The wait is over! It's here and we can all be friends again!
No?
Still mad?
Understandable.
Sorry, all, I've been super busy but I finally finished the next chapter in The Art of Kissing. I foresee only like two more chapters left in this story. So strap yourselves in!
Also, a lot of you don't like how frantic and fast Jace and Clary acted in there lemony scene in the last chapter. I promise that there is a reason behind my madness; they acted that why for a specific reason and it will be explained in, not this chapter, but the next.
Anyway, read on my fellow reviewers and followers!
Disclaimer: I talked to Cassandra Clare and nothing has changed. I still own nothing.
Also, check out my favorite writer and dear friend RosiePosieRW for some great stories as well!
She didn't know the feeling that was twisting and turning its way through her stomach but she knew it wasn't sadness.
At least, she didn't think so.
Clary's eyes danced over the rushing trees as they passed in a blur. Her arms were crossed over her chest as if to stop the feeling that was leeching its way from her stomach up to her heart and into her brain. Her shirt was slightly uncomfortable and her hair was tickling the middle of her back where it was pressed between the seat and her skin. The shirt she had decided on was backless; something sexy but sophisticated enough that she wouldn't look trashy. To be honest, Isabelle would have been proud. She was the one who had originally bought it for Clary in the first place a couple Christmas's ago and was less than happy that it had mostly spent it's time gathering dust in the back of Clary's, rather, ordinary closet.
She'd been happy she'd picked it, though, from the moment Sebastian had locked eyes on her. His dark pools of deep brown had drank her completely in as if trying to picture just what was hidden behind the shirt which wasn't that hard to imagine because the deep green blouse was also skin tight.
And then, as his eyes roamed her outfit obviously liking whatever he saw, she had become unhappy. Because not once did he make her feel chills down her bare-less back or quivers in her bones. She didn't feel butterflies in her stomach and she certainly didn't feel her toes curl in or goose bumps erupting on her skin. It was not as climatic as she had pictured and suddenly all she could think of was if Jace was standing there instead. The feelings he could provoke in her belly were unreal and the emotions he seemed to unlock were even crazier.
Clary frowned and hugged her body tighter as a shiver drew down her back. The way he had held her on her bed; her bare chest caressing his. The way their hands frantically brushed every piece of skin they could; the way he rolled his hips into her pelvis making her dig her fingernails into his back. His fingertips brushing her skin like a whisper making her arch her back to seek more. The way his hot mouth had felt pressed against hers; their lips working perfectly as they shared the same breath, became the same person. The way his mouth felt on her chest; pulling and tugging and groaning. He knew just what to do to make her moan; he moved and touched with a sureness that made it seem like he was made entirely to please her. The way his lips bit lightly on the junction between her collarbone and neck; the way his tongue flickered out to cool down the hot trail he left behind.
"Are you cold?" Sebastian said with a concerned look in his eyes as he bent forward to turn the heater up. "You should have said something earlier. Your whole arms are covered in goose bumps." He said in a low tone as he gazed in fascination at her small, thin limbs.
"I'm fine." Clary dropped her arms from around her waist fast, feeling her cheeks burn as she did so.
The mortification that she was practically having dirty thoughts about Jace in Sebastian's car did not go remise with her. She also felt bad. Why was she doing this? Why was she even going on this date? She obviously didn't really like Sebastian anymore. Sure, she was still intrigued and drawn to his mystery but that was it. She wasn't practically drawn to him like she was to Jace. So why was she doing this, not only to Sebastian, but to herself?
"No, it's not and it's none of your business so just leave it alone, Clary."
"None of my business? Jace, I care about you. Of course, it's my business!"
"No, it's not because I don't care about you! If I did, it would be different but I don't so you have no reason to either."
Clary furrowed her eyebrows as she shook her head and looked back out the window. Her eyes racing to keep up with the environment that blurred in a series of colors around her. There was that feeling in her stomach again. The one that was eating at her; the one she couldn't put a name to.
"And put that back on; you look ridiculous."
She had to admit that comment had hurt. They all had hurt. Badly. That was why she was here, with Sebastian, going to God knows where.
Her eyes widened as they pulled into a driveway with large iron gates closed around it. Sebastian leaned out of his window and quickly pressed a couple buttons on the key pad in front of him before settling back into his seat and waited as the large, foreboding doors opened.
"Are you alright?" He said with a small smile. This was the most she'd heard him talk ever. "You seem really quiet."
