Weeks passed, and everything between Jade and Perrie turned out well.
Perrie often visits Jade at The Red Door to watch her perform every weekend. Sometimes, Alex accompanies her when he's not swamped with work. Other times, she's with Leigh-Anne. It wasn't difficult for the three of them to become fast friends. They bonded most of the time at Jade's bar.
They even have a girls' night out every Friday or Saturday, depending on when all of them are free since both Perrie and Leigh are moms.
It was a good thing that Debbie and Jonnie came home. This way, Emily won't be left alone at home. It's also fortunate that Andre's mom lives together with him and Leigh. She could watch the twins while the couple were busy or needed to head out for a date night.
Christmas finally came, and Jade invited Leigh and Perrie to her Gran's farm in Newcastle to celebrate her birthday, even if it was the day before Boxing Day.
It was a grand celebration, especially when Jade and Perrie saw their moms happy to be reunited with each other again after a long time.
On the 26th, Jade hosted another celebration in her apartment in South Shields. She invited some of her friends, her co-teachers, her bandmates, and some of her employees from the bar.
Perrie was there, too. Alex was supposed to come with her; however, since it's a holiday, there were a lot of accidents happening on site because of people who were totally wasted from celebrating and drinking too much.
He told Perrie that he had to patrol around town to prevent further accidents from happening. On the other hand, Leigh couldn't make it because she and her family were out of town.
As expected, Jade's apartment is packed with people. She made a good investment when she decided to buy a large apartment with a spacious garden and living space.
Norma and Karl sometimes stay with her for a night or week. Apart from that, she and her bandmates often rehearse there instead of renting a fancy studio. Jade thought it was practical to transform one of the bedrooms into a studio anyway.
Jade was preoccupied bidding farewell to some of her guests who were heading home, yet her eyes couldn't help but look for a certain blonde.
She found her in her living room, where there were a few guests left, chit-chatting with other guests. While some of them were already heading out and calling it a night.
Jade approached Perrie, who was holding a glass of wine.
"You kept it..." Perrie says. Jade looks at the same object that Perrie is staring at. "Emily...our Science project...our baby." She grins at Jade.
Jade completely forgot to move the project on display to a different location. And if she was being honest, it was one of the things that she took great care of.
"Yeah...it's too precious to throw away or keep in a box."
Perrie chuckles. "I remember...we fought about what color to put in there. You wanted red, while I wanted purple. That was our first fight as a couple. Do you remember that?" She looks at Jade before returning her attention to the project.
"Alright, that's enough red wine for you, Perrie," Jade concluded. "Let me take your glass."
"Oh, surrre..." Perrie slurred and downed her drink before giving her glass to Jade.
They were interrupted when the last group of Jade's guests got up and bid their farewell and thanks to the brunette. Perrie attended to them as if it was her party until one woman approached Jade and wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck.
"Can I stay?" The woman in a silk red dress husks. "I have the best birthday gift for you tonight." She smirked. Jade could smell the different kinds of liquor that the woman drank that night.
If Jade was being honest, she couldn't remember the girl. Not in the slightest bit. She's familiar with her face but cannot remember where or how she met her. She's probably one of those girls who had a one-night stand in the past.
Without warning, the woman leaned forward and kissed Jade square on the mouth, but the brunette's lips didn't respond.
"JADE!!!" Perrie exclaimed.
Both Jade and the woman were startled, causing them to break apart. The woman was no longer clinging to Jade's neck. Instead, she looked at Perrie, trying her hardest not to look too drunk.
"Oh, sorry...did I interrupt something? Anyway..." Perrie looked at the woman from head to toe. "It's about time you brought someone...uhm, special? Maybe? For me to meet, huh, Jade? I'm Perrie, Jade's best friend...And you are?"
The woman was about to answer when Perrie waved her hand to hush her as she walked around the woman like a shark circling its dinner.
"No, no, no..." Perrie chuckles. "Don't tell me. Let me guess. I'm really good at guessing..." She taunts the woman. "Lily?! Hm...You don't look like a Lily. Ooh, I know...Sophie! Nah, it doesn't sound right. How about Charlotte...Let's go with Charlotte, yeah?" Perrie stops in front of the woman who stands there speechless.
