"Soulmate?" Perrie raised an incredulous brow at the word. "You met Jade's soulmate?"
She always knew that in a world full of hackneyed phrases and cliche terms, this would somehow be a subject matter to her future conversations. But the fact that it was painted on her lover and another dude seems to tick Perrie off.
"Hell yeah." Leigh grinned.
"Do soulmates even exist?" the blonde questioned.
"Jade's soulmate does. He's literally everything Jade is but in a male body." A giggle escaped Leigh's lips after she said this, thinking she made a good description of the guy. "He used to be a volleyball player back in his high school days - a star player, to be precise. He loves marketing and advertising or some shit like that. He used to date a girl who - and I did not make this up - is named after your girlfriend, Jade. They dated for three years. And guess who dated for three years?"
"Jade and Liam in middle school?" Perrie rolled her eyes as she said this. She swore she tasted poison in her mouth when she mentioned the name of her girlfriend's ex.
The curly headed woman snapped her fingers, as if to confirm it, and smiled slyly.
"Coincidence? I think not. And apparently, he is -"
"Bisexual?"
At this, Leigh became silent, and then she shook her head. "Nope. I was gonna say that he's the same age as your girlfriend. But he did do dares that involve kissing with other dudes."
"Alright," Perrie stopped her. "I think that's enough."
"Oh Pez, there's more. He told me this awhile ago - he loves ombre haired girls. And guess who has ombre hair?"
Leigh doesn't seem to get the hint - Perrie being conspicuously irritated with her lips pursed and her arms crossed - because she still rambles on about Jade's so-called soulmate. If Perrie was being honest right now, she would want nothing but Leigh to taste a little bit of her fist right up her nose.
"Wow, geez. Let me think - the love of my life?" Perrie says, her voice monotonous.
"See?" Leigh made a gesture as if she was singing the national anthem with her hand over her chest. Her smile showcased pride and Perrie wanted to smack it off. "What did I tell you? They're literally soulmates."
Perrie narrowed her eyes, her jealousy plastered on her face. "Did you introduce him to Jade?"
Leigh snorted. "No need. In fact, Jade was the one who met him first. His name's Ashton. One of the nerds in Jade's department. Surprised you didn't know him. Jade talks about him - a lot."
Just at the mention of the so-called soulmate's name, the blonde's imitated those of round shaped plates. Of course. Perrie remembered that particular name so clearly now. Jade indeed mentioned that name several times before - and even awhile ago before the two of them parted since Perrie had to leave to meet Leigh-Anne, the blonde could remember Jade saying that she'll meet up with Ashton.
"Ashton? The brunette guy?" Perrie queried, an eyebrow raised.
Leigh nodded and took a swig from her beverage. And Perrie finds her ears burning up at the confirmation.
"Great," the younger girl huffed. "Another Jed Elliot."
"Yo, Edwards," Leigh spoke up, her timbre evolved into a deep, stern one. This induced the other girl to fixate her attention on her. "I did not tell you about Jade's soulmate just for you to brood over the past, alright? I mean - who cares if they're 'soulmates'?"
"Apparently, you," Perrie huffed, crossing her arms like a petulant child.
This had caused the other woman to incline her head sideways. "Let me remind you that you're gonna marry her, Pez."
"Sure, let's wait until this Ashton steals her away from me." Perrie checked the time on her watch and stood up. "It's already eight-thirty. I have to go fetch Jade. See you."
"See you."
Perrie was starting to walk away when Leigh stopped her.
"By the way, if I were you, I shouldn't be fretting over something as trivial as the soulmates thing."
Perrie raised her eyebrows expectantly. And Leigh shook her head at the innocence she was exuding.
"Jade told me you're the one."
xxx
"So she asked you if you want to get married... with her?"
"Yes."
Ashton raised his eyebrows in puzzlement. "And yet you're still not sure? What?"
"I just need one more hint to be sure," Jade finalizes.
"Isn't that... enough?"
