"You don't have to leave to give up on someone." Jace lightly tapped the keys, not really playing anything, but he needed to keep his hands busy or he might touch Alec. "I don't mean to hurt you. I know that doesn't make it okay and I am trying to make things right between us, Alec."

He knew the answer. He wasn't good enough, he was trying, but he knew he'd always fail. And that, more than anything else, was the reason he had to stop giving in to his emotions and coming too close to telling Alec the truth.

"You could stop me...if you really wanted to. Kick me int he head or...tie me up or something. I could use an ass kicking sometimes. Not that you're capable of kicking my ass, but maybe you could ask someone to help you out."

He started playing another song.