Jade is sitting on the couch in the dressing room next to Jesy and Leigh-Anne as Jesy tells a funny story, and Jade tries her best to focus on it, but she is lost. All she can think of is that Perrie was already supposed to arrive to the photoshoot today, and she is not here yet. What if she decided not to show up to work again? Did Jade hurt her so badly that she is willing to give up on her career? The panic in Jade's eyes is clearly visible, and just when Leigh-Anne is about to comment about it and try to calm her down, the door is opened and Perrie walks into the room.

She does not seem like her usual self. Instead of giving each of her bandmates a big hug and immediately beginning to chat, she sends shy smiles to Jesy, Jade and Leigh-Anne, and sits down the on couch, as far from Jade as possible. Jade's heart is racing, and she desperately wants to look at Perrie, to make up for all of the time she had only seen her on a screen, but knows she cannot do that. She is definitely going to talk to Perrie today, but staring at her does not seem like a good way to start the conversation. Jesy and Leigh-Anne try to save the ongoing chat, although they know Perrie and Jade are not paying any attention. The conversation is interrupted when the door is opened and Sam asks two of them to go get their hair and makeup done. Jesy and Leigh-Anne volunteer right away, in order to give their bandmates some time alone to talk.

The first few seconds are silent and awkward, and Jade thinks that they might never end. She can tell that Perrie, just like her, wants to say something, but cannot bring herself to do so.

"It's been a while," Jade finally breaks the silence and awkwardly laughs.

"Yeah," is Perrie's only response, and Jade grows more uncomfortable with each moment that passes. She decides to get straight to what she needs to talk to Perrie about, because she has no hope of saving this embarrassing conversation any more.

"Sam talked to me the other day, about you and I," Jade begins. Perrie lifts her gaze and looks into Jade's eyes, and even though the two are sitting quite far from each other, Jade remembers just how beautiful Perrie's blue eyes are. She takes a moment to collect herself, then continues to talk. "She said that because I have Jed now, the rumors about us aren't relevant anymore, and that no one is going to really believe them. So that means you and I are free to act however we want in public, and in front of fans, and when we're being filmed and everything. But I understand that you're probably mad at me right now, and I don't want to put any pressure on you, because I deserve it and that's-"

"I'm not mad at you," Perrie assures Jade with a sad smile. She takes a deep breath before she keeps speaking. "I'm actually quite worried about you, to be honest. I know we haven't really talked in a while, but I do care about you. I keep thinking about how I have the time to take things slow and think about everything that's happened between us, but you don't. You have Jed, and he doesn't know, and… yeah. And I can't lie, that kind of worries me, that you had no choice but to move on so quickly."

Jade could not have worded her own feelings better. She finds great relief in Perrie's words, because they are completely honest and true. She really does hate pretending that everything is alright when she is with Jed, denying the fact that there is a tough breakup she needs to process. This relief translates to tears, which appear in Jade's eyes even though she tries her best to remain calm, at least on the outside.

Perrie cannot stay indifferent; she stands up and walks over to Jade, then sits next to her, as close as possible. She wraps Jade in her arms and holds her, and it does not feel weird at all, not even odd in the way she thought it would probably be. It feels natural, and nice, and like something is finally right. Even after Jade relaxes, Perrie keeps holding her, since she simply does not want to let her go.

"I missed you so much, Jadore," Perrie whispers in Jade's ear. As she says these words out loud, she finds herself on the verge of tears as well. "I'm not mad at you all, I just missed you so much that I couldn't handle being around you. And I'm sorry that you feel like you have to pretend all the time, that must be really hard. But you can always talk to me, okay? About anything. I mean it." Jade nods her head, and does not even bother to make any movement as she hears the sound of the door being opened and Sam telling them that their outfits are ready and they need to get dressed. She quickly leaves, and Jade and Perrie are left alone again. They both feel safe and secure right where they are, and could sit like this for hours, but they have a whole crew waiting for them.

"Remember when we said we won't let things get awkward between us?" Perrie asks, but does not wait for an answer. "So let's do that, alright? You're still my best friend, Jade. We just have to remember how to do this again, as just friends." Jade nods, and slowly disconnects from Perrie. They both stand up, and Perrie takes Jade's hand and leads them both to the fitting room. The butterflies in Jade's stomach are driving her crazy, because she is desperately trying to shut them off. She should not be this excited about holding Perrie's hand, she is sure of that. Perrie and her used to hold hands all the time, ever since they became close, years ago. There is nothing romantic about it, and even if there was, she has a boyfriend. Jade reminds herself of that. Jed might not be here right now, but she is still loyal to him.