Jade shrugged. "I'm just not contented with that. What if she asks me that just to... you know... use it against me? Like she'll use that as a reason to leave me?"
"You really need to stop being so pessimistic, babe."
"I can't help it!" Jade raked her hands in her hair, clearly in a state of distress. She crosses her arms as she stares wistfully at nothing. "I love her."
Ashton eyed her. "She loves you, too, you know."
Jade paused for a moment, before speaking up, "I know that. But that doesn't mitigate the anxiety."
"Maybe you should start by questioning her about marriage. Like if she wants to keep her last name or change it to yours - Ooh! Ooh! Ask her if she wants kids!"
"What the hell, Ashton," Jade giggled. "That's too much."
Ashton snorted. "What, you don't wanna have kids with her?"
"Of course I want to."
Jade bit her bottom lip to stave off a giddy smile as she envisions herself coming home to Perrie and their children - twins is what she'd prefer. Then her heart felt heavy when the thought of Perrie against having kids came into mind.
She suddenly thought of their conversation three years ago. It was late at night and the couple had become immersed in their so-called 'deep talks' when the ombre-haired woman brought up having kids in the future.
"Kids?" The blonde repeated, incredulous.
Jade stared at her. "Uh... yes? I like kids. Is that a problem?"
Perrie shook her head. "N-no. It's... I don't know."
"You don't like kids?"
"It's not that I don't like kids. Hell - my sister's a fucking kid but I like her - love her even."
Jade giggled, finding her girlfriend's love-hate relationship with her sister admirable.
"So what's the problem then?"
Perrie looked away and bit her lip as she thinks thoughtfully. And Jade watches her with a nervous gaze.
"Do you not want kids?" she dared to ask her.
Hearing that question, Perrie lifted her gaze to meet Jade's. "No. I mean - yes. It's... they're kids, Jade."
Jade tilted her head in curiosity, silently pleading for the blonde to speak more.
The blonde sighed heavily. "I'm not good with kids, Jade. Every time I hear a kid cry, I get annoyed easily. Every time they nag at me, I get irritated. That's - that's not what a mother is supposed to be. And from that alone, I think it's safe to say that taking care of children is certainly not in my resume."
Her frown appeared and Ashton took notice of this. He tilted his head sideways and observed the somewhat sad-looking woman.
"You okay?" he asked her.
Jade heaved a sigh. "I don't wanna assume that she wants to have kids with me or in general. I've already assumed that she wanted to marry me since she asked me about it the other day. I mean - why else would she ask such a question if there's no ulterior motive, right? Why else would -"
"Jade," Ashton interjected, laying a hand on hers. His expression exhibited nothing but solicitude. "What are you genuinely worried about here? Because as far as I'm concerned, it seems like you're doubting Perrie's capabilities in terms of your relationship."
"I'm scared, Ash." Jade could feel a huge lump in her throat. "I'm scared that if ever Perrie and I will get married, our relationship will just stop there. I... I don't want our relationship to stop there. I wanna raise kids with her. All the married couples... Their goal doesn't stop at marriage. In fact, marriage is just the beginning for them, am I right? What do you think? Am I overreacting?"
"You're not." Ashton gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Every person who wants to propose to their lover goes through that kind of mindset. 'What if she doesn't want to do that?' or 'what if she says no and dumps me?' Trust me when I say that it's normal."
Jade closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself down.
It's been awhile since she'd felt this overwrought. Five years to be exact. The last time her apprehension got the best of her was when she was planning to confess her feelings for the blonde on Valentine's Day. After a year of seperation, Jade wasn't quite certain whether Perrie kept her promise of staying single or not. Leigh even had to force her to put herself together.
"I guess I'm just really anxious about this. I have never loved anyone as much as I love Perrie."
"Yuck, you're too cheesy."
Jade lets out a chortle, somewhat relieved to have some of the burden lifted off her shoulders.
"Thanks, Ashton," Jade says, leaning over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. She lets go of his hand and leaned back to her seat again.
