17. JACE

1746 Words
He spun around as she jogged over to Isabelle who was dangling her feet in the spa, while Ben showed her some magic tricks. “Kimberley!” he hissed, as she broke into an unbalanced run. “Kimberly, don’t! Maia!” He screamed his sister’s name with such desperation, that she unlocked herself from Matt and quickly took in the scene before her. Kimberley launched herself at Isabelle at the same moment Maia acted, ending with Kimberley being knocked onto her back, the pavement grazing her shoulder as she fell. Isabelle’s eyes widened and she rushed over to Kimberley, pulling her to her feet. “Are you OK?” Kimberley actually hesitated, Isabelle’s kindness shocking her. But it wasn’t enough, and Jace wasn’t fast enough to stop it. One minute Isabelle was looking at Kimberley with confusion and concern, the next Kimberley’s fist flung out with such force, Isabelle was knocked back, with Jace managing to catch her before she hit the ground. “b***h!” Kimberley snarled, her body shaking with adrenaline and whatever drugs she had taken. Isabelle’s eyes were wide with hurt and filled with tears as she pressed a hand to her bleeding face, worried that it would no doubt bruise…again. “What the hell is your problem?” Jace snarled, as he helped Isabelle to her feet. Kimberley never had a chance to reply, because with one swift hit Maia had her on the ground, her knee pressed on her chest. “Crazy b***h,” Kimberley grunted, as she writhed in pain. “Are you serious?” Maia snapped. “You just hit my friend out of nowhere, and I’m the crazy b***h? Do everyone a favour, and get the hell out of here.” Kimberley reared back like she’d been hit again. “Maia, not you too. She’s the one that doesn’t belong here,” she whispered. “Get. Out,” Maia simply repeated. Isabelle pulled herself away from Jace, shooting him a betrayed look. “No, I should go,” she said resolutely. “What?” Maia snapped. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Isabelle shook her head. “I’m going to go home.” She turned to Ben with a weak smile. “Thank you so much for having me. I’m so sorry for causing any trouble.” Before anyone could reply or try to stop her, she practically ran out of the party, still clutching her sore face. “You are the absolute worst,” Jace told Kimberley acidly. “Did I say I didn’t want anything to do with you? I meant I wish I’d never met you.” “Jace!” she cried, reaching pleadingly for him. He stepped over her and ran after Isabelle, very aware of all the whispers and fingers being pointed his way. Oh well, not like that was anything new. By the time he made it out of the back gate she was walking briskly, her body stiff with purpose. “Isabelle!” She stopped briefly before turning back, her eyes ablaze with fury as she stormed over to him and poked him in the chest firmly. “That your girlfriend?” “What?” he asked in horror. “Don’t lie to me,” she yelled. “I will not be your play thing while you play house with someone else.” “She’s not my girlfriend,” he insisted quickly, trying to calm her down. “Don’t lie to me,” she repeated, her voice soft but uneven. “I saw the way she looked at you and, last time I checked, girls don’t just hit girls over nothing. It’s usually over a guy.” He held his hands up to appease her. “We broke up six months ago, she ended it. I don’t have any interest in getting back together with her, and I am so, so sorry she hurt you.” Isabelle’s chest rose quickly for a while, her breathing laboured. “Isabelle,” he said softly. “I would never lie to you, OK?” She looked away from him, but her breathing slowed, and her body stopped pulsing with rage. “Isabelle?” He moved over to her, carefully taking her face in his hand, and gently caressing her cheek where a red mark was present. “You don’t know how sorry I am,” he said tenderly. Isabelle looked into his eyes, their connection so strong, so palpable - it was like an electric current in the air. “It’s my fault,” she whispered, pulling away once more. She was filled with so much sadness and self-loathing… and Jace had just inadvertently added to that. He was a f*****g i***t. How could he forget about Kimberley? He should have been more vigilant, and he should have given her some warning. “Don’t take the blame for the actions of drugged up girls and low life dickheads, OK? You do not deserve to be hit, ever. No matter what. I’m going to do my best to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.” She met his eyes with her tear filled