Clary woke up, slightly damp from sweat. She was hot, too hot, and there was something laying across her stomach. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings. Through the curtains, she could tell that it was still dark outside, meaning it had to be the middle of the night or just before dawn. She quickly realized she was not in her room and she was not alone. Memories of her night with Jace flooded her mind, and she rolled over, carefully moving Jace's arm as she did so, to face him.
His face was relaxed, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Clary wasn't sure she had ever seen him look as peaceful as he did in that moment. She'd never really seen him completely stressed out, but she could usually tell there was something gnawing at the back of his mind, whether it had something to do with his job or CeeCee or something in between.
Her eyes were wandering down his naked torso as she thought this, and she stiffened. Everything suddenly hit her. She was one of those in between things. She was his daughter's nanny. She was his employee. He signed her paychecks. He was her boss. She had slept with her boss. The panic began to settle in as what-ifs ran through her mind.
What happened when he realized the same things she did? What if he regretted it? What if he thought it was all a mistake? What if he ended up firing her? That was not something she could afford to happen, and she didn't mean that just financially. She felt like she belonged there, which was rare for her. Sure, she had a feeling of belonging with Izzy and Simon, but that was starting to slip away. Izzy and Simon were creating their own life together. Clary knew she would always have a place in it, but not that place was going to get smaller, and she knew she needed something more. Something like what she felt when she was with CeeCee and Jace. She didn't think she could stand losing that.
Tears stung the back of her eyes, and she suddenly felt like she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. She removed Jace's arm from her body and slid out of the bed. She quickly found her discarded jeans and underwear and pulled the underwear on before quietly exiting the room. As she passed through the living room downstairs, she picked up the rest of her clothes, pausing briefly to throw on her shirt.
Back in her room, she finally let the tears fall. She had fucked up. She had really fucked up. She had let herself get lost in the moment, not thinking at all about the possible ramifications. She had been so focused on Jace and what he was doing to her body that she hadn't even stopped to think about what would come after.
Part of her was saying that she was overreacting, that she was getting upset about something that hadn't even happened yet. Something that might not actually happen. That part of her was very small, though. Life hadn't been the kindest thing to her, especially when it came to men. She wanted Jace to be different, but she wasn't about to get her hopes up.
She slid into her bed, glancing at the clock as she did so. It was just after four in the morning, and she still had a few hours before she had to get up and start getting CeeCee ready for school. Pulling the comforter up to her chin, she closed her eyes, willing her racing thoughts to stop and wishing for sleep to come to her soon.
Jace was gone by time she got up, and she was extremely thankful for that. She wasn't prepared to talk to him yet, and didn't want to have to deal with awkwardly trying to avoid him. She didn't know how she was going to handle it when he came home from work later but ultimately decided that was something that could be dealt with when the time came. For now, she was just going to focus on getting CeeCee ready for the day.
After showering and getting dressed, she woke up CeeCee. She ran a bath for her but allowed her to bathe herself. She kept the bathroom door open, though, making sure she would be able to hear if something went wrong. CeeCee was a very independent child, but Clary wasn't about to leave her completely unsupervised in the tub just yet.
Imogene had breakfast ready by the time CeeCee was ready for school. Clary sat at the breakfast bar and listened as CeeCee told her all about her day with her father in between bites of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon. She nodded and smiled as CeeCee talked about how they went to the park and Jace pushed on the swings. They had then gone to the children's museum. Her favorite part had been the Dora and Diego exhibition. After that, Jace had taken her to get hot chocolate and even let her get extra mini marshmallows on top.
Clary was glad that CeeCee had had such a good day with her father. He definitely owed it to her. However, the last thing she wanted to do was talk about him. She was trying to push him out of her mind for now, but she couldn't exactly ask a child not to talk about their parent. So, she just sat there with a half-forced smile plastered on her face as CeeCee recalled their day.
Once CeeCee was done eating, Clary called Jordan to make sure he was ready to drive them to the school. He confirmed he was down in the garage, ready to go. She led CeeCee to the garage, strapping her into the car seat in the back of the Escalade before getting in next to her. She had been working for Jace for months and still felt weird riding in the large SUV. It reminded her of the types of cars celebrities were driven around in, and it wasn't the type of car she ever expected to even step foot in.
