HERES THE NEXT CHAPTER, ENJOY MY LOVELIES

WITH LOVE

~N~

CHAPTER 11

"Wake up Clary!"

"hmmm…"

"Come one we have to get out here."

I feel cold air wash over my face as I open my eyes to see Jace standing with the back door of the car open with a look of impatience on his face. I try to get out of the car as quickly as I can but my stiff muscles prove to slow me down. I hear Jace let out a loud sigh and I see him roll his eyes at my turtle like pace.

"Come on Clary! We need to get into the trees before someone sees us."

Once I'm out of the car Jace takes me by the elbow and begins to steer me towards the woods as Mark drives off. We continue walking through the woods silently as Jace keeps his hand wraped tightly on my elbow. I wonder why his grip is so tight. Mark is far from our view now, so why is he holding me like this? I feel his grip loosen and his hand slides down and he laces his finger through mine. Relief washes over me as I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding in my lungs.

"Are you doing okay?"

His eyes are warm as he asked me and he gives my hand a light squeeze.

"Sure I'm fine…"

"I'm sorry you had to hear all that back there."

"It's okay…"

Jace stops walking so quickly that he almost yanks my arm before pulling me tight to his chest.

"No Clary…is not okay, it's far from okay. He is sick and I don't trust him."

"I don't trust him either; but I trust you and I know you will keep me safe."

Jace hugs me tighter and I feel him kiss my hair. For a moment I close my eyes and just enjoy the feeling of his arms around me. My enjoyment doesn't last long as Jace takes me by the shoulders and turns me around; and takes my hand in his once more before continuing our walk. We walk in silence for about 20 minutes. I realize we really didn't cover much ground in that 20 minutes time due to the heavy covering of downed tree branches that we had to navigate over. Once again Jace stops suddenly but this time instead of yanking my arm he releases my Hand.

He couldn't have released my hand a worse time. Not realizing he was going to let go of me; I stumble over a tree branch effectively twisting my ankle and causing me to get my backside covered in a thick layer of mud. I no sooner land in the mud and Jace is pulling me up off the ground. I was hoping he would pull me to his chest once more; but he hold me by my shoulders at arms-length before asking me if I am alright.

"Well I think I twisted my ankle and I am covered in mud but yes I'm alright."

Jace turns me around and inspects my backside and then turns me again to face him.

"Shit Clary I'm sorry. Your pants are wrecked. How bad does your ankle hurt? Can you walk?"

I shift my weight back and forth to assess the damage to my ankle and find that it's sore but I decide that I can still walk on my own.

"Yes I think I'll be okay to walk on my own."

"Are you sure? I could carry you if you want, I don't mind."

I glance over my shoulder and can just barely see the back of Marks car.

"No that's too far to carry me. Besides it's really not that bad Jace; I think I can manage."

"Okay I know better than to argue with a woman." He chuckles

"Are you laughing at me?"

"Yes I am but not for what you are thinking."

"Huh?"

"You think I'm laughing at you because your butt is covered in mud don't you?"

"Yes I do."

Jace is in full out laughter by this point. I try my best to keep a smile from forming on my face.

"No I promise you that is not why I'm laughing."

"Okay what's so funny then?"

"I think it's funny you think I can't carry you the rest of the way."

"Why is that funny?"

"Come on Clary really? There's nothing to you. I could carry you for miles without getting winded."

"Oh…"

"Really? Oh? That's all you got? No arguments? No "shut up Jace I'm fat?"

"I don't sound like that when I talk!"

"Haha…you kill me Clary."

"I'm glad you find me amusing Jace. But I still don't sound like that, not to mention I would never say that. I would never tell you I was fat. If anything I'm too skinny. I hate it when girls say they are fat when they aren't, they only say it because they want attention. I am not one of those girls. Now if we are done flirting, can we get going? I'm sure by now Mark is freaking out."

