Alright guys, sorry its taken so long, i've Been...busy. You may notice the rating changed to M...thats because of this chapter. I'm not getting laid in real life (yay divorce) so I'm writing it out here. It's not super graphic, but...it's here. Sorry not sorry haha. Anyways. This is all I have written so far, so no promises on the next update, but I'm not kidding when I say that you guys following/commenting is a little ray of light in an otherwise super crap few weeks. So...thanks. Anyways, HERE IT IS
The rest of the day seemed to go by slowly, barely at a trickle as Jace did his work at the bar. Inventory was never his favorite part of the job, but today it was almost unbearable. It was almost 7 when he got a text from Clary,
"Iz wants me to stay the night at her place so we can get ready for tomorrow's dinner together. Save me?" Jace laughed out loud
"What my sister wants my sister gets. I'll see you at dinner tomorrow night." He replied and his shoulders sagged as he realized that meant he wouldn't see the girl for another 24 hours. The bar was about to open and he wasn't in the mood, so he opted to finish what he was working on and head back to his house. The drive seemed to take no time at all as he tried to kill time before dinner the next night. He ordered Chinese, ate, and watching a movie. Finally it was almost 10 and he started to head up the stairs to his room. His phone ringing caught his attention and he looked down to see his sisters name on her phone.
"What's up Iz?" He asked opening his bedroom door.
"She's crying." She said simply. Jace could feel his chest constrict.
"Do you want me to come over?" He asked, already looking for his keys.
"No, I think we will be okay. I just...she's so scared. The pizza guy knocked on the door and she had a meltdown. He can't find her here though, right?" Isabelle actually sounded worried. Jace sighed,
"I mean, I haven't checked her phone for tracking, so technically he could. You still have your gun right?" He asked suddenly worried. Jace and Alec had insisted that she get a gun and take a few classes when she decided at 18 that she wanted to live by herself. Izzy made a quick 'mhmm' into the phone "Just make sure you know where it is, and call me if you need me Isabelle." She gave him a quick affirmation before getting off the phone. Jace flopped into his bed, trying to suppress the worry from his mind. Jordan couldn't be so stupid as to go after Clary while she was staying with someone else, that would be insane. He rolled over on his bed and was surprised when he found the bed smelled like Clary. Embarrassment covered his face as he pulled his face from her pillow. A few minutes later Jace was asleep, his face still on her side of the bed.
The next morning Jace woke up to his phone vibrating.
"good morning"
He smiled and sent back a reply before heading down to the gym in his basement. After working out harder than usual, he showered quickly, and picked up his phone. He couldn't help be disappointed that there were no messages from the girl.
"Green or black?" A message came in from his sister. He furrowed his brow and replied,
"For?"
"Don't ask, just answer."
"Green" he responded. Before the past few days black would have always been his answer, but since meeting Clary's green eyes the first time he saw the color everywhere. With no more messages from either girl he started to get ready for the day. A message from his mother came in about the dinner, and then one from Simon, in a flurried panic.
"What if she says no?" Jace laughed
"She won't." He replied. She had been talking about marrying Simon since their second date, after four years she was probably going to gut punch him for waiting this long.
"What should I say?" Simon asked and Jace rolled his eyes,
"I'll be over in an hour Si." He responded before getting dressed and throwing on his shoes. He had meant to spend the day finishing inventory at the bar, but family came first, and Simon was about to be family.
Four hours later Simon and Jace were sitting in front of Simon's TV playing a video game and cursing at each other, all nerves forgotten. Jace checked his watch, and shoved Simon's leg.
"Time to get dressed lover boy." Jace said pointing to where Simon sat, still in his pajamas. Simon nodded and headed towards his room, "Wear some nice jeans, and maybe the jacket from the suit she got you for that party last year." Jace added. Simon couldn't dress up too much or Isabelle would suspect something, but he couldn't be in a gamer t-shirt, since Jace was sure Iz would want something a little more. Simon came out and Jace stood dusting off his jeans where he had been sitting on the floor.
"This is the spare room." Simon said tilting his head to the closed door. "I'm gunna talk to Clary about it tonight." He said as Jace opened the door. The room was decently sized, and had its own bathroom. Jace was sure that Clary would say yes, and the thought of it made him almost sad.
