Hello my dear little broccolis💚💚💚
~ I am so sorry. I was in a sort of a writer's block. But I'm back. I hope you will forgive me, and that you will enjoy this chapter.
~ So, my favorite kind of music? I'd say that I am very eclectic on the matter. It mostly depends of my mood. I am not a very big fan of electro music, but otherwise, I am not that picky. Though I have to say that some artists are definitely a turn off for me. Either if it's because I don't like their music, their voice or their persona (and yes, I do have a certain young singer in mind when I'm saying that, haha).
~ And I also want to take the time to thank all of you who read this story. I feel very sorry for the people who are not registered on the website, because I can't reply to them personally, like I do for others, and they can't really know for sure when I update, hence the schedule. Still, thank you for taking the time to review, follow, and favorite. It might seem like nothing to you, but to me, it is a fuel to keep on updating this story.
Love, 💚💚💚
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Chapter 6 ~ When Friendship Crumbles (3,1K)
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Jace's PoV.
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"I'm going to take a shower," I say, removing Aline's hand from my chest so I can get up. She whines a little, but since she's already almost sleeping, her protestations don't go further, and she pulls the sheet over herself as I head to the bathroom.
It's been two months since I started seeing Aline, and this is the first time she ever came to the apartment. Mostly, because I did not tell Clary about her. It's not that I think Clary will get jealous of Aline (I wish- but she is still swooning over her Jonathan boy), but because I don't want her to judge me.
The thing is, I know that it is nothing serious with Aline, I never intended it to be. She's just here so I can stop obsessing non-stop about Clary. And when I'm with Aline, I am 99% percent with her (because there is a part of my mind that still compares her with how I think Clary would be).
I guess one could say I am kind of an asshole to Aline. I never presented her to my friends, always refused to meet hers, and avoided all sort of outside activities that could be qualified as dates. So to make it short, we mostly only meet for sex. Nothing that she could complain about, because I always managed to leave her very happy. Either that, or she's the best faker in this world, and she should play for Oscar worthy movies.
I met Aline in a bar, the very same night Clary and I argued about her Jonathan. I went there to get a drink and to clear my head, trying to understand what was wrong with me for feeling those feelings toward my best friend. If Clary had been a guy, would I have felt those emotions? Or am I just confused because I have been single for too long? So, when Aline sat next to me with her friend, I decided to settle this inner argument once and for all.
Her friend was pretty, but she was a ginger, and though Clary is a scarlet redhead, I don't want to get any sort of mix. So I settled for the model-like Asian, with her olive skin and almond eyes, and who gladly took me to her place that night. That was supposed to be my first and my last one-night-stand, but one thing leading to another; we stayed in touch, with Aline always trying to pull me into that relationship that I am denying her.
More than once, she called me on it, saying that she seemed to have this gift to attract assholes- I never did or said anything to correct her. And this is how I know I've changed. Because before, I never would have treated a girl the way I treat Aline, and I never would have taken so carelessly the fact that she called me an asshole. This is how much I have changed.
With a little sigh, I get in the shower, and I let my head hang low while the hot water falls down on me and removes any after-sex sweat from my body. I have to think of an excuse to get rid of Aline early in the morning, because I don't want her to meet Clary. I know Clary is not due until tomorrow around lunch time because it is Friday, and that she always spends her Fridays with her boyfriend, now. Do I sound bitter? Well, she never did that with her exes, anyway- what makes this guy any different. It's just another sign that this relationship is stronger than her old ones- and this scares me, because I want their relationship to end.
To be honest, Clary has been kind enough to not invite the idiot back into our apartment. He still comes every now and then to pick her up and take her to dates and stuff, but he never stayed more than five minutes in our apartment, let alone slept here. I think it's because our argument affected Clary as much as it affected me. Even today, I can't get over the fact that we argued over one of our love interests.
This had never happened before, and I think it is scary for the both of us. Making the topic of Jonathan a treadmill, and therefore, making Clary NOT talk about what she does with him, or how she feels about him. And this is why I have to do my best to get rid of those unwanted feelings I have for her- because, I am losing my best friend over them. Never before would she have kept quiet about a boy she was seeing, and never before would I have hidden from her, a girl I was seeing.
So it is with this in mind that I decide to try and make it work with Aline. After all, she's not so bad, so it could work.
