My Physical Therapist

Chapter 13

"It's not," Perrie sniffed, tears running down her cheeks. "I should have done something, I should have turned Alex away when he first showed up at the door, I should have - "

"Slow down Perrie," Jade said. "Come on, we have to sit down."

Jade sat down, Perrie sitting down next to her and sitting a respectful distance from Jade, the thighs barely brushing against one another. 

"You came," Jade said softly. 

"I wasn't sure if I was going to," Perrie admitted, wiping her eyes. "But I decided that if you were going to make an effort, the least I could do was show up."

"And you're here," Jade murmured, reaching over and wiping a tear rolling down Perrie's cheek away with the pad of her thumb. Perrie flinched at the gentle gesture like the brunette had burned her. 

"Are you okay Perrie?" Jade asked, suddenly worried. 

"Y-yeah," Perrie said quietly, looking down at the floor. "I just feel really bad."

"Hey hey hey," Jade said, hesitantly placing her hand over Perrie's, the blonde turning to look at Jade again. "You didn't really do anything, and I'm willing to put it behind us."

"You are?" Perrie asked hopefully, Jade smiling sadly at the sight of the blonde so vulnerable. 

"Yeah," Jade said. "I'm asking for another chance, like in the letter. It doesn't have to be a relationship, just a friendship."

"Friendship," Perrie murmured, sniffing quietly. "I like that."

Jade grinned, the first genuine smile on her face today. "To friendship," she said, sticking out her hand. 

Perrie stared at Jade's hand for a minute, then let out a little laugh. "To friendship," she echoed, reaching over and shaking Jade's hand. 

"I'm sorry ladies but I'm going to have to ask you to leave this booth find find another table," the waitress said. "We have a party of six who have been waiting for half an hour."

"Oh! I'm so sorry," Jade said, nudging Perrie with her knee. Perrie stood up slowly, the waitress's eyes widening when she took in Perrie's disheveled appearance. 

"Are you okay hun?" She asked, peering over her glasses at Perrie. 

"Yeah," Perrie said softly. "I'm better."

Jade smiled sympathetically. "Boyfriend drama," she lied, missing the way Perrie winced at her words. 

"It must be bad," the waitress said worriedly. 

"Yeah," Perrie said heavily. "I messed up and the person that I truly loved slipped away from me forever."

The world seemed to slow in stop. Jade could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she glanced over at Perrie, who's eyes were trained on the floor. 

"Everything okay with you two?" The waitress asked. 

"Yeah," Jade said, forcing herself to snap out of her thoughts. "It's very fresh, so it's very sad. I'm gonna bring her back to her house."

The waitress nodded sympathetically, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them as if she just realized their relationship. 

"Go for it," the waitress whispered to Jade. Jade nodded, already feeling uncomfortable as she walked out of the diner with Perrie in front of her. 

"I was dropped off by Alex," Perrie admitted, sounding extremely guilty. 

"It's okay to be dropped off by somebody," Jade replied. "Get in, I'll drive you home."