My dear little broccolis💚💚💚
💚 Give Me The Daddy, I'll Give You The Sugar 💚
"The best investment I ever made, was when I lost fifty million dollars and met the love of my life as a result of that."
‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️
‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️
‼️Clace/The Waylands/OGs/Magnus Bane/‼️
💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚
Chapter 14: Operas & Baijiu (6,4K)
Jace flew Clary to Paris literally on Boxing Day, barely giving her time to get her suitcase from his place. He had argued that she was going to the city of Fashion and didn't need any clothes since she could shop there. In fact, whilst they were flying from one continent to the other in his jet, he gave her a card for her to splurge in Paris, not taking no for an answer.
Of course, as she had expected it, she was alone during the days, but it was how Jace worked. He came to Paris for business, and she was just an afterthought when the handwork had been done. But she used her free time to be a tourist in every way, shape or form. The first thing she bought was one of those small translation-dictionaries, and she made good use of it.
The shopping spree that Jace had wanted her to have had been really fast, she went to the first clothing store she saw and bought a pair of jeans with enough shirts and underwear for the week. Though, she had flashed on a cute flared skirt and bought it, feeling slightly guilty using Jace's money for her own pleasure, even if she's had his blessing for it.
On her first day, she went to the Opera Garnier, being completely marvelled by the place, and she did not fail to send many pictures to Mary since it was the place that had inspired The Phantom of the Opera. It was actually the first sentence she learned to say in French (Can you take a picture of me, please?). Then, she visited the wax museum and finished by going to the Madeleine Church.
She had walked all day long, not minding for one second, even though the pavements of some streets were clearly not heels friendly and long after the sun had set, she went back the Crillon where she shared a hotel room with Jace.
Of course, Jace being Jace and liking his views has asked for the top room with a view over Paris. He had given her the choice to have her own room, but with the very honest input that he would rather her sleeping with him.
"So, when we will get to Paris, I wanted us to stay at the Crillon. You could have your own room, but to be honest ... I'd rather fall asleep with you by my side more than just once in a while."
She froze and looked at him. He had put down his papers and was looking at her, giving her all his attention. This was a rare occurrence for him. usually, even though she knew she had his attention, it was always divided with some work he was doing, whereas this time, it was clear that she was his sole focus, and that he was expecting a reaction to what he had just said.
"Is this ... going to be a Vegas situation all over again?"
He smirked. "Vegas is the City of Sin, we're going to the City of Love. But analogies aside, I don't want to come back to the US and not sleep with you in my arms. In fact, more than once over the past few months, I've had half a mind to walk through the penthouse and ask to share your bed."
She grimaced, not liking his choice of words, no matter how innocent she knew they were. As he had pointed out when she had found Izzy, she was not comfortable with the idea of having sex and receiving money at the same time. She understood why Izzy did, and a part of her was sure that, if she had been in the same situation, she would have Donne it for the sake of her kids. But she knew Jace, he was her friend, and nothing felt more wrong to her than the idea of having sex with him and getting paid for it.
And no matter how much she trusted Jace and his no-fap practice, she couldn't help but feel that the two of them sleeping together was just adding unnecessary fuel to a fire that should have been put down a long time ago.
Jace seemed to read her mind because he peacefully raised his hands, and absolved himself, "Get your mind out of the gutter Clary. I just want to sleep with you, nothing more... well, I wouldn't mind the more, but I know where you stand, and I respect that."
"Thank you. I just don't want either of us to forget that I am on a contract. I did not sign it with the intention of breaking it. If you can promise me the same goes for you, then yes, I won't mind us sharing a bed, whenever we stay together."
So now, she was staying with him in that super fancy room that screwed wealth all over the place. She had to say that everything in Paris seemed smaller. And that hotel room was just proof of it. She knew that Jace always went for the top room every time he travelled, and, though this was a luxurious room, it was nothing compared to the penthouse he had in Alicante.
