Clace after all ✔️

Meeting, Mall and Maybes

It's been a few weeks since I woke up and every night I wake up covered in sweat, breathless and crying. It's always the same dream: I am in the car with Jace and I feel a warmth in my chest like I've never felt, then all of a sudden I'm looking into the button eyes of a teddy bear surrounded by glass and covered in blood. When I turn to see a lifeless Jace: pale-faced, covered in blood and no movement in his chest, and that warm feeling turns into a scorching flame of pain as if a hot piece of metal is being plunged into my chest.

"JACE, JACE, YOU'VE GOT TO WAKE UP. Please take me, let him live!" I cried to the heavens before I wake, screaming for Jace. Mom would often run in to soothe me but other times I was too tired and mentally drained to scream loud enough for anyone to hear so I quietly cry into my hands. How could I feel such pain for a boy I don't remember?

I haven't seen him since the day he stormed out of the hospital room and sometimes -all the time- I feel like there is something missing, my heart feels lonely.

"Hey!" My enthusiastic best friend squealed as she was into my room. "Are you ready to hit the mall?" She asks as I hugged her.

"Yep sure let me get my shoes on." I smiled back at her before going into my closet, today I was wearing a plaid skirt, black tights and a maroon jumper with my hair pulled up into a bun. I searched through my well-stocked closet, thanks to Izzy, until I found my maroon Doc Martins. I pulled them on and tied them, as I heard Izzy complain and say something I didn't expect: "Come on Jace is waiting outside, Hurry your little ass up." With the mention of Jace's name, I stuck my head around the door, my face riddled with confusion.

"Why is Jace here?" I quizzed

"Because he needed to go to the mall so I offered him a ride. Saving fuel and stuff." She answered and I simply nodded my head picked up my purse and headed downstairs with Izzy in tow.

"Bye mum I'll see you later!" I yelled down to the basement where her art studio was.

"Okay, sweetie have fun and don't get into any trouble, Love you."

"I love you too." I quickly replied as I walked out of the door. There he was the person who woke me up every night- alive. He sat staring at his lap, probably at his phone until he heard my front door shut and his head shot up. his gaze settled on me, first with joy on his face then as he noticed my studying eyes scanning his face sorrow fluttered in his eyes.

Izzy and I climbed into the car, her in the driver's seat and me in the back; we were driving along Izzy rambling as usual until Jace turns around with a smirk on his face. "Hi, I'm Jace Wayland." He smiled and stretched out his hand and I shook it.

"I'm guessing I don't have to introduce myself." I state and he laughs.

"No, you are the only one with selective memory loss here." He smiled.

We began chatting and for those brief moments on the way to the mall, as I talked to the blonde beauty, I felt whole again my heart wasn't so lonely: I heard his heart in every word he spoke and saw his soul every smile.

Then we arrived at the mall.

"I need to go to a book-store on the other side of the mall so You two do what you need to do and we'll meet at Mac's at 12 for lunch" I stated and Izzy nodded. I turned and began walking before a felt a hand on my shoulder, "Hey Clary do you mind if I come with you to the book-store?" He smiled.

"Be my guest." I replied and we began to walk side by side.

"So you're the captain of the football team?"

"Yep"

"Are you any good?"

"Yes, I'm incredible, best one on the team."

"A bit of a narcissist I see." I laughed and he watched me with a beautiful, genuine smile on his face.

"Yep, I guess I am." He said as he opened the door to the book-store, the small bell rang as the door opened and the little old lady looked up and smiled.

"Oh Clary how lovely to see you again," she smiled, "And who is this handsome young fellow you've got there."

"Mrs. Quinten, this is Jace, Jace Wayland." he stretched his hand out to her and she shook it, her frail little hands were tiny compared to his big masculine hands.

"Did you reserve any books for me this week?"

"Oh yes deary let me just get them." and with that, she toddled away into the back room.

I walked around the bookshelves minding my step on the piles of books scattered on the floor, Mrs. Quinten has owned the bookstore for 40 years now and according to her, there has not ever been a time where books have not been piled on the floor. She says it's to represent the messy mind of a passionate reader and I totally agree. I was deep in thought when I tripped over a book and landed smoothly in the strong, muscled arms of Jace.

"Woah there, are you okay?" He asked as he continued to hold me.

"Sorry, I guess- I'm falling for you." I smirked and I saw his eyes light up, he lowered his head and whispered into my ear:

"Don't start something you can't finish."

"What if I can?" I whispered back and his head shot back so it was right above mine but before he could make a move, we heard a loud noise come from the back room. We ran to the back room to see a bookshelf tipped over, books scattered over the floor and Mrs. Quinten on the floor beside them.

"Are you okay? I asked as Jace lifted the bookshelf back into the right place.

"Yes Deary, I'm fine she smiled before she began to get up and jace ran over to help. After that, we help clean up and I bought my books.

A/N: Thank you all so much for 1K reads!!! That's crazy. I don't know if I'll publish anything else before the holidays so I hope you all have an incredible rest of the year and I can't wait to write in the new year. :-)