After using way more water than necessary, I walk out of the bathroom, my towel hanging on my hips, and I have the shock of my life when I find Kaelie in the kitchen.
I know that Kaelie also lives in New York, like Clary and I, but we barely get to see her since she works in a nightclub, and that she uses the day to sleep off her night. She's the young associate of a certain Mr. Blackthorn who owns the Pandemonium club that is probably the most successful Club in town. Yeah, Kaelie did pretty good after high school; I think she's the one earning the more money among our little gang of back then.
"Kaelie! What are you doing here?!" I ask, walking to my old friend to embrace her in a welcoming hug that she gives me back with a chuckle:
"Damn, Jace! If I knew you still had that kind of body, I would have entered the bathroom instead of politely waiting for you to get out," She teases me, ogling at my toned body, and I smirk at her, knowing that I look good. Hey, I work out to have this body!
Kaelie is the only ex I stayed in touch with. Probably because, like I said, she is my high school sweetheart; but mostly because Kaelie stayed very good friends with Clary. I mean, they still have shopping sprees together. But it's still weird to see Kaelie at my place on a Friday night, knowing that it's one of her busiest night at the club, and that Clary is supposed to be out with Jonathan, or whatever.
"I know, Kaelie. What can I say? My body is just sugar for the ladies. You better than anyone, know how good I am," I tease back, making Kaelie roll her eyes at me. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"I'm not here for you. I came for Clary. She's in her bedroom, getting beau-ti-ful," She says in a sing song tone; I frown at that, narrowing my eyes in the direction of Clary's bedroom. This is bad. Clary usually goes straight to wherever she needs to go with Jonathan after work. She doesn't come back home, and that's why I finally gave in to Aline to bring her to my place. Because Clary wasn't supposed to be home, and that I didn't want them to meet.
Fuck!
And of course, as if I needed that right now, Aline comes out of my bedroom at this precise moment. She blinks at me, my shirt thrown over her body, and I praise her for having had the good move of slipping on her panties as well. But then, her eyes fall on Kaelie, and on the very short distance between her and my half naked self; and her face turns red as Clary's hair.
"So, this is the reason you didn't want to bring me to your place? Because you already had a girl there!" Aline accuses me, and I refrain myself from rolling my eyes. I might have acted like an asshole with her ever since we've met, but I'm not that much of an asshole.
"She's just an old friend. I told you I was sharing the flat with someone."
"Yes. And you let me to believe that it was a guy!" Aline shrieks, and Kaelie buts in the conversation, probably because she can feel that this is getting somewhere ugly. Though I would have liked better if she didn't say what she says:
"Yeah, but Clary is a dude. You don't have anything to doubt. And I happen to be too busy right now to try getting in a relationship."
Why did she have to bring Clary into the conversation? And why does Clary have to come out of her bedroom right now? Am I cursed or something? Aline looks from Clary to Kaelie, before glaring at me, and storming back into my room. I glance in the direction of the two girls with whom I shared my childhood, and I sigh in frustration before following Aline to my bedroom. And of course, I find her swiftly dressing with anger.
"I tried, Jace! I really did! But then, I find two girls in your apartment! What do you want me to think?!" She accuses, tears threatening to spill from her brown eyes, and I lean against the door of my room as I retort:
"I'd like you to not jump to stupid conclusions and think for just a second. Do you really think that if I were two timing you, I would have brought you to the place where I have 'two girls waiting for me'?"
She stops fussing around, looking down with just her trousers and bra on, and I use the opportunity to go on: "For your information, they are just my best friend and my high school friend, getting ready for whatever they are about to do."
"Then why do you have a picture of you with the redhead in your arms on your nightstand?" She asks, pointing the frame on my nightstand where we can see me hugging Clary from behind in the garden of her father's house. The picture was taken a couple of years ago, when I wasn't feeling all those weird things about Clary and that my romantic life was way simpler than it is now.
"Clary is my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids, and there's nothing more than that between us," I tell her, hoping that the bitterness I feel in my heart is not transpiring in my voice.
And apparently it is not since she smiles weakly at me, and walks to wrap her hands around my waist as she kisses my chest. I should tell her not to do it, and not to get attached because I can't give her what she wants; but I don't. Instead, I just briefly smile to her, and unwrap her arms from me to go back to the open space to understand why Kaelie is here with Clary. What if she broke up with that Jonathan dude? Okay this is a long shot, but a guy can hope, right?
