They eventually settled half in the shade, their legs sticking out into the sun.

Magnus rolled the bullet in between his fingers.

"Who were you texting?" Alec asked, tucking his arms behind his head.

"Jealous?"

"No," Alec said, as if he hadn't even thought about it. Because he hadn't.

"My mother," Magnus said. "She's a frantic mess."

"So Harold broke it off?"

"Three glasses into a Bordeaux Red," Magnus said. "I think he'd hoped she'd be more tolerable drunk." When Alec didn't say anything he added, "She's not."

"Did he say anything about the picture?"

"He stopped by my room before I left," Magnus said. "He said-- and I quote-- 'I expect you'll delete that photo now.'"

"Did you?" Alec asked, looking over at Magnus, who had stopped the obsessive spinning of the bullet.

"Of course not," Magnus said, his eyes dead.

It scared Alec, this dark side that had its way of appearing. Magnus looked back at the water, tracking the waves breaking every few seconds into white foam.

Alec sat up, watching Magnus intently, verging on possessive. He wanted Magnus to look at him, just so his eyes could tell Magnus that this dark side was so out of Magnus' new character.

But his head never turned, his eyes never looked.

"So does this mean you're going back to Brooklyn?" Alec asked.

"I suppose so," Magnus said, glancing over quickly. But his gaze didn't linger.

"Please, sound more depressed," Alec mumbled.

"I just-- there's really nothing else in Brooklyn," Magnus said. "I've got as much of a life there as I do here."

"But I'll be there."

A smile played on Magnus' lips.

"Yeah," he said.

"And there's more homeless people in Brooklyn," Alec pointed out. "I'd say there's less rich people, but I'm not quite sure."

Magnus laughed.

"And you can find reasonably priced clothing," Alec added.

"Nothing I wear is reasonably priced," Magnus said.

"I guess that's true," Alec said.

"I know it's true," Magnus said.

Alec nudged Magnus' arm with his head.

"Are you trying to fight me with your head?" Magnus laughed. "Or get my attention?"

"Attention," Alec breathed, pushing Magnus back into the sand, kissing him with less ferocity than earlier. It was calm and simple; time wasn't an issue. Alec had his fingers twisted in Magnus' hair, which he hadn't bothered to put gel in today. It was only this loose at two in the morning after the day had worn it out.

They didn't hear the footsteps in the sand until the last possible second.

And they were too tangled in each other to react fast enough.

Alec's mother just looked sad. Not disappointed. Not shocked or surprised. Just sad.

"Get up," she said, exhausted. "There's a storm coming."

Magnus pushed Alec off him, for the other boy's sake.

Their eyes went to the western horizon which was clear. Alec was the first to look behind them to the angry grey sky.

Maryse was walking away, flip flops clicking.

"Is she going to tell your dad?" Magnus asked in a whisper.

"I don't know-- I can't think," Alec said, blinking the tears out of his eyes. He wasn't ready to take the time to cry or protest or exploded. He was still in the processing stage.

Magnus snatched up their towels and half-drunk water bottles and pulled Alec to his feet.

"It was bound to happen," Magnus said. "No one can lie forever."

..........

His parents were whispering furiously as the boat drove them at that coveted 60 mph into the storm and back to Seaside.

Every once in awhile they would turn and look back at the teenagers, but mostly at Magnus, who didn't waver under their gaze.

Lightning cracked for the first time when they were about twenty minutes out.

Their odds of getting struck increased with every mile closer they got.

"The storm came out of nowhere," Simon said, staring at his phone. He'd been tracking the storm since they got on the boat. "There's no way we could have known."

"Gotta love Florida," Isabelle mused.

Max was shaking under a blanket, huddled up against Alec for warmth and comfort.

"Can't we go any faster?" Jace asked. Robert looked back pointedly, silencing Jace with his glare.

It was a mad dash when they finally docked, Alec and Jace tying the boat up while everyone else emptied it of it's cargo, jumping into the SUV.

Maryse insisted that Magnus not drive in the weather, which was borderline-hurricane, so he joined in as well as they twisted through the streets of Seaside.

Rather than drop everyone off at home, they just went back to the Lightwoods to wait out the storm and eat the lunch they'd packed for the island in the safety and comfort of the beach house.

They ate in silence, scattered through out the kitchen and dining room.

As soon as Max disappeared to his room, Isabelle and Simon were gone and Clary and Jace asked to be dismissed.

Magnus and Alec attempted to sneak away.

"No," Robert said. "Back here."

Alec froze, his hand on the doornob to his room.

He and Magnus made eye contact briefly before Alec walked back into kitchen, Magnus on his heels like a faithful, albeit lost, puppy.

"Is this what you've been doing all summer?" Robert demanded.

"'Doing' is the wrong word," Alec said.

"Oh dear Lord," Maryse sighed, pushing her fingers through her tangled black hair. "Robert, are we really ready to have this discussion?"

"Yes," Robert said.

"So are you going to punish me?" Alec asked. "Tell me I can't see him anymore?"

Magnus' phone started vibrating in his pocket. He tried to ignore it but every vibration made it seemed more urgent. He'd stolen a glance at his phone in the car: 62 unread messages, all from his mother. But it was the single message from Harold that concerned him.

"If you were Max's age, I would," Robert said. "I don't approve of this at all. I don't want it going on in my house."

"But?" Alec asked.

"Excuse me," Magnus said, fleeing from the room and into the guest bathroom.

Their eyes followed him but Robert continued.

"Your mother pointed out that you're out of our house in a year and that nothing I can say will stop you."

"That's right," Alec said, with more confidence than he actually had.

"Let me make this clear though," Robert said. "I do not accept this. I do not approve of it. And I do not support it. I love you, Alexander; that hasn't changed. But it doesn't mean I'm fond of your choices."

And such was love: unconditional.

Loving the person, hating their actions. Hating their situation. Hating what they couldn't help.

Magnus came out of the bathroom, his phone dangling loosely in his hand.

"I have to go," he said, his voice empty.

"What do you mean?" Alec asked.

Magnus looked at the Lightwood parents, begging them for a second alone with Alec.

"Please," Alec finally asked.

"We'll be in the study," Maryse said, pulling her husband away.

"What do you mean you have to go?" Alec asked.

"My mother is threatening to burn down Harold's house," Magnus said.

"I'm going with you," Alec said, deciding in the second.

"No," Magnus said, heading for the front door.

"Magnus, if I stay here, they're just going to be pissed," Alec said. "Please."

Magnus turned back.

"They're not yelling just because you're here," Alec added. "Please."