"She will love it. Now let's go to dinner." He said heading towards the door. "You're bringing this on yourself though ya know?" He asked turning to Simon, at the boys confused look he laughed, "Wedding planning with Isabelle. I'd rather find myself in one of the SAW movies." He said with another laugh. Simon paled for a moment before squaring up his shoulders. The drive to his mother's house seemed to take forever with Simon vibrating in the seat next to him. The ring in his pocked being flashed every few minutes. As they turned down the road he stopped the car and stared across the car.
"Simon, put the ring away, it'll be fine. Seriously." His voice was shorter than he intended but he was ready to see Clary.
Simon nodded and put the ring away as they turned into the drive. Jace jumped out of the car and headed into the house. They were there before the girls, no surprise. Maryse greeted them both with a kiss on the cheek, looking a Simon with a huge, unrestrained smile.
"Tonight's the night hm?" She asked and he nodded, putting his hand on his pocket. She smiled and turned back to the kitchen. A few moments later they heard the front door open and Isabelle stepped in, wearing a dark red dress that was skin tight at the top and flared out around her hips. Black heels and soft curls finished her look. Jace was glad she had decided to dress up, he was sure Alec would bring his camera and she would want to look her best. Jace's eyes fell behind her as Clary came in the door. His jaw was loose as he looked at the girl in front of him. She wore a knee length dark green dress. It looked like it had been made for her as it fell in waves around her, tight enough to show her figure but not so tight as to be revealing like what his sister wore. Her lips were painted blood red and he eyes had glitter. She was laughing at something Isabelle said until her eyes fell onto Jace. Her words stopped and his sister grinned at him before pushing Clary forward.
"You look beautiful red." Jace said, looking down at her.
"You don't look half bad yourself Jace." She said with an embarrassed pink on her cheeks. Jace reached down and pressed his lips to her cheeks. A throat was cleared behind them and Jace moved to let his mother through
"You must be Clarissa." She said, her voice inviting.
"Oh please, call me Clary." Clary said reaching out her hand to shake Maryse's. Maryse laughed and stepped forward to pull Clary into a hug. Clary seemed caught off guard for a moment before hugging her back. "You have a beautiful home." She said motioning towards the house.
"Nonsense, I have a fine house, my home is far more beautiful." his mother amended, looking around the room where Alec and Magnus had just appeared. The meaning to her words were lost on no one. In the divorce Robert had taken the house they grew up in, and Maryse had never fought him on it. That house had been more of a mansion. Far too big and too gaudy. This house was smaller, a few bedrooms and bathrooms, but was plenty for what she needed. She had told her children during the divorce that that house was not her home, they were, and Robert could keep the walls they had once lived in, she would take them instead. Maryse walked back into the kitchen calling that food was ready, before making her way to the table. The dinner passed quickly as most everyone ate everything present, Clary even managing more than a few bites. After dinner Maryse suggested going to the living room to relax. Armed with a few bottles of a wine and some glasses, they all headed into the room. Simon, Alec, and Jace stayed a step behind, sharing a glance before heading into the room where the ladies and Magnus were.
"Hey Iz." Simon started and all eyes were suddenly on him. Isabelle turned and looked at him, and then around the room. Her eyes flickered with realization a moment before Simon started speaking.
"I had a speech prepared. But you honestly look so beautiful I can't even think of it. So... here goes nothing. I love you. You know that. You've been my everything for the last four years, and I'd like to spend the rest of my years with you. I know I can't offer you much. I'm just me. But I'd like to spend the rest of my life just me, and just you, together. So... will you be my wife? Will you marry me?" The words were out and Simon was in front of his sister, down on one knee. The room was completely silent and Jace realized even he was holding his breath.
"Did you think I would say no?!" Isabelle shouted before pulling Simon to his feet and kissing him hard on the mouth.
"That's not an answer Isabelle." Simon said from under her mouth. She shook her head, tears freely flowing down her face.
"Yes, of course I'll marry you." She said holding her hand out. Simon slowly slipped the ring on her finger and her eyes lit up. A bright flash lit up the room and they all looked to where Alec was standing sheepishly.
"I had to." He said simply with a motion of his shoulders. They all cheered as Isabelle looked at the ring on her hand. For a moment Jace had forgotten Clary was even there before she walked over to Simon to congratulate him.
