To answer a few questions:

1. The "dirtier" parts that some people are asking for are coming soon enough. But if you want something... detailed, you won't get that here. I refuse to use vulgar language, so if that is what you want, I'm sorry but I will not write like that.

2. Jem and Will are just Clary's friends. Nothing special between them. They're basketball players that she befriended through Isabelle.

2. Mostly everyone liked the snippet idea, so if you don't then I suggest you don't read them. They'll be in italics at the bottom, so just skip over them.

And now the moment you've all been waiting for!

Fuzziness and a headache was the first thing that Jace noticed when he finally came to. The dreamless sleep that night wasn't something that was easy to break out of. Mainly because Jace didn't actually want to. Reality would bring the fact that he had to face what happened last night, and he didn't want it. Blackness with no emotion was better than what he had to face.

He didn't really remember much either. Last he could recall, he was talking to Jordan at the bar. That was it. From then on, his celebration was nothing but a blank memory. No matter how hard he tried to think, it was black and wasn't coming anytime soon. If he couldn't even remember, he didn't want to think about how bad his hangover was going to be. How much did he actually drink? That whole damn bottle?

He was in so much trouble. That much he knew. He didn't have to open his eyes to know it was morning or to know that he was completely naked. The sheets that draped along his waist touched his bare skin, so obviously he got some action in his drunken state. That didn't surprise him. Not because he was irresistible, but because he really was a fucking idiot.

And he knew that he was going to hate himself after this.

Of all the things he could've done, he slept with someone. How did he know? The body he felt next to him was more than enough proof. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that it was a girl with silky smooth skin. Her head was draped on his bare chest and her arm around his abdomen, attaching herself to him like he was a lifeline.

But that's when he realized it. That wasn't just some girl.

This girl was different. She didn't feel like a one night stand or a drunken mistake. Jace's body actually enjoyed her touch and the feelings that came with her. That never happened with one night stands. It only happened with one girl in particular.

He opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling, the smell of strawberries messing with his head. No way. He didn't. He couldn't have.

His eyes confirmed it when they slowly drifted down. There, lying on his chest was definitely Clary. His… Wait, not his Clary. Just Clary. Her hair was unmistakable. And the heat and feel of her body were more recognizable now. It was definitely her.

Looking to his left, his clothes and her sweater and green pants were spread across the floor, confirming the rest of it. It was definitely her.

He reached up and pulled at his hair with his free hand, wanting to so badly beat the shit out of himself. If he and Clary did what he thought they did, which judging by the state of the place it happened and how nude both of them were, then she was no longer a virgin. He took her virginity in a drunken, angry state that he couldn't even remember. Was he good to her like he wanted to be? Did he treat her right?

A better question: Did she deserve to be treated that way after what she did?

Who was he kidding? Of course she did. He might be angry, but he still cared. That's the part he hated. He still cared about a girl who obviously just threw their relationship down the drain.

And yet, here they are in bed together after a drunken night of fighting.

This is exactly why Jace didn't drink. Obviously he wasn't good at handling himself. He hated the idea of forgetting what he'd done, and now he had the guilt to go along with it.

Suddenly, as if she knew he was awake, Clary stirred against him. He stiffened, his mind trying to find something to say. Was there anything to say?

She pulled away from him, using her hands on his chest to push her off. The sheets fell around her hips, exposing her bare chest to him and he swallowed. No wonder a drunken Jace couldn't say no. She was so fucking gorgeous.

"Holy shit," she mumbled in a husky voice, looking around with her hand in her hair. She closed her eyes momentarily, looking to be in pain and opened them again but slower. "My head is pounding." She reached up and touched her head, gently massaging her temple.

Jace didn't know what to say. He just stared in awe and wonder at her as she tried to gather herself.

It was like it dawned on her all at once. She looked confused enough at first, and then she stiffened and looked down. Seeing herself like that would've shocked any girl, and she immediately grabbed the sheet to cover herself.

"What the–"

She shut up when she turned and saw Jace, lying there with one hand behind his head, the shocked expression mirrored on their faces. They stared for a while before Clary finally lost and broke contact, looking away.

Jace felt like he had to say something, anything, and there was only one good place to start. "Clary? Tell me that you remember what happened last night."

