Roommates & Soulmates

Ch136: Jace's Pretzel

It was a strange habit, but one Jace had taken to doing every weekend. He wasn't sure why he was here, but somehow it made him feel better.

"This seat taken?" a soft female voice spoke beside him.

"I'm married," Jace said to try and get the girl to go away.

"I don't see a ring on that finger," she replied.

Seized with a sudden idea, Jace reached for the bowl of pretzels and put his finger through one of them as if it were a ring.

"You're funny," the girl giggled and sat down anyway.

Jace sighed. Maybe the bar wasn't the best idea. Usually people left him alone, but tonight didn't seem to be one of those times. With a sigh, Jace turned to face the women. Her skin was fair but not as pale as Clary's. Her hair was done up in ringlets of blonde and brown, and she was wearing a bold red lipstick with smokey eye make up. All her body language screamed 'touch me.' It was moments like this when Jace realized just how empty his old lifestyle had been. There was no challenge in picking up women who came to bars. For all he knew, out in daylight these women were well respected professionals, or at least studying to be such, but here it was different. This bar was about hiding your open wounds with the temporary bandage of a strangers company.

"A penny for your thoughts," she asked.

"Oh you don't want to hear my thoughts," Jace replied.

"Maybe I do," she smiled.

"Alright, but you asked for it," Jace began. "Look around this place and you will find not a single happy person." He turned and added, "Okay, maybe those people in the corner with the birthday hats are having a good time, but in general people come here to escape something, usually that something is inside their own hearts and minds." He paused to throw back half his drink. "There is no challenge in exploiting the pain in someone else to help ease your own. The real challenge is in recognizing that pain for what it is, and moving past it of your own power. Instead of covering the problem, face it head one and then just maybe you have a shot at being happy."

"I don't think I have a come back for that," the women smiled. And she got up and left. Jace sighed. If pretzel rings didn't get rid of them, speeches sure did. Downing what was left of his drink, Jace got up and left the bar.

As he walked home, Jace checked his phone. No new messages from Clary. He thought about texting her - something simple like 'hey' - but with her so busy he felt like he was a nuisance to her, and he didn't want that.

Jace started counting on his fingers as he walked. She'd left in mid August, and it was nearing the end of November now so... that was over three months that she'd been gone. Jace sighed. That still left seven months to go. The thought was more depressing than he believed possible. He was already forgetting what it was like to touch her. He could picture Clary's face perfectly in his mind, but the feel of her skin against his had somehow slipped through the sieve of his mind.

Thoughts of his beautiful redhead faded from his mind as Jace approached his front door. He could hear raised voices from the other side. Curious beyond his powers to simply back away, Jace moved forward.

"I can't believe you!" a woman's voice yelled with such force it could be easily heard through the door.

When Jace poked his head through the door he recognized who had spoken. It rather amazed him how little Paige sounded like herself. He'd never heard her raise her voice before, not even a little and yet here she was, screaming at the top of her voice to a rather terrified looking Jordan.

"Maybe I should go," Jace offered, trying to back away.

"No stay," Paige snapped, turning to face him. "Listen to this. After a year together! A whole year, he finally tells me he loves me right before he explains that in order to figure this out he had to sleep with another woman."