*All the characters from The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare and her incredible mind. Nothing will ever be owned by the author of this story. ;)*
Musical Preference:
Heads Will Roll- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I Hate Everything About You- Three Days Grace
A Message- Coldplay
My favorite chapter, so far. :} You can thank me later. ;)
Chapter Nine
"Oh, Jace is here. I'll call you later." Aline laughed into the other line, her eyes fixed on Jace. "Will do. Buh-bye!" She hung up and threw the phone onto the couch. She gave him a sexy smile, but Jace couldn't really process it. "Hi, sweetheart." Her voice dripped sex.
"Aline," he acknowledge a little coldly. He sat next to her on the couch and started taking off his tie. He had just put it on inside his car to make it seem as if he had just come from the office.
"This tie again?" she asked grabbing it from him. "You wore it to work yesterday." She looked down at him with narrowed eyes. "If you need new ties, tell me. I'll get you some."
He tried to smile at her while getting his tie back. "No, I have enough. Just, on the rush, I got the same one."
She shrugged and dropped the tie on the floor. "Ah, okay."
He had to be more careful.
Jace sighed and sat back with his eyes closed. He was so exhausted. Who would have thought that keeping two relationships was such a hassle?
It didn't make sense since, back in high school, he could maintain four without breaking a sweat.
"Hmm," Aline hummed, suddenly too close to Jace, "you look so stressed." Her hands started trailing up his arms and up towards the buttons of his shirt. "I could maybe—" Jace felt her lips on his jaw. "—help you with that."Agile hands began unbuttoning his shirt and lips were against his lips. Any other day he would have responded, but he was thinking of her hands. Her lips . . .
He broke away from her and stood up. "Sorry, Aline. I'm . . ." He sighed exasperated, running a hand over his face, "I'm just too tired." Not even looking at her, he grabbed his tie from the floor and started towards the room.
"Jace," she spoke, her voice alarmingly serious. He stopped but didn't turn around. "We need to talk."
Shit, he thought.
Turning around slowly, he asked, "What about?"
His acting certainly deserved an Oscar.
Her golden robe fell into place as she stood up. Looking at her, he wondered if she spent her time sitting around all day fixing her makeup in different styles. She always looked ready to go. But she was never really going anywhere.
She crossed her arms over her chest while looking at the floor. "Jace, you haven't touched me in two weeks."
Ah, great, he thought. Act stupid, surprised, defensive . . .?
He frowned. "I haven't?"
Stupid it is.
"No, you have not." She rolled her eyes and walked up to him. "You're always out. At work, at special events, with Camille . . ." she paused and laughed humorlessly. "If I didn't trust you, I'd say you were cheating on me."
And here comes surprised.
"Cheating on you?" He widened his eyes for effect. "Aline, I've been working on this new project. We're running out of time and, right now, my company is my first priority. You're right after it." Or not . . .
She pouted. "But it shouldn't be that way. Your family—me, your wife—should be first in your list of priorities."
And defensive couldn't be left out.
He glared down at her. "If I left my company by itself, I would not be able to pay for your little gifts, okay? There would be no money and you would stop living like a queen. And, sweetheart," he sneered and cupped her cheek with a scowl on his face, "we both know you can't stand the thought of that. Now, if you're not too busy, make me a sandwich, yeah?"
Aline glared at him and snatched his hand away from her face. "Be that way, asshole." Jace watched her go and almost laughed out loud when he saw her walking right into the kitchen.
He couldn't even disagree with Aline. He was an asshole.
With a smirk, he turned around and kept walking towards his room. His thoughts were already focused on his redhead once again.
Just like he liked them to be.
w.^.w
"Why is this decaf? I'm pretty sure I asked for regular."
Clary looked over at Simon and Alec. They were looking everywhere but at Isabelle. Rolling her eyes, Clary took the coffee from Isabelle and set it in front of her.
"The guys and I thought that you could use less caffeine in your diet." Alec bumped her elbow and jerked his head towards Simon. Clary turned and almost laughed at his panicked expression. Isabelle was glaring daggers at him.
