Jace's black boots were squeaking because of the rain. He was standing in front of a block of flats, matching the others in the area. A quick ring opened the door for him. Climbing the stairs, he thought of going back. It was a stupid idea, it's 9 a.m. , who wakes up at that hour in week-end? Except for him, no one.
He knocked at the door. A red-haired woman opens it, giving him a tired smile.
"I'm Jace Herondale. Is Clary home?"
"Herondale?" she says, slightly surprised.
"Yes.. The last time I checked."
"You guys never change. I'm Jocelyn, Clary's mother. I'll get her."
Waiting in the doorway, Jace was looking inside the appartement. Colourful paintings were hanging on the walls, sitting on chairs and some of them on the floor. Was my mom like that too? The thought of his mother makes him feel empty and numb. Jocelyn came back with a sleepy Clary, still in her pajamas. Again, what was he thinking when he came to see her at 9 a.m.
When she saw him, her face light. "Hey! What are you doing here?"
"Weeeell, my father planned a field trip for the kids he's working with. He said that I can bring one more person... sooo-"
"If my mother's okay with it, yeah, sure."
"Don't worry, nothing like what happened in 'Taken' will happen to you."
"You've just made my mom's day. That statement showed that Liam Neeson is her husband."
Jocelyn offered Jace a cup of tea, but he knew that he had to be at Alec's soon, to clarify things. He told Clary to think about it and let him know by tomorrow. Closing the door behind him, Clary took deep breath. First Alec makes some moves, now Jace tries to make the same thing. Alec and Clary were supposed to clarify what happened that night, but Jace was everywhere.
She felt like she betrayed Jace and now staying with him for an entire trip would make her snap any minute. Only the thought of Jace knowing that she made out with his best friend made her sick. The whole situation is sick. She had to talk to Alec before it was too late.
After getting dressed, she grabbed her phone and texted Alec to let him know she was on her way. She got into a cab and saw that Alec responded: "DON'T COME NOW. BAD,BAD TIMING. JACE IS HERE."
"Dang it." she whispered.
She texted him back: "Tell him that you are waiting for someone very important. You either do this or I tell him what happened." Of course, she wouldn't do it, but a little threat might work. The driver got the money and she got out of the car.
She walked around the house and saw Alec waving his arms. She had to climb and get through his window, with his help. After she got in, the serious business started.
"Allright..." she said "I need a few answers. You might also."
"Yeah."
"First of all. Why, after all the hate, did you kiss me? You know how confused-"
"I know, God damn it, I know. I just.. you-"
"Can you get straight to the point?"
He sighed. "I was sober. Plus, your lips, they feel like heaven."
A little smile appears on Clary's face. "Well, thank you. Your turn now."
"Why didn't you reject it? You knew that it was wrong what we were doing, why didn't you stop it?"
"Maybe that I'm inetersted in you, I don't know."
"Hah, sure. Tell me again, why are you here so early? I told you that we can discuss this next week."
Clary took deep breath and looked at Alec. His facial expression changed. "It's about Jace... he asked me if I wanted to come with him on a trip."
She waited for him to say something, do something. Instead, he calmly took the mug from his desk and drank the remaining water in it. His room was full of wooden dark furniture, just like a vintage room. A pile of old books was lying on the floor, next to the backpack and a few posters were hung on his wall. The room smelled sweet and old, which reminded her of the old house they've lived in.
An old mansion was the place where bad and good -mostly bad- things happened in Clary's childhood. Just the thought of it gave her shivers. Every day she would sit in the corner and cry, because of the shouting and crying. Not only from her mother and father, but from her father's prisoners. She helped one to escape, but the regrets came over her. What if he'll get mad or disappointed. He doesn't care aout me. The only words I have ever heard from him were 'Get out.' So she unlocked the door and let that man go.
She felt sick. "Alec, I have to go. I'm not feeling so well."
As she got up, Alec grabbed on of her hands, stopping her. They looked in each other's eyes. No, not this time. Don't make this any harder. It's already fucked up.
But he did. He kissed her and she didn't reject it. A quick one, with a lot more feelings than the last one. He didn't let go of her hands until she said she had to leave. Alec tried to stop her, but she pulled away. The things they wanted to talk about? Yeah, now it's much more complicated. They wanted to get off this hook. Their next step is friends with beneffits, if they aren't already.
"Daaad, I'm home!" said Jace, closing the door behind him.
"God, Jace, I'm your father."
"What..?" he mumbled, not getting the joke.
Stephen waved his hand. "So, how did the 'ask out' go?"
"Great. Brilliant. Her mother likes me."
His father got angry the next minute. "Wait.. What. Her mother?"
"Yeah, I did, I told you this morning-"
"JACE! I thought you'd invite Alec, not Clary! Are you insane? She will know who you really are."
"At a certain point everybody will. It was your decision to move here, dad! I didn't want to live a mundane life. I wanted to stay in Idris, like other people like us do. Things can't be hidden forever. There'll be a day when we'll be discovered.. no idea what will happen next, but that day will come, dad. So why to hide forever when we know what will happen?"
Stephen was rather impressed than angry, nervous in the same time. He was tapping the counter next to him. "I loved a girl, once, just like you, but things were much more complicated. I loved her since middle school. Stalking her, sending her flowers and letters, old-school things. She wasn't interested in me, same story for highschool. Well, after we both got married, that little spark for her was still burning. She was getting a divorce, so what better way to make both us happy?"
"Are you saying that you've cheated on mom?"
"Yes and no. That.. affair, as you call it resulted a child."
Jace was afraid his father's next words. Suddenly,the image of a middle height woman with gold eyes and blonde hair, smiling and crying of happiness, with his father next to her. They were both crying of joy, until somebody opened the door and started shouting.
"And that child is you, Jace."
