Clary stared at herself in the mirror, her shirt off to get a better view of her body. It was lying on a slip of the counter as her hands smoothed over the sensitive skin on her neck. She winced, passing a purple spot that was more than visible just above her collarbone and next to her bra strap, right where her shoulder and neck connected.
Dammit, Jace, she thought to herself.
He was so adamant last night, so playful and adorable and determined that she didn't have the heart to stop him. Granted, she didn't really want him to stop either. She still remembered how it felt, how he felt. His lips on her neck. His tongue against hers. His hands constricting her. His smell. His taste. Everything.
"Jace," Clary begged, trying to push his body off of her with little success.
Jace just laughed, covering her body with his fully. He gripped her hands, pinned them above her head on the bed, and kissed down her skin. It was so easy for him to control her, but that was because she never had the will to stop him. It felt amazing to let him have control, to let him take over because she wasn't worried. She felt safe. She knew she should attempt to keep some dignity, but everything about her wanted to just let him do what he wanted.
Their bare torsos – except for her obnoxious bra – were rubbing together with every move he made, making the sensations even more exotic and delicious. His tongue, teeth, and lips were making her feel things she'd never felt with Sebastian, making her squirm for more under him. Her heart was racing with every touch. It was like he was a drug and just after a few days, she was completely and totally addicted to him.
"Hmm?" he hummed into her neck, sucking her skin into his mouth.
She clamped her hands around his, squeezing with all her might at the pleasure he was causing. All she wanted was to rip his sweatpants off, ditch her bra and her own grey sweatpants, and just go at it. That was ridiculous, she knew, but she wanted it. So little barriers and a room all to themselves wasn't exactly the best environment to keep her virginity.
He kissed up her neck, stopping just by her ear. "You're breathing a bit hard, Clary. Do you want me to stop?"
She shook her head against the pillows, turned, and finally caught his lips with hers. He was so shocked at first that his mouth opened, causing her tongue to slip in but he soon started the battle that she longed for. She yanked against his hands, trying to find his hair to pull him harder against her, but he wasn't having it. His grip only tightened, pulling them further up until her arms stretched and she was stretched out beneath him.
"You're struggling only makes it more amusing to me," Jace teased when he pulled away, staring down at her.
Clary bit her lip, trying to find her breath. "You – I swear you're going to pay for this."
"Don't act like you don't love it," he shot back, ducking his head again and nipping at her sweet spot. Her body arched into his, her hands willing to tug at his hair and his skin. He refused though, holding her down easily.
He pulled back and bit his lip, admiring his work. His little smirk let her know that there was no way she'd be able to hide what he left behind.
She closed her eyes, taking in the sensation as he slowly released her hands. "Stay still, beautiful," he told her.
She struggled to do it, but she didn't move as his hands slowly slid down her arms to her shoulders. She opened her eyes when he released her, touching his hands beside her head and holding himself up. Silently and amazed, she watched as his gaze drifted down her body. Her chest and face flushed at the intensity of it before he met her eyes again.
He smiled down at her, one side of his mouth lifting up more than the other. "You're more intoxication than you realize."
She raised her eyebrows in challenge and was proud when her voice came out strong. "Am I?"
"JACE! OPEN THE DOOR!" a man's voice yelled as he banged against Jace's dorm room door. "We have a bio test tomorrow and you said we could study."
And that's exactly how they were interrupted by one of Jace's classmates. Clary wasn't sure whether to complain or be thankful.
She should probably be thankful. Right now, the hickeys on her neck weren't in plain sight if her hair was down and her sweatshirt or jacket was on. Lord knows how bad it could've been if they kept going. Jace made sure they weren't obvious, but he sure made them dark and sensitive now. Especially that one where her neck and collarbone met. God, it felt so good but damn, it was dark now.
"Clary?" He knocked against the door. "You okay?"
"Yeah," she said, stepping towards it and throwing it open.
He stood there in all his shirtless glory like the night before. His golden hair was tousled and a mess, and his eyes were tired from sleep, but he still looked the same.
"What's taking so long?"
She glared at him before stepping back and looking in the mirror. "I'm just thinking about all the crap Isabelle is going to have to say when she sees these." Clary touched her sensitive spots again. "And you know she's going to want every detail. You're not making this easy on me."
"I'm sorry," Jace chuckled, stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him.
