"Did you pack everything you need?" Perrie asks Jade. They are sitting on the edge of Jade's bed, with Jade's suitcases on the floor near their feet. Jade will be flying out to Paris with Jed today, and is currently waiting for him to pick her up so they would get to the airport together.

"I think so," Jade replies with a small, sad smile. She is not too excited to go on a whole weekend with Jed, and can definitely tell Perrie feels the same way about that.

"There's something that I need to tell you," Perrie quietly says. Today is already stressful enough, so Jade is not sure she wants to hear what Perrie has to say, but listens anyway. "I invited Lucy and Lydia over to my house the other day," Perrie begins, and Jade already finds herself getting slightly angry. She dislikes the twins a lot, and is not too happy about their friendship with Perrie. "We were talking about Christmas, and what we did, and I told them about you and the charity you do on your birthday. I don't know what exactly I was saying but apparently I was very excited and I showed them all of these pictures of you in your costume, running into the sea with little Karl and with Leoni, and… They asked me why am I so excited and I just - I let it slip that you're my girlfriend. It was completely on accident, and they didn't take it too bad, and-"

"You said what?" Jade asks in disbelief, although she knows she has heard Perrie clearly.

"It happened so quickly, and then I completely froze and that's what basically confirmed it. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to reveal anything," Perrie explains. Jade can easily tell how guilty and truly sorry Perrie feels, so she tries to calm herself down because anger will not help, but is unable to do so. There is nothing Jade hates more than not having control of her own life, and right now, she feels like she had lost every possible grip.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Jade frustratedly asks, her voice now slightly louder.

"I told them to keep it a secret, so I guess nothing's really different. Lots of people know by now," Perrie answers.

"Yeah, well, it's not that simple with Lucy and Lydia." Jade argues, although she knows that things between Perrie and her are heating up and it is definitely not the right time for it, since she has to leave soon.

"Why not?" Perrie asks, a bit irritated. She has never understood why Jade dislikes the twins so much, and finds Jade's feelings toward them to be unreasonable and unjustified.

"You know I don't like them, Perrie. I hate that they know something so critical about me," Jade firmly replies. "You have to make it clear that they can't speak about this with anyone or make a YouTube video about this or whatever they do. You got to keep them close, and make sure that they don't share any of this."

"I told them it's a secret. This is as important to me as it is to you, so trust me, you don't need to explain anything to me. And Lucy and Lydia are my friends, so I definitely don't need to try and supervise them, or control them, or anything like that. I trust them, and so should you. How many times have you even met them? Once? Twice, maybe? You don't get to judge who they are. You don't know them, but I do. So I know I fucked up, but you're going to have to trust me on this one," Perrie answers. She can feel herself getting emotional and overwhelmed by this argument, but cannot do anything to stop it.

"Fine," Jade replies, her tone full of anger. This is nothing but okay, but it is all she manages to say. "I fucking hate this day," she mumbles under her breath, although loud enough for Perrie to hear.

"This is about more than just Lucy and Lydia, isn't it? I hate that we're even fighting before you're leaving for Paris. I know it's my fault, but I hate that Jed is taking you for a whole weekend." Perrie finally says what she has been thinking for so long now. Jade has nothing to say, because she feels the exact same way but does not want to make things worse. She definitely agrees that it is due to Perrie's decisions that she is flying out to Paris with Jed, but is not going to say it out loud. "Maybe you could say that you're sick and-"

"No! Perrie, you made me do this. I'm definitely not canceling anything now, when he is literally on his way to pick me up. And nothing's going to happen between Jed and I. I love you. So nothing else matters, right? That's what we said." Jade's voice breaks and she looks away. Every feeling that she is currently experiencing is extreme, and she is incredibly sad and angry as well as overwhelmed.

"You can't promise stuff like this, Jade. You just can't. You're going to be spending three full days with him. He's probably going to ask you to be his girlfriend. Can't you see that he's basically in love with you already? And what are you going to say when he actually asks you to make it official?" Perrie spits out the words, because she hates that she even has to say anything like this. After everything that Jade and her have been through, this trip might actually end it all.

"We've gone on two dates! Stop saying that he's going to ask me to be his girlfriend, because he won't do that. And yeah, we're going to visit museums together, and probably see the Eiffel tower, and that's it. He'll back off if he sees that I'm not really interested." Perrie stays silent, as she would have liked to believe Jade's words but is not sure if she should. She takes a few breaths and begins to calm down, since she does not want Jade to leave for Paris when they are angry at each other, but then Jade speaks again. "Perrie… Sam called me a few days ago. She said that she knows it's a short notice, but we're nowhere near ready for tour so she wanted to schedule another rehearsal today. She said that she looked at everyone else's schedules and they could make it, but according to mine I'm in Paris, so she asked me if I could cancel. I told her I couldn't, so she asked who I was traveling with, and I said Jed's name, and just… She wants me to post lots of pictures with him, so everyone knows we're on a vacation together. She says that having the fans speculate about guys is what we need in order make the rumors about you and I die down on their own. So you're going to see us all over social media, but I promise it's not like that, okay? It won't be real, and it definitely won't be what it's going to look like."

