“Hey Gigi, what’s up?” he asked casually, one eye still on Isabelle.
Giselle smirked. “New girlfriend? My heart bleeds.”
Jace laughed. It was an old joke between the two of them that since Matt was her cousin and Maia his sister they should get together and keep it in the family.
They’d tried once but it was awkward and they couldn’t even get past a first kiss without laughing and feeling grossed out. Which had a lot of the guys puzzled because Giselle was actually really pretty with brown hair, grey eyes, a slender body and killer sense of humour.
“You’ll always hold my heart,” he told her dramatically.
“Liar.”
Jace shrugged and wrapped a friendly arm around her. “How have you been?”
“Oh, you know me, changing lives, saving the world…same old, same old.”
He smiled and looked over at Isabelle who was watching him with an odd look on her face. Giselle eased out of Jace’s grasp and gave Isabelle a bright smile.
“I like her,” she admitted softly.
Jace raised an eyebrow. “Did Maia introduce her already?”
“No, but I like how you act now that she’s around.”
“Act?”
“You’re not on anything tonight, are you?” she asked.
He stepped back like she’d slapped him. “What has that got to do with anything?”
“You’re not even drinking,” she pressed on. “I think this is the first party I’ve gone to that you have not been either passed out in the corner or completely buzzed that you don’t recognise anyone but your dealer.”
Jace definitely felt like she’d slapped him. “I’m not always high.”
“Liar.”
He wanted to cry, he actually felt his eyes prickle. He hated that she knew what a screw up he was, that he relied on feeling nothing to get through every day. He was weak and he was a coward.
Her soft hand landed on his shoulder.
“Stop punishing yourself,” she whispered. “If that girl over there is the reason that you’re allowing yourself to feel then I love her already, even though it seems totally unfair that she is that hot and steals the love of my life away.”
He smiled at her, grateful that she was letting the serious mood drift away.
“Thanks,” he told her and meant it.
“Don’t over think it,” she told him firmly and then trotted away.
“Where are you going?” he called after her.
She spun around, her smile mischievous. “Oh you know, introducing myself to my replacement, same old, same old.”
Jace laughed softly to himself and waved her away.
“So, who is she?”
Jace spun around to face his worst nightmare.
“Well?” Kimberley asked as she took the coke from his hand and wrapped her mouth around it.
“Go home Kimberley,” he said, feeling tired all of a sudden.
“I asked you a question,” she pressed, rubbing her body, covered only by a tiny string bikini, against him.
“She is none of your business.”
“Is that the reason you’ve been such a dick to me?” she demanded. “That new slut?”
Jace spun around, knocking the drink out of her hands. “She is not a slut and that is rich coming from you.”
Kimberley surged closer, his rage drawing her in instead of pushing her out. “Do you want to hurt me?” she purred. “I could take it rough.”
He wrenched away from her in disgust.
“Is she your new girlfriend?” Kimberley asked again, chasing after him.
“She’s a friend,” he said in a warning tone.
“Then why have you been undressing her with your eyes all night?”
The shock showed on Jace’s face before he could stop it which only spurred Kimberley on further.
“I’ve been here all night you know and I’ve watched you with her… with each other. It’s sickening the way she fawns over you while luring every other guy. Got to give her credit for being smart though… always good to have a backup plan.”
Jace grabbed her arms and yanked her close, pulling her eyes open to check the pupils.
They were glassy, huge and bloodshot.
“Damn it Kimberley, what did you take?” he asked, letting her go roughly.
“Are you screwing her?” she asked, her voice rising.
“Kimberley, I’m not in the mood for your games.”
In fact, he’d just about had enough drama for a life time and that girl was ripe for an Oscar, she was so melodramatic.
“You’re the one doing the playing, Jace!” she screeched, drawing some attention their way.
“We broke up,” he said firmly. “More specifically, you broke up with me, so to be honest my life isn’t any of your concern anymore.”
“You told me you loved me once. That doesn’t just change over-night unless you find someone new to love.”
“Go home,” he said firmly, pushing her in the direction of the back gate.
“No,” she said with a slight slur. “Not unless you’re coming with me.”
Jace barked out a laugh. “You really have lost your mind.”
“And you’re avoiding the question. Do you have a thing for the new girl?”
Jace froze and then moved away from Kimberley, totally done with this conversation.
“Fine!”
Jace froze at her tone and felt immediately uneasy.
“Maybe I’ll go find out for myself,” she told him as she tottered away.
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.
“Bitch!” 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 bitch,” 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 bitch? 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 fucking idiot. 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 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.
He knew exactly what she was asking. He just wasn’t exactly sure how to answer because, after all this time and all the destructive behaviour they both exhibited, Jace wasn’t even sure if it was ever love that he felt. Maybe it had only been the need to be understood and to have someone he could never disappoint around him.
“I thought I did,” he replied honestly. “But I don’t know anymore. Have you ever met someone and known they were wrong for you but you dived in anyway? And by the time you figured out it was never going to work, you were already drowning?”
> Her hand went to her face again.
“Yes,” she said quietly, letting silence drift between them as they pulled into their street.
Jace felt disappointed that her wall was firmly back in place after a few moments of honest vulnerability.
“Well…thanks for driving me,” she said awkwardly as he parked the car.
“Oh, we’re not saying good night yet,” he told her casually.
She stared at him. “We’re not?”
“No, first I’ve gotta walk you to your door.”
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “That’s really not necessary, Jace.”
“I know,” he said, cutting off whatever excuse she was about to use. “But I want to, so I will.”
Jace rushed to open her door, helping her out of the car, his arms locked on her body to keep her from stumbling. She trembled slightly in his arms and he noticed or rather remembered that she was just in her bikini.
He leant over her and into his car to retrieve his jacket, slinging it around her shoulders casually before leading her over to the house.
They stopped at her front door looking at each other and the garden around them, their bodies on edge.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you around,” Isabelle finally said.
This was awkward. Why was it so awkward? Because they had inadvertently opened up to each other a tiny bit tonight?
“Yeah, get some rest. No doubt Maia will interrogate you tomorrow,” he warned.
Isabelle looked weary at the thought, her shoulders sagging.
“I can hardly wait.”
Neither of them moved as the silence spread between them, a nervous energy rippling through the air.
Finally Isabelle edged closer, a little hesitantly.
They were inches apart with their chests just brushing as her hazel eyes met his blue.
His breath caught as she moved closer still. Was she going to kiss him? Was his breath all right? Should he kiss her first? Shit! Why did she make him feel so nervous?
Soft lips landed like a butterfly on the skin right beside his lips.
“Good night Jace,” she whispered before turning and rushing inside, leaving Jace completely dumbfounded.
He ran a shaking hand through his hair.
This girl was going to ruin him. If he got any closer to her she was going to ruin him.
And it would be worth it.
Home is Where the Heart Is (Home #1) Page 8
