A rush of hot hair hit Clary in the face as she opened the oven door and slid in a metal baking sheet covered in cookies. Closing the door, she set a timer before turning back to where CeeCee was standing on a stepstool and using cookie cutters to make shapes out of the dough—snowmen, trees, and stockings. There were already a few batches sitting on racks on the counters in order to cool enough for them to either put away or decorate.
CeeCee had wanted to make enough for Clary to give away to people and for her to give to Kaelie's family, her father, and the Lightwoods. She kept rambling about how excited she was to spend Christmas with "Uncle" Alec and the Lightwoods in a few days. Clary had tried to change the subject multiple times, but CeeCee kept going back to it.
Clary didn't know if she herself was still going to the Lightwoods for Christmas. She knew Maryse, Robert, and Alec would be welcoming and glad to have her over. Simon would be there, though, and they hadn't talked at all or seen each other since their fight. Izzy had tried calling her multiple times a day, but Clary kept ignoring it. She was afraid to talk to her after everything that happened, not knowing if she was about to get another verbal lashing from one of her best friends.
Right on cue, her phone rang in her pocket, Izzy's special ringtone playing from the speaker. Clary let the call go to voicemail once again. Her phone dinged, indicating a message was left. She had been ignoring those, too, and knew her voicemail inbox had to be filling up.
Ceecee began placing cookies on another sheet, and Clary worked on rerolling the left-over scraps of dough. CeeCee tried to stifle a yawn, and Clary glanced at the clock. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten, and it was close to CeeCee's bedtime.
"Once these are all in the oven, you're going to bed," she said. "We'll have plenty of time to decorate them tomorrow."
CeeCee pouted but didn't attempt to argue. "Promise?"
Clary smiled at her. "Promise," she said, holding up a pinky finger. CeeCee wrapped her pinky around Clary's, and they each pressed their mouths to their own hands before letting go. It was the way they made their new and improved version of a pinky promise.
CeeCee eagerly went back to work, and once the final batch was in the oven, she follows Clary's directions. Clary wanted to have her in bed right away, but she was covered in flower and pieces of sugar cookie dough. Clary ran a bath while the cookies baked and kept an ear out as CeeCee bathed herself.
By the time CeeCee was done, Clary had the last batch cooling on the counter. Clary tucked CeeCee into bed, the little girl wearing fuzzy pajamas donning the snowman from the movie Frozen. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Clary began to read one of the many Dr. Seuss books CeeCee had to choose from. The child's soft snores filled the room not even halfway through the book, though, and Clary silently put the book away before exiting the room.
Clary went back into the kitchen to start putting everything away and clean up the mess they had made. She had put all the cookies and ingredients away, washed all the dishes, and was wiping down the counters when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She was immediately enveloped in the familiar scent of sandalwood and lemon and smile broke out on her face.
Turning around in Jace's arms, Clary placed a kiss against his lips. "Hey," she greeted. "I missed you." He was still pulling late nights in order to take off the amount of time that he was planning.
"Missed you, too," he responded. "Looks like you had a productive night." He threw his head in the direction of all the Tupperware containers full of cookies.
Clary laughed, wrapping her arms around him and looking up at him. "We might have gotten a little carried away."
"I can think of a few other things I'd like you to get carried away with," he said, a smirk forming on his lips.
The second he pressed his mouth against hers, her phone started to ring in her pocket. She groaned, fishing it out and rejecting the call before placing the device on the counter. Jace still pulled away from her, though.
"Was that Izzy?" he asked, and she nodded. "You should call her back."
Clary tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at him. "Whose side are you on?"
He shrugged, stepping out of his arms. "Nobody's side. I know this has been stressing you out, and it would help if you just talked it out with her."
"And?" she pushed, knowing there was something else.
He gave her a guilty smile. "She's started calling me nonstop trying to get you, including calls to my office. My poor secretary is about to lose her mind if she has to talk to Isabelle one more time."
Clary crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter behind her. "Mhm. So you want me to talk to her so she leaves you and your secretary alone?"
"I mean, yes," he said with nonchalance, "but I also know you miss your best friend and need to talk to her."
Clary brought her bottom lip between her teeth. Jace was right, not that she wanted to admit that to him. She was missing Izzy, and they did need to talk. Even though she was scared of what Izzy had to say, she knew they had to at least hash things out. Also, not knowing how Izzy was feeling was killing her. She didn't know if she was having similar feelings to Simon or was mad about what Simon had done or whatever else she could be feeling.
