Roommates & Soulmates

Ch27: Clary's Safety

Clary ran. She ran from Alec's hurtful words. She ran from the feelings she didn't understand. She ran from the very idea she had so much control over Jace. She ran from everything she didn't want to face.

She had been running a while when she realized she had no idea where she was going. She stopped and got her bearings before heading off more purposely in the direction of the school campus. Clary pulled her jacket in close around her for comfort just as she remembered whose jacket it was. Suddenly the tears she had previously fought back threatened to make an appearance. It was dark, the only light guiding her came from the street lamps. Clary had tried not to think about all the things Alec said and what they meant, but she couldn't stop herself. All she had done was go up and talk to Jace a few times. That was it! Why was Alec so annoyed at her? And she hadn't even gotten the chance to really tell him everything she'd wanted to. He was, after all, dating her best friend who was finally happy because of Alec.

But the thing Alec had said that Clary just couldn't understand was that Jace loved her. How could Jace love her! They had spent so little time together and had so little knowledge of each other. Maybe that was why Clary kept finding reasons to talk to Jace.

As if the world could read her thoughts Clary spotted Jace. As she reached the dorm building she saw that familiar head of blonde hair bright against the darkness of the night. Jace wasn't facing her, but he was lit up by the light coming from a window of the dorm building and there was no mistaking that hair, but as Clary moved a step closer Jace turned a corner and disappeared around the back of the dorms. Clary wanted so badly to talk to him, even if only to tell him she hadn't meant to hurt him, so she followed him. When she turned the corner she called out to him.

"Jace." But when he turned around she didn't see the golden eyes she longed for. Green hateful eyes stared back at her.

"Wrong," Sebastian's voice cut through the night air. She could tell he was drunk, from his slurred speech and unbalanced manner of walking. Despite his level of intoxication, he still managed to move closer to her.

"Well if it isn't Jace's little obsession," Sebastian sneered. "The redheaded wench."

Clary avoided eye contact with Sebastian as she tried to turn back the way she had come, but suddenly Sebastian's arm was there to stop her. She jumped. For being so drunk he had moved surprisingly fast.

"There's nothing particularly remarkable about you," Sebastian said, his voice full of cruelty. "And yet Jace can't seem to be rid of you." Sebastian moved closer and Clary backed up until her back hit something solid. Turning, she realized her back was up against the dorm building.

"And you're wearing his jacket," Sebastian said, his words slurring slightly. "You little slut." Clary did not like his voice, his words or tone, but it was his body language that worried her most. Sebastian had each of his hands pressed against the side of the building on either side of her head, effectively trapping her in place. His body was too close. She could smell the alcohol and cigarette smoke on his breath.

"I wonder," Sebastian mused as he looked her up and down in a way that made Clary feel helpless. She thought of ducking under his arms and running for it, but sensed somehow she wouldn't be fast enough. His arm only had to move a fraction to stop her. She had a feeling this wasn't some stupid drunken screaming match like that day with the fire alarm. Sebastian wouldn't be content to call her rude names and leave her alone. She wasn't in a field full of other people this time and he was going to hit her, Clary was sure. Rather than sit back and let him beat her black and blue, Clary tried to think of a way to fight him off. She didn't have any items in her purse that would be heavy enough to do damage. She didn't have a whistle or pepper spray. She could scream, but pinned as she was against the wall there were few options available to her. She pushed with all her might against his chest, but he didn't budge.