Jace is no longer laughing, but he is smiling. His smile is warm and filled with what? Pride maybe? I'm not really sure, and it doesn't really matter, all I know is his smile makes me want to smile. So I do just that, I smile. Seeing me smile makes Jace's smile grow big before he shakes his head and continues to walk. He is a few steps ahead of me when I hear him say:

"Watch yourself Clary, if you're not careful, you just might make me fall in love with you."

I am shocked by his words so much I stop walking. Is he just joking around? Is he serious? More importantly; how does that make me feel? Jace who is now about 15 feet ahead of me realizes that I am no longer walk and turns around to face me.

"Did you change your mind? Do you want me to carry you? Really I don't mind. You don't have to be stubborn about it Clary."

Jace has made his way back to me by the time he's done talking, and is now standing in front of me with an expectant look on his face. I don't want him to carry me, not that I don't want to be in his arm, but because I need him to understand that I can be strong. I need him to understand that I can stand on my own two feet no pun intended. I don't want him to be too overwhelmed with the task of keeping me safe, protecting me from Mark; I don't need him to have to take care of me like a small child.

"No, no I don't need you to carry me; but you have such long legs, so maybe you could slow down a little bit?"

A shy smile creeps up on his face.

"Okay, why don't you take point then? I'll follow you."

I begin our journey once more and after a few steps I am faced with the reality of how much my ankle really does hurt. I don't want to be a burden to Jace, so I do my best not to limp as I bite back the pain. By the time we reach the top steps of the cabin I am exhausted. Exhausted from dealing with the pain in my ankle. Exhausted from the hours I spent shivering in the trunk. Exhausted from all the broken sleep. My whole body aches from lack of sleep and my head begins to throb where I hit it in the van yesterday. I just want to curl up and go to sleep.

"What the hell happened to you?"

I am snapped out of my fog as I realize that Mark is talking to me. But Jace is the one to answer his question.

"She tripped over a tree branch and fell in the mud."

"You look like you shit your pants; you know that right?"

"Don't laugh at her Mark, she hurt her ankle when she fell. Come here Clary. Sit down. I want to look at your ankle."

Mark is still quietly laughing as Jace removes my sock and shoe before rolling up my pant leg to inspect my ankle. I close my eyes while he gently feathers his fingers across my ankle; just enjoying the feeling of his hands on my skin, when suddenly they snap open and a small scream exits my mouth before I can stop it. Jace's eyes are full of concern.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you. I think if you stay off of this for a few hours you'll be fine."

Jace kept his tone cold and neutral. I want to look into his eyes so that he can see how proud of him I am. I was proud because his eyes were anything but cold and neutral when he realized he had hurt my ankle. I can't look at him though. I can't look at him because Mark is looking at me, he is always looking at me. I have to remember this fact, I can't let him see me looking at Jace. I doubt he can even come close to being able to read my eyes like Jace can, but that is risk I am not willing to take. So instead of looking where I want to look, I look around the cabin to distract myself from Jace.

"Mark did you bring the bags in?"

"Yep, I put your bag over there by the other bed."

I just want to go to sleep. I try to close my eyes, but wearing these wet, muddy pant begin to make my legs itch. I want to take them off; to take them off and slide under the blankets on one of the beds and go to sleep, but I can't do that. I can't do that because that will give Mark more of me to leer at. MY LEGS ARE SO ITCHY. Jace, now finished rooting through a small green duffle bag is now standing in front of me.

"Hear you can have one of my t-shirts. And these will probably work as a pair of shorts for you."

I take his t-shirt and a pair of his boxer briefs and fight the urge to blush. He gave me a pair of his underwear for crying out loud. Without saying anything to him; I rise to my feet being sure to keep the weight off my ankle, and then he hands me the bag from rite-aid. Mark launches himself at the two of us and snatches the bag out of my hand.

"Are you fucking crazy Jace?"

"What's your problem Mark, I just thought she might as well get it out of the way."

"Fine, but just give her the box then. Did you forget there was a pair of scissors in that bag?"

"No I didn't forget. She needs them to cut her hair."

