Hey everyone! I like to respond to my reviews, so I'll go ahead and do that now.

Issi Herondale: Hey girl heyyyy. You inspired me to get back into writing by you constantly talking about it, and for that I thank you :) prepare yourself. Thanks for your support X :)

Islandgirl4evR: I remember you from BTT! Thanks for coming back for more! :)

Bubbles 3 (Guest): I sometimes get notifications of reviews for BTT and I'm surprised by it because I finished it so long ago! But no, I recently turned 18, and I haven't outgrown it at all! I've just been so busy, so thank you for being so patient! :) Yes, she does some great reviews, but every review is greatly appreciated and they certainly make me extremely happy. :)

Anyway! I hope you enjoy the second part of chapter 1. I do have chapter 2 written and part of chapter 3, so I will hopefully update again this weekend if I get enough reviews! See you at the end of the chapter!

I stood in the locker room, having not changed back into my suit, but rather folded it neatly and put it on the top of my bag. I had rinsed the sweat off me, and my makeup clung to my face rather thickly. I itched to wipe it off, but I would have to wait until I got home to do that.

"That guy who was talking to you was cute," my friend, Tessa, said. She was standing beside me, and I met her grey eyes in the mirror we stood in front of.

I could sense my gaze darkening. "I don't wish to associate with him."

She frowned. "Why not?" she wondered.

I swallowed. It was so unlike her to question me; she knew how I felt about it. "I don't know. I just don't like new people in my life."

She raised her eyebrows as she rubbed a towel through her thick brown hair. "You let me in your life when you were just seventeen. What about the others? You let them all into your life. What is one guy going to do about it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Tessa, please—you know how I feel about letting people in. I just don't like it."

She exhaled loudly. "I know. I just wish you would tell me why. I wish I understood you better. I've been your best friend for nearly four years, and I still don't know all I'd like to about you."

I turned my face from her instinctively, probably to hide my shame, terror, and humiliation. "one day," I whispered. I rifled through my bag to distract myself, then swiped my underarms with deodorant.

"Yet another thing you've said for the past four years. You'd think you'd have gotten better about it now. I mean, you let me in four years ago. You'd think you'd be more open to people now. It's almost like you've gone backwards and shut people out more."

I gnashed my teeth together. I must not snap at her. She is only trying to help. I must not snap at her. She is just talking to me. I must not snap at her. She is worried for me. I must not snap at her, I reasoned with myself.

"You can't even begin to understand, Tessa. My early childhood is fucked up and depressing, and not something I wish to relive any time soon."

"All I know about your history is that you ran away on your seventh birthday and you were taken in by foster parents. You were adopted, finished school at the top of your class, and now you're a fresh graduate out of college and trying to get a job," she told me.

I groaned, my temper flaring. "Tessa, let it go. I'll tell you eventually. You have no idea what your friendship means to me. But I vowed myself when I was seven years old that I would never let anyone take advantage of me. That includes any boy, no matter how cute they are," I snapped.

Tessa was a smart young woman, so her eyes widening in surprise told me she had an idea of what I meant. The towel she was holding in her hands fell to the floor. "Clary—,"

I shook my head. "No, stop. I don't want to hear it. Look, we'll talk later, okay?" I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder, preparing to turn and leave.

"Clary, I met you right after I started coming to work out here. It was right after my eighteenth birthday, and my birthday present to myself to be able to do something for myself. I was celebrating the arrest of my crack-addict parents," she admitted quietly, her voice barely audible.

I gaped at her, trying to absorb what she just said. I was thankful no one else was in the locker room at that moment. "What? You can't be serious."

Tessa nodded. "I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded, my bag dropping to the floor with a loud thud.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "The same reason you won't tell me about your past."

My jaw dropped. "Tessa—,"

She shoved all her stuff into her bag and picked it up. "You're not the only one with a fucked up and depressing past. Call me when you're ready to talk," she hissed, then left.

I cringed. Is that what I sounded like?

I blew all the air out of my lungs, my cheeks puffing. Barely reigning in my emotions, I stormed out of the locker room. Red colored my vision. Was she giving me an ultimatum? Why the hell would she do that?

As I strutted through the gym, not watching where I was going, my forehead came in contact with a large metal bar from one of the workout apparatuses. The force from the speed I was walking knocked me flat on my ass—my back, actually—where all the air was forced from my body. My bag fell loudly beside me.

"What the fu—," I started, struggling to a sitting position on my elbows as I tried to suck air back into my lungs, but stopped when I saw who was working the machine.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, rubbing my now-tender forehead.

Mr. Smart-Ass-Who-Doesn't-Know-Boundaries leaned over the metal bar, grinning down at me, dimples flashing. "Karma's a bitch, isn't she?"

Finally breathing correctly, I leapt gracefully to my feet. "Watch what the fuck you're doing," I barked.