"Good job Lewis." She said lightly punching him in the shoulder. Simon hugged her and whispered something in her ear. She nodded before pulling back and retreating to the other side of the room. Everyone was talking at once, congratulations spilling out. Magnus and Isabelle already talking about dates and dresses and venues. Jace made his way over to where Clary stood, a strange look on her face.
"You okay?" He asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah... I'm so happy for him." She said quietly.
"Guessing it wasn't like this for you?" He asked, hardly needing her to confirm his suspicion.
"Nah, he put the ring on my hand while I was asleep. When I asked him about it the next day he told me we were getting married. He already had picked out a date the venue and a caterer." Clary pulled her arms around herself. "Simon said I could come stay at this place, said he has an extra room." She added. Jace nodded,
"You may wanna wait till tomorrow for that" he said, pointing to where Izzy and Simon were making out in the corner. She shuddered and laughed,
"Yeah... tonight should be all about them." She agreed. She looked down at her feet, "I can get a hotel tonight Jace, I'm sure you don't want to put up with me anymore." She added keeping her eyes downcast.
"There are so many things wrong with that statement Clarissa." Jace said, pulling her face to look at him. "First and foremost is that you are welcome to stay at my place as long as you want to. I like having you there." He said quietly, "second is I don't want you to be alone yet... I know it's not my business...but I worry." Clary pulled her face from his hands,
"You heard him Jace. I'm not even a spark." She said, self loathing so clear in her voice that Jace felt like screaming. She slowly walked out of the house, and Jace looked back at everyone else, his mother was at his side in an instant,
"Go get her." She said her voice firm. Jace nodded and grabbed his coat off the back of the chair and taking it with him. In the dark of the outside it was difficult to see where she was sitting beside an old tree. He walked to her, handing the jacket down to her, before joining her on the ground.
"Clary." He said, taking her hand into his. He could feel the chill that was already setting into her skin. She stood, and he shot up beside her. She was so small next to him. He wrapped his coat over her shoulders as she shivered.
"why are you helping me? I'm... worthless." She said quietly. Jace practically growled at her words.
"Clary, you clearly don't see yourself through anyone else's eyes. Simon loves you, Iz already calls you her best friend. And don't you feel this." He said pointing between the two of them, at the currents of electricity that always seemed to form when they were close enough to touch. She looked up at him and sighed, wiping at her face hard.
"I'm so tired of crying." She said quietly. She shifted from foot to foot and Jace pulled her towards his chest. She gave in to the heat of his body and pressed her hands up against his chest, looking him in the eye. Jace's head told him to stop, but his body and heart acted on their own, leaning down and capturing her lips with his. The kiss was soft, the air around them silent except the buzz of electricity. He felt her hands tighten on his shirt as she kissed him back, the kiss slowly evolving. It started out as a simple kiss, and then he had his hands on her hips pulling her ever slightly closer to him. He could feel her heart beat erratic against his.
"Jonathan Christopher! That is NOT what I meant." Maryse's voice came from behind him. Clary broke away, her face flushed and red. Jace turned to his mother, a playful smirk on his face,
"You know you've gotta be more specific with me mom." He said with a laugh.
"You... you've got... a little something." She said pointing to his mouth before she turned and walked back inside laughing. Jace wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and he came back with a smear of red lipstick. He turned and smiled at Clary who was still standing completely still, frozen in embarrassment.
"Let's go inside Clary." He said holding out a hand towards her. She looked up at him shyly before taking his hand, he stopped her under the lights of the porch and kissed her again lightly, before pushing her into the powder room by the front door. She came out a minute later, her mouth free of the red, all telling lipstick. Everyone else was sitting around the living room. Isabelle on Simon's lap, Alec with Magnus's head on his lap, Maryse on a chair, leaving the small loveseat. Maryse handed them each a glass before holding up a bottle of red and a bottle of white. Clary pointed to the white and Jace to the red. Isabelle looked over at Clary for a moment before settling on her lips, a moment later a smile graced Isabelle's face as she sipped her wine. Conversation seemed to flow easily between the group as they all discussed wedding things, among other things.