"So you're just going to hand her a pair of scissors? And you trust that she won't stab you with them?"

Jace rolls his eyes.

"You're not going to stab me with these are you?"

"Like she would tell you she was going to stab you! Wouldn't that take the element of surprise out of it?"

"I won't even have the scissors in my hand TO stab either one of you. I will need one of you to cut my hair for me. I can dye it myself, but I won't be able to cut it myself."

"That's all you Jace. If I cut her hair she won't have any left to dye. I'm leaving anyhow."

"Leaving? Where are you going?"

"To the grocery store, I figured I'd just get some bread and shit for sandwiches to keep our budget in check. I figured I stop at the ATM and take the money off of her card too."

"Okay sounds good. Did you bring the rope in by chance?"

"No, Why? I thought we were going to leave her untied."

"Yeah, but I'm whooped man. I need to sleep for a while, and if you're leaving I better tie her up just to be safe."

"Okay I'll go grab it for you."

Jace and I don't talk or even look at each other as we wait for Mark to bring in the rope and then leave again.

"Jace you know I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to tie me up."

"I know that Clary, but I want Mark to think I am keeping my head in the game remember? Are you sure you can handle this? You're not going to flake out on me are you?"

Jace has a snippy tone to his voice, If Mark were still here I could understand why, but he's not so I return my own snippy tone right back to Jace.

"Excuse me for asking a question, I'm just tired. I just want to go to sleep. I CAN handle this. I'm not flaking out! Maybe you're the one who is flaking out. I'm just so tired. I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!"

Not realizing how crazy I sounded, or how crazy it is that I just took my pants off and threw them at Jace; who is now standing there with a look of shock on his face, I can't help but burst out in laughter. I continue to laugh as Jace's face turns from shock to amusement.

"Wow that escalated quickly didn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well we just started dating today and we already got into our first fight, and before we could get anywhere with that, you start ripping your close off."

Now we are both laughing. Jace walks over to me and wrap his arm around me in a hug. After a few moments we are no longer laughing and I am suddenly conscience that I am not wearing any pants. I wait for my cheeks to blaze with color but they don't. I realize that I'm not embarrassed to have Jace see me like this. Jace kisses my hair as his hands run slowly up and down my back. I feel his fingers brush the skin on my lower back; my stomach flutters at the feel of his finger on my skin. I lower my hands and hitch the back of his shirt up and run my finger over his bare back. His skin is warm, his muscles begin to twitch as my fingers explore his skin. I want him to kiss me. I want to feel his fingers run over every inch of my skin. I want to run my own hand over his skin, his back, his chest, his stomach, and his beautiful face. I want him. I WANT HIM.

I lift my face up to look at him as I hear his breathing increase, as I hear his heart begin to pound like mine is pounding. He feels it to. He must want me as much as I want him. When I see his face I expected him to look at me, to kiss me; but what I saw was his eyes clamped shut and his mouth was in a tight line. I let go and take a step back before asking him:

"What's wrong Jace? Did I do something wrong?"

His mouth and tight eyes relaxed the moment we broke contact but he keeps his eyes close for a few more seconds before replying.

"You should go soak that ankle and get your hair dyed."

Something about his eyes and his body language tells me not to press the issue. Does he regret kissing me? Does this have something to do with those "sick bastards" he talked about?

"I need you to cut my hair before I dye it."

"Why? What's the difference?"

"My hair is too long, one box won't be enough."

"Okay, let's go in the bathroom then so we don't get hair all over the carpet."

"Should we take the chair?"

"Why? You're short enough I don't need you to sit."

"Haha. That's right make fun of the short girl. No didn't you say I should keep off of my ankle?"

"Yes I did say that, I'll bring it in. I have a comb in my diddie bag so you can comb your hair. You should probably get it wet first, it will make it easier to cut."

"What's a diddie bag?"

Jace carries the chair into the bathroom and hands me a small black bag when he returns.

"This is what you called a diddie bag? It's called a toiletry bag Jace."