She didn't answer at first but she slowly shook her and looked down, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. The sheet fell again, exposing her chest, but her mind was probably elsewhere. She didn't seem to care.

Jace did though. He couldn't talk to her like that. His mind went straight to the gutter, and they had to figure out what the hell happened. He reached to the floor, pulling her sweater from the heap of clothing and handing it to her without a word. She slipped it on, her face blushing and her eyes looking everywhere but his.

"Anything?" he asked as he sat back against the headboard.

"I only remember so much."

He sighed, figuring that would happen. "What do you remember?"

"The last thing I remember was Will and Jem taking me from the lake and bringing me back inside, talking about playing some kind of drinking game. I wanted to forget, so I just played along and that's it. I guess I drank so much I blacked out."

Silence. Jace felt a jealousy that he hated at the idea of Jem and Will spending time with Clary, but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"What about you?" she asked.

He sighed and closed his eyes, willing his pounding headache to fade. "All I remember is walking away from you and talking to Jordan. He gave me some vodka and that's all I got."

"You drank?" Clary asked in shock.

He nodded without looking at her, touching his hands to his head to calm his hangover. "Actually, you drove me to drink, so thank you very much for that."

It was a low blow, and he knew that, and it came out as harsh as he meant for it to. Clary needed to know that he was hurting, that she did the one thing that he was scared of most in the world. She broke his heart.

She sucked in a breath at his harsh words. "So, um, we don't know how we ended up… here?"

"Nope."

"Maybe Isabelle will know?"

Jace shrugged. "Simon was dealing with her all night. She was as drunk as we were." He looked over at her and found her looking at the sheets, avoiding his gaze. And for some reason, it pissed him off. "Maybe you can talk to your new boyfriend and he can tell you the details," he spat.

God, he was being such a prick but he just couldn't help it. When their eyes met, finally, he could see the tears that she was holding back. Instantly he felt his protective side come out and he wanted to reach out to her. He wanted to pull her into him and apologize for being exactly who he hated, but he fought against it. He had every right to be angry about last night.

Clary swallowed and looked away, sliding out from the sheets. "You don't have to be such an asshole about this."

"I don't have to be an ass?" His jaw dropped. "No, Clary, I get to be an ass. You're the one that went and fucked this whole thing up."

"I made a mistake, Jace! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't change the fact you kissed him!"

Clary paused for a moment, and Jace thought for a second he won the battle. But then she said in a voice above the whisper, "What about the fact that you slept with me? Does that change anything?"

That caught him off guard. "I – I don't know." He dropped his head to his hands momentarily before he looked up again. "Are you sure that we… that we, um…"

She nodded slowly, looking towards her hands. "I can feel it. It… you know… hurts. It didn't feel like that when I was clothed, that's for sure."

If it was any other girl on any given day, he'd find amusement in that. But this was Clary. He didn't find it funny or get any pride out of that. He hurt her and didn't even remember it. He couldn't remember anything. Was he even caring like he should've been or did he treat her like a slut? That guilt would eat him alive for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, the asshole act that he had going faded and he couldn't keep it up anymore. "Shit, Clary, I'm so sorry."

She gave him a look. "No need to act like you care now."

"I am sorry. I mean it. I'm not acting like I care. I genuinely do." It was more than obvious she still didn't believe him. "Jesus, Clary, would you please just look at me?"

Her eyes lifted to his and he saw the tears that threatened to spill on her cheeks. "This could be really bad, Jace. Like… really bad."

"Yeah, I know. I–"

"And we're not even together anymore," she added. It was true, but it was also like a stab to his chest when she said it. "You made that clear last night and yet, we still woke up together, completely naked and confused. And of all the ways to have sex for our first time. We do it when we both don't even remember? Where the hell do we go from here?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "It doesn't change the fact that you kissed Sebastian."

She shifted on the bed, and Jace reached out and grabbed her arm, keeping her from leaving. He wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, but the feeling of her soft skin under his fingers made him realize how much he cared for her. And that he didn't want to lose her.

"But," he added and her eyes lifted in a hopeful green gaze. He dropped his hand, keeping her eye contact. "Hold on a second. It's still not easy for me, but if you explain… we can talk about this and maybe figure this out."

Clary nodded and started twirling one of her wild curls between her fingers. "He kissed me to start. Not the other way around."

