A Twisted Love

Chapter 43

"You've reached Will. I can't come to the phone right now, but leave a message at the beep."

Tessa frowned as she received Will's voicemail for the second time that day. She was sitting in the living room of her sorority house with Cecily, Isabelle and Clary exactly a week after Will had taken her to the moors. After that day, Tessa had noticed something change in him, but she hadn't been sure what it was. He was a bit distant, but she had made sure not to pry. She wanted to give Will his space. He hadn't shown up to Literature yesterday, and he hadn't contacted her all day. Not that Tessa needed to speak to him everyday to survive, she just found it odd. Will hadn't taken any of her calls today, but Tessa tried not to worry. It was Will, after all, he always had his own agenda.

"That ring is so beautiful, Tessa." Isabelle said, snapping her out of her trance.

Tessa smiled immediately and looked down to admire the ring that Will had gotten her. She had only taken it off to shower and when she went to sleep, otherwise it was on her finger 24/7. It felt like she always had a piece of Will with her wherever she went. She was still so touched by his grand gesture of taking her to the moors. It very very romantic and Tessa had not known that Will could be so romantic. She was not complaining, though. That moment with Will would be one that she would remember for the rest of her life.

"It really is." Cecily smiled warmly. "I'm so happy that Will has finally found someone. You've changed him, Tessa, and it is the best change I've ever seen in him."

Tessa smiled widely, her heart warming at Cecily's words. She felt very touched.

"That means a lot." She smiled. "But I think Will did most of it on his own. He's really making an effort and I'm so grateful."

"Where is Will? I'm surprised he's not here trying to get you to go up to your bedroom with him." Clary smirked.

The three girls laughed and then Tessa's smiled faded a bit as she remembered Will's odd behaviour.

"I actually don't know. We've haven't really spoken in the past two days." She frowned slightly.

Isabelle waved off. "I'm sure he's just busy doing whatever it is that he does. I wouldn't worry."

"Yeah." Cecily piped up. "He switches moods quite easily. You know how he is."

Tessa sighed a bit. She sure did know how Will was. She looked down at her ring again, and frowned with worry. She just hoped that Will was ok and that nothing had happened to him. Because if something had, Tessa didn't think she would ever recover.

* * *

"Why does your phone keep ringing?" Tatiana said as she sat up.

Will felt guilt course though him, and he looked away from Tatiana who was straddling him on his bed. He knew that that phone call was from Tessa and he felt more guilt wash over him. What was he doing here with Tatiana straddling him? A part of Will didn't know himself. The night after he had taken Tessa to the moors, he had panicked. He knew that he was becoming very attached to her and that he couldn't live without her. He had also randomly started to doubt that she really loved him. His old self which he had been trying so hard to conceal came back and he realized that he couldn't get attached to Tessa. He couldn't because in the end she would only leave him.

So he had made himself become a bit distant from her, going as far as not even coming to class or speaking to her yesterday. And why was Tatiana here? Will needed to distract himself from Tessa. He felt awful - like the worst person in the world, but he just couldn't stop. A part of himself wouldn't let him stop. Will knew that what he was doing was wrong but this was all he had ever known. He had to do this, to save himself and Tessa.

"I don't know." Will lied.

Before he could stop her, Tatiana leaned over and grabbed Will's phone off of the bed side table.

"It's Tessa." She told him, and looked down at him. "Wait, are you dating her? Because if you are, then this can't happen. I refuse to hurt her like that."

"No, I'm not." Will lied again, guilt washing over him again.

"Then why is she calling you so many times?" Tatiana asked.

He shrugged. "Probably about an assignment we have to do in Literature."

Tatiana only sighed, put his phone on silent and put it back on the bed side table. She then leaned down and returned to kissing Will. He kissed her back, fiercely, trying to get Tessa out of his mind. This is wrong, a voice in his mind told him, you have to stop. But then there was another voice in his head saying that it didn't matter because Tessa would find another way to leave him anyways. He then suddenly saw Tessa's stormy grey eyes in his mind and he abruptly pulled away from Tatiana.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked, confused. "You've been acting weird all day."

Will shook his head. "Nothing, I'm sorry."

Tatiana looked shocked. "Did you just apologize? You never apologize."

He cursed under his breath. That was what he got for spending so much time around Tessa. Instead of replying to her, Will only reached up and began to kiss Tatiana again, willing himself to stop thinking about Tessa. I have to do this, he kept telling himself. I have to do this to save myself and her.