working with jace {jace norman}

Chapter 16

Four thirty, the piercing sound of an alarm clock rang throughout Jaces bedroom.

I groggily pulled the pillow from under my head, holding it in the air as a groan escaped my lips.

"Thats not gonna help" Jaces voice apears next to me, his eyes still shut.

I throw the pillow across the room dispite the comments from Jace. It hits the nightstand, knocking over a water bottle along with the alarm clock. It pulls away, coming unplugged, it shuts off.

I glance over at Jace with a smirk as he rolls his eyes.

"Lucky throw"

"Lucky throw" I mock, grabbing the extra pillow above us, playfully hitting it on his face.

He lets it sit there for a moment; slowly pulling it off, causing me to sit in bed on edge.

He sits up and grabs onto my arm in my attempt to stand up off the bed.

Arms wrapped around me, he rolls me over to place his lips on my forehead.

"Goodmorning beautiful"

"Goodmorning ugly" I rest my hand on him, he smiles at my teasing tone.

There grows a moment of silence between us as we breathe in each others company.

He sighs, breaking in the air,
"I have to get ready"

I watch the bathroom door close behind him. I face the ceiling, letting out the breath that I hold in every time I'm around him.

I get up to gather my clothes in a pile on the floor. I slip on my tshirt over my bra from the day before, putting on my leggings and slipping on my sandals.

I jump at the loud vibration aginst the wood of the nightstand. I glance over at the direction of his phone.

Pulling it off the charger, my mind tries to ignore the caller ID name printed across the screen.

Trailing to the bathroom door I knock and open it slightly.
"Maeves calling, Jace"

"On my phone?" He calls through the running water.

"Yeah"

"Just answer it for me please?"

I close the door, catching the call on the last ring.

Hello?

Emily?

Yeah.

Where's Jace?

Shower... what do you need?

Would you mind asking him
if he could give me a ride to
the studio today? they called
me in last minute- I dont have
my car.

Yeah..

Thanks

Sure.

My finger hits the end button harshly as I toss myself across his bed. Waiting silently for him to get out of the shower.

I feel his presence behind me a couple minutes later. I turn to him as he runs the towel through his wet hair.
"What did Maeve want?"

"A ride"

"To the studio?"

I nod.

He sighs, tossing the towel to the side of his room.
"Okay well," He pauses "You ready?"

|~*~|

The frigid cold car ride was getting worse as California neared winter. Although during the day, you'd pray for a second of cool weather, you wish for the opposite in the mornings.

Jace tugs at his sweatshirt a few times, indicating me to want him to take it off, giving it to me.

My head shakes; the words "keep it" roll off my lips several times.

As he drives, I watch his hands on the steering wheel, focusing my attention on anything but the growing goosebumps up my bare arms.

The short ride to my house doesn't last long, happy to get out of the cooled car and into the slightly warmer air as the beginning of the day neared.

As we step out of his car, I walk in front of him up to my room. Silently letting the front door creak, followed by the squeaking of the stairs as we make our way in.

I take a shower, only letting the warmed water run over my frozen skin for a split second before dumping shampoo on my hand, cleaning up quickly to prevent the time crunch that we were about to be in.

Standing in my closet, I throw on a t-shirt and sweatpants over my naked body. Shaking my hair through the air to help the dampness cut back a bit.

I give off a nod at Jace, implying that I was ready to leave. He watches up from his phone, a smile tugging at his lips.

I watch him, pushing a wet strand of hair behind my ear,
"What?"

"You're so beautiful when you're not trying"

"And when I am trying?"

"Nothing changes"

"Nice save Norman" I pull a sweatshirt over myself, tucking my hair into the hood over my head.
"C'mon, were gonna be late"

|~*~|

As we pull into her driveway, I can feel her glares from the door. Maeve pulls it shut behind her, letting her flawlessly messy hair trail behind her as she beats down the stairs.

She sits in the back seat, the car flooding with the balanced scent of her flower based perfume, a walking Hollister.

"Hey, thanks for picking me up" She sighs into her seat; smiling fakely at Jace.

I turn back to face the front, her eyes had met everywhere within the car other then at me.

I gasp sharply, the familiar voices of my favorite band fill quietly throughout the car as we merge onto the highway.

He turns to smile at me, twisting the volume up from my expressions. Joining in with my failed attempts to sing along.

I jump slightly in my seat, laughing and shaking my head to the music. The occasional smile from the passing traffic and from the boy sitting next to me.

As its nearing the end, my body calms down; fingers reaching to turn it down some.

I glance back in the review mirror, my smile fading as I meet the glare of Maeves.

I sit silently for the rest of the time, not taking in a breath in fear of being judged.

|~*~|

The car stops, stopping the unbearable silence.

"Thanks for the ride Jace" Her tone is harsh, stepping out of the car before the rest of us.

I watch Jace until the car door closes, letting out a sigh

"Whats wrong baby?"

I smile lightly, feeling my dimples pierce into my cheeks,
"Just Maeve"

He smiled and tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear,
"Ignore her, she's just jealous" He leaves a light kiss on my cheek
"Of me of course"

My smile is plastered on my face permanently; the feelings weren't mixed, nor confused anymore.. he wasn't mine,
but I was struggling to think that it wouldn't happen eventually