"This was your idea?" she asked pointing at the coffee. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the coffee and made as if to take a drink. "It's your loss at the end of the day, just so you know."
Simon's eyes popped and he changed his coffee with hers. "Huh, they gave me regular. I asked for decaf. I suppose it was a mistake."
Isabelle sat back on her seat with a smug smile. She put a hand on Simon's knee and squeezed. "Yeah, that's right." Alec groaned.
"I do not need mental images, idiots," he protested. Isabelle laughed.
"What mental images, Papa Smurf?"
Alec glared at his sister. "This sweater enhances my eyes." He pointed at his sky blue, v-necked sweater.
"You're so gay," exclaimed Isabelle and laughed along with everyone else. Clary took a sip of her coffee as she looked around the shop, perusing the different types of people until her eyes fell on a peculiar-looking man who seemed fairly familiar to her.
Definitely good looking, he wore fit, dark-washed jeans with a nice, red button-down shirt. Designer, for sure. He looked Asian, his black hair was styled up in a sexy faux-Mohawk, and his left ear was covered in multi-colored earrings. But his green eyes were striking. They almost looked like he had accented them to pop out. And the weirdest thing was that they were looking at their table.
Well, at Alec, to be completely honest.
Trying not to smirk, she nudged Alec's arm and grabbed her coffee. Once he looked at her, Clary murmured, "Sexy man, two o'clock. Looking your way, Papa Smurf."
She had tried to make Alec inconspicuous while looking, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, Isabelle and Simon turned around to track down the hot man.
"Damn," sighed Isabelle, "he is sexy. But, he's definitely giving Alec elevator eyes." The man, Clary realized, was smirking as he sipped his coffee. Isabelle frowned and looked at Clary. "Do we know him? He looks familiar."
"I was thinking the same, but I can't really place him," she said, thinking hard of when they could have met him.
"Well, maybe you can ask him since he's coming over," Simon said as he took a sip of his coffee. Clary looked over, and sure enough, he was walking towards their table. His eyes were still on Alec.
Glancing at Alec, Clary saw a look of awe on his face. His lips were moving and Clary thought he was saying, "What a man . . ." but she couldn't be sure. She giggled under her breath.
Suddenly, Green-Eyed Wonder was standing by their table, still gazing suggestively at Alec. "Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but notice your brilliant blue eyes. I'm Magnus," he said with a wink. Alec's cheeks reddened slightly.
"Alec," he introduced himself. Then he looked at the rest. "This is Simon, Isabelle, and Clary." They all acknowledged him, except Isabelle who looked deep in thought.
"Pleasure to meet you," he said in general. His eyes then focused on Alec once more. "I was wondering if—"
"Ah-ha!" exclaimed Isabelle while snapping her fingers. She pointed at Magnus who looked at her curiously. "You throw parties! That's how we know you!"
Magnus grinned. "I am known by my parties."
"Oh," Clary said, her memory finally catching up. "You threw The party." She grinned and went into the happy-thoughts part of her brain.
"Forgive her," she heard Isabelle telling Magnus. "She's thinking of the Golden God she managed to bed on your last party."
Clary came back to roll up a napkin and throw it at Isabelle in the midst of her giggles. "Shut up, Iz." She looked up at Magnus who was studying her closely with a knowing smile.
"Well," he exclaimed in his silky voice, "I'm glad you enjoyed my party so much. Enjoyed an understatement to some," he added with a wink at Clary. "Now," he said looking at Alec, "to what I came to. Let's go out."
Alec looked baffled. "Uh, wha—"
"Great!" Magnus grinned and grabbed Alec's arm, dragging him to stand up. He took his hand and walked to the door, Alec following. "It was great to meet you," he said and then was out. Simon shook his head and took a sip of his coffee.
"It was about time Alec got laid," he commented.
w.^.w
She watched him enter, his dark eyes immediately squinting as he looked for her, she knew. He looked amazing and Camille once again asked herself why she was waiting to take him home with her.
