A.N: Ah! Thank you so much for the reviews and favorites and follows. And for the ones which inspired me to write this, a special thank you. I'll remove the "Help!" chapter and add this but for everyone who saw it and reviewed whole freaking paragraphs of detailed plot, thank you, thank you so much. They made my day. As I said earlier, this is my rendition of things and are in sync with the larger picture but I did try to put in few things, like a Jace's POV ( Although tiny) at the end, Alec, Izzy and Clary, sorry no Magical Magnus in this chap but no worries, he will come in next chap. I will update quickly this time I hope. Jling I still miss you.
msgoldeneyes: Those answers will come, patience grasshopper. Thank you for wondering though, it makes me so happy! Not the fact that you are wondering and confused, I didn't mean that, I'm not sadistic, I promise! Huh! Anyway, You know what I meant. ILYSM.
Sarjoo06: Yes, I did write Lost in Translation, did you like it? It's very dear to me. I'm so honored that you devoted an hour of your precious time to me. I hate it when Jace is upset too, but he is going to be for a while so sorry In advance? But you know me, I'm an angst junkie, I'll cry with you though, bring the tissues, I'll bring the ice-cream, chocolate with choco-chips? That's my favourite. Oh! And this chapter is what you wanted, kind of. Thank you for the PM.
gcgemz: Aw! I'm glad you liked it! Hope you like this one too. Awkward convo, checked. A bit awkward, a bit angry, makes a perfect messy break up for one dramatic story. Oops! Did I just SPOIL my own story?
sophieaquilina: If you read the above replies you know that I can't not do that. A bit angsty, a bit fluffy, makes it perfect, don't you agree?
Guest: Thank you for the ideas. You did inspire me to continue. Just the fact that you want to read this story makes me want to push through and continue.
HerttaMatildaa: That's a cool idea. I'll sneak it in somewhere. Keep reading. Thank you for sharing your idea with me.
leashybum: My, my! Have you? Are you telepathic? ILY
FirePheonix77: Ah! Good to see you my old friend! Jace's POV, a tiny check (confidential reasons). I think you are onto me and after reading this chap you are going to figure some things out, maybe. Share them with me, okay? Looking forward.
K: Thank you for the long review. Read on to find out what happens. I don't know what they have gone through in the other stories you are reading right now, but I am a bit of an angst junkie. So stay with me and ride it out? Let me know what you think.
FandomInANutshell: I absolutely love your username and your 's so in sync with my own idea. We'd be best friends if we knew each other irl. I tried to incorporate it in this chap so tell me what you think. ILYSM
YOU GUYS! You show me so much love and support! I don't deserve you. I have been having weird breakdowns lately but you reviews, ideas, follows, favourites just push me to be better, to do better by you guys. I can't express my gratitude in words and hope that you'll stick with me.
Clary closed her eyes, tired, and let the phone slip from her hand. She was laying flat on her bed with her head raised by a pillow. She massaged her temples with her left hand, her right hand again gripping the phone which was laying on her palm. She opened her eyes and looked at the clock on her bedside table, it was seven. She had been dialing Jace since the second she entered her house only taking a break to change her clothes and eat. She again dialed him but got the same response, voicemail. She could've left a message but she wanted to speak to him while he had the chance to reply to her, not on a recorded message. She had gathered the fact that it was not going to be easy after seeing him at school but she couldn't even get him to speak to her. Her mother wouldn't let her go see him and her dad wasn't home so no car. She sighed and called Isabelle.
"Hey, Clary, what's up? I got home a while ago, like an hour or more, I don't know. Mr. Starkweather's voice is still ringing in my ears so replace his voice with yours before I permanently go mad."
"Nice to hear a human response at last." Clary muttered.
"What? You are not making sense."
"I would, if you knew the whole story." Clary said and relayed all the incidents to her best friend.
After two minutes of silence Isabelle said, "So, you are saying that Jace thinks that you were playing him after Sebastian showed him and a ton of other people, including my brother, a video where you are pretty much saying that you are playing him?"