"Okay," he said slowly. "That makes me feel a little bit better."

She took a deep breath. "I was just thinking a lot when I was sitting out there. Seb came and in my drunkenness, I didn't exactly tell him to leave. I figured he was just being a friend. But when he kissed me, I pictured you for some reason. I didn't get a lot of time with you that night because everyone was occupying your time, and I kissed him back thinking it was you. I realized it easily enough but you heard about it before I could explain."

Jace didn't move, speak, or breathe. His eyes followed her every movement and his ears took in her every word.

"I refused to even look at him after that. All I felt was how much I wanted to talk to you, to apologize, but the look on your face told me you didn't want anything to do with me. So I didn't go after you. I just collapsed into tears by the lake, regretting everything, and that's when Will and Jem found me."

He watched as a stray tear broke through Clary's eyelid, sliding down her cheek. He reached forward out of instinct and cupped her cheek, brushing the liquid away with his thumb. Her teeth sunk down on her lip, like she was fighting to keep it from trembling.

"I should've waited and listened to you," Jace whispered.

"It was Sebastian," she said. "I should've known better and I didn't at the time. Being drunk isn't an excuse, and I wish I had one, but you reacted exactly how I would if it was you and another girl."

Jace saw an opportunity and took it. "So, if the roles were reversed, what would you do right now?"

Her eyes widened at his question. He dropped his hand and sat back, knowing that touching her was making it harder to have this conversation.

"I guess," She whispered slowly, "that I don't really know."

He sighed. "That doesn't really help."

"I do know that I don't want to lose you, Jace," she said with conviction. "You're everything to me right now, and losing you for the limited time last night was harder than losing my dad last month."

Her words brought something out of him, something deep. What it was or where it came from was a mystery, but Jace knew that he felt the same. Losing her was worse than losing his mother. It was more… traumatic and he wasn't sure he'd ever recover from it.

"I don't want to lose you either."

The hope in her eyes at his words brought him to life, and he smiled at her slightly. It wasn't easy, but it was there. She returned it and slowly, it felt like they were getting to a point to figure this out.

He lifted his hand and motioned his finger in the 'come here' motion, and Clary did. She crawled towards him and their lips met in a light, soft kiss. It wasn't like they actually planned it, but they both wanted it. Like sealing a deal between the two of them.

But it didn't stop there. Jace knew it should, but his hand moved to the back of her head in the process and pulled her tighter against him. She came willingly, sliding on top of him as their lips and tongue tangled. His hand skimmed her sides, pulling the sweater up slowly until his hand brushed the side of her breast, causing her to moan against him.

And he realized then that they couldn't do exactly what he wanted to do. This was impulse and not very smart of him at all.

"Things can't go back to how they were," he said when he pulled them apart. His hands moved to her cheeks, keeping her close. "It's not that simple."

"I know," she said, searching his gaze. Her green orbs were as captivating as the first day he ever saw them. "I was an idiot, Jace, but I don't want to lose you because of that."

"There are no promises, but… maybe we can work this out," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Right?"

They seemed to have at least one kind of mutual understand. It wasn't going to be easy, but Jace knew that he didn't want to be without her. It hurt. It really hurt, but hurting because of her is better than hurting without her. He knew that now. He could handle it.

"Come here," he whispered.

They moved so they were lying amongst the sheets how they were when they woke. Jace stroked Clary's hair slowly, just taking in the feeling of her skin against it. It wasn't something they were used to because Jace didn't want to rush the physicality of the relationship. Sebastian tried that and Jace didn't want to be like that.

But they did sleep together. Even if it was unintentional, it happened. And he knew that they had to address it.

"Where do we even go from here?" he asked. "We both want to, but I don't know how this works."

Clary shrugged, following the lines of his abs with her fingers. "I guess this is a little complicated."

Jace chuckled. "A little?"

"Maybe a lot."

"A shit ton," he corrected.

She giggled. Somehow, they were able to laugh about this. It was a huge deal, but they were laughing about it. God, they were either fucking crazy or this could actually work. Jace kind of thought it was both.

"Did we even use a condom?" Jace wondered out loud.

Clary stiffened as the realization hit her. "Oh, fucking shit."