She was brought out of her thoughts as he reached out and pulled her lip free, running his thumb gently over it. "Your mouth is far too lovely for you to treat it the way you do," he said, his eyes growing darker.
The look he was giving her caused a familiar, pleasant tingling in her abdomen. Reluctantly, she moved her face just out of his reach. "Didn't you just tell me to call Izzy back?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.
He smirked, taking a step closer to her so she was in his reach once more. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her flush against him. "I did, but it's getting late. You can call her in the morning."
Clary nervously tapped her foot as she sat at a small corner table in Java Jones. It was a quaint little café down the street from Jace's complex, and it was Izzy's choice of meeting place. Clary had called her that morning, as promised. Her best friend had seemed glad to hear from her finally but insisted on meeting in person instead of talking over the phone. She held a latte between her hands, and there was a cappuccino sitting across from her for when Izzy showed.
The festive bells tied to the door handle jingle, indicating someone had entered. Clary's head snapped up, and she watched as Isabelle confidently strode into the small building. She approached Clary's table, her face remaining neutral and giving nothing away. She slid into the chair across from her, flicking her pin straight black hair over her shoulder.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, jumping right into things. She tried to keep her expression passive, but Clary noticed a flicker of hurt cross through her pale blue eyes.
"You're going to have to be more specific," Clary said quietly, not knowing if she was talking about Jace or what happened with Simon.
"Simon showed me the article."
Clary let out a puff of air and stared at the drink in her hands. "We were just seeing where things went, and I didn't want to say anything until it got more serious. But then it got serious really fast, and I never got the chance. That day was the first time we went out in public together and someone just happened to be paying enough attention to oust us."
Izzy was quiet for a moment as she drank from her cappuccino. "You looked really happy in the photos," she finally said. "Happier than I've seen you in a while."
Clary couldn't help the smile that automatically came to her face. "I am happier than I have been in a while." She took a deep breath and met Izzy's gaze. "Did Simon tell you what happened?"
"He said you got into a fight but didn't offer any details." She looked conflicted for a moment before sighing and adding, "He was really hurt, Clary. I at least knew there was something happening between you and Jace, but Simon was completely caught off guard. I also think Jace reminds him of Raphael, and he's just worried, you know? He blamed himself for not noticing what was going on, and now you've managed to hide something else from him. How do you think that makes him feel?"
She didn't think of it that way, and part of her felt guilty that she had hurt him so much. That still didn't excuse his actions, though. "He said some really terrible things, Iz."
"Like what?" she pressed.
Clary shook her head. "I don't want to cause any issues between you two."
"Clary, if my future husband is acting like a jackass I deserve to know about it."
"He is acting like a jackass, but I'll only tell you that much. I don't want you to get upset with him and give him even more reason to be pissed at me."
Isabelle rolled her eyes but didn't press the issue more. "Fine. You're still coming over for Christmas, though, right?"
She dropped her gaze, looking down at the table. "I don't think Simon would want me there."
"Bullshit," Izzy responded loudly, drawing the attention of a few other patrons. "His opinion doesn't matter right now. Mom and Dad want you over, and it's their house."
"I don't know, Iz," she sighed. "I don't want things to be awkward. And I think seeing me and Jace together will just upset him even more."
Izzy reached over and grabbed one of Clary's hands. "Clary, please," she begged. "I'll make sure Si doesn't cause any trouble. I know this time of year has to be really rough for you, and I don't want you alone. So, please, please, please, do not back out of this."
Isabelle Lightwood was never one to beg, and Clary knew she couldn't deny her. "Alright. I'll come."
Her best friend flashed her a bright smile. "Excellent," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "Now, tell me all about you and Jace."
Clary nervously ran her hands over the front of her dress, partially to smooth the silky green material and partially to wipe the sweat from her palms. She was standing outside the Lightwoods' door with Jace to her left and CeeCee in front of them. CeeCee had excitedly pressed the doorbell, and Clary's heartrate had picked up tenfold. She and Simon still hadn't spoken to each other, and she was prepared to see him and his judgmental glares.
Jace reached over, laced his fingers through hers, and brought her hand up to place a soft kiss against her knuckles. "It's going to be fine," he whispered, offering a reassuring smile.