This was new. Sebastian never displayed this kind of affection. He never put his head on her shoulder like Jace was. He never slowly kissed her shoulder like Jace did. He never held her so tightly but so caringly like Jace could. He just didn't.
She met Jace's eyes in the mirror. Sebastian never had that look on his face either. Never. Her glare faltered into one of amazement.
Jesus. She really needed to stop comparing the two, now that she thought about it.
"Are we going to tell her how the weekend went?" he asked, playing with the edge of her sweatpants, twisting the tie between his fingers.
She reached behind her and wrapped her hands in his hair. "I guess. No point in lying. She'll see right through it."
"She's going to rub it in our faces, you know. The 'I told you so' and all that. That's all we're going to hear for the next week."
Clary shrugged. "I'm okay with that. I'm kind of glad she was right about this actually. Even though you've driven me crazy since we met. I can't help but be happy about how it worked out."
Jace smiled that smile that made his eyes light up, his face lift, and his chipped tooth show through. That was the smile that Clary thought was her favorite feature about him.
"I'm glad you finally came to your senses."
She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't the only one who was weary about this." She turned away from the mirror and faced him, leaning back with her hands on the counter. It caused her to pull away a little but Jace instantly followed with his hands on her hips until she was looking up at him. "And you've still yet to tell me why."
He nodded and touched his forehead to hers. "I will soon."
"Promise?"
"Promise," and he sealed it with a small kiss to her lips.
It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to know that he meant it. When he was ready, he'd tell her.
He pulled away all too soon. "Now, you have hickeys to cover and class to get ready for. So let me get dressed and I'll walk you up to your room."
Clary rolled her eyes when he left the bathroom. "I can walk by myself you know!"
She heard him chuckled. "I have no doubt. But you're not leaving my side."
"I thought most girls don't like clingy boyfriends!"
He poked his head back in, catching her attention with a smirk. "I thought you weren't like most girls." And with a wink, he disappeared again.
Clary was sitting in the cafeteria alone, sketching something lazily with a small smile on her face. Her back was to the entrance, her foot propped up on the windowsill as she concentrated.
For a long time, Jace just stood there and looked at her. He focused on how she used all her concentration on the picture before her. The rest of the world just faded away and she was alone in a large group of people, and he just found that fascinating how someone could do that. How she could lose her surroundings in her work.
After a while, he decided not to creep and actually go to her. She looked up when he placed his food down and slipped into the chair next to her.
"Hey," she smiled, pulling the headphones from her ears. "How was your test?"
"Nailed it."
"Did you really or are you just saying that?"
"It's just biology 1108," Jace said over the rim of his cup as he took a sip. "Don't doubt my abilities. I'm a genius."
She shrugged, clearly not believing him before going back to her picture.
He wanted to laugh at her success over covering the evidence from this past weekend. Her hair was down, the curls covering her neck where her t-shirt and jacket didn't. To his surprise, there wasn't much make-up on her face, and he liked that. He liked the fact that she didn't cover up her skin, feel the need to hide, and that she could just be natural. The best thing a girl could wear was a smile to him, not layers of face changing powder.
They talked for a while as he ate, making small talk and taking jabs at one another. Jace, one time, reached over and brushed her hair out of her face before he kissed her cheek, and he felt her stiffen under his touch.
"What?" he asked when he pulled back, worry setting in.
She glanced around behind her, scanning the cafeteria. "You know the soccer teams are back, right?"
"Yeah, Isabelle and Jordan are meeting us here in a bit. So?"
"So that means Sebastian is back," she said in a low voice, meeting his eyes. He saw the worry in her green irises. "And I don't want you to get hurt."
"Clary, after this weekend you can't expect me not to touch you. I will literally go mad."
"I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want you to get hurt because he saw us together. He could do some nasty things, Jace."
Jace knew exactly how nasty Sebastian could be. He'd experienced it first hand, and although it was painful, he'd go through it again. He could handle it. Hell, he'd fight back now that he wasn't so fucking injured. So he had no reason to be scared. None.
He slid his chair closer to hers, enough so his knee bumped her. She was quiet as he moved, looking up at him with curiosity. Then, he cupped her face in his hands, leaned down, and kissed her.