"You'll be my best man, won't you Clary?" Simon asked, his voice thick with emotion. Clary looked at him with a sweet smile,
"Does that mean I get to wear a tux?" She asked taking another sip of her wine. Isabelle and Jace along with Magnus all resounded with a loud "no." While Simon shrugged,
"You'd look better in a dress, but if you wanna wear a tux I'll just assume your date will be a few dozen cats." The room burst out in laughter and Clary leaned in to where Jace's arm had found its way around her. An hour later everyone was leaving. Clary felt light and tipsy, no doubt due to the four or so glasses of wine Maryse had poured. Jace helped her into his car and said goodbye to everyone before getting in and starting the drive to his home. They arrived and Clary was barely inside before she was chucking the shoes Isabelle had made her wear across the room.
"I hate heels." She said simply as she sprawled out on Jace's couch. Jace laughed and sat in the arm chair beside her, debating on if he wanted to grab a beer or just sleep. "Do you happen to have wine?" Clary asked looking up at him from the couch.
"I don't think you need any more wine Clary." Jace laughed. Her expression turned sour and she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. She sat up and walked over to where Jace was sitting, pouting her lip in his direction.
"But I want more wine." She whined. Jace couldn't help how he reacted to her mouth being so close to his. He reached up and pulled her down into his lap pulling her face to his. This kiss wasn't as sweet as the one earlier. There was heat, more heat than Jace cared to admit. Her hands were at the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. Jace's hand traced over her bare thigh where the dress rode up on her. She whimpered into his mouth and he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.
"We should stop." He said quietly. Clary closed her eyes and nodded slowly.
"I wouldn't want me either." She said with a short laugh. In an instant they were standing and Jace had Clary pulled against him. Their bodies flush with each other. He bent down, taking her mouth with his again. He put his hand on her lower back pushing her against him.
"Can't you FEEL, how much I want you Clarissa." He growled out, she gasped quietly as he reached down to kiss her again. He let her go, pushing back slightly. "What I want doesn't matter. We can't do this, not now." He said, his voice thick with conviction.
"We are adults Jace. We can do whatever we want." She said, her voice heavy with implications. Jace shook his head, pulling her towards his bedroom with him.
"You're drunk Clary. Let's go to sleep." He said, his voice dark with finality. She sighed out loud and let him drag her towards the bedroom. They got into the room and he pushed Clary up against his door, kissing her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling herself closer to him. She gasped as his tongue traced her lips, begging for entrance, entrance she was more than happy to give. Their mouths fought for dominance for what felt like eternity before Jace pulled away, kissing down the side of her neck before reaching behind her to unzip her dress. He pulled away and pulled off his T-shirt and handed it to her. She pulled the shirt on over her bra before unhooking her bra and pulling it off under the shirt. There she stood in his room, her breathing heavy, her lips swollen, wearing nothing but his T-shirt. He groaned to himself before stripping off his socks and shoes and jeans, leaving him in just boxers. He pulled her towards the bed and then against his chest. "Sleep pretty girl, before we do something we both regret." She ground her back against him for a moment, drawing out a true moan from him before settling down. He could almost feel her smile as she fell asleep.
The next morning Jace woke up, his entire body felt unusually warm. He peeled his eyes open and realized he wasn't alone. In his arms was a petite girl, Clary. He smiled to himself as he ached to pull her tighter against his body. He fought the urge so she could continue to sleep. He could hear her breathing, and then his name came off of her lips, just a whisper, but enough to keep the smile on his face. Her phone started going off and he closed his eyes again, pretending to be asleep as she slowly detangled herself from his arms. He missed her warm immediately.
"What do you want Jordan." She asked quietly, he was sure she just was trying not to wake him.
"I know where you are." The voice over the phone said, the menacing tone cutting through the silent air.
"Jordan, you have her. You don't need me anymore. Just leave me alone. I swear, you can keep the money and my things, just let me go." She begged. He could hear her voice start to break and he wanted nothing more than to get up and to comfort her.
"You only want me to leave you alone this time because you're fucking someone new." The angry voice said.
"I'm not fucking anyone Jordan. I have been staying with a friend." She said her voice raising slightly. "You can't keep calling me. You can't keep showing up where I am." She continued, "You almost got caught at the mall. You're lucky Isabelle doesn't know what you look like. She would have called the damn police." Jace felt himself stiffen. So Jordan had followed his sister and Clary in the mall. He rolled over and Clary whispered a goodbye into the phone before hanging up. Jace sat up, his eyes dark as he took in Clary's incredible bed head and the way his T-shirt was riding up her legs.