When she opened the room, she found it empty so she went straight for a hot shower, and then to bed, jet lag finally catching up on her. She was awakened a few hours later when Jace slipped in the bed and snuggled against her. She stirred a little, getting comfortable in his arms, and he apologised,
"Sorry. I thought you were deep enough in your sleep for me to sneak in."
"It's okay. Have you eaten?"
"Yes. You?"
"Yeah. I have a savoury crepe from a van, and it was delicious."
Jace chuckled, his thumb mindlessly caressing the skin of her arm. "I give you a card with no limit, and you buy your food from a street vendor?"
"You're just jealous you weren't here to taste the real flavours of Paris."
He stayed silent for a moment, and she did not add anything, wondering what she might have said wrong to quiet him like that. But then, he asked,
"Have you tried an opera?"
"I went to the opera during visiting hours. I even got the chance to take a picture in box 5. Mary was thrilled."
"I mean the gateau. I'll get you one for tomorrow night."
"Oh, I'm getting spoiled. You're the one feeding me for a change."
"Don't get used to it. I like your cooking much better than eating out. Plus, I get to hear you sing when you cook."
She gently squeezed his arm, not really sure what she could reply to that, and he held her closer before letting her know, "By the way, I have a business dinner tomorrow with one of my very first foreign partners. If you want to join us, you are more than welcome."
"If you want me to come, just say so, Jace."
Even though she could possibly see him since her back was facing him and it was the middle of the night, Clary was still sure that Jace was smiling. And the fact that he buried his nose in her neck just confirmed her suspicions, especially when he said,
"I want you to be on my arm for that business dinner, then."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
The next day, Clary decided to visit the Louvre museum in the morning and had set her mind to go to the Eiffel Tower in the afternoon, but she quickly realised that she would not be able to get her fill of the museum in half a day. In fact, she appreciated so much her time, going from exhibitions to galleries, that she only realised what time it was when the museum announced its closing.
It dawned on her that she was going to be late at Jace's business dinner. Sure the restaurant was not far from where she was, barely a tenth minutes walk, but she knew that what she was wearing was not very appropriate to the fancy restaurant Jace and his business partner where eating. Especially in the fashion capital of the world.
She thought of bailing on Jace for a moment, just so she could spare herself the shame of showing up late and looking like a hobo compared to him, but she had told him she would come, and she would be a very poor friend if she went back on her word for something as shallow as the way she was dressed.
Still, she quickly stopped at a Sephora though, so her face would at least be somewhat presentable. She was glad that she dressed in her cute little skirt in the morning because it made her look a bit more classy than her jeans. And since she always wore heels, one could almost think that she was a classy lady, not someone who just spent the whole day being as touristic as one could be.
When she arrived at the reception of the Ritz, she barely had to ask for Mr Wayland's table that the maître d'hotel took her coat and showed her to the table were Jace and his French counterpart was talking. The two of them rose when they saw her coming, and she blushed deep red, apologising profusely,
"I am so sorry. I am usually not one to be late."
Jace was about to say something when the other man waved his hand as of nothing and jovially said with a perfect English, "Do not worry about it. We call it curtesy here."
She politely smiled, sitting next to Jace as the two men sat back, and he made the presentation, "Nicolas, meet Clarissa Fray. Clary, meet Nicolas Durand, the only Frenchman I know who doesn't like cheese."
Nicolas Durand was not what Clary had expected. She knew that the man was in his late sixties from what Jace had told her, but he seemed to barely be in his fifties. She put that on the fact that he was probably looking after himself, given how fit he looked. Or maybe it was because there was not a single hair on his skull and that she had always had problems giving an age to bald people. Still, he seemed like a businessman much more approachable than Jace, the glasses on his nose even giving him a look of a benevolent mentor.
"Here you go, tarnishing my name before I even have the opportunity to meet your girl. Forget what he said, I am a proper Frenchman. How are you doing Miss Fray?"
"I'm good. Sorry again for the delay."
"As I said, do not worry about it. What got you so late though? Did you get lost as every other tourist does?"
