Jace had me tucked into his side and his arms wrapped around me on the couch later that night. He hadn't talked much since we left the gym, but I felt like he just needed the silence and evidently me because he hadn't lost contact with me in some way since we had gotten back to my apartment. We were watching a trashy television show that I wasn't paying attention to. I spent most of the time, listening to his heartbeat under my ear and paying attention to the small motions he was making with his hands on my arm.

I lifted my head from his chest and looked into his eyes. His head dipped to place a chaste kiss on the tip of my nose. Before he could turn back to the TV, I caught his cheek in my hand and turned his face back to mine and captured his mouth with mine. He deepened the kiss as I moved to straddle his hips. His hands were running up and down my back while my fingers tangled in his hair. We broke our kiss and Jace moved his lips across my jaw line and down to my neck. He trailed kisses along my collarbone whispering to me. I almost didn't hear it because it was getting difficult to focus on anything other than his lips on my skin, but his words brought me back to reality.

"I love you," he whispered into the crook of my neck. I pulled his face back up so I could look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, what," I asked.

"I think you heard me, Clary." He smirked. "But I'll say it again. I love you."

I scrambled to get off of his lap and walked to my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I paced the floor. Jace knocked lightly on the door, but I didn't answer him. I had to tell myself to take deep breaths. Of course, I loved Jace, but everything was moving so fast. What would happen when he got bored or found someone prettier? I didn't think I could handle my heart being broken, much less it being broken by Jace Herondale. I sat on the edge of my bed in the silence for a while. Before long, I worried that Jace had left and rushed to open my door. I burst out of my room and looked frantically around the apartment for Jace. There was no sign of him, but then I felt his arms wrap around me from behind. I leaned back into his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. I guess he really did love me if he didn't leave after my freak out.

He turned me in his arms and looked down into my eyes kissing my forehead. My eyes closed for a moment while I reveled in the feel of Jace all around me.

"I'm sorry," I finally whispered.

"It's fine, Clary," his lips moved against my hair. "You don't have to say it. I just couldn't keep it in any longer especially after everything that happened today. I'm sorry for dropping that bomb on you."

"No, you have nothing to be sorry for." We stood there for a few more minutes just holding each other. I kept wondering what I was doing. Why wasn't I telling him how I felt? He was brave and confident and I just wasn't. I turned my face to bury it in his chest as he tightened his hold on me. "I love you."

I lifted my head to look into his eyes and they told me everything I needed to know. Jace's eyes said everything he wasn't able to say out loud. If I had doubted that he loved me, he eyes reassured me that he did as he leaned down to kiss me. Since Jace stood almost a full foot taller than me, he always had to stoop to kiss me when we were standing. I decided to make it easier on him as I placed my hands on his shoulders and jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist. Jace caught me under my thighs and carried me to bed.

o.O.0.O.o

Jace was even more beautiful when he was sleeping. When he was sleeping, his face was relaxed and his hair fanned out around him. My fingers traced the lines of his face and his mouth twitched while he dreamed.

"I would appreciate if you didn't watch me while I slept," Jace said with his eyes still closed. I pulled my hand back and rolled over to face away from him. I felt him pull me against him and nuzzle my neck. "You're so cute."

"Oh, thanks," I deadpanned. "That's exactly what I want you to think of me." He squeezed my side and kissed my neck.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met."

"Oh, shut up." I pushed him away, but he caught me and turned me to face him.

"Why don't you believe me? Hasn't anyone told you you're beautiful before?"

"Other than my mom?" I lowered my head so I wasn't looking at his eyes. "No."

"Well you are. It's not an opinion, it's a fact." He brought his finger too my chin and lifted my face to him kissing my lips as if he were trying to convince me that what he said were true. "You make me a better person."

"Jace, stop." I tried to push him away because what he was saying was making me uncomfortable.