"No problem." Ashton looked over her shoulder and smiled wider. "Your girlfriend's here, by the way."
"Oh, really?" Jade promptly swiveled in her seat and found Perrie lining up at the counter. Their eyes meet for a moment, and Perrie smiles at her.
"I'm just gonna buy a drink," Perrie mouthed to her, vaguely pointing at the counter before peering over the menu, too immersed to feel Jade's loving gaze that seemed to be stuck on her.
"I still think you should ask her if she wants kids though." Ashton interrupted her, and she snaps out of her gaze. "Perhaps she'd changed her mind one day and would want to raise one."
She faces him. "You know, I think I should."
xxx
"What were you guys talking about?"
The couple were accompanied by silence inside the car for a few minutes before the blonde decided to speak up. Perrie thought that her asking that particular question once they arrive home would raise suspicions.
Jade thought carefully about what to say. "Uhm... nothing important, that's for sure. We were just catching up on our bustling lives."
There's no way she'd tell her that they were talking about a particular blonde and what she can offer in their relationship.
Hell no.
'It didn't seem like nothing. You even kissed him on the cheek,' Perrie thought. Her hands involuntarily tightened on the steering wheel.
"Aren't you guys at the same department? I remember you saying he was in marketing, too," the blonde recalled.
"We didn't get to talk much, really. Andrew was breathing down our necks so we only talk during our break if we're lucky enough to get one."
Perrie nodded and hummed simultaneously.
"Ashton seemed like a nice guy," Perrie commented as casually as she could, hoping to trigger - trigger what exactly, Perrie is not sure of.
"Yep, he is," Jade concurred thoughtlessly, finding herself admiring the view outside.
Perrie glanced at her peripherally, waiting for the other woman to talk more about him - while simultaneously not wanting to hear more as well. When Jade didn't speak further, she mentally huffed.
What could make Jade talk more?
"His looks can vouch for that," Perrie attempted.
"Yup." Another dull reply.
"Any girl will be lucky to have him."
'What was I saying, really?' Perrie mentally scolded herself.
"Why are you complimenting him?" Jade eyed her. She crosses her arms as she faces her.
Perrie studiously avoided the other woman's gaze as she tried to focus on the road. "I'm just simply stating facts."
"Do you like him or something?" Jade asks, feeling slightly jealous.
Perrie snorted, happy to have elicited a response, and took a brief side-gander at her before looking back at the road. Is she jealous of me or of Ashton?
"I'm gay, sweetie," Perrie reminded her girlfriend with a teasing lopsided smile and a lame shrug. "But sure, I think I'm in love with him."
"I'm getting jealous now."
"I should be the jealous girlfriend here."
Jade raises a curious brow. "And why would you say that?"
The blonde meekly shrugged. "'Cause you guys seemed close back in the coffee shop - holding hands. I saw you kiss his cheek."
"You should be worried if you saw me kiss his lips," the ombre-haired woman joked, earning a smack in the arm from the other. "And I always hold hands with my friends."
"It's... whatever." Perrie decided to drop the subject. "Forget I said anything. Jealousy is a stupid thing, anyway."
Jade wanted to reach out but the blonde was driving, so she decided to just hold back until they're home.
"Why are you jealous of him?"
"Did you even hear what I said?" Perrie laughed. "I already told you why I was jealous."
Jade could feel her heart stop beating for a second when she heard her melodic laugh. She smiled at the sound for a second.
"Yes, sweetie, I heard what you said. But knowing you, you don't get jealous over that so easily. Otherwise, my friends at work wouldn't be my friends now. So, tell me, why are you jealous of him?"
'Can't she just let it go? I might burst!' Perrie thought. She turned the wheel and rounded at the familiar street towards their house, thankful that the coffee shop isn't that much far.
"We're home."
"Pez."
"Hmm?"
"Tell me," Jade whined, elongating every syllable so the whole sentence probably lasted for a few good seconds.