"Wait a second, don't panic," he said in an 'I have an idea' tone. "Get up."

Her body slipped away from his when he got up from the bed, moving over towards the trashcan. Jace prayed on his way over and found them answered as he looked inside. It was disgusting to think about, but a used condom was sitting in the plastic liner.

He breathed with relief and turned to smile at her. "We're in the clear with that at least."

She collapsed on the bed, probably feeling the same relief. "Jesus. At least we weren't complete fuckups."

"Yeah, the last thing we need is for you to get pregnant."

"My mom would kill me," she said, cocking her head at him when he walked towards her. Her eyes roamed his body and Jace forgot he was actually naked. Showing off was something he was accustomed to, but that might not be best right about now. Especially with Clary looking at him like that.

He paused and rubbed the back of his head, looking towards the bathroom instead of at her. "Um, I think I should…"

Clary blushed and turned away immediately, burying her head in her hands. "Agreed."

Clary and Jace made their way downstairs after both showered, separately, and dressed again. It was a little awkward between them as they walked. Clary wasn't sure whether they were allowed to hold hands or show emotion at all since they weren't together anymore. She just let it be, walking beside him silently and hoping that she didn't ruin everything last night.

The cabin was a complete mess. Picture any kind of high school or college party at a house with booze, girls, and expensive, breakable items, and multiply that by ten. That was the state of the cabin. There was a hole through the backdoor that led to the porch. Cups were everywhere. The chandelier somehow fell and shattered on the coffee table, breaking that as well.

And bodies were lying everywhere. Was anyone sober enough to leave last night?

"See anybody we know?" Jace asked as he kicked at some guy on the floor, rolling him over just to find another passed out stranger.

Clary did the same, rolling a girl on the carpet to the side, frowning when it wasn't Isabelle. "No. Nobody."

"I'll call Isabelle," he announced. The phone rang for a bit while Clary checked other people before Jace finally spoke again. "Damn, you sound like hell."

There wasn't anyone here that Clary even knew. The living room was like a minefield, and none of these people she kept attempting to dodge would be able to help her at all. If their night was any like hers, they were all just as drunk. No one was going ot remember anything.

A frustrated sigh escaped her and she clung to herself, studying the room. If only there was a way to change it. Maybe if she didn't drink, that never would've happened. Maybe if she was smarter, nothing would've changed. This was all her fault.

"Fuck. Yeah, I got it," Jace said and shoved his phone back in his pocket. Clary looked up when he stepped behind the kitchen counter and slipped into one of the bar stools, staring at his hands.

It was a weird act for him to do, and Clary made her way over to him. She didn't touch him but stood next to him and cautiously asked, "Is Izzy okay?"

"Yeah. She's got a hangover, but she's fine. Simon took good care of her last night and took her back to campus."

"At least she made it back okay."

"Yup."

It was silent for a few minutes, an awkward, unwelcomed silence.

"So," Clary said. "Should we–"

"Clary," Jace interrupted her. "We have a problem."

She frowned. "What kind of problem?"

"One where… one of us might have done something extremely idiotic and the other might hate him or her for it."

Now she was confused. "Jace, what are you talking about? We already realized that we," she dropped her voice to a quieter register, just in case someone around here was awake, "you know, that we slept together, so how does it get any bigger than that?"

Jace sighed and pulled at his hair. "It gets worse. Trust me. Simon told me so."

"How?"

He pinched his eyes shut and tugged his locks in serious distress. "I might have… slept with someone other than just you last night."

It was like the entire world fell on her shoulders and her heart broke at his words. It didn't just break, actually. It felt like Jace took a knife, forced it inside her chest and twisted, cutting everything that she ever loved. That didn't make any sense, and the more his words processed in her mind, the worse the feelings became.

Suddenly it was hard to breathe and Clary backed up into the fridge, gripping the handle for dear life. "Might have? Wha – who?"

He refused to look at her when he answered. "Simon said he saw me and Kaelie walking upstairs at one point during the night... I'm not exactly being optimistic that she just wanted to talk."

Of all the people in the entire world, it had to be Kaelie. Granted, Clary never exactly talked to the girl much but she just got on Clary's nerves regardless. Something about her was just wrong. Clary didn't know what to say at this point. She was frozen against the fridge, staring at Jace's back like she'd never seen him in her life.