"That's a pretty good paraphrase, yes. Also I may have told Alec that we both used to do it." Clary added, suddenly feeling guilty about outing Isabelle before she was ready.
Isabelle brushed it away, "Pfft, that's cool. Alec didn't say anything so don't think about it. But what about Golden Boy?"
"I don't know, Iz. He isn't picking up my calls and trust me I've called plenty. He was pretty pissed off."
Isabelle probably picked up on the stress in Clary's voice, "Hey, it'll be fine. That boy loves you."
"I know, Iz and that's what makes it so much worse. I've not annoyed him or angered him, I've hurt him and that's not very easy to take back to make right."
Clary heard her sigh on the other side, "I don't know how to deal with this situation, Clare. Before, if things got messy, we'd just take ourselves out of the equation and this time we have to make things right without removing him from your life."
"I just wish that he would talk to me."
"Give him some time, maybe?"
"Yeah, it seems like I don't have a choice in that department." She heard her mom call her, "I go to go, my mom's calling me. I'll deal with things, you better talk to Alec before he goes to your parents because he seemed pretty pissed at them."
"Okay, just don't lose heart, It'll be fine."
Clary nodded, "Hm. Bye." She disconnected the call and saw that her phone battery was very low. It was her mother's old phone, she was to get a new one on graduating, which worked just fine with few glitches here and there. She plugged it in and went out to see what her mother wanted.
"Clary, I'm going grocery shopping, want to come along?" Her mother asked while rummaging through the cabinet where they kept there extra large shopping bags.
"Yeah, why not. I'm dressed. Let's go."
Jocelyn stood up, gave her daughter a once over and nodded, "Your dad's not home yet, so we have to walk and you might have to carry stuff back."
She shrugged, "No problem."
Jocelyn narrowed her eyes, "You sure there's no problem, because it seems to me like there is one."
Clary shook her head in negative. "I'm fine, Ma." She said asserting her response.
"Okay, then let's go."
Thirty five minutes into shopping Clary had stopped keeping track of her mother and started keeping eyes on the billing counter. She was not at all interested into looking for fresh vegetable and other mundane stuff. She was traipsing around an aisle which seemed very colourful and was looking at the stuff when suddenly she felt something collide into her from behind. She jerked, surprised, and turned around to see Kit smiling up at her.
"Clary!" The kid jumped up and down, seemingly excited to see her.
"Hi, Kit. You're here with your mother?" She asked looking around to spot the kind faced lady but saw no familiar face except a few kids she went to school with who worked there.
"No."
"What are you doing here alone? Are you lost?" She asked the little boy, taking one of his hands in hers.
He shook his head violently, "I saw you and ran to you."
Clary knelt in front of him, "It's good to see you too but you shouldn't have run like that, have you informed the person you are here with that you are coming after me, you know that they will worry." She said, kindly. The little boy just shook his head in negative, Clary sighed and stood up, still holding his hand and started to walk out of the aisle when Kit tugged on her hand and pointed behind her. Turning around she saw that Jace was running his hand through his hair and looking anxiously around.
"Jace." She had called him loudly from across the shop attracting a lot more than just his attention. She brushed the other eyes off and started walking towards him. After a second she saw on his face that he was about to walk away to avoid her, to prevent that, she picked Kit up so that he could see him from where he was standing. The relief upon seeing the kid was evident on his face. He met them halfway and as soon as Clary put Kit down, he picked him up.
"You'd have given me a heart attack, Kit. Why di you run away without saying where you were going? I was picking something out and I look down and you were not there." Jace reprimanded the boy firmly but his love was very apparent.
"I'm sorry. I saw Clary and just wanted to say 'Hi.' And I know what to do if I get lost for real I'll just go to the counter and ask to be returned to the most handsome brother in the shop." Kit said very seriously eliciting a surprised laughter out of Jace.
"Apology accepted, kiddo. Just don't do that again." He put the boy down but didn't let one of his hands go.
Clary had been silently standing there smiling at the two boys who were so alike in nature. "Hi, Jace."
The taller boy's eyes flicked to her face and immediately hardened. Clary's heart sank at the sight. After not getting a response for a minute, she just continued herself, "What happened today was not true, most of it at least."