He tilted his head to one side, smirking. "Maybe you should watch where you're going. You were walking like a woman with a mission, and I certainly wasn't expecting you to interrupt my workout just to talk to me. What were you expecting? Me to help you up? An apology and a kiss for you to be on your merry little way? The instant chemistry? Oh no, Princess, not after the way you treated me," he said, all smugness and satisfaction.

I opened my mouth the respond, but nothing came. I snapped it closed, then opened it again. What the hell was going on with people today? Who the hell did this guy think he was?

I was close enough to him that I swung my arm up, hoping to get a good smack across the face. His reflexes were faster, and he caught my wrist before my palm came in contact with his cheek. I raised my other hand, but he caught that one too. My blood was boiling in anger at this point.

"Let… me… go," I seethed, twisting my wrists in his grip, but his iron hold on me never loosened.

"Not so fast, Princess. I think you should apologize for the way you acted toward me first," he replied.

My jaw locked. "Never," I grunted. Even begin as in shape as I was, without a trace of fat on my body, I was panting from the exertion of fighting against this man.

He shrugged. This didn't phase him at all. He just stood there, arms flexed. "Your choice, Princess. We can stand here all day, if that's what you want."

"Stop calling me that," I said.

A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Why?" he wondered innocently. Quickly, even more so than what I could comprehend, he forced my hands to my sides.

"Because I'm the furthest thing from that," I snapped. I tried to move my arms, but he had them firmly pinned to my sides. "Just fucking let me go already, would you?"

He shook his head, clearly amused. "I want an apology first."

I narrowed my eyes at him and stilled. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I'd enjoy it more if you just apologized. What's your issue, Princess? Got too much pride to do so?"

That's it.

I snapped, like a hinge on a door, unleashing everything behind it. I swung one of my legs around his knees. Caught off guard, he buckled to the ground, his grip slipping. He recovered quickly as I tried to make a run for it. He wrapped his arms around my calves, tripping me. I barely had time to catch myself on my forearms before he was dragging me backward. I tried to grasp at the workout machines by me, but I couldn't get a solid grip.

Suddenly, he flipped me onto my back. I lay dazed, staring up at the track lighting above me, but then his face appeared and he pinned my hands over my head. In fact, my whole body was trapped beneath his. I squirmed, trying to wriggle my way out, but there was no chance for me. He was all solid, heavy muscle, all of which knew just where to lock me down.

Damn.

I was a hell of a good fighter—lithe, petite, and agile—but nothing compared to this. This man gave me a run for my money. I wasn't one to swallow my pride. Ever. But I caved now. I was exhausted and frustrated.

"Fine!" I cried. "I apologize for not watching where I was going," I managed through clenched teeth.

He raised his eyebrows, waves tumbling down from the angle his head was hanging. "And?"

I rolled my eyes. His gaze darkened. I noticed silver and dark grey flecks in his otherwise golden eyes. They were beautiful. "And for being such a bitch earlier."

He grinned, the dimples returning, and sat up carefully, releasing me. "That's better. That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

I glowered at him, half-expecting him to wither from it. He doesn't. Unfortunately. "It's not funny." I suddenly felt manhandled and weak. I turned my head away, sitting up to rest on my knees, trying to avoid his gaze.

"I never laughed. I didn't even say it was funny," he murmured.

I scowled at him, unable to resist looking at him. "Your smile implies otherwise. It makes me want to smack you."

This time he did chuckle. "And look how well that turned out the last time you tried." Then his eyes darkened and settled on mine.

I flushed under his gaze. "I won't be trying it again any time soon. I don't like being maltreated in my own territory." I clambered to my feet, and he followed.

"This is your territory?" He sounded amused.

"Yes and no. I've been coming here since I was seventeen."

He turned toward me, looking me up and down. "And how old are you now?"

I shrugged, folding my arms across my chest. "I'll be twenty-one in a couple weeks."

"Hmm…the legal drinking age. That's a big deal," he noted.

I rolled my eyes again, once again noticing some darker emotion swimming in his deep grey eyes. "I don't drink."

"That would be because you're underage," he said.

"That's not why," I snapped. "I could easily get ahold of it. I just don't like to be put in the situation where I'm not the one in control."

Why am I telling him this?

"Oh, really?" he wondered, his lips quirking up in the corners. "Is that why you didn't like being mauled in the middle of the gym while everyone blatantly stared?"

My face warmed. "Yes. And let's just say that I've had some…incidents, if you will, in the past," I admitted, surprised by the fact that I had confessed to that. Who had I shared that information with?

No one.

As if sensing we were headed into a dangerous zone of topics, he extended his hand. "The name is Jace, by the way. I don't think we were properly introduced." I glared at his hand, then bent and retrieved my bag and turned, leaving his hand hanging there.

"You know, you could be decent without me having to kick your ass to get it out of you," he called after me.

I smirked at him over my shoulder, my mood considerably lifted after a little challenge. "I'll see you around, Jace.

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the rest of chapter 1! Definitely let me know what your thoughts are in a review! Thanks for everyone who has read it and the few who reviewed last chapter!

If you have any suggestions or thoughts, please, let me know in a review!

Until next time,

-Caitlyn