Happy New Year

Clary POV

Jace drove through the crowded downtown of New York gracefully. I had put my phone away to look out the window. So much has been going on. My art galleries have been doing pretty good but there is a Winter Art Gala coming up next month and it's in Madrid. I'm not sure if I can be there this year with all that's going on but I never miss my Galas.

My dad has been doing okay so far. His kidneys are getting better but they found an infection. The doctors say he should try dialysis but dad is refusing. It's our only best option for him to get better and I want him to do it. Jocelyn has been pushing my dad as well. Although she, herself, is not doing any better. Mom has been going through depression and I can see her trying but she is failing miserably.

As if I don't have enough on my plate already, Jonathan has been texting me. He wants to meet up and talk about God knows what. I keep telling him I can't meet up but he keeps insisting. I have to give him a chance but not this week.

I look out the window and see the tall buildings of New York. I haven't lived in New York since high school and Madrid is so different from this. Madrid is crowded but not as much as New York. I sigh at the thought of Madrid.

"What's the sighing for?" Jace asks me. I look over at him and see his calm, relaxed form. The sun was shinning at his side. His hair and eyes were brighter and made him look unearthly. He truly was beautiful. Too bad he is a player and ruined me.

I sigh again and look out the window. "I miss home."

"What do you mean you miss home? We were there like 10 minutes ago," Jace remarks.

"Not that home. I miss Madrid." I say it in a bit of my Spanish accent.

Jace gasps and looks at me. "You know Spanish," he parks the car in the car park and e walk out. "I was never good at Spanish." He looks at me and my mind only focuses on his eyes.

"Tienes los ojos más bonitos del mundo." Jace's pupils dilate and a slow smile graces his face.

"Siento disentir. Eres tan hermosa, mi amor," Jace mumbles as he cups my face gently and then suddenly I snap.

"You are such a cliché," I push his hands away. And he laughs. Loud and long. I throw him a disgusted look and walk way. Freaking asshole. I hear him run behind me and he gently catches onto my elbow.

"Okay I'm sorry," he laughs a little more. I ignore him and keep walking. His hand rests on my waist as he guides me through the doors of his company. "But really. Do you really think I have pretty eyes?"

"You are a liar. You said you didn't know Spanish!" I turn to face him and that's when I see a girl behind him. She was looking at his back side before turning away and popping two more buttons of her shirt open and giving her boobs a boost. Hmm. What a hoe.

"Well I can understand some," he shrugs and starts to walk away. I grab his hand and turn him to face me.

"And you think that I'm beautiful," I wrap my hand around his well toned bicep. He raises his eyebrows at my gesture. "I think you are more than just beautiful, Clary," he murmurs and bends down to kiss my cheek. I try my hardest not to blush but I know my face is burning.

I gently smile at him and we walk over to the elevators. I keep my hold on his bicep while we walk. I can feel the stare of the employees on me.

"So what do you want to do today?" Jace asks as we wait for the elevator.

"I don't know. I think I just want to shadow you and see how things really are in an office," I look around the main floor. It has a nice vibe. Soft music is playing. People are walking in and out. The sun is shinning through the floor to roof windows. "I mean I do have an office in Madrid but it's so much different than this."

"Yeah, I guess running a company is kind of like ru-" Jace stops mid sentence because of a loud, shrilling, voice.

"Jace! Welcome back!" A blur of dark colors runs past me and hugs Jace tight. The fuck.

The girl hugging Jace is the girl from earlier. She is short but taller than me. She is wearing a tight baby blue shirt that is stretched across her breasts and with that she is wearing a white pencil skirt and heels. Her hair is dark and is styled into a sleek long bob. It brushes just above her shoulders. Jace pulls her arms away from his neck and gently pushes her back. I can see her face now and it's caked with makeup but she is pretty. She has brown almond shaped eyes and thin lips. I've seen her before. I just don't know where.

Jace cleared his throat and said in a very stern voice, "Miss Penhallow, that was very inappropriate but thank you." He turned away from her and pressed the elevator button rapidly.

"It's so glad to have you back. The company really needs you Jace," Aline babbled on and on about him finally being here while Jace on the other hand muttered a string of curse words.

"Aline," Jace interrupts her. "Leave." With that word Aline left. The elevator finally came and Jace stepped aside to let people off. Many of them smiled politely and said good morning. Jace only nodded stiffly and stepped in. I walked in behind him and he pressed the highest number.

We stood in awkward silence for a while before my thoughts took over. Why did Jace get so mad all of the sudden? And what did Aline meant about Jace finally coming back? I have heard about his notorious action. He is a womanizer and a slacker that is no doubt. I mean that's the only reason why he partnered up with my dad. Although I wonder what caused him to stood in awkward silence for a while before my thoughts took over.

"Jace…" I tentatively say. His posture is tense and worried and it's making me nervous. What is it that's bothering him.

"Are you okay?" I continue when he doesn't reply. He just looks lost in his head and seems to not hear me. I gently touch his shoulder and he snaps out of his trance. He looks at me and our eyes lock. I can see nervousness and hesitation in them.

"We're here," he says and walks out. I follow him down the long corridor until we get to a big wooden double doors. He opens them with a set of keys. The office inside is beautiful. Everything is dark and expensive looking. He walks over to the big wooden desk and presses a button. The blinds behind him open and light pours in.

I watch Jace closely as he removes his blazer and wraps it around the back of his chair. I stand awkwardly in front of his desk. Standing there I just realize that I don't like this Jace. He's all closed up and is acting weird and I don't like that.

