Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait to update. I've been sort of traveling and haven't really had time to sit down and write-until now. Thanks to lightlacedwithbeauty for making me get out of bed at three in the morning to finish this and for helping me choose the songs, and also to maxwaylandgrey, just 'cause. Thanks to all of you who read, favorite, follow, and review. I love you alllll. :)
She sleeps alone
My heart wants to come home
I wish I was, I wish I was
Beside you
Getting to New York City was, although relieving, not the best thing that had ever happened to Clary.
It was good for her because, well, sitting for hours in a car with her mother wasn't exactly her idea of a happy day. However, the closer she came to the city, the closer she came to realizing that this was really, really happening. She had held on to the hope of something happening that would change, that something would bring her back to Florida.
But nothing had.
They got an apartment instead of a house. Her mom explained to Clary on the way to their new home that, although they wanted to get a house, an apartment was much better for them, because it was cheaper, and they didn't need that much space, anyway.
When Clary exited the car that she had been stuck in for so long, she let out a breath of pure relief and sent Jace a message, letting him know that she had arrived. She had made a mental note to herself to leave out the word "home," because, as much as she loved New York and its many wonders, it wasn't her home anymore.
Clary took her bag out of the trunk and made her way up the stairs, following her mother, who was rummaging through her bag to find the keys to their new apartment. When she found them, they went up another floor until they stopped in front of a door, located somewhere in the middle of the third floor. Clary didn't get a good look at the number, because Luke opened the door before her mother could even attempt to do so herself.
"I'm so glad you're finally here," he said, giving Jocelyn a kiss in the lips and a wide smile. He looked at Clary and said, "Come on in. I wanna give you a tour of the place."
"It's an apartment," Clary said. "There isn't much to see."
"Clary," her mother warned, probably noticing that her daughter was not in the best mood. "It's fine, Luke."
He sighed. "I'm glad you girls made it safely. It's crazy out there, especially at this time. You should've stayed at a motel or something overnight." He sounded concerned, and Clary couldn't blame him. It was one in the morning, but her stubborn mother had decided that there was no way she was going to stay overnight in some place when she could just arrive a little late to their new house.
"Alright, well, I'm gonna go. Don't make too much noise," Clary said, knowing that the two, being newly wed, sometimes forgot that there was a third person in the house.
Jocelyn smiled. "I'm going to sleep as well, so don't worry."
"Okay," Clary said, walking past the entrance of their apartment and into the place itself.
It was bigger than she could've ever imagined-for an apartment, that is.
Some of the walls were a light, yellowish color, and the others remained white, meaning that Luke wasn't done with the apartment. To her right was the kitchen, which she couldn't see much of. In front of her was the living room, which had two couches, both covered in some sort of plastic, and a couple of chairs. On either side of the living room were two hallways.
The hallway she had stepped into was the one on the left, where there were three rooms: two bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the bedrooms had boxes with CLARY written on the sides; the other one looked like it was a guest room.
She assumed that her mom and Luke were staying on the other hallway. She opened her door, mustering up the energy to look around. Her room was smaller than the one in the house, but it would do.
Thankfully, Luke had set up the bed so that Clary could just crash the moment she got to her room.
After sending Jace a goodnight message, she did just that.
I fell in love, in love with you suddenly
Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms
I like where you sleep,
When you sleep, next to me.
She was in New York.
Jace was glad that she had made it to the city safely, of course, but the fact that she was there, really there, kind of sucked. He was stuck in Florida for the rest of the summer, trying to talk her parents into letting him visit his girlfriend for a while before school got started again. There were only six weeks until then. He had mentioned it to his mom before Clary moved, and Celine had just promised that she would talk to his father about it.
His father, though, could be a dick.
He let out a breath of relief as Clary's message got through to him. Goodnight, babe. I'm safe and in my new bedroom. Talk to you tomorrow. Get some sleep! Love you :)
He was happy because she was okay. He couldn't imagine what it was like for her in New York. She had to look at a house and a strange kitchen and strange halls and new pictures and new views from her room to the outside, and she had to realize that Florida wasn't her home anymore.
It was officially two in the morning, according to his clock, but he couldn't fall asleep. He kept thinking about how Clary was there and he was here, and he flipped the thought over and over in his head until he couldn't take standing still. He got up and paced around his room, which didn't help.
He decided that the best thing to do was to go to the kitchen and get something to eat, something to calm him down. He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. The lights were on, surprisingly.
The last thing Jace was expecting was to see his mother in the kitchen at two in the morning, but there she was, drinking some water and looking worn out. When she noticed him, she looked up and attempted to smile, but it looked broken, like it was a smile that wasn't a smile.
"I didn't know you were up," Celine said. "Is everything okay?"
Jace nodded. "Clary's in her new apartment. She's, uh, asleep. She sent me a message just now, but I couldn't fall asleep, so."
"Do you want something to eat?" She was up on her feet in no time.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, sweetheart."
But she wasn't. He looked at her—really looked at her—and saw that she was tired. She looked tiny and fragile and like she could snap in half if you held her tightly enough. She gave him a half-smile.
"I'm glad Clary's okay," she said, taking out some cereal and milk for Jace. She placed everything in front of him. "It's crazy that Jocelyn decided to keep going instead of stopping at a hotel or something."
"Yeah, I know. I'm just happy Clary's safe and getting some sleep."
"I know you miss her, Jace," Celine said. "I know that you hate missing her when she's only been gone for less than a day, but that's okay. It's okay that you miss her, but don't let it get the best of you."
"I'm trying not to let it," he said, giving her a smile as he chewed on his cereal.
"Good." She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Jace. Sleep tight. And if you need anything, I'm here, okay? I know things are hard right now."
"Thanks," he said, bidding her goodnight.
He stayed behind, chewing on his cereal and trying to understand why his mother looked so upset. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. Jace was used to seeing her mom as a person who was very together, who knew what she wanted and knew how to get it. To see this version of a person, an entirely different version of whom he thought he knew, was surprising. It wasn't the easiest thing, to see his mother trying not to fall apart, all for his sake. A very thin string held her together, and he didn't want to see it break—to see her break.
The more he tried to understand the kind of problems his mom could have that would make her so stressed, the more confused he got. He decided that, even though these problems could keep him up forever, he wanted to get some sleep. To be able to live someplace else, away from reality and closer to Clary.
That was all he wanted.
The songs used are Beside You by 5 Seconds of Summer and Here In Your Arms by Hellogoodbye. :) Let me know what you think! xxx
