Clary couldn't sleep. She just couldn't. She was terrified and nervous and felt so stupid.

She had made her mind to sent Jace message earliest possible hour when decent people might awake that she was sick and she couldn't meet him and his family.

Yes, she needed money. Yes, every nerve in her body melted when she thought about him... Yes, it all was way too good to be true. This was not meant for her.

Every good little thing in life was followed by tragedy.

6 Am. Clary sit up straight and reached for her phone. It was alright to sent him a message now.

She sit there with her phone in her hand and thought. Hm, what would she say to him exactly?

"I'm sorry Jace, I can't come today. I got terrible stomach ache during the night, must have been something I ate yesterday. See you some other time."

No. That sounded stupid and he would probably think that's her version of explaining hangover.

She cleared the message and tried again.

"Jace, could we arrange this meeting for some other day. Luke needs me in bookstore so-"

She cleared that right away. If Jace would go by the bookstore he would see from large windows that she wasn't there.

Shit. This was awful. Her heartbeats raced and she begin to feel dizzy.

She threw her phone to her bed and went to make some coffee for herself, when she heard her phone beep for sign of new text message.

Are you awake? It said.

Clary blinked. What the hell?

Yes. Why? She wrote back.

I'll be there soon.

Clary's heart stopped. Or at least she thought it stopped.

Jace.

Jace was coming there.

"Oh shit.." Clary sighed and run to her closet, quickly getting dressed for her best black jeans and silvery gray tunic.

Quickly pulling her messy hair in bun and splashing cold water to her face to get refreshing feeling, she stared at herself from mirror.

It'll do. Maybe with bit of luck Jace now realize she's not the kind of girl he'd be interested of.

Willing herself to calm down, clary went to kitchen and took cup of coffee, pouring little milk in it.

She had time to drink her cup empty and fill it again, leaving just enough coffee in pan for one extra cup in case Jace wanted it, until there was knock on her door.

She took deep breath, but did no good. Her heart was beating painfully fast and her hands were sweaty and shaking. This wasn't for her. She was too afraid. She wanted to be left alone.

Backing away from the door as panic took over her while all possible terrible images filled her mind, her vision was getting blurry. She couldn't do this! Who was this guy anyway? Why she had been so stupid she had given her number and her address to stanger. It was alright to meet strangers in Luke's store, Luke was often somewhere near by or at least phonecall away, but this was her home. Her only safeplace from other people.

Helpless whimper escaped her lips. "Go away!"

There was another knock and Jace's voice called for her from other side of the door: "Clary it's me, Jace."

She sobbed, she wanted to see him. She really did. But she couldn't. She couldn't do this. He would just keep her crazy.

"I.. I'm not feeling well!"

She heard him sigh, "Clary? Clary please, let me in."

"What you want from me?!" She screamed helplessly.

There was silence. She couldn't be sure if he had left, she couldn't hear so faint sounds as footsteps through her sobbing.

"Clary?" His voice asked then in low whisper, "Are you alright?"

She took deep shaking breath, "What.. What you w-want from me?"

She heard him sigh, "I want to get to know you Clary. I want to be your friend... Maybe some bastard has scared you before to think that all guys just want something from you- but all I want is to get to know you.. Okay, I thought you're cute, but hey- I have cute friends too. Could you let me in?"

Clary felt stupid to even say it, and she got even more embarressed of herself, but she needed to be sure:

"H-how do I know it's you.. Jace?"

"Do you have security chain on your door?"

Clary blinked, "Yes.."

She heard him chuckle, "I can't get in even if you open the door if you have the chain there. You can take a look. I can't get in."

She got closer to her door and slowly opened the lock, peeking through small crack to see to the hallway.

And there he was, all in black and gold, Jace Wayland himself.

He frowned, "Are you alright?" He asked with low whisper.

She nodded. She was trembling all over, and it took only a moment from Jace to realize she was afraid. She was honestly afraid of him. He held out his hand to her, as if to shake her hand, "I won't hurt you. I promise."

She felt somehow compelled by his workds and slipped her hand under the security chain to touch his hand.

By the moment so utterly lost in his golden eyes, she pulled her hand away, closed the door and removed the chain, opening the door to let him in.

She moved out of the way when he came in, closing the door behind him.

Her eyes scanned him, oh yes, he definitely looked like he was trouble with his leather jacket and tight black jeans. Then something silvery catch her eye. He had chain with him?

Pure panic washed over her. She took few steps back until she was in corner of her room, her coffee cup slipped from her hands, shattering to the ground and hot coffe slashing all over her clothes. She culred up in corner, trying to hide herself, whimpering like lost puppy.

"Clary! Clary, are you alright?"

"Go away!"

"Clary, talk to me.. What's wrong?"

"Don't hurt me.. D-don't.."

Jace froze, speechless. He looked down on himself and then back to her. "Clary.. I won't hurt you. Why you think that? Talk to me.. What scared you?"

"Chains.. No chains.."

"Chai- oh.. Clary that's my key chain." He stepped back to give her space, taking out pile of keys from her poket that was linked into the chain. "Look... It's just key chain. I'll put it away." He clicked it off from his belt and set it down to her bedside table.

Clary kept hugging herself. "I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.."

"Hey.. Hey, Clary, look at me." Jace placed finger under her chin and she felt like compelled to obey this gentle order to look at him.

He was kneeling beside her now, his golden eyes reflecting same concern she had seen in Luke's eyes.. Luke would never hurt her, so maybe..

"I'm sorry." She muttered again.

Jace touched her cheek so lightly she felt it only as a brush of a feather across her face.

She blinked. Her heart beats were calming down and her vision was getting clear.

"Let me help you Clary." His voice was a silent whisper.

Clary stared at him. "Why?"

He got more serious again, "Clary, you sounded like you were going to die for fear if no one will do anything. I couldn't just walk away."

He reach out to take hold of her arms to help her to her feet, but as soon as he touched her, she winced and curled up in tiny ball again, her body shaking and her hands went up to hold her hair like she was afraid he'd pull from it.

Jace had seen people like this before. He knew that reflexes like that were born with traumatic events that would take years to recover from.

He held his hands up, "Okay.. Okay, Clary, look. I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. And I know- my promise might not mean much to you now, I'm not asking you to trust for it, but please.. Give me a chance. I can help you."

"N-no one can help me." Clary sniffed.

Jace took step back, moving calmly like not wanting to scare a wild animal. He held out his hand for her to offer his help on pulling her to her feet.

She looked at his hand, then up into his eyes. "Why you're doing this?"

Jace smiled. It was gorgeous smile, with softness that she hadn't believed he would possess.

"You know.. When you bumped onto me yesterday, for a moment I was so sure I was hallucinating. That you wasn't there.

You were somehow so- special. So beautiful and so shy, it was unbelievably adorable combination. I wanted to ask your name and if we could meet again sometime but you left so quickly I didn't really have a chance. I don't know why I'm drown to you so much Clary, but I want to be here for you. If you just let me."

Clary didn't know what to say. She stared at him. Openly stared at him for long moment. Then she gathered her courage and swallowed, slowly reaching out her pale hand to his.

His hand was so strong, and warm. She had forgot it already. He pulled her to her feet, but as soon as she was up, she felt light headed and she fainted like damsel in distress into his arms.

Before everything went totally dark, she heard him saying: "I got you.. Don't worry.. I won't let you fall."