"No, I'm serious. If you weren't there today when I got that phone call, I probably would have destroyed my office. Knowing you were there to comfort me and support me made a difference. You can ask Simon, I have a tendency to overreact to certain situations."

"I'm sure you would have been fine."

He was silent for a few moments and I began to relax as his hands ran up and down my arms. I could feel my eyes getting heavy and I was just about to give in when Jace pulled me back.

"Why don't you believe that you're beautiful," he whispered into my hair.

"I don't know," I said defensively. I did know, but I wasn't sure I wanted to tell him because I didn't know what he would think of me after he knew. He might leave me and that was the last thing I wanted.

"What aren't you telling me, Red?" I squirmed and tried to get away from him, but he tightened his hold on me and wouldn't let me go.

"I met Sebastian when I was a freshman in college." I took a deep breath and Jace gave me a reassuring squeeze. "He was a couple of years older and took an interest in me. This was before I met Isabelle and I didn't really have friends to speak of and I sure as hell had never had a boyfriend. Sebastian paid attention to me and made me feel special for the first couple of months, but then I noticed that he started to drink and party more. He became mean." I took another deep breath trying to reign in the tears that threatened to fall in the corners of my eyes. "He started telling me I was ugly and that I would never be anything of worth. I started to believe him. I should have walked away then, but he would always apologize and I would forgive him because I was afraid of being alone. I met Isabelle and she noticed that I was not the same person when I was around Sebastian. I finally had enough when I caught him cheating on me. I told him I was done and haven't seen or talked to him since, but the effects of his words still remain."

I was crying freely now as Jace held me against him, kissed my head and whispered words of sympathy to me. My body wracked with sobs as I let my walls crumble in front of him. I opened up to him in a way I thought I wouldn't be able to again.

"I love you so much," he kept repeating this as he held me and tried to comfort me.

"I know and I love you too," I said finally turning to look at him. "You've made me realize that what Sebastian called love wasn't even close. You make me feel wanted and beautiful and worthy."

"Don't ever sell yourself short, Red. I plan on making you believe that you are the most beautiful woman in the world for a very long time."

I snuggled into his chest and took a deep breath. The sobs had stopped and I was able to breathe. Sebastian never loved me and I think I realized that a long time ago, but that was always my idea of what love was. It was all I had ever known. I wished I could have gone back to that time and tell myself to just leave, that everything would be okay and that I would find someone who truly did love me.

"What are you going to do about Jonathan," I asked. We hadn't really discussed his plan and I was anxious to know what he planned on doing.

"I'm going to fight him," he said matter-of-factly. "If he wants to fight up a weight class to try and prove a point, let him. He knows I'm better than him and I've got a good twenty pounds on him. I'm not saying it's going to be an easy fight, but I'll be damned if I let Jonathan Morgenstern off the hook that easily."

"So, what's the first step?"

"I need to study his fighting style, so that involves watching a lot of film. I haven't sparred with him or fought him in five years. I used to know every aspect of his technique and fighting style, but five years is a long time. I know for a fact that my style has changed and evolved over the years."

"When is the fight?"

"I have a month to prepare." He pulled me tighter against him. "I'm going to be absent a lot for the next month and I'm sorry, but I can't let him get what he wants. I was lucky to get another shot at the title after what I did for him and I promised myself that I would never take advantage of that. I'm not going to let him take this away from me."

"Jace, you don't have to apologize. I get it and I want to help. I don't have an assignment lined up this month, so I can do whatever you need me to do. I'll bring your meals to the gym. I'll watch film with you. I'll do anything to help you, babe."

"Well, now that you mention it, I'm not going to have time to run the business side of the gym because I will need to be training all day. Would you be willing to work in the office for me?"

"Of course, whatever you need."

"Thanks, Red. I love you."

"I love you too, Jace 'The Angel' Herondale." He chuckled at my use of his nickname.

"You're my angel."

A/N: Thanks for reading! What did you think? Let me know! :)