It had been a few weeks since the car incident, and things had really seemed to calm down. As promised, Jace had increased his security, but nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Clary still thought having Jordan follow her around even when she wasn't with CeeCee was a little ridiculous, but she knew arguing with Jace would be pointless. Plus, it seemed to make him happy and put his mind at ease, which is something she was glad to do.

She was currently sitting in CeeCee's room helping the little girl pack for her upcoming trip for Thanksgiving. She was going to spend the week with Kaelie and Kaelie's parents. While apprehensive about this, Clary had been slightly excited, thinking she was about to have a week alone with Jace. That, however, was not the case. He was going away to California on business. He had to speak with researchers at Stanford or something, which meant she was going to spend the week alone.

Jace didn't know that, though. He thought she was at least going to go with Izzy and Simon to the Lewis's for actual Thanksgiving. She had been invited but declined the offer. She didn't want to intrude. It was Izzy's and Simon's first Thanksgiving as an engaged couple, and Clary knew that Izzy needed the time to win over Simon's mother.

Izzy had also stressed the fact that it was going to be Clary's first Thanksgiving without her own mother, and she didn't want Clary to be alone. Clary had shrugged it off, though. With it just being her and her mom growing up, they never really made a big fuss out of the day anyway. On top of that, she felt like she had to prove that'd she be fine without her mom. She was tired of everyone, namely Izzy, acting like she was going to fall apart without her. It was almost a year since her passing, and Clary felt like she was doing fine.

While she had declined Izzy's offer, she led Jace to believe she had actually accepted it. They had grown a lot closer over the past few weeks, spending late nights together once CeeCee was in bed. Sometimes they just stayed up and talked, other times they partook in certain other activities. She had a feeling he would worry if he knew she was spending Thanksgiving alone, and she didn't want to cause that. Plus, she knew he would make Jordan stick around for her, and she wanted him to be able to spend the day with his family.

Clary closed the suitcase and looked over at CeeCee. She noticed she was staring at the luggage, a frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, shifting to face CeeCee.

"I don't wanna go," she answered quietly.

"You don't want to go?" Clary repeated, and CeeCee nodded. "Why not?"

"I wanna stay here with you."

Clary froze. She wasn't sure how she should respond to that. Part of her was glad to hear that answer. She was happy that CeeCee liked her and they had a good relationship. The rest of her was worried, though. While she wanted CeeCee to like her, she didn't know how long she would be around for. She didn't want CeeCee to get too hurt if she left.

"Don't you want to spend time with your family?" she asked carefully. "I heard your grandparents have some pretty exciting things planned for you." Clary knew Disney World was on the itinerary for the week, but it was supposed to be kept a secret. "You're going to have much more fun with them than you would being stuck here with me."

"I don't care," CeeCee whined, climbing off the floor to stand up. "I want to stay here." She stomped her left foot.

"CeeCee," Clary said, her voice stern. It felt weird to speak to her that way. "Your grandparents want to spend time with you and the plans have already been made. You're going whether you want to or not."

Clary was honestly a little thrown off. CeeCee hadn't acted like this before. She was usually very mild-mannered. Clary wasn't prepared to handle it if CeeCee decided to throw a full-blown tantrum.

Angry tears welled up in CeeCee's eyes, and Clary scrambled to think of a way to placate her.

"When you come back, we can spend an entire day together, just you and me," she offered, "but only if you calm down and are on your best behavior this week. Sound good?"

CeeCee sniffed, running the back of her arm over her eyes. "Promise?" She stuck her pinky finger out at Clary.

"Promise," Clary said, smiling and hooking her pinky around CeeCee's. She just needed to get Jace to allow her to fulfill that promise.

A knock came from the door, and Jace poked his head in, as if he knew that she was thinking of him. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Clary looked at CeeCee, raising an eyebrow in question. The little girl nodded, and Clary offered her a smile. Clary helped her put on her coat and backpack before giving her the handle of the suitcase. CeeCee walked out of the room, wheeling the luggage behind her, and Clary followed. Luke was standing in the foyer, his hands clasped in front of him.

"CeeCee," Jace said from behind them, "why don't you go with Luke to the garage and I'll be right there?"