Finally, he spotted her and a smile spread across his face. His blonde hair jumped with every one of his steps, the steps bringing him closer to her. He stopped in front of her, stooped down, and planted a kiss on her cheek before plopping into the seat in front of her.
"I love this place," he said looking around. "It's perfect." Jonathan grinned at her and Camille couldn't help but smirk.
They had kept in touch since the first time they met.
She leaned into the table and whispered, "It's my favorite place." He blew out air before grabbing her hand.
"You are my perfect girl, Cammy." He smirked at her and squeezed her hand. That type of comments always made her want to blush. She rolled her eyes and looked anywhere but at him.
"I already ordered our pizza. It should be here any moment now," she said, looking at him once again. He smiled and nodded, his eyes moving to where the Go-Karts were waiting. Camille rolled her eyes. "We're definitely riding them once we're done."
Jonathan smirked and leaned into her ear. "The thought of you riding something really turns me on," he whispered. She looked up with stunned eyes, big grin splashed on her face.
"You turned on sort of turns me on," she whispered.
Jonathan chuckled. "It's kind of awkward talking like this in the place where I carried Clary like a sack of potatoes when we were little." Camille raised her eyebrow.
"Isn't that the whole point? Tainting the innocent?" Jonathan swallowed.
"Well, if that's how you see it—"
"Order thirty-one. Extra-supreme large pizza. Extra cheese and mushrooms. Enjoy," interrupted a monotone voice as a pizza appeared in front of them. Jonathan looked at it in wonder.
"Extra cheese and mushrooms . . . ?" he asked uncertainly.
Camille frowned. "Yeah, it's my favorite. If you don't like it, you better suck it u—"
He looked up and grabbed both of her hands. "Marry me. Now."
She smirked. "I'm not answering until I see the rock," she said jokingly.
Jonathan took his phone out. "I need to call mom. She is going to give me her wedding ring and—" he stopped as he frowned at a text in his phone.
"Hey," Camille began, "what's up?" Jonathan shook his head.
"Nothing. It's just . . . Clary has been going out with someone but she just won't say who it is. I'm worried. I don't want her to end up hurt again." Camille bit her lip with her head cocked to the side.
"Wait, are you telling me you don't know who Clary is going out with?" Jonathan looked up at her, frown still in place.
"No. She said she wanted to wait until it was more public. But I just—" he cut himself up as he saw Camille's expression. "You know."
She nodded. "Yeah, I know."
"Who?"
Camille frowned. "Are you sure I'm supposed to be telling you this?"
"Well," he said with a scowl, "she told you and I don't know why—"
She scoffed, interrupting him. "She didn't tell me. Clary's going out with my best friend." Jonathan stared at her for a long while, probably thinking of who her best friend was.
"Wait, pretty-boy is your best friend?" he said with a frown.
Camille bit her lip to keep her smirk at bay. "Pretty-boy?"
"Yeah, the blonde one that was with you at the auction." Camille laughed at Jonathan's serious face.
"Oh, God, yes. Pretty boy. That's him," she said, barely containing her laughter.
Jonathan smiled faintly. "Clary looks happy. If he hurts her, though, you can't hold it to me when he isn't pretty-boy anymore."
Camille grinned. "Don't worry. I'll bring the shovel as long as you bring the duct tape."
w.^.w
"Hello, Sally. Your boss asked me to come?" Clary questioned the secretary. The older woman barely looked up as she nodded.
"Yes, he did. He's busy right now, so why don't you sit there and wait for him?" Clary tried hard not to roll her eyes as she sat on the uncomfortable chairs outside of his uncle's room. Fortunately, her phone buzzed before she could start thinking of escape routes.
I didn't see you at all yesterday. I need to see you today.
Clary grinned at Jace's text and began typing.
I'll need to see you right after this meeting. When and where?
Luke's door opened right when Jace's next text appeared.
