~Magnolia Knight~

I look at the ceiling of the treehouse, tears sliding down my rosey cheeks, while I listen to the wind slipping through the trees of the forest making them swing from side to side. I stand straight, when I feel the presence of someone climbing up the tree I found safety in, and my breath gets caught up in my lungs. I stare at the only entrance, waiting for the intruder to show his face. It must be one of my brothers or maybe even Jace. But I don't want to see either of them, I need to be alone. I nearly choke on air, when I see the chocolate brown fluffy hair of no-one else then Jace Reed pass through the small entrance of the treehouse. I wip my head to the side, not wanting him here. He betrayed me.

"Hi, princess." he says in a low voice, almost as is he was hurt. He shouldn't be, he left to leave me alone. " please don't give me the silent treatment. I have been waiting for months to finally be able to speak to you and now that I can finally hear your sweet voice again, you won't even look at me." I don't move, while he speaks and stay silent. My heart wants my body to throw itself at him, this invisible force attracting me towards him, but my brain knows better and forbids my body to get close to him.

Silence fills the treehouse for long seconds and I just fiddle with the hem of my hoodie, staring at the hurt I am hiding under it, while Jace keeps his burning gaze on me, sending warmth through my body.

"I didn't have a choice you know... it was either fake my death and protect you in the shadows, away from everyone or let you getting hurt and die. I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't possibly loose you princess..." he says and his words stay stuck to my mind. Protect me ? from whom ? Him leaving me nearly killed me physically and it definitely killed me on the inside. Was that worth it ?

"You broke me you know ?" I whisper and let a sob escape my trembling lips, as I look straight into his pained green eyes, those eyes that I searched for so long. "When they told me you died after the accident, my heart stopped beating, and I have the feeling it never started beating again, until I saw you in Blake's room today." I stop a second and watch, as the emotions wash over his face, before disappearing again. "Tell me the fucking truth for gods sake Jace, I can't take it anymore." I sob and cover my mouth to stop the cries that would only spill the hurt I try to hide on the inside.

I stand up in a rushed manner, unable to actually listen to his answer and decide that I need to get out of here. But before I can ever make a move forward, Jace is already towering over me and grabs my wrists and holds them in a tight grip on his chest, so I was now stuck. Feeling the warmth of his body so close to mine, I am unable to contain myself and fall into his protective figure. He let's go of my wrists, making the stinging on my left wrist go away and he wraps his strong arms around my tiny figure, making me snuggle deeper into his chest.

I sob into his shirt, gripping harder onto his back, because I am scared he might just disappear under my hands, making all this just a hallucination. He gently rubs my back and kisses the top of my head, while mumbling sincere apologies to me.

"I didn't get you out of that abusive household, because Nick and his dad are involved in a gang and they are under their protection. I could kill them and be enemies with their gang, but it would be even more dangerous for you." He sighs and inhales slowly, as if he was inhaling my familiar sent to calm him down, before he continues. " When I found out that you had a family, all thanks to your necklace I discovered two months after we met, I figured it was best for me to leave you. Get you some real protection, one I am sure I couldn't give you. So I faked my death and kept my leader position for the gang as an unknown man."

"But you are the leader of one of the most powerful gangs in the world Jace ! You could easily protect me and the gang." I cut through his explanation, my thoughts wildly running through my mind to analyse every situation. I still don't understand, it's like he is still hiding something from me.

"It's not that easy princess. I swear. Since some time now a gang is going in a bad direction and I am trying to understand what they are planning to do. It doesn't just involve me Shortcake... your brothers are in the same danger, and maybe even worse. I thought I could figure things out by disappearing and I did come closer, but they are still some pieces I need to unpuzzle. Please you have to just trust me, I never wanted to leave you... so I made you meet your brothers." He says and I punch away from him to react to his stupid statement.

" You didn't help me find them Jace ! They found me themselves while I was working !" I snap angrily and watch as a smirk grows on his face, which only makes me more angry.

"Oh sweetheart. I organised that" He chuckles deeply and I stare back at him in confusion " I, as the unknown leader, wanted one of your brothers to pick up a package in your town. I made sure to ask Ethan to come, because he is the one to love coffee and I was sure he was going to stop at your coffee shop, while you were working. It was right next to his destination anyway." I stare at him blankly, as I take in the information. He did this. He did this for me.

"I have been with you since the beginning Mags, I never left your side I promise." He cups my cheeks in his warm hands and I unintentionally lean in to find more of this warmth. "I taught you well how to race princess. I watched you when you won the first time and the second time you know."

A small smile creeps on my lips, as I am reminded of my previous wins. But the smile fades when I think about the fact that I won't be able to continue, which makes me automatically look down to the ground. But Jace doesn't let me, as he lifts my head back up with the help of his fingers resting on my chin, so I would look up at his endless green eyes.

"Don't worry about it Princess, you will race again. Blake can't let you stop, I won't let him." He states and I think that that must have been the reason he was fighting with him earlier in Blake's room. But... how did he know ?

"How do you know that Blake won't let me drive again Jace ?" I ask and he chuckles lightly, before showing me an earpiece that was in his hoodie pocket.

"Gab. It was Gab who installed the microphone in your car. You know, the day he gave you Rage to drive and you both went on a ride. It was his opportunity to hide the piece. I ordered him to do so." He mumbles and tucks a hair strain, behind my ear, waiting for my reaction. I just stare back at him, not reacting at this information. Of course he asked Gab to do it. That's why he suddenly changed his mind about the car ride and ended up driving with me for a round. Jace got it all figured out.

But that means... does he know that I kissed Elijah ? Shit... no... he must know. I am sure he also knows that I have been drugged.

"What are you thinking about ?" Jace gently asks me and I tare my gaze that drifted to the cold night away to look back at him. I can't lie to him. He must know.

"I-I kissed Elijah." I whisper and watch as his touch suddenly tenses. He steps away from me, as I watch his jaw clench as well as his fists. Our eye contact is broken as he looks outside the treehouse, holding his anger in and away from me. "Please say something." I nearly beg him to do so. I can't stand the silence. I know now that I did a mistake, I would have never done it if I knew Jace was alive. I was drunk and I got drugged. It was a mistake.

"Did you enjoy it ?" He asks with a voice that is void of any warmth there previously was, but he doesn't turn to look at me and keeps staring out in the horizon, where the sun slowly starts to rise.

"I was drunk, it was a mistake and the only thing I thought about when I kissed him was you Jace. Only you and your soft lips possessively pressing against mine." I truthfully answer and I watch as he turns around to look at me a very familiar smirk growing on his lips.

"I knew you couldn't keep your mind away from me." He replies and I roll my eyes at his cockiness. And before I know it, he smashes his lips against mine and I let him embrace me in his strong and comforting hold, one I have been longing to feel for so long.

: a bit of a filler chapter with Jace and Magnolia. What do you think of them together ?

Did you imagine it going this way in the tree house or were you expecting something totally different ? I want to know what you were thinking, so comment if you feel like it ! I am more than happy to read it.

Question that has nothing to do with this book : How is your mental health currently ? Anything you want to talk about ?

Mine is getting worse and worse these days. Can't find the energy to do anything, living in an endless loop, self-destructive thoughts, have no one to talk to that I can trust not to judge, etc..