CHAPTER 4

Jace has never been confused in his entire life. He remembered the conversation he had with Alec last night. He knew that even though he's not really cheating on Aline, he had been unfair to her. After all, he agreed to make everything work between the both of them after Aline's stunt 7 months ago. After he took her back everything somehow went back to normal and both of them had been happy. But a few months after that, little by little he knew that his feelings for her was changing. He's not longing for her anymore the way he used to. Aline easily gets in to him and his patience had been tried most of the time. Since Aline's an only child born to an affluent family, he also did part of spoiling her. He always give in to what she wants and he lets her that way.

He wanted his relationship with Aline to work. God knows he does want it to work. Even if his feeling for her has changed, he stayed by her side. He didn't look at other girls despite the fact that many had wanted to seek his affection. He's way over being a heartbreaker since 21 when he settled with Aline to be his girlfriend. He didn't plan on having feeling towards another woman. No one has ever caught his attention since Aline.

But that was after he met Clary. Just by the thought of her and her name stung his heart. He knew there was something about her the afternoon he saw her when her car broke down. She captured his attention and he became curious about her. He tried to erase her from his mind after saying goodbye when she got off his car. But the peculiarity of life fell upon him when he accidentally saw her at the club he was planning to go to. Damn, there were a lot of clubs and bars in Los Angeles, why did we end up going there? He asked himself shaking his head. It was like fate was bringing them together. But before he flew back to New York, something happened which resulted to making a heart shattering decision.

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FLASHBACK

Jace knew Clary and her friends will be leaving any time. He was sitting beside her giving her a sideway glance as she finished her drink. Questions formed in his mind. Should I ask for her number? Should I just say goodbye first? If I get her number, what would this lead to? He groaned inside debating what he should do. He thought yesterday afternoon that he only appreciated the fact that she's pretty. But now, as much as he would want to deny it, he's attracted to her. I'll be in trouble! I am already having trouble in paradise with Aline. Just say you have to go and walk out pretend you never met her. It's the rationale side of him screaming.

Get her number before she walks out on you again and you wouldn't have another chance to see her. Another part of him convincingly snapped.

"Clary," he blurted.

Clary turned her head to him trying to raise her eyebrow.

"I hope I don't sound weird or like a stalker, but," he cleared his throat. This is a little harder, when did asking for a lady's number been hard on you Jace. He thought in astonishment.

"… is it okay to get your number? Maybe we can have coffee or hang out some time." He finished. Did I sound like I was pleading?

Clary's eyes widened a little. She just stared at Jace and he was not sure if asking for her number was a good idea or if he scared her a little.

"May I have your cellphone?" She suddenly asked. Jace nervously reached his pocket for his iPhone. He handed it to Clary. Clary punched on the screen with her number and name.

"There, I already saved it under Clary Morgenstern." She handed his phone back to him.

"Thanks." Jace casually replied.

Clary turned her head to Simon and Maia. Simon motioned to his watch mouthing we need to go. Both Maia and Simon went towards Clary and Jace and he took this as a cue that they need to leave.

"It was really nice meeting you Jace, Simon and Maia needed to go home. We have to leave." She looked flushed but vibrant at the same time.

"I'll be heading out too. It was nice to see you here Clary. Guess I'll see you later then." He said giving a boyish grin while rubbing the side of his neck.

"Sure," she smiled and turned away. Simon and Maia waved goodbye at him and he waved back.

Jace did not take his eyes off Clary until she left the club. Finishing his last glass of scotch, he got his wallet and pulled some cash handed them to the bartender and started to walk out of the club.

He was hoping that he would still catch Clary and her friends outside, but there's no trace of them. He took his phone out of his pocket and searched for Clary's name.

Something inside him told him it was not logical to call her and to continue having communication with her. But he brushed every logical will in him aside. He couldn't help it but he knew he needed to see her again. He needed to know her, and maybe when he does, he might be able to convince himself that they can be good friends. After all, Clary is based in California and after a month, he needed to go back to New York. But why was something inside him throbbed at the thought of not being able to see her again?