At the school, Clary helped CeeCee out of the vehicle and watched her walk through the front doors of the school, making sure she got in alright. She then got back into the car, this time in the passenger seat. Jordan turned off the children's playlist that had been playing for CeeCee and switched over to his own music. Loud rock filled the car, which was his usual choice of music once CeeCee was dropped off.
Clary stared out the passenger window, her gaze falling on the side view mirror. There was an SUV behind them, a black Yukon with heavily tinted windows. She didn't know why, but something about it was giving her weird vibes. She knew it was ridiculous. It was just a car, and there had to be tons of people in New York who drove black SUVs. She herself was in one. Yet, she couldn't shake the odd feeling in her stomach. Noting the license number, just in case she needed it, she turned to look out the windshield instead.
She had been so distracted by the car behind them that she hadn't noticed the fact that Jordan was not driving toward home.
"Where are we going?" she asked, looking around at the unfamiliar buildings.
He glanced at her, giving her a nervous smile. "Mr. Herondale's office. He wants to talk with you."
She stiffened in her seat. "Why?"
Jordan shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him. "He didn't say."
Clary bit the inside of her cheek as knots began to form in her stomach. Why did Jace want to speak to her? And why did he want her to talk to him at his office instead of at home? Her fears from earlier hit her full force again. He was going to fire her. He decided that last night had been a mistake, and didn't want to deal with any of the awkward aftermath.
"What do you think he wants?"
He shrugged again. "Fuck if I know. He doesn't usually call his home employees to his work office, though. Hopefully it's not bad."
"You're not helping," she groaned, throwing her head back against the seat.
"Well, have you done anything you shouldn't have?" he questioned.
She remained silent for a moment. Technically, there wasn't a rule against sleeping with her boss. That didn't mean it wasn't something she wasn't supposed to do, though. "I don't know. Maybe," she finally responded."
"Maybe? How do you maybe do something wrong?"
Clary shook her head. "Look, I don't really want to talk about it."
"I'm going to be really pissed if you did do something to get your ass fired," Jordan sighed.
She scoffed. "Why would you care?"
He looked at her for a second, smirking. "Because I actually like you and don't want to get stuck watching some old hag or something if you get cut loose."
"Thanks, I guess," she said, crossing her arms and leaning back in the seat.
She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the same car still behind them. She debated saying something to Jordan but figured he was already aware. After all, he did not get paid to be oblivious to what was going on around him. She also figured she was probably thinking too much into it. Whoever was driving could easily just be going in the same direction as them.
Joran finally turned into a parking garage, and Clary watched as the other SUV kept driving down the road. She felt slightly relieved, knowing she had been worrying about nothing. The rest of her was still on edge, though. She didn't know what Jace wanted from her, and she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to know.
Jordan pulled into a reserved parking space and looked over at Clary before turning the engine off. "Are you ready?" he asked.
She let out a sigh. "I guess," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the car door.
Jordan led her to an elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. Clary inwardly groaned as she realized she had to anxiously wait in the elevator for forty floors. She crossed her arms over her body again and started tapping her foot on the floor. Jordan glanced at her, a small frown on his face, but didn't say anything. Clary thought about what he had said earlier, and found it oddly comforting that he would be upset if she lost her job. She hadn't expected to really make an impression on anybody else that worked for Jace, even if they were paid to follow her around whenever she was with CeeCee.
The doors slid open to reveal the top floor. A few feet from the elevator was a large receptionist desk with a beautiful woman seated behind a computer screen. To the right of the desk was a waiting room, and to the right was a large wooden door. Clary assumed that was Jace's office, considering there weren't any other doors around. She was slightly surprised that he had an entire floor to himself, though. That seemed a bit excessive.
"Hello, Catarina," Jordan grinned, approaching the desk. Clary reluctantly followed him.
"Kyle," she said, not even looking up at him.
"Why are you always so cold to me, sweetheart?" he asked, his grin spreading wider.
Catarina looked up, her dark blue eyes narrowing at him. "Because you don't know how to leave me alone. You here to ask me out again?"
"As much as I would like to, I'm actually here on an errand. I have a Miss Fray here for Mr. Herondale."