Jade was just on the sidelines, watching as the blonde interrogated the poor drunk girl.
Then, Perrie's playful gaze turned serious. Like a shark that's about to bite off its prey's head. "What are your intentions with my best friend? Should we discuss dowry?" Perrie's stare turned dark. Her lips curled into a menacing grin. "Leave...now."
The woman seemed to have sobered up as she scrambled and exited the door.
Perrie flashed a victorious smile at Jade, who, in turn, smiled back at the blonde. Jade wasn't mad or upset at what Perrie did. If anything, she's thankful that Perrie got rid of the girl. She wasn't planning on sleeping with that girl anyway.
"She's drunk. She probably won't remember it tomorrow." Perrie declared.
"So...you're what now? A protective best friend?"
"I'm sure you're more than capable of protecting yourself. I just don't like it when you do it before me."
"Do what?"
"Kissing other girls."
"She kissed me!"
"And you let her!" Perrie counters. Jade was taken by surprise at Perrie's reaction. She's not sure if the blonde was jealous or what. "You think I didn't know? Every weekend at your bar, you bring home different women every night."
"Oh? So, now I need to ask for your permission who I want to bring from my bar to my own home?"
Perrie heaves a deep breath. There was a short silence, with Jade patiently waiting for Perrie's answer.
"Jade...you followed me in the States. You found me, but why didn't you show yourself?"
Jade raised a delicate brow, thinking how on Earth did Perrie know about that. The only person who knows about it is Norma.
Oh, right... Jade thought. "I see you caught up with my mom."
"I looked everywhere for you, Jade. I took all the students' names from the University of Oxford just to find you. Only to find out recently that you switched to Cambridge?! I almost died trying to cope with the heartbreak that you brought upon me!"
"You promised that you wouldn't bring up the past, Perrie. You promised. Do you still want us to be friends?"
"I don't care about what the fuck I promised anymore! I don't care if you don't want to be friends with me again after tonight! I need answers, Jade. It's killing me! After all this time...I still need answers." A tear slid down Perrie's cheek, but she looked at Jade with determination.
"Okay..." Jade sighs and averts her gaze before staring back into the blonde's eyes. "After I graduated, I flew to America to find you. I heard you were in New York. I didn't know the exact place, but I went anyway. Exactly how big is New York? It was a long shot. I probably only had about...what? A 10% chance of finding you. Maybe the odds were in my favor because I actually found you...in a restaurant...kissing a guy."
Jade must admit that retelling what she saw that day hurt way more than when she first saw Perrie locking lips with some random dude. It stung even if that memory was from years ago.
"I actually wasn't sure if that was Alex or a different guy. I could only see his back. But you...I could see you...clear as day. You look undeniably happy. As a matter of fact, I saw how you looked at him because it was how you used to look at me."
Jade looks down to keep her tears from spilling to the brim. Her knees shook, and if she let her emotions take the lead, she'll surely fall to the floor. Then, she looks back up at Perrie.
"Seeing you happy–that's all that matters to me. I've seen enough to know that you don't need me anymore. So I returned home and told no one about it but my mom."
Perrie was stunned for a moment. She tried to remember the exact moment Jade was talking about. It took her a while, but she recalls it, and yeah, the guy was indeed Alex.
Norma also told Perrie how devastated Jade was after her trip to New York. Around the same time, Jade decided to stay in South Shields for good and live independently.
"You have your answers. Now, can I drive you home?" Jade asks without looking at Perrie.
"Why did you leave me with just a letter? You could've said it straight to my face. I...I could've taken it better. We were together, Jade. We were partners. We both decide on matters. But you...you decided for us on a piece of paper. You didn't even ask what I wanted."
Jade scoffed. "If I showed up that day, would it make a difference? You'd still leave anyway."
"It would have been easier to accept things, at least for me! Because clearly, it was easy for you to let go of me and everything we had." Perrie stares hard at Jade as a tear falls down the brunette's cheek.