He lowered their hands but didn't let go, which surprised her. She glanced down at CeeCee, who was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet with her eyes trained on the front door. They had yet to tell her about their relationship. In fact, the had yet to even discuss if/when/how they were going to tell her in the first place.
The door opened, and Maryse Lightwood smiled brightly at them. "Welcome," she greeted. "I'm so glad you could make it."
She barely had the words out before CeeCee ran past her, yelling something about finding Uncle Alec. Maryse's gaze fell on Clary's and Jace's joined hands, and she rose an eyebrow at them before gesturing for them to come inside. Jace handed Maryse a bottle of wine as a hostess gift as they walked in. They knew the Lightwoods had already done their gift exchange earlier in the morning. CeeCee had opened her presents at the crack of dawn, and Clary and Jace were waiting until later that night after CeeCee went to bed to do theirs.
They followed Maryse into the living room, which was festively decorated. A large tree sat in one of the corners covered in silver, green, and red ornaments and perfectly stringed lights. Garland hung along the mantle of the fireplace as well as a stocking for each member of the family. Small Christmas knickknacks were placed on the TV stand and coffee tables. Simon and Izzy were sitting on a couch and Robert in a recliner watching A Christmas Story on the television. CeeCee and Alec were nowhere to be seen.
Everyone looked up as they entered, and Simon scoffed at the sight of their still linked hands. Clary watched as Izzy elbowed him in the ribs and shot him a glare. Simon just rolled his eyes and stood up, excusing himself with something about needing a drink. Clary frowned as he walked past her and Jace, his eyes hard and unforgiving. Jace gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Merry Christmas," Izzy smiled as she stood and crossed the room to stand in front of them. She wrapped her arms around Clary in a tight hug, forcing her to drop Jace's hand. "I'm glad you came."
Clary pulled away and gave her a weak smile. "I said I would, didn't I?"
Her best friend shrugged in response. "I honestly was half expecting you to bail."
"I wouldn't have done that to you," she said. "Plus, I don't think Jace would have allowed me to sit at home alone if I tried."
Jace wrapped an arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss against her temple. "You're not wrong. Christmas is meant to be spent with the ones you love, and you're a big part of that now."
"Well isn't that just sweet," Simon said as he came back in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. In his hand was a glass of eggnog, and Clary had a feeling it was heavily spiked.
"I meant what I said, though," she said quietly once he was out of earshot. "If he doesn't knock that off I'm leaving."
Izzy sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I know. I'll try to control him; I promise. I've already talked to him about it, and I just don't know what else to do. I can't stand my best friend and my fiancé fighting."
"I don't like it either," Clary said, "but the ball's in his court right now."
Izzy gave her a sad smile. "I know. Just try to enjoy yourself tonight, okay? I'll do my best to keep him away from you."
Clary sighed and shook her head. "No. You should be the one having a good time, and I don't want to ruin it. I'll make sure to avoid him. Don't worry about it."
Isabelle gave her hand a squeeze before joining Simon, who was off sulking in a corner. CeeCee then came running back into the living room with Alec trailing behind her. CeeCee ran up to Jace, who bent over to pick her up.
"What are you up to?" he asked, smiling at his daughter.
"Nothing," CeeCee said quickly.
Clary watched as CeeCee looked back at Alec, who offered her a wink in return. Jace noticed it, too, and he raised an eyebrow at Clary. She shrugged at him, having no idea what CeeCee was planning with her father's best friend.
Alec came over to talk with Jace, and Clary decided to wander off into the kitchen where she knew Maryse would be. Maryse was bent over, checking on the ham that was baking in the oven. There were various pots and pans spread out on the stove and loaves of bread cooling on a rack. Clary felt a tightening in her chest at the sight of Maryse moving around the kitchen. Making Christmas dinner had been one of her mother's favorite things, and it was difficult to know she wasn't around to enjoy it anymore. She pushed the feeling aside and fully stepped into the kitchen.
"Do you need any help?" she offered. She had always been Jocelyn's helper on the holiday, and she was searching for some semblance of normality.
Maryse looked over her shoulder at her and smiled. "If you could mash the potatoes, I'd appreciate it," she said, nodding her head toward one of the pots. "The masher is in the left drawer over there."
Clary gathered everything she needed, and they worked in silence for a few minutes before Maryse spoke again.
"How are you holding up, honey?" she asked, her voice soft, as she a timer on the microwave.