"He was at the mall." Jace stated more than asked. Clary sighed sitting on the edge of the bed and nodded.
"He won't leave me alone. I'm... I'm scared." She said lamely.
"He won't hurt you again Clary." Jace said, his voice strong. She shook her head,
"I'm not scared he will hurt me. What about you, or your sister, what about Alec?" She asked, standing up and beginning to pace, "What if he finds me at Simon's. Simon can't hardly keep a house plant alive, he couldn't protect himself." She ran her hands through her hair pulling it towards the end. Jace was sure if she wasn't careful she would pull chunks of her hair out completely.
"Clary, we are all adults, we can take care of ourselves. Please calm down. Izzy has a gun, Alec and I took martial arts, and Simon...Simon you might could worry about." Jace added with a laugh that didn't reach his eyes. If Jordan had an inkling of how much Simon meant to the red head he was sure that would be where he would strike, and Clary was right that Simon couldn't protect himself in the least. "Clary, I think we need to press charges. Like with a lawyer." Jace said carefully. He watched as her face went through more emotions than he could list. It started with Anger, and then fear and disbelief, followed by defeat.
"I know you are right, but I don't even know where to start." She said her arms waving around.
"I do." Jace said his tone soothing, "I've...already started" he said, unsure as to how she would react. She looked up at him in surprise as he continued. "The doctor...from the ER, he gave me some pictures...and my mom and dad are both lawyers..." he trailed off hoping she would understand.
"You did WHAT?" She yelled, her hands flying to her face. Jace stood and reached out to pull her towards him. "No, don't touch me." She said, her voice biting. "You did all this without my permission? Behind my back? You told your whole family?" Her voice was rising and Jace was sure she was going to swing at him. She looked at him for another moment before she started to shake and then her legs fell out from beneath her and she was falling. Jace slammed his body forward, hitting the ground a second before her, so she landed on his chest. The shaking didn't stop, and it took Jace a moment to realize this was another seizure and this time there were no nurses to help. He rolled her up onto her side the way he had seen the nurses do, and laid down behind her on the floor, pulling her body tight to his. It only lasted a few seconds, but that was more like an eternity to Jace. The tremors stopped a full minute later, and her eyes fluttered open, looking around confused. She moved her head and then looked at Jace trying to get out from under him. "I told you not to touch me." She said, her voice laced with venom.
"You had a goddamn seizure Clarissa. I wasn't going to let you flail around on the hard wood floors." He shot back, his voice cold and hard. "Maybe you should go to Simon's" he said, turning and walking out of the bedroom. He could hear Clary call his name from behind him but his anger told him to keep walking. He sat on the couch in the living room, in his black boxers, waiting for Clary to make her presence known. A few minutes later she came out of the bedroom, still in just the T-shirt and looked at him.
"I'm sorry Jace." She said quietly, her eyes red and full of tears.
"I shouldn't have talked to my mother without your permission." He responded, the cold edge to his voice still there. "I made you..." he shook his head, placing his face in his hands, "You had a seizure because of me." He said unable to look at her. The room was quiet until he heard her footsteps approaching.
"Jace...they happen. It's not the first and it probably won't be the last. You didn't make it happen, I just let myself panic and then it happened. You can't blame yourself for my literal brain damage." She said calmly, putting her hands on his shoulders. He looked up at her and could see the guilt she felt in her eyes, and knew it was mirrored in his own. "If ... if you think your mom can help, then maybe we should go see her." She added. Reaching down to play with the hem of the shirt she was wearing. Jace stood up, walking towards his room, Clary only a step behind him. He knew it was wrong, how much he needed her, needed to feel her heartbeat and know that she was okay, but he couldn't fight it. He leaned down and brought his lips to hers, carefully. Putting his arms around her back. She pulled herself up around his neck and he caught her in his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist. He could feel her body up against his, separated by the thin cotton of a shirt. He could feel the heat from the core of her body against him as he pushed her up against the wall, their mouths moving in perfect sync, as if they had done this a million times before. He pulled back for a moment before reaching the hem of his shirt and pulling it from he body. Her naked chest was against his and he struggled to find the self control to put her down and get dressed. She moaned against his mouth as his hand trailed up her side and he could feel the will he had starting to break. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers as they both tried to collect their breathing and steady themselves.
