It makes me so happy to get reviews :) I got a review today (or maybe it was yesterday) that I read this morning from a person who says they check my story every day for updates and something just clicked inside me. I cracked out this chapter. I hope you guys like it!
Simon had gone to bed early. Apparently, he had been very tired. Clary was happy they were friends again though. She smiled a little just thinking about it. At least, she was letting it take up her whole mind so she didn't have to think about Jace.
Most of the others had gone to bed, too, though there were a few lingering others talking in the kitchen as Clary made herself a cup of chamomile. She sat alone at the kitchen island, blowing softly on the wafting steam.
"Hey," said a voice beside her, and Clary's good mood dropped in seconds. Isabelle.
"So Simon is leaving tomorrow?" Isabelle sat in the seat next to Clary, but she didn't even acknowledge her.
Isabelle furrowed her brows. "Hello, Clary?" When Clary didn't answer again, Isabelle kicked her shin.
"Ow!" Clary hissed and turned to glare at Isabelle.
"You are either going deaf, or you're very distracted," Isabelle stated. "Thinking about the song Jace wrote for you?"
"No," Clary grumbled, not sure what Isabelle was talking about but dismissed it. "You lied to me."
"About what?" Isabelle furrowed her brows, looking a bit confused.
"About Jace." Clary said his name with distaste. "About his parents getting murdered."
Isabelle frowned deeply. "No... I didn't... and keep your voice down."
"Jace told me everything," Clary said, "so don't bother trying to convince me otherwise."
"Well then Jace is full of crap," Isabelle said simply. "I told you not to tell him I told you. He's gonna kill me. And what exactly did you think would happen if you told him you knew? Did you think he would just magically open up to you?" Isabelle scoffed. "This is Jace Herondale we're talking about."
Clary opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. Isabelle did have a point, but Clary wasn't willing to just jump back into believing it again. She tried to think back to the diner, where he had talked briefly about his parents. She didn't remember him hinting at the death Isabelle had told her about.
"Yeah, so thanks for that," Isabelle said a little harshly and got back up and walked away. Frankly, Clary was glad. She didn't want to be near Isabelle anymore.
The front doors opened with a loud thump suddenly, making Clary jump.
"Jesus!" said Isabelle. "Magnus, what're you doing here?"
"We found Jace on the side of the road," Magnus said, his words breathless and rushed. "The ambulance is coming as fast as they can. Alec stayed with him."
Clary stopped breathing.
"What?!" Isabelle demanded, sounding panicked suddenly. "What happened? Show me where he is. Mom!"
Maryse was already getting her coat on, but Clary barely noticed.
"Wait!" Clary jumped out of her seat, abandoning her forgotten tea and running to the door to jump into her boots. "I'm coming." She didn't bother asking permission.
By the time they had gotten there, the ambulance had already come and gone, so Maryse took Isabelle to the hospital with her. Clary had insisted on coming as well, but Maryse insisted Clary should stay, and Clary couldn't exactly argue with Maryse while she was driving away.
It was no use trying to sleep, Clary knew. She'd stayed in the kitchen wrapped in a towel with her still forgotten tea all night, having lucid dreams of seeing Jace's motorcycle crash every once in awhile.
Clary felt beyond guilty for this. Guilty and worried. Jace had left because of her. Left into the foggy rainstorm. She should have tried to stop him.
By the time dawn came, Luke had come downstairs for coffee and frowned seeing Clary.
"Clary," said Luke. "You're up early." Luke's voice was kind, calming. It might have relaxed Clary under other circumstances.
Clary looked at Luke, dressed for a bookstore job. A plaid flannel and faded jeans. His gold rimmed glasses were- as always- crookedly perched on his nose. He was so familiar to Clary. She knew she'd been angry with her parents for moving her out here, but right now all she wanted to do was hug him.
Luke furrowed his brows, most likely at her expression. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Jace got into an accident," she said, her voice a little rough from sleep deprivation. "I don't know how he is."
Luke looked surprised. "What? When did this happen?"
"Last night..." Clary bit her lip. She felt so bleak inside right now. All her emotions were like the fog yesterday. Thick, mixed up, hard to see clearly. The fog that Jace disappeared into. "I don't know how he is... Maryse can't text me updates."
Luke nodded understandingly and walked around the island to her. Without asking her, Luke could tell what Clary needed most in that moment. He hugged her.
Clary hugged him back tightly, feeling the tears fill her eyes. "I like him," she said, her voice breaking. Then the tears started to fall. "We got into a fight, and... he left because of me."
"This is not your fault," Luke said, firmly but kindly. "It's not."
Clary gave a slight nod. It felt like it was her fault, but it was also Jace's fault. He was the one who went riding blindly into a storm.
