The PinUp Coffee Shop

Chapter Four: People Change People

Jace was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in his hand. Clary had sat back down after grabbing the wine bottle and preparing a bowl of little smokies with toothpicks in them. "Nice house," Jace said looking around the room and seeing the family photos hanging on the walls. 

"Thanks," Clary said setting the smokies and wine on the coffee table and getting back up to light the fireplace. "My mom was the one who had done a lot of the interior design, but even as a little kid, she let Jon and I help out. It was my idea to paint the walls this mocha color in here and cream in the kitchen." Clary was speaking with a smile. She was sad about talking about her family, but happy about it at the same time. "What about you?" Clary asked.

"What about me?"

"What's your family like? Are you related to Alec or are you guys just really good friends?" Clary stood back up and walked back over to the couch. She was wearing a white and light blue sweater that hung off her shoulders and a pair of yoga pants. She had tucked her feet under herself as she saw down, her wine glass in hand. "Where do you work? What do you do?" Clary smiled at him, "You know, everything you already know about me."

Jace chuckled, "Okay, fair enough. Let's see. I'm not actually related to Alec. My parents were never really parents to me until I turned sixteen and I got a job. My parents were always the Lightwoods. They gave me Christmas, birthdays, Halloween, and all the other important stuff. They were also the ones I had to have the awkward conversations with." Jace started rubbing his hand over his chin. Clary noticed the light stubble on his chin and yearned to rub her hands against his face and feel it, but she kept her hands and thoughts to herself. "They were also the ones that showed up when I was in high school and I broke a kid's face with a locker. My parents didn't care, they were too busy."

Clary's jaw dropped. "You broke a kid's face with a locker?" She started giggling. Jace just smiled his crooked smile and nodded, trying to defend himself, Clary interrupted. "It okay, I've broken a kid's face with a cafeteria table, so I think we're good." Clary laughed at Jace's facial expression of shock. "Anyway, what do your parents do that keep them so busy?"

Jace rolled his shoulders as though he were dreading this part, "I actually stemmed of them in a sense of speaking because since I was sixteen I was interning at their companies. Believe it or not," Jace scratched his jaw again. "I have a Master's in business because I started classes when I was fifteen and I was interning. My parents have like six different buildings in New York. They own and run the company Herondale Hedges." Clary's jaw dropped, her wine glass at her lips. 

"Holy shit," Clary whispered. She put her wine glass on the coffee table and had a small smirk playing at her lips. "Your parents, hate me." Jace was taken aback at the comment. He was about to ask how they knew her when she spoke. "You haven't figured out my last name, have you?" Jace shook his head. "My name is actually Clarissa Morgenstern." Jace's eyes widened and he laughed. "Your parents were trying to buy out my parent's companies and were trying to close all of our properties. I wasn't emancipated at the time when this was going on but I had complete control at the time because everything went to me and no one could take any of it. When I got emancipated and I took claim to all of it, your parents decided that they were going to try and force me to give everything up. I told your parents that they could take their offers, and shove them because I wasn't leaving that easily."

Jace was choking on his laughter making Clary laugh too. "Oh, my God." Jace was finally able to stop laughing. "My parents are going to disown me, and the Lightwoods are going to love me ten times more than they already do." Jace had to wipe some tears out of his eyes, "My sister will adore you too."

"You have a sister?" Clary asked, interested in the topic.

Jace smiled at her, "An older sister yes. Biological. Her name is Temperance, but she hates being called Temperance Herondale so she goes by Tempe Hale." Jace's smile turned down at the corners, "But she lives in London still because our parents shipped her off to our Aunt and Uncles house. She has always been too stubborn and never listened. They didn't want that rubbing off on me. She works in London now as a clothing designer."