Clary looked at him closely; narrowing her gaze on him before nodded slowly. Even as she did it she knew it was a lie but it was nothing to concern him with. Besides, she wasn't being fair to him. She had to, at least, give him a chance.
She smiled fondly and placed a small hand on his arm. "I'm fine if not a little curious. Where are we exactly? Is this where your friend lives?" She said with wide eyes.
Sebastian let out a soft laugh as he pulled the car into the curling driveway and putting it in park. "No, I live here."
Clary blinked rapidly, not believing what she was hearing. "You live here?"
He raised a playful eyebrow at her and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled bigger. "Why so surprised?"
"I just wouldn't picture you living here." Clary said with a small shrug before she really thought about the words she'd spoken. She let out a squeak and slapped her hand down on her mouth as she stared at the dark prince next to her with wide eyes. "I am so sorry! I did not mean it like that at all. You see, I just have this thing where I have absolutely no filter and I just say whatever comes to my mind and I mean, of course, you have a large home. It's not that I don't think you would because you look poor or anything. And there's nothing wrong with being poor! I just—"
Sebastian let out a low chuckle as his hand wrapped softly around her mouth effectively cutting off whatever grave she was slowly digging herself into. She mentally thanked him as he smiled warmly at her looking not at all like the Sebastian she saw at school. She kinda liked this warm, nice boy as much as she liked the mysterious and intense one too.
"You're babbling." He slowly let his hand glide backwards until his fingers were wrapped in her wavy, red strands; his thumb drew lazy circles on her cheek. "Is that another thing of yours?"
Clary swallowed slowly; waiting for the feelings that should have been bubbling over in her stomach by now. She could feel the disappointment spread through her when not even one butterfly came to life in her; she couldn't even muster a moth to flutter around in there.
She sighed and dropped her gaze from his, pressing her lips together and folding her hands in her lap. "I suppose it is another "thing" I have." She moved her fingers in the air to put quotes before dropping them back down.
"I think it's really cute."
Sebastian's words wrapped around her like a warm hug; she felt a smile grace her face and she pulled apiece of hair behind her ear. "Thank you. That's very sweet."
"Sweet's my middle name."
Clary frowned and scrunched up her nose. "Well, that's unfortunate. I bet you got bullied as a kid, huh?" She pulled away from him and opened the passenger door as Sebastian exited his own with another laugh.
"I'll have you know I wear my middle name with pride even in elementary school." He walked a few strides ahead of her making her struggle to keep up and jumped up the stairs. He took three long bounds before reaching the top; Clary scurried after him taking only one step at a time. It was a large, bright home; fresh flowers were in the garden though the season didn't call for it and the large silver statues of lions on the top of the front steps were polished and gleaming. Clary was almost positive that their eyes were made of shining sapphires.
Vines and roses grew up the side of the home much like Jace's, though unlike his growing from decay and ruin, Sebastian's family deliberately placed the twining vines around the base of the house. The whole experience made Clary feel like she was Alice entering Wonderland.
He placed his hand on the door knob and paused a moment as if frozen in time; Clary felt her eyebrows drop, wrinkles forming on her forehead. Was he prolonging the experience or adding suspension? With a sigh, Sebastian dropped his hand and looked at her closely. "I'm just gonna apologize for my parents in advance. They can be kind of overbearing and annoying at times."
Clary smiled thinking of her own mother, who always had her nose in her daughter and son's business. And Clary didn't even want to get started on her father; he was constantly inquiring about her life and snooping in her and Jonathon's room. She could still see her father's face red with rage when he had come across an unopened condom in her brother's room. Jonathon had been mortified and she had found every moment of their argument hilarious. As had Jace, who had been leaning on her shoulder as they doubled over in laughter. It had been one of those moments that had been different for her; she had gotten along with Jace fine, she had even enjoyed his company that day.
Stop thinking about him, Clary, she snarled at her head as her thoughts fluttered with a golden face.
Clary smiled brightly at Sebastian, who was studying her closely. "Trust me, I totally understand nosy parents."
The boy in front of her gave a grateful smile as he pushed open the door. Clary felt her mouth drop open in amazement. The spiraling staircase before her was like a twisting stairway to heaven and the railing looked to be made from gold. The large open foyer was tiled with a sort of stone Clary probably didn't know existed and a large crystal chandelier hung above her dancing off the lights in small glittering fragments.