Jace looked at his watch. He was barely listening to Alec who was explaining his presentation to the other members of the board. Another H & L Hotel chain has been in plan for construction in California. They were brainstorming if they will put it up in L.A, considering they already have 3 hotel resorts in the area.

His watch read 3:30 p.m. When did time become so slow? He wondered. He usually doesn't mind the time not unless he had meetings to attend to.

He wanted it to be 6 p.m. already. A small smile escaped Jace's lips. This is the second time that he and Clary will have dinner together after accidentally seeing each other at Pandemonium. He didn't stop himself from calling her. He wanted to see her again. He never thought Clary would agree to go with him and was relieved when she said yes to his invitation.

He made a reservation at an Italian restaurant. She learned from Clary that she loves eating Italian dishes.

After some discussions, and adjourning the meeting, he went to Alec.

"I'll be leaving now," Jace said while gathering his things.

"Where are you heading to?" He asked.

Jace stood silent, contemplating if he should tell Alec his plans later. He decided not to.

"I'll just drive around and eat dinner somewhere." He nonchalantly replied.

Alec frowned. "You don't have any plans for tonight but it seems like you're in a hurry?" He questioned.

"I don't feel like staying here. Besides, we started work earlier than usual. I just wanted to relax."

"Okay, you said so." He replied sounded unconvinced.

Jace was about to open the door when Alec suddenly spoke. "Jace, have you already called Aline? She called me a few times asking where you were. She told me you were not answering her calls and messages."

Jace suddenly felt something prick on his nape. Aline. Damn! I forgot to call her, he scolded himself. He honestly forgot about getting back to Aline. He tried to act calmly, thinking of what to reason out to Alec.

"I tried calling her couple of times but her phone's off. I'll just try later." Jace replied and made a saluting gesture to Alec.

Jace hurried down the building and waited for the valet for his Camaro. He reached for his phone looked for Clary's name and pressed call. Clary answered right away.

"Hi Jace," her voice was like music to his ears.

"Hi Clary. Where should I pick you up?"

Jace and Clary were waiting for the waiter to serve the food they ordered. Both of them chose Bruschetta, Minestrone, Calzone, Penne all'arrabbiata, and Cappon magro. Jace ordered for wine, Barbera and Panna Cotta which was Clary's favorite for dessert.

"Clary," Jace cleared his throat to get her attention.

Clary smiled at him. Jace was not sure if she was nervous or she was feeling awkward at that moment.

"Thank you Clary that you accepted to have dinner with me," Jace casually continued and dug on his plate.

Clary smiled a little. "You're welcome. Thanks for the invite."

Jace was observing her while they were eating. She really intrigued him in a positive kind of way. He knew inside he wanted to know more about her. He would just like to forget everything and focus on his time with her.

He asked things about her that he wasn't able to ask the first time they ate dinner. Jace learned that Clary's an interior designer. She was on her way to present her proposal when he saw her a week ago. Clary's eyes twinkled when she mentioned that she got her dream project and she hoped that it would be the start of something for her career.

"Of course you'll make it big," he replied and winked at her. Clary smiled at him.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, where are your parents?" Jace asked looking intently at her. He lowered his gaze when he saw that she suddenly felt uncomfortable in her set while she sipped on her wine.

"Both of them are in Florida now, my mom's a painter and my dad has a small diner there. My brother Jonathan's an engineer but he's based in London right now.

"You said your brother's name is Jonathan? That's my first name too!" He cannot hide his amusement.

"Wow, that's nice," she replied her smile was enchanting.

"Aside from painting Clary and of course your job, what's keeping you busy?" Jace probed more.

"I just hang out with my friends, Simon and Maia," she casually replied. "I also spend…" she stopped and Jace saw gloom in her eyes.

"Is there something wrong Clary?" He asked sounding worried.