He slowly turned and she realized how pale he was. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I can't say it enough. I didn't realize," he paused, his eyes burning with self-hatred. "God, this is why I don't drink. I fuck shit up when I do. I don't – I'm sorry, Clary."

The distance between them that morning only seemed to grow. It was like the small kitchen space was the Grand Canyon. Clary was on one side, Jace on the other. She wanted to reach out, but knew that she couldn't for more than one reason. They were being pulled apart by their own mistakes, and that was the worst part.

There was no one to blame but themselves and each other. No one else but them.

"Please say something."

She shook her head and looked down at the tile floor, gripping the counter behind her. "What am I supposed to say, Jace?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Anything," he said with a crack in his voice. It was as broken as she was.

But she couldn't just let this slip. Kissing Sebastian was one thing. Sleeping with someone though? Jace took the fight that they had to a whole new level. One that Clary was not a fan of.

"I should go," she announced, moving towards the door.

Jace instantly beat her there, blocking her path with his arms stretched wide and fearful eyes widening. "Clary, please don't walk out on me. We can talk about this."

"Talk about it? What the hell is there to talk about Jace?"

"We can work it out," he begged. "You can't just leave. I can't just let you walk away from me. I know I made a mistake, but you did too."

"You don't get to pull that card," she shot back. "I was kissed by someone else. I didn't kiss him first. You, obviously, willing slept with another girl because your ego took a hit."

He shook his head like he didn't believe her. "We don't know if that's true, technically."

"It's the thought that's the issue."

Jace sighed and dropped his arms, slapping them against his thighs. "Clary." He reached out for her but she smacked his hand away with enough force for her to feel the sting. The look on his face was destroyed when she did. "Please, Clary. I'm sorry that I did it. I didn't realize how big of an asshole I was being about the situation. I just lost control. Don't do this."

There were the groans and moans of waking college students with hangovers from around them. Clary hadn't realized that their voices were loud enough to cause that, but she knew that she wanted to get out before they completely came to.

"Move," she ordered. When he didn't, she shoved him aside and stormed out into the Wednesday morning air. Unlike everything else, it was actually beautifully and put together. More than she could say for herself right now. But it was also cold during the month of November, which was exactly how she was feeling. Cold and alone.

Jace had immediately followed her outside, walking behind her but keeping his distance. "So are we just breaking up like this? You just walk out and that's it?"

"What am I supposed to do? Just because we slept together doesn't mean that we are together," she practically yelled. Now that she was out in the open, she didn't care. People could come out and listen to them fight. She was over it.

"I don't want to break up!"

Clary swiveled on her heel, halting Jace in the process. "You don't exactly get a choice in the matter."

"So after everything we've gone through, you're just going to toss me away like I'm nothing?" His face showed the pain that he visibly feeling. She felt the same, but she couldn't break. Not now. "You're just going to ditch me like my mother did?"

"Wha–" That time, she didn't have anything to retort back.

He knew how to get to her. Of course he did, and Clary wasn't even sure where to start to say anything back. His mother was a sensitive subject, one he never discussed. Whatever she did was horrible, and yet he's saying Clary is doing the same thing?

She reached up and pulled at her hair like he does so much, wanting to rip the roots out in frustration. "Jace, I'm not ditching you."

"You are."

"I am not! I have a reason to…"

"Leave me," he finished. His face fell and his hands shoved into the pocket of his pants. "To just throw this whole thing away and take the road that leaves me behind."

She dropped her hands, letting them smack against her jeans. "I'm not leaving you. I just need a little time to think, okay?"

He bit his lip in consideration. "To… think? About us?"

"Yes. I have to sort this out. What happened last night was a lot. With everything thrown at me this morning, it's too much right now."

He didn't say anything. He couldn't and she could see that. It was like the stabbing was reversed, and now she was driving the knife into him. It was awful to watch. All she wanted now was to run towards him and wrap her arms around him. She wanted to forget everything that happened, but there was no way it was going to be that simple. This had to be thought about before it can be worked out. She knew that. Deep down, she thought Jace did too.

After a few minutes, Jace looked up. "I get it."

"Do you really?"

He nodded and looked towards the lake. "I'll just go inside and leave you to your… thoughts."

