AN: This chapter will be longer than the others, only because so much happens in this chapter! Also 3 updates in one day!
Disclaimer: Everything Mortal Instruments belongs to the amazing Cassandra Clare
I made it through Thursday with no sight of Jace and little drama. But today is Friday. That means the party is today. That means Jace will be there too, considering the fact that he lives there. After school I head over to Izzy's to get ready for the party. She had cheerleading practice so I had my mom drop me off.
I get out of the car and head to the front door as she drives away. I ring the doorbell and wait for a good 2 minutes before the door opens. I should have known. Mr. and Mrs. Lightwood are in Los Angeles for business and won't be back until Tuesday, Alec is at NYU, and Izzy is at cheerleading practice…
"Well, Red, if you're here for the party, you are a good 7 hours early," Jace says while leaning against the now open door, no shirt, and sweaty, like he's been working out, "and I have to say, that isn't a very good costume."
He's absolutely gorgeous until he opens that damned mouth of his and starts talking. "Well, I'll have you know jackass, Izzy told me to come here and wait for her while she's at practice. Now if you wouldn't mind moving out of my way…" I push past him and march into the kitchen. I hear Jace shut the door and mumble "Looks like it's just us, Red"
In the kitchen, I sit on the barstool by the counter and pull out my phone to play a game and not think about how he's standing in the doorway to the kitchen watching me looking deep in thought. I don't notice that he has moved until I hear him talk.
"What's your costume, Red?" He is standing directly in front of me on the other side of the counter and I am thankful for the distance.
"You'll just have to see later, now won't you," I say trying to not pay attention to his obvious 6 pack because he has no shirt on! I put my phone in my bra and when I look back up at him, I noticed how his eyes are considerably a darker gold than they were seconds before and are looking at my chest. I cross my arms in front of myself hoping to get his attention elsewhere.
"Now that's just not fair," he says and moves around the counter so he's standing in front of me.
"What's not fair? The costume, or me covering my chest," he looks at my face with a shocked expression, "don't think I didn't notice." I slide off the stool and start to head for the stairs when Jace grabs my arm and turns me to look at him I immediately feel my pulse quicken and heat spread from the points where Jace is touching my arm. I hear him inhale sharply and he lets go. I immediately feel the loss of heat and I shiver involuntarily.
"I'm not sorry."
"What," I ask getting a little angry now. He sighs.
"I'm not sorry for looking at you," he says and I start to turn and go to Izzy's room when he says, "Let me finish, please, Clary?"
Hearing him say my name and not 'Red' sound really good. I turn back to face him and look at the floor. He steps closer and his fingers find my chin and lift my gaze to his. We are staring into each other's eyes. "I'm not sorry because-" he's cut off by the front door opening and Izzy shouting, "Clary, I'm back."
We spring apart and he runs up the stairs and I hear a door shut as Izzy comes in the room. "Clary, why aren't you showering?!"
"Sorry, Iz."
~.o.O.o.~
6 hours later I hear the music start and Izzy looks amazing. She is in the SWAT costume and has her hair in a side ponytail with some strands framing her face. She is also wearing 7in. boots with leather straps wrapped around them. She hasn't let me look at myself for the last 6 hours so I have no idea what I look like.
"Okay, you have my approval to look in the mirror," she says and I get up and head towards the mirror. "Wait! I forgot something!" Izzy yells and throws me thigh high boots with a 5 in. heel.
"Isabelle Sophia Lightwood, if you think I'm wearing those, you have lost your mind."
"Put them on and if it doesn't look good, you can take them off."
I grab the boots and pull them up my legs and wobble over to the mirror. I don't recognize the girl in the mirror, but then I realize that it's me. I have a smoky eye and bright red lipstick on. My freckles have been left untouched and it suits me with this look. My hair, instead of the usual crazy curls, is in soft bouncy curls that frame my face perfectly and only Izzy could conjure this up. My leather pantsuit looks absolutely amazing with the thigh high boots. The zipper is way too low for my taste so I zip it up to my neck.