Clary stilled her movements and turned to look at her. Maryse had always been like a second mom to her when she was growing up, but they'd never had any sort of heart-to-heart. She had gone to Jocelyn for advice and her problems. But Maryse had been there to make sure the make sure Clary had someone to watch after her or feed her a good homecooked meal when Jocelyn was juggling everything involved in being a single mother. With Jocelyn gone, she wondered if maybe Maryse could fill the new void that was left behind when it came to motherly advice and help.
"I'm," she paused, trying to think of the right word. "I'm managing. It's been rough, but I'm hanging in there and doing my best, you know?" she said, turning back to the task at hand.
"And Jace is treating you right?"
Clary couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Yeah. He is. He's been great actually. Him and CeeCee have been such a blessing."
"I'm glad he's finally starting to settle down," she said as she dug through the fridge for something.
Clary's brow furrowed. "Settle down?"
"He hasn't been in any sort of real, committed relationship since CeeCee was born. Just a few flings here and there to maintain his image."
Clary thought about his relationship with Aline and shrugged. "Makes sense. He has a daughter to worry about."
Maryse walked up to her and placed a thin hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you can see that." When Clary cocked an eyebrow at her, she continued. "I love you like a daughter, Clary, and I don't want to see you get hurt. I need you to understand that CeeCee will always come first for Jace, no matter where your relationship goes. I need to know that you are prepared to come second in his life because it will be rough at times, but it doesn't mean he doesn't love you with all his heart. His priorities are just different than most men."
Clary smiled at the older woman, feeling tears sting at the corners of her eyes. "I really appreciate you looking out for me, Maryse. But I know what I'm getting myself into. Jace cares a lot of CeeCee, and that's been obvious since the beginning. I know that she's his first priority, and I wouldn't expect anything less."
Maryse gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a hug. "I'm glad. It's good to see you happy after everything. Don't be afraid to let me know if you need anything, Clary. We're always here for you, even if it's just to talk."
"Thank you, Mrs. Lightwood. It really means a lot to me."
They went back to working on dinner. Clary finished the potatoes and worked on transferring them and other completed dishes to serving bowls and plates to be set on the table. She then worked on moving the food to the table while Maryse finished up the ham and pies. When she came back in after the third trip, CeeCee and Alec had joined Maryse in the kitchen.
"Hey, what are you two doing?" she asked as she re-entered the kitchen.
Alec shrugged, but one corner of his mouth was lifted. "Just some last-minute decorating," he said.
"Okay," she responded, dragging out the O. She didn't notice anything different or new in the room.
"Miss Clary!" CeeCee explained, running over to and grabbing her hand. The little girl pulled on her hand and brought her to stand right in the entryway of the kitchen. "Stay right here," she ordered, dropping her hand.
"Why?"
"It's a surprise!" she sang before running out of the kitchen.
Clary looked at Alec, but he just continued to smirk at her, giving nothing away. She narrowed her eyes at him, wanting to know what he was in the know on. He shook his head at her, remaining silent.
CeeCee came back a few moments later, towing her father behind her. She moved him around so that he was standing right next to Clary in the doorway. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Clary. "Do you know what she's up to?" he asked, laughter in his voice at his daughter's antics.
"Nope. But somebody does," she said, nodding her head in Alec's direction.
Alec grinned at them, pointing his index finger in an upward motion. Jace got the hint and looked up, laughter immediately erupting from his chest. Clary followed suit and looked up, her eyes landing on a little bunch of green leaves tied to the archway. She moved her gaze from the mistletoe and looked at CeeCee instead.
The little girl smiled back at her. "You know the rules, Miss Clary," she said.
She turned to Jace, giving him a questioning look. He reached out and cupped her face with his right hand. "You know the rules, Miss Clary," he repeated before gently pressing his lips to her.
She reluctantly pulled away from him after only a few seconds, aware of the audience that they had. She heard CeeCee giggle and run out of the kitchen, leaving only the adults behind. Alec was holding back laughter, and Maryse was smiling sweetly at them.
"Was this her idea?" Clary asked Alec.
Alec nodded in return. "She managed to get ahold of someone's phone a few days ago and asked me to help her with a special project to 'get Daddy and Miss Clary to kiss.'"
She wrapped her arms around Jace's middle and looked up at him. "I guess she's caught on to more than we thought."
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering. "We should probably tell her about us tonight, then."