"I already did, babe."
"And I'm not convinced."
The blonde merely shook her head and didn't bother to respond to that as she parked the car to the side of their house. They didn't talk after that and even after they went inside, so the blonde deemed that she's safe.
That was until she heard her girlfriend shout.
"Babe!"
Perrie flinched at the shriek that her girlfriend made and almost broke her neck at how quick she spun her head to face her with wide eyes.
"What!? What's wrong!?" she finds herself shrieking, too.
Jade stared at her. "Next week's our anniversary..."
Perrie stared back at her. "I know, babe. Why? Do you want to celebrate it somewhere?"
"No. But I do want an early anniversary present."
"What is it?" the blonde questioned, already expecting an answer that goes along the lines of 'I want a pony' and ready to fire back with her same old 'Isn't my love enough?' joke.
What she didn't expect is Jade asking her with another, "Why are you jealous of Ashton?"
"This question again?" Perrie rolled her eyes. "You must be so curious of finding out the real reason that you wanted me to answer it truthfully as an anniversary present, huh?"
"So there is a real reason, you're just not telling me."
"I already told you the real reason why I was jealous of him."
"Which is?"
"Because you guys were so cozy back at the coffee shop." Perrie tutted.
"Is that it?"
"Yes!"
"Then why do I have a feeling that there's more than meets the eye?"
"I don't know," Perrie shrugged lamely. "Because you have feelings?"
Jade was the one who rolled her eyes this time. "You're starting to annoy me now."
"Ditto, babe, ditto."
Without waiting for a response, Perrie sauntered towards their kitchen. Sensing that Jade is trailing behind her, she speaks up in an irritating tone.
"If you ask me that question again, I swear - ..."
"Okay, I won't," Jade says, leaning back on the edge of the island counter top with arms crossed over her chest.
She watched in amusement as Perrie busies herself. The blonde was traveling aimlessly from right to left. Getting a glass of water from one side, getting the peanut butter spread and a piece of bread from the other.
"Pez."
"Yes, love?" Perrie murmured, spreading the peanut butter across one side of the bread.
"You know I don't like it when my girlfriend isn't honest with me."
"What the?" Perrie halted and faced her. "When was I dishonest?"
Jade shrugged her shoulders. "Just awhile ago, actually."
"Awhile ago? Wha - when you asked me why I was jealous?"
Jade nodded in a way that was supposedly innocent, and Perrie just had to roll her eyes.
"You call that 'dishonest'? I was hurting my pride really badly admitting that I was indeed jealous of him - you know. I call that 'love'." Perrie points out.
"But you weren't honest on why."
"I just told you!"
"That's crap and you know it."
Perrie blew out a breath, frustrated that Jade knows her all too well for her to give out a white lie. She lifted her sandwich and took a bite, feeling discomfited under Jade's scrutiny.
"If I tell you the truth, you'd think it's ridiculous," she said after swallowing.
Jade smiled. "You being jealous is not ridiculous. It's just you being a normal girlfriend."
Perrie paused for a second, contemplating, then shook her head. "It's just me being typically insecure. It's stupid, babe."
Jade heaved a sigh and stepped closer, laying both her hands on Perrie's face. She waited for the blonde to meet her eyes. When she did, Jade leaned in to peck her lips.
"Perrie, I love you," Jade said when she pulled away. "But if you say that you being insecure is stupid, I'm gonna have to compel you to sleep on the couch."
"But it really is stupid, Jade," Perrie whined, her bottom lip jutting out in a form of an adorable pout.
Jade rolled her eyes and kissed her lips once more. "Stay right here, I'll get your favorite pillow and blanket. You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Fine! Fine!" Perrie groaned and clutched the woman's wrist to stop her from going anywhere.
Jade was already staring at her, waiting for her to finally speak up. Perrie rolled her bottom lip in between her teeth, already feeling uneasy. For some reason, she imagines Jade with a suitcase and leaving her. She mentally tells herself that that will come true if she won't tell the truth.