Catarina turned attention to Clary, seeming to just notice she was there. "I was told he would be expecting you," she said. "I'll let him know you're here."
Clary nodded, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Catarina picked up the phone on her desk and punched a button. Clary heard her talking to Jace, telling him that she had arrived. She hung up the phone a few seconds later, telling Clary she was all set to go in.
"Please tell me you're taking this one with you," Catarina said, nodding her head in Jordan's direction.
Clary smiled awkwardly. "Unfortunately, I am not," she said.
Catarina rolled her eyes. "What a shame."
Jordan turned his attention to Clary. "It'll be fine," he said, giving her a reassuring smile.
She took a deep breath before walking toward the door. She cautiously opened the door, stepping in and closing it behind her. Jace was sitting behind a large dark oak desk, a phone pressed to his ear. He looked up her and motioned for her to sit as he continued whatever conversation he was having.
She followed his instructions, sitting in one of the two plush black chairs across from him. She looked around his office as he talked on the phone. There were a few paintings hanging on the auburn red walls. A black leather couch was against one of the walls with a glass coffee table sitting in front of it. On the opposite wall was a drink cart and mini fridge. The most impressive aspect of his office had to be the windows, though. They were floor-to-ceiling and overlooked the city. It was an amazing view, and Clary felt it had to be some sort of crime for Jace to have his back facing those windows most of the time.
Clary focused on Jace again as she heard him mention Jordan's name. "He's up here. I want you to take him with you, just in case," he said to whoever was on the other line. "Keep me updated."
Jace ended the call, placing his phone on the desk in front of him. He ran a hand through his hair, and an image of her own hands running through that hair flashed across her mind. She quickly shook away the memory, not needing to be thinking of that at the moment.
"Everything all right?" she asked after a half minute of silence had passed.
Jace placed his elbows on the desk and leaned into his hands. "You tell me," he said, staring straight into her eyes.
"What?" she asked. He was the one that called her in. If something was not all right, he would be the one to know.
"You left," he said simply. "I want to know why."
She narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head to the side. "Are you kidding me?" she hissed. Jace slightly recoiled, looking taken aback by her response. "You brought me all the way down here for this?"
"Yes?" Jace responded, suddenly sounding unsure of himself.
"Do you realize how unprofessional that is?" It was not lost on her that she was not exactly in a position to be talking about professionalism. "That is a total abuse of power. I thought you were going to fire me or something, Jesus."
Jace quickly regained his composure, leaning across the desk with a smirk on his face. "We are far past the point of professionalism, now. And you're avoiding the question, Miss Fray."
"And you're avoiding admitting you made a mistake," she shot back.
"Alright," he said, putting his hands up in surrender and leaning back in his chair. "I'm sorry. I should not have brought you here for personal reasons. But since you're already here, we might as well talk."
Crossing her left knee over her right, she looked back out the window behind him. She didn't say anything for a few moments, trying to figure out what she wanted to say. Jace continued to lean back in his chair, and she could feel his burning gaze on her.
"I was scared," she finally said, still looking out the window.
"Of?" Jace pushed.
"The repercussions."
She heard him shift in his seat but continued to avoid looking at him. "What repercussions?" he asked.
"You realizing it was a mistake, that we shouldn't have done what we did, and whatever course of action you decided to take."
He was silent for a few seconds. "Do you think it was a mistake?"
His voice was quiet, and something in it caused her to look at him again. He was staring intensely at her, his eyes begging her to give him the answer he wanted.
"No," she said honestly. She should think it was a mistake. You didn't sleep with your boss, especially not when you came from two completely different worlds. She wanted to think it was a mistake. That way she could put an end to it before she risked anything more. But deep down, she didn't think it was a mistake. It was something she had wanted to happen, and she had enjoyed it.
Letting out a breath, Jace smiled. "I don't either."
Clary felt relieved at his answer. He didn't think it was a mistake. She had been worried about nothing all day. There was something else nagging at her, though. Where did this leave them? Was it a one-time thing? Was it going to become something more? Were they going to be fuck buddies or something more serious?
"What now?" she blurted out.
Jace cocked his head to the side. "I mean, I was kind of hoping we could see where things go."