She had to tilt her head sideways to get a better angle because of their seating arrangement, but her hands still found their way into his hair as they kissed. At least she didn't pull back. He would've looked like a moron if that happened. It made him smile into it when she responded too.
But he pulled back eventually, kissing her nose and cheek before completely releasing himself from her.
"I'm not letting him scare me off anymore," Jace said. "I'm sick of it. If he wants trouble, I'll match him with it. I have bigger issues to deal with other than Sebastian Verlac."
She stared at him, studying him. "Why?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"
"Why are you doing this?"
He looked at her like it was a stupid question. "Um, I like you."
She sighed, closed her sketchbook and turned, dropping it on the table. Jace glanced down at it momentarily before giving her a curious look.
She was facing him. "What makes me worth it anyway? I'm not… special. Are you sure fighting with Sebastian is worth it?"
"You're worth going to war for," he said with conviction. "And Sebastian can do anything he wants. He's not going to hurt you if I have anything to say about it."
"I'm not worried about me."
"Well, stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself, I promise." Jace reached up, touching her cheek lightly. Their eyes were blazing as they looked at each other, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. "And you're all that matters now. So I'm going to keep you safe."
"This is disgusting."
Jace and Clary turned their heads, not pulling apart, to find Isabelle and Jordan. Both of them were staring down at them with their eyebrows raised, looking amused.
"Problem?" Jace asked.
Isabelle shook her head, winking at Jordan as they took their seats at the small, round table. Neither spoke a word, both watching Clary and Jace with a keen eye.
Clary eventually sighed, twisting to actually face the table. "Okay. Spit it out."
Isabelle shrugged with a mouthful. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Hey guys… and jackass," Maia announced when she and Simon arrived as well. They both sat between Clary and Isabelle, obviously being as far away from Jace as possible.
Jace glared at her, enough to make it obvious but not enough to piss Clary off. He knew that she hated the fact they couldn't get along, but for some reason he just found too much entertainment in her hatred. He almost didn't want to get along with her, for a fear that it might get boring.
But either way, the lunch went along just fine. The group talked about everything that happened this weekend. Well, not everything. Clary and Jace stayed quiet, getting the details from the soccer games and Simon's weekend back home instead.
Clary was jumpy next to him, tapping her foot on the floor or her finger on the table, like she was on edge about something. He took her hand, a smirk on his face while Isabelle talked, and pulled it down to his lap. He was casually leaning back in his seat, so he used both his hands to touch hers. The point was to calm her, but he almost felt like it made her more jumpy, which was both amusing and a bit worrisome.
Why was she so on edge?
"So what about you two?" Isabelle asked with a sideways smile and a glint in her eyes. "Anything interesting happen this weekend?"
"Yeah," Clary announced mutely.
"Like what?"
"What does it matter?"
"Curiosity," Jordan added, leaning forward. "Let's just say a bet was placed within our little group." He stopped and pointed at Clary's neck. "And the hickeys make it a fifty-fifty on who won."
Jace laughed, amusement filling him. "You guys placed a bet about me and Clary?"
"You've got to be kidding me," Clary complained. She dropped her face to her other hand that wasn't holding Jace's, not sure how to deal with this situation. She looked like she was annoyed, amused, and appalled all at the same time. The expression was actually kind of cute on her pale features.
"Okay, enough of this," Simon announced standing from his spot. "I don't want to hear how you guys bet Clary would have sex with Jace again."
"You bet on that?" Clary all but screamed at her friends.
"Yeah." Simon nodded. "So I'm out of here."
"For the record," Jace added while holding up a finger for the attention. "It didn't happen. I just want to point that out."
Simon glared at him. "I don't care," he spat before moving to leave.
Isabelle didn't let him get far. She reached up, grabbing his arm. "Wait, Simon, don't leave," she demanded, yanking him back down.
But Simon screamed out in pain, real pain. His face contorted as his other hand gripped his shoulder, pulling it away from Isabelle's grasp. That look… he wasn't faking it. Jace could tell that it hurt.
Everyone was shocked and confused except for one person still sitting at the table. Maia. Jace watched her intently as the scene exploded around him. She was looking at Simon with a worried, knowing look on her face. She knew something. He could see it. He made a mental note of asking her later too. Somewhere where Clary wasn't around to be upset about it.
Isabelle reached for Simon again, but this time it was much slower and careful. "Simon, are you okay?"