Clary shook her head and swallowed. It took her some time to speak again. Jace waited patiently for her to same something. He felt like the thing she was about to say made her stop from speaking,

"I… I..," she exhaled. "I used to… well, my life also revolved around… Sebastian," she finally finished her sentence.

There was a prick that Jace felt when he heard a guy's name escaped from her lips. Of course she would be taken already. A girl as pretty, down to earth and nice as her, of course a lot of guys would love her. An inner voice spoke in his head.

Jace tried to conceal any disappointing expression on his face.

"Where's he now? I mean, where's Sebastian?" He tried to calmly ask.

Clary looked down and another uneasy exhale escaped from her lips.

"Sebastian was my fiancée, actually I don't know what we are anymore," she quietly replied.

Jace was at a lost. He couldn't understand what he was feeling right now. Something was poking at his heart just by the realization of another guy in her life. He was looking at Clary and her eyes showed that she was hurting. He didn't know what to say or to do. He wanted to ask what happened to her and Sebastian but it may sound like he's prying. He also didn't want to see the same expression on her face when she mentioned her fiancée's name.

"I'm so sorry Clary. If you don't want to talk about him…" his voice trailed off.

"We can be friends, right Jace?" She suddenly asked. Jace can't figure out the tone in her voice if she was pleading or if she sounded hopefully.

He carefully placed his hand on hers on the table and gave her a smile.

"Of course Clary," he gave her a reassuring smile. Clary smiled back. Jace saw her letting out a few sighs and then she kept quite. She looked at him and gave her a sad smile.

"Sebastian, I saw him kissing another girl. It was not just some random girl, but she's my rival from highschool." She suddenly blurted leaving Jace stunned. She was cheated on.

Fear crept through him. Her fiancée was a cheater and she's hurt because of that. What does this leave him along? He's still with Aline and now he couldn't deny that he's attracted to her.

Aline's face popped in his mind. He might not have caught her cheating, but the coincidence of being treated like a trash by Aline and Meliorn suddenly came into picture during their relationship, made sense that she weighed her options. Cruel as it may seem, sinking realization, he wished right now that he didn't take her back.

Days and weeks past by during Jace's stay in Los Angeles, and he managed to have few rendezvous with Clary. Every time that they spend time together, the twisted feeling of being attracted to her grew more. And he knew that it was wrong for him to continue and dwell on whatever feelings he has for her now. Clary was vulnerable and had unresolved issues with her fiancé, whether he was an ex or not. And he knew that it's better for him to stay away from her if he'll continue whatever feelings he has for her. He was still technically with Aline, and the last thing he wanted to happen was to make a decision right away to end things with her and wait to pursue Clary in the future.

But the question that formed in his mind while getting to know Clary and spending time with her was if she also felt the same about him. Jace noticed that she got comfortable with him already and she opened up to him more. And every revelation of who Clary is as a person only made him realize that he wanted her. Wrong as it may seem but she was a breath of fresh air. The emotions she stirred up in him were foreign to Jace as he had never felt like this to a person at a short period of time. There were instances that he accidentally brushed her hands, her shoulders and she blushed whenever a part of his body made contact to hers. It left him confused and wondering if somehow she's attracted to him. And the obvious complication was there, that every time he was with Clary, Sebastian had been trying to win her back. Him witnessing how he still had control over Clary's emotions, Jace felt like he had been kicked in the gut.

During his last week in L.A., he couldn't bear the fact that he will not see Clary for a very long time. Despite Jace's busy schedule, he still made it a point to have time for her. And the last day that he saw, resulted for him to accept the fate that was expected from the start for him and Clary.

Jace was looking at Clary. He was studying her features and he's keeping himself from reaching over to put her hands on her cheeks.

They were at her place. This was the first time she invited him to her apartment. Clary told him that she'll be showing her paintings and drawings to him after he convinced her to. She had been more comfortable with him than ever. He admired all her works, in fact, Jace was really impressed. She was more than a pretty face and charming personality, she's talented as well.