By the time they are done with dressing up and getting their hair and makeup done, Jade and Perrie are inseparable. They are making up for all of the time they have spent apart not by talking, but by being next to each other at all times. Perrie is excited to meet the photographer, Mariano, again, so Jade is too. Perrie and Jade stay by each other's side throughout the first half of the photoshoot, until Mariano politely tells them the girls to change their positions so there will be a wide variety of photos to select from when they are needed for the perfume.

"Hi everyone!" All four women say in unison to the camera.

"We're so excited to announce that our debut fragrance is available for purchase at the perfume shops right now," Jade says. As her voice fills the room, Perrie cannot help but stare at her with an adoring smile. Today reminded her how much she loves Jade, and how lucky she is to have her. She knows she probably looks pathetic, staring at Jade with such admiration, but she does not care. Sam's silence is an approval, and Perrie knows that there is no reason for her to stop herself, either. She has been trying to let go of everything that happened between Jade and her for a few weeks now, and it seems like she is finally succeeding. All she wants back is her best friend.

"Hope you'll love it!" Perrie adds as she looks at the camera. The video is approved shortly after, and after thanking everyone for their hard work, the girls get their things and head out of the studio. Jesy and Leigh-Anne hug their bandmates as their cabs are already waiting for them. Jade and Perrie are left alone on the pavement in the cold air. Jade looks at Perrie and sends her a shy smile, one that has always been reserved just for her. Even though they didn't talk much today, they feel like their deep connection is rebuilding again.

"Hey, Pez?" Jade breaks the silence and steps a little closer to Perrie. She looks into her eyes, the ones that remind her of so many unforgettable memories, as Perrie matches the same grin. "Remember that sleepover we said we were going to have?"

"Of course I do!" Perrie enthusiastically replies, and Jade relieves some tension she did not notice she was holding. "Do you want to come to my house on Friday?" She asks, then quietly continues. "It can get a little lonely now that I'm living on my own, and also, I… I miss having you there."

"I'll be there," Jade answers and hugs Perrie goodbye as she climbs into her cab, which has just arrived.

×××

It has been a while since the last time Perrie felt this nervous. She spent the day preparing for Jade's arrival, tidying up her house and unpacking all of the boxes she had packed ahead of moving. She knows that the last thing Jade would do is to judge her messy house, but Perrie cannot shake off the feeling that everything he to be perfect. She will not be able to survive another falling out with Jade.

Perrie is just finishing setting up Jade's bed in the guest room when the doorbell rings and she rushes downstairs. She takes a deep, yet short, breath before she unlocks the door. She is faced with Jade's bright smile, and immediately forgets everything she had been worried about. This is Jade, her best friend, the one who held her hand in her best, and worst, times in her life; she has nothing to be nervous about. Being next to Jade was never uncomfortable.

"Come on in," Perrie quietly says with the same smile. She locks the door after Jade, and it is only then when she realizes how many memories Jade and her have made in this house. The backyard, the terrace on the second floor and the master bedroom are all their special places. They lived their best memories as a couple here, and by the way Jade looks around, Perrie can tell that she is thinking the same. Silence wraps the room, and Perrie begins to panic. She would do anything to prevent tonight from being awkward. "Do you want to watch a movie?" Perrie asks, just so she could break the silence.

"I was hoping we could talk, actually," Jade replies as she looks back at Perrie. "I haven't really seen you in a month, and I want to hear about what you've been up to," she continues with a shy smile. Perrie nods in approval, because had definitely missed Jade a lot, and a long, heartfelt talk sounds like the best way to spend the night. Jade knows the house well and feels comfortable in it, so she leaves her bag, coat and shoes near the door, and sits on the living room couch. Perrie sits down next to her, as close as she can but not close enough so it feels too close for regular friends. She offers tea, and Jade agrees, so Perrie goes to the kitchen and comes back soon afterwards with two steaming mugs. She returns to her spot next to Jade, and smiles at her. It feels just like last year, before everything changed.

"How are you, Jade?" Perrie asks in a friendly tone, and Jade can easily tell she really does care. It brings an incredible, familiar feeling, and Jade wishes it could last forever.

"I'm better," Jade says, and the light relief is visible on Perrie's face. "It's been a while since you and I- you know, and… I don't feel like my life is such a mess anymore. I like that we're going back to work, it makes everything feel normal again. And knowing that you and I aren't angry with each other makes it better. I didn't know how that could work with Jed in the picture, but I'm glad it did."

"What's he like?" Perrie asks. There is no point in covering up the fact that she is asking this question Jed not to only as Jade's best friend, but also as her ex.

"He's a great guy," Jade slowly begins. "He's the man I used to wish for before last summer. He's got everything that I wanted. Well, maybe not the haircut, and the boot collection, but yeah. He really is the boyfriend I wished for."

"The boot collection?" Perrie asks and cannot help but laugh. Jade does not even try to hide how much she agrees with and understands Perrie's reaction.