He nodded, stepping back. "Yeah. I just… bumped my shoulder this morning." He rubbed it gently, stopping only to grab his bag and fling it over his good side. "It's nothing, really. I'll see you guys after class. I'm not really hungry anyway."
He left with that said, and with Isabelle obviously wanting to ask more about it. But since he left, she settled for the rest of them.
Jace paid her no attention as she blabbered about what could've happened, determined to figure it out. She was obviously worried, but the group couldn't help her about it so Jace wasn't really sure why she kept on. Maia was surprisingly quiet, staring at her food. Jordan and Clary obviously couldn't answer her, but Jace had an idea.
He glanced up, looking around the cafeteria momentarily. It didn't take him long to find his target. Tall. Dark. Menacing and pretentious. Determined. Evil glint in his eyes.
Yup. Sebastian Verlac was staring right back at Jace from the fifty yard difference, a smirk on his face and a look in his eyes. A look that actually said 'I warned you'.
For the first time in a while, Jace felt a disturbing feeling to puke.
Jace stood outside the science building, tapping his foot impatiently. For the fourth time in two minutes, he looked down at his watch again.
Seriously? What was taking so long?
The students started to storm out at once, packs of them walking as fast as possible away from class. Jace's head popped up and scanned them, looking for the one girl that he wanted to talk to. Well, he didn't actually want to talk to her. But he kind of had to.
Maia stepped out moments later, her head down with her headphones in as she stared at her phone. She really was a loner, not wanting to cause attention to herself.
Jace reached out and grabbed her arm as she passed him, pulling her to a stop.
"What the hell?" she glared at him, pulling her headphone out of her ears and brushing her brown hair over her shoulder. "What do you want?"
"I needed to talk to you."
"This couldn't wait until after my practice? Or you know… maybe never?"
He shook his head. "It has to be now, little wolf," he added, just to get under her skin.
It worked. She started to stalk off, Jace hot on her heels as she walked. Damn, she was fast for a girl. "If you're going to have an attitude the whole time, then I'm not going to want to talk. Hell, I barely want to talk to you when I'm in a good mood, and today isn't one of those days."
"It's about Simon."
She faltered for a moment. It wasn't much, but he caught it. "What about him?"
"Can we take this somewhere… quieter?" he asked while a number a people walked around them. "This probably should be a private matter."
"I'm not talking about it with you," she said, walking past him again.
Jace followed through a thinning crowd of people on the sidewalk. "I need to know what happened."
"It has nothing to do with you."
But it might, he thought. He couldn't tell her though. Maia hated him enough already, and he didn't need to add onto it. Besides, she'd tell Clary that he let Simon get hurt because of his selfishness for her and that might not be much better.
Jace sighed, gripping at his hair and pulling it in frustration. "Can't you just tell me? Maybe I can help."
"We don't need your help."
"Is he being bullied?"
Maia rolled her eyes. "He's Simon Lewis. He's been bullied his whole life."
"So let me help."
She stopped in her tracks. "Let's get one thing straight," she said, pointing a finger at him with her eyes slit. "I don't like you. I hate you. Simon hates you. He doesn't need a body guard either, so stop. If you're doing this for Clary, don't bother. We can handle it."
"It's not – okay, it is for Clary, but I–"
"I don't want to hear it." Just those words made Jace deflate. "Whatever happened isn't any of your business. Simon doesn't want people finding out, so stop trying to dig."
Jace sighed, dropping his hands to his side and shoving his hands in his pockets. "You know, when people offer help others normally just take it. You don't have to be such a stuck-up bitch about it."
The words were out before he even realized what he said, and he instantly regretted it. Her eyes started blazing, and Jace flinched at the look. The hatred grew and grew and then…
He felt the sting and his eyes closed at the contact, the pain. One second he was fine, and then his cheek was practically on fire. This girl could slap. It was enough to where his head was thrown back at the force.
"Whoever you think you are," she growled and pointed an accusing finger at him, "isn't good enough for Clary. Don't pretend to be someone who cares when you only want to get in her pants."
He rubbed his cheek to stop the burning, refusing to back down. "Who cares why I'm doing it, as long as it gets done."
"So you're admitting it?"