eyes. “How much do you know?” She was asking about her first round of bruises and tortured eyes, and how much he had figured out. “I know that someone hurt you,” he said finally. “Someone you cared about. I know you’re not ready to talk about it, but when you are, I will be there for you. And I also know that you only deserve the best, and you’ve been dealt a pretty lousy hand. But I’m hoping to help change that.” A few tears fell from her eyes, but she swept them away impatiently. “Kind of a buzz kill for that party, right?” There it was again, the wall she had built up with its impenetrable layers. Just when he thought he’d made a breakthrough with her, she shoved him back so hard it was like getting whip lash. “Oh I don’t know, I thought it was pretty awesome,” he said lightly. “I got beat down in front of your whole school while I was half naked,” she said slowly. The full horror of it all struck her, and she covered her face with her arms. “I’m going to have to switch schools before I even start!” He pulled her arms away. “All anyone is going to be talking about, is how crazy Kimberley is, and how inhumanly hot you are.” “You’re drunk,” she said shyly. “I’m sober and clear headed,” he told her, keeping her gaze. “And I spent the majority of that party being bombarded with questions about you and your single status.” Isabelle rolled her eyes, but there was no denying the delight across her face. “I should really be getting home.” “I’ll drop you.” Isabelle looked uncertain. “Oh, it’s fine. I can walk. You’ve been drinking, and I don’t want to be another teenage statistic.” Jace grinned at her. “I’ve only had one beer which was over an hour ago, so I’ll be fine.” As she was getting ready to come up with an excuse to get out of it, Jace cut across. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, done a lot of stupid things, but let me be clear. All those things are self-destructive. I would never put anyone else’s life in danger, especially yours.” It seemed to work. With a nod, she let Jace guide her to his car and help her inside. Jace rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants, as he rushed around to the driver’s side, praying he could still salvage some of this night. “Did you meet some nice people?” he asked, after driving in silence for few minutes. “Well, I didn’t get the chance to meet everyone, what with being punched in the face and all, but you’ve got some pretty cool friends.” She paused as if remembering something. “And some pretty full on, borderline, creepy ones.” It shouldn’t have pleased him, but it did because he knew who she was talking about. “Tyler, right?” “Oh, is that his name? He introduced himself to me as “my destiny.”” Jace barked out a laugh, and Isabelle glared at him. “What’s so funny? You use corny lines too, you know.” “Yeah, but he’s doing it because he only wants to sleep with you…” He froze. What was he doing? “And you don’t?” she queried. She clapped her hand over her mouth as the words came out, apparently shocked she had said them aloud. “Not like that,” he blurted out. Shit, real smooth Jace. He chanced a look over to find her looking out the window with a hint of a smile on her face. Maybe he hadn’t blown it completely. “So… Ben said you mentioned this being different to other parties you had been to at your old home?” he prodded, trying to gain some ground again. Isabelle traced the bruises, fresh and old on her cheek absentmindedly. “Some things are the same.” Jace stiffened. So she’d been hurt at a party, and now her first party since the incident, and he’d been the reason she got punched again. She shook her head slightly and turned to him, a smile forced on her face. “We never had spas and thousand dollar furniture strewn about like they were garden ornaments, though.” “A little over the top, right?” She shrugged and looked him square in the eye. “I still had fun.” She must have known it was worrying him. “I’m glad,” he replied. “So, Ben told me that you don’t normally come to his kind of parties,” she said casually. Jace tensed. Thanks Ben. “Yeah, like I said, bit too fancy for me.” Isabelle watched him carefully. “What kind of parties do you normally go to?” He sighed. “The kind I’d never let you attend.” She nodded as if she’d just had something confirmed, and then turned back to staring out the window, the moonlight softly illuminating her face. “Did you love her?” she asked quietly.
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