As soon as I get out of my room, I see the two girls talking, Clary frowning while Kaelie shakes her blond head as if to reassure her. But all I can do is concentrate on Clary and take in what she is wearing. She has a white strapless top with black jeans, along with some accessories that echo with her high heels. There's nothing unusual about any of it, except that it seems a little too much for what Clary usually wears on dates. I don't know, it doesn't feel like normal Clary behavior when going on a casual date.
Aline opens the door of my room, snapping the girls attention up to her, and Clary frankly smiles to Aline, before glancing in my direction. And though it was brief and discreet, I still saw the little glare that she threw my way. What was that all about?
"Nice to meet you. I'm Clary," Clary says to Aline, and I inwardly curse at any sort of karma that exists that put me in that situation as I understand what this was all about: She's mad because she had to find out about Aline out of the blue and not how it usually is done- by me telling her about the girl I was seeing.
Aline gently smiles at Clary, introducing herself to Clary and we exchange a very meaningful look before Clary says: "Well, I'm so glad to meet Jace's new girlfriend. How long have you been —"
"It's not what you think," I cut her off, immediately regretting the words.
Aline snaps her head at me, glaring at me with fury as I close my eyes to repress a sigh. And then, she walks to the front door to retrieve her shoes and coat before storming out of the apartment. I wince as the door slams, but I don't take my eyes off of Clary. I know she's about to ask what this was about, and I know that I shouldn't have said in front of Aline that I don't consider her my girlfriend, but I don't want to think about any of that.
So instead, I ask Clary: "Where are you going?"
"I don't know, Jace. Why don't you ask this girlfriend I never heard about?" She snaps with a justified bitterness, and someone knocks at the door before I can find any reasonable answer to her accusations.
Clary glares at me before going to the door, and so I turn my head to Kaelie and ask her: "You still didn't tell me what you're doing here."
"I thought that you knew. Clary and Jon are coming to Pandemonium, and I'm here to let them in," She tells me, and it feels like the world just imploded.
I glance back at the front door where I see Jonathan with his arms around my Clary while the reality of Kaelie's words echo in my mind. Clary is going clubbing. Clary never ever went clubbing because of the way she feels in areas too crowded. I am the first one who took her to the movies. I am the first one who took her to a bar. I am the first one who took her out just for the fun of it. I already tried to convince her into going clubbing, but she never agreed on it! And now, she is going with that guy she's been dating for barely a couple of months!
I wait for her to meet my gaze, not really sure of what I'm expecting to see, and then, I turn on my heels as soon as she looks at me, and go to my room. This is something I never thought I'd feel about Clary. It is worst than anything I ever felt before. It is worst than being in love with your best friend. It is freaking betrayal!
There's a small knock, before Clary enters, but I refuse to open my eyes to look at her.
"Jace?"
I still keep my eyes closed. "It's not that big of a deal," she says.
"Not that big of a deal?! You're going clubbing!" I snap, feeling so fucking betrayed by her move, and she simply shrugs at this before she tells me:
"It's okay, I'll be with Jon."
"I am your safeguard, Clary. Not him! I am the guy you always relied on when it came to your deepest fears. What do you want from him? Who says he'll be able to calm you down if you have a panic attack? He doesn't know you like I do! I am the guy who's always been there for you! Not him!" I shout at her though I do my best to keep it down so they won't hear it outside.
Clary blinks at me, her brows furrowed with confusion. Then she shrugs again with a small smile before leaning and kissing my cheek. Then she breaks my heart, once again, saying:
"Don't worry, Jace. I know that Jon will take care of me just fine. He cares for me deeply, just like I do for him."
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💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚
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~ What do you guys think of Aline and the way Jace treats her? And what about Jace's feelings about this last piece of news.
~ And for those interested, NEXT CHAPTER WILL NOT BE IN JACE'S POINT OF VIEW...
~ And by the way, who watches Shadowhunters, and what do you think of this ending?
Cassandra Clare owns the name of the characters from the Mortal Instruments series. Everything else is mine.
Kiss💋 Kiss💋, Bang🔫 Bang🔫