CeeCee's gaze flickered to Clary, and Clary knelt down in front of her. "Remember," she said softly, "best behavior." CeeCee nodded, and Clary pulled her into a hug. "Have lots of fun."

Clary let go and stood back up. Luke took the suitcase from CeeCee and led her into the elevator. Clary waved at her as the doors slid closed.

"Best behavior?" Jace asked.

Clary sighed and turned to face him. "She was very adamant about not wanting to go. I told her if she was on her best behavior we could spend a day together. I hope that was alright."

Jaces brow furrowed and the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. "Why didn't she want to go?"

Clary bit the inside of her cheek, debating how to answer. She ultimately decided to go with the truth, even though she wasn't sure how he would react. "She said she wanted to stay here with me."

Jace gently grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him. "That makes two of us."

Clary bit back a smile. "You're not concerned?"

He shrugged. "I'm just not surprised. I mean, it's not ideal, but she spends more time with you than her mother. She's bound to form some sort of attachment." He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'm going to miss you," he sighed.

"You could just not go," she mumbled.

He chuckled, and she felt the vibrations in his chest. "I would if I could, babe."

He pulled away slightly, dipping his head to press his lips against hers. She melted into his touch and moved to deepen the kiss, opening her mouth to him. He accepted her offer, his tongue moving past her lips. She moved her hands up, knotting them in his curls. With a groan, he pulled away.

"If we don't stop now, I'm not going to be able to get on that plane."

"That doesn't exactly sound like a bad thing," she smirked, running a finger down his chest.

He groaned again, stepping away from her. "You're killing me, Clare. I would love nothing more than to spend a week alone with you. Unfortunately, duty calls."

"I know," she sighed.

He moved to retrieve his coat from the rack. "Remember to stay safe while I'm gone," he said, pulling on the coat. "Don't go anywhere without Jordan."

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes.

"Clary," he said, his voice commanding. She met his eyes. "Don't be like that."

"I'm sorry," she said, feeling guilty after seeing the concern in his eyes. He was just worried about her and didn't want to risk anything happening.

"How are you getting to Simon's on Thursday?"

"I'm just going to take a cab," she shrugged, the half-lie tasting bitter on her tongue. She was taking a taxi, just not to Simon's mother's. She had other plans for the day.

"Are you sure? I can have Jordan—"

She shook her head. "Let him have the day off with his family. I'll be fine." He frowned, and she quickly added, "If something doesn't feel right or something bad happens, I'll call, okay?"

He looked conflicted but nodded. "Okay." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him once more. He placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips, reaching behind himself to call the elevator. "Be safe."

"You too," she whispered as he stepped into the elevator.

The beginning of the week crawled by for her. She spent most of the days lounging around the penthouse and working on a few art projects. At night, she went to Pandemonium and worked a few hours. Bat had let her pick up some shifts since she was available and wanted something to do. She felt bad for Jordan having to drive her there and pick her up at odd hours of the night. He swore he didn't mind, though.

It was finally Thursday, and she was glad to have day completely to herself. Sure, she had spent the days alone, but she felt trapped. She had wanted to go out and do something but hadn't wanted to call Jordan and make him go along with her. It made her feel guilty to have to drag him around places.

Her cellphone dinged with a text that was letting her know her cab was downstairs. She made her way to the garage and got into the vehicle, giving the driver the address for Takis. She remembered the diner being open last year on Thanksgiving. Her and her mother had never really done anything extravagant to begin with, but last year they didn't even have the effort to try. Her mother was weak from treatment and Clary was exhausted from working to support them and taking care of her.

The cab pulled up in front of the building, and Clary noticed the open sign was lit up and blinking in the window. She gave the driver a cash, telling him too keep the change. It had been at least a month since she had been Takis—it had been difficult for her, Simon, and Izzy to get together like they used to lately. She was really missing good old-fashion diner food.

The bell above the door jingled as she walked through the door. Her eyes fell upon a familiar figure standing behind the hostess podium.

"Maia?" she said.

"Clary!" the other girl shouted, her brown eyes widening. She stepped around the podium and threw her arms around Clary. "It's so good to see you!"