"So you mean to say that they brought in body doubles and paid to film a two minute video in our school's bathroom just to show it to me to sabotage our relationship and defame you?" He asked with a strange inflection that took her justifications away. She looked down at her feet and then looked up with desperate eyes, desperate to make him stay just long enough for her to explain everything.
"Jace, just let me expla.."
She was interrupted by a irritated snort, "Explain what? You know what, this not the place to do this and I don't want Kit to be socialising with that type of people just yet, he'll have to face enough cons in his life for him to be starting so young." There was suppressed anger in the words and an intention to hurt her as badly as he had been hurt.
She looked down at Kit and found him confusedly looking up at the tense teenagers. She ruffled his hair affectionately but Jace pulled the child behind him as if to protect him. Clary withdrew her hand resignedly. "I get it, you're confused and hurt but I wish that you would listen to me over them."
"If it had been someone just saying things I'd never have given a damn about it but a video is undeniable proof. But, I would like an explanation as to why you do stuff like this because I've been thinking non stop about what is actually true, and if it is the video then I don't know how you impeccably fake this whole charming and real persona because I am a very good judge of people and I steer clear from gold diggers. I couldn't have missed tell-tale signs. But, I can't talk right now, I'll talk to you tomorrow at school."
Clary nodded, feeling hopeful. A chance to explain is all she needed. She was nearly completely sure that he would understand after he knew everything. "You know me, Jace. I never lied to you."
"Well, we'll see about that later. I have some place to be right now so, bye." He walked away without giving her a chance to say anything else, she had a lingering question but tomorrow would have to suffice.
As her mom and she was trudging out struggling with bags full of stuff that her mom had bought on a sale, a car pulled up dangerously close to her. She was about to give the driver a very dirty glare but raised her eyebrows hen her best friend peeked from inside.
"Wassup, Morgesterns?"
Clary gave Isabelle an "are you freaking drunk in the evening and in front of my mother!" glare.
"Nothing much, Isabelle. What have you been up to?"
"Just fun. Could I steal Clary for the night?" Isabelle gave her innocent puppy eyes.
"I don't know, Isabelle. She has to help me with the groceries."
"If we drop you with groceries home, could Clary come?"
"That can happen. All she's been doing is mope anyway, I don't know why."
"That's because Pretty Boy is pissed at her."
At this her mother turned to her and Clary decided to smack Isabelle once her hands were free. "You are dating a pretty boy and I am hearing about it now?"
"Nothing serious, Ma." She said in order to shut the topic down. She didn't know whether she was dating him or not at that very moment. "Let's just get in the car."
After dropping her mother home, Clary smacked the back of Isabelle's head, "What was that about in front of my mother? Are you drunk?"
"Drunk? No," Isabelle waved a hand in front of her nose causing Clary to smack it away. "Just a few sips to get a bit buzzed. Fought with the parents, stole their booze and Alec's car and went out. I was going to go alone but then I saw you and thought, why not? The more the merrier."
"What did you fight about, Izzy?" Clary asked, her voice soft and kind.
"They were angry at the truth being finally out, I was angry at the truth for existing at all and Alec got caught up in all of that."
Clary at once understood what it was that got her best friend, the collected Isabelle to act like that. She turned towards her, tucking her legs under her and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Isabelle was drumming her fingers casually on the steering wheel and humming but at once stopped at Clary's hand and bit her lower lip. She didn't remove her eyes from the road, she pulled up in the parking of the club Pandemonium and killed the engine and unlocked her seatbelt. She turned to Clary, her eyes glossy and her lip quivering. Clary pulled the upset girl in a tight embrace who immediately broke down at the supportive comfort of her best friend's embrace. Clary hugged the shaking Isabelle tighter till her sobs died down to sniffles. Without pulling back, Isabelle said, "My mother even called me a slut. Said that she was ashamed of my slutty ways and my attention seeking. That I should be more like Alec who never asked for anything and tried best to make others comfortable. My dad tried to defend me but my mom shut him up too. Alec went to them about what you said and confronted them about ignoring me. He was just being my big brother like always. And it makes me sick that I am jealous of the only person in my family who actually wishes me good night and calls me to check up on me. But what can I do, Clary?" She pulled back and rubbed her nose roughly, "I'd thought that they'd be proud that their daughter demanded respect at school since they value their reputation so damn much. But no, I'll always be second. Hell! Third, they prefer nine year old Max more than me!" Isabelle said, defeatedly. She suddenly clutched Clary's shoulders tightly, "I love my brothers, Clary. I love them more than my own life but I'm tired to pretending to be someone else to stand up to their standards, I am tired of being looked down on just because of how I am."
