Just wanna give a shout out to Serenity Shadowstar for giving me a really good idea, and I am sooo going to take it.

So before you read, read this. This chapter will is set like a month or so ahead of the last one. This chapter will also have a big cliff hanger, so Happy Reading!

Oh, and as always, review!

XOXO,

Skylar

Clary POV

I move in his arms to where I straddle his legs. His blonde hair falls across his forehead, and I cant help but notice how gorgeous he looks. The bedside lamp illuminates his face and bare chest. I kiss him deeply, a burning sensation running through my skin. I get goose bumps and he pulls away, his lips attacking my neck. I moan and pull his face back up, our mouths connecting once more. He quickly tugs down my night shorts, but his hands stop at my underwear. Then I remember.

I was wearing one of the thongs I bought.

His left hand pulls my face toward his. I look at him, and see lust filled eyes. "Are these new?"

"Brand…" I whisper huskily. He smiles and kisses me fiercely, forgetting about the thong and hugging my body close to his. "Jace," I moan, but he just unclasps my bra in relpy. "Jace," I say louder. He stops and looks at me.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No. I think someone was knocking." He looks at the door and there is a soft knock.

"Yeah?" Jace asks.

"Are you guys dressed?" a male voice asks. I get off of Jace and pull on my shorts, adjusting my shirt in the process. I pull a blanket off the end of the bed and wrap it around me, then sit in a chair.

"Yeah!" I answer. Alec opens the door and smiles sheepishly at me. He wears a dark green sweater and black jeans, and his hair is mussed. I always thought he was attractive, with his searing blue eyes, but knew I wasn't his type. It turns out no girl is his type.

He sort of waves to Jace and starts to talk. "My boyfriend is staying the night. Don't be too loud. For now, we'll be at the beach. But at around ten, we'll be here. He's very… optimistic. Just keep it down. Please."

"No problem, Alec. You wont even know we're here."

"We were actually just going to watch a movie," Jace says casually.

"Watching movies doesn't involve the removal of clothes. By the way." I start to blush and Alec smiles. "Don't worry. You guys can do whatever you want. I'm not going to stop you." He leaves, and I get back into bed with Jace. He smiles and lifts me back into his lap.

"Where were we?"

"I cant remember."

"How about, I show you."

"Good with me."

"Maybe we should go on a date today," I suggest, brushing through my wet hair.

"A date?" Jace asks, finger combing his.

"Yeah. You know. Go sight seeing, mess around in the beach, lunch…"

"Kissing?"

"Of course. But I definitely want to watch the sunset."

"Sounds good." As he checks himself in the mirror, I come up behind him and squeeze his ass. I giggle when he picks me up and wraps my legs around his waist. I tilt my head and kiss him, messing up his hair with my hands. The bedroom door opens, and I whip my head around, my hands flying to my naked chest. Jace hugs me close to him once more, realizing how exposed I was.

"Oh!" the man in the doorway exclaims. "Wrong room." He looks at us and smiles. "Clary and Jace, I assume. I'm Magnus. Hate to interrupt, but where is Alec's room?"

"Last door on the left," Jace answers.

"Left! That's right. Well, continue, if not on my behalf." He leaves without further notice and I jump out of Jace's arms.

"What's wrong?"

"People really need to learn manners. Who just walks in someone's bedroom?" I reach for my bra and put it on. "I mean, really, who just barges in? At least Alec knocked and asked to come in. And don't even get me started on Izzy and Simon. They know we're here, and they still come home, practically having sex. No one should do that, especially with room-"

"Babe." Jace is behind me, his arms around my waist, chin on my shoulder. "Calm down." I take a deep breath and smile.

"I'm sorry. It just pisses me off so much." He kisses me reassuringly and pats my butt.

"Put on something cute." He thinks a bit, then adds, "And flattering." I laugh and watch him leave, shutting the door behind him.

My hair seems to be pliable today, so I put it in a ponytail with my bangs out. I change my earrings from studs to big hoops, and add a matching necklace. Then to my closet. I pick out some white short shorts, and a simple teal long sleeved shirt. I unbutton the top to reveal what cleavage I do have, and put on a swipe of lip gloss. To make my appearance even better, I apply several coats of mascara and a tiny bit of eyeliner. When I look in the mirror, I look like… a valley girl. I laugh at this thought and put on my Burberry perfume. I sigh and grab my purse, running downstairs.