"What are you drawing?" Jace curiously asked, trying to divert his attention from her face.

"I was drawing the fountain that we both saw last week," she replied. Her loose curls fell on her face and she stopped and brushed them off.

Clary looked at him. She placed the sketch pad and pencil on her work table.

"Would you like something to eat? I have mangoes here, I knew they're your favorite." She asked with a little teasing in her tone.

Jace raised his eyebrow and gave her a teasing smile. "So, you were paying attention when I mentioned about the things I like."

Clary giggled and blushed. "It was hard not to pay attention to you; you have this animated way of telling things and stories."

Clary went to sink and washed her hands. She went to the fridge and sliced a few mangoes, placed it on a plate and grabbed a bottle of water and handed them to Jace. His fingers suddenly brushed hers which sent sensation down to his spine.

Jace sensed that she felt a little awkward with the contact. She ate one of the mangoes silently. Jace finished eating mangoes while not leaving his eyes on Clary.

He cleared his throat to break the tension. "Are you going to finish your drawing?"

"I'm done with it," she proudly replied.

"You're fast with that, huh?"

"Yup!" she said with a pop on the p. Jace couldn't help but stare at her pink lips.

"Why don't you show me how to paint using these colors," Jace pointed to the jars of paint on Clary's desk.

"Good idea! Might as well show you," she sounded comfortable again which was a relief for Jace.

Clary chose four different jars and she started dipping her fingers in one of paints and started swiping on the canvas. Jace watched her while she's working on her painting and amused when he realized that she was painting a waterfall. He walked towards her and leaned a little closer.

"Wow! This was really amazing! Can I have this when you're done with it? I want to bring it with me to New York," Jace remarked his voice a little husky.

Clary sucked in air, suddenly becoming aware that Jace's face was so close to her, his breath almost on her cheek.

"Would you give it to me please?" Jace pleading her while giving her puppy eyes.

Clary gave out a giggle and she dabbed a little blue paint on Jace's nose. Jace almost jumped in surprise.

"Hey! What was that? Are you trying to start a paint fight?" He challenged.

"You're just cute with that puppy look of yours, asking for my painting, when I…" her voice trailed off as Jace suddenly wiped a red paint on her right cheek.

"You are so going to regret this!" she yelled placing her hands on her hips.

"Now we're even," Jace said with a smirk on his face.

Clary dipped her fingers in a jar filled with green paint.

"I am going to catch you Jace and you're going to be sorry that you put this on me," she exclaimed but her lips curled into a playful smile.

"Catch me if you can," Jace dared.

Clary moved towards Jace but he was a little fast for her. They chased each other running to and fro inside Clary's apartment. When Jace managed to get two jars of paint on Clary's desk, tables turned and it was now him who was chasing after her.

"Jace, stop, please I surrender," she raised both of her hands signaling her surrender giggling. Jace held out the bottles placed them back on the table and dipped almost all of his fingers in.

"I didn't expecting you will be giving up soon," he mocked and with a wicked smile on his lips. She shrieked when Jace ran after her and caught her in the kitchen and wiped all of the paint on his hands on Clary's face and arms. She was trying to struggle and ran away but Jace didn't let her go, he circled his arm around her waist and pressed himself to her, while his right hand continued wiping the paint on her cheeks and arms.

"Jace, please…" she pleaded and turned her head to him. His face was so close and both of them froze. Jace held on his gaze at her, steadying first on her eyes, to her cheeks and down to her lips. Clary was also doing the same thing and both of them were looking at each other's lips.

Jace's mind was spinning around. He's trying to prevent himself from leaning an inch more so that he can capture her lips. What it would be like to kiss those soft pink lips, he wondered.

The moment was suddenly broken when Clary they both heard someone tapping on the door. Jace loosen his arm around her waist and slowly let her go. She almost leaped and hastily went the doorbell tang.