They lay in bed together, sweaty and naked with their legs tangled together. It was late, but CeeCee had kept them up longer than they expected once they told her their news. She had been over the moon with excitement and went on about how her Santa wish had come true. Clary had almost burst into happy tears at that. Her heart was so full knowing that CeeCee loved her enough to want her to be with her father, and possibly be a part of their family one day.
"We still haven't done presents," Jace said, running a hand through her hair.
Clary smirked at him. "Are you telling me what we just did wasn't my present?"
He chuckled, placing a kiss against her forehead. "As amazing as it was, I have something way better for you."
"I have something for you, too," she said while removing herself from him. "I'll be right back."
She got out of the bed, pausing to throw on one of his undershirts, and quietly ran down the stairs and to her room. She pulled out the wrapped canvas she had hidden in the back of her closet. She carefully carried back up the stairs. When she walked back into Jace's room, he was sitting on the edge of his bed, having put his boxers on, with an envelope clutched in his hand.
"You go first," Clary said, handing him the wrapped gift.
He set the envelope down next to him on the bed and took the canvas from her. She chewed on her thumbnail as she watched him slowly run his finger under the taped fold of paper. From the way his eyes glittered, she knew that he was messing with her, taking his sweet time as he opened the gift. His eyes widened once he had the wrapping paper completely off, and Clary stood there wringing her hands in front of her.
"Did you make this?" he finally whispered, looking up at her.
She nodded. "I, uh, had CeeCee take a picture with a mall Santa and used it as a reference."
"This amazing, Clare," he breathed. "Very Norman Rockwell-esque."
A smile easily spread across her lips. She had decided to take a different route when she actually started the painting, choosing to imitate the famous artist's style. She was ecstatic that it had shown and that he recognized it.
"That's what I was going for," she said softly.
"I'm telling you, Clary, you really need to put your work out there. You are extremely talented, and the world needs to see it," he said, his gold eyes boring into hers.
"Maybe one day," she said with shrug. Honestly, she didn't think she was at that point yet. Her work wasn't good enough to go on display, and even if it was, she was missing the connections she should have made while at NYU. "So what you'd get me?"
He picked up the envelope and held it out to her. "Nothing even close to as amazing as this, but I think you'll like it."
She took the envelope and easily tore through its seal. She pulled out a piece of paper, and a gasp fell from her lips as she read the flight reservation with her name on it. "Paris?"
"Yeah." Jace rubbed at the back of his neck. "I have some work to do there during CeeCee's spring break, which she will be spending with Kaelie, so I thought you'd like to come. We can do all the touristy things together, and you can visit the Louvre. I know it's not as handmade or thoughtful as—"
"I love it," she blurted, cutting off his nervous rambling and launching herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and attached her mouth to his. If it wasn't so late and she wasn't so tired, she would have definitely considered a round two for the night as a thank you.
Jace pulled away from her. "I'm so glad to hear that."
She frowned, remembering something. "I don't have a passport, though."
He placed a soft kiss against her nose. "Don't worry. We'll be able to get you one in time."
"Okay," she sighed, placing her head against his chest.
"By the way, I have something to ask," he said, and she nodded, letting him know to continue. "It's kinda last minute, but the Lightwoods are having their annual New Year's Eve party, and I was wondering if you'd go?"
Clary knew the Lightwoods had the party every year, but she had never gone despite Izzy constantly asking her to. She was usually working or spending a quiet night in with her mom. They had preferred being home and watching the live coverage instead of freezing their asses off in Times Square or mingling at parties. Plus, the Lightwood's party was an extravagant affair every year, and she was never one to fit in with the type of people who usually went. This year she knew she was probably going to end up going for CeeCee.
"Yeah, sure," she said. "Someone has to watch CeeCee, right?"
Jace chuckled softly, and she could feel the vibrations against her cheek. "Clary, baby, I meant as my date."
"Baby, calm down," Jace urged, placing his hand on her bouncing knee to still it.
She smiled sheepishly at him. "Sorry. I'm just nervous."
He moved his hand from her knee in order to hold hers. "Don't be. It'll be fine."
Clary sighed, looking out the limo's window. They were on their way to the Lightwood's party sans CeeCee, who was spending the night with her grandparents. Jace's words did nothing to calm her down. This was going to be there first intentional appearance as a couple, and she was ready to open the limo door and throw herself into the street. It would probably be better than facing a ballroom full of judgmental eyes.
She had no idea how other people were going to handle the news of their relationship. There had been that tabloid when they were ice skating, but she could only guess who had seen that. She knew a lot of the guests would remember her as the nanny who had caused a scene at Jace's gala. Now she was suddenly going to be Jace's girlfriend. Would they all see her as just someone who was out to get his money?
"Stop that," he said in her ear.
She startled, having not noticed that he moved across the seats to be right next to her. "Stop what?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.
"Stop overthinking. I can practically hear the gears grinding inside that beautiful head of yours."
"I told you, I'm just nervous."
He squeezed her hand. "And I told you, you don't need to be. Who gives a shit about what some socialite with a stick stuck up their ass thinks? I'm proud to be able to introduce you as my girlfriend tonight, and I want you to have fun, not worry about what other people might think or say."
"I'm sorry," she said, adjusting her position so she could lean her head against his shoulder. "I don't want to ruin your night."
"With you on my arm, nothing could ruin my night," he said before placing a kiss on top of her head.
They rode the rest of the way in silence, and Clary tried her best to calm her nerves. She shouldn't be caring what everyone else would think. It didn't matter. Jace loved her, and that's what she needed to focus on. But no matter how much she kept repeating all of that to herself, she couldn't shake the heavy feeling in her stomach.
The limo rolled to a stop in front of a hotel, and the driver quickly got out to open Jace's door, since he was on the side facing the building. Jace gave her hand another squeeze before stepping out of the vehicle. Clary took a deep breath and followed him. She was immediately assaulted by the noise of shouting reporters and the flashing of camera bulbs. Jace wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side, where she instantly hid her face. Luke and Jordan had already arrived and were waiting for them at the begging of the line of paparazzi.
Clary clung to Jace as the two other men flanked them. They hurriedly made their way down the walkway, and all Clary could hear was photographers shouting questions to Jace, asking who his new girl was and what had happened to Aline. Jace ignored them, though, and kept his pace up until they were safely inside the building.
"Are you okay?" he asked once the yelling was muffled behind the doors.
"Yeah," she said. "That was just… a lot."
He chuckled lightly. "Don't worry. Most events are like that. Most New Year's events are a big deal, especially with the guest list the Lightwoods procure. Plus, you're just like a new toy to them right now. Something new will come along and take their attention, and things will die back down." He moved so that he was holding her hand instead of having his arm wrapped around her. "Now, let's go officially introduce everyone to my girl."
Clary clutched onto his hand like a lifeline as they entered the ballroom. Maryse had really gone all out for the event. Gold and black balloons covered the ceiling. Streamers and ribbons were wrapped around columns. The tables were covered in satin black or gold cloths and giant black bows adorned the chairbacks. Bowls of black and gold candy sat on the middle of the tables, and there was an open bar tucked away in a corner. On stage there was a live band playing jazz, and a few couples were dancing already.
Maryse was the first to approach them, and she tightly wrapped her arms around Clary. "I'm so glad you finally made it this year," she said, stepping back and keeping her hands on her shoulders. "You look amazing."
Clary's cheeks heated at her compliment. She wanted to look like she belonged with Jace and had put more effort into her appearance than she ever had. She had splurged on a designer black evening gown with a plunging neckline and slit up the right side. It fit her body perfectly and showed off what little assets she had. She had even gone through the effort of getting her hair and make up professionally done for the event. Her hair fell in large, smooth curls down her back and her make up had been kept natural looking, enhancing the features she already had.
"Thank you, Maryse," she responded. "This place looks lovely tonight."
Maryse gave a tinkling laugh. "Thank you. I like to ring in the new year in fashion. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few other guests to greet."
She gave Clary's shoulders a squeeze before walking away. Clary let her eyes scan the room, and noticed Kaelie standing with a group of women, shooting daggers in Clary's direction. Clary knew that Kaelie couldn't be happy about her and Jace's relationship, and the heavy feeling in her stomach grew. It didn't help that she also noticed Simon glaring at her from his spot at Izzy's side.
"I could use a drink," she said to Jace.
He nodded and led her to the bar, promptly ordering two glasses of champagne. She fought back the urge to tell him she needed something stronger and accepted the glass with a smile. She sipped from the glass as Jace led her around the room, introducing her to various friends and colleagues. She found herself relaxing more as the night went on—a combination of the champagne and the fact that none of Jace's friends seemed put off by their relationship. In fact, most of them seemed really happy for Jace, telling him it was about time he found someone else. She didn't know if they were referencing Aline or Kaelie, though.