Clary took her hands in hers and squeezed comfortingly. "I love you, Isabelle. Whoever you are. I love you for your confidence, your craziness, your dressing style, and all that you are. And I one day you decide to drop all this and change completely, I'll love you then. I'll love you, Alec will love you, Max loves you, Simon would probably do a handstand if you asked him to, and for him that's an impossible task." Isabelle laughed a surprised laughter which put Clary a bit at ease and lightened the tense environment. "There are people around you who love and admire you just for who you are. We will always be there for you, we'll probably kick your ass if you something wrong but then again help you to hide a dead body and run from the Law if it ever came down to that. You do not need your parents' or any one else's validation to be yourself. Now, I know that it is easier said than done and your heart will always crave their pride and validation even if your mind doesn't and you will get that too, once they come to their senses and see how amazing you are. And till that happens, you know that you have about five people to run to for tissues and ice cream or an impromptu party when you are feeling down." Clary said with as much love and resolution she could convey. Isabelle smiled and briefly hugged her again. Then she looked into the rear view mirror, "Crap, my mascara!" Both the girls laughed as Isabelle cleaned her face and reapplied her make-up. Then she got out and walked round to Clary's side and opened the door and held her hand out, "What did you say about an impromptu party?"
Clary shook her head and took the outstretched hand and got out and slammed the door, "Only you would get just that from all that I said." She teased her friend and then laughed and put her arm around her waist, "Let's go dance our feet off!" Both the girls walked up to the club with hands across each other's waists.
They'd gotten in after a bit of work from Isabelle on one of the bouncers. Inside Clary's head was thudding from the loud music and it felt like her heart was beating according to the bass.
"It's good that I have my own booze, we don't need fake I.D.s" Isabelle screamed in her ears "Let's go get drinks."
"You go, I'll be right here. And you're good with booze, even the smell makes me wanna throw up. I'll be good with coke or something." Isabelle squeezed Clary's cheeks affectionately, "I'll be right back."
Clary swatted her hands away and rubbed her cheeks as if they were hurting. Their two woman party was indeed very impromptu because Clary was wearing a normal half-sleeved , round necked , black T-shirt which said "I'm not your bitch!" in white block letters and skinny jeans. Her hair was gathered up on the top of her head. In an attempt to fit in a little, she opened her hair tie and shook her curls free. She was not wearing any makeup, just the mornings liner still remained and maybe the hint of a lipstick she wore to school. And her crazy hair probably made her look like she had just woken up, hungover. A perfect pathetic party look. She tried to tame her hair and contemplated tying half her hair up in a pony tail but went against it when Isabelle returned. She took a sip of her coke and watched as Isabelle poured a clear liquid from a flask into her coke and replace the flask under the waistband of the shorts she was wearing and pulled her loose top down to cover it. Her top had spaghetti straps and was off white. Her hair was half up in a bun and the rest was loose. Her make up was good, no one would suspect a break down just seconds before. Isabelle always looked like a model in any clothes and Clary actually had to put effort to look good, she decided in that moment that she was okay looking like she normally does because she didn't need to please strangers. Isabelle dressed up and put make-up on because she enjoyed it herself, for Clary it was a task. She realised that she wanted to look attractive to seek attention of boys but if she was to get serious with anyone, he would have to accept her for herself because there was no way that she was dressing up to impress him regularly, that wouldn't be a life, that would be a lie. She could actually attract good attention if she was completely herself because pulling someone in as somebody else would never give her an opportunity to actually be real and she didn't want that.