Jace let out an exasperated breath, his hands turning to fists. "You're infuriating, you know that?" Her eyes were still full of challenge. "Jesus, no. No, it's not to get into Clary's pants, okay? If that was the case, this weekend would've been completely different."
Although the idea was enough to set him on edge. He wasn't going to deny how bad he wanted that girl. She was beautiful, sexy, playful, and intoxicating. The idea of having her like that was enough to get him going without her even around.
Maia crossed her arms over her sweatshirt, giving him the same look a big sister gave her attitude filled brother. "It better not be."
"Look, I care about her, okay?"
"I'm sure," she said with an eye roll similar to Izzy's.
"I'm not just saying it," he said in a lower voice. "That girl drives me crazy, and it's not just for the sex that I've yet to get," he pointed out. "I'm not in it for that. I know what Sebastian did to her, and I intend to show her that people can actually care. That guys aren't just assholes."
"And you think you're the best example of that?" she challenged.
He wanted to say yes, but couldn't. "I know I'm not, but I'm trying to be. And don't act like you're the best girl on the planet. You've got your own issues to deal with two."
"I never said I didn't."
"Good, cause you're fucking crazy if you ask me."
Maia's mouth dropped open a bit in shock and hurt. "Wow. Way to get on the good side of Clary's friends, Jace."
He dropped his head, looking towards the ground and kicking a pebble like a child. That probably wasn't his best move, but it came out anyway. Now, he had to recover. "Look, honestly, I just don't want to hurt her."
"I don't want you to either. So focus on her. Stop giving Simon so much attention." Jace raised his gaze to find hers traveling over his body before meeting his eyes again. It wasn't like she was checking him out, but examining him for some reason. "Clary doesn't need someone who will only half-ass a relationship."
"I'm not going to. Trust me."
"I don't trust you," she shot back quickly. "And I probably never will."
She turned after that, heading to the Liberal Arts building. Something kept nagging at Jace, pulling him to follow her still. But he didn't. He just called after her, causing her to turn again.
"Was it Sebastian?" he yelled loud enough for her to hear but quiet enough for it not to be heard by anyone else. "Was it him that hurt Simon? I have to know."
She slowly turned to him, giving him a look he didn't recognize. "What do you think?"
Jace felt like he was really going to throw up. He knew it. He knew that Sebastian did that to Simon, and the idea made him sick to his stomach.
He had to do something. But what?
Clary woke to something soft skimming across the skin on her hip, touching her softly and lightly. It was feather light, barely there but caused the goose bumps to rise regardless. She wanted to open her eyes, but the light from the room was going to burn too much through her eyelids already. Plus, afternoon naps aren't something she wanted to wake up from. But the soft fingers kept touching her and playing with her shirt, egging her on to wake up and see who it was.
She smiled into the pillow, pulling it closer to her chest and resting her head on it. The happy humming came from deep within her throat, causing a throaty chuckle above her.
"Sleeping Clary is probably my favorite."
There was another laugh from across the room. "Yeah, but she normally tosses and turns like crazy. That or she's the devil when she wakes."
"You just don't know how to wake her up right," Jace's voice teased, his fingers slipping beneath her sweatshirt to rub against her side. They were warm and rough with calluses. "You have to be gentle."
Clary could practically picture Isabelle rolling her eyes dramatically. "Sorry I don't kiss her and touch her like that. Women aren't my style. Clary would kill me and I might puke."
Jace laughed and the bed shifted, causing Clary's eyes to open slightly. She was contemplating just letting them have their fun and talk, but she wanted to really see him by now. Her mental picture never did him justice.
He moved up the bed with a smile on his face. Like a predator with a sparkling glint in his eyes as their gazes me.
"Hello, beautiful." He leaned down, kissed her temple lightly, and took the spot next to her, pulling her back to his front. So much for actually seeing him. She snuggled into his warmth anyway, smiling to herself as they spooned, which wasn't something she was used to but something she definitely liked.
"I regret ever getting you two together," Isabelle mumbled. Clary opened her eyes again, glaring at her friend form their spots on their separate beds.
"You'll see a lot more of it now that I know it bothers you." She yawned after talking. Jace squeezed her and chuckled behind her because of it.
"Really, Clary?" Isabelle glared at her friend over her computer. "I do all this for you, and you just rub it in my face?"
"Like you and Jordan have rubbed your affections in my face before?"
"That's different."
She opened her mouth in shock. "How?"