"So? Why are you jealous of Ashton?" Jade is already feeling a bit impatient when Perrie was still delaying.
Perrie let go of her wrist and tries to swallow the lump in her throat.
"Leigh...," she started. Perrie closed her eyes and heaved a sigh before meeting the expecting gaze of the familiar brown orbs that belong to her girlfriend. "Leigh told me that Ashton's your... -" she cannot believe that she is really admitting this. "- that you and Ashton are soulmates."
Jade's body went stiff - frozen at the seams - when she heard this. Out of all the reasons she may have conjured up that could be plausible, Perrie just had to drop a bomb out of nowhere.
"Soulmates?" she asked, just in case she heard it wrong.
Perrie nodded meekly. "Look, I don't believe in that kind of stuff. But you two have been with each other for months now. You always hang out with him every chance you get. And at first, I don't mind. But Leigh just had to spoil everything. And knowing that you're a sucker for fairytales and such platitudes, I'm not surprised that you believe in soulmates, too. So if you wanna run away with him, you better do it now that I gave you the chance to."
Jade blinked in confusion. "Leigh thinks Ashton and I are soulmates?"
Perrie nodded again in return, sulking like a petulant child.
"What makes her say that?" Jade questioned.
"Because you both love volleyball." Perrie was already throwing out the details of information Leigh fed her that day, not wanting to leave a single thing. "You both work at the same department, which means that you both love advertising and marketing or something. And you both had relationships that lasted for three years. You know - his recent ex girlfriend has the same name as yours?"
"Her name is Amelia?"
"Her name's Jade." Perrie merely glared at her, unamused. "He loves ombre haired girls, too."
Jade flashed an affiliative smile. "Seems interesting."
Perrie finds herself gritting her teeth in jealousy.
"You think being Ashton's soulmate is interesting?" Perrie threw her hands in the air, conspicuously frustrated. "Fall in love with him, then. You two seem to get along quite fine."
Suddenly, Jade finds this ludicrous, stepping back as she observes the other woman who was looking at anything but her eyes. "Don't tell me that you believe we're soulmates, too...?"
Perrie shrugged, not wanting to admit that she does believe that they're soulmates.
She mumbled, "I told you it's ridiculous."
"It is." Jade was quick to agree, crossing her arms like a mom who knows best. "Because I don't believe in soulmates either."
Perrie was rendered speechless. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. Stupefied? Dumbfounded? Taken aback? This is the thing about having a girlfriend like Jade Thirlwall - she's unpredictable. Just when she thinks she knows Jade, the latter comes around dropping unsolicited bombs about herself; and Perrie goes back to square one and tries to learn about Jade again.
Blue eyes fall on the ombre haired woman in shock. "You don't believe in soulmates?"
"Nope." Jade gave a lopsided grin. "But I believe that we all have to work hard in a relationship if we want to be with that person for the rest of our lives."
Perrie finds herself beaming brightly all of a sudden. To say she was relieved would be an understatement. "So... you don't believe that Ashton's your soulmate?"
Jade shakes her head gently. "Look, Ashton and I may have a lot of things in common, but I don't love him for it. Love as a friend, maybe, but not more than that for sure. Aren't soulmates all about being with the one or something? Because if that's the case, then I think you're my soulmate, Pez. Because I want you to be the one I get to spend my whole future with."
Jade pressed her hands against Perrie's cheeks and gave her lips a sweet kiss before pulling away. She smiled at the blonde, running her hands down her porcelain skin.
"You don't believe in soulmates, too. So why did you believe Leigh-Anne?" Jade asks, genuinely curious.
Perrie shrugged lamely, feeling a burning sensation in her cheeks as she smiles in embarassment. "Because you guys look good together. And that reminded me of you and Jed."
"Huh." Jade thought for a moment. "Come to think about it, he does look like Jed. And Jed likes ombre haired girls, too. Perhaps they're soulmates. I should probably hook them up, then."
