She watched as the car pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the deserted street. With a heavy sigh, she let the curtain fall from her fingertips and close. Leaning against the counter, she huffed and closed her eyes. Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Jace had brought her out here. Two weeks since she had seen Sebastian. Two weeks since she had seen anyone except Jace, actually. Everyday he went to work, leaving her alone in the farmhouse.

The boredom and isolation were slowly beginning to eat away at her. She yearned for some sort of human contact. Even when Jace was around he wasn't much company. He would just lock himself in his room and work on cases until he passed out. He rarely talked to her for more than five or ten minutes at a time. She wanted desperately to call her mom, just to have someone to talk to, but Jace forbid it. He had said phone calls would be too easy to track.

Clary walked into the living room and turned on the television before collapsing onto the couch, like she did everyday. She flipped through the channels and, finding nothing better to watch, settled on a celebrity gossip new show. She crinkled her nose as the hosts began discuss Sebastian and his "fresh-on-the-market" nights out. She was surprised to see that he was showing off the fact that their relationship was over. Maybe it was safe for her to go back to the city now considering he was obviously over her.

The shrill sound of a phone ringing cut through the farmhouse and Clary froze. In the past two weeks the house phone hadn't rang once and she didn't know whether or not she should answer it.

The answering machine picked up and a familiar voice came through the speaker. "Clary, it's me. Call me back please, honey," her mother's voice said. She jumped off the couch and ran to the phone, picking it up.

"Mom?" she breathed.

"Clary, I need you to listen to me," her mother said, worry evident in her voice, making Clary nervous. "Whatever happens, promise me you will never go back to Sebastian."

"Mom, what are you tal-" She was cut off as her mother's scream pierced her eardrum. "Mom! What's going on?"

There was a shuffling on the other line. "Hello, Clarissa."

Her blood ran cold at the sound of his voice. "Sebastian."

"I've missed you. Haven't you missed me?"

"Not the tiniest bit."

A humorless laugh came from him. "Pity. I think you should come home, Clarissa."

"Why in the hell would I do that?"

"Hmm…" He paused for a moment. "Because if you don't, I can't guarantee your mother will remain unharmed."

Clary gasped. "Let my mom go."

"Don't worry, Clarissa. I will let her go as long as you come back to me."

Clary replied without hesitation. "Alright. I will. Just- Just let her go."

"Excellent. A car will be outside the farmhouse in half an hour. Don't tell anyone this conversation happened. I will find out if you do, Clarissa."

The line went dead and Clary dropped the phone. What did she just do? Agreeing to go back to Sebastian was like selling her soul to the devil. But could she really have let him hurt her mom? No. She couldn't have. She was doing the right thing, even it was bad for herself.

With shaky legs, she made her way upstairs and packed her things. She tore a piece of paper out of her sketch book and scribbled a quick note Jace on it. She had just signed her signature when a horn sounded from outside. She exited the farmhouse and slid into the back seat of the sleek black car parked in the front of the house.

Sebastian was already sitting back there, a grin on his face. After she buckled up, he slipped an arm around her.

"I'm glad you came back," he said before sliding an engagement ring back on her finger.

When Jace came back from work, the farmhouse was eerily silent. "Clary!" he called out. But there was no answer. He shrugged it off, thinking she must have been sleeping or something.

Walking into the kitchen, he noticed the phone on the floor. Furrowing his eyebrows, he picked it up and placed it back on the receiver. A piece of paper on the counter caught his eye. It was a note in Clary's handwriting:

Jace,

I'm so sorry . I've decided to go back to Sebastian. I love him and being away from him is too difficult. I'm sure he's changed since I left. Thank you for everything you've done, but you no longer need to worry about me.

Best of luck,

Clarissa Fray.

He stared at the note in disbelief for several minutes. There's no way she would go crawling back to that bastard. He suddenly thought of the phone on the floor. It certainly hadn't been there when he left. Why would Clary have used it? To call Sebastian? No. She had a cellphone for that. Unless, someone had called her on the house phone.

He took out his cell phone and dialed a familiar number: his friend Jordan at the police station.

"Jace? Haven't heard from you in a while," Jordan answered.

"I need to ask a favor."

"Shoot."

"I need you to pull up a phone record for me."

Clary had just finished putting her things away when Sebastian entered the room. She turned around to face him and his hand struck her across the face. The force and surprise sent her flying to the ground.

"Don't ever fucking pull shit like that again, Clarissa," he growled before bringing his foot back and kicking her.

"I'm sorry!" she cried out.

Sebastian smirked at her. "Oh, I'm going to make you even more sorry than you supposedly are."

"I shouldn't have left! I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me!" she sobbed.

"Pain seems to be the only way to get you to learn." He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her off the ground. "Just remember you are mine, Clarissa. Don't you ever fucking leave again or you might not live to see another day," he hissed before shoving her towards the bed.

AN: I am so sorry. Holy shit. Almost two months. I've just had a lot going on in my life lately and haven't been able to find the time/motivation to write. I would have explained that but I didn't want to be one of the lame people who use an update for author's notes. I'll try to update more regularly now. And make the chapters longer than this one.

Review.