"How can you promise me that?" Perrie asks as she fights the tears. She cannot stand the thought of herself tanning by the pool in the Maldives and her mind being in Paris. She simply knows that this is what is going to happen. She will be on the other side of the world, but her thoughts will only be focused on Jade and what she is doing in every single moment.

The sound of Jade's phone interrupts the two women, and after she sees Jed's name on the screen, she silences it.

"I'll wear the necklace you gave me. It'll remind me of you. But no matter what, you are always on my mind, I can definitely promise you that. Whatever I'm doing when we're apart, you're always there somehow. I'm never not thinking of you," Jade honestly answers and makes an almost unnoticeable smile appear on Perrie's face. Jade stands up, gets a grip of her suitcase and leans in towards Perrie one more time. She kisses Perrie's head, then places her hand under Perrie’s chin and Perrie's eyes look into her. They are sad and grieving, and there is nothing Jade wants more than to ease the pain they are holding. Her phone rings again, though, and all she does is kiss Perrie's lips and send her one last glance as she exits the room. She leaves the spare key she was planning to give Perrie for a while now on the table in the dining room downstairs, accompanied by a friendly note.

I won't be gone for long. I'll call you every chance I get. Love you xx

×××

The first half of the first day of Jade's weekend in Paris has gone faster than she anticipated. Getting to the airport, waiting for the flight, flying to Paris, meeting up with Jake and finding the hotel they have made a reservation for has been keeping Jed and her busy. It is only now when Jade realizes how truly messed up is the situation she is currently in, as Jed is showering and she is sitting on the edge of the bed in the hotel room, facing Jake, who is sitting comfortably on a chair. They are having a lighthearted conversation, and although Jade loves Jake and missed him a lot, she is unable to focus. Her thoughts are with Perrie, and the million things Jade wants to tell her right now. From reminding her to pack sunscreen for her vacation to the Maldives to telling her how much she loves her. It is all there.

"So what do you think?" Jake asks, and Jade's mind is brought back to the conversation.

"Sorry, what were you talking about?" Jade asks, embarrassed to be paying so little attention to Jake.

"Never mind," Jake replies with a nod and a friendly smile. There is a short pause, in which Jade's cheeks grow red, before Jake speaks again. "You don't really want to be here, do you?" He asks. This question catches Jade off guard, and she avoids Jake's gaze. She feels like he can see right through her, and if he can do that, then Jed might be able to, too. She cannot think of a proper reply, so she stays silent and only makes the atmosphere heavier. "I don't know if this is any of my business, but I just want to make sure that Jed doesn't get his hopes high while you're not interested. This thing you had with Perrie… It's over by now, right? I hope I'm not putting you in an uncomfortable position here, but I'm only trying to protect Jed. He's been through a lot with girls who didn't really care about him."

"Perrie… yeah, um, I mean- of course it is over. I wouldn't have been here if it wasn't, right?" Jade replies and fakes a smile. She hates lying to Jake, because he truly is a good friend of hers, but knows that she has to.

"I'm glad to hear that," Jake answers. Jade feels terrible, because she has never felt so angry with Jake as she does right now. He does not know the first thing about Perrie and her, yet his words hit Jade hard. Her future with Perrie is currently unclear, and being told that it is a good thing is the last thing she needs right now. Before Jade can say anything, Jed steps out of the bathroom. He is fully dressed, although his hair is still wet and messy as it usually is. He smiles to both Jade and Jake before he walks over to his suitcase and takes out his camera. He shows it to Jade and Jake, and tells them all about how special it is using terms Jade is not familiar with. There is a spark in his eyes as he speaks, and Jade remembers that conversation she had had with Jake in America in August, when she was asked to talk about her ideal partner. She clearly remembers requesting someone who is passionate about what they do, and guesses that this is how Jed relates to that. He is very passionate about photography, and even though that could be amazing, Jade realizes that she is disappointed. She wanted someone who would be passionate about the same thing as her, which is music. Jade then understands that is more than just that - the whole speech she gave to Jake that day was about Perrie. She could not see it back then, but now she does.

Jake wants to try out the camera, and Jed lets him do it while he leads Jade out to the porch. They talk about music as they watch the view, but it is nothing like her conversations with Perrie, and her heart aches at this thought. Jed talks about rock music, which Jade is not a fan of, and he mentions all sorts of bands and famous artists that Jade has no clue about. She tries to pretend that she understands every word, when in reality, she just keeps comparing him to Perrie in her head. Perrie loves rock, and when she talks about it, she always makes sure to explain everything to Jade with cute giggles and small kisses in between her words. Nothing is the same.