Jace is waiting for me outside, and grabs me into a full kiss when he sees me. I pull away first and grab his hand, walking down the driveway and starting toward the pier. "Gretta's for lunch?"

"You mean breakfast?" I say, laughing.

"Whatever." I link my arm in his and he smiles. "You look beautiful by the way." I feel a blush creep onto my face and I thank him. We walk in silence, the sun getting higher and higher in the sky each minute. A little while later, we arrive at the restaurant and take a window seat. A bimbo blonde comes to our table and smiles a little too long at Jace.

"Welcome to Gretta's. Would you like me to start you off with a cup of coffee this morning?"

"Yes. Please." I glare at her and she looks at him, but his eyes are focused on me.

"Me too. Black, like my soul." She giggles, and hands us menus.

"Extra sugar." She teeters off in her stripper heels. "God, I hate girls like her."

"Why?"

"Tee hee, I'm totally going to try to get at your boyfriend, even though he's clearly into you." I raise my voice to a higher pitch to match the waitress's. "She seemed like she knew you."

"Ex- girlfriend." I pick up my menu and pretend to read through the breakfast options.

"You seem to have a lot of exes."

"What's your story? You don't seem like one to be going around. And, I must admit, you know what you're doing."

"Let's just say I've been… taken advantage of."

"Sexually? Or financially, or what?"

"All of the above?" I sigh and put down my menu when Blondie returns with our coffee.

"What can I get y'all?" Jace gestures for me to go first.

"A bacon burger- no onions, lettuce, or tomatoes. With seasoned fries and barbeque sauce on the side." She scribbles as fast as she can and looks to Jace.

"Is that good?" he asks. I nod.

"Amazing."

"I'll have the same."

"That'll be right out for y'all. In the meantime, enjoy your coffee, and let me know if I can get you anything else." She leaves and I take a swig of the steaming black goodness.

"Go on with your story."

"I met Izzy in the third grade and we became best friends. Next thing I knew, we were in high school and boys were no longer 'icky'. They were 'hot' and 'sexy'."

"Please, you're just describing me." I laugh and drink some more of the coffee.

"Junior year, I met this guy named Jake Goodwin. He was captain of the football team, but nice," I add, noticing his facial expression. I continue. "Asked me to prom, I said yes. We went and I gave up my…" I trail off remembering the night. "My virginity. I caught him cheating, with one of my friends. And that's when I stopped caring." A tear rolls down my cheek at the thought, but I press on. "I slept with numerous guys. Sometimes more than one at a time. I barely graduated high school. A college acceptance to Berkley changed me. How did I get in? No clue. I moved in with roommates. Studied during the week with Simon, and partied with Izzy on the weekends. Took an abstinence pledge, almost. Became a straight A student, and stopped partying. I was like that for most of my college career. This summer, I decided to come out ere because I wanted to meet new guys. Maybe fall in love." He looks at me and smiles. "Then I met you." I hope he doesn't want me to continue. His eyes search mine, practically begging for me to continue. "I didn't want to become this girl who was just about sex. When you came onto me, I didn't know what to do. I mean, finally, I felt like I could love someone other than my family or Simon. On the outside, you were just like those guys at Berkley. And then we hooked up. Everything changed. I wanted to love you. Not just for the sex, but for your personality. You were sweet, honest, funny- and taken." He laughs at this. "I waited, knowing she was just another girl."

"And pounced on your nearest chance." I laugh and nod.

"You brought back that sense of security in my life. And the sex! Oh my god!" We both burst into a fit of laughter and Kaelie sets our food down. I thank her and dig in right away. Jace watches me, and I stop to wipe my mouth, feeling like an absolute pig.

"Now yours."

"My story?" I nod and take another bite of the hamburger. "Not much to tell. Bad boy from the start. And a kisser from the heavens, according to Amber Blackketter. Second base that night." He starts eating, and I laugh. "Lost my virginity in high school, like everyone but hardcore Christians." I withhold laughter and motion for him to continue. "Mary Jenner. Cheerleader, blonde, ninety five pounds."

"Seems like you're describing our waitress. Speaking of which, what's yours and hers story?"

"We met at a frat party. I kinda had sex with her, and we went out for three months. She broke up with me when a new boy moved into town."

"Sounds to me like you're hard on the outside, soft on the inside." He rolls his golden eyes and douses his fries with hot sauce.

"I guess. But I'm mostly a pushover."

