming, Tessa," came Mr. Anderson, her agent. "You should head home soon.
Tessa nodded. It was September… it was within the week she had met Will. Had he been serious when he said that he would even sit in the rain?
Tessa dashed into the rain, cursing her jacket for not having a hood. All her book things were with Mr. Anderson she did not worry about anything in her worn messenger bag – the
same one she had for most of her life.
Quickly, she hailed a taxi – which were extremely hard to come by and she thanked the Angel for her luck.
"Central Park," Tessa commanded. She told the taxi driver where to go and Tessa looked outside the window worriedly. The sky was an overcast and rain was pouring down in
sheets.
"Are you sure you want to leave now, little lady?" the taxi driver asked. "It's a bad storm."
"I'm sure," Tessa said, handing the taxi driver a roll of cash and the driver did not protest. Tessa got out immediately and ran into the park, looking for the familiar black trench
coat and the blue eyes. The blue eyes that had haunted Tessa's dreams every night.
Was he not here? Had he given up?
Tessa turned, searching for Will. But he was not there. Tessa could not see anymore, for the rain obscured Tessa's view and Tessa had to rub her eyes, straining to keep the water
out. Her hair, her clothes and her bag was soaking, soaking Tessa as well. She shivered.
"Tessa?"
There it was. The most glorious sound. The most beautiful voice Tessa had ever heard. Tessa looked up and there he was. In all his glory.
William Herondale in his black trench coat and his dark jeans. He had not changed much though there was a sadness in his eyes that was even worse than when Tessa had met him.
But as Tessa stared at Will, sadness was replaced by love and love replaced by hope.
"Tess?" he asked.
Tessa took a hesitant step towards Will, who was soaking wet as well. Tears mixed with the rain on her cheeks and she finally reached Will, gently touching his face with her hand.
It was really him. Both her hands reached to touch him then, to touch the face that Tessa loved and will love forever.
This was Will. It was truly him.
Tessa stared at him, wanting to say something but she couldn't. Will seemed to be frozen as well.
And then Tessa reached up and kissed him, tangling her fingers in his hair. This was Will. Not the Will hidden behind a mask, but the Will Tessa had fallen in love with in such a
short amount of time. Love had no boundaries. It was not constricted by time.
Will's arms wrapped around Tessa, holding her to him tightly. She no longer felt cold in the September rain, but warm because she was with Will.
Tears mixed into their kiss along with the rain and Tessa didn't want to let go. All the anger, the hatred that she felt for him had melted away once the plane had taken off from
London. It was impossible to stay angry at a person you loved.
But to know that Will had not been lying when he had said he loved her, but lying when he said he didn't, was the truth Tessa needed. She needed Will, like she needed the air.
"Tessa," Will whispered again, pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you."
"I know," Tessa smiled and kissed him again, not caring about the tears and rain that seeped into their mouths because she was with Will. They were never suppose to split apart.
They were never suppose to separate.
And they were reunited again.
That was all that mattered.