Clary returned the hug, patting Maia gently on the back before pulling away. "It's good to see you, too. How long have you been working here?"

Maia shrugged, returning to her spot behind the podium. "Just a few weeks. I've been kinda bouncing around jobs since Magnus shut down." She pulled out a menu. "What about you? How have things been going?"

Clary smiled shyly. "Really good actually," she admitted.

"Oh?" Maia quirked an eyebrow at her as she began to a booth. "Care to elaborate?"

"Things have just been really going my way lately," Clary replied. She noticed there were a few other lonely patrons spread throughout the diner. "I have a pretty steady job at the moment and," she paused, considering how much detail she wanted to offer, "things are just good, you know?"

Maia set the menu down on a table, gesturing for Clary to sit down. She sat down on the opposite side of the table from her. "Is there a man involved?" she asked, leaning towards her.

Clary bit her lip and looked down, but she didn't offer a response.

Maia let out a little squeal. "That's so exciting! Tell me about him."

Clary smiled, shaking her head. "There's really not much to tell. It's a pretty new thing. We're just seeing where things go right now."

Maia kept a grin on her face. "I'm so happy for you, Clary. I'm really glad things are finally working out for you."

Clary looked down at her lap, heat rising in her smiling cheeks. "Thanks," she muttered.

The bell above the door rang again, and Maia let out a sigh. "I gotta go, but we need to catch up soon." She took a pen and piece of paper out of her apron and scribbled a line on it. "Here's my number. Call me and we can meet up?"

"Yeah, of course," Clary replied, watching as Maia bounced away, back to the front of the diner.

Clary shoved her gloved hands into her pockets and drew her neck into her coat as she braved the cold New York air once again. The diner had gotten oddly busy for a holiday, and Maia hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her much. She had left the moment she finished her meal, knowing she would be waiting around for a while if she tried to talk with Maia again.

The sidewalks were unusually empty, and the sky was a grim grey, which she found fitting for her next destination. A large gust of wind blew through the air, causing Clary to wince as the cold stung at her face. She picked up her pace, turning to the wrought iron fence surrounding the cemetery. The air around her seemed to still as she passed through the gate.

Her footsteps were silent as she walked down the concrete path. She noticed quite a few bouquets of flowers left on graves as she passed by. Their bright reds, yellows, and pinks stood out against the gray marble of the headstones.

She stepped off the path, the frosty brown grass crunching under her shoes. She stopped before one of the newer headstones and crouched down. Reaching out, she ran her fingers of the cold marble, tracing the letters engraved on its surface: Jocelyn Fray.

"Hi, Mom," she whispered, her voice echoing in the empty air. "I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while."

It had been a few months since she last came. It was still difficult for her to be there, knowing her mother's body lay in a casket underneath her feet. Clary tried not to imagine what her mother looked like at this point in time, but the image invaded her mind anyway. She pictured her decaying body, maggots and other bugs crawling all over her. Clary had wanted to have Jocelyn cremated, not liking the idea of her body just rotting in the ground, but a proper burial was in Jocelyn's last wishes. She had found it kind of ironic, considering how much of a free spirit she had been. Clary had expected Jocelyn to want to be cremated and her ashes spread across the ocean or something.

With a sigh, she sat down on the grass, ignoring the chill that seeped through the material of her jeans. "A lot has changed. For the better." She smiled, looking up at the sky. "I'm actually really happy, Mom," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "I-I didn't expect for that to happen after losing you and then everything that happened with Raphael." She let out a bitter laugh. "God, I'm glad you weren't around for that. Although, you probably would have marched right over to his house and kicked his ass." She shook away her thoughts about Raphael.

"I've found someone good, though. I think." She shivered as another gust of wind blew by. "We're in kind of a weird situation right now, but he's nothing like Raph." She picked at the grass with her gloved fingers. "He has a daughter, which I know you would hate. You would say that it's too much baggage for someone my age. She's such an amazing kid, though. She's definitely her own person, and I think you would really like her."

Her phone rang in her coat pocket, the sound slicing through the air and causing her to startle slightly. Removing her glove, she pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID.

"Hey, Jace," she answered. "Isn't it a bit early where you are?" It was only 11 New York time, meaning it was only 8 in California.