Clary fought the urge to grin at his response. He actually wanted her, and while that made her want to get out of the chair and do a happy dance, there was one problem facing them.
"What about CeeCee?" she asked. "We can't just 'see where things go' with her being in the middle. If things go south, I don't want it affecting her."
"Then we keep things on the down low for now," he said simply.
"Down low," she repeated. "So like secret?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know it doesn't sound good, but I think it's the best option. We see where things go when CeeCee is in bed or at Kaelie's and keep it to ourselves. At least until we know where everything is headed. If we do end up becoming something serious, and we're confident it'll be more than just a fling, we let people know. That way, we can be as sure as we can that CeeCee doesn't get hurt in the process. If things go south, as you so eloquently put it, nobody is the wiser, and CeeCee won't be involved."
"I just don't want her to be upset if I'm suddenly no longer there," Clary admitted. She knew CeeCee was growing attached to her, and she didn't know how the little girl would handle it if she was just gone one day.
Jace's brow furrowed, and he frowned. "Why do you always think I'm going to fire you?"
She shrugged. "Prepare for the best, expect the worst?"
"Listen, Clary, no matter what happens between us personally, I will not let it affect us professionally." She gave him a pointed look. "Okay, except for today. But you are doing such a great job with CeeCee, and I'm not going to let my personal choices affect her. If we don't work out, you will still have a job. I promise. CeeCee adores you and you're going to have to really fuck up for me to even consider letting you go. "
Clary nodded, but before she could say anything, her phone rang in her pocket. Shooting Jace an apologetic look, she pulled it out and answered, noting the call was coming from CeeCee's school.
"Is this Miss Fray?" the woman on the line asked.
"This is her," Clary responded.
"Hi, I'm the school nurse here and CeeCee came to me saying she felt unwell. She's running a fever, and our policy requires students with fevers to stay home. Are you available to pick her up as soon as possible?"
Clary glanced at Jace, who was watching her. "Yeah, of course. I'll be right there." Jace gave her a questioning look as she hung up the phone and stood up. "CeeCee's sick. I need to go pick her up from school," she explained, heading toward the door.
"Wait," he said. "Jordan went with Luke to take care of a security matter. The keys for the Escalade should be downstairs. If you're okay with driving. I can call and get Jordan here—"
Clary cut him off, laughing lightly. "Jace, it's fine. Don't worry about it. The sooner I pick up CeeCee, the better."
He nodded before offering a small smile. "I'll see you tonight?"
"See you tonight," she replied.
Clary had CeeCee buckled into her car seat as she carefully drove toward home. She had never driven a car even close to the size of the Escalade, and she didn't want to cause an accident, especially with CeeCee in the back. When she had picked CeeCee up from school, the little girl was burning up. Clary thought it was odd considering she had been fine in the morning. However, CeeCee had been to the children's museum the previous day, and there was no telling what she could have caught there.
Clary looked in the rearview mirror to see how CeeCee, who was currently asleep in her car seat, was doing. Her eyes widened as she noticed the car that was behind them. A black Yukon. Part of her wanted to shake it off. It was a popular model car around the city. The rest of her was about to go into panic mode, though, as that unsettling feeling filled her stomach again. The vehicle was too far back for her to read the plates, so she couldn't even be sure that it was the same one from earlier.
She pressed her foot down on the gas a little more, speeding up. The unsettling feeling grew as the car behind also picked up speed. If the car was following her, she didn't want to lead whoever was driving it to the penthouse. If the driver didn't already know where she was going, she didn't want them to find out. She took a few random turns, seeing if she could shake the vehicle, but the car followed her at every turn.
Panic began to completely settle in at that point. Her heart rate picked up significantly and sweat coated her palms. She pushed down harder on the gas, but the Yukon only followed suit. In fact, it sped up more, closing in on Clary. At a loss for what to do, she pressed a button on the radio screen. The car was Bluetooth enabled and currently connected to her phone.
The sound of a line ringing filled the car, and she silently prayed for Jace to pick up. She cussed under her breath when the phone went to voicemail, and she tried dialing again. She knew the phone was about to go to voicemail again when Jace finally picked up.
"Clary? What's going on?" he asked, clearly concerned, knowing she wouldn't call his personal line unless it was important.
