Smoke and Mirrors ▹ Alec Lightwood [1]

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER TEN
TASTE OF REALITY

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     The following week was probably the longest week in Adrian's entire life. Granted, he hadn't been alive that long, but still, it was a very long week anyway. With Hodge gone, the Clave had been scrambling trying to figure out who was going to run the New York Institute. Adrian had heard rumors that Maryse and Robert Lightwood would be sent back to New York to replace Hodge, but he hoped that wasn't true. 

Alec seemed to be having an existential crisis already, Adrian didn't want to know how he'd make it if his parents were back to breathe down his neck.

With a sigh, Adrian finished the coffee in his mug and glanced at Clary and Isabelle. They had met up at Taki's for breakfast. It had been silent for five minutes now, but not an uncomfortable one. They all seemed to be thinking about their problems, their thoughts consumed with separate people—Clary with her mother, Isabelle with her parents, and Adrian with Alec. Clary and Isabelle had both already shared their problems over stacks of pancakes, and now it was Adrian's turn. The girls were simply waiting for him to speak.

Adrian sighed again.

"I think Alec knows I'm in love with him," he told them, setting his cheek against his closed fist, his elbow on the table. After he said those words, he raised his hand and signaled for the check. The waitress that served them walked past and slid him the bill. He dug out his wallet and dropped down enough money to cover all three of them before he got to his feet and started for the diner door. Behind him, he could hear Clary and Isabelle rushing to catch up with him.

Adrian pushed open the diner door, and he waited on the sidewalk for Isabelle and Clary to reach him. He shoved his hands into his jacket pocket, working at his jaw and wondering what he would say once Isabelle and Clary started asking their questions. It was why he had hurried out of the restaurant ahead of them. He needed more time to gather his thoughts.

"Why do you think that?" were the first words out of Clary's mouth when the two girls finally caught up with him. Both of the girls were hurrying to put on their jackets. He waited until both of them were settled before he continued.

"Ever since he woke up," he explained, moving a little bit down the sidewalk so that they weren't in front of the diner door, "he's been acting weird around me. Especially ever since he found out I spoke to him while he was unconscious." He felt sick just thinking about it. The exact thing he was afraid of happening had happened, and Adrian could do nothing but watch as Alec went out of his way to avoid being alone with him. Bitterly, he added, "I'm pretty sure he's freaking out."

Which was his right, he had to remind himself. Alec could barely deal with his own feelings, let alone his best friend's. Adrian wanted to cut him some slack, but it was hard to do that when he felt like his heart was being shoved through a paper shredder each time Alec avoided looking at him.

"Why don't you just ask him if he remembers what you said?" Clary asked. "It kind of sounds like you're avoiding him, too." Adrian grimaced, and then decided to ignore her last sentence.

"I can't ask him," he said with a sigh. "If he does remember, I don't want it to seem like I'm cornering him for an answer to a question I didn't even ask, and I don't want him to feel like he owes me anything. I want him to come to me, when he's ready. It's just torture waiting." Isabelle hummed thoughtfully, leaning her hip against a metal bike rack.

"So did confessing your undying love for my brother at his bedside help in any way, shape, or form?" she asked. Adrian scowled at the tone of her voice.