The Bad Boy's Princess

Ch. 2 - Muse of Nightmares

Jace.

"You've got to be fucking with me right now..." I groaned and cursed under my breath, did Ali lie to me? I thought she said Avery wasn't going to be home.

We haven't been this close in distance for a while, we were so close that I could smell her scent that used to be my heaven but now haunted me in my nightmares. I tried to look away and to avoid her eyes, and I was grateful she was fucking stumped too or else I would look like the biggest loser, not knowing what to say in a situation like this.

I sighed in defeat and finally looked up at her. I hated that she still made me feel some type of way whenever I saw those eyes of hers. Those eyes that I used to be so in love with, now they just opened wounds. Either way, they would always have some sort of effect on me.

It had been nearly four years since I last saw her in person. Her hair got longer, and her Californian tan was long gone, replaced with pale New York winter skin. She got skinnier too... Avery was always an overachiever, never satisfied with anything less than her best. So, I wasn't surprised that she kept doing the thing I hated before, always skipping meals or sleep to find more time to study or work.

"Hi, Jace." Her voice was still as soft as I remembered it. "How have you been?"

"I've been good, what about you?" I wanted to say that I was doing a lot better than four years ago when you literally tore my heart out and stomped all over it without a second thought. But I didn't want to have to see the pitiful look in her eyes to save myself the anger and hatred refilling my heart again. "Aren't you supposed to be in New Haven?"

"I finished my finals early. But, what are you doing here?" She still tilted her head a little whenever she asked questions or was working her little magic inside her brain.

Ah, she finished school early.

Yup, heavens were definitely fucking with me.

She was getting too goddamn skinny. Was someone feeding this girl? Or forcing her to sleep? I used to have to call her to remind her to eat and sleep, on FaceTime.

Why did I fucking care anymore? It was probably someone else's job now.

"Don't worry, I didn't come for you. Your dad and I had a business meeting over dinner. And then the roads got closed off so I'm stuck here. I'll leave early tomorrow morning."

"I see, yeah the roads should be alright tomorrow morning." Goddamn it, Avery. Don't do that. Don't fucking smile like that. "Well, goodnight Jace. I'll remind Margo to turn up the heat in your room & your water so you can have warm water to wash your face before bed since you're very picky about that. Sweet dreams & safe travels tomorrow."

With that, she turned around and walked back towards the stairs. Like seeing me didn't have any fucking effect on her the way seeing her did on me. But before she walked away, I couldn't help but ask the question I've been dying to know all these years.

"Avery, wait."

"Hmm?" She didn't turn around to look at me but I knew she was trying to hide the fact that she wasn't all peachy keen. I could hear it in her voice.

"Do you ever regret it?" I wanted to know if she ever regretted breaking up with me and ending our relationship. She just tossed it away as if it meant nothing more than a piece of scrap, nothing valuable or memorable at all. "Walking away."

The entire house was eerily quiet, with the only sound being our breathing. I could hear her breathing picking up. She looked down at the ground for a long moment before finally answering.

"No, I don't. Goodnight, Jace."

That still hurt the same way it did years before. Yup, definitely still hurt.