Promises

Chapter 9

"Jace, why did you just decide to do this project now? You only have a week left!" We are walking into the bookstore now. The car ride was rather quiet and pretty awkward, but it's not like I care.

"I've just been to busy with other crap." He tells me.

"Like what? Throwing parties?" I raise one brow. He rolls his eyes and walks over to the history section. "You come here often?" I ask remembering all of his books.

I chuckles. "Yeah. Kinda nerdy, but who gives a damn."

"I give a damn! I saw some of the books you read! They are my favorites!" I say getting too exited.

His eyes fill up with amusement. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I laugh. "Oh this is a good one." I pull out a big book from the shelf and hand it to him.

"Looks too big. I only need five hundred pages!"

"So? You shouldn't just do the minimum, do the maximun!"

"Oh my gosh." He says with his eye wide.

I look behind me, then look back at him. "What's wrong now?" I ask.

"I have a crush on a complete and total geek." He says grining.

I'm confused for a moment, then the light bulb clicks, and my blonde moment is over. I look down at the ground, remember what my mom said. You can't, Laurel. It's too dangerous.

Our worlds weren't meant to be entwinded.

I mean, I'm okay with a little danger and trouble, but I can't go too far...

UGGGHHH. What am I doing?

I pretend like I didn't hear him, and change the subject. "Well if you don't want that one, you need to check this one out."

"These books are too fat. It'll take me the rest of the century to finish these!"

"Okay, well stop being such a baby and pick a darn book!" I tell him.

He sighs, then puts one book back on the shelf. "When I'm done with this damn essay, I'm returning this book."

I roll my eyes. "That's fine with me."

***

After Jace payed for his books, he wanted to take me to eat. It took ten minutes just to convince him that I needed to go home, or I was dead meat.

We are now in his ugly little car on my way to my house.

"So, I need to ask you something." He says out of nowhere.

I'm not sure where this is going, but I'm not going to make assumptions. "Uh, okay." I say, still unsure I want to be asked this question.

"This is very serious, and if you don't answer right, I may have to kill you."

I look over at him with a worried look in my eye. He laughs.

"Just kidding! Calm down. But seriously."

I sigh. "What is it?"

"Mortal Instruments or City of Bones?" He asks.

Oh my gosh.

I give myself a mental slap, then laugh out loud.

"Well, for me... Don't get mad if this is wrong... City of Bones." I let out a breath that I was holding.

I laugh. We pull into my driveway a minute later, then he says, "Then it's settled. You answered right."

"What's settled?" I ask.

He smiles. "I know I like you."

The smile on my face dissapears. I don't know what to think. So I say something any other normal girl would say.

"You don't even know me."

He frowns. "I think I know you."

Oh, please. You have no idea.

"How?" I say unemotionally.

"If we like the same books, thats kinda all I need." He grins.

I frown. "Like me?"

"What's not to like? You're pretty, funny, smart, and you read. You're a catch, my dear."

"No, no, no, no no!" Each time I said no I got louder. He looked at me as if I had just changed his mind...

Oh dear Lord.

"Um," He scratches the back of his head. "Okay then."

I shake my head. "It's not that I don't like you... I... I just, can't be with you." I'm still shaking my head.

He squints his eyes at me. "Why not?"

"Be—Because... I'm not good for you. I'm not good for anyone." And with that, I open his car door and run out.

Running away from chance again.