"I know that, but my mom always called them diddie bags. I guess it just stuck with me. Now go on, let me know when you're ready for me to cut your hair."

I want to ask him about his mother. I don't.

In the bathroom I remove my shirt and kneel in front of the tub so I can wet my hair under the faucet. After using a dab of conditioner from the box of hair dye I begin the task of combing through my tangles. I look at my red hair that reaches my belly button and say a silent goodbye to it before calling for Jace. I am sitting in my bra and underwear with my legs straddled around the back of the chair to make it easier for Jace to cut my hair. I hear him open the door where he stands gape mouthed looking at me.

"What's wrong Jace?"

"N-nothing's wrong. I just didn't realize you had such long hair. That and I was also wondering how much more of your cloths you were planning on taking off? Maybe you could give me a little warning next time."

"I told you I had long hair."

"I can see that. Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"Jace haven't you ever seen a girl in her bra before? I'm comfortable with my body, what's the big deal."

"Sure I've seen a girl in her bra before. I have seen several girls naked in fact."

"Okay so stop making a big deal about it then, I took it off so I didn't get hair all over it. Now are you going to cut my hair before it starts drying?"

Jace takes the comb from my hand and begins to part my hair into sections before he kneels down to begin cutting it. He has a small section of my hair and the scissors in his hands; but instead of cutting my hair he is watching my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I smile at him. He frowns back at me.

"I don't want to cut your hair Clary. It's so pretty, are you sure this is what you want me to do."

Do I want to cut half of my hair off? NO. Do I want to dump a box of chemicals on it to change the color? NO.

"It's just hair Jace, it will grow back. Honestly I could stand to lose some length; it's becoming a pain to deal with all this hair."

"How much should I cut off?"

"Hand me the scissors and that piece of hair for a minute."

He does as I ask. Without thinking about it too much I quickly snip about eight inches off my hair and return the now shorter hair and scissors to Jace. I am watching him in the mirror as he carefully cuts the rest of my hair. He is completely focused for several minutes; taking the time occasionally to comb my hair and adding a snip or two before he look at me in the mirror again. He stands up and leans forward placing his hands on top of my shoulders before kissing the top of my head. He is watching my reflection as he runs his left hand down my back. He is watching my reflection as he slowly slides his right hand across my collarbone. He lowers his head so that his mouth is at my ear and he is still watching my eyes in the mirror as he whispers.

"Why did you take your pants off Clary?"

His voice is throaty and low as he manages to make his question sound like a suggestion. His eyes are smoldering into mine. Hearing his voice, seeing his eyes; I feel a slow heat pool into my stomach and between my thighs. My stupid mouth answers him honestly before I can think of something flirty to say back to him.

"They were wet, and they were making my legs itch."

A wide smile spreads across his face and he plants a quick kiss on my cheek before walking to the door where he pauses.

"After you're done dying your hair you should probably soak in the tub for a little bit. The hot water will be good for your ankle. Help yourself to whatever you can use from my diddie bag."

I sit on the edge of the tub; examining my now brown hair in the mirror, as I wait for it to fill. It actually looks natural against my pale skin. It's the color of chestnuts, and with my new cut bringing my hair to just below the shoulders I find that it suits me. I rake my finger through my hair and pile it loosely on top of my head before securing it with a couple of paper clips I found on the desk in the bedroom. The water is warm and soothing to my sore muscles. I want to sit in this tub and never get out; it feels so wonderful. My eyes become heavy and before I allow myself to fall asleep I quickly wash myself with Jace's Irish Spring soap and pull the plug. I have to fold the waistband of Jace's boxers over three time before they don't feel like they might fall off, and then I slip his dark blue V-neck t-shirt on. The shirt hangs down to the middle of my thigh, completely covering Jace's boxer shorts.

Opening the bathroom door I find Jace sleeping on the bed. He looks so peaceful. One of his long legs are draped over the side of the bed. His left arm is propped under his head while his right arm rest across his ribcage. There is about two inches of his stomach showing where his grey thermal shirt has risen up. I quietly move towards the bed to get a closer look. His stomach has lovely muscle definition…hmm a six pack…hmm that "V" line that dips below the waistband of his jeans…hmm that faint line of golden hair….hmmm I want to…..