Perrie bursts into a chortle. "You're crazy."
"You're the one that's crazy here. You say you don't believe in soulmates, then, all of a sudden, you come badgering me to go to Ashton simply because he's my so-called 'soulmate'? And the fact that Leigh was the one behind all this - the same Leigh who we call a 'dangerously gorgeous liar' by mutual agreement? Spell it, Pez: C-R-A-Z-Y."
Perrie giggled. "I can't help it. I mean - we live in a world teeming with fairytales, sweets. And you love fairytales. And having a soulmate is a fairytale, am I right?"
"Maybe," Jade smiles at her lovingly. "But in my opinion, having you is a real fairytale."
Perrie pretended to barf. "You disgust me."
"But you love me anyway."
This earned a snort and a shake of a head from the blonde woman. "I can't believe I'm gonna marry you."
Perrie suddenly felt like she wanted the ground to open a black hole and swallow her right now. Why did she say that? They're not even engaged yet! It was all the curly-headed's fault. Leigh kept on reassuring Perrie that 'she's marrying Jade' just so Perrie can gain the courage to propose. Perrie kept on repeating that mantra in her head, until now that she thought of it out loud.
Jade, on the other hand, could not believe what she just heard. Her eyes imitated those of round-shaped plates as she stares at her in surprise and shock.
"What?" she asks, befuddled, then her expression merely settled into a soft and content smile which made Perrie's heart beat a little faster. "You say you're gonna marry me but we're not even engaged yet..."
"Well, will you marry me then?" Perrie blurted out. She vaguely pointed upstairs with her thumb. "I have the ring. It's actually in our room... but I need an answer."
"Loser, I was about to propose, too!" Jade laughed out loud.
It was Perrie's turn to look at her with widened eyes. "What?"
Then, Jade buried her hand in the inside pocket of her trench coat, only to produce a velvet ring box. What really took Perrie's breath away was when Jade finally revealed the jewelry - a rose gold ring with a band that mimics the shape of leaves.
Perrie finds herself drowning in unalloyed astonishment as she stares at the flawless piece of jewelry. She didn't even realize that she was slack-jawed until her girlfriend had to tap her chin softly for her to bring it back up.
"So if you want my answer," Jade shrugged, "Well, I'll only say yes if you say yes."
"Why am I even proposing if I'm gonna say no?" Perrie giggled. She takes the ring from its placement and slipped it on. She splayed her fingers in front of her, wiggling them as she sees the iridescent jewelry sparkle. "This is perfect, Jade."
"I'm glad you said that," the older woman replied, not bothering to wipe the smirk off her own face. "I needed to find one that suits your perfection."
"You're being too cheesy now," Perrie remarked. She then looked at Jade with a pseudo-threatening stare, and the latter wanted to kiss her. "But wait 'til you see my ring. Just cause you took my breath away doesn't mean I can't take away yours."
"Please don't." Jade laughed. "I'm not ready to die yet. I wanna marry you and raise kids with you first."
The last sentence prompted Perrie to pause for a moment, a smile slowly creeping upon her visage.
"Speaking of kids, I change my mind, by the way," she says. "I know I told you that I wasn't ready to be a mother. But I just want you to know that... I think I'm ready now."
Jade's face softened and her heart had started to melt at the statement. She forgot about that. But she was glad that Perrie laid that topic on the table now; she wanted to raise kids with her, too.
She smiled back at her. "What changed your mind?"
Perrie bit her lip. "I desperately wanted to say that it was you so I can be cheesy, but I didn't wanna lie."
"What a romantic." Jade rolled her eyes, her smile never faltering. Perrie giggled at that. "So if not me, then what?"
Perrie bit her lip in thought, then she speaks up, "Your father brought up having kids when I met him."
Jade blinked. "When did you meet up with him?"
"Last week, actually. I... uhh... I thought about marrying you since last year. And I decided to tell him. He told me about what being a married couple is supposed to be like - he even asked me if I wanted to raise kids with you. I didn't want to, at first - you knew that. But then I imagined the two of us raising one... and I liked it."