"No. Well ... in a way yes. I lost track of time whilst wandering in the Louvre."
Nicolas beamed at that, showing some patriotic pride, all the while hailing a waiter for him to bring the wine he requested.
"If you want my opinion, it is the best way to lose track of time. Did you enjoy La Joconde?"
"To be fair, I wasn't really interested. I'm pretty sure that Hollywood made her an overrated thing, now. I was more interested in Antiquity. There was this exhibition in the Egyptian gallery about Ramses the first, and I may or may not have completely forgotten about the rest of the world in the middle of Greece."
Nicolas benevolently smiled, apparently happy with her answer, "An American interested in real culture and not just the superficial things she sees in movies. It is official, Wayland, I like your girlfriend better than you."
Jace smiled, though Clary could tell that it was not sincere, and he gently put his hand over her own, which did not go unnoticed by Nicolas who knowingly smiled.
Though the conversation quickly went back to whatever business Jace and Nicolas were conducting, it was clear that Mr Durand was not really interested in talking shop whilst eating, and he often went back to Paris, asking her what she thought of the City of Love.
He was pleasantly surprised when she told him that she had already visited the Opera Garnier as well as the Grevin museum and the Madeleine. Nicolas joked that in barely twenty-four hours, she had seen more of Paris than Jace in over the ten years he had known him.
"Have you been to Notre-Dame yet?"
"Well ... no. I ... The Hunchback of Notre-Dame terrified me as a kid. Those gargoyles ... "She shivered, recalling how the cartoon used to give her nightmares. This was the one thing she was not really excited about Paris. The cathedral could keep its ugly and scary gargoyles for itself.
"Haha. That is a first. But it's not the only thing you can do in Paris. We have many more must-see places. Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur, Les Champs-Elysées, Père-Lachaise, Moulin Rouge, and of course, you can't come to Paris and not go to the Eiffel T—"
"I'm taking her there for our last night here," Jace intervened as the dessert was brought to the table.
Jace had brought an opera form a patisserie and asked to be served this dessert for their table, which of course Clary was sure meant that he had to pay something extra to be able to do so. She turned her head to him, surprised about this new piece of information, but Jace simply smiled to her, digging in his dessert as Nicolas teasingly pointed out to them,
"Going to the Eiffel Tower at night, just the two of you when it is her first time in Paris. Be careful youngsters, this place is known to be one of the most romantic places to propose."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
On the morning of their last day in Paris, Jace tried to keep Clary with him in bed, but she still snuck out of it, let him be lazy on his own. Not that she could blame him, for once that he wasn't working, she was not going to tell him to not do what any other human being did.
When she walked through the room, all ready to jog like she did every morning, Jace shook his head, grabbing her hand when she reached for her phone on the nightstand. He yanked her back in the bed, a mischievous smile plastered on his lips.
"Come on. Just stay with me. It won't kill you to skip that one day. The marathon is already behind you, anyway."
She had run the New York Marathon in November and had finished amongst the fifty-first people. Which made her very smug for the couple of weeks that followed that exploit. Especially since so many people came to show her support at the finish line (and ended up with her in a bar, drinking lots of wine and beer).
Obviously, Magnus and Karl had been there for her, alongside Dorothea and her husband. And Mary had flown from Los Angeles to cheer for her. Even Alec came with the kids, just like Izzy did with her kids. The only person missing to celebrate the fact that she ran a marathon was Jace who had been working in New York that day.
Of course, Jace being the 50MIL that he was didn't really understand what that milestone meant for Clary and simply called the bar where she celebrated to be billed for whatever she and her friends would consume. But at this point, she knew that she couldn't expect much more from him. Jace resolved everything with money, even when it came to be happy for a friend.
She smiled at the blond man, coming back to the present moment and letting him know, "The thing is, I want to stay healthy. And that comes through exercise."
"And as I just said, skipping one day won't kill you."
"I'll get to skip as much as I want when I'll be happily married and start breeding like a catholic rabbit."