"It wasn't easy..." Another tear fell. "I wasn't able to let you go, Perrie. I never did. Letting you go that day was the biggest mistake I ever made. Because...it has always been you, Perrie... it has always been you since we were five." Tears started streaming down Jade's face, and she made no effort to stop them.
Without warning, Perrie leaned forward and kissed Jade hungrily. In a few minutes, Perrie had pinned Jade against a corner wall of her apartment in a sheltered space. She possessed her with passion-roughed kisses, almost eating at her mouth, greedily drawing in the honeysuckle taste of her.
Jade fought her, wriggling under the strength of Perrie's kiss, but no matter which direction she turned, she was there, all strong arms and firm muscles, unyielding mouth. She wanted to finish whatever was happening between her and Perrie, but she couldn't even if she tried.
This is wrong, she thought. But she's too weak to push the blonde away.
The kiss stunned Jade. The kiss stopped Jade's breath and jolted her heart.
Intent upon exploring this renewed experience, Perrie shifted the pressure of her mouth, brushing her lips across Jade's before she flicked her tongue out to touch just the centre of the brunette's bottom lip.
Jade's lips parted on a sudden exhale. Her warm breath mingled with Perrie's. Something more than desire coursed through her blood.
A jolt of heat shoots between Jade's legs, and she can't stop the whimper that escapes her throat, spurring Perrie on. Her eyes flutter as Perrie presses her lips to the sensitive skin of Jade's neck, occasionally grazing it with teeth and sucking lightly.
Perrie's hands have somehow arrived on Jade's hips, pressing her firmly against the corner, the pressure making the brunette's stomach swirl in anticipation. Jade's hands rise on Perrie's back to trail her fingers up and down, dragging her nails over the blonde's sheer shirt. She can feel Perrie shiver at the sensation, heightening her need.
Jade vaguely recalls that this whole thing started for a reason and that she had a goal in mind, but she can't quite remember what it was, her entire body suddenly feeling warm. Her body is on fire now, the growing heat between her legs screaming at her to keep going, to not let Perrie stop.
Perrie recaptures Jade's lips on her own at the same time, and she raises both hands to cover Jade's breasts over her bra and tank top. Jade hears herself make an embarrassingly loud keen against Perrie's mouth at the contact as she arches forward, pressing into Perrie's hands. The blonde hums in response, still licking into Jade's mouth, and runs her thumbs over Jade's nipples through her clothes repeatedly.
Perrie moves impossibly closer to pin Jade against the door and presses her thigh between the brunette's legs. Jade groans at the contact, breaking their kiss, and her body automatically drops to grind against Perrie's leg.
Jade steps away from Perrie just long enough to shimmy her clothes off, leaving her in her bra and underwear. Perrie shivers at the sudden loss of contact, only for Jade to press into her again. She only pulled back, this time to lift Perrie's tank over her head and off her to drop on the floor as they made their way to Jade's bedroom.
Perrie reaches to pull Jade back in and flush against her, their bare stomachs meeting and making her skin twitch. She needs more contact, more Jade, so she lifts her leg to wrap it around the brunette's waist, pulling them together. Jade hums again at the new angle, then gasps sharply when Perrie bucks into her. Perrie can't help herself; she's been craving some sort of relief for a while, and the feeling of Jade against her – almost, but not quite right – is driving her insane. She's burning up, hands wandering, not sure where her body ends and where Jade's begins, but she still tugs Jade into her, needing Jade to be closer, closer, closer.
At that moment, Jade pulls away roughly, guiding Perrie's leg back to the floor. Perrie's eyes fly open – she doesn't remember closing them – in distress. All she can think is no, no, no, no, scared that Jade wants to stop. But then, Jade drops to her knees in front of her.
The air rushes from Perrie's lungs, and her legs weaken. Perhaps sensing this, Jade braces Perrie's hips with her hands, again forcing her into the wall. Perrie's hands land over Jade's briefly before moving up and behind her own neck. She's even more turned on, now confident her underwear is completely ruined. Jade's hands glide agonizingly slowly to the front of Perrie's pants, stopping at the button. She looks up to make eye contact with Perrie, silently asking for permission.
