[center]His initial confirmation that he at least understood her apology had not been as comforting as she could have hoped. She lingered close to him, her face still buried in the crook of his neck for only a moment longer as Jaden began to speak, and she found herself returning to where she initially was on the bed. Clara had adjusted the sheets around her as she listened to his words, to the acknowledgement that he had done her wrong and in turn had caused her to practically jump at the first opportunity to get him back for the pain he had caused. Again, that acknowledgement hadn't made her feel as great as she could have supposed, but at least he realized the error he had made... Should she have known the truth long ago, perhaps it would have been an easier pill to swallow. Now, centuries later, it felt as if the floor had been pulled from beneath him. For him to cover up every bit of it for so long, and the fact that he'd done such a [i]perfect job[/i] at it, it had her trust in him entirely shaken. 

Clara knew she hadn't made things easy between the two of them over time -- it was easier to push someone away then it was to let them in, and it was that belief that had her arguing with him on more than one occasion. Should she push him away, then he couldn't hurt her. Oh, how terribly mistaken she was, since he had managed to weasel that pain right in without her having an inkling of a warning.

She had shifted and sunk into her pillows, feeling her back press against the headboard behind her. Honestly, Clara hadn't expected the sheer amount of guilt that weighed down onto her shoulders even then. She had thought he would have stormed off, would have left her after his own realization, but there he remained, still wrapped in her sheets, wrapping his mind around everything that had happened over the past couple of days and taking the blame where blame was due, even though she had her own amount of blame to carry. She had only glanced to him when she saw him fall back into the mass of sheets, the frown falling on her lips as he continued his self-reflection that had turned into a sudden acknowledgement that had left her almost flinching at the way he'd quickly risen, the way he had placed his hand on her shoulder which had forced her gaze onto his own. 

He had spoken with such [i]conviction[/i], that it was hard not to believe him all at once. The way his gaze had bore into her own as he made such promises, she wanted terribly to believe him but...  Clara had swallowed the small lump in her throat as she listened to him, unsure of if he would be able to keep those promises. Clearly, up until now, he hadn't been able to in the least. He'd not protected her, but then again, she had allowed the evening before. She tossed herself up, regardless of the risks, for a selfish night in order to get back at Jaden. Now, when he so adamantly wanted her to stay away from Asmodeus, no matter what the cost, she wasn't entirely certain that she could keep that promise. In the moment, the way he seemed so passionate in his resolve, it was easy to absolutely want to promise him everything, apologize profusely for what she'd done, knowing full well it was wrong... But then there was that selfish side that ached for that touch once more, and should she be provoked... She wasn't terribly certain she would be able to deny him. 

There was a split moment of hesitancy, one that she hoped Jaden hadn't noticed. She licked her lips for a brief second as she had mulled over her answer. Could she avoid Asmodeus as Jaden had requested in an effort to help him protect her? "I-- I promise." Clara had answered, her voice quiet and almost defeated in her answer. That frown remained on her lips as she watched him, still unsure that he could even uphold the promises that he'd laid out before her. She'd learned a long, long time ago that she couldn't trust anyone and it would be an uphill battle to bring herself to believe Jaden. "I just..." Clara sighed quietly as she looked down to her lap. "No more lies, Jaden... I can't stand any more of it, and I think you know that." She lifted her gaze back to his, the frown still curled about her lips. [/center]