Taking her reaction as encouragement, Jace turned and pressed Embry into the beanbag so he was somewhat propped over her. She wasn't taking any of his weight but he could still feel her beneath him.
He felt content like this. He loved her. He had never loved anything as much as he loved Embry Ashford.
Jace's lips traveled away from her mouth and slowly planted small kisses on her cheek, her jaw, her neck, the base of her throat.
Embry's eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment, savoring the touch of Jace's lips against her skin. It sent shivers throughout her body. This. She could never have enough of this.
She let out a shallow breath and her hands lightly wandered up to his sides until she had one placed on the back of his neck and the other in his hair. "Jace, can we go upstairs?" She requested quietly, chewing her bottom lip.
Jace kissed back up to her lips and then pulled away, nodding as he stood up. He took her hands and pulled her up to her feet. "Of course," he told her softly.
Once they were upstairs, Jace sat down on the couch and kissed her on the forehead. "What do you want to do?"
Embry sat beside Jace and nestled against him. She kept his hand in her's and lightly traced small circles on the back of it. "I would love nothing note than to just go out with you. But considering everything, now is not the best of times." She sighed just thinking about it. Getting interrupted, questioned or even stalked by paparazzi was not in her agenda today.
So, sticking to indoor activities would have to do for now. Still, that didn't particular bother her. She could do anything with Jace and enjoy it. Including, sitting in comfortable silence and maybe some cuddling.
"What movies do you have?"
"The Human Centipede," Jace joked. He stood up and crossed to his movie cabinet, running his index finger over the titles as he searched for something Embry would actually enjoy.
"Mostly horror movies, or Disney. There is no in between." Jace chuckled. He then pulled out Disney's Hercules and held it up to Embry. "This is the greatest Disney musical of all time and if you disagree, we're breaking up."
Embry snagged the nearest sofa cushion beside her and tossed it at him. "Hercules is pretty damn good, I will not lie. But it being the best Disney of all time is an opinion, not a fact." She stuck her tongue out at him and folded her arms over her chest.
"Have you forgotten the Lion King and Beauty and the Beast?" She lied on her side and propped her head up with her hand.
Making the executive decision for the two of them that they were watching Hercules, Jace put the DVD into the player and dimmed the lights before grabbing a bowl of Doritos and two drinks, carrying them into the kitchen. He slipped onto the couch behind Embry and pulled her into the spooning position.
"The Lion King is the only movie that could content with Hercules," he allowed her as the movie started. "I mean, Timon and Pumbaa are pretty great, but the Muses, Embry. I want them to narrate my life. Fuck Morgan Freeman."
"Okay, fair enough." Embry agreed through a half smile as she nibbled at a triangle Dorito. And she fell quiet when the movie began to play, instead of old trailers.
When reaching beyond the halfway point of the movie, Embry started to drift to sleep. Naturally, it was after she finished her drink and ate half the bowl of chips. Eating all that junk food really was not god for her, but to fait it wasn't good for anyone.
With the comfort of the sofa cushion and the warmth of being in his arms, it was nearly impossible not to sleep. "I'll probably have to go soon." She mumbled, sighing.
Jace was so enthralled in the movie that he almost didn't hear Embry speak, but then her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he glanced down at her with a pout on his face.
"You're going to leave me?" he whimpered, nuzzling his face into her neck and squeezing her tightly. "Why? What did I do? Is it because I said 'fuck Morgan Freeman'? I'm sorry, I take it back, he has the voice of God."
Jace snuggled closer to her and planted a few quick kisses to her cheek.
Embry accepted each and every one of kisses happily. She never felt more warm, comfortable and loved than ever today, and especially now. It was funny how the simply but sweet gestures made her feel more that ever.
She rolled over so that she was laying on her back instead of her side and turned her head to look him in the face."Ugh, well if you keep acting like this, It'll be impossible for me to leave." She huffed, but failed miserably to sound upset, she was too wooed. She cupped his face and pecked him once, twice, three times short and sweet.
"But, I've got chores I totally forgot about and dumbass little sister to call."
Jace grimaced at the mention of sisters. "Yeah, I should probably call Bianca and Hillary to let them know I'm alive," he admitted with a small sigh. "I've kind of gone AWOL the last few days. Hillary will spread some conspiracy, because she's a dumbass."
Jace rolled over her, squishing her into the couch momentarily, and paused the movie, knowing that he would watch it as soon as Embry had left. He leaned down and planted another kiss to her forehead.