This sentence had exactly the impact she had expected on Jace. He let her go, not insisting for her to share his lazy morning, and she left to have her daily morning jog, doing her best to not overthink this whole situation. It wasn't because Jace was starting to act like a normal person that it meant she should allow herself to fall for him. Because in the end, she would just end up hurt.
The two of them saw the world too differently to be happy as a real couple. And she had already sacrificed herself to make the other happy. It did not work. She had promised herself that she would never put herself in that position again.
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
Two things changed in Clary's life when she came back from Paris. The first one, and the most important to her, was that she was reconnecting more and more with Izzy.
Dorothea had given Izzy a steady job that allowed her to see her children all the while paying her well. The only thing Dorothea had been firm about was that she would not tolerate any 'side activities' in her hotel. She didn't mind them per se, but she did not want to give customers that sort of idea that they could have that sort of service in Alicante.
But in truth, Izzy was more than happy to put that part of her life behind her. She moved out of the place she had, taking in Magnus's old tenancy since Magnus was now living with Karl. In fact, it became a regular occurrence that Clary would spend the night at her place, drinking wine with her friend after the kids had been tucked in bed.
They caught up on all those things that they didn't get to do together as teenagers, not ashamed for one moment that they were both grown adults, one with a big career ahead of her, the other with two kids to raise.
The other big thing that changed in Clary's life was Jace. Though they were now sleeping together when she came to see him, due to their verbal agreement, the awkwardness and intimacy that Clary feared would ensue to that never happened. Jace was working even more than usual, and so was she. In fact, it already happened more than once that she would get home after Jace, or would leave before him.
But she couldn't complain. She loved her job, and she loved everything that she was learning with Valentine. He was always so willing to teach her everything she wanted, and she was even more eager to learn. In fact, over there next three months that followed her trip to Paris, Valentine took her twice to DC for business trips, which had not been very welcomed by Jace.
For once it wasn't his ridiculous jealousy that came in place, but more the fact that he didn't like the idea of her travelling away when he couldn't go with her. And this brought over her head that Damocles sword that she still did not tell him about London. She had made up her mind about it and was set on going. Not only because of the amazing opportunity it was for her professionally, but also because it would help her get free of Jace.
Because no matter how much she liked to pretend otherwise, she knew the truth deep down, she was falling for him. And the fact that he was getting sweeter and caring behind closed doors was not helping. But every time she tried to probe his feelings on getting married or kids, he would shut her down and remind her that he had no interest in 'getting a blonde wife'.
So she knew that London would give her the purge she needed. In the meantime, she just wanted to enjoy a bit more that sweet feeling of fluttering butterflies in her stomach when he would hold her or look at her a certain way. All she had to do, was not to fall too hard. She could love him. After all, she loved Magnus. But she couldn't fall in love with him.
So it was with that mentality that she followed Jace to Hong Kong for the week of his birthday. Of course, the way he spun that was to make her feel bad enough for her to ask a week off from work so she could go with him to Hong Kong.
"So, this year, I have a genuine good excuse to bail on my parents for my birthday."
"No, you don't. Seattle is just next door for you. Your Mom will be thrilled to spend the time with you," She responded, shaking her head all the while braiding her hair so she could get to bed with Jace.
"I have some business to attend with Mr Cho. And I can't postpone it. So it looks like I'm going to spend my birthday alone ... unless..."
"Unless?"
He watched her slip in bed next to him, and he switched off the light, promptly taking her in his arms as he murmured in her ear, "Well, you could come with me."
"I have to work, Jace."
"I know. But beside Christmas, when is the last time you took some time off? And I don't want to spend my birthday alone. Not after what you gave me last year."
She rolled her eyes, seeing where he was trying to take her. "I just made lasagna and watched a movie with you. I'm sure you could find someone willing to do the same with you in Hong Kong. In fact, I'm sure that if Mrs Cho knows it's your birthday, she will do her best to give you the best time of your life."