"You care too much," I whisper. He looks at me and I cross my legs. "I saw it with Leigh."

"I never knew she was so cold hearted." He looks sincerely hurt, but I don't say anything. "I thought I loved her." I start to talk but he stops me. "I met you, the older you." My breath catches, like when he kisses me, and I put my hand up to my mouth. "You were defensive- I liked it. Those other girls, they weren't like you. I loved being around you. You pretended that you were so over me. But you weren't. I saw it in the way you looked at me." There's a really long silence, and he starts eating. "The other girls were just that- other girls. When I met you, you were beautiful. Even if I didn't know you. We never really talked before. You were just another one of my sisters friends. When you kissed me that day, all I wanted to do was stay like that forever. No one made my heart stop, and beat faster at the same time. You were a miracle. Then I remembered Leigh. She is so different from you- in more ways than one. She doesn't like hanging out, unless you're buying her something. Always making fun of people. And she was a total whore. When we hooked up, I knew. I wanted to be your last, and you to be mine. I wanted to love me, because I loved you." His voice is low and deep, putting me into a sort of trance. I decipher each and everyone of his words.

"I will never stop loving you Clary." I look up and see that he has finished his whole plate. I didn't want him to ever stop loving me.

"I wont either," I say softly. He takes my hand in his, and I stare into his impossibly amber eyes. I feel a connection to Jace more than ever. He knows everything now. I want to cuddle up in his arms and stay there forever, but my thoughts change when I see an all too familiar face.

His brown hair and eyes catch mine first, and then the shape of his shoulders, and finally his voice. He flirts with our waitress, but doesn't look my way. Jace sees me looking at him and starts to get up. "That son of a bitch…" he murmurs.

"You know him?" I ask incredulously.

"Fuck yeah I know him. He's the bastard Leigh cheated on me with."

"That guy? Right there?" My voice is a harsh whisper, and my heart races, not wanting him to notice me and Jace.

"Yes."

"Stop." He looks at me. "That's Jake." He looks at the Jake, to me, and then back to Jake.

"Even more reason for me to beat the shit out of him." Tears sting my eyes, but I hold them in, not wanting to let Jace see me cry.

"Just stop." I sigh and motion for him to sit down. "He's not even worth your time." He looks at me for a second, hesitantly, before sitting down. I get up.

"I'm pretty sure you cant beat him up." I laugh.

"I'm not. I have to use the bathroom." I walk out the doors and down the pier, searching for the nearest bathroom. I let the tears spill down my face, the wind chilling my face. I tell myself to stop, that he doesn't deserve my tears, like I have for years, but they persist. I fling open a door and run into a stall. The lock is broken, so I sit with my back against the entrance. I slowly start to get more and more tore up, and I wipe my eyes on my sleeve, smearing it with mascara. I just sit there and cry, for what seems like forever. Finally, I have the nerve to stand up, and leave the dingy stall. I look in the cracked mirror and dab my eyes. The door opens and I expect another girl to walk in, but who do I see?

"Jake." I turn around. He smiles wickedly, the kind of smile that makes your whole stomach churn.

"Clary." His voice echoes in my brain. "I didn't think you would be in San Diego."

"It is summer, you know." I sniffle and try to hide the fact that I was crying. "What are you doing here? In the bathroom, I mean."

"I saw you storm out. Boy troubles?" Like you even care.

"The only person I ever had boy troubles with was you." He smiles that smile again and steps closer to me. I step back automatically, the small of my back hitting the sink.

"I loved you, Clary." He is only inches from me now, and I feel like a trapped animal.

"Then why did you cheat on me?" I whisper. He laughs without humor.

"Why did you leave me? I was willing to make it work. I would do anything for you." His eyes graze my body like I am a piece of meat. I can practically read his mind from here.

"I loved you, Jake, but-"

"You decided you would fuck everyone else instead." He looks down at me and cups the side of my face. I flinch, but don't move. "I understand, I do. But why get with him?" I don't know who he is talking about, so I stay silent. "It had to be him? Why couldn't it have been Simon or something? Why Jace?"

"If it offends you-"

"Offends me?" He grabs a fistful of my hair and pulls my head back. I scream out in pain. "Shhh. I already have a record baby." His lips move against my neck softly, making me shudder. I have somehow lost my voice, and I don't fight back. "But it'll all be over soon, my love."

Everything turns black, and my sense of everything is gone. My last thought was the only thing that could possibly keep my will to survive alive.

Jace.