"Ironically, that's the same reason I'm calling mine." Embry rolled her eyes at the thought. Talking with any member of her family was unpleasant for her. They obviously didn't get along very well and ended up fighting and arguing every time. Yet, they were still family, so she could never think to cut them off. Besides, her parents were pretty world renowned and her sister's popularity was increasing with each day.
"Good. Because I love you too, even though I'm leaving you." She smiled at him endearingly.
"I don't believe that. If you truly loved me you'd be begging for me to let you stay." Jace smirked and pulled Embry to her feet. He was kidding, of course, and he kissed her on the lips to let her know this.
"You should go," he finally admitted with a small, sad smile. When he was like this with Embry, romantic, warm, cuddly, it was easy to forget that they both had outside lives. They had their own careers and friends and families and responsibilities. Jace hadn't been in a serious relationship for a while, and it was easy to forget what to do.
"I'll call you tomorrow morning," he promised rubbing her arms soothingly.
"I'll anticipate it." Embry smiled tenderly, instead of pouting like she wanted to. She leaned in to kiss his cheek. She would have loved nothing more than to hug him once more then and there. But she was certain she'd refuse to let go and postpone her departure for a while.
She quickly gathered her things and gave Jace one last kiss before walking out the door and waving him goodbye for now. Hopefully, tomorrow would have a better start and less bullshit arguments. She was hoping for too much.
When Jace woke up in the morning, he checked his phone to find basically everyone he knew in his personal life to be mad at him. He found it oddly funny, for a reason he couldn't quite explain.
Jasper was really mad, so Jace ignored his texts and proceeded to text his sisters and brother to make sure he was still alive.
Embry, unfortunately, was having a very unpleasant, distasteful, vexing morning so far.
Her bandmates, or to be more precise, Orion and Isaac, took time out of their morning to rebuke her, she knew Isaac would be extra mad at for how she spoke to him yesterday and unplugging herself to ignore any calls from or the others. But, he was just being an asshole, and she could barely get a word in with Orion backing him up.
And Eadlyn didn't dare scold her, but he was still an ass because he stood and watched. They only left because he pulled them away when she finally busted into tears. And that irritated her beyond everything else, she hated crying, especially in front of people. Big girls don't cry, or at least that was what her mother taught her.
So, when she answered her phone it was just about on the last ring because she hadn't heard nor comprehended what it was through her own moping and sobs. "Hey." She greeted, she may have been able to pause her her crying to pick up, but her voice cracked and still thick from it.
She pulled away from her phone for a minute to try and clear her throat and sniffle, it didn't help much, but whatever. She was still glad to be able to talk with him."I was just about to call you myself." Well, that was a lie. But she did want hear his voice.
Jace picked up on the sad notes in her voice as soon as she spoke. She had been crying, and Jace would be lying if he said he didn't know why. Her band members must have berated her about him.
Jace felt horrible. This was his fault. They were abusing and belittling her because she didn't like him. He hated himself for what he was doing to Embry.
But he was selfish. He couldn't give her up.
"I'm coming to see you," he said softly, standing up and quickly throwing on the first clothes he touched before making his way out of his house.
"You don't have to do that..." Embry replied, a little more than too late.
She set the doen her phone and swallowed. Well, since he was already on his way she decided get up and clean herself up. She didn't want him to come and see her in her messy state. And even though she had more than a little tears left to spill, she sucked it up for later.
Besides not liking for anyone to see her cry and be so vulnerable, she knew he'd blame himself for everything. But it wasn't his fault and he should know that. And she could take any shit thrown their way if it was for him.
So, she quickly washed her face and changed out of her pajamas into a dark get casual dress. Though, it didn't do much for her puffy, red rimmed eyes and red nose. There wasn't much to do about because she spotted his convertible out the window and opened the door for him.
Jace made his way to Embry's house -- breaking a couple of speeding limits but not caring as there were no cops around in Beverly Hills -- and locked the car as he hurried up the steps.
He immediately threw his arms around Embry and buried his face in her soft blonde hair. He would hold her forever if it made her feel the slightest bit better.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm sorry you have to go through all of this because of me. I love you."
Embry couldn't hold back any more tears when he put his arms around her. She responded by putting her arms around him tightly and buried her forehead into his shoulder, crying through hiccups. She did not like being this vulnerable in front of others, but with Jace, she felt it was okay, more than okay, she felt safe and comfort in his hold.
"H - he - they c-called me easy. I-I'm not." She hiccupped, frustrated with her friends for even saying that and other unkind things, whether they meant it or not. And frustrated with herself for crying over it. But they knew her too well including her touchy spots as well as the history behind them.
