So, I had uploaded this chapter earlier today, but me being me, I forgot the author's note. I am so sorry that it has taken so long to update. But I have finally finished high school! Yay! No more exams!
This will hopefully mean that I will write more, and give this story and all you readers the attention that you deserve.
...
"You have got to be kidding me." Jace muttered under his breath, his face contorted and twisted with worry. He hoped that he wouldn't be heard.
"What's wrong?" Clary's face fell, her voice small. She didn't expect an answer, but was pleasantly surprised when Jace offered one. But as his words were processed, the surprise turned to anger.
"Aline texted me." Jace took a deep breathe. "She knows. I was with her, last month. She remembered. And then Aline started asking people. Mutual family friends. People that I work with. Everyone that would listen." Jace noticed the change of expression on Clary's face. But he needed to keep going. "Aline wants to expose us. But only if I don't do what she wants."
Despite not really wanting to know, Clary asked anyway. "What does she want?" Clary's fear seeping into her voice.
"Aline wants one last date. And for me to stay with her afterwards." Jace hung his head unable to bear the pained expression on Clary's face any longer. "It's what I used to do. What Aline would expect from me."
Clary let out an outraged cry. "Is she crazy? Who does she think she is? Where- "
Jace had cut her off. People in the restaurant had started to stare in their direction. The eyes unwavering, drawing the attention of others who were yet to start staring. "Clare, it isn't her fault, though. It's mine."
"You're damn right it is. You gave her these expectations. You made her like this. It was you who didn't tell anyone that we are engaged. It was your actions that put us in this situation." Clary's finger punctuated the start of each sentence by jabbing Jace in the chest. Her voice though was eerily calm.
"I know. Okay? You are so right. It was me. That's why I have tried to change. Why I have changed. I am not like that anymore. And I would never do that to you. What she is asking is completely insane. I would never cheat on you."
"Jace," Clary started completely ignoring his previous claim, for she has no reason to believe him. "Why didn't you tell people? And weren't these people at the engagement party?"
"Um, about that," Jace took a deep breath, knowing that Clary wouldn't like the answer. "I only invited the people that my parents thought absolutely necessary to be there. Aline somehow got a hold of the people that hadn't attended. The people who didn't know about us."
"You have got to be kidding me!" Clary shrieked, her voice raising. "Why Jace? I invited everyone. This is going to be our lives! You can't just pick and choose amongst your friends who gets to know. We are getting married! For angel's sake! This," Clary takes a deep breath as she motioned between them. "This is supposed to be a forever thing."
"You have to believe me, I never meant for this to happen!" Jace wanted to say more before Clary took her turn to cut him off.
"Do I really, Jace? Because I don't! And do you know why that is?" Clary took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. The remining eyes in the restaurant on the couple, as Clary continued. "Because we don't know each other. And I am done pretending that we do. Done pretending that we are a happy couple when we so clearly aren't."
Clary got up to leave, gathering her things. But before she could make it past their table, Jace had pulled her into his arms. Crushing his lips to hers. In this kiss, he tries to communicate everything that he can't bring himself to say. About how he truly is sorry. How the pressure of everything is getting to him also. And how above all else he wants to stop pretending too. How he is afraid that they will never be able to. That all of their lives will be like putting on a show. Never actually becoming what they pretend to be. A happy couple.
When their lips finally part, Clary and Jace are left breathless. Only parting enough to look into each other's eyes. Jace only just has the chance to whisper a small, "I'm sorry." Before Clary let her lips reconnect with his.
...
Not long after, Jace had dropped Clary off at her house with promises to call her later. Clary's fingers itched for her phone. But for a different reason. The reality of the date's disaster hitting her finally, leaving her with a deeply planted need to call Izzy. To rant, to vent, and for advice. Before Clary fully knew what she was doing, tears cascaded down her face as her phone let out a dial tone. The longer Iz took to answer the phone, the more upset Clary became.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Izzy voice came through the phone's speaker. The smile on her face, evident in her voice, "Hey Babe."
This only made Clary sobs louder. The words becoming caught in her throat. Chokingly so. Leaving Clary unable to do anything but cry.
Izzy's smile fell, her voice lowering to become soft and filled with comfort. "Deep breaths, Hun. Deep breaths. You can do this, whatever it is you are stronger than this."
After a few moments, Clary's sods had subsided, leaving her with the odd hiccup, drained of any and all strength she had remaining, and her face stained with tears. "Sorry," Clary giggled slightly trying to down play her breakdown. "Hey, how are you?"
Izzy answered the question vacantly. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her concern quickly taking over before the question was given any thought. "What's wrong? And don't tell me nothing because that's obviously why you called."
Clary got up to close the door to her bedroom, trying to buy herself sometime. "So Jace and I went on a date. Everything was going really well. Perfectly even. Until Aline, you remember Jace's ex, right?" Clary questioned but didn't allow Izzy any time to answer. "Well she decided to text Jace and let him know that she knows and wants to expose us, if Jace doesn't do what she wants."
"Okay, well what does she want?" Izzy asked, not completely processing what had been said.
"One last date. Like they us to have, complete with him staying the night. How insane can she be?"
"Very. Jace wouldn't do that-" Izzy drifted off into her thoughts. "Wait, what does she know? What will Aline expose?" Iz asked slightly afraid of the answer.
"Oh, no!" Clary whispered, the fully extent of what she had just revealed released.
"Clary, what are you not telling me?" The anger in her voice drifted through the speaker of the phone.
"You have to promise that you won't get mad at me." The sadness became clear in Clary's voice once more. "I'll tell you after you do."
Izzy sighed. "This isn't making it any better. Clarissa Adele Fray, you will tell me, now!"
Whether it was the use of her full name or the tone that Izzy used is unknown. But something shocks Clarry into coming clean. She tells Izzy everything. How her engagement is arranged also. How Clary hid the truth to make Izzy feel better. The deal that Jace and Clary made the day of the Taki's brunch. The happy couple acts. Everything.
When Clary had finished telling the truth, she was met by silence on the other end of the phone call. Izzy was clearly shocked by this new information.
"Iz, please say something so that I know that you are okay?" Clary pleaded after a moment.
Izzy shock quickly turned to anger. "Like what? About how terrible I feel right now for not realising? For unloading my problems on top of the ones you already have? For how you felt you had to lie and pretend to protect me? How all of this makes me the worst friend in the world? And this one question that I keep asking myself. That is eating me up inside the most is, why? Why didn't you tell me?" During the line of questioning Clary becomes more and more upset. This only adds fuel to Izzy's anger.
Clary whispers, trying desperately to contain her tears once more. "I'm sorry." But she is met with the beeps that allow a person to know that they have been hung up on.
...
Simon knocks on the door of the room that Izzy disappeared into, shortly after her phone rang. Over an hour ago. He wouldn't have knocked if he didn't hear the thump that echoed through the walls. He was worried about her. This was, perhaps, what made him open the door when his knock received no answer.
The sight that greeted him was Izzy slumped against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, for her hands and then head to rest on. Her phone the source of the noise that cause Simon to barge in across the room, to where she had thrown it.
Simon slid down the wall, until he was sitting right beside Izzy. His voice soft as he spoke. "What happen?"
Izzy answered her voice croaky and broken. "Clary lied. About everything."
...
Thanks, for reading this chapter! Please let me know what you think.
P.S. I'm so sorry that it took so long to update. I just wanted to apologize again.