I am larger, better than I thought, I did not know I held so much goodness.

Walt Whitman

x

'09

Luke's arrival made her temporarily forget about Jace's presence at the beach.

He almost always came with bags of gifts, even though she never asked him for anything. Today was no different. Luke ate dinner with them and told them stories of all the places he'd visited. He was a photographer and made enough of a living that he could travel practically anywhere. His latest endeavor was Hong Kong.

He swallowed a piece of his burger. "Clary, you can feel the energy there." His eyes were wide and engaged. She smiled against the rim of her cup. He turned to her mother and explained, "You think New York is this buzzing place, but Hong Kong is beautiful. I'll take you guys there someday."

Jocelyn laughed. She was always lighter when Luke was around. In another life, she might have married him. Instead, they were best friends who occasionally visited one another and ended up revealing every little thing about their personal lives. "That sounds lovely, Luke."

They ate on.

x

She was in her room, drawing as she always did when her phone lacked sufficient connection to text her friends back home. At first, she drew small doodles. Little things like books, a magical wand, and even characters from childhood cartoons. Then the pieces became complex. She couldn't help sketching Jace. She told herself it was inevitable. She always drew people she interacted with. It was no different.

She sighed softly and dropped her pencil on her desk. She rose to her feet and sauntered to open the doors of her balcony. When a warm breeze brushed her skin, she smiled. Everything was always so beautiful from afar.

She held the railing and stared out into the ocean. She could hear the rhythmic sound of waves hitting the shore. There was a low murmuring in the air and she knew that it belonged to birds scouring the area. It was nearing evening. She wrapped her arms around herself and turned slightly before catching a glimpse of gold from below.

Her eyebrows furrowed.

It was him.

Again.

She grinned. She couldn't resist. She rushed into her room and changed into her bathing suit.

x

No, she definitely wouldn't let him know she had come down for him. No way. She'd play it cool. Just swim, she thought to herself.

x

She dipped her feet into the water and released a short breath before dropping her towel on the sand. It didn't take long before she was swimming, arms outstretched and moving swiftly.

She poked her head upwards, reaching the surface. It was then that she saw him.

Sitting on the sand.

Watching her.

x

She willed herself to calm down.

She swam back to shore, hoping her cheeks didn't betray her emotions.

When she reached him, he handed her her towel and she took it silently before wrapping it around her body.

"Clary." He started, not saying anything after that.

She swallowed and sat down next to him. "What's up?"

x

He wasn't wearing a shirt. She had to remind herself that as they spoke. He had so many tattoos, practically everywhere. Some were vibrant and intricate while others were simple and plain in color. She shook her head and focused on what he was saying.

"It's funny how we always see each other here."

She smiled. "Well, for one, I kind of live here and this is my property." She raised both of her eyebrows at him. "But maybe I can ask you where you live..."

Jace laughed. She tucked her hands underneath her thighs so he wouldn't notice them fidgeting nervously. "I'm actually your neighbor."

She couldn't hide her surprise. Her jaw went slack. "You're kidding."

He sent her a playful wink. "Yeah. I'm glad I got that out of the way. I'm not some creep."

Clary took a few moments to speak again. "Well, the last thing I needed was a stalker."

Jace scoffed. He had a habit of tugging strands of his hair then swiping them back into place. "So, tell me about yourself Clary."

She shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. "What do you wanna know?"

He took a handful of sand and then let go of the grains. "Tell me what you think I should know."

Clary pursed her lips.

x

She gave him her most basic introduction. It was rather boring when she thought of it, but she was anxious and afraid he'd leave if he found out about her rambling.

"I'm seventeen. I come here every summer from New York. Um, I really like art."

x

He nodded.

He turned so that he was facing her and she was forced to stare at him directly. She noticed with warm amusement that part of his hair was braided childishly. It was cute.

"I'm Jace; it's short for Jonathon. Nobody really calls me Jonathon unless they're mad at me." The corner of her mouth lifted and he continued. "I also come here every summer, but I live in Toronto."

"Huh." She would've never guessed he was Canadian.

He read her expression and replied, "I was born in Los Angeles though. I've just done a lot of moving."

She nodded, hoping she wasn't dragging him somewhere he didn't want to go. She changed the subject. "What do you like to do?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I play a few instruments-"

"You do?" Her wonder must have surprised him for he chuckled.

For a while, the ocean was the last thing on Clary's mind.

x

"Maybe we can see each other tomorrow." He suggested. "We can hit the markets or something."

She nodded, her heart rattling. He wanted to see her again. "Yeah, that sounds cool. I'd like that."

He smiled. "Alright. G'night Clary."

She started forward in her flip flops and whirled slightly, "G'night Jace."

x

[a/n]: This story had to be updated simply because I went outside today and it was so lovely and warm. Summer is here guys. I know it's difficult to think about anything other than this virus, but take some time to smell fresh air and enjoy the outdoors. The world's still moving. We are still here. Ride a bike around town. Take a walk around the neighborhood. Just live.

Stay safe. Wear masks and stay 6 feet apart from one another. It would be awesome if you reviewed too :)