CHAPTER 4

The memory of Jace and what they had nearly done in his room wouldn't leave Clary's mind. Images of his body pressed against hers and his hand sliding down her hips kept her awake all night. By half eight the next morning she was a reck. Staring at herself in the mirror she thought to herself. 'Well you look like crap. She shook the thought away and headed downstairs, where her mum Jocelyn and Jocelyn's friend Luke was dancing around the kitchen singing along to one of The Queen's old songs. The smell of bacon cooking filled Clary's nose and made her stomach groan with hunger. Yet as soon as Jocelyn noticed Clary hovering in the entrance, the dancing and laughing stopped and her face was filled with worry.

"Clary what's wrong? You look like death." Her voice was smooth and kind.

"Nothing, I'm just tired that's all." Unlike her mother, Clary's words came out nervous and rushed. All she could think about was Jace, and not in the best way either. 'He's so different lately. There is something wrong with him; otherwise he wouldn't have kissed me.' As sad as it was, Clary was the first to admit that she meant very little to Jace. As if hearing her thoughts, Jocelyn's head snapped up and then at Luke, who looked shocked. Realising that Clary had noticed her sudden movement, she tried to focus on the bacon she was cooking, poking at it with the wooden spoon.

Clary's phone suddenly vibrated in her pyjama pocket. It was Jace, texting her; Need to talk, meet me at the dock? J. 'Shit, no kisses' she thought to herself sadly.

Walking towards Jace, Clary was filled with a feeling of pain. This wasn't the Jace she remembered from when she was 7, running through a field with her and always making sure she was okay when she fell and started crying. No, this Jace was cold and heartless. Noticing the joint in his hand, Clary realised how much he had actually changed. 'He hasn't changed Clary, you just refused to see it happen slowly' the little voice in her head nagged at her. Jace noticed Clary and stood up off the edge of the dock and walked towards her. Once he had reached her, he pulled her into a tight hug, his arms surrounding her. She noticed how even though his body was tightly pressed to hers; their bodies just didn't fit together. They were like two pieces of different jigsaw games.

"Hey." His voice came out quiet, barely just a murmur. Letting go of her, Clary stepped back and said Hi. Her voice once again trembled, and there was sick feeling in her stomach telling her to run. She pushed the idea away, thinking that it was stupid.

"I've missed you." He said, stepping towards her. She backed up, until her back was pressed against a tree and his body was against her front. His face was leaning in; Clary could feel his breath on her face and could smell his natural heavenly smell. His face leaned in even closer and his lips brushed hers softly. 'NO!' Her conscious screamed at her and gut told her to get away quickly. Suddenly, as if she couldn't control her own body, she brought her knee up and let it slam in Jace's lower body. He crippled over, groaning in pain. Glancing up at her, he shouted;

"You little bitch!"

All so quickly he was running towards her with nothing but hatred and anger in his eyes. Then, a blur blocked Clary's vision of Jace. It was a boy, she realised, and an extremely strong one. The boy's body slammed into Jace's and took him to the ground with a loud thud.

"What the fu- " Jace's shouts were silenced as the mystery boy threw a punch straight into Jace's jaw. Clary could hear it crack and felt sick rising up from her throat.

Then the boy glanced up at her, and her breath was caught. He was beautiful, but it wasn't that that caused her to stare. It was his hair, a natural golden, impossibly similar to Jace's.

'What the hell?'

It was the last thing Clary thought before she fainted.