"We were just playing around. You two are serious and that makes it ten times more disgusting to watch."
The sound of the door to the suite opening and shutting caused the three of them to look towards it. Jordan appeared in the hallway, looking incensed and pissed off. His grey jacket had a wet stain on the front and his hair was tousled. Weird.
Clary lifted her hand and waved, calling him over. "Jordan? Is everything okay?"
He stormed in, looking right at Jace and pointed. "What the hell did you say to Maia?"
Jace tensed behind Clary. "Nothing."
"Don't lie about it. She's pissed off and freaked out. I want to know why. I just spent ten minutes with her crying on me in my room because of you. She was a wreck after class."
Isabelle and Clary exchanged confused glances. Maia had been crying? What was that about?
Slowly, Clary sat up and looked down at Jace. He was propped up on his elbow, looking at Jordan expectantly before looking towards her.
"What happened?" she asked calmly. No point in freaking out yet, right?
He swallowed, looking towards the floor before back to Jordan. "I didn't do anything to her. I just asked her a few questions about Simon and she got all defensive and freaked out on me."
"You called her a bitch and said she was fucking crazy," Jordan pointed out.
"You what?" Clary screamed, her eyes widening at Jace. Now there was reason to freak out. "Why?"
Jace fell back on her back, staring up at the ceiling with his hand in his hair. "I just – I don't know. I was worried and pissed off and said things I didn't mean."
"That's low, Jace," Isabelle said.
He nodded, closing his eyes. "I know. She's just so… aggravating!"
"That doesn't give you the right to say that shit to her!" Jordan yelled, his hands flying. "God, I could beat the shit out of you right now."
"I'd let you," he mumbled. The other two didn't catch it, but Clary was close enough to him that she could hear it. Something wasn't right. Something was very wrong.
She looked up, finding her friends glaring at him with everything they had. Well, more Jordan than Isabelle. She wasn't quite as pissed off yet from the looks of it, but Clary could see that she wasn't happy with her new best friend.
"Can you guys give us a minute?" Clary asked them.
It took some complaining and begging, but eventually Isabelle grabbed Jordan by the front of his shirt and dragged him out of the room, shutting the bedroom door behind them. It went from loud to quiet in the matter of seconds, and tension filled the air.
Clary turned towards Jace, shifted on the bed to sit next to him and pulled her legs to her chest. He didn't move while she did. His eyes stayed on the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world, but his muscles were straining and he looked distressed. And his mind… it was like he wasn't really with her right now.
She reached out and touched his stomach, her hand pressing on the abs lightly. "Jace?" After a few minutes, he finally responded and turned his head to look at her. "I want the whole story."
He sighed, closing his eyes and covering his face with his hands. "I can't give it to you," he mumbled through his fingers.
"Yes you can."
"It's not that easy."
"Why did you talk to her to begin with?"
Jace sighed. "Simon."
Clary arched her eyebrows. "Simon? My Simon?"
"If that's what he is."
She heard the venom in his voice, how much he must have hated that she called him that. But that's what Simon was to her. He was he best friend, and Jace would have to understand that as time goes on. She wasn't giving Simon up. Period.
Without a word, she reached forward and grabbed Jace's wrist, pulling his hands away from his beautiful face. "Why were you talking about Simon with Maia?"
"I figured she knew what happened to him."
"You mean his shoulder?" she clarified. The look on his face was embedded in her brain from lunch. She'd never seen Simon jerk from Isabelle that fast or look so hurt.
Jace nodded and slowly sat up. They were basically sitting next to each other, facing opposite directions with their legs pulled to their chests. "I… I thought that I could help."
"Simon isn't the kind of person that likes outside help. And if you would've talked to me, I could've told you that Maia is definitely not that kind of person either."
"I figured that out, thank you. But that's not why we fought."
"Then what happened?"
"She said that I wasn't good enough for you, which I totally agree with. But then she claimed that I didn't care about you." He turned his head to look at her. "But I promise you that I do. I really do care about you, Clary, a lot. Maia doesn't believe it, and my attitude just sprung up at her doubt in me. I was kind of pissed off and said some things I didn't mean."
Clary nodded, reached forward, and touched his cheek with her fingertips. "Is that all that happened?"
He closed his eyes, taking a moment before opening them again and meeting her green with his gold. "Yes."
