Take Two

Riele ran down the hall as fast as her short legs could take her, letting the tears that had been building up in her eyes fall down her cheeks. She could hear Jace's footsteps from behind her echoing through the hall.

"Riele!" the blond called after her. She didn't look back.

After finally reaching her dressing room, the dark-haired girl slammed the door behind her, quickly turning the lock just as Jace had gotten to her door.

"Riele!" he called, knocking his fist against her door. "C'mon, Ri, open the door."

"Just leave me alone," Riele called back from inside. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth, stifling her sobs.

"I'm not leaving you," Jace replied. He sighed before leaning his forehead against her door. "I'm not making that same mistake again." Riele breathed in sharply at his words. The blond stayed silent, hoping to hear her voice. When she didn't speak, Jace turned and slid his back against the closed door until he reached the floor, stretching his legs out in front of him. Hearing shuffling from the other side, he guessed she had sensed his movements and was now doing the same. He grinned slightly at the cliché-ness of their situation.

"So," he started. "How's the weather like over there?" Riele let out a laugh through her nose, sending a smile across the blond's face.

"Stop trying to make me laugh," she spoke softly. "I'm supposed to be mad at you." Jace lit up at the sound of her voice, straightening his back.

"Guess it's pretty cold, then?" he asked looking up at the ceiling, his head leaning against the door. "You know, with the whole cold shoulder you're giving me from the other side of this door." Riele rolled her eyes.

"Freezing."
"Bummer. If only you'd open the door, I could give you my hoodie," he persuaded. "It's warm, and fuzzy-"
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather give it to Isabela?" There was an expected harshness to her tone, nonetheless leaving a stinging pain in Jace's chest.

"Why would I?" he then asked nonchalantly. "I mean, you did say it yourself; you look way better in my clothes than, well, anyone actually." Jace paused, listening for the dark-haired girl's awaited reply. "But, not better than me, of course," he added, seeing if his teasing words would get a response from his costar. Riele remained silent, reacting to his failed attempt of starting conversation by rolling her eyes. The blond sighed.

"Riele," Jace started, sliding his hands across his thighs over his black jeans. "I didn't mean what happened out there."

"When? The time you invited me out just to make Isabela jealous, or the time you kissed me, also to make Isabela jealous?" she asked sarcastically. "Or how about that time you asked if we could-" she mockingly deepened her voice, "'just put this behind us'? As if this is something you actually believe can just be disregarded like that." Riele crossed her arms in front of her chest, clearly annoyed. Jace ran a hand through his hair, taking in how much he had royally messed up.

"All of it," he answered truthfully. "I didn't mean any of it." Riele huffed, not pleased at his lame attempt at an apology. Jace hesitated before speaking again.

"But I did mean it when I held your hand at lunch the other day." Riele perked up a bit at this, straightening her back, but still keeping her arms crossed in front of her.

"And I meant to have almost kissed you that night at Isabela's party, before Sean interrupted us. I meant that; I didn't do it because Isabela could've been watching us and it would've made her jealous. I did it because being so close to you and seeing how beautiful you were-" he stopped mid-sentence, looking for the right words. "It was as if everything else going on was set on pause, and it was just us." Jace paused again. Riele had been intently listening, her heart rate quickening at the blond's words. "I didn't even think that we were at Isabela's at the moment," he added. "All I was thinking about was you, and how badly I wanted to kiss you." Riele's heart skipped a beat when he said this, her eyes widening. He stood up from his spot on the floor to face the door.