That epiphany put her heart at ease. High-school was for a few more months and then came real life, and no one gets through real life acting like somebody else. She'll never be Isabelle, so she had to be herself.
"What got you smiling, my creative friend? You look a bit loony to be honest, smiling at the crowd like you've seen an angel. I am the one buzzed and you are acting drunk."
"An epiphany, Izzy."
"I don't even know what that means. I'm just gonna let it go and dance. Come on." She gulped down her drink and make clary finish hers and abandoned the empty glasses and went to the dance floor and squeezed themselves in. They laughed and jumped around to beats for a while till a cute guy asked Isabelle for a dance and Clary gave her the due space and went to find a seat to rest her throbbing feet. She looked around, people watching. There was something about people and trying to figure out their stories. It was incredible to think that there was seven billion stories around the world at that moment and some overlapped each other at one point. Even if it is a bus ride to the station, so much going on, so many contexts, so many dynamics. So much unknown.
Clary was brought out of her reverie by a very familiar face blocking her line of sight. The light made the blonde locks look white, red, blue with the changing colors of the club light. The tense lines were gone off his face and he had his signature smirk on. Clary spotted Isabelle dancing away with some girls and that guys from before, so she stood up to walk across to another side of the dance floor where she had spotted Jace. Maybe she wouldn't have to wait till the next day to talk. She missed him. Maybe after they had hashed things out, they could dance together. Something told her that Jace was a good dancer.
She approached him, pushing through the crowd. He was sipping on something red and slowly bopping to the music and looking at something in front of him. Just as she was going to call him, a tall woman who looked older than them came and stood in front of him, twirling a drink with a glass straw and gave him a flirtatious smile which he returned with a smirk of his. She came really close and put her hand on his chest. She was immaculately dressed, a beautiful white dressed which had a very low back and a halter neck, a lot of her chest was exposed too and it was stripped cut in the ab area. Her bellybutton was visible and had a small sparkling white stone fixed on it. Her hair, straight as a pin, was open and covering a bit of her back. She was wearing heels but Jace still was taller. She took a sip of her drink and wound her hand around Jace's waist and lifted his button up shirt a bit and hooked her fingers on his belt hoops and pulled him closer. Jace just smirked and pulled her closer too with his hands on her bare waist. He was wearing a white button up with the sleeves rolled up. He looked the definition of hot and the woman seemed to be enjoying that very much. They started swaying to the slight bop in the music. Clary realised that she had been standing like a statue watching Jace grind up and dance with another woman. Tingles started to spread through her fingertips and not the good kind. She clenched her fists and bit her lower lip hard when Jace leaned in, whispered something in the woman's ear, making her laugh, and then started placing small kissed from her ears along her jaw to her blood red lips. Clary saw the woman subtly shiver and Jace smirk at the reaction. Clary knew very well how his kisses felt because it had been her that he was kissing just a few days ago. She saw as Jace pulled the beautiful girl even closer and she placed her head on his shoulder and they both swayed to the soft song that had got all the couples in a similar position and cleared out the messy crowd on the dance floor. Clary realised that she was in plain sight of Jace if he opened his eyes and looked up from the vey affectionate embrace that they were standing in. Clary turned around to see Isabelle looking side to side, presumably searching for her. She bit her lip and walked over to her friend.
"Clary! I was looking for you. Sorry I left you."
"It's okay. Can we leave, though? I'm not feeling good." Clary rubbed her arms as if trying to heat herself up.
"You cold? Okay we can go, I'll just.. wait, is that Jace?" Clary saw Isabelle looking at the woman and Jace dancing in an embrace.
"Yeah, Just lets go." She pulled on the tall raven haired girl's hand.
"Not till I give him a piece of my mind, preferably with my hands." Isabelle was completely fired up.
"No, Izzy. I messed up first. He has every right to move on."
"I thought that you said he wanted to talk?"
"Yeah, maybe just talk and know why. Anyway, I had just one question in this whole mess and I guess this answers it. I guess we're really over." Clary said, sadly with a shrug.