"I'll see if I can drive you to the hospital today," Luke said. "I'll try to leave work early."
"Thank you so much." Clary sniffed.
"But I'll have to do it after Simon leaves," Luke said. "Can you wait that long?"
Clary nodded, but she didn't know if she could.
"... My gosh..." Simon said quietly after Clary told him what happened. "... I'm so sorry, Clary." He sounded like he meant it. Of course he did. "It's my fault, isn't it?"
Clary shook her head. "No," she said quietly."No, it's mine..."
Simon shook his head now. "I was the one who brought up the Jace being an orphan thing. That was kind of a nasty thing to say..."
"You think?" Clary muttered and sighed. "Wait... the Jace being an orphan thing?"
Simon looked at her from his spot on the couch. "Yeah. Jace told me his parents died when he was a kid and he was an orphan."
Clary furrowed her brows. "Did she say how they died?"
Simon looked confused. "No..."
So Simon didn't know.
"You know," Simon said, "I can stay if you need me... there's no reason I need to be back in Brooklyn right this second."
Clary thought a second about who might be missing Simon. His sister Becky. His mom. His band mates. But Clary selfishly wanted him to stay right now, so she nodded. "I'd like that..."
"Really?" Simon said, surprised. "I'm not imposing?"
"Not on me," Clary said. "And who cares what everyone else thinks, right?"
"Right." Simon nodded and hugged Clary, and she was glad for his embrace.
For a moment, they just hugged tightly, and Clary tried to take in his comfort. She wanted to momentarily forget about Jace being in the hospital, but she couldn't.
She found herself, yet again, thinking of one of her dates with Jace. The record store, Forbidden Planet. He had put the headphones on her and Heart To Heart played in her ears. She found she wanted to hear that song now again.
"I love you." It took Clary only a second to realize that Simon had said that, and it pulled her out of her memories.
"You, too, Simon," Clary mumbled.
"That's not what I..." Simon trailed off. "Never mind. Thanks."
Clary was too distracted to think further on what he'd just said.
It felt like an eternity of waiting. Throughout the day, Clary had drank a lot of coffee and gotten changed, then she sat on the front porch with Simon and drew in her sketchpad. She didn't want to spend time inside with the others, who were worried about Jace, too. She didn't want to see the way they looked at her.
"What are you drawing?" Simon asked her.
Clary's pencil moved gracefully across the page, shading in the fairy woman she was drawing. The fairy was dramatically on her hands and knees crying into a pond. "A fairy." Clary always got the best inspiration for art when her emotions were overwhelmed, she knew that. Drawing helped her feel a little better.
Simon watch her drawing from beside her, quiet for the most part. He could watch her draw for hours. He had before. Clary liked that he was staying here with her.
When Clary heard the familiar groan of Luke's truck pulling up into the front lawn, Clary jumped to her feet. Once again, it was very foggy outside. So foggy that Clary could barely see Luke's truck. She bit her lip.
Luke came walking towards the front porch and Clary closed up her sketchpad.
"Ready to go, Simon?" Luke said, looking at him over Clary's shoulder.
"Actually... I'd like to stay if that's okay," Simon said. "Maybe a few more days to support Clary."
Luke stopped just before the porch stairs and nodded. "That's fine with me. You can call your mother when we take Clary to the hospital."
Simon nodded.
"Are we going now?" Clary asked.
Luke nodded. "Hop in."
Clary grabbed onto Simon's hand and practically dragged him after her to Luke's truck. She ended up between Luke and Simon, though it wasn't cramped. Perks of being small.
Luke turned his key in the ignition and the car sputtered.
"Oh please no," said Clary. Of all the times the car were to break down, it had to be now?
Luke turned the key again, and once again, the car sputtered.
"Well that's ironic," Simon said.
"Try again," Clary insisted.
Luke turned the key once more, and the engine roared to life. Clary relaxed.
"There we go," said Luke, putting the car into reverse.
Clary looked at Simon with a small smile of relief.
"Hold on," Luke said and put the car back in park.
Clary frowned. "What? What is it?"
"Look." Luke pointed out Simon's window and they saw Maryse's car pulling in a few cars over. Clary was climbing over Simon and out of the car already. Simon was protesting by repeatedly saying "ow."
Clary's sneakers slapped into the gravelly mud and she ran around the other cars. The drizzle and fog was already making her wild red locks frizzy.
"Maryse," said a very familiar voice. Jace's Voice. "You're being ridiculous!"
Clary stopped behind Maryse's car when Jace came into sight. Alec was helping him out of the car, though Jace seemed reluctant to accept the help. After Jace came out, Clary's eyes wandered down to the cast on his right leg. A big one.