"Yeah, I don't know what's up with that. He's getting them custom made," Jade explains and laughs as well. "And I swear they all look the same."

"Where's he now?" Perrie asks when they both calm down a little.

"Berlin, I think. Or is it Austria? I don't know. Somewhere in Europe," Jade replies, and immediately feels bad. Jed left just yesterday, and Jade is sure he told her where he was going. She feels like a bad girlfriend for not remembering, but then tells herself that everyone forgets things, and it does not mean anything. She is not sure whether she is imagining the relief that appears on Perrie's face. However, she can definitely tell something shifted in Perrie. She stands up and mumbles something about her guitar, and Jade is left on her own in the living room. She tries her best to remember what Jed had told her when she last saw him, but it is no use, and she only feels worse. When she finally gives up, she notices it has been quite long since Perrie left the room, and the house is silent.

Jade stands up and begins searching for her. After waking around the first floor, Jade understands Perrie is probably in the second one. She climbs up the stairs, and enters the master bedroom through its open door. She sees Perrie sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her guitar. The lights in the room are dimmed, and only the jewel lantern next to Perrie's bed spreads soft light.

Perrie sends Jade a soft, inviting smile, and Jade carefully sits down next to her. Perrie begins to play, and Jade immediately recognizes the familiar melody.

"Why are you playing Black Magic?" Jade asks and laughs. "If you're going to serenade me, I expect something a little more romantic," she jokes, and makes Perrie giggle. Jade is secretly relieved, because she was not completely sure it has been long enough since their break up to laugh about it, but Perrie's response confirms that it is okay.

"How about this?" Perrie asks. She positions her hands on the strings and begins strumming. "He might got the biggest ca-"

"Nope," Jade cuts her off and smiles. Perrie returns a smile before she decides to finally do as Jade asks. She picks up her phone and begins searching for chords, and then lyrics, to a specific song online.

"Maybe something more… personal?" She asks Jade. As Jade slowly nods, the curiosity shines in her brown eyes. She does not even know why her heart is racing, and feels rather guilty about it. Perrie and her are over, she knows that. Jade herself was the one who ended their relationship. She chose Jed. Therefore, it would not be fair if she still had feelings for Perrie. On the other hand, she reminds herself that she cannot control her feelings. So it must be unfair to be disappointed when such impossible task fails, right? Jade is confused, and even slightly overwhelmed, as Perrie's voice fills the room.

"And you got me like, oh, what you want from me? And I tried to buy your pretty heart, but the price too high," Perrie sings as the soft melody accompanies her. Jade is absolutely stunned, and she can do nothing but simply stare at Perrie. Jade gets to hear Perrie sing almost every day, and she is definitely thankful for it, but it is never in a setting like this. She is used to hearing Perrie's voice echoing through gigantic speakers, in arenas full of thousands of screaming people. It is almost never like that, in such a beautifully raw way. When Jade finally recovers enough from the initial shock to listen to the lyrics, she feels as though she is going through an intense experience. Perrie is singing to her, about her. The lyrics are desperately asking Jade to come back, to take back her words and choose Perrie over Jed.

It is like Jade's heart is being ripped apart all over again. Tears appear in her eyes when she realizes that she loves Perrie, and that she is not even close to feeling the same way about Jed. Yet she chose him. She chose the easier option, and maybe it really was the smart, reasonable thing to do, but it is not what she wanted. It might not ever be, and that is what scares her the most.

Suddenly, she misses everything about her relationship with Perrie. Feeling extremely disappointed with herself when someone finds out; having to make panicked phone calls to Sam, to her mom, and to Jesy and Leigh-Anne; and the never-ending anxious feeling. Now, it feels like these are all worth it. If she only had Perrie by her side, none of this was supposed to matter.

Jade's mind is telling her that she is wrong. She knows that the pressure was too much for her to handle, and she was in a constant state of survival until the next break down. She chose Jed due to valid reasons, and it was all but an easy decision. Right now, she feels guilty for wanting Perrie back after everything she had put her through.

Jade lost track of reality at some point in the past few minutes, and she is not sure whether the song is over or Perrie just stopped in the midst of it as she puts down her guitar. She does not say a word as she pulls Jade into a hug and softly strokes her hair.

"I wish I could make things easier for you, baba," Perrie replies with an honest look in her eyes after they let go. She wants to cry as well, but she does not want to make Jade feel any worse than she already does, so she is holding the tears in.

Jade feels like she might be dreaming. She is so close to Perrie, just like they used to be. She is revealing everything, unmasking the emotions she has been trying to keep in, and feeling like herself again. She can cry for hours with Perrie by her side, and she can also laugh until every muscle in her body tells her to stop. She loves Perrie so much it actually hurts.