Isabelle looked at her with sad eyes, "What do ya say about the ice-cream? I could sleep over at your house? I don't want to go home anyway."
Clary nodded with a watery smile, "That would be perfect."
Clary was pulled away by Jace at lunch the next day at school in an empty classroom. She had foregone all her regular make-up and dresses and showed up as pure Clary Morgenstern in a t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was pulled up, away from her face, in a high pony and then twisted into a bun. There was no trace of makeup on her face, she looked just like she felt, tired. She had been looking forward to talking to him yesterday but since last night, she'd been not so excited anymore. In fact, in that moment, she was dreading speaking for so long and justifying her actions and launching into an even more tiring sob story.
"So, speak. You wanted to say something yesterday." Jace initiated.
Clary opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. All she could manage was an, "I'm sorry."
Jace looked at her curiously, "Just that? I'm sorry?"
Something in her clicked, she indignantly looked up at him, "That's all you deserve. Why should I even explain myself to you? I would've if there was a chance to save our relationship but if that's already over then what's the use of speaking so much?"
Jace looked taken aback at her outburst, "When did I break up with you? You were the one for whom this relationship was nothing but a transaction!"
"I never saw our relationship as a transaction! This is just something I got caught into when I was younger. My dad got thrown out of the army under a false accusation and I was the traitor's daughter for a while. Then my dad got cleared but never went back there and took a job in the library. That didn't pay well but it was something. The kids at school were mean and bullied me, first for being a traitor's daughter and then for being poor. I met Isabelle then and she was my only friend other than Simon. She is rich and was popular, we both got into Kaelie's company and that girl devised a plan to be popular. At first it was just a game and then an addiction. It was in this year when it got too tedious. I never gave in to the physical demands of the job so I didn't stick long. So when you came to this school, Kaelie tried to con you first but I liked you from the first day so when she offered me to be with you if I shared what I got with them, I agreed. What you saw was me agreeing to that. I wanted to be with you and that was the only way. If I wanted to con you, I would've asked you out, but it was the other way round, remember?" Clary realised that she had been speaking non-stop without breathing. She took in a deep breath and sat down heavily on a chair and held on to the desk. She looked up and saw Jace looking at her understandingly and with a bit of sympathy. A sudden anger overtook Clary on seeing his face, she abruptly stood up in his face and said in a low voice, "But any of that doesn't matter, why don't you go back to the beautiful blonde you were cosying up to yesterday?"
Jace frowned, "What girl?"
"The one you went to for company without telling your girlfriend that your relationship was over, Was I supposed to just figure that out on my own?"
"I never ended our relationship. I was confused, yes. Hurt, yes. But I never thought that we were over because I was hoping against hope that what I saw wasn't true and that the girl I love wasn't using me." Jace said.
"Oh! Right, then if we were still together, you must have been cheating on me or I must have been hallucinating." Clary said, sarcastically.
"You are not making any sense, Clary. I would never cheat on you." He tried to pull her closer, but she pulled away.
"Pandemonium. Last night. Blonde. White dress, ring a bell?"
Jace's eyes imperceptibly widened for a second but then he composed his features, "You were there?"
"Not very ideal for you, right? If your other girlfriend saw me then you'd be screwed from both sides. Thank god I didn't cause a scene. Did you start dating her first or me first, I'm trying to figure out if you were cheating on her or me." She asked, hurt palpable in her voice.
"I am not dating her." He said, defensively.
"Oh! So it was a random hook up. Yeah, she was very attractive, I'll give you that." Clary scoffed, her throat closing up dangerously, "I'll just go. It was nice knowing you, Jace." She tried to push her way out when he stopped her by grabbing her upper arm.
"Look, I'm not dating her and I was not cheating on you." He looked like he wanted to say more but couldn't.
"If we are together and you kiss another girl, you're cheating on me."
"Doesn't what I feel count for anything? I mean, actors kiss their colleagues on screen all the time without it being counted as cheating."
"That's staged, dumbass. I didn't see many cameras around for your performance."