"I'm not, Jace," said Maryse as she helped take a pair of crutches out of the back seat. Isabelle came out the other side, for once not looking flawless in appearance. She looked sleep deprived, like everyone except Jace. "What were you even thinking, riding your motorcycle when the weather was like that outside?"
"I needed some air." Jace shrugged as he took a crutch under each arm. "Do I really need these? I look ridiculous."
"Yes," Alec and Maryse said in unision. Clary didn't see where Isabelle had gone but didn't much care.
Jace grumbled then looked over, seeming to notice Clary. He got a different expression on his face. It didn't look angry, though Clary couldn't read it.
"Jace..." Clary started, but couldn't seem to finish.
Luke walked over then. "Jace. Glad to see you are alright." He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I was just about to drive Clary and Simon to see you. I see we don't have to."
"You're welcome to still go," Jace said, "the food is excellent. I highly recommend breaking your leg so you can eat it for free."
Alec snorted. It seemed Jace's sense of humor was intact.
Jace began walking with his crutches towards where her and Luke were.
"You need help?" Alec says.
"Stop fussing," said Jace. "I'm perfectly fine." Jace stopped in front of Clary and looked down at her. She looked right back up at him, thinking he might need to pass but her feet wouldn't move. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luke move, and Maryse walked passed them.
"... I..." Clary found herself at a loss for words. She really had no idea what to say. She'd been so worried about Jace all night and all day, not even sleeping the night before. Yet here he was, perfectly fine- aside from a broken leg.
"Would you do me a favor?" Jace said, his tone a little low.
Clary was ridged. He must still be furious with her.
"Would you hold this?" Jace held up his left crutch.
Clary looked at it and took it wordlessly then looked back up at him.
Jace took his now free hand and used it to cup her cheek. His hand felt cold, though her face flooded with heat. Then he leaned down and kissed her.
Clary's thoughts were mixed. In one hand, he was kissing her. He didn't seem like he was angry with her, though she knew they needed to talk. Also, he was kissing her. Everyone was watching them. But suddenly Clary didn't care. She kissed his back, allowing herself get lost, even though it didn't last very long.
When Jace pulled back, he looked like he was trying to read her expression.
"I-I'm sorry," Clary said quietly.
"We can talk about that later," Jace said. "And I plan on it."
Clary nodded once.
Jace took his crutch back under his arm. That was when Clary finally looked around. Luke was watching them, looking surprised but he said nothing. Alec was, too.
Clary cleared her throat and looked down.
"Let's go," Jace said and started towards the house.
Clary watching him a second before she followed.
When Jace burst through the front door of the house, the first thing he said was: "Can someone please tell Maryse that revoking my motorcycle privileges is illogical and unnecessary?" he shouted it through the house, and almost immediately, he was surrounded by people. No one really knew what had happened, so everyone began asking.
Clary was on Jace's tale, and looked behind her to see that Isabelle and Simon had stayed by the cars and were talking. She wondered what they were talking about.
After a while of Jace talking with everyone in the kitchen and Clary sticking nearby (she wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to stay too far) then Jace settled with Clary on the couch in the room with the staircase. He encouraged everyone else to go downstairs and practice, though he couldn't since he couldn't exactly get down the narrow staircase with his crutches. Clary knew if Jace really wanted to, there was nothing he couldn't do.
It was a couple minutes of silence before Clary said anything. "So... are you okay?"
Jace shrugged. "I'm fine. My leg hurts a bit, but other than that." He shrugged. "Did I miss anything good?"
Clary shook her head. "No, not really..."
Jace chuckled. "You guys revolve around me, I tell you."
Clary rolled her eyes, though she wasn't annoyed.
Jace's expression shifted a bit. "About what Isabelle told you... I lied. It's true." He maintained eye contact with her, seeming to open up slightly, though his expression was also guarded.
Clary gave a slight nod. "I shouldn't have been talking about it with Simon... actually he doesn't even know. I thought he did but he doesn't..."
He nodded once. "But really, don't believe everything Isabelle says," Jace said. "She will tell you she can cook. She cannot cook."
Clary couldn't help but smile slightly.
Jace smiled crookedly. This looked more like the Jace Clary knew. "I want to kiss you," he said.
Clary smiled more and leaned over to him- still being careful- and she kissed his lips.
I'll admit, I might need a little help with this story. Like some more things that could happen to keep things interesting. I'm a tad low on ideas XD
I'll try to update this story ASAP! Thanks so much for all your support :)
I'm also thinking through some more ideas on more FanFiction stories, also TMI of course! Keep your eyes peeled for another story by me.
Love, Wisterian Princess