A lithe woman walked into the room, her deep brown eyes scanning over the text of the book in front of her and her black hair pulled tightly into a bun on her head. She looked up at the sound of her son shutting the front door and smiled warmly. Clary could tell that she would like her already. "Hello, you two. I thought you were going to Garret's party tonight?"
"What's with all the questions, Mom." Sebastian demanded back, his voice indicated that he wasn't joking as Clary threw a bewildered look his way before frowning.
His mother was doing the same; the look of exasperation on her face showed that this was something that happened often. "Honey, I wasn't—"
"God, you're suffocating me! Why can't you just leave me alone!"
Clary let her mouth drop open; this was unbelievable. She had once had a friend name Rebecca who yelled at her mother constantly for even little things that made no sense. Clary had knew even then that Rebecca had been a spoilt brat and she couldn't believe she was putting mysterious, attractive, I-never-saw-more-than-two-words-in-a-day Sebastian in that same category.
Clary had always been raised to honor her parents and relatives. They were your elders, they had been in the world longer than you, they took care of you, and they deserved the respect you gave. Her brother, no matter how much of an uncaring bad ass he said he was, was not unfamiliar with this too. Both the Morgenstern children were raised with knowing the difference between right and wrong and responsibility. All the qualities they had been taught, Jace Wayland, had been taught as well.
Clary would have never raised her voice at her father not only because she was a daddy's girl at heart but also because she knew she owed him more than that. Her father was a decorated Navy soldier who had seen his fair share of scary and sad and downright awful things. And after Clary was born he decided he needed to be around for both his children, to teach them the values he had been taught and so he became a police officer and from there the Sheriff.
Her mother, on the other hand, was a quiet artist but Clary and Jonathon would both much rather had their father mad at them than their mother. She had a cool calm about her that terrified them both and a cold look in her eye that told them she meant business. Clary had never seen anything so frightening; Jonathon and Jace would back her up on that.
And so she couldn't imagined what her mother would have done had she seen the way Sebastian talked to his mother now. The blatant disrespect he gave her as he turned his shoulder to her and closed his hand around Clary's wrist pulling her toward his room no doubt.
Clary didn't even have time to say her name before Sebastian rushed her up the winding staircase and into a hallway full of exquisite pieces of art and frowning portraits. She didn't really know if they were just for historical reasons or if this was actually his ancestors.
Judging by the dark features and deep frowns, she would say they were ancestors. Clary felt a sort of rage settling in her stomach, a rage that had settled there long ago by Jace and was growing at Sebastian's way of acting to his mother. Sure, Clary, got into fights with her mom and dad all the time but disrespecting them was not something she did at all.
Sebastian pulled her into a dark room that had the scent of polish and expensive cologne. Clary felt out of place as he turned on the light switch; his room was easily larger than her kitchen and living room put together. Not to get Clary wrong, she was better off than most, but Sebastian was filthy rich. And by the way his eyes seemed to take no regard to anything around him as he harshly opened a dresser drawer knocking over a vase that easily cost more than Clary did, he didn't seem the least bit grateful for it.
What would Jace had done if he had even a little of the money Sebastian had? Would he help his dad and fix the house he had grown up in? An image of his bare and bruised chest flashed through her mind like lightning as she frowned. Would he get out of this town all together?
"I just have to change really fast and then we'll go." Sebastian threw a smile at her as she locked eyes with the frown still set in her forehead. He leaned forehead and kissed her cheek lightly something that made Clary almost pull back in disgust. "I'm sorry about my mother. I promise she won't bother us for the rest of the night." He spoke with a smile as misinterpreting the frown on her face.
Clary rolled her eyes as soon as Sebastian's door closed to his walk-in bathroom that she was pretty sure had a fountain in it. She groaned as she sunk into his extremely comfortable bed.
This was gonna be one long night.
It still fluttered in her tummy as her and Sebastian took a seat back into his too sleek car. That feeling she couldn't name; the one that flared up whenever she thought of Jace.
"No, it's not and it's none of your business so just leave it alone, Clary."
She shook her head again and crossed her arms further as they raced down the road. The sun setting in the distance and exploding the sky in deep purples and vibrate oranges.
"None of my business? Jace, I care about you. Of course, it's my business!"
She could feel it. Pushing as her abdomen and trying to make her notice; trying to make her see what she should be seeing; but really it was just confusing her further.
"No, it's not because I don't care about you! If I did, it would be different but I don't so you have no reason to either."
It was making her body shake as she tried to grit her teeth together.
"And put that back on; you look ridiculous."