As she watched him turn and walk back towards the cabin, something snapped inside of Clary. Like a switch, her worries about losing him came rushing like a giant wave. She wasn't sure what it was about the situation, but she found herself walking and then running towards him within seconds.

"Jace," she called. "Wait!" He turned and a look of surprise caught his expression before her body was pressed against his, her lips insistent on his.

Immediately, they both responded with the same intensity. Yes, everything was fucked up at the moment, but neither of them wanted to think about it at the moment. All she wanted was to kiss him, to have him hold her one more time before she takes the step that she dreads. And he seemed just as desperate for her as soon as they both realized what was happening.

Clary's hands wound around his hair and pulled him into her. Jace's arms were around her back and crushing her body against his, lifting her off her feet as they kissed. It was like that kiss at the end of movies where the two realize that they were meant to be. But she didn't smile against his mouth like in the movies. No. She could feel herself having a painful expression, like she was sad it would be the last time.

Because there wasn't an easy fix. They weren't together. They couldn't be right now. But she had to have something to remember before she left so kissed him harder, forcing his mouth open to taste him fully. She needed it. His taste. The feel of his lips. The smell. Just one more time before she walked away.

They pulled apart after a while, but they didn't separate. Jace kept her close, his forehead against hers and his hands holding her close.

His breathing was coming in fast pants. "We have a problem."

She agreed completely. The physical need for him was growing inside of her. It was almost primal and intoxicating, like she'd die if she didn't satisfy it. That wasn't good, so she had to pull away before it got out of control.

She nodded and pulled back. "I really should go. Before we... you know."

"Yeah," he mumbled, dropping his hands and immediately shoving them in his pockets. She felt the loss of his touch instantly. "But… what do we do from here?"

She shook her head and stared at the floor. "I don't know."

"Because I can't be around you and not kiss you," he confessed, his eyes burning into hers with a fire she hadn't seen before. "I can't."

"Then we can't be around each other," she said, hating the taste of the words in her mouth.

"But–"

"Listen," she said when she stopped him. "Thanksgiving is coming up. I suggest we just spend it separately with our families. Try to figure out where to go from here. We shouldn't make decisions when we're both so confused and hungover."

Jace touched his forehead like he forgot about the pain in his head. "Okay. I guess I'll just stay here."

She forgot he wasn't going to fly all the way back to California for the break. "Go with Isabelle," she suggested. "She'll be happy to have you. And you can meet her brother, Alec. I'm sure you two will be good friends."

It was obvious that he didn't like the idea, but he nodded and took her advice anyway. "I'll talk to her."

"Hey, Clary!"

They both turned to find Will and Jem stepping out of the cabin. Will was as happy and hyper as ever, smiling at her as he approached. Jem had an ice pack to his forehead and looked like death.

"We're heading back to school," Will announced, showing a pair of keys that unlocked his Range Rover. He looked like he didn't even have a hangover. The boy is a professional alcoholic, Clary thought. "You want to go ahead and come with us?"

Clary didn't miss the look that Jace gave Will, but she knew that she had to get away from him before she couldn't control herself anymore. "Yeah, I'll meet you guys in the car."

They both nodded and headed off, leaving Clary and Jace standing in the driveway.

"I'm serious about this," Clary continued. "Maybe a few days apart will be good for us."

"People always say that space is good. It never is," he complained.

Instead of fighting, she just started to back towards Will's car. "I'll see you Monday, Jace."

He nodded and watched her go. She felt his gaze burning into her from the driveway to the car, and then turned and saw his eyes still on her as the car pulled around the corner, blocking Jace from her view.

Clary stepped into her dorm room later that morning, feeling more and more depressed. It was eating at her but at the same time, she knew that this was the way it was supposed to be. She couldn't be with him right now. It wasn't right.

Simon and Isabelle were talking on her bed when she opened the door. They immediately shut up and looked at her with worried, concerned expressions.

At first she didn't say anything. She just walked to her bed, dropped her stuff on her desk, slipped under the covers. Her pillow was going to have to be her cuddle buddy for the next few days, so she pulled t to her chest and rested her head on it. It was the same way she used to wrap herself around Jace, but that couldn't happen anymore.

The thought was heartbreaking.