Will it take more than an hour? If not, my place in an hour. You still remember where it is, I assume.
Clary could just see the smirk on his face.
I could be there in twenty. And, yes, I do remember.
A young woman came out of the room. She was model-gorgeous with her tight business suit and perfect hair and makeup. She paused at Sally's just as Clary's phone buzzed again.
I'll see you in twenty, then. Can't wait.
Me neither.
She typed her response as Luke came out of the room. Shutting her phone off, she made her way towards where he was seeing the business woman off.
"It was certainly a pleasure to talk with you, Mr. Morgenstern," said Mrs. New York. Clary raised her eyebrows at her breathy voice. She also caught Sally rolling her eyes.
No . . .
She looked over at Luke who looked smug. "I will be expecting a call from you soon, Mrs. Maxwell." Clary's blood boiled as she charged into the office. She wasn't far enough to not hear her response.
"You will most definitely hear from me, sir."
Son of a bitch.
Clary sat on one of his chairs, her back to the door. Her foot was tapping wildly against the floor and her eyes were glaring at Luke's typical green lantern. She took a sniff to confirm what she already knew.
Yup, it smells like sex in here.
Clary waited patiently to hear the sound of the door closing. She had never been so happy to know that Luke's room was soundproofed.
She heard the tapping of his massively expensive shoes as he walked into his office. The door closed softly behind him and he begin with his sugarcoated voice, "Clary, dear, it's wonderful to see yo—"
The chair was knocked back as she stood up with all the force she could manage. She spun around and leveled a glare at him. He looked stunned and Clary made an exasperated noise while looking at him incredulously.
"Why am I here, Luke?" she asked in a controlled voice. It was hard trying to keep her control.
"I—" he began, feeling lost for a moment. "I wanted to make peace with you."
Clary stared at him for a few seconds, waiting for the punch line. After realizing how serious he was, she snorted and burst out laughing. She would stop and then take another look at Luke's face and begin all over again.
"Clary, I'm serious. I don't want to keep fighting—"
"No," she growled at him, her laughter dying there. "You are anything but serious about this." Luke had a baffled expression on his face.
The motherfucker, Clary thought bitterly.
"I don't think I understand—"
Clary smiled at him with pity. "No, you don't." Her smile turned into a scowl in milliseconds. "If you fucking understood, you wouldn't have had the fucking decency to try to 'make peace' with me."
Luke glared at her. "Clarissa, that is no language for a lady—"
"Cut your shit, Luke," she growled. "When a fucking lady is fucking pissed, she fucking cusses. We are not in your shitty times anymore. Besides, you are nowhere near a fucking parental figure to tell me what to do and what not to do."
"I don't understand where your anger is coming from," he said simply.
Clary's eyebrows rose. "Do you not remember the last time you wanted to 'make peace' with me?" Luke hesitated and Clary knew she had him. "You promised—you fucking promised—that you would not treat women like toys. Y—you fucking swore that you would devote yourself to your wife." She wiped at the angry tears that began blinding her vision. "Next thing I know, I find you pounding y—your shit into my best friend."
Luke was staring at her guiltily.
Yeah, fucker, she thought. For once feel something.
"You have no fucking idea how it feels," she whispered.
"Clary, I—I," he began taking a few steps towards her but Clary held her hand up making him stop.
"Shut the fuck up and don't come close to me. I'm not fucking done." She sniffed and wiped her tears into her pants. "So, then, today, I get your call. I don't know what to think, but there is nothing interesting to do but come here. So, I come. I fucking came, Luke! I could have just ditched your sorry ass." Clary gritted her teeth to prevent herself from sobbing. "I'm sitting out there, you know, actually waiting for you to be done with your fucking client."
Luke stared stonily at her, no emotion in his aging face.
"Or," she said calmly, "should I say 'waiting for you to be done fucking your client'?"
"That's enough," Luke snapped at Clary with glaring eyes. "I won't let you disrespect me in that way."
"Oh?" she asked surprised. "But I'm not being disrespectful. I'm only telling the truth."