Why was she even thinking of him? He wasn't worth her time. She had known it was all so he could pass their art class and she could finally know how to kiss so she could impress Sebastian which was all for nothing since the thought of trying to impress him now seemed too disgusting to process. The irony of It all was too much for Clary to bare as she rested her clammy forehead on the window. Outside a bird took flight from a passing tree, at least she thought it was they were going too fast to really tell, it flew high into the air and glided using the wind to its advantage. She'd tried to use Jace to her advantage but instead her heart had overtaken her ability to think clearly. It had ruined everything. They were only lessons. . .
"I thought if I just agreed and went along with it I would start to think it was true. That it would feel true but it doesn't. It feels like one big lie and I'm tired of lying, of pretending all of the time."
"What are you talking—"
"I'm talking about these "lessons". Because they aren't just lessons, they're more than that. You know it and I know it. And pretending it's anything else is just stupid. I've never felt this way when kissing anyone and neither have you."
And suddenly as if God had smacked her in the face with some reality she knew. Just like that, as Jace's earlier words played over and over in her head. She knew as the words he had seemed to scream at her, something she had forgotten, rolled over in her mind.
That feeling in her stomach.
She knew what it was now.
She could put a name to it.
It was doubt.
She didn't believe him.
"I don't believe him." She said with a half smile and a forced snort. "I don't believe him at all."
"What?" Sebastian said from the driver's seat; his fingers drumming with a song Clary hadn't known was playing. "You don't believe who?"
"I need you to take me home." Clary said whipping around in her seat; her hair flew around her face in a tangle of waves adding a dramatic flair to the whole scene.
"What?" Sebastian said again; his eyes wide and his mouth falling open. "What do you mean take you home? We haven't even gotten to Garret's yet."
"You're right." Clary said with a shake of her head. What was she thinking? "Take me to the school's soccer field." She needed to talk to Jace immediately and she knew him, Jon and their friends on the soccer team usually stayed after practice to play a game or two. Why they would want to continue to play after they just practice for 2 hours was beyond her realm of knowledge but she knew he'd be there.
"What!" Sebastian said with wide eyes.
Clary narrowed her gaze on him in frustration. "Just do it!"
Sebastian let out a groan as he turned the car around cutting off an elderly couple in the process.
"You know if you get out of this car this offer is never gonna happen again." Sebastian said in a huff as Clary gathered her purse and placed a hand on the door handle. "If you think I'll be asking you out again, you're sadly mistake."
Clary turned back to him as he smirked proudly and suddenly she couldn't believe she thought he was mysterious at all. He was just a rich little boy who wanted to be more bad ass than he was. He was just an immature boy who wanted to be more broken than he truly was. She could see it in the way he held himself and the smirk on his face.
She had thought she couldn't pin him down but she could.
"All Jace does is sleep, eat, have sex, and break girl's hearts. It's a repeated cycle, an ongoing process; kinda like the water cycle. He's cynical, narcissistic and a complete and utter waste of anyone's time."
Simon thought about it for a moment before he looked back at Jace and squinted his big brown doe eyes. "Normally I would agree with you, in fact, I do agree with you slightly. But I have to tell you, I think there might be more to him than you think."
Clary couldn't agree with Simon more now. She had been so blind by her own jealousy and rage at Jace that she couldn't see the way he reached out to her. The way he had called out to her with his eyes as he pleaded with her to see his bruises. The way he hid the scars he bared; she had wanted to see Sebastian's soul bared but it was Jace's broken one that she had been looking for all along. And she wouldn't ignore him any longer because she saw it now; saw the reason her parents never hesitated to include him in everything they did. Saw the reason a plate was always set and saw the reason why he had a permanent seat at their kitchen table. She saw the reason why he went on every camping trip and Florida trip their family did; she saw the reason her parents talked about his future.
She saw why they cared.
They had heard his call for help while Clary had chosen to ignore it.
But she wouldn't any longer. He needed her and she would be there. Just like she should have always been.
She smirked at Sebastian as he leaned forward; his smiled spread wider on his face as if he'd won some sort of battle. "I'll keep my fingers crossed."
Clary watched with a wrongful glee as Sebastian mouth dropped open and she exited his vehicle in a flash headed to where she could barely make out her brother's white head under the overhead lights of the field. She didn't look back as she rushed forward; she didn't glance behind her at the profanities Sebastian threw her way or when his car peeled out of the parking lot. Because she didn't care about him; she never really did.
All that matter was Jace.
He was all that ever really mattered.
Until next time! I love all of you and please review!