"Like what you see?"

"Gah! You scared me! I Thought you were sleeping."

Suddenly I am no longer standing. Suddenly I am lying on the bed, and Jace is hovering over my body and his golden eyes are burning into mine. I reach my hands up and pull his face close to mine but before I can kiss his lips his mouth is at my ear.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you look wearing my shirt Clary?"

A low moan escapes my throat. Jace lower his body so that we are pressed together. His right hand pulls the paper clips from my hair while his left hand is slowly sliding up my thigh. He reaches my makeshift shorts and slowly inches his fingers under the fabric. His lips are barely touching my skin as he slides them across my jaw, down my neck to my collarbone, and then back up to my ear before whispering:

"Do you have any idea how bad I want you right now Clary?"

I can't speak, I have forgotten how to form words with my mouth. My body is completely alive with Jace's body press against it. Instead of trying to tell him how much I want him too, I decide to show him. I let my hands slide from his face, around his neck and all the way down his long back. My fingers reach the hem of his shirt and I slowly inch it up. Half of his back is exposed; I want his shirt off, but my hands are too greedy. I abandon the task of removing his shirt and begin to explore his body with my hands. Jace's heart is pounding in rhythm with my own. His breath is hot on my throat and a low growl escapes his throat as my hands slide over his ribs. I feel his lips on my neck just below my ear where he plants slow gentle kiss before sliding his tongue across my lower ear. I moan loudly. I WANT HIM Jace lift his upper body up pressing his hips deliciously into mine and pulls his shirt off over his head. Finally he slowly brings his lips down and brushes them lightly across mine. Once again before I can capture his mouth with mine his face quickly darts up and he places a loud, wet kiss on my forehead and suddenly he is no longer pressed against me, no longer hovering above me. He stands at the edge of the bed with a satisfied grin on his face before saying:

"Behave yourself Clary, I'm going to take a shower."

I am speechless. ME behave MYSELF. Oh he's good. He is bad, but he is GOOD. I shift in the bed and slide under the covers to get some much needed sleep, but then I hear singing coming from the bathroom. The words are sad, but his voice makes them sound beautiful. I lay there listening closely trying to identify the song, it's not something I think I've heard before. The song started off slow and then picked up before slowing down again. The lyrics sound like an apology. His singing slows even more as the song comes to an end and there is a small moment of silence before he begins to sing again. Only this song isn't slow or sad. This song is upbeat and has fast paced lyrics. The words to this song are sort of dark, yet comical. I don't know this song either but I enjoy hearing him sing. Once he finishes the song I hear the water to the shower go off and a few minutes later he steps out of the bathroom.

I want to scold him for teasing me. I want to grab his t-shirt and pull his body down to mine again. I don't scold him, to be honest I like the way he teases me. As much as I want his body against mine again; I decide it's probably not a good idea. Mark might be back any minute now.

"What song were you singing?"

Jace lets out a little chuckle before answering.

"Which one? I sang two songs."

"Both I guess."

"The first one was "The Light Behind Your Eyes". The second one was "The Sharpest Lives"

"I liked them both, but the first one was sad and pretty, who sings that song?"

"Well besides me, MCR, they are both MCR songs."

"MCR? I don't think I have heard of them."

"You don't know who "My Chemical Romance" are? You're kidding right? I don't know if I can be your friend anymore Clary."

"Oh yeah! They sing that song "Teenagers" right?"

"Ahh you scared me for a minute there Clary. Yes one and the same. MCR is one of my favorite bands."

"Can't be my friend anymore? I thought we were dating, or did I get demoted?"

"Behave yourself Clary, Mark will be back any minute now. I might not be able to stop myself again."

"That's fine I'm tired anyhow. I think I'll get some sleep."

I stick my tongue out at him and close my eyes with a smile on my face.