"Your truth is mistaken, I'm afraid, then," he said calmly, rubbing a hand on his forehead.
"Uh-huh, sure," she said dismissively. "I'm definitely mistaken because the whore that left your office braless did not just leave her bra on the corner of your desk." She emphasized her statement by pointing at his desk.
Luke's eyes popped out comically. She would have laughed had she not been emotionally tired.
"Move away from the door. I'm leaving," she told him while picking up the chair she'd dropped.
He sighed and walked towards his desk. Clary moved to the door, sniffling and wiping her tears. She just needed to get out of the room. Clary rested her forehead against the cold wood of the threshold before turning around to stare emotionless into Luke's eyes.
"You're going to end up alone in this world, Luke. Just think about that, will you?"
And then she left, closing the door with a bang.
w.^.w
"You should tell her. That's all I'm saying," said Camille through the phone.
Jace sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Cam, you think she'll be okay with it? I highly doubt she would help me cheat on my wife with her. There are women like that, but Clary isn't one of them."
Camille was silent for a long time before speaking. "You still want to stay with Aline?" Jace groaned.
"I don't know, Cam. This stage with Clary may be temporary. We've only been dating for two weeks. I really like her. I like her a lot, but . . . I'm just so confused." Camille screeched from the other line.
"What the hell, asshole? You've told me how different stuff with Clary is. You talk nonstop about how right it feels! You almost sound like a girl, for fuck's sake!"
"Look, she's coming over in a few. I'll make up my mind by then," he said looking at the clock.
"Fine, fine. Just think about how you've changed since you've been with Clary, okay? Just think about that. Where are you staying?"
"My apartment. Aline and I fought the day before yesterday. I don't plan on going back in a few," he said with a frown.
"You need the days to think. Anyways, you and I both have to go, pretty-boy," she said with a laugh. Jace snorted.
"Nice nickname." He looked over at the door as he heard knocking. "I've gotta go, Cam. Clary's here. Bye." He hung up without waiting for an answer and turned off his phone before leaving it in his drawer.
Opening the door, he had a cocky greeting at the tip of his tongue when Clary barreled into him, sobbing. Jace began stroking her back, a little panicked to see her like this.
"Hey, Clary, baby . . . What's wrong?" he asked her patiently. She began sobbing harder into his shirt and Jace decided to get out of the hallway. He picked her up and closed the door. Walking towards the sofa, he sat down and held Clary against him, gently rocking her, willing her to calm down.
"Ho—how cou—could he? He—he—" she was interrupted by another set of heart-wrecking sobs.
"Shh," murmured Jace in her ear, rubbing her back and running his hand through her hair. "It's okay. You're here with me. Everything is okay."
After a few minutes, Clary's cries had subdued to the occasional sniffle. Jace knew he had to ask now before she would want to change the subject.
"Clary, what happened? I need to know." She looked up at him, eyes completely swollen and cheeks red. He kissed her forehead and her cheeks before waiting for an answer.
"I—I was outside his office and he—he was fucking a woman—and Maia is at home with a baby—and he was there—just fucking another woman—" she paused and sniffled as a few tears escaped her eyes. Jace caught them and wiped them off her face.
"Baby, you're not making sense. Explain, please," he asked her, hoping the story was not the one he had imagined by what she had just said.
"Luke. I—I went to see Luke. He's married to M—Maia, and he was fucking an—another woman in his office. A—and he wanted peace! Motherfucking peace!" She shook her head and buried it on his neck. Jace didn't know what to do. He sat there tense, wishing that he had heard wrong.
"Clary, Luke is cheating?" he asked for specification.
"Yes!" she exclaimed. "He has always cheated! Since I was little, he—he's always cheated. And, and I hate it!" She sobbed and rubbed her eyes. "I hate it so much, Jace." A hiccup escaped her mouth. "So much."
Jace had a knot tied to his throat. He couldn't speak and didn't know what to do next. All he knew was that if he didn't want to lose Clary, she would have to live oblivious to his real life.
