I checked up and down the street once more, completely and utterly baffled. Who had left this? Should I ring Simon? Should I tell Jon? Deciding to ignore it, I tore the letter up and tossed it into the trash. I'd had enough of silly little games. If someone had something to say to me, they could come and say it to my face. I headed straight up to bed and fell into an uneasy rest. School the next day was uneventful, I barely had anything to do with anyone. It was when I was walking home that all the fun began. I was oblivious to what was happening around me as I walked home slowly, headphones over my ears. I was humming the song that was playing into my mind when I felt a strange sensation that I was being watched. Pulling them off, I turned my head to the side to see Sebastian's car pulled up alongside me. Rolling my eyes, I continued walking making him curb-crawl alongside me.

"Clary – are you alright?" He asked, steering with one hand as he drove slowly alongside me.

"Yes." I said simply, planning a way in my head where he couldn't follow me in the car.

"What happened last night? Who was at your house?" He seemed concerned.

"It was a misunderstanding. I've understandably been a bit paranoid recently, as you'd imagine." Sebastian looked out of the windscreen before looking back to me.

"I'm sorry for the part I've played in that." He said and I looked at him.

"I appreciate it. I'm sorry I've got to get home." I tried to say.

"Let me take you?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Not today." I was bubbling under the surface. A mixture of confusion from the letter, confusion at the way Sebastian was acting. Who had sent that goddamn letter? Why had they sent it?!

"Clary, come on." Sebastian had stopped the car next to me and I was about to explode. I rested my hands on the window pane of his car, and couldn't help myself from shouting.

"Just leave me alone, okay?!" I growled before turning on my heel and cutting through the park. Thankfully, he didn't follow me. I felt livid and I knew there was only way to get over the way that I felt.

I had to speak to Jace.

Today was supposed to be date night after all. I tried calling him as soon as I crossed the threshold. His phone rang out a couple of times and I gave up. He'd ring me back when he got them. He's probably driving. Setting myself up in the kitchen, I started sketching the candle that my mum had left on the table. It took an hour for Jace to call me back.

"Clary, you called?"

"Yeah – tonight's date night?" I said simply, still sketching with my free hand.

"Buggar. It totally slipped my mind." I could hear someone talking in the background but it was too quiet for me to make out who it was.

"Yeah." I responded.

"Can we have date night tomorrow? I'm a bit caught up at the minute." He said after a short pause.

"I suppose so." I started to settle but quickly caught myself. "Actually Jace, I really need to talk to you."

"I'm spread a bit thin here Clary. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Okay." I said simply. "See you tomorrow then." I muttered before hanging up. I immediately dialled Simon once I was done. I needed to talk to someone.

"Hi Si? Are you free?"

"For you? Always. What's the matter?"

"Can you meet me at Java's?"

"Be there in a heartbeat." I hung up, and held my phone to my chest. Thank the Lord for Simon. My phone vibrated against my chest, I quickly scanned a look at it.

Jace: Really? You've turned your phone off? What's gotten into you Clary? Why are you acting so childish?

I started penning a reply about how I'd actually been on the phone to Simon but I decided against sending it. If Jace wanted to hear about why I hadn't been contactable he could come and see me. Simon was there and waiting with our order by the time I arrived at Java's. I sat down and slumped my head onto my hands.

"I think Jace is cheating on me." I grumbled through my fingers.

"Haven't we already been through this Clary? I thought you were going to give it some time?" Simon asked, taking a sip of his coffee and burning his lips. I told him about the letter. I told him about Jace forgetting date night. About his standoffish tone on the phone. About someone talking in the background. Simon furrowed his brow, going to sip his coffee once more before returning it to the plate remembering it was too hot.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" I shook my head.

"I can't see what good that would do, but thank you." I smiled. "Realistically, I just want him to talk to me. I just want to know what's going on. Am I being stupid?" I asked playing with my biscuit.

"I thought so at first. Sorry." He smiled sheepishly. "I'm not so sure now. That letter is the weirdest thing. Could it have been Sebastian?"

"I don't think so. Anyway, it's not his writing."

"You don't think it's that Lana do you?" Simon asked. I shrugged.

"What reason would she have to send it? She knows me and Jace have been seeing each other a while."

"Maybe it's because he made you his girlfriend." I frowned. Somehow that just didn't feel right.

"I'll ask Jace when I eventually see him." I sighed. "Anyway, what's happening in your love life?"

"Dead in the water." Simon laughed, taking a large gulp of his coffee.

"What about-" I started, he waved his hand.

"She humped me and dumped me C. I'd say I'm devastated but hey, it's nice to be the one who's used for their body for once." I nearly choked into my coffee. "The details aren't nice are they?!" I started laughing as Simon picked his phone up which was vibrating on the table. He gestured one minute to me as he answered.

"Hello? Woah, woah – slow down. What?!" Simon was talking quickly but nowhere near as quick as the person on the other end. "You're alright though aren't you? Physically I mean? I'm just checking! Do you need me to come over? I'm at Java's with Clary – why don't you come here? For Christ's sake Isabelle, she's not going to rub it in your face! What do you want to drink? I'll order it for you getting here. Just calm down okay? See you in a bit." Simon sighed, hanging up the phone. "Why am I everyone's favourite agony aunt today?"

"Is she alright?" I asked, feeling a little queasy. What had she thought I was going to rub in her face?

"Her relationship is over."