"I have a busy schedule today and wanted to make my calls while I had the time," his voice came through the receiver.

"How's California?" she asked.

"Warm," he laughed. "I'm not going to want to come back to frigid New York on Saturday. Honestly would probably stay a few more days if I didn't have you waiting for me."

"You could stay there for a little longer if you wanted. I wouldn't mind," she said. It was a blatant lie, but if he was having a good time she didn't want to get in the way of that.

"I know you don't mean that," he replied. "How's the Lewis's?"

"It's fine. I've been spending a lot of time with Elaine because Simon and Izzy are off in their own little world. But that's to be expected."

"It sure is," he said. "Since I'm already on the phone, would you mind passing me over to Izzy?"

Clary froze. "Like I said, she's with Simon. I really don't want to interrupt."

"Come on, she can spare a few minutes for me," he pushed.

She swallowed hard. "I, uh, I, "she stammered, unable to think of a quick excuse.

"Clary," he said, "I know you aren't with them."

Her stomach dropped. "You do?"

"Mhm," he hummed. "I called Izzy before you. I asked how you were doing, and she said she wasn't sure since you didn't come with them."

"Shit," she muttered under her breath."

"You didn't have to lie to me, Clare," he said. She could hear the hurt in his voice.

"I just didn't want to third wheel with them and it's their first Thanksgiving together and I thought they needed the time alone with Elaine."

"You could have just told me that. I could have had Jordan—"

"That's why I didn't," she cut him off. "I didn't want Jordan to have to babysit me all day again. I wanted him to be able to spend some time with his family."

She heard him sigh. "What have you been doing today, then?"

She bit her cheek, knowing he wasn't going to like her answer. "I went to Takis for a late breakfast and am currently taking a walk."

"You know I don't want you wandering around by yourself, Clary. We still don't know who followed you that day and whether or not it was you they were after."

She cradled the phone between her head and shoulder so she could pull her glove back on as the cold began to bite at her exposed skin. "I know. It's just that nothing's happened since then."

"That doesn't mean it won't!" he replied, slightly raising his voice.

"I'm sorry, okay? I just needed some space. I'm not like you. I'm not used to have someone follow me around to make sure I'm safe. It's kind of a lot for me. Please just try to understand that."

"I understand," he said after a brief moment of quiet. "I'm just worried about you. If something happened to you, I don't know what…" he trailed off.

"I know, Jace. And it's very sweet of you. I'm just trying to get used to it and really needed a break from it all."

"How far from home are you?" he asked.

"Not very. Just a short cab ride."

"Promise me you'll get a cab home once we hang up? I don't like the idea of you walking around by yourself."

Clary rolled her eyes. She had walked around New York by herself plenty before and nothing bad had happened to her. She didn't want to make him more upset than he already was, though. He was just looking out for her. "I promise."

"What else do you have planned for the day?"

She wanted to be evasive again but decided to answer honestly. "I have a shift at Pandemonium."

"Call Jordan and have him take you," he said without wasting a second.

She groaned, throwing her head back slightly. "Jace, no."

"Clary—"

"I'm putting my foot down on this one, Jace. I don't want to bother him today. He's dealt with me enough for the past few days. Like I told you the other day, if anything feels wrong or something happens, I promise I'll call."

He let out a breath. "Alright," he relented. "But you're going to take the Lincoln. I don't want you riding the subway or taking a cab that late, okay? Not with what happened."

"Okay," she said.

"Thank you," he responded quietly. "I need to make some more calls, but I promise I'll call again tomorrow. Miss you."

"Miss you, too," she said before ending the call.

With a sigh, she looked back at the grave in front of her. "I know he probably sounds a little controlling," she said out loud. "But it's different than Raph. He liked to control every aspect of my life for his own sick pleasure." She closed her eyes, remembering how Raphael had tried to completely take over her life. He would tell her who she could and couldn't hang out with. He dictated how many hours she could work. He was in charge of where she could and could not go.

"He controlled me to hurt me. Jace isn't like that, though. I think he's just scared. There was an incident a few weeks ago, and I don't think he liked how helpless he felt. I think he's just trying to keep something similar from happening again. I guess I'm just trying to explain it to you so you don't worry, you know?"

A crow squawked in a nearby tree and a few snow flurries began to fall from the sky. Clary stood up, stretching out her legs and regretting sitting on the grass. Her jeans were damp now.

"I promise to visit again soon," she said. "I love you and really wish you were still here."

Clary maneuvered around the throngs of people as she tried to deliver drinks to tables. She honestly wasn't that surprised by how packed Pandemonium was. A lot of the customers were workaholics who were too busy to build families. Coming to the club was probably the only thing they had to look forward to for the day. Other patrons were most likely just looking for a way to wind down after spending hours with their dysfunctional family members.

There had finally been a small lull in orders when one of the security guards approached her to let her know that there was a man asking for her specifically. She groaned inwardly, knowing it was Sebastian. She didn't understand his weird little obsession with her, and it was honestly starting to get on her nerves. At first, she hadn't minded because of the tips. But now, it seemed like he made sure he was there whenever she was working, and he wouldn't be satisfied unless it was her waiting on him.

After grabbing his usual order, she made her way over to his favorite booth, a fake smile plastered on her face. He was sitting in the booth alone dressed in dark pants and a gray button up, and his hair was neatly slicked back.

"Hello, Sebastian," she greeted, setting the drink down in front of him.

"Cherry," he said back, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "I was surprised to see you working on a weekday."

She shrugged. "I had some time off from my other job. I've actually been here all week."

"And I haven't been here to take advantage of your company." He frowned a little.

"You here by yourself tonight?" she asked, wanting to keep then conversation away from herself.

"I have a friend joining me later. I came early, though. Had to get away from all the family drama."

She forced a laugh. "Yeah, that's pretty typical for this time of year." She looked behind her at all the other people in the club. "I've gotta go take care of some other customers. I'll be back to check on you later and meet your friend."

"I'll be looking forward to it, Cherry."

The smile fell from her face as soon as she turned away from him. She quickly walked back to the bar, suddenly glad they were busy. It gave her an excuse to not spend as much time with him.

Helen was standing at the bar getting an order when Clary walked up, and she gave Clary a sideways glance. "Is Verlac back?" she asked.

Clary wondered how Helen knew that from just one look, but she nodded anyway. "Yeah. I'm just glad he didn't know I was working earlier in the week."

"Is he giving you trouble?" Bat asked while mixing a drink. They had ended up short staffed and Bat took over as bartender so Helen could help with waitressing.

Clary shook her head. "He's just a little annoying. It's nothing to worry about, though."

"Alright," Bat replied, a little skeptically. "You let me know if he bothers you, okay?"

She offered him a small smile. "Of course. Thanks, Bat."

That was one thing she loved about working for Bat: he looked after all his employees. He had zero tolerance for anybody messing with his servers or dancers, no matter how important or rich they were. He wasn't afraid to kick even the most powerful of men out if they were causing issues.

It took her awhile to be able to get back to Sebastian's table, not that she had a problem with that. She felt like she was being pulled all over the club and hadn't had the chance to go to the back booth. She figured if he was feeling impatient, he would have sent someone to retrieve her like usual.

His friend had joined him by time she approached his table, and she stopped dead in her tracks a few feet away when she saw who was sitting with him. She considered just turning away and asking someone else to cover the table, but Sebastian spotted her before she could move.

"Cherry!" he shouted. "Come here! I want you to meet my friend Raphael."

She knew from Simon that Raphael came to Pandemonium sometimes, but she had somehow managed to avoid being there when he was. Simon was always on the lookout for him when she was working, and he had promised to let her know if he ever showed up. So of course he showed up the one night Simon wasn't working with her.

Clary's feet felt like lead as she moved towards the table. Her eyes were locked on Raphael's dark ones. She could see the thinly veiled anger in them and had a feeling it was directed at her. She didn't know what she could have already done to make him mad, though. Then again, he never really needed a reason to be mad at her.

"Clarissa," Raphael drawled.

"Raphael," she said with a weak smile. "Good to see you again."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Sebastian questioned.

Clary fought the urge to roll her eyes at him. She didn't believe that he didn't know they knew each other. He had been at that gala, too. There was no way he didn't remember the scene caused by them and Simon. She had a feeling she was part of some game for at least one of them.

"We were involved at one point," Raphael said.

"Oh," Sebastian replied, his brow furrowing slightly. "I hope this isn't too awkward for you two."

Raphael smirked at her. "If anybody has an issue, it would be dear Clarissa. She didn't take to our breaking up too well."

"I'm fine," Clary lied. She didn't want either of them to know how much she was panicking on the inside. The only reason she wasn't completely freaking out was because she knew Bat would have her back if Raphael tried anything in the club. "What can I get you to drink?" she asked, even though she knew Raphael always drank.

"Oh, Clarissa," he sighed. "We haven't been separated that long. I'm sure you haven't forgotten what I like."

He was trying to egg her on, trying to get some sort of reaction out of her. She just smiled at him in return. "Of course. Silly me. Maker's Mark and a side of Coke, right?" she asked, and he nodded. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

She spent the night avoiding Raphael's and Sebastian's table as much as she could. However, as the night went on, the crowds thinned, and she had less people to distract herself with. Helen had kept asking her if she was okay, sensing something was wrong, but Clary just shrugged it off. She didn't want to explain the Raphael situation to anyone. Plus, there really wasn't anything for anyone to do. His presence was bothering her, but he hadn't even tried to touch her.

She set drinks down in front of the two men right before the end of her shift. "I'm about to take off," she said. "Do you have a preference in who takes over after me?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Cherry," he slurred slightly. "There's no point in us staying if you're not here. I would like to close my tab."

Clary nodded, heading back over to the bar to do just that. Sebastian had put his and Raphael's drinks on his tab, and Clary blanched at the total she ran his card. It was ridiculous how much some people would spend on alcohol in just one night. But knowing Raphael, he had probably built up a tolerance and it took him a lot to get him to where he wanted to be.

She took the receipt and card back to the table, handing them to Sebastian while ignoring the way Raphael's eyes were burning into the side of his face. Sebastian took the items from her and put them into his wallet.

"Cherry," he said just loud enough for her to hear over the music. "Come closer."

She hesitated a moment before leaning down closer to him. He brought his hand up and shoved a few bills in the front of her shirt, right between her breasts. She fought the urge to reach out and smack his hand away, not wanting to cause a scene or further upset the fuming Raphael who was watching the entire encounter.

"Have a good night, baby," Sebastian said.

Clary swallowed back the sick feeling in her stomach at his use of a pet name. She hated that he called her Cherry, but she would rather have him call her that for the rest of her life than ever have him call her baby again. There was only one person she was okay with calling her baby.

"You, too, Sebastian," she responded before hurrying a way from the table. She didn't even glance at Raphael as she did so.

As she gathered her things to leave, she pulled the bills out of her shirt. Her mouth fell open at the amount. Five hundred dollars. He had given her five hundred dollars. Normally, she would have been ecstatic over the tip, but in that moment, she just felt dirty. She didn't know what had changed, whether or not it had been because Raphael was there tonight, but she didn't like that feeling. Part of her wanted to just dump the money and leave it for someone else to find, but she knew that would be stupid.

She pulled her coat on over her work uniform, not bothering to change. She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Plus, she had driven there, so it wasn't like she was taking the subway in her skimpy outfit.

The cold air bit at her exposed skin as she stepped out into the alley. The back of it led to the parking lot where the Lincoln was. Her heels clicked on the asphalt as she walked slowly down the alley aware of the thin patches of ice that were scattered around. She heard someone call out behind her and her footsteps faltered for a second as she recognized Raphael's voice. Instead of turning around, she kept walking, picking up her speed a little.

"Clarissa!" he yelled again, sounding closer.

He had much longer legs than her and caught up to her in no time, his hand grabbing her by the elbow and forcing her to a stop. He pulled on her arm, making her turn around. She shrunk away from the fire that was blazing in his dark eyes.

"Do not ignore me when I call you," he seethed, his fingers digging harder into the flesh of her bicep.

"Let me go," she whimpered, trying to pull away.

He just tightened his grip again. "You do not tell me what to do, Clarissa. You better remember your fucking place. I did not appreciate your little attitude tonight."

"We're not dating anymore, Raphael," she said. "You don't get to tell me how to behave." Her voice sounded weak even to her own ears. The truth was, as long as he could make her as afraid as she was right in the moment, he would always be able to have some sort of control over her.

"I still deserve respect," he growled. "And what the fuck do you think you're doing? Whoring around with all my friends? I always knew you were nothing more than some gold-digging slut," he spat.

"I-I don't know what you mean." A few tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. She was really regretting not having Jordan take her to work. Why did she have to be so goddamn stubborn all the time?

"I'm not fucking stupid, Clarissa! First you're weaseling your way into Herondale's bed and now you're shacking up with Sebastian? Couldn't get the money out of me so now you're trying to fuck it out of someone else? Is that what's going on?"

"No, Raphael! I—" She let out a cry of pain as he once again tightened his grip. She felt like he was about to snap her bone in half.

"Don't. Lie. To. Me."

"I'm not!" she cried out.

He raised his hand as if about to strike her, and she flinched away, trying once again to yank her arm out of his grip. Before he could do anything, though, they were interrupted.

"Santiago!" a voice yelled from behind them.

Raphael immediately let go of her arm. Because she was trying to get out of his hold already, she fell to the ground, pushing her hands out to catch herself. The asphalt scraped at her palms and knees.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with one of my girls?" Bat demanded as he walked up to them.

"Nothing. We were just talking," Raphael said, his voice astoundingly calm and even.

"That's not what it looked like," Bat said. He looked around Raphael and at Clary. "Are you okay?"

Clary nodded as she picked herself up off the ground on shaky legs. "Y-Yeah. Thanks."

He gave her a nod. "Why don't you go ahead and go home while I talk to Mr. Santiago."

He didn't have to tell her twice. She took off toward the parking lot, almost slipping on ice more than once in her rush to do so. She didn't let out a breath until she was safely in the Lincoln with the doors locked. She fumbled with getting the keys out of her purse and shoving them into the ignition.

Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove, trying to keep them from shaking so much. Tears were pouring from her eyes, and eventually they blurred her vision so much that she had to pull over to the side of the road. She turned the hazards on, but left the car running for the heat.

Letting out a scream, she slammed her fist down on the steering as she sobbed. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid. She should have just agreed to let Jordan take her. Even if she hadn't, she should have at least asked someone to walk her out. She should have known Raphael wouldn't leave her alone so easily. She didn't even want to think about what would have happened if Bat hadn't come out.

She also didn't understand what Raphael wanted with her. He was the one who broke up with her. He obviously didn't want to date her, and she had no idea why he insisted on continuing to fuck with her. Was it some sick game to him? Did he just like to prove that he still had a hold over her? Was it something he got off on?

Her phone rang in her pocket, and she reached in to deny the call without even looking at the caller ID. The phone rang a few more times, and she just let it go to voicemail. She was not in the mood or the mindset to talk to someone right now. She was barely holding to together enough as it was. A dull throbbing came from her arm where Raphael had grabbed her, and she was sure there was probably already a nasty bruise there. She would have to find a way to hide it from Jace until it healed. The last thing she wanted was for him to find out about what happened.

She didn't know how long she was sitting there when suddenly, there was a light knocking on her window. She jumped in her seat, her hand flying to her chest. She slowly turned her head to look out the window, and she let out a sigh of relief as she saw Jordan standing there, bouncing on his feet. He signaled for her to unlock the door.

He opened the door and looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, ignoring his question and running her hands over her face to wipe away the evidence of her crying.

"Jace asked me to track your car," he replied simply. "He called me freaking the fuck out and saying you weren't answering your phone."

"Oh," was all she managed to say. She felt guilty for not answering the phone, but she also knew she wouldn't have been able to hide her breakdown from him.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" he asked, taking in her appearance.

She nodded, and he reached over, turning off the car and taking the keys out of the ignition. He then turned off the hazard lights and stepped back. With shaking hands, she undid her seatbelt and got out of the car, hitting the lock switch on the door before closing it.

"I'll have someone come get the car," Jordan said as they walked back to his vehicle. It was a Dodge truck, and Clary figured it was probably his own. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

She shook her head. "It was nothing. I just got a little upset while driving and had to pull over."