"Jace," He looks up at me and raises his eyebrows. I walk around his desk and stand between him and the desk. "Are you okay?" I ask worriedly.

"Oh I'm okay," he breathes out. "So, um the first thing that you should do is check your emails. Of course," he blurts and it's my time to raise my eyebrows.

"Jace, you are not okay. Something is wrong!"

"Nothing is wrong, Clary," he sighs and tries to push me away so he can get back to work but I stay out. "Weren't you the one who wanted to learn as soon as possible so you don't have to deal with me for any longer than you have to?" He yells at me. And I mean literally. I have never seen him like this. And for some stupid reason I want to cry. For some reason, him yelling at me hurts.

"Now move away and shadow me like you wanted to." Without a word, I move away and move toward the couches on the far end of the room. I gently dab under my eyes because my hormones are going crazy today. I pull out my compact mirror and check my face.

The door behinds me opens and Alec Lightwood walks in.

Alec POV:

"Jace my man, so glad you are back." I walk into Jace's office and go straight to his desk. He's sitting behind his desk and looks tense.

"Alec, hey. It's glad to be back. Although I was here yesterday." He points out.

I laugh at that. "Yeah but you did run away to Clary after her phone call. Like Whipped much?"

Jace laughs uncomfortably and then clears his throat. "Alec, meet Clary." He points behind me and I turn around. The woman in front of me is not Clary. That can not be clary. The clary I remember was a short, little girl who was kind of scrawny even. But this woman in front of me was curvy and confident. She looked all professional and was so so pretty. Her smile was bright and beautiful.

"Hi, Alec," she says politely.

"Hey. Wow. You have changed," I chuckle in disbelief. She just laughs lightly and Jace clears his throat again.

"So Alec, um I'm pretty sure you know why she's here. And uh Clary, I haven't really been here lately so even I'm not sure if I can help you much today." I am surprised. Jace Wayland confessing? To a woman? That's rare.

"Oh. I understand." Clary replies and turns to me. "I guess you are helping me today."

"I think he will be helping both of us today." Jace butts in.

"Well okay. Let's get to it. Shall we?" I ask and dug into everything that's been going on with the company.

Clary POV:

Jace, Alec, and I have been working for a long time. It was little past noon when we decided take a lunch break. Alec had to go to Magnus. MY Magnus Bane. When I asked him how he knew him he said it was a long story and he doesn't have time to explain. Well knowing Magnus, I let him leave because Magnus hate being waited on. This left Jace and I alone. I was about to ask him if he wanted to go get some food but before I got the chance he got up and left.

Okayyyyy then. What has gotten into Jace? Like he's ugh. I walk out of his office, list in my head when I bump into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" I bend down to pick up the fallen papers.

"It's not your fault," a voice stutters and bends down to help. I get up and hand the papers back to the man that I've bumped into and I was about to apologize again when he got up and I saw who he really was.

"Simon?" This is not happening. I laugh in disbelief and my oldest best friend looks up and finally sees me.

"Clary?" he laughs out loud and pulls me in a hug.

"I've missed you so much, Si," I hug him back. "We need to catch up."

"Oh yeah definitely. I'm going to lunch. Wanna join?" He asks excitedly.

"Yeah well I don't know anyone here and I've just been reunited with my bestest friend so yeah," he smiles at me and we walk to the cafeteria.

After what felt like hours, Simon and I finally have enough information about each other. So far I've learnt that Simon is the manager of the IT Department. He had gotten his degree form MIT, fancy. He moved back to New York about two years ago and got a job here almost instantly, courtesy of Isabelle Lightwood. Apparently, they have been "seeing" each other for an year now. Isabelle never uttered a word about this. I have to talk to her later about this.

Simon and I were laughing around and fighting over stupid things when a cold breeze blew in and I looked up to see Jace and a blonde girl walk in the building. Jace's hair was ruffled and his shirt was tucked in haphazardly. He had a sinful smile on his face and his pant zipper was not zipped.

The girl next to him was tall and curvy. Her thick blonde hair was everywhere and looked like those just-been-fucked-hair. Her skin tight dress had wrinkles and her coat and hair were not doing a good job at hiding the obvious hickey above her boobs. Jace's hand was way close to her ass and they both were giggling as they walked past me. Jace didn't even look my way. What a bitch!

"Simon, who is she?" I sneer at the girl who just kissed Jace on the cheek.

"Oh that. That's Kaelie Whitewillow. Jace's personal assistance. Too personal actually. They are like fuck buddies and everyone knows about them."

Kaelie. I remember her. This is the same bitch that ruined my life in high school! Why is she here?! Like I am so over all this already. For once I thought I was done with all of them and now they are being thrown back into my life. I am so pissed off at everything that I just tell Simon that I have to go and leave.

In the cold, November air, I hail a taxi and go straight home. I feel disgusted, angry, tormented and what not. How could he do this to me? After EVERYTHING I thought he had actually changed but I was wrong. He went out and fucked the same whore that ruined my life! I mean what happened to "I will make it all better. I promise I will show you that I'm changed." Bullshit? I feel stupid because I actually fell for his act. I really thought he was changed but no. He's still that hoe. I can never believe it trust him again.

I get home and hop right in the shower. I relax and take my time to wash myself and just let go. It's been a long day and I've had enough. After I change into my pjs I hop in the bed and cry. My phone is vibrating next to me and I know it's Jace. I ignore it and just cry myself to sleep.

Next up- the date. Review