"You're right. I just wanted to spend time with the only true friend that I have. But I don't want to make you feel like you have to. You stay here and work."
She repressed a heavy sigh, and though she could see exactly how well Jace had played her, she still found herself saying, "I'll ask Valentine if I can take a few days off."
She heard his smug snicker as he held her closer, which made her roll her eyes. "You do know that this is emotional manipulation, right?"
"I told you before, Clary, I'm a businessman. If I'm as successful as I am now, it's because I know when to play which card and against which player."
Now she was with Jace in China, though she spent most of her days with Mrs Cho who was more than happy to be her official guide. The first day, she took Clary to Disneyland, mostly because she couldn't believe that the young redhead never went to Disneyland when she had two parks in her country. It was between meeting Mickey and Buzz Lightyear that Clary discovered that Mrs Cho used to be a doctor before marrying her husband.
"Why are you not practising anymore?"
"It is not a healthy home if the two of us work so much. One of us had to sacrifice their career so our marriage could last. So I stopped working to take care of our children and our home, and Kuan agreed to move from Singapore to my childhood city."
"But don't you regret it, sometimes?"
"No. This is how life works. Compromises and sacrifices. He has made sacrifices too. It is all about balance. We cannot both be the leading horse of the carriage. One of us has to support the other. I know that the new generation is all about equality, but I think they do not fully understand what it means.
Being equal to your husband does not necessarily mean bringing home as much money and being as successful as he is. It means that the two of you are on the same plane and that both of you listen and respect the other. I think that is the reason why there are so many divorces in the new generation. Because there is no balance in their couple, and they both want to be the leading horse."
"But ... it was your dream job. You gave your heart and soul to become a doctor."
Mrs Cho benevolently smiled to Clary, gently squeezing her arm.
"Without the Yin, there cannot be a Yang. I could have pursued my career, but I would have needed a different husband."
Clary slightly frowned, not sure if she really approved of Mrs Cho philosophy, or even understood it to begin with. Mrs Cho seemed to get that she had confused the young girl more than anything and told her that they should just enjoy the day they had ahead of them.
Since the next day was Jace's birthday, Clary stayed in the hotel and made lasagna as well as an opera, since she noticed that it was Jace's favourite French gateau, he had a small version of it every day during their impromptu trip in France.
For the occasion, she wore a red dress because she knew Jace liked that colour on her, and she waited for him in their room overviewing Victoria Harbour. She was sitting at the piano, hopelessly trying to recreate a children lullaby that she knew when Jace came in, his face instantly lifting up when he smelled the food.
"It should be my birthday every single day."
"If you eat lasagna every day, it won't be special anymore, and you'll get bored."
"Who gets bored with lasagna? You're talking nonsense!"
She chuckled and sat next to him at the overly large dinner. His golden eyes briefly took in her dress before he dug unto his food, telling her,
"You know, red is known to be the colour of luck here."
"So I've heard."
"Are you my lucky charm, then?"
"Luck is a dangerous mistress, Jace. One should never rely on her. I thought someone as practical as you would know that by now."
"Luck can never be bad when it looks like you. I thought someone as beautiful as you would know that by now."
She shook her head because though she knew she was far from being ugly, she wasn't really used to receiving compliments like that out of nowhere.
"Anyway, why would you need luck? I thought you were that good of a businessman that everything you wanted happened."
"You're right, I do get my way usually. But sometimes, the path is much longer than I want it to be, and I am usually not a patient man."
"Patience is the mother of virtue," She wisely said.
Jace chuckled, and they finished eating the lasagna as he explained that he had come to Kong Kong to finalise some paperwork with Mr Cho. They had been building a hotel in Macau that would open in a year or so. Mr Cho overlooked most of the process, and Jace just came to Hong Kong to sign the final documents. He was supposed to come back in a couple of weeks to go to Macau with his associate.
