A Twisted Love

Chapter 38

Tessa pulled over to the side of the road after driving for about twenty minutes, by a large forest. She was at the spot Will had showed her all of those weeks ago, and she hoped that he would be here. She wasn't sure why she hadn't thought about this place before, Will had to be here. The others had asked where she was going, but Tessa had decided not tell them about Will's secret spot. She only told them that she would text Cecily if she found him and then Tessa went on her way. Tessa looked up at the forest and hoped that she was at the right place.

She began to walk into the forest and had to think very hard about the way Will had gone when he had first showed this place. As she walked, Tessa randomly thought about the first time she had seen Will. Clary had been taking to her very first party here and she had introduced Tessa to Will and he had said she looked like a nun. Her lips twitched in amusement at the thought now, it had been kind of funny. If only Tessa had known then that that very same boy would become the love of her life. She wondered about when she had fallen in love with him - the exact moment of when it had happened. She could not say when that was.

Finally, Tessa reached the clearing and began to walk towards the dock. It was just as beautiful as she remembered, and as she neared the dock, she saw that there was a figure sitting there. And much to Tessa's relief, she recognized that figure to be Will. She quickly sent a text to Cecily saying that she had found Will and that he was ok and then put her phone away.

"Will." Tessa called out as she walked closer to him.

He turned his head to look at her and she did not miss the wave of surprise that coursed through his eyes, although it was gone in a second. Tessa came and sat down beside him, maintaining a bit of space between them. She snuck a glance at him from the corner of her eye. The last time she had seen him, she had been yelling at him and it was quite the contrast from now. Will looked like he hadn't slept in days and his eyes were all red, but of course, he still looked perfect.

"So they went as far as sending you to look for me." Will's voice was light and calm.

"They didn't send me, I told them I knew where you were." And when he turned to look at her in alarm she said: "Don't worry, I didn't tell about this place."

Will looked away from her, his lips twitching in amusement. "My Tess, always looking out for me."

She wanted to tell him that she wasn't his Tess, but she didn't have the heart to. Tessa had never seen him like this before - so calm and gentle. He didn't seem drunk or high either.

"Why did you come to look for me? I thought you were done with me." He said, still looking out onto the water.

"I was worried about you." Tessa admitted. "You shouldn't drink like that, Will, you could have seriously hurt yourself."

"You didn't come to the hospital." He looked down at her, his blue eyes bright. "I could hear everything - everyone's voices. I never heard yours."

She swallowed. "None of them told me. They - they said they didn't want to upset me, especially after the fight you and I had. I got mad at them for not telling me. If I had known, I would have come."

"Would you have?" Will murmured.

Tessa looked up at him. "Of course I would have, Will. I - I care about you. I've always cared about you."

His eyes flitted away from her as she spoke, as if her words pained him.

"But you said you were finished with me." His voice tightened.

"I don't think I'll ever be finished with you." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

They seemed to surprise Will because his eyes snapped up to look at her. Damn it, why had she said that? It had been the truth but she didn't want Will to think that everything he had done was ok.

"Why did you do that to yourself, Will? Why did you drink that much?" Tessa changed the subject.

"I have my reasons." He murmured.

Will then reached down and took Tessa's hand in his own, causing her heart rate to pick up. He brushed the back of her hand with his thumb and Tessa was surprised, she had never seen him be so gentle before. The gesture felt oddly intimate and romantic.

"What are we doing, Will?" Tessa whispered. "We go back and forth from talking and not talking. From being friends to nothing. What is it?"

He looked up at her, and Tessa was startled by the intensity of his gaze. They sat like that for a few seconds, completely trapped in each other's eyes. When he looked at her like this, Tessa couldn't fathom how it was possible for someone to love another person as much as she loved Will.

"I don't want to live a life that doesn't have you in it, Tessa." He said to her in a voice that she had never heard before.

Her eyes widened, his words repeating in her mind. Her heart and stomach were fluttering as she took in what he had just said. It was probably the sweetest thing that anyone had ever said to her.

"What are you saying?" Tessa asked him softly, still shocked.

"I'm saying that I'll try. I'll try to change and be a better person. I'll try to make myself better and if it takes me months or even years, then so be it. I'll do it for you, Tess. All for you." Will was looking deep into her eyes.

Tessa felt her heart stop at his words. This. This was what she had been wanting to hear from him for the past two months. This was what she had only hoped and dreamed of Will saying. Never in a million years would she have thought that they would become reality.

"I - I love you." Will continued. "I know I said that I didn't, but I was lying. I love you and I always have. From the moment that Clary introduced us at that party, I have always belonged to you. You and I - we're the same. You are all of the better parts of me, you are the person I wish I could be. I never thought I could ever fall in love but you changed that for me. It's you, Tess. It's always been you and it always will be you. Please believe me, Tessa. Please."

Tessa just sat there, completely and utterly shocked and lost for words. Was this real life and not one of the many fantasies she had conjured up in her head about her and Will? After about ten seconds, she finally regained the ability to speak.

"I do. I believe you, Will, and I love you too. You - you are everything to me." Tessa choked, feeling bad that she couldn't say much back, she was just so in shock.

Will was then kissing her and Tessa thought she might faint from how good it felt. It felt like it had been a thousand lifetimes since he had kissed her last and she had forgotten how well they fit together. Tessa swore that she could have stayed there in Will's arms forever.