working with jace {jace norman}

Chapter 39

I huff, my body slowing to a normal pace as i walk through the doors of studio eleven.

Dan greets me at the door, he grins at my worried look towards him,
"I'm so sorry I'm late"

"It's no worries Em. Veronica's in Jaces room, if you want to get your clothes from her."

"Thanks" I grin, walking past him. It slides to a frown. Veronica was a college intern whose job was to bring us our clothes before getting on set. She was always finding excuses to stay in Jaces room.

It's been a little over a month since Jace and I had split, I hadn't slept more then two days worth of sleep since. I had been late more often then not. Things weren't going well. Within the occasional chats, we barely got a word out between each other. The only contact we had was on set, the acted hugs and kisses, it felt wrong.

I was mad at myself for screwing up, and every now and then, id get a wave of guilt that's crash over me. I was becoming numb.

I lightly knock over the giggles coming behind Jaces door. They stop abruptly, then he clears his throat.
"Come in" he calls.

My body hesitates for a minute, feeling as if i was going to be unwelcomed the minute I walked through the door.

But I open it, my eyes landing on the two of them sat on the couch, her body facing him, centimeters apart. My eye twitches lightly.

"What's up?" He asks.

"Um," I make eye contact with Veronica, wanting to look away, but don't.
"I need my clothes..."

"Oh, here" she adjusts her head set, standing to pick up the pile of clothing from the table, handing them to me. She sits back down instantly, closer to him this time.

"Thanks..."

I shut the door, instant flirting tones coming from behind it. I stand to listen for only a second before realising the wrongness of it.

I begin to walk to my room, my denim dusted jeans and sweater between my arms. I slide into the room, putting on my clothes and leaving my usual ones behind. Folded on the desk besides me.

I rush out to the new make up trailer just outside the back doors. Sitting in the edge of a fenced in, empty parking lot.

I walk in, sitting myself in the chair that was expected for me by my usual artist.

Inches away from Jace, he leans back, eyes closed as they put his costumes mask on.

I sit back, watching myself in the mirror in front of me as she begins to apply the needed makeup.

"Six more months"

I look over at Jace, taken back at his sudden speaking,
"Huh?"

"Six more months" he repeated

"What do you mean?"

"If everything stays on schedule, we only have six more months until we're out of this place."

"Oh" I sighed, leaning back in the chair.
"That will be nice" I said closing my eyes as makeup is applied to them.

"No kidding"

° ° °

I put my clothes back on. Putting the set change back into the common laundry room. I was done for the day, but I had a few extra hours to spare in order to count for my hours for the day.

I walk quietly to the set, standing behind Dan as we watch through the small screen.

Jace and Maeve take over, a scene that held complications throughout the show from then on. I watch the kiss, the acting feeling more realistic then I had anticipated.

I don't leave, not wanting to cause a scene, but several lines later, I make my way back to my room, not wanting to think about it anymore, I wished more then anything for that to have been me.

I put myself on the couch swearing to not let myself try to catch up on some much needed sleep. But the warm room eventually drew my eyes to be heavy, and my comfortable posistion across the cusions began to sink into a place where only certain people were aloud, my head. I fell asleep.

My mind wasn't ready to wake up when a firm hand is placed on my shoulder, shaking me gently. I can hear my name being softly called, but I ignore it, praying to let me go back to sleep.

I feel myself back inside a dream once more, but minutes later, the voice was back.

"Emily"

"Hmm?" I hum, my eyes still glued shut

"C'mon I got your stuff together for you, let's go home"

"I'm sleeping here"

"You can't sleep here" Jace sighs.

"I already talked to Dan about it, I don't have a ride home anyway"
I turn my body on the couch, facing myself towards the back cusions of the furniture.

"Well-"

He's cut off my a knock on my opened door, I hear the voices, just wanting them to go away and let me catch up on my sleep.

"She alseep?" Cooper comes in.

"She says she wants to sleep here, but you know how it is, people try to break in all the time."

"Yeah I don't think she should sleep here tonight. How's she get here?"

"Must of been her parents, she doesn't like to drive"

The words became foggy after that, dozing back off into a much needed sleep; but my body is jerked back as I feel moving.
Tucked on top of a pair of arms, my head leans against their shoulder.

We head out to the parking lot, where the air turned to a sudden thick, warm environment.

"I'll take her home Coop"

"You sure?"

"Yeah"

I realise the arms around me were Coppers as he sits me in the passenger side of Jaces car. Carefully he shuts the door. Leaving me in there for a couple minutes while him and Jace have a conversation outside of the car.

I don't bother to try and stay awake, instead my eyes stay super glued shut until we're stopped once more, this time in my driveway.

I awaken to the front of my house, tiredly, I grab my things from by my feet, glancing over at Jace.
"Thanks for the ride"

"Goodnight Em"

I get out. Walking up to the door, I jiggle the handel that wouldn't budge, the locked door was going to be staying . My parents weren't expecting me home tonight.

I lay myself down on the concrete, ignoring jace as he emerged from his car that remained in my driveway.

He approaches me, laughing lightly towards my direction on the ground.
"Emily, what are you doing?"

"Doors locked. I'll sleep out here until the morning"

"You can't sleep outside, are you crazy?"

I shrug, adjusting my sweatshirt under my head as a pillow.

"Get up" he sighs

"To go where?"

"You can stay at my place tonight"

I comply, not really wanting to sleep outside myself.

He doesn't waste time bringing me up to his warm room, setting up his bed for me. He switches on the fan and grabs a clean pair of socks for me to barrow, just as if he knew exactly what I needed before I went to bed.

His simple goodnight leaves me in the dark, alone. He had agreed to sleep on the couch tonight.

It was a bad feeling, knowing that someone who you had hurt still cares about you enough to sacrifice their things.

But I would finally get my sleep that night, because although my guilt was there more than ever.

I felt more at home where I was, then anywhere in the world.

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a u t h o r s n o t e
be sure to check out the sequel,
The List
:)