They decide to go visit The Louvre, and it is a nice outing. Jade remembers how genuinely nice Jed is. Even though she does not necessarily see a romantic future with him, she still enjoys his company as a friend. They get to look at iconic artworks, which Jade is quite excited about. She has always liked art, and although Jed does not share the same passion, he is still enthusiastic, and makes the experience a good one. At some point, they split up as Jed wants to take photos outside and Jade is still looking at the art. It is the first time today that she is alone, and can properly miss Perrie. Jade would have wanted nothing more than for Perrie to be here right now. She takes out her phone and texts her girlfriend.

Miss you so much🌚

In the exact same moment, Jade receives a text from Jed. It is a picture that he took on his phone, showing the museum from outside. Jade replies back saying that it is beautiful, and it really is. She has already noticed that Jed is a talented photographer. Jade then receives a text back, and she cannot stop a wide smile from spreading on her face.

Miss you too🌚

That is until a second reply from the same person comes in, and the smile is brushed off.

But what is this emoji haha

Jade realizes that instead of sending her text to Perrie, she had sent it to Jed. She buries her face in her hands and waits for the embarrassment that washes over her to pass. She wanted to send a genuine text to Perrie, but ended up with a cringey exchange with Jed.

"You okay?" A familiar voice behind Jade says. She turns around and finds Jed, and brushes it off as nothing. They decide to walk back to the hotel, even though it is far enough to take a cab to. They use this time to get to know each other, and are chatting while they walk through the streets of Paris. "By the way, what was that emoji you sent? I don't think I've ever seen it," Jed asks in a playful tone.

"Just this," Jade replies and imitates the moon face. Jade immediately starts laughing, and Jade joins in.

"You're so bizarre," Jed says as he looks at Jade. "I like that. I think I'm going to start using this emoji from now on." Jade takes a sharp breath and forces a smile. This moon face used to be her thing, and then it became her and Perrie's, and now it hurts sharing it with Jed, too. "Do that face again. I want to remember this moment," Jed continues and takes out his phone. Jade panics, because she knows that the photo he is taking will be posted on social media, and she definitely does not want Perrie to see it. So she makes a face which is not like her usual, perfectly imitated expression, but it is close enough to make it seem like it to someone who does not know her for long.

Jed takes the photo, and as Jade has expected, he shares it via Instagram. She is hoping that Perrie is busy packing for her upcoming vacation in the Maldives and is not checking her phone. As they continue walking, Jed takes artistic pictures of the streets, houses, and of Jade and him. He shows Jade the ones he likes the most, and she finds one photo she adores. She remembers Sam's order to post about this trip on social media, and shares the photo.

"What would you say is your biggest dream?" Jade asks Jed a few minutes later. It is very cold outside, and they are both wrapped up in many layers of clothing. Although Jade knows her necklace has disappeared somewhere under her jacket, she can still feel it hanging from her neck, and feels terrible for wearing it. She misses Perrie more than anything, even though they have been apart for less than day, but she is also on a date with someone else now, which makes the necklace feel like a lie.

"I'd say… have a number one album, a number one song and another one at the top five at the same time. But that's never going to happen," he says and laughs. Jade holds her head back with a smile, looks at the gloomy sky and thinks about how many of these goals she has, too. She does not know what had made this era so successful so far, and enabled her and the girls to achieve some of these aspirations, but is definitely thankful for it.

"Maybe it will happen. You never know," Jade assures Jed.

"How about you? What's your biggest dream?" Jed asks, and by doing so, creates a short period of silence, as Jade is thinking about a proper answer. Her wishes about number one singles and chart topping albums used to be everything to her, but by now, they have been pushed a little more towards the back. Now, she can see that there are things that are more important than a couple of numbers.

"My biggest dream would be to be able to only care about things that truly matter. To not be scared of big decisions or things I haven't planned, and just be myself, I guess. I feel like I act out of fear a lot, and I'd really like to change that," Jade finally replies. She did not intend to come up with such a heartfelt, genuine answer, but the words came naturally on their own and she does not regret them. She truly feels comfortable around Jed.

"You just made my answer look lame," Jed says and they both laugh. There are few moments of silence as they walk, and Jade finds herself wondering what would have happened if she had met Jed before this summer. Except for maybe his haircut and the way he talks about his job, Jed is the reality of the perfect fantasy she had had ever since she broke up with Sam. He is friendly, nice, caring, and could be a great partner. The problem is, though, that she has Perrie to compare him to. He could have been her ideal man if it was not for Perrie. Jade finds this idea quite interesting. She chose the hard option, the forbidden relationship, over the easy, obvious choice.