My eyes widened in shock as I remembered Michelle is coming to visit. Shit! I totally forgot about her.

Jade's body had stiffened as as well at the unexpected transition of events. I was already yielding for her to resume her arousing doings to me but I knew that there's no way we could continue this knowing the ramifications of this — Michelle being the hot topic of them all. And I sadly couldn't blame her.

She slowly lifted her head and laid her forehead on mine, her eyes closed and I could see she was furious about this. And then she loosened her clutch on my hand, and I steadily laid them back down on her shoulders. I watched as her eyelids were lifted, giving me the liberty to pore over the hazelnut colored irises I found myself adoring every single time I look at them. But my frown had appeared when hurt mixed with disappointment had shown itself to my eyes.

"I didn't know you were seeing somebody," she whispered against my lips.

I gulped and hung my head loose, breaking eye contact. I spoke softly, "Yeah. I, ugh, I invited her to come over. H-her father, who apparently is my boss, had to leave for a conference in another country. He, uhm, he wanted me to watch over her for awhile."

"Is it a date?" She asked quietly. And from what I've learned from the years of loving her unconditionally, I knew her voice like the back of my hand; I knew she sounded broken.

Which only made me feel ten times worse because she and I both know for a moment we wanted to resume to what we're doing.

I shook my head and furrowed my eyebrows. "Michelle's just a friend."

"But you went on a date with her," she reminded me. Her voice conveying the familiar feeling that had never ceased to emanate from her.

I find myself choking on my words as I told her, "We did."

Jade's countenance was stoic and unreadable. She then completely backed away from me. Her arms now beside her but my back was still pinned against the wall and I felt like I lost all my energy to stand straight. I realized that I was longing for her touch again.

It seemed as if my answer didn't really alleviate her . . . whatever she was feeling at the moment. I almost felt the need to rephrase my answer and tell her it was a lie and that I didn't go on a date with her, but then I remembered her text message amidst my date with Michelle. She knew the truth already and lying to her would do nothing but have me retrograded towards the very beginning of idiocy.

"Do you like her?" She asked curiously.

I opened my mouth to answer her but Michelle's knock on the door had once again intervened in our conversation.

"Perrie?"

I cleared my throat and composed myself, hoping my voice would come out as alright to Michelle. Jade, on the other hand, still wore that phlegmatic expression that had always made me want to pry her. She must have been waiting patiently and I did not want to impose on her at all.

"Y-yeah. I'm coming," I said as I automatically stepped forward and spun around. Jade didn't move a muscle and now I feel like my behind is touching her front this time, which in some way bothers me.

I opened my door wide open, not thinking straight because Jade Thirlwall is conspicuously behind me and Michelle would apparently see her with two eyes. And from the way Michelle peered at the two of us, it seemed as if she wasn't comfortable seeing me with a woman whose name she has no idea of. And I had never felt so discomforting my entire life.

"Oh, hello," Michelle took me and Jade in, a small frown had crept up but was superseded with a smile — a faux bright smile. I knew she was thinking of something inappropriate. She inclined her head, as if feeling submissive and nodded slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had someone to accompany you. I must be a burden."

"No, you aren't," I interrupted her, shaking my head in disapproval. "Jade was about to leave anyway."

I could feel Jade's conflagrant stare on my back but I continued to repudiate it. And knowing Jade detests scandals, I'm a hundred percent sure she'll go along with what I say. But then I felt her hand gently laying down on my back, once again sending thousands of jolts of electricity within my spinal cord.

"Indeed," she agreed thankfully, her hand on my back travelling up my shoulder in a gentle grasp as she maneuvers beside me this time. She nodded. "I hope I could cross paths with you again . . . Michelle. I wanted to formally introduce myself but I have a meeting with a client at half an hour and I'm sure you and my Pez are going to be bustling in doing whatever it is you'll be doing tonight."

My eyes felt like bulging out as I hear how she emphasized my name and the fact that she insinuated that I was hers. And I'm more than certain Michelle had caught onto this as well. And this had baffled me when the green eyed woman nodded and smiled genuinely at her.

"I hope so, too." Michelle nodded, still haveing her wondering gaze switching from Jade and me alternately.

Well, God, I hope not, I thought. And I actually wished this awkward situation would leave me alone and never come back.

"Now, if you both do not mind, I genuinely have to go," Jade excused herself, nodding and sidestepping and leaving me and Michelle behind, not looking back. And my eyes had betrayed me as they assessed her behind.

It took Michelle's "can I come inside now?" to extract me from my gaze as I finally led her in. But as soon as I peeked outside to search for Jade, her alluring deep brown eyes had already caught my own in the most gentle way possible.

Jade did not attempt to hide the widest and saddest smile on her face, almost begging me to follow her. She made a gesture with her head, nodding over me and to her side as if telling me to make a run for it. I wanted to give in and be submissive but instead I smiled back at her, and nodded apologetically, the gesture alluding to an explicit 'no' to her.

Her smile faltered but never disappeared as she sighed, "Take care of yourself for me, yeah? I'll visit again tomorrow morning. Make sure she's gone by then."

And then she left, making sure my eyes never averted their gaze from her. And then for the first time, I wished she'd stay for awhile with me.

"No. Don't even think about it." I shook my head in disapproval before I went inside.