I smile weakly at Isabelle, who is dragging Simon and me out of the fifteenth store that she just had to check out because of the sales. Naturally, we are carrying about ten bags a piece. It feels as though I am carrying about two extra tons around with me, and I am absolutely sure that if I keep this up, I will be dead before the end of the hour…according to my wristwatch, which is almost covered by a few bag straps, that is in approximately four minutes. If my calculations are correct about the hour, I'll last longer than I believe that I have the strength to carry on. Then again, there is probably another reason for my extra weight that has nothing to do with the heavy bags that Isabelle is forcing me to carry. That is the fact that my phone call with Jace Herondale is still on the forefront of my mind no matter what I do to try and push it away.

"I think that this might be enough for today," Isabelle mutters to me. She looks down at her cell phone and sighs. "That movie that the boys went to see is over anyway. I'm sure that you want to get back to Jace. I have a few things that I need to talk to Magnus about glitter-wise."

I fight back the mad urge to inform her that going to see Jace is the last thing that I want to do. I am about to urge her to continue shopping, but Simon kicks me in the shin subtly so that Isabelle doesn't see it. Clearly he can still read my facial expressions. I scowl at him for a moment and say, "Sounds good," as I look away from him and back at Izzy.

Isabelle beams at me and skips back toward the end of the mall that we were parked on. Her heels are clacking against the white tile floor merrily, and she carries her own ten bags as though they are almost weightless. Shopaholics are strong.

I am in my own little world by the time we make it to the crowded exit of the mall. I dodge out of the way of a piece of trash, which is still dripping grease, that a bystander randomly throws into the crowd. I ram into the person beside me, and mumble an apology, wanting nothing more than to get out of the mall and get my torment over with.

"It's okay, Clary," a familiar rumbling voice says. My eyes widen slightly as I realize that I am about to go into Clary's La La Land from just the sound. Talk about a good way to get my cover blown! Not that my cover with Jace is the number one thing on my mind, especially since he pissed me off, and the fact that Sebastian Verlac is standing next to me…is that his hand on his arm steadying me?

I focus on not melting in a puddle at his feet as I focus on the fact that I already have a 'boyfriend' and cannot afford to do anything exceedingly stupid. I slowly turn around and see that he is smiling at me. His messy black hair makes me want to drool, and his dark, almost black eyes, are bright with what seems to be laughter. I feel my face heat up, advert my eyes. I inhale and exhale slowly as I try and concentrate on my breathing patterns and not the very nice looking boy beside me.

"Are you leaving already?" he asks, sounding genuinely disappointed. "I just got here because Jordan Kyle wanted to hang out, but I have a feeling that he has either ditched me for Maia and in about two minutes, I'll get a text from him…again. Or, he'll drag me along with him and his girlfriend through the store, and I get to play third-wheel."

I feel pity for him, thinking about my friends and what they have put me through for the past several hours. Neither idea sounded appealing to me. "I can stay with you if you'd like. Let me just tell the others and get rid of the bags," I gesture to the ten or so fifty pound pieces of plastic that were hanging from my hands and arms.

"Let me take those for you," he said, hurriedly grabbing five from my right arm effortlessly and then snatches the rest of them off of my actually numbing left arm. I smile up at him gratefully, wondering if he knows how much of a saving grace he is.

"Thank you so much," I sigh, rubbing at my arms, which have indentions from the handles of the bags.

"No problem, I didn't take you for one that would buy so much," he admits, looking down at the bags in his arms, "there has to be about your body weight in clothes!"

"They're not mine," I say, "I was dragged out here and forced to carry Isabelle's bags."

"Ugh," he said as we make it to the outside, where Isabelle and Simon are waiting for me. They are talking and laughing by one of the large columns that held the roof over the outside up. "I thought that we were going to be stuck in that crowd forever! Though, I imagine that I could have been in better company."

I try and force myself to tell Seb that I have a boyfriend and that his flirtations, no matter how platonic, were not welcome. Of course all I manage to do is giggle like a brain dead idiot. I am such a whore. He beams at me, and I am struck by the fact that Sebastian knows that Jace and I are 'dating' which means that he is being quite questionable himself with what he is saying. He and Jace are supposed to be pretty good friends.

Simon and Isabelle finally look our way when we are practically on top of them. They give Sebastian a surprised smile and he returns it politely. "I hope you two don't mind that I'm going to steal Clary for a few hours."

"Not at all," Izzy says cheerfully. "I'll let Jace know where you are so he won't worry his frail mind over it."

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I want Jace to squirm slightly, considering the fact that he has done so much to anger me. I smile gratefully at her all the same and say, "Thanks."

She smiles at me and I look over at Simon before winking conspiringly at her. I see her pale cheeks flush slightly before she quickly hurries off, taking a confused looking Simon with her.

"They're dating, right?" Sebastian asks me, raising his eyebrow.

"Not yet," I inform him, rolling my eyes. "Apparently they think that the other doesn't like them, and they won't take my, or anyone else's, word for it." Sebastian returns my eye roll and chuckles.

"Thanks for saving me from the third-wheelieness of being with Jordan and Maia by myself," he said. "I probably should have cancelled on him when I realized that this was going to happen." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, as though he was embarrassed by being too nice to ditch on his friend.

"It's okay," I assure him, reaching up and patting his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm glad that you didn't. You're saving me from Jace right now, who is throwing a bitch-fit for no reason."

Sebastian snorts and shakes his head. "You're crazy, Clary." He looks down at me, his dark eyes twinkling in laughter. "Jace told me what he's doing for you, by the way. It's one of the most decent things I've seen him do."

"You make it sound like a chore to have me as a girlfriend," I mutter, a small stab of hurt panged from my chest, along with annoyance at the fact that Sebastian knew about Jace and I when I can't tell anyone at all.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly. His voice was so panicked that it caused me to pause in my stride and look up at him questioningly. "I meant that it was a decent thing for Jace to do, because he's putting his personal life on hold to help you out." His eyebrows were drawn together in the center of his forehead as he looked at me. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he is concerned about offending me.

I smile at him reassuringly to let him know that I am not mad. "I get it, Seb, don't worry."

He smiles back, exhaling quietly in relief. "Thank God. I thought that I had already made you angry and you were about to walk away and leave me."

"I have no ride," I say, laughing slightly at his panic. "I can't exactly leave you."

"You're probably one of the most awesome girls I've ever met," he informs me. I pause again and look up. His dark eyes are boring into me, glittering in wonder, "I'm starting to wish that you and Jace weren't fake dating."

I look back, biting the bottom of my lip. My smile slowly slips from my face as I realize that I am wishing the same thing….


I was going to not update this soon and make the chapter longer, but once again, I figured that you guys would appreciate the update more than a long chapter. So, no Jace at all, which is going to depress the fangirls, but we need this chapter it is VITAL, so don't get too angry. He'll reappear next chapter.

Question: How much Clary/Sebastian can you guys handle without turning on me? You all know that I am a 100% Clary/Jace fan, so it isn't as though they are going to be together. This is all for Jace's jealousy, people! Promise!