"Amicably?" I asked.

"Well she's all in one piece if that's what you mean. He's finished it though, so she thinks you're going to be like 'told you so'." I bit my lip as Simon went to the counter to order her drink. She arrived a little over five minutes later. Simon gave her a hug as she approached the booth, I couldn't help but feel awkward.

"Hi." She smiled, looking embarrassed. I smiled back as she climbed into the booth next to Simon.

"What happened then Iz?" Simon asked. She started to get immediately teary and it was hard to watch.

"He just broke up with me." She muttered, looking at her hands. "He said that he had made a mistake and that we couldn't be together." She wiped away a stray tear. "I don't know what I've done wrong." Simon reached for her hand, holding it reassuringly. It was obvious to me watching them that Simon had feelings for Isabelle, that he really cared for her. "I'm so sorry Clary, I should have listened."

"We can't help who we fall in love with." I smiled reassuringly at Isabelle.

"I really hope you can forgive me Clary. I've been a horrible friend."

"We've both been a bit subpar I think." I reached out for her other hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I've missed you though."

"I've missed you too."

"Group hug!" Simon shouted, we both looked at him. "Sorry, bad timing?" We all laughed. "I've just had a thought actually – Isabelle, has Jace been acting weirdly at all?" Simon clicked his fingers. I immediately went back to feeling crap. Isabelle looked confused.

"Actually, he has been a bit more withdrawn lately. Spends a lot of the time out of the house but I just assumed that he was with you, Clary?" I shook my head, she frowned. "I'm not sure then. Sorry."

"Have you seen him with Lana?" I asked, needing the vent the concern that was on my mind the most.

"At school yeah? I haven't really seen much of him outside of that."

We sat and talked for a little while more, this time about Simon's love life.

"I'm going to head off home, I've got some history homework I need to get finished by tomorrow." I smiled, grabbing my bag and heading off after assuring them I was fine to go alone. I wandered home in a world of my own, earphones firm in my ears. As I was crossing a street a few blocks from my house, I could have sworn I saw a girl who looked an awful lot like Lana getting out of a car that looked an awful lot like Jace's. Maybe I was paranoid. As soon as I was home, I thrust myself into the shower. I heard my phone vibrate a couple of times whilst I was in there but tried to cast it out of my mind. Once I was out of the shower, I picked it up and was greeted with a host of messages.

Sebastian: Isabelle and I have broken up.

Clary: I heard.

Sebastian: I thought I'd try and do right for once.

I admired his remorseful tone and I couldn't help but think he had done the right thing is ending things with Isabelle before they ended up taking a turn for the worse. I wasn't going to tell him that. It would make him think he was back in with a shot. The other message I had was from Jace.

Jace: I'm free now if you want to talk.

He'd sent it half an hour ago. I responded quickly.

Clary: I'm tired now. We'll talk tomorrow.

Jace: I don't know if I'll be free tomorrow. Can we talk tonight?

Clary: Fine. I'll meet you at the end of the street.

I threw on a pair of sweat pants and a plain t-shirt before heading out the house. I was glad my parents were away from home because if they'd seen me leaving the house with my hair this damp after last month's incident, they'd kill me. I wasn't waiting long for Jace to pull up. I climbed cautiously into the car beside him. He tried to kiss me but I was reluctant.

"Is something the matter with you Clary?" He asked, looking at me as though I was the one acting strange.

"I think I should be asking you the same question really. You've got no time for me recently and you're pushing me away. I don't even know if you're doing it. Then I got a letter last night telling me to stay away from you." I summarised. "You can understand why I'm a little confused. You're sending me mixed signals." Jace looked out of the windscreen, driving. "Are you seeing someone else, is that it?" I asked. He looked flabbergasted.

"What? No! Of course not!" He protested. "Did Sebastian not send that message? It sounds like something he would do."

"I don't think so. I was thinking Lana. She's been hanging around a lot more than usual lately."

"Hmm, I'll have a word with her." I gave him a suspicious look. "She's a friend Clary that's all."

"Is she the one you've been spending all of this time with?"

"No, I've been sorting some family stuff out." Jace said. "I would tell you if there was anything going on. You know I would."

Jace's PoV

I dropped Clary at her door, giving her a small kiss goodnight. I watched her walk up to her door, all the way up the stairs and only pulled away when her light flickered to life. I drove around the corner and pulled the car over to the curb. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Lana immediately.

"Hey." She spoke down the phone, quietly.

"Have you been putting letters through Clary's door?" I asked.

"Uh-"

"I'll appreciate it if you're honest with me Lana."

"I did." She muttered. "I'm sorry. I'm just all over the place at the moment."

"You know that I haven't told her yet, why are you trying to make things difficult? I thought you wanted my help with this?"

"I do."

"So why are you trying to make it difficult?" She started crying down the phone.

"I just got confused. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, do you need anything? I'm passing your house on the way home." I muttered. Once I finished the call, I went to pull away. My eyes quickly caught sight of a lipbalm that Lana had left in the car earlier. I breathed a sigh of relief that Clary hadn't noticed it when she had gotten in and quickly shoved it into the glove box.

Clary's PoV

He was lying to me.

Somehow. Somewhere along the line. He was lying to me.

I picked up the mascara that I'd found when I'd sat down and twirled it between my thumbs. The question was – why was he lying? And what was he lying about?

Thank you for reading!

All of my love

Until the next time!

~Sapph (: