"Did you hear about Jace?" Simon asked, leaning so suddenly against the locker next to mine that I almost let out a yelp.

But I didn't fall. Not like I usually would've done. Maybe I had built up some fear resistance, finally.

"Oh, no. Another monumental change Jace decided not to tell me about? Sounds familiar," I responded without looking away from my books. I tried not to think about Jace. I was worried that if I let myself think about him, then I wouldn't be able to stop. Ever since he had walked me home after that little episode, it had been extremely difficult to keep my mind off of him.

"Really? Yeah, no, I mean it's kind of a big deal," he was teasing me.

I turned, leveling a glare at him. "Just say it, Simon."

He nodded. "Apparently, Aero found some crazy hot model from another country and wants to tell the world she and Jace are dating. The two of them will stay at school for the rest of the year and then go on some photoshoot tour around the world. It's like they're already married."

My mouth dropped open. "You're kidding."

"Nope."

"Simon, I swear-,"

"Look, I'm telling the truth!"

I silenced. Pressed my lips together. Flicked my eyes to the ground. Looked back up to Simon. "Does Jace know about it?"

"Of course, he does. He's the one who asked if they could do the tour when the school year ends," said Simon, like it was common knowledge.

It was obvious that the 'tour' was most likely a C-VPA assignment to track Valentine further, but he had to do it with a girl? After just talking about how badly he'd needed to kiss me, and then filling out his promise? After kissing me?

I'd known it was too good to be true to save myself from this kind of brutal disappointment, but it appeared to have failed. Dreams always turned out that way, didn't they?

"Where is he now?" I wanted to tell him that he didn't need to feel responsible for me or anything, he could go off on his own and be happy. I could handle myself.

"Getting ready to get on a helicopter out on the soccer field. They're going to land on the helipad of the CNN building as a big entrance to his interview with the new girl, I guess," Izzy answered, suddenly right next to Simon. Then she turned to him, even though I was right there, and asked, "How'd she take it?"

Simon sighed. "Look, Izzy, get it through your head. Clary's not in love with Jace, so just let it go!"

Izzy ignored him, looking me up and down and stopping at my eyes, where her gaze nearly pierced my soul. "You're right," she said, shocking Simon and me. "She totally isn't in love with him." And in that moment, I realized something. I realized all of it. Izzy winked at me with the eye Simon couldn't see and mouthed the word 'go.'

. . .

Pushing through the thorough crowd of girls saying they'd never gotten their chance and 'if Jace would just give me a chance, he'd surely love me,' was extremely taxing. I was beginning to think it be too late when I caught sight off his golden hair flying in the wind from the helicopter.

This was turning into a movie scene. Me, running at Jace, afraid that if I didn't tell him now, I'd never do it. But that was the truth. He would come back, but by then, I certainly would've lost my nerve.

So I pushed through that last line of the crowd, easily vaulting the flimsy fence that had been put up to keep Jace safe from his fans. And I let out an incredibly cliché wail, screaming "Jace!"

He whipped his head around and only just managed to open his arms before I went flying into them, with more momentum than I had needed. Instead of catching me, Jace half-lifted me until my head was downward on his shoulder, his face was pressed upward into my hair, and his arms were tight around my waist. I flung my feet out girlishly to keep us balanced, and then I was back on the ground.

Neither of us let each other go, and I could hear the rumble of Jace's voice in his chest as he said, "I thought you would hate me again."

I took a deep breath and pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I've recently realized that it's foolish to pretend I could ever hate you," now was my only time. There was no going back. "It's foolish to think I could ever do anything but love you."

Jace's eyes widened dramatically, like a cartoon character, and his touch loosened slightly on my waist. I hurried on, not really wanting him to fully process what I'd said.

"But I came here to tell you that-,"

"No," Jace said, brushing one swift kiss against my lips that sent my heart leaping into my throat. I hadn't realized the crowd had gone nearly silent until they started screaming again. "Don't say anything."

Suddenly Jace was running, pulling me by the hand and I was running too, my hair flying back in wild waves behind me. He was smiling and I was laughing hysterically as he pulled me into the helicopter and into a seat. He sat down next to me and started shouting at the pilot, "Go! Go! Go!" before both of us began frantically buckling our seatbelts.

Then Jace took me by the chin and kissed me again, deeper this time, and whispered against my mouth, "I love you, too," and I realized that I didn't need the helicopter to feel like I was flying.

. . .

Jace's Manager P.O.V.

"Come on, get some good ones, guys," I shouted over the roar of the helicopter at the cameramen. Jace looked absolutely dashing but the cameras were having a hard time capturing that one moment just before his wild hair fell completely into his eyes. He was giving us that grungy, depressed look that I was fairly certain was not all for the cameras.

Finally, frustrated, I just grabbed one of the cameras and tried to capture the photo myself, also having just as much trouble. I began fidgeting with the mechanics, trying to get the camera to capture differently, when I heard someone calling to Jace from the crowd.

I mean, everyone in the crowd was calling to Jace, but this one was different. I looked up just in time to see a gorgeous, desperate looking girl absolutely leap over the fencing we'd had set up and just keep running, losing no speed, towards my model. I would've signaled for security if I hadn't seen that look in her eyes.

Just then, another girl with deadly black hair came up behind me, snatching the camera from my grip. She held it up and waited. I heard a few of the camera's clicks as the first, fiery girl positively jumped at Jace and he caught her beautifully, something the photographer in me sang out at. They were a scene from a movie, one I would have watched a thousand times and cried each one.

None of my photographers were taking pictures, all too focused on the scene before us. I didn't blame them, though I would've if I hadn't been so preoccupied as well.

Then she was back on the ground and they were saying things I couldn't hear until the helicopter was lifting up off the ground with only Jace and that girl inside it and no one had had the good sense to stop them or even tried to get in with them. It had all happened too quickly.

I watched the helicopter for a few more seconds before turning back to the girl who was grinning widely at the camera screen.

Not-so-subtly, I came up and peered over her shoulder, asking, "Did you get it?"

The girl smiled somehow wider and snickered, "See for yourself."

I had to take the camera from her so I could look at it closer. It was absolute perfection.

"Fantastic lighting…flawless timing, as well…and look at her hair…look at his hair…my God, was perfect position…" I babbled endlessly.

I finally turned back to the girl, saving and resaving the picture for fear I could lose it. "You should consider a career in photography, young lady," I remarked.

"Oh, I don't think you'd want that," she said. She was right; the girl would most likely be given my job. "Make sure to send me that."

And she walked away.