"I'm being followed," she said, her voice thick. Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she held them in. She couldn't lose control of her emotions. She had to try to remain calm. If she let the panic fully take over she would be at risk of making a mistake. That was not something she could afford to let happen with CeeCee in the back.
"What do you—"
He was cut off as the Yukon sped up enough to hit the back of the Escalade. CeeCee woke up at the impact, a cry coming from her mouth. Her panicked eyes met Clary's in the rearview mirror as Clary pressed even harder on the gas.
"What's happening?" Jace shouted through the phone.
"Daddy?" CeeCee called out at the sound of his voice.
Clary ignored her, though. She had to focus on getting them both safely out of this situation. She took a sharp turn, cutting off another car, hoping to lose the Yukon. And she did for a few brief seconds before it was right behind her again.
"What is happening, Clary?" Jace demanded again.
"We're being followed, and I can't lose them," she yelled back.
"Where are you?"
"I don't know," she said, her voice cracking.
"You don't know?" Jace growled.
"I was trying to lose them and took a bunch of turns. I don't know where I am. Nothing looks familiar," she said as she took in her surroundings.
"Shit, okay." Jace paused for a second. "I'll see if Luke can track the car, just continue driving. Try to lose him and avoid any accidents. I'll call you right back."
He ended the call and a heavy silence fell. A few tears leaked from Clary's eyes, and she quickly brushed them away. Now was not the time to lose it. She glanced back again, checking how far way the Yukon was. It was still right behind her, but making no move to hit her again. She then looked at CeeCee, who had tears streaming down her face.
"Everything's going to be okay, sweetie," she said as convincingly as she could. All CeeCee did was sniffle in return.
Clary continued to drive, taking sharp turns every now and then, trying to catch the other driver by surprise. However, the driver always managed to follow right behind her. Sometimes they would fall back after getting blocked by a car, but they caught up every time.
It felt like hours before the phone started to ring again. Clary immediately hit the answer button.
"Jace?" she said, her voice pleading.
"Sorry, Miss Fray," Luke's voice came through the speakers. "You're stuck with me for right now. There's a tracker on the Escalade, and I'm following your movements. I need you to listen to me and follow my instructions very carefully, okay?"
Clarry nodded, and then realized he wasn't able to see her do so. "Okay," she responded, her grip tightening on the steering wheel.
"Keep in mind that I can only see you, not any of the traffic around you. You just have to bear with me. Now, in two streets I need you take a left, alright?"
Clary followed his instructions. She took the turn at the last minute in another desperate attempt to lose the car behind her. Just like every other time, it didn't work.
"Good job," Luke said. "Now, there's an on ramp to the expressway coming up. Take that." Clary did as he said. "Is the other vehicle still behind you?"
"Yes," she said, glancing in the rearview mirror again. "Like right behind me."
"I need you to get into the center lane, okay?"
Clary swerved into the center lane, narrowly avoiding another car. The Yukon driver also got into the lane, speeding up on the car she had cut off until it moved out of their way and they were right behind her again. "They're still behind me," she said, even though he hadn't asked.
"Listen very carefully to me, Miss Fray. The second you get the chance, I need you take an exit at the last possible second. Cut someone off in the right lane, I don't care. Just make sure that there's no way for the vehicle behind you to follow without hitting someone. I think this is the only way you'll lose him, do you understand?"
"Yes," she said, tightening her grip even more. She heard the sound of a honking horn coming from his end. "Where are you?" she asked.
"In another vehicle. Jordan is driving. We're going to catch up to you as soon as we can. But I really need you to focus, okay?"
"Right, sorry."
"There's an exit coming up in a couple hundred feet. If you can make that one, it would be preferable."
Clary glanced at the right lane. There was just enough space for her to squeeze through if she needed to. She kept right behind the open space, hoping that if she punched the gas to get through it, the Yukon driver wouldn't have the time to follow.
The exit lane started next to the right lane, and Clary kept her eye on it. She waited until there was just barely a cars length left of space in the lane to make her move. She slammed her foot on the gas pedal, forcing the car to hurtle forward. She jerked the wheel to the right, just barely missing the car she had been driving next to and narrowly making it onto the off ramp.
She looked in the review mirror again, and let out a sob of relief when she didn't see the Yukon right behind her. She knew the right lane had been heavily filled with traffic, and the driver's chances of making onto her off ramp were slim to none. She didn't want to completely put it past them to pull it off, though, and she kept her speed up as she came off the expressway.
"Are you still being tailed?" Luke asked.
"No," Clary choked out. "I don't think so."
She heard him let out a heavy breath. "Okay. That's really good. We're near you, and I'm going to direct you to us okay?"
She followed his directions, turning when and where he told her to. She kept her eye on the rearview mirror, though, making sure the Yukon didn't make an appearance again. CeeCee was still crying in the backseat, and all Clary wanted to do was comfort her. She couldn't quite yet, though. She wouldn't feel like they were totally in the clear until they were with Jordan and Luke.
Finally, she turned into a half-empty department store parking lot. Toward the back of the parking lot was a lone black sedan, which she knew was where Luke was. She pulled in next to the sedan and had just barely put the car in park when Jace burst out of the other car's backseat. He rushed over, throwing open the backdoor and making quick work of CeeCee's car seat.
"Oh my God, CeeCee," she heard him breathe out as he pulled his daughter out of the car. "You're alright."
She didn't hear CeeCee's response as Jace walked away from the SUV with his daughter in his arms. Clary remained where she was, staring blankly out the windshield with her hands still on the steering wheel. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, and she finally allowed herself to cry freely.
A hand touched her arm, startling her. She hadn't even realized someone had opened her door. Turning her head, she saw Jordan standing there, concern etched into his features. Behind him, the black sedan, and Jace and CeeCee, were already gone.
"They went home with Luke," he explained, following her line of sight. "I'm going to drive you home now, okay?"
She nodded but didn't move. Jordan leaned over and unbuckled her seatbelt.
"I'm going to need you to let go of the wheel, Clary," he said softly.
Clary did as instructed. She hadn't noticed that she was still gripping it, he knuckles white. Joran moved the seatbelt completely off her, offering her his hand and helping her out of the car. With his hand on her back, he guided her to the seat right behind the driver's. She numbly buckled herself in and waited for Jordan to get in and start driving.
She looked out the window, watching the city pass by as he drove. Everything suddenly hit her, and she started crying harder. She could have died. CeeCee could have died. What would have happened if she hadn't noticed the car behind them? What if she had led whoever it was right to the penthouse? She didn't know what the driver had wanted, but it obviously wasn't good.
By the time they got home, the tears had dried up and she felt exhausted. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and pretend like none of it had happened. Luck wasn't on her side, though, as the elevator doors opened to reveal Luke and another man standing in the foyer. The man quickly introduced himself to Clary as a detective with the NYPD, saying he needed to ask her a few questions.
Clary went through the motions of talking with him, telling him everything she knew. She gave him the make and model of the vehicle, along with the license plate number. The detective was very appreciative of the fact she had noticed it. She also told him about how the same vehicle had been following them earlier. Jordan confirmed that part of the story, saying he also noticed the vehicle, but it had driven past them once he pulled into the parking garage.
The detective then went on to ask about motive, wanting to know if there was anybody who would want to harm her or Jace. She shrugged, saying she didn't know. She didn't have any enemies that she could think of. Jace probably did, but there was no way for her to know. That was when Luke stepped in to say there wasn't anybody he could think of specifically that would be after Jace or his daughter.
Once the detective got everything he needed and left, Clary stood awkwardly in the foyer with Luke and Jordan. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and stared at the floor, unsure about what to do.
"Jace is taking care of CeeCee right now if you want to go lay down or something," Luke offered.
She nodded mutely and started towards her room but stopped when Luke called out to her.
"You did a really great job today, kid. You should be proud," he said.
Clary forced a small smile at him, but still didn't say anything as she walked to her room. She went straight into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a tangled mess from constantly running her hands through it, and her face was red and puffy from crying. She threw her hair up into a bun and took her time washing her face. She then changed into a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt, trying to find some sort of comfort.
There was a knock on her bedroom door, and she quietly padded over to open it. Jace stood in the doorway, his hands shoved into the pockets of his suit pants. He had taken off his jacket and tie, leaving the first few buttons of his shirt undone. "Can I come in?" he asked warily.
Clary nodded, moving aside so he could step in. She closed the door behind him and leaned against the doorjamb with her arms crossed. "How's CeeCee?" she asked.
He ran a hand through his already messy hair and sat on the edge of her bed. "I don't know. She seemed really shaken up. I couldn't get her to calm down and ended up calling her pediatrician. Since she's already sick, he just told me to give her some children's NyQuil to at least get her asleep." He was quiet for a moment, looking down at his shoes. "How are you doing?" He looked up at her, his voice low.
She shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "I'm fine."
"Bullshit," he said bluntly. "I just talked to Jordan. It doesn't sound like you're fine."
Rolling her eyes, she pushed off the doorjamb. "What do you want me to say, Jace?"
"The truth would be a nice start."
She sighed heavily, sitting down next to him. Placing her elbows on her knees, she put her head in her hands. "I'm freaked out, okay?" she admitted. "We could have been killed. Something could have happened to CeeCee. I could have—"
Jace gently placed a hand on her back and cut her off. "Hey," he said softly, "stop focusing on the could have's. There were a lot of things that could have happened, but they didn't. I know what just happened must have been terrifying, but you're okay, and that's all that matters."
Clary leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He moved his hand from her back and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tighter against him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her temple.
Her brow furrowed. Why was he apologizing? Nothing that happened was his fault. "For what?"
"For not checking in on you sooner."
She pulled away from his slightly in order to look at his face. "Don't apologize for that," she said, frowning. "You were with your daughter. She comes first, Jace."
Clary honestly hadn't thought anything about it when Jace had left with CeeCee. She was still his employee, and they had just a few hours ago decided to try being something more. Even if they had been dating, she wouldn't have been upset about it. He was a father, and she knew and understood he was always going to be a father first.
He gave her a faint smile and pulled her into his side again, rubbing his hand gently up and down her arm. "Thank you for being so understanding." He gave her another kiss, this time on the crown of her head.
"What happens now?" she asked quietly, picking up his free hand and lightly tracing patterns on his palm.
"I'm upping security protocol. The plates came up stolen, and we have no idea who was behind the wheel, which means we don't know who they were after. Not only is Jordan to go everywhere with you and CeeCee with absolutely no exceptions, I also want you to have someone with you if you leave alone."
She scoffed and moved to pull away again, but he held her against him. She settled for awkwardly angling her head to see his face. "I can handle myself, Jace."
She had always been an independent person. Even when her mom was still around, she still tended to take care of herself. Now with her mom gone, she had become an expert at it. She had survived the streets of New York by herself at night just fine for the past few months. She was sure she'd be fine with whoever had followed her and CeeCee. The day's situation had freaked her out, but that had just been a brief moment of weakness. Now that she knew there was someone out there, someone who might want to harm her, she was going to make sure she was more diligent and aware.
"I'm not saying you can't," Jace said. "I would just feel better if you had someone with you."
"That's a waste of money and resources."
"Honey, neither of those things are a problem for me. What would be a problem for me is if something happened to you. Yes, I was terrified that something was going to happen to CeeCee when I was on the phone with you, but I was also worried about you. If something had happened to you and it had been my fault, I don't know what I'd do. So, please, just ease my mind?"
She took a moment to think about it, her heart constricting in her chest. He sounded so sincere, and she believed he truly cared about her safety.
"Okay," she said, giving in. "But nobody is to follow me into work. They can pick me up and drop me off and whatever, but security at Pandemonium is sufficient enough." She didn't want whatever personal security he hired to interfere with her job.
"Fair enough," he said, giving her a genuine smile. "Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered.
He let out a light chuckle. "CeeCee should be out for awhile, and I took the rest of the day off so I can be here with her. I want you to take the afternoon off and just decompress. It's been a rough day."
"Are you sure? I really don't mind. I—"
"Clary, you need to take some time for yourself right now. I'm fully capable of handling my daughter for the afternoon."
Once again, she gave into him. "Okay," she sighed.
"Get some rest," he instructed as he stood up. Placing a chaste kiss on her lips, he slipped out of her room to go check on his daughter again.
I was stuck in airports for hours while trying to get back to school, so here you go.