Jade raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Woah. Really?"
"Yeah. I bought the ring last year, too. I was just waiting for the right time."
"When did you think is the right time?"
"On our anniversary." Perrie's cheeks were burning up as she blushes. And Jade finds this totally adorable.
"Me, too." Jade chuckled softly.
"I'm not surprised. We're both hopeless romantics after all."
"Well," Jade started, after having her fingers entwined with Perrie's. "Since our plans have been ruined, I think you should tell me how you'll propose to me."
"Simple." Perrie winked at her. "Trip down memory lane in McKinley High. What's yours?"
"Simple as well," Jade winked back. "Trip down memory lane in Mckinley Park."
"Cheesy bitch." Perrie laughed and leaned in to peck Jade in the lips.
"Leigh and Jesy are gonna be so pissed knowing that my plans have been ruined."
Perrie held her head back to look at Jade. "You told them?"
Jade nodded. "Did you?"
"Duh."
"Then, I think it's safe to say that we're both gonna die before we get married, huh?"
"We could, like, not tell them ..." Perrie drawled out.
Jade bit her lip. "I think that's a great idea. But I need to see my ring first."
xxx
"Seriously? You couldn't even wait 'til next week?" Leigh lets out a groan.
Perrie and Jade silently agreed that the two of them are the biggest idiots ever paired with each other for forgetting to take off their engagement rings whenever they meet the other couple. The first time they met them, Perrie thankfully reminded her girlf - fiancé, rather - to take them off and not tell them first for the sake of cherishing the moment by themselves for a few days.
Perrie would like to blame this on the fact that they were in a rush to meet Leigh and Jesy and therefore forgot to take off their rings (not that taking off their rings is what they wanted to do in the first place, anyway). They were just in their living room, watching a season of Friends when Jesy called them up and tell them to meet them in fifteen minutes. And knowing Jade and Perrie, fifteen minutes is too short.
"I have wasted my time on you two."
"If it's any consolation," Perrie says, "I've wasted my time planning for the proposal ..."
"It is so not a consolation, you're supposed to plan it anyway. But I, on the other hand, wasted my time trying to help you, you bitch."
Jade threw her head back and bursts into a chortle. Leigh being all vexed and irritated always seem to entertain her. "Chill, why don't you? You guys were the first ones we've told anyway. That should be enough."
"Oh, don't think I'll let you off the hook just because you told us, Thirlwall," Leigh gives her a pointed look, "You guys even decided not to tell us - it hurts!"
"We just wanted to cherish this moment by ourselves for a few days."
"Urgh! We wanted to cherish it with you!" Jesy rolled her eyes, utter disappointment written across her face.
Perrie held up her hands in faux surrender. "Alright, alright. Jade and I are very sorry for not wanting to cherish this moment with you."
"You should be!" Leigh replies, pouting childishly with her arms crossed oved her chest. "If I were to be engaged, I'd tell you guys in a heartbeat."
Jesy was drinking her cola when she heard this, so choking is probably the only thing that could happen next. She made a brief eye contact with the curly headed woman next to her before resuming to gulp down her drink, studiously ignoring the sudden pent up tension. Leigh suddenly looked like she's a dear caught in headlights as she slowly but frantically laid her arms down back on the table and look out the window, desperately finding something worth her undivided attention.
Perrie noticed their brief eye contact and looked at them weirdly. "I know that look. That was the look you guys gave each other when I told you I wanted to propose on our anniversary."
Jade turned her head to look at Perrie, disoriented as she wasn't able to catch them. "What look are you talking about?"
Perrie merely shook her head and retained her gaze. "Is there something you guys aren't telling me?"
Both their heads whip to face the blonde, innocent looks thrown her way as well.
Jesy shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Perrie tilted her head to the side, as if this would help her scrutinize both women in front of her. "You guys looked at each other and I swear that there is really something going on."
