22

Clary's POV

It's been three days since my fathers ultimatum. I haven't told anybody about it, I haven't even told Jace. I haven't told him how I ended up in the alley way, or what happened. He is giving me my time and space to open up to him on my own, which I appreciate, but that opening might never come.

I never thought my father would put his hands on me. I knew my father was mean, I considered him a deadbeat, I truthfully hate him for how the past year of my life went, but he never put his hands on me. He wasn't a lover, he wasn't a fighter, he just wasn't there. I don't understand how he can demand me back into his life, attempt to beat me into submission, when he was the one who left in the first place. They were smart enough to hit me with open fists, poke and prod me, so not to leave bruises, but my insides hurt. I'm sure my ribs weren't healed, and now, they have likely been reverted back to their injured state.

It's feeling that the mob theory is becoming more and more likely. I just could never see my father being part of that. I don't understand, how he went from being a normal 9-5 business man in Florida, to a woman beating, mobster in New York. I don't understand why -,

"Clary, for the love of God, stop bouncing your leg." Isabelle cuts off my train of dangerous thoughts, reaching a hand to my knee. We are currently seated on the cold bleachers, waiting for the Friday night lights, football game to begin. Jace didn't want to play, he has been worried sick about me, but I encouraged him to do so anyways. It'll encourage his father to dislike me even more if he found out about this. I did my best to impress onto him that I am fine, to which he told me "if you're so fine, I better see your ass at my game." Thus, here we are.

"I'm sorry, I'm so behind in school with all the days I've missed. I'm just thinking about it." I lie. I feel like I have been doing a lot of that this week. I haven't decided what I am going to do with my father's demand, and I won't be telling anybody until I do. I know everyone will try to sway me to stay, but I don't know if that's the right thing for me to do. Isabelle goes to respond to me, but a whistle is blown down on the field, signifying the start of the game. I cross my fingers, hoping that Jace doesn't start any more fights.

JACE

The locker room is alive after the game. After the hard loss last week, the team is enthralled to have a win back on our record. It probably helps when the team captain doesn't start a brawl on the field, "on the road to states!" Alec cheers, clapping me on the shoulder, "we are!" I reply, my attention elsewhere, "Jace, Isabelle is with Clary. I know she is being weird, but I promise she is fine. You can celebrate your football win." My best friend tells me, his hand giving my upper shoulder a rough squeeze. It's not just about Clary, I just don't care about football, I never have.

"Good game, man." Is all that I reply with, throwing my sports bag over my shoulder, and walking towards the exit. I offer Jordan a small smile of acknowledgment, leaving the room in search of Isabelle and my redhead. My search for them is proven to be easy, as the two girls are walking down the sidewalk in my direction.

"Hello ladies," I open up my sweaty arms to them, large grin on my face, encouraging a hug. Unfortunately, they both turn their nose up to me, "absolutely not." Isabelle says, "you look like a wet dog."

"Really Clary, not even a hug from you? I practically wiped your ass for you while you were in a sling." I tease her, my eyes lighting up with a smile. Clary scrunches her nose, features turning slightly pink while Isabelle lets out a loud laugh, "shut up, you did not." She hisses at me. Even though she is clearly frustrated with me, having her at the game, out and about, pretending that nothing is wrong is almost peaceful. I notice that after a few beats that I am staring at her- and her face is beginning to heat up in embarrassment. I don't pull my eyes away until I feel a clap on my back, and I unfortunately go ridged, "hey man relax." I hear the familiar voice of my teammate Sebastian, "I'll see you and your girls at the after party, right?" I make a face of uncertainty, although it would be nice to go have a good time and I'm sure Isabelle would love to go, I'm sure Clary would rather do anything but. Not that I can blame her, she's been through so much. I would be happy to skip if-, "that sounds like fun, we'll see you there." Clary's voice, accompanied with soft, honest smile, cuts through my train of thoughts. Isabelle's face beams with a smile, seeming very pleased that her introverted friend wants to go out and party. I, however; look at her with uncertain eyes, " are you sure, Clary?"

"Of course, it sounds like fun." She replies, her eyes meeting mine with a smile that doesn't quite reach them.

"See Wayland, the hot one knows what's up." Sebastian says, and I feel my hands wounding into a tight ball, nails digging into my palms as I fight the urge to punch him, "I'm starting to think that you're the one that doesn't like to have any fun." And with that last snide comment, Sebastian punches me roughly in the shoulder before walking off.

"Clary!" Isabelle exclaims, "I am so excited you want to go, we need to get home, like, now, and change." Our black-haired friend starts to ramble- I reach a hand to my girlfriend, touching her lightly on the arm, "you sure?" I ask her quietly, both of us ignoring Izzy.

"Yeah, I would like to pretend that I'm a normal highschooler for just one night." She leans into my touch lightly, turning to Izzy. I go to tell her that she's being weird, but her and Isabelle are already discussing traveling back to the house to change.

;o;o;o;o;o;o;o;o;

;o;o;o;o;o;o;o;o;

It takes about an hour for everyone to be showered and changed, and now have reconvened at one of my teammates house. The music is loud, the drinks are flowing, and it seems like everyone is having a genuinely good time. I can't help but keep my eyes trained on Clary, watching her sip her seltzer and chat with our friends. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. Clary has never volunteered herself to attend a party, let alone one that Sebastian invited us to. I sigh quietly, taking a sip of my mixed drink in hand, trying to shake the feeling of uncertainty and just enjoy my night.

Before I know it, Isabelle is dragging the lot of us to the kitchen, where she provides each of us with a few shots. Everyone takes them without hesitation, feeling the want to relax and unwind. Once the strong liquor enters my system, I can almost feel the weight getting lifted off my shoulders. I no longer am interested in knowing why Clary is acting this way, I'm just happy she's here. The only thing on my mind, now that I am buzzing, is getting my hands on her. As if she can hear my thoughts, my pretty redhead makes her way over to me, another drink in hand, smile on her face. In this moment, the friends in my perifocal go fuzzy, and my attention is only on Clary. My hands, as if magnetic, find her hips, and she looks at me with her big green eyes, "are you having fun?" she asks me.

"I am now," I smirk, "are you?" I ask in return.

"I'm just happy to be spending time with everyone, with you. Not thinking about anything else that's going on, just this." She leans forward, her chest brushing against me, and I gaze down at her, taking her all in, "I just want to think about us, for one night." Her hands wrap around my neck. Sober me might have been concerned about her words, but drunk me was lapping it up. Before I could help myself, I'm leaning down and catching her lips with mine. Her grip tightens around my neck as she presses her lips roughly against mine. As if compelled, my one hand grips the side of her neck, while the other finds its home on the fabric of her short black dress, right on her ass.

Before things can get too out of controlled, we get pulled away from each other, spell broken by wolf whistling and calls coming from our group of friends, "get a room, you two." Simon looks to Clary, a smile smirk on his lips, "shut up! I know you're texting Isabelle." Clary fires back, smile on her lips, hands still around my neck, "you text my best friend, and I'll make out with my boyfriend, mind your business." The group erupts in conversation surrounding the two bold statements Clary made, "I'm going to go smoke, I can't handle this right now." Jordan says with a chuckle, grabbing his girlfriend by the elbow and pulling her towards the balcony, to go smoke weed, "can we dance?" I ask Clary above the music, my lips brushing against her ear. She nodded, a small laugh escaping her lips as I whisk her onto the dance floor. I pull her away from our friends, into the middle of the house where the DJ is blasting loud pop music.

"Jace," the drunk redhead nuzzles her face into my neck, lips close enough to my ear so I can hear her, "I need you to know something." Her voice sounds too serious for our current situation, "sure baby." I reply, my brain buzzing with alcohol, hands grazing over her hips. We aren't really dancing, just standing together.

"Whatever happens over these next couple days, I just need you to know it isn't because of you," her hands snake up around my neck, "what are you talking about?" I reply, my drunken state not allowing me to grasp the gravity of what she is saying, "the next few days are going to get crazy, but," she pushes up on her toes, giving me a light kiss on the mouth, "just know you are probably the best thing that's ever happened to me, and that's exactly why I'm doing it." she presses her lips hard against mine again, not giving me the chance to respond, and with her lips working on mine, I barley comprehend what she is saying to me, "but let's just enjoy the night, please." In this moment, I would do anything that she asked.

"Of course, Clary."

AN:

Sorry for, like, completely abandoning this story. Life got really crazy for a few years, but I'm back now! And I'm finishing this damn story if it's the last thing I do.