And Jace knew, without a doubt, that he wanted the girl in his arms in his life infinitively.
"Jace?" Clary asked and he looked at her. She was staring at him with those big, bloodshot eyes. "I like you so much, Jace. So, so much." Her hand traveled along his jaw line, discovering his light stubble there.
I should have shaved, he thought dumbly.
Without further notice, she pressed her lips to his hard, almost as if their time together was being counted.
And for all Jace knew, maybe it was.
He kissed her back, crushing her more to his body than she already was. She sat up and straddled his lap. Jace could only taste her salty tears and general sweetness. Her hands trailed down his chest, resting on the wet spot that contained Clary's tears.
"I ruined this," she said hotly, breaking their kiss. "You should get rid of it."
"I will," he murmured against her lips. Clary shook her head with a smile. Suddenly, Jace felt her hands under his shirt and he got the message.
He helped her with his shirt, and once it was off his head, Clary took his lips once again. He felt her fingers tracing his tattoo lines, scratching lightly, and it nearly drove him crazy. He needed to feel her, too.
Testing, he brushed his fingers on the skin in between the waistband of her pants and the hem of her shirt. She shivered, but kissed him harder, so he kept going until his hands covered her ribcage. Her skin was warm and soft and Jace couldn't get enough of it. It made him want to take her right there in the couch.
His actions froze instantly.
He didn't want to just fuck her again. He wanted it to be special, ironically. Besides, Clary wasn't in the right state of mind. If they did have sex there, she may regret it in the morning, and then they'd be back to square one.
"Clary . . ." he murmured, trying to break away from her. She wouldn't let him, though. "Clary, babe, we need to stop."
She pulled back instantly. "What?" she asked breathlessly. Jace looked at her swollen lips and couldn't help but kissing her again.
"We need to stop," he said after breaking away. "We can't go further with you like this," he told her softly. She looked at him hard.
"But . . . I want you," she said, and Jace could hear the sincerity in her words.
He sighed. "I want you, too, Clary." He rested his forehead against hers. "You have no fucking idea how much."
"Why are you being logical?"she asked him softly.
He stroked her cheek lovingly. "I don't want to do something that we may not be ready for." He looked down at his pants and added sheepishly, "Emotionally."
She giggled and buried her face in his neck. "Can I at least spend the night?" Jace squeezed her tight.
"Anytime," he told her while picking her up to take her to bed. After helping her on the bed, he looked at his lower half of his body with annoyance. "I have to take care of something. I'll be right back."
Clary giggled and snuggled into the bed. "Okay."
Once Jace took care of business, he went back into the room to find Clary asleep in his bed, soft, cute snores coming out of her mouth. He walked to his drawer to get ready for bed when he saw his phone. Checking on Clary once more, he took his phone and turned it on, calling the only person he could.
"What?" Camille sounded annoyed from the other line.
"I can't tell her," he stated emotionlessly.
"What happened?" she asked curiously.
"Camille," he groaned, not ready to answer her question.
He looked back at Clary, resting soundly and stress-free. He wanted to see her like that every day. He just wanted to be able to see her every day. Every day of the rest of his life.
"Camille . . . I can't lose her."
I had a rush of inspiration. I posted Thursday morning, and this was done Friday night. I haven't had this much inspiration in months, and I'm loving it so, so much.
So, as you can see, Jace is confused and he sure as hell should be. -.- And those of you who wanted sex, well, blame Jace on this one. He was telling me he just couldn't. I mean, he had good reasons, but I'm sure a lot of you will want to slap him just like Clary and I do. ;)
This is for BlondeHairBlueEyes14 who still hasn't read like three of my chapters. SportNo1 because she soo didn't review my last chapter correctly. -.- camibandlover because SHE'S ALIVE! WHOO! xD And 07XReflectional because we totally made the fucking best THG shirts in the world today! :D
:DD I updated super early considering my updating issues. You guys should give me a gift… like a...
Review? ;)