Though most of the time she was quickly lost in what Jace talked about, she loved hearing him speak about his businesses. He was so passionate when he talked about it. For instance, though the hotel in Macau (just like the one in Vegas) had nothing to do with his company, he was still excited about it. Not only by the prospect of how much he would make out of it but by the challenge that it was for him. As he would say, he liked to get out of his comfort zone when it came to business. He felt that it was the only way to thrive.
When they finished eating the opera, Clary opened a bottle os Baijiu, compliment of Mr and Mrs Cho, and she gave Jace his present. But he didn't open it as soon as he got it.
"You keep refusing me giving you gifts, and you expect me to accept yours. I don't see the logic in that."
"Well, you keep showering me with gifts every time you pay me. I don't think I need more than you're already giving. besides, I don't want or need anything."
"And yet you accepted my brother's gift at Christmas," He reminded her, glancing at the camera that was next to her purse. She had been using it every chance she got both in Paris and here in Hong Kong.
"Jace, it's your birthday. Do you really want to talk about things that upset you."
He slid the package her way, a sly grin on her face, "What I want for my birthday, is your word that you won't moan if I want to spoil you."
"ii don't moan."
"You know what I mean."
"So you're not going to take my gift? Gift that I struggled to find, going out of my mind to find that one thing that you'd like."
He glanced at the package, and she could see curiosity gleaming in his unusual eyes. But when he looked back at her, she was facing the businessman.
"I will take your gift, but you have to give me your word on top of it."
"That's being greedy."
"It's my birthday, I am entitled to it."
"Fine. You can get me something for my birthday."
He chuckled, shaking his head as he pointed out her words, "That's not what I said, Clary. I said no moaning over any gift. If I give you something, whether there is an occasion or not, you have to accept it."
"Just open the present Jace."
"Your word."
"I won't fuss. Now open the damn present so I can get to bed!"
He smugly smiled, proud of his victory, and opened the package, revealing vintage vinyls of every album from the Beatles. Though Jace had a useless gramophone in his apartment in Seattle, she knew he did not have any albums from the Beatles. And since she knew he was a fan, she taught he would appreciate the thought. Which seemed to be the case since he brightly smiled to her.
"I've been meaning to get those for years. But never took the time to do it. Thank you." He kissed her cheek, hugging her and she gave back his embrace, happy to have managed to find the perfect gift to the man who already had everything.
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
For the rest of the week, Mrs Cho showed Clary the beauty of Hong Kong. She did not just show her the touristic places, but also the places that only true Hongkongers knew about. And of course, Clary, being the tourist that she was taking as many pictures as possible. She wasn't sure what she liked best, her heart wavering between the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery and the ride on a traditional Chinese Junk Boat.
The last day, Jace and Mr Cho joined them at the end of the afternoon, and they all ate at the Peak, though Clary wasn't surprised that Jace chose this restaurant, given the breathtaking view it gave. When they finished eating, Jace whisked Clary away, though he refused to tell her where he was taking her.
It was only when their cab stopped by a helipad that his intentions became clear. She beamed at him, and together, they sat on a helicopter chasing the last rays of the sun as the city was putting on its nightgown. She marvelled at the beauty of the moment, taking many pictures once again.
She also took pictures of Jace with the skyline for background and was caught-off by surprise when he took his phone out to snap a picture of her. He refused to show it to her, saying that it was his to keep and it resulted in a banter between them on whereas she had any rights to that picture or not.
When they got back to their hotel, Clary had graciously given up trying to see the picture, but she did not forget to thank Jace for that beautiful night that he just gave her. He smiled, caressing her cheek as he confessed,
"According to Magnus, your last helicopter ride would have been much better if I had been here."
She rolled her eyes, a part of her noting that she would have to scold Magnus for letting Jace in about his fantasies of a possible love story between the two of them. "No, it's not what happened. I just felt awkward being alone amongst couples. But I won't say that I did not enjoy the ride with you tonight."
"I didn't mean to make you feel alone. I was just working."
"I know. And I never said anything about that. I understand."
"And that's why I like being with you so much," He said, his hand still on her cheek.