"Hold on a sec," Clary hollered as she made her way to the door.

Jace went directly to the washroom and managed to wash off some of the paint on his hand. He looked at himself on the mirror and saw the paint on his nose. He grabbed a few pieces of tissue from the dispenser, moistened it and wiped the paint from his nose. There were a few smears of paint on his shirt. Did he have an effect on her, like she had this effect on me, he asked was let of out his pondering when heard a commotion outside, he hastily stepped out.

"Sebastian, please I needed time to think!" Clary helplessly exclaimed making some hand gestures in the air.

"Clary, it has been a while, I didn't do anything wrong. I want you back please, baby. If you wanted me to kneel in front of you…" Sebastian slowly kneeled in front of Clary and embraced her hips. He buried his face on her thigh.

Jace stood by the door motionless, suddenly alarmed with the sight in front of him. He could almost see through Clary, that her wall's crumbling and she might be giving in to the pleadings of her ex-fiancé.

Clary looked confused and sad at the same time. Tears threatening to fall from her eyes and she placed her hands of Sebastian's hair as he sobbed.

"How am I supposed to get through? When I knew in my heart I have not wronged you. My only lapse in judgment was when I didn't push Seelie harder, I was surprised, it was so fast." Sebastian went on while still sobbing on Clary's pants.

Clary's eyes suddenly left Sebastian's and her gaze went directly to Jace. He sensed that she stiffened and her face clouded of mixed emotions.

Sebastian certainly felt Clary tensed a little and she followed her gaze. His face switched from being miserable to exasperation. He stood up, his hands curled into a fist.

"Is this?" He gestured towards Jace pointing at him. Jace still stood there not giving away anything.

Sebastian looked from Clary, with smears of paint on her face, on the sides of her shirt and arms, then back to Jace who had smudge of paint on his t-shift.

Clary realized what Sebastian was trying to imply. "This is not what you think this is," Clary clarified her voice nervous.

Sebastian turned to her walked closer and grabbed her arm. "What do you want me to think Clarissa?! I was miserable, so damn miserable and wanting you back! I was so desperate and you didn't even care because you were seeing someone already behind my back!" He shouted almost making Clary flinch.

"You're better than this!" He exclaimed defeat and astonishment in his voice.

"I am not doing anything wrong! You got this wrong!" She retorted back.

Jace couldn't take the sight of Clary being grabbed by Sebastian and shouted at. He was about to go to them and give him a lesson.

"Jace, no, please, just stay there," she suddenly pleaded.

"I won't let this bastard hurt you Clary," his expression hard and serious.

"Bastard? Who's the bastard here when you're screwing someone's fiancé?!

"You should know better than insult Clary. I am her friend and we're not doing anything wrong," Jace reasoned out trying to stay calm.

But Sebastian won't listen. "Why Clarissa, did he already had his way in your pants? You wouldn't let me screw you, but you will let him?!"

Clary slapped his face with her free hand. It made Sebastian snap out of his madness. He let go of Clary's arm. Clary was crying now, and Jace felt his heart crush seeing Clary so hurt and crying.

Sebastian came back to his senses. He moved closer to Clary and wrapped his arms around her. Clary didn't move and just sobbed, Sebastian was whispering sorry to her hair. She let him hug her and she buried her face in his shirt still crying.

Jace felt like he was drowning at the moment. He couldn't take the sight of Clary being in someone else's arms. He needed to go before he loses his mind.

Clary and Sebastian didn't notice Jace grabbing his stuff and the waterfall painting Clary made.

He hurriedly entered the elevator, went out and ran towards his car. He placed his things and the canvas at the backseat and closed his eyes his hands on the steering wheel. It felt like someone's gripping on his heart very hard, he couldn't breathe.

He knew the answer to the questions he had with Clary. It was obvious that she loved Sebastian, and he was a fool to wonder what he is for her. She can only offer him friendship and he should in return. Sighing in defeat and frustration, he started the engine and left.

*end of flashback*