"Before you ask, we technically broke up," Clary announced, looking over at Sim

They were sitting on Isabelle's bed, sipping coffee and looking at her with concern. Both of them shared glances, like they knew it but didn't want to believe it.

Isabelle spoke first. "What happened last night?"

"All the wrong things," Clary mumbled. "To start, sleeping with him wasn't my best idea."

"You sleep with Jace all the time," Simon pointed out. "That isn't that big of deal. I know that he apparently had sex with Kaelie but at least you weren't that stupid."

Clary knew that her eyes were going to give her away. It was probably readable all over her face what she did. Correction: what they did. It was both of them. Together. It wasn't just her. So when she looked up and gazed at her friends, she knew that they got the picture.

And Isabelle spit her coffee across the room when she realized it. "Holy shit. You didn't." She wiped her mouth and dropped her jaw in Clary's direction. "Jesus, please tell me that you didn't."

"We did," she said with shame, burying her head in the pillow.

Simon had a look of complete shock and fell back against the wall. "Well… shit."

"Pretty much," Clary added.

Isabelle slumped – which never happens – against the wall and stared like a deer in headlights. "What did you two do?"

"Had sex."

"I mean after," Isabelle said with irritation. "I definitely understood that you lost your virginity in a drunken state. What happened this morning?"

Clary sighed and sat up, pulling her pillow to her chest. "A lot. But we argued about Kaelie, confessed we didn't want to break up, kissed, and then I told him I needed some space."

"Space?" Isabelle repeated. "After you kissed him?"

"That's messed up," Simon added with another sip of his coffee and saluted her. "Way to get your point across."

"Thanks for making me feel better guys," Clary mumbled, dropping her head.

Isabelle glared at Simon and slapped his shoulder rather roughly. "Keep your mouth shut."

"Sorry."

"So," Isabelle continued. "Does that mean the Thanksgiving plans between you two are not going to happen?"

"Obviously. I told him that he should go with you instead. Maybe meet Alec and Max. I'm sure that would be better than fighting with my mom and my brother while Jace and I aren't on even on good terms."

Simon raised his hand like a child wanting to ask a question.

"Yes, Simon?"

He dropped his hand and looked at Isabelle with confusion. "If Jace comes with you, am I still invited over?"

"Of course," she answered like it was obvious. "Jace won't get in the way of that. I promise."

Simon nodded with a smile that brightened the whole room. "Am I allowed to beat the shit out of him for hurting one of my best friends?" he asked, glancing at Clary.

Immediately, Clary got defensive and shook her head. "No, you can't, not that you even could to begin with." Then she realized what she said and how she said it. "But I'm not saying you can't give him shit for it and make him feel bad."

Simon smiled at the fact he finally had permission to hurt Jace for something. "This will be great."

"Are you sure this is the best way to handle this?" Isabelle asked Clary, looking at her over her coffee cup rim as she took another sip. "You can still ask him to go with you. It might be what you two need to work things out. Just think about it."

In all honesty, she didn't know. She'd never gone through this and there wasn't a manual call What to Do When Your Boyfriend/Exboyfriend Maybe Sleeps with You and Another Girl in the Same Night that you kissed your actual Exboyfriend. So she was pretty much on her own at this point.

And this was all she had. "Look, this is how I'm handling it. Whether it's the best way or not."

Isabelle and Simon obviously didn't like the idea, but the didn't say anything as Clary's phone buzzed, catching her attention. She reached and grabbed it, opening the most recent text nervously.

I'm sorry I'm an ass and did what I did. There's no excuse, but I miss you already. Please. - J

She wasn't sure what the please as for, but she had a feeling that she wanted the same thing too.

Soooo, yup. Sorry, not sorry. And don't freak out. Good stuff is coming soon! It's exciting :) Speaking of coming soon:

Snippet 1: "I don't need your snarky comments right now, Jace."

Snippet 2: Jace shuddered and groaned like it physically hurt him. "Please, for the love of all that is holy, don't ever say that word again. You say it like its second nature and that's just fucking heartbreaking."

Snippet 3: "They won't be coming back in here anytime soon," he teased. "Just... stay like that for a while." He looked her up and down, smiling and leaning in to peck her cheek lightly. "Underwear is a good look for you."

Stay tuned lovely people! :) And review your thoughts of the upcoming chapter!