"Then I'll talk to her."
Jace nodded and a small, apologetic smile came across his lips. Clary looked down at them, wanting to kiss them until she couldn't breathe. Jace must have gotten her message because he took her face in his hands, slowly pulling her to him until their mouths hovered just above each other.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, his breath blowing over her skin. "I didn't mean for it to go like that. I swear."
She gripped his shirt tightly in her hands. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Don't you have practice?"
He nodded. "Unfortunately."
She knew exactly what it meant. Sebastian. He was back, and he'd be asking questions and causing havoc. Jace looked like he was going to be sick at the idea.
Clary reached up, tugging at his hair lightly. "Will this hold you over?" she asked with a smirk before yanking him into her, unable to hold herself back anymore and their lips collided in a world of sparks.
Clary stood with her hands in her pockets, staring out at the dark night with a watchful eye. The sun had set and all of the soccer players were going out for dinner. But she had other plans.
"Hey," Simon greeted when he opened the door, smiling down at her. "Come on in."
Tonight was one of those nights. While everyone was out, she was going to have time with her best friend. She missed this. The one on one time they have can sometimes clear her head and make her forget the rest of the world. It was much needed right now too.
They walked to his room, closing the door. Clary laughed as she walked to the bed, pointing to the TV. "Call of Duty?"
He shrugged, taking the seat beside her and bumping her deliberately in the process. "It's important to me."
"You play it all the time."
"And one day, I'll find a girl that will play it with me."
Clary rolled her eyes. "Good luck with that."
Simon winked at her playfully before going back to his game, joining some online thing.
But she had other ideas right now. She scooted back, acting like she was just trying to lay down, but she studied him instead.
Jace was right. Something was wrong with him. His right arm was almost cradled and he normally leaned forward when he played. All the pressure would be on his elbows as he concentrated, but now he was sitting straight with a slightly pained expression that he was obviously trying to hide. Her artistic eye could at least catch that much, and her curiosity was building.
"So, you and Jace, huh?"
Clary was so focused on him, she almost missed the questions. "Huh? Oh, um, yeah."
"That was a bit of surprise at lunch," he admitted. "Although it wasn't at the same time."
"Your outburst was a bit of a surprise too."
He stiffened. "It was nothing."
She sat up, refusing to believe that. "What actually happened?"
"I told you," he sighed. "I bumped my shoulder this morning. I'm a wimp. It hurt. That's all there is to it."
Even though she probably looked controlling, she didn't care as she reached over and plucked his controller out of his hands.
"Hey!" he yelled. She tossed it behind her, watching as his character froze and Simon glared. "Give it back."
"Tell me what happened," she demanded, holding the controller out of reach.
Simon reluctantly let her have it, turning and propping one leg up on the bed instead. "If I'm honest with you, will you stop ruining my gaming career?"
She rolled her eyes but nodded nonetheless.
"I literally just tripped this morning, tried to catch myself, and kind of dislocated my shoulder in the process." He rubbed the back of his head as his cheeks heated. "And it's embarrassing because that's literally it. I'm just clumsy."
Clary looked around his room, noticing all the clothes and items strewn everywhere. It was a mess. "It makes sense," she mumbled.
"Would I lie to you?"
His eyes told her that there was no way in hell. His glasses almost opened him up even more, and she could see that everything within him was telling the truth. He never had a reason to lie to her. Why would he start now?
Clary pulled the controller around her and handed it back to him, keeping a watchful gaze on his face. "You promise that there isn't anything fishy going on?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just a moron. I didn't really want to tell anyone because it's stupid."
"Promise?"
He nodded and smiled innocently, but Clary still saw something extra.
"I promise."
With that said, she decided for the time being to let it go. But not forever. Something was up, and she was going to figure it out.
HELP! I am officially stuck. I got nothing else. I have writer's block like none other. I normally have a basic idea of what to do next when I post a chapter and take your ideas into account, but I'm at zero. Nothing. Empty. None.
And I refuse to just write. If you have any good ideas, let me know. It might take an extremely long time to get going again otherwise. I'm sorry if you want these chapters up faster, but I can only do so much and I'm blocked in both my current stories :/ Not good.
But stay tuned for more, even if it takes a while. REVIEW TO HELP ME OUT! Your ideas could be the next big thing :)