Perrie nods frantically, her hands clawing at the back of her own neck, her mouth dry, and her core positively aching. With a small smile, Jade pops out the button of Perrie's jeans and draws the zipper down in one fluid motion. Jade eyes her again, and Perrie leans her head back, widening her stance and waiting for Jade to yank her pants and underwear down and for a tongue to appear between her legs.
But it doesn't happen. Instead, Jade cups Perrie's crotch through her jeans, making her moan out in surprise. She's teasing Perrie, pressing her fingers against her and rubbing along the seam of the pants until she's sure the blonde will combust. Perrie's hips move of their own volition, trying to urge Jade's hand into some kind of rhythm.
Suddenly, Jade is on her feet again and pulling Perrie's arms over her shoulders and Perrie's legs around her waist, and she's lifting, carrying Perrie to her bed. Perrie finds the whole thing so incredible, fantastic, and hot that the next moments are a blur. She dimly remembers taking Jade's bra off, but then she loses track of things until suddenly she and Jade are on the bed together, both very naked, writhing against each other.
Perrie rolls them so she's on top momentarily, her thigh pressing into Jade's equally wet center repeatedly as she rocks into her. Jade's whimpering, moaning, her hands roaming over Perrie's back. When Perrie drops to take Jade's nipple into her mouth, Jade claws at her shoulders, leaving stinging scratches behind. Perrie doesn't mind in the slightest as her tongue circles Jade's nipple, the skin pebbling under her touch, her hand massaging Jade's other breast.
Then, Jade flips them so she's on top and settling between Perrie's legs. The blonde groans and Jade drives into her, thrusting and swirling her hips to meet Perrie's, which are tilting upward. Now Perrie's whimpering and swearing as Jade grinds into her and drops her mouth without warning to enclose Perrie's straining nipple.
She tangles her fingers into Jade's hair, tugging gently because she knows Jade likes it. But soon, the throbbing between her legs starts to overtake her other senses, and she's squirming, wiggling down and against Jade, needing more contact.
Jade understands immediately. She rises from Perrie's chest and presses her hand between Perrie's legs.
Perrie's heart is racing, yet her mind is focused on how Jade's fingers feel gliding against her. Perrie's back arches, and she feels herself clenching, toes curling into the mattress at the thought of Jade going down on her. A desperate whine tears itself from her throat – she wants that, more than anything, she's fully prepared to beg for it when–
Perrie's confused momentarily when Jade reclaims her hand, depriving her center of contact, but then Jade's lips move from her mouth to her neck and continue downward. Jade's tongue flicks again at Perrie's nipples, first on one side, then the other, making Perrie's eyes roll back. She feels Jade move down her body, dragging her tongue down her stomach to circle her navel. Perrie parts her legs further to give Jade the room she needs to settle between them as a single kiss is pressed low on her abdomen.
Eyes still closed, Perrie feels Jade's breath ghosting over her center, the sensation making her hands ball up the sheets. Soft hands land on her thighs, pulling her open wider, and she groans in anticipation. Perrie somehow finds the strength to pry her eyes open and looks down to see Jade staring back at her from between her legs. Without breaking eye contact, Jade ducks her head down, opens her mouth, and swipes her flattened tongue up through Perrie's length.
They both moan at the contact; the deep vibrations from Jade's throat tense Perrie's entire body, and her hips rise into Jade's face. Perrie fights hard to keep her eyes open but loses the battle when Jade reaches for her hand, moving it from the bed sheets and into her hair. She licks into Perrie again, another broad stroke with Perrie tangling brunette strands around her fingers, making Jade hum into her center again.
Soon Jade's fingers curl inside Perrie, finding that sensitive spot and rubbing it softly, sending Perrie over the edge, hard, and tightening around Jade. She must bite onto the brunette's shoulder to keep from yelling. She thrashes against Jade, wave after wave crashing over her. Jade keeps her hand where it is, gently moving her fingers to ease Perrie down slowly.
When Perrie's body finally relaxes, Jade pulls out delicately, making her gasp at the loss. Jade wipes her hands on her own thigh before laying down on her back next to Perrie. They stare at the ceiling for a moment in silence, breathing hard. And they fell asleep in each other's arms that night.
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♫ Higher - Reinaeiry Cover