He ran his other hand through his hair, "Look, just think of it that way. Like you just explained, to Kaelie and others you were dating me for money but you actually weren't."
She pulled her hand free and clapped sarcastically, "Wow! You are the most creative cheater on this planet."
"Clary, I wasn't and would never cheat on you." Jace said, slowly trying to make sure that she heard every syllable.
"No, you wouldn't. Because you can't cheat if there is no relationship in the first place."
"Clary.." Jace tried to grab her hand but she snatched them back.
"I never hurt you. I never lied to you. I lied to other people to be with you. Even Kaelie knew that it was real, hence the video. And what you were doing wasn't that."
"Just trust me, please. I trusted you and.."
"I never gave you a reason not to trust me!"
"And I did?"
Clary shook her head in frustration, "I saw what I saw Jace. If you claim it was anything different just explain clearly."
"I can't."
"Why can't you?"
"I just can't say anything. I won't. I'm saying that I wasn't cheating on you and that's all that I can say."
"Huh!" Clary crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Jace looked at her intensely, as if he was trying to say what he couldn't put into words but when Clary didn't budge, his resolve broke, "Look, I was just paying for something."
Clary laughed, "Of all the bizarre things you've said. If that was payment then it was very enjoyable for you. What did you buy? Her services? Sure your rich daddy gets you just about anything you want. A beautiful woman for the night, coming up." Clary imitated a waiter.
Jace looked hurt, "That's what you think of me?"
That doused Clary's rage, she realised that she may have over stepped but she was too stubborn to apologise.
"You think I pay women to sleep with them. That I do not respect anyone and just go about doing just about anything keeping money as a safety net?"
"Why wouldn't you? All the other assholes that I've dated did." Clary knew that she was making things worse but still continued.
"Oh! And may I remind you, that you were the one dating them for the money."
Ouch! That was a low blow but Clary knew the moment she had dragged money into the conversation things would get ugly, they always did. That didn't mean that it didn't hurt. In his defence Jace did look apologetic but she just huffed, "Oh! Then I better go, keep your money safe from me, Jace Wayland."
"If you are turning over a new leaf, you better get away from a money minded asshole like me."
"I guess I never really knew you." Clary spit, hurt.
"I guess no one ever really knows anyone." Jace said, every emotion wiped off, just a hard, snarky exterior left making him a stranger to her. An almost threatening stranger.
"We're over, Jace. Just so things are clear."
"Crystal."
J POV:
Clary turned around and left the classroom, waiting for school to end so that she could think just how one of the most pure thing in her life turned so dirty.
As soon as Clary left, Jace sighed and felt all the strings holding him straight snap. He collapsed onto a chair and rested his head in his hands. How had things gone so bad? How was he ever going to fix this? Could he ever fix it? If he couldn't then he would surely go mad. He was supposed to let her in ad all he did was push her far away. He had every intention of telling her the truth but the video had scared him. Even her explanation scared him. He understood her point of view. Hell! There was probably no one else in this world who understood her predicament better than him but still that doubt once planted, just continues to grow. He couldn't bring himself to come clean about everything and last night was a part of it. Would she be able to take it? He didn't feel so sure right then.
He felt like the weight of the world was on him and it was, at least his world. He breathed in deeply, he would do what he was best at, thrive and help others thrive.
A.N: There it was! What did you think? Speculate away in the review box, you know I reply to every one of you even if the first whole page of my document is just replies. I love you guys so much.
As you wait for the next chapter, would you be kind enough to check out my story "Lost in Translation" ? It's a one-shot, angst junkies like me, it's a treat for you. A lot of smiles and tears involved. It's about an alternate storyline on the CoLS "Valediction" chapter. I'd always loved that moment of clarity Jace had in CoLS and wrote about what would have happened if he actually escaped with Clary and surrendered to the Clave. A lot of Clace, Sizzy and Malec is there. A bit of my imagination and a bit of Cassie's plot. A lot of emotions. Give it a read, lovely people, if you have time and drop a review there to tell me what you think.
Love, Thea.
p.s: As always review. favourite. follow. if you want to.