With about fifteen minutes left until midnight, Clary excused herself to the bathroom. She was relieved to find the bathroom empty, and quickly entered a stall to take care of her business. As she washed her hands, the bathroom door opened, and she looked up. Her eyes met the icy blue ones of Kaelie, who did not look happy at all.
"I guess Raphael was right about you after all," she sneered as the door closed behind her.
Clary froze, still staring at Kaelie through the mirror's surface. "I—What do you mean?"
"Said you were nothing but a gold digging whore. That you tried to trap him to get his money. And here you are, shacking up with Jace. Was that the plan all along? Weasel your way into his life with your job and then take all his money?"
Her biting words didn't affect Clary as much as she thought they would. She was too focused on one detail. Swallowing hard, she turned around to face Kaelie. "Y-You and Raphael talk?"
Kaelie smirked at her. "Oh, sweetie. We do much more than just talk."
As much as Clary didn't get along with Kaelie, as much as she didn't care for the other women, she knew she had to say something. "Listen, Kalie, I know I'm the last person you want to take advice from, but you need to stay away from Raphael."
Kaelie scoffed. "Why? You planning on trying to get him back once Jace eventually dumps your ass?"
Sighing, Clary pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed to somehow get her point across, but she wasn't willing to share any personal details from her own time with Raphael. "I don't want anything to do with him anymore, and I would never try to 'get him back.' He's—He's not a good person, Kaelie. I don't want to see you get hurt because of him."
"I did not come in here to discuss myself and Raphael," she snapped. "I came here to let you know that I'm on to you. And to warn you about trying to replace in CeeCee's life. I am her mother, and you never will be no matter how hard you try to change that."
Anger took over the feeling of concern she had. She wasn't trying to replace Kaelie in CeeCee's life, and Kaelie had no right to try to accuse her of that. "If you're so concerned about your spot in your daughter's life, then maybe you should start actually acting like a mother," she shot back.
Before Kalie had the chance to retort, Clary pushed past her and exited the bathroom. She was desperate to get back to Jace. If she couldn't convince Kaelie to keep away from Raphael, she was hoping maybe Jace would be able to.
She easily found him laughing with a group of men he had introduced her to before. She politely greeted the group before telling Jace she needed to talk to him. He excused them, and they found a secluded corner to speak in.
He looked at her, his eyes soft and full of concern. "What is it? What's wrong?"
She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "I, uh, ran into Kaelie in the bathroom and—"
His eyes instantly hardened. "What did she do?"
She shook her head at his interruption. "Doesn't matter. What does matter is that she and Raphael are apparently messing around together."
His jaw clenched, and he took a few breaths before speaking again. "You're sure about this?"
"Yes, Jace! She flat out told me."
He cursed under his breath, roughly running a hand through his hair. "Why would she do this? I already told her to stay the fuck away from him."
"So you've already warned her? I just tried to but I didn't—I don't want her to know what happened between me and him, you know? I don't want her to have that ammo against me."
"Hey," he said softly, pulling her into his embrace. "I'll try talking to her again. And don't worry, I won't tell her anything she doesn't need to know."
Clary nodded against his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him. She barely registered Maryse announcing there was only a minute left until midnight. Jace pulled away slightly and smiled down at her.
"Let's not worry about them for right now, okay? I'd rather just focus on us," he said, giving her a brilliant smile.
"Sounds good," she said, smiling back and moving her arms so they were around his neck.
They stared silently into each other's eyes as the final countdown began. Clary saw nothing but pure love and admiration coming from his golden orbs, and she hoped desperately that her own eyes were conveying the same feeling. She didn't know how she got so lucky to have Jace by her side, but she did know that she was extremely grateful for it. She never felt as loved and as cherished as she did when she was with him.
As the clock finally struck midnight, Jace leaned down and placed a searing kiss against her lips. His kiss started out as chaste, but Clary wanted more and ran her tongue against his bottom lip. He parted his lips for her, and they got to work on exploring each other's mouths. The music and cheers in the background all faded away as she focused on nothing but him.
When the need to breathe inevitably hit, they broke apart, and Jace rested his forehead against hers. "Happy New Year, Miss Fray," he whispered, a cocky smirk firmly in place.
Clary's heart was beating erratically in her chest and butterflies seemed to be fluttering around her stomach. She knew that as long as she was with Jace, the new year would be very happy indeed.