Through the Shadows

Chapter 7

"Hey! I'm sorry I'm late." Clary said as she walked up to Matteo who was standing in front of her apartment door. 

"It's fine." Matteo replied. 

Not wanting to make a scene outside of her apartment, Clary waited until they were both settled inside to respond. "Is it really? You have been acting so out of character today."

"Oh really? I'm the one that's been acting out of character?" Matteo answered sarcastically. 

"This is what I mean."

"Clary, you met some, for all intents and purposes, random guy yesterday at the same time you decide to hang out with an old friend you haven't seen in ages? What? Do you think I'm an idiot?!"

"Okay, well why does it matter? You've never reacted like this whenever I hang out with anyone else."

"Just stay away from him!"

"Since when do you tell me what to do?!" Clary responded, finally losing her composure.

"Since now!" Matteo yelled as he made his way to grab Clary's arm. 

"What the hell are you doing?!" Clary yelled, moving away from Matteo. 

"Listen to me Clary-" Matteo started saying as he finally got a grip of Clary.

"Let go of me!" Clary yelled as she fought Matteo's grip. 

It seemed as Clary's yell snapped Matteo out of whatever trance he was in, because he found himself immediately taking his hands off Clary. Clary noticed an instant expression of regret across Matteo's face, but before he could say anything, a bang at the door caught both of their attention. 

"Clary!!" A familiar voice that Clary immediately identified as Jace's yelled through the door. "Clary, open the door! Are you okay?!"

Startled by the previous events with Matteo and Jace's sudden arrival, Clary stood still for a moment attempting to process it all. The banging on the door continued as Clary finally made her way to the door. 

"Matteo, I will kill you with my bare hands if you hurt her, you son of a bi-" Jace's yells were cut short as soon as he saw Clary open the door. 

"I'm okay." Clary told Jace quietly. 

Jace let out a sigh of relief, but immediately began to search the room for Matteo. "Where is he? Did he hurt you?" He asked as he made his way into Clary's apartment.

A million emotions were going through Jace. He was overwhelmed by an immense amount of relief that Clary appeared to be okay, as well as a greater amount of hate he was feeling towards Matteo.

"Can I help you?" Matteo asked Jace. 

Seeing that Jace was angrily making his way to Matteo, Clary quickly responded to try and diffuse the situation. "He didn't hurt me." 

Jace stopped in his tracks and turned to Clary. "I heard yelling."

"Yeah, we were arguing and he grabbed me, but I'm not hurt." Responded Clary, grabbing her arms. 

As if Clary's response to Jace had gone into one ear and out the other, Jace continued to make his way towards Matteo. But Jace had heard what Clary had said crystal clear. Over his dead body would this rogue put his hands on Clary again.

"Who are you?!" Jace yelled with a greater anger than he had ever felt before. 

"What? You know who I am! Matteo. Clary's boyfriend."