She smiled, but tore her gaze away from his, looking down. Is there was one thing she didn't want to hear, it was that sentence. Because Jace was just admitting liking her for someone she wasn't. Would she really have been his girlfriend, she would have minded the way he lived. Not that she was high maintenance or clingy, but there was a strict minimum that he was not meeting.
"I'm not sure that's true," She whispered, clearing her throat afterwards. He lifted her chin up, forcing her to look at him.
"ii know what I like, Clary."
"I'm not disputing that. I'm just not sure that you know who I really am, or that you would like that person for that matter."
Then, she stepped back, muttering something about getting ready for bed, and before Jace could try to stop her, his phone rang. He picked up, though she felt his gaze on her as she went to the bathroom. She stayed there longer than needed, not really eager to face Jace again.
She had just told him more than she should have. If he properly read between the lines, he would be able to tell that she was developing feelings that had no place in their business relationship and that those feelings were making her unhappy as to how their relationship was at the moment.
So when she came out of the bathroom and found Jace texting on his phone, sitting on the edge of the bed, she finally told him about her future plans,
"There is something I should have told you a while ago."
He looked up, putting the phone aside on the bed. His golden eyes held her gaze, giving her all his attention, and she blurted out, "I'm going to London."
"When?"
"Next year. I don't have an exact date, yet."
His brows slightly knotted, and he asked, though his face showed he knew he was wrong, "Is that your next birthday trip?"
"No. Valentine found me work there. And it is the perfect opportunity for my career. Plus, as you keep on saying, it will get me out of my comfort zone. And I've never been to another country on my own, I'm sure I will learn a lot about myself like that. And ... I just thought I should let you know."
Jace held her gaze for what seemed to be forever, not saying a word. She felt so self-conscious all of the sudden, starting to wonder if she should have told him earlier, but before she could try to break their silence, his phone rang. He picked up, getting up and leaving the bedroom and Clary in the bed, throwing the covers over her.
She took her phone out and hesitated a moment before texting her best friend, hoping that it was not too early for him in New York.
So, I just told Jace I was going to London. Clary
And? Did he ask you to stay with him and all? Magnus
He didn't say anything. He received a call, and now I'm left looking stupid. Clary
He didn't say anything? Did he look angry? Magnus
No. Because there is nothing to be angry about. it's just putting an expiry date on our contract. At best, it inconveniences him because he has to find another girl. Clary
Yeah ... Clary, I'm pretty sure there is more to it than you say. From both of you. I don't know why he's chickening out of telling you how he feels, but you should chicken out either. Why don't you tell him and try something with him? You won't know unless you try. Magnus
Because even if we try something, it is doomed from the beginning. He's adamant on not having a family, and I know that is the one thing I will always fight to have. What's the point of trying something I know won't work? Clary
Then why don't you break the contract now? I mean, isn't it a bit of masochist to stay with someone you like, knowing you won't show your feelings? Magnus
I just ... London comes at the perfect time. I will leave all that nonsense behind and all will be good again. In the meantime, I want to enjoy being with Jace, even just as friends. Clary
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
When she woke up the next day, the bed next to her was just as neat as when she went to bed. She frowned, wondering if Jace fell asleep whilst working, which already happened several times back in the US, but he was nowhere in sight. However, she found a note next to her purse, with a jewellery box containing a pendant and her payment.
She read the note, and though they were simple words, she still felt a cold shiver going through her spine as she were the short and curt note.
My trip to Macau has been advanced.
I had to leave early in the morning and you were still sleeping.
The jet is at your disposition.
❌PLEASE DO NOT COPY, DOWNLOAD OR SHARE THIS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE❌
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚
No cliffy this time ... See, I can be nice, hihi.
💚 So, what do you think of what Mrs Cho said about couples?
💚 What did you think of Jace's birthday?
💚 What about those last moments?
💚And what do you think of Jace? And his impromptu trip?
💚 I'm always curious about your favourite part, and what you think will happen next, so let me know.
💚 Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.
Love, Mina💚💚💚
