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Chapter 8

Jace's POV

As soon as we broke away from each other I saw her eyes widen in fear.

She jumped up and grabbed her stuff. Before I could explain anything she ran away. I tried my best to run after her but damn, that little red head was fast! And this was coming from the star of the football team.

I chased her into a somewhat scarier part of the city. Was this where she lived? I saw her sit down on the steps of an apartment building. I slowly walked up to her, not wanting to make her disappear again.

"Clary," I started to say, warning her of my presence.

"Stop Jace. You don't have to explain it. It was an accident and it didn't mean anything. You aren't looking for a relationship and especially not with a poor outcast like me. I get it." She didn't look at me while she said this. While most of it was true I didn't want it to be like that with her. I had known her for two days and she was already the most amazing person I had ever met. I am not sure about handling a relationship but i could definitely do a friendship. "You don't have to explain." She repeated in defeat.

Somehow I heard myself saying, "Well I obviously do have to explain because I didn't run 3 blocks just to tell you that. It was an accident; but it meant something and you must have felt it. That has never happened to me. Surely after knowing me for even a day you know me well enough to know that I don't just kiss girls. I may not be looking for a relationship but that kiss, that kiss wasn't normal. Look at me Clary!" I surprised myself. That was the longest I had gone without making a sex reference or making fun of someone, in a long time.

I could physically feel my walls crumbling down and I didn't have the concrete to build them back up.

Her green eyes were filled with uncertainty when she looked up. "Jace, what are you trying to say?" Her question made me think. What was I trying to say? I wasn't ready for a real relationship, hell no. However, I wasn't ready to lose Clary. If my parent's death had taught me anything, it was to value the time you spent with others, and to not take it for granted.

You never knew when the ones you loved would be whisked away from you.

Loved? Where the hell did that come from? I didn't love Clary, I barely knew her.

"I don't know Clary. I don't know," I found myself saying as I sat down next to her, "I have never felt like this. It's scaring the hell out of me." I wanted to grab her hand and never let go, to hold her in my arms and tell her I would figure things out. I kept telling myself I didn't have feelings for her but the little voice in the back of my head kept bringing up that kiss. I have never kissed anyone or been kissed like that. It wasn't full of lust yet it was still as passionate. It was soft and delicate. It wasn't my type of kiss but it was amazing. My whole body had felt like it was on fire.

Suddenly she stiffened next to me. Oh shit did I say that out loud?!

"Jace I am sorry but you have to leave right now. Please just go. I will explain it to you at school tomorrow just leave!" So I didn't say it out loud but why was she freaking out?

I followed her gaze and saw a drunken man staggering towards us. I remember seeing him from somewhere but I can't remember from where.

I turned to face Clary and I grabbed her hands. Ignoring the sparks I felt when it touched her, I quickly asked, "Clary, don't lie to me. Is he the one who hurt you?" I could see the answer in her eyes. Wasting no time I pulled her up and started walking away from the man. Before it even occurred to me to give her my hoodie to hide her hair, he saw us.

"HEY! Where are you going with my sister? Hey you! Come back here." Sister? That was her brother? How could someone hurt their own sister?

I couldn't even imagine laying a finger on Izzy with the intent to cause her pain.

I tried to keep going but Clary froze. Suddenly she was jerked from me and what happened next was a blur. I remember getting in a fight with her brother and knocking him to the ground. I turned to find Clary, scared that she ran away, when I saw her lying on the ground.

My heart stopped and I scooped her up in my hands without a second thought. My feet started running home and looked at my watch. I could probably sneak her in without having to explain to anyone.

She was in my arms when I went inside trying to be as quiet as possible. Going up the stairs, I made sure to skip the creaking step.

Once in my room, I laid her down on my bed and sat in the chair, thinking about what just happened and waiting for her to wake up.

Clary's POV

When I woke up I was in a strange room and my head hurt like hell. I rolled over to come face to face with a chest. A warm, muscular, shirtless chest. Oh God. Did I sleep with someone? I looked up past the chest and saw a mop of golden curls. Shit shit shit! DID I SLEEP WITH JACE?

I looked down and saw that I still had all my clothes on. Ok good. I did not sleep with Jace. But we did kiss yesterday. What was that even about? I looked over at the clock to see it was 5 am. How did I even get into Jace's house?

All I remember is blacking out after Jonathan- Jace knew. Jace knew about Jonathan.

I got out of the bed trying not to wake up Jace. I walked into the bathroom connected to his room and I looked in the mirror. I had a cut on my head but it looked like someone had cleaned it up. Jace couldn't have…..could he? I looked down at my clothes. I was still wearing my jeans and band shirt from yesterday. I would have to go home to change. I wonder what happened to Jonathan after I blacked out. I could ask Jace but I wanted to get out before he noticed I was awake.

I crept out of the bathroom only to run into a wall of solid flesh.

Goodbye plan.

"Clary, do you want to talk about it?" His voice was full of concern.

"No." If I told him I knew that whenever cocky Jace came back he would tell all his friends at school.

"Clary I might understand more than you think. I know I'm an ass but that's not the real me. I went through hard things before the Lightwoods adopted me. I can help you."

I felt the anger boil up inside me and I was whisper-yelling at him without thinking about what I was saying. "OH YEAH? You have no clue what it's like to be the reason your mom is in a coma and your dad is in prison! You don't know what it's like to fear coming home every day because your brother drinks his problems away and then beats you within inches of your life! You wouldn't know because you live here in this freaking mansion and you're freaking rich! You are the king of the school and you don't have to worry about people finding out your secret and then becoming even more of an outcast!"

I turned away from his face when I realized what I had said. How could I have been such a freaking idiot! I started towards the door to leave when I felt his hand on my arm.

"Clary wait." I froze in my tracks. Whatever he had to say it had better be good. "You're right. I don't understand what it's like for any of that to happen." His voice was gentle. He took a deep breath then continued." When I was 9 I went to the fair with my parents. It was the best day of my life. Then when we came home we walked in on someone robbing our house. He had a gun and he shot both of my parents and he took me. I guess he couldn't risk me telling anyone. I was forced to live with him until I was 13, when I managed to run away and I found the Lightwoods. That man beat me every day and maybe that's why I'm such of an ass. I didn't want anyone to come close enough to find out; except you."

He pauses as if for him to catch up with what he is saying. "We've known each other for 3 days. Only 3 days. And you already know more about me than anyone else. You're different Clary."

I stared at him in shock while everything sunk in.
Speechless, I was just speechless.

"Erm Clary, please say something." Jace's eyes searched mine before I replied.

"I'm sorry. " I whispered. He just chuckled.

"For what?"

"For running away after the kiss. For dragging you into my life... For everything."

"Clary," Jace whispered, coming in close and wrapping his arms around me," One thing you will never ever have to apologize for, ever, is dragging me into your life. I have never felt this comfortable with anyone else. The Lightwoods don't even know my full story. Please, just don't leave. Not yet."

Jace rested his forehead on mine, and I leaned in closer.

"Never," I whispered into his ear.

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