"Make me forget." She whispered before capturing his lower lip between her teeth. Those three words were his undoing. He pulled her from the wall, though she was still wrapped all around him, and slowly brought her over to the bed. He laid down, keeping her on top of him, letting her control everything. Seconds later the last bits of clothing they retained were gone and she was all he could feel. She was above him, all around him, in way he knew they may regret later but he couldn't bring himself to stop now. She was hot, burning up every part of his body she could touch, his mouth was on her, kissing every inch of skin he could reach. They breathed together, the only sounds were the sounds of skin on skin, of their breathing and moans, slowly moving with each other towards the finish line. He tried to hold on to himself, to wait for her, but with her all around him his self control was all but completely lost. When he felt her tighten around him with her release he found his a second later, spiraling into the white. She laid on top of him still for a moment, until her breathing evened out, and then she slowly started to peel her body from his. He wrapped his arms around her, stilling her movements for a moment.
"Don't leave. Not yet." He pleaded softly. She sighed and stilled over him, listening to his heartbeat under her ear.
"I need a shower." She said quietly, and he laughed looking down at her and nodded.
"Want some company?" He asked, already ready and wanting her again. She stood slowly, making her way towards the bathroom. Stopping right before the door to look back at him.
"Well come on then." She said with a laugh before walking into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Jace was only two steps behind her as she got under the water.
By time they left the shower the water had run cold and they were both shivering as they dried off. Clary looked down at the mark on her chest and sighed. Pointing at the obvious 'love bite' and then shaking her finger at him. Jace laughed, the sound free and unguarded. Clary smiled up at him as she made her way towards the bags of clothes Isabelle had purchased the day before. She pulled out a high waisted pair of jeans and a turtle neck, to cover the marks Jace had left on her. Jace watched as Clary pulled her hair into a tight bunch on the top of her head, walking over and kissing the back of her neck and she shuddered into his touch.
"Jace, if we keep up like this we won't get anything done." She scolded playfully. He sighed against her neck and released her, shoving her away.
"If you weren't so gorgeous this wouldn't be a problem." He said in a matter of fact tone. She laughed and pulled on socks and her converse . Jace grabbed his letterman jacket and passed it to her as they got ready to walk out the door.
"Iz actually got me a coat, so... I don't need to wear this." She said with a laugh and Jace couldn't help the ting of sadness as he nodded and turned to hang it back up. He shook away the thought and turned back to her, her face holding an almost knowing expression. "If it bothers you, I'll wear it." She said kindly and he shook his head.
"I'm not usually this...territorial." He said with a shake of his head. Clary laughed and pulled on the black pea coat that Isabelle had bought her. It fit around her perfectly and Jace loved how it hugged her curves. They walked out to his car and got in. The ride to his mother's was full of innocent questions, getting to know each other in a different way. It was funny how they both refused to acknowledge the fact that their favorite colors had changed recently, Clary answering gold and Jace answering Green, for the same reason. They had completely opposite taste in music for the most part, though Jace accepted that at the club he had to play pop music and not the metal that he most days preferred. Clary, for reasons Jace could not fathom, liked country music, almost exclusively. Jace confided in her that he played piano, guitar, and could sing with reasonable skill. She admitted that singing was her favorite, though she was terrible and that she could draw and paint well. She admitted that since she finished her degree in art she had planned to be an art teacher and to many sell some of her work
"Jordan wouldn't let me get a job when I finished school, I guess he didn't want to risk anyone seeing the marks." She said with a sad smile. "I'll have to find a job soon though, I can't mooch off you and Simon and Isabelle forever. I already owe Iz I don't know how much money for all that clothes." She said rolling her eyes.
"Actually, she used my credit card for all of that" Jace replied without thinking.