"No. Bad Clary," Izzy says and walks in front of me to unzip it to what she calls 'half boob'. "No, Izzy, I am already in a push-up bra I'm drawing the line here."
"Too bad, this is happening."
"Fine."
Not that I will ever admit this to Izzy, but it did look better with the zipper lower. "We look amazing. Now let's go show those tramps how amazing we look while still being conservative." I, of course, laugh at this as we leave her room and head towards the stairs. I see Simon, dressed as a policeman, start to run up the stairs and he stops dead in his tracks when he sees us. Mainly looking at Izzy, he says, "WOW. You look hot!" Izzy takes this compliment with a big smile and strides down the stairs past him. He turns to watch her ass as she goes down the stairs. I walk halfway down the stairs and whack him in the back of the head. "Ow," he shouts as he holds the back of his head and walks down the stairs to find Izzy.
I look at the living room, now turned into a club with fog everywhere and undoubtedly spiked punch. I thought I saw Jace at the bottom of the stairs, but when I got down them, I couldn't see him anywhere.
I walk around the dance floor looking for Simon or Izzy when someone bumps into me.
"I'm sorry!" someone shouts as I steady myself. I keep moving when it happens 3 more times. At this point I'm done with trying to navigate the dance floor with so many moving bodies. I go into the kitchen and sit at the counter. Someone comes in wearing a pirate costume and reaches up to get a cup out of the cabinet and goes to the fridge to get water. They turn around and their eyes almost pop out of their head when they see me sitting there with one leg bent on the stool beside me as I sit in the other.
"I'm Sebastian. Sebastian Verlac. Can I have your name?"
"Don't you already have one," I respond. There's something off about him. I'm not sure I like him. He laughs. "You're funny. I like that," he says and leans in. I scoot off the stool and away from him as I head towards the back door. "You know," I say as I open the door, "I've got to run." And run out the door.
I hear him coming after me and I turn the corner, planning on running around the house to the front door so I can go inside and up to Izzy's room. I hear him coming closer and I run as fast as I can in these damned shoes. He's getting closer and closer. I turn another corner of the house and I'm met with a dead end. The Lightwoods' wall that I'm facing has a latch and if I could just reach it…
"You are a naughty girl," Sebastian says. I back up into the wall. There's a good 4 feet in between us when I am all of a sudden blocked by someone. Someone tall, and in what looks like a tux. So they went for James Bond. They also look blonde… wait, that's not blonde, that's gold! What's Jace doing here?
"Leave her alone," he all but growls out at Sebastian.
"Come on buddy, I'm just going to mess around with her a bit, lighten up," Sebastian chuckles, but he looks uneasy. Probably because Jace is a good 3 inches taller and is broader than Sebastian.
"Not with her. Never with her. Don't fucking touch her," Jace once again almost growls out these words to Sebastian.
"Sorry bro," Sebastian says.
"I'm not your bro. Leave her the fuck alone. Don't say anything about her. If I see you so much as look at her…" Jace trails off as he says the last words, his stance ready for anything. Sebastian doesn't spare a glance in my direction as he runs off back towards the house. It was as if he were running from rabid dogs he was going so fast.
Jace is still tense, breathing heavily, and looking like he's ready to run after Sebastian. I take this moment to quietly walk in front of him. He averts his eyes to mine and he calms down immediately.
"Thank you, Jace," I say, my voice shaky at the intensity of his gaze. He starts walking towards me and I back up till I hit the wall. His eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips. I know what he's going to do and I have no issue with it.
"I've never been kissed," I whisper. His eyes are still flickering between my eyes and my lips and he whispers, "Can I?" I nod mutely and he leans down to capture my lips with his. Fire explodes throughout my body as his lips, so soft and gentle, seem to caress my own.