Jordan hummed, but didn't say anything. Clary knew he didn't believe her, and she was glad that he didn't press the subject. She really did not want to talk about it. She was embarrassed about how stupid she had been, and she didn't want to deal with everyone telling her so.

Jordan pulled into the parking garage and haphazardly parked the truck. He got out and helped Clary down, leading her to the elevator and calling it down. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

"No," she said, wrapping her arms around her abdomen. "I'll be fine now that I'm home. Thanks."

"Okay," he replied with a small nod. "You should call Jace, though. Let him know you're okay."

"Like you haven't already told him," she responded, not wanting to talk to Jace at the moment.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't want to hear from you."

Clary shrugged and was luckily saved by the elevator finally arriving. "Thanks for your help," she said before stepping in. "I'll see you tomorrow."

As the elevator slowly made its climb, she debated calling Jace. It was one of the last things she wanted to do. She knew he would be mad at her and want to know what the hell had happened, and she didn't want to deal with explaining. But she also knew Jordan was right. She should call him. It was unfair to keep him worrying. She knew if the roles were somehow reversed it would be killing her to not talk to him.

Once the elevator deposited her at the penthouse, she pulled out her phone, wincing at the number of missed calls she had from Jace. Before she could back out, she hit the call button and brought the phone to ear. Part of her hoped that it was late enough that he wouldn't answer. Unfortunately, the phone barely rang once before being picked up.

"Clary," he breathed. "What the fuck happened?"

"It was nothing," she answered, walking towards her room.

"Really? Because that's not what Bat told me."

Clary frowned into the phone. "You talked to Bat?"

"I told you I didn't like you going to work alone, so I called and asked Bat to keep an eye on you and let me know if anything happened."

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks in embarrassment. He had basically asked her boss to babysit her. "Jace! You can't just do that!"

"Well it's a good fucking thing I did!" he shouted back at her, causing her to flinch. "What do you think would have happened if he hadn't gone to make sure you were okay when you left? What do you think that fucker Santiago would have done to you if he hadn't showed up?"

Tears burned at the back of her eyes again. She knew what Raphael was capable of. Things could have gone very bad very fast. She refused to back down, though. "That doesn't matter, Jace! That doesn't give you the right to interfere with my work life. Do you know how unprofessional that makes me look?"

"It's not like you gave me a choice, Clarissa!"

"Don't call me that," she ground out, failing to keep her voice from wavering.

Jace feel silent. She would have thought he had hung up if it weren't for the fact she could hear his breathing. She put the phone as speaker as she began to undress. Looking down, she noticed that there was in fact a large bruise forming on her arm.

"You should have called," he finally said, his voice quiet.

"What?" she responded dumbly.

"You promised you would call if something bad happened."

She frowned, pulling a large t-shirt over her head. "I didn't have a chance to, and then you sent Jordan, so it would have been kinda pointless."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Clare."

"I'm confused," she stated plainly as she threw her dirty clothes into the hamper.

"You should have called me when Raphael showed up in the first place, Clary. After what he did at the gala…" He trailed off. "You just should have called. I would have sent Jordan."

She sat down on the edge of her bed and took the phone off speaker.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"Please don't cry," he said softly.

"It's all my fault, though," she sobbed. "I was fucking stupid and should have known better."

He shushed her, trying to get her to calm down. "You made a mistake, Clare. That's all. I'm sorry for yelling at you, and I'm sorry if you think I'm completely blaming you. I hate hearing you cry, and I hate not being there with you right now."

"You wouldn't want to see me right now," she said, wiping underneath her eyes. "I'm a mess."

"I don't care what you look like, baby. I'd rather be there holding you than staring at this goddamn hotel ceiling."

"I wish you were here, too," she murmured.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said, his voice earnest.

"I should probably get some sleep," she yawned, the exhaustion finally hitting her. "And you should too."

"Goodnight, Clary. See you soon."

"See you soon," she said quietly before hanging up.

Instead of slipping into her bed, she got up and made her way to Jace's room. She slid under his comforter, burying her face into his pillow. She fell asleep enveloped in his comforting scent.