"Jace!" She exclaimed "That was stupid! You can't give Izzy that kind of power!" She said laughing. "I'll pay you back as soon as I get a real job." She promised and Jace laughed,
"Clary, unless you guys spent twenty grand, which I guess is possible for my sister, I'm really not even going to notice. When my parents died they left me a considerable amount of money, I finally could touch it when I turned 18. I bought the bar, as an investment, so I haven't really touched the money." He said as he pulled up to a tall building. "This is mom's office, she might be in a meeting, I'm not sure." He said handing his keys to the valet and then walking over to help Clary out of her seat. The ride up the elevator was tense as the urge to touch her overwhelmed Jace's senses. They walked in and Jace saw Seelie on a phone call. He stood quietly as she finished and then looked up at him sweetly,
"Jace, twice in one week, I must be in heaven." She said with a flirtatious laugh. Jace felt Clary stiffen slightly at his side and laughed out loud.
"And how would your wife feel, knowing you think seeing me is Heaven See?" He asked, his voice teasing
"Ya know... I might consider changing teams for you honey" she said with an overzealous wink. "Your mother should be finishing up her meeting any minute, feel free to take a seat in the lobby." She waved them towards the room full of brown couches before taking the ringing phone again. Jace and Clary continued their game of questions until they heard Maryse's door open. She looked over at Jace and then to where Clary was beside him and frowned.
"I guess we are actually going to take steps now?" She asked, her ton professional and short. Jace nodded seriously.
"I'm thinking we can at least get a restraining order to start with, we need to turn off the tracking on her phone but I don't want to alert him to us actively working against him until we already have a protective order." Jace said, his voice all business. Maryse nodded before pulling out the file that Jace had handed her from the doctor.
"Clary, you're gunna have to look at all these and tell me what you can, can you do that?" She asked softly. Clary looked at Jace and then at his mother. She seemed to understand quickly, "Jace, honey, why don't you go flirt with Seelie a bit more and leave Clary and I to it." She asked. He stopped for a moment, trying not to feel hurt that Clary didn't want him there.
"Jace, baby, I'll tell you about all of this another time...but not like this..." she Clary said to him, her voice soothing the burn he felt. He nodded and stood, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head before seeing himself out. He sat in the office on his phone contemplating the rest of his day. It was the middle of the week, so he wasn't needed at the bar, and Isabelle and Simon were probably still pretty wrapped up in each other. That meant him and Clary had time to go out to themselves. He grinned as he realized that he still hadn't taken her on the date he had promised her in the hospital. He slowly started to plan things in his head, a real date with the girl would be complicated, for one they still had to worry about her ex showing up unannounced at any moment. Jace grimaced at the thought of having to face off with the man in public. A sick and twisted part of him hoped that he would show up at his house while Clary was there. Stand your ground was a real law and Jace was not afraid in the least to use that legality to do real damage to the prick. Jace went through restaurant ideas on his phone for a while before giving up and staring at the door that his mom and his... and Clary still sat behind. What felt like an eternity later Clary came out of the office, followed shortly by Maryse.
"Well, we have enough to get a restraining order without a problem." His mother said, her demeanor calm but behind her eyes Jace could easily see the fear, the worry, and the anger. Clary twisted her hands together in front of herself, looking at the floor. Her eyes were pink, probably from tears shed.
"I'm going to run to the bathroom." Clary said quietly before excusing herself. Maryse sagged down into one of the arm chairs in the lobby, running her hand through her hair.
"I'm going to call Robert, I think this case is much better suited to him." She said with a sigh. "Jace, that girl has been through hell. Don't you dare mess with her mind." She said, her tone full of warning. Jace tucked his head, he knew he deserved the kind of scolding he was getting. He had never really been nice to girls before. He didn't really do relationships. He was a one night stand kind of guy and he didn't really have any interest in changing it before the insane weekend he had experienced. Maryse nodded stiffly. "I'll try to have the protective order sent to him before this week is over." She added. "You'll have to take her to meet your father, I'll send him what I have." Jace was always surprised at how civil his mother could be about his father. She was the toughest woman he had ever met, well, until he met Clarissa. Clary came back in then, her eyes still trained on the floor. Jace reached out almost on instinct and took her hand. She gave him a weak smile and they said their goodbyes to his mother.
"Maybe you should take me to Simon's." Clary said as they got in the car. Jace's chest clenched but he slowly nodded.
"You'll have your own bedroom there...and I know Si would be happy to have you there." He said diplomatically. They drove back to the house in relative silence. Jace ran inside and grabbed Clary's bags, bringing them down to the car. They arrived at his future brother's house less than ten minutes later and Clary let Jace carry her things to the door.