"Babe, we're in love. We always look at each other," Leigh says, her voice audibly shaky and nervous.
Perrie catches her glancing at Jesy again and pointed at her accusingly. "See! That look again! What the hell is going between the two of you?"
"Nothing!"
"We're engaged, too!" Jesy finally blurts out a second after Leigh, only to have her eyes widen like those of round-shaped plates as she realized what she had revealed.
Simultaneous gasps escape from both Jade and Perrie as their expressions transfigured into one of shock. Both Jesy and Leigh are one of those couples who would not shut up when it comes to their relationship so the fact that they hid this from them seems too good to be true.
"W-wait," Jade says, still in the process of digesting the revelation. "How ... I mean, when ... ?"
Jesy bit her lip and held Leigh's hand that was laid on the table. "Four days ago. I was supposed to propose to her the week after you guys propose, but she beat me to it when she saw the ring in my drawer."
Jade's jaw remained hanging low whilst Perrie, on the other hand, had the decency to cover her gaping mouth. It wasn't until a teardrop fell from the corner of her eye when she realized how emotional she suddenly became. She sniffled a bit, causing all heads to turn to her direction.
"What the - are you seriously crying?" Jade asks after wrapping an arm around her fiancé.
"I'm sorry, I'm just - ugh - I hate being so emotional for my best friends." Perrie leaned forward to grab a box of tissue on the side of the table and shamelessly dabbed at her eyes before blowing her nose and balling it in her fist. Leigh and Jesy merely stared at her in sadness. Her lips trembled when she spoke up again, "Fuck you, guys. I'm crying over here. Comfort me, damnit!"
Leigh immediately leaned forward and grasped loosely on Perrie's wrist. "Babe, we are very sorry. We just didn't wanna ruin your fun."
"But you guys ruined your own fun, anyway," Jesy snorts. "But we're really sorry. If anything, blame Leigh for being a curious bitch."
Leigh scoffed at the accusation. "I wasn't being curious. I was just looking for my favorite ring and you tend to hide my favorite things in your drawer sometimes, hence, your ring has been found."
Jesy rolled her eyes and did not respond to that. Perrie has her hands repeatedly dabbing at her eyes with a few layers of tissue. Jade begrudgingly consoled the emotional blonde. And Leigh tried to console Perrie as well, simultaneously reassuring the girl that it was all Jesy's fault.
Normal best friends, really. Very normal.
After a few minutes of crying from Perrie and consolation from the rest, the former had finally calmed down.
"So, to sum this all up," Perrie starts, "we are all engaged."
The other couple sitting in front of her nodded in response.
"We. Are. All. Engaged."
"Yes, we are," Leigh confirmed.
Then Perrie bursts into tears once again, wailing here and there. And the rest are compelled yet again to comfort her; Jade was side-hugging her coupled with a few squeezes on the blonde's shoulder. Leigh and Jesy merely flashed a concerned look their way.
"Geez, Pez, you didn't even cry when I proposed but you cried for them?" Jade shaped her lips into a pout. "You love them more than me now?"
"Ugh, I'm too emotional to handle your sappy jealousy, Jade, so stop it," the blonde snapped.
"Speaking of," Jade turned to glare at Leigh. "Stop telling everyone that Ashton's my soulmate. What's with you and soulmates, anyway?"
"But you guys are soulmates. At least in the best friend type of way."
Jade merely rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She glanced at the blonde again, who is wiping away her tears, and smiles. "Is that tears of joy I'm seeing?"
"Ugh, shut up." The blonde sniffs and blows her nose against the tissue before giving it to Jade, who took it carefully and throws it in the garbage can nearby.
"So what now?" Jade questioned, sitting back down.
Leigh and Jesy looked at Perrie expectantly, and the blonde smiled. For what felt like the hundred-thousandth time, she feels elated.
"Now we celebrate."
a/n:
and there you go! the final bonus chapter for ya'll!