Pretend It's Okay

17 - Moving day

"Is that everything?" Jade asked Perrie whilst looking around at all of her bags. Claud was bringing the last few up and Zack was getting the door for him. Meanwhile Jade and Perrie were moving all of Perrie's personal bags to her new bedroom.

That consisted of most of her bags. Between them Zack and Jade already had a lot of communal stuff so most of Perrie's decorative belongings, kitchen items, and other bits that she didn't want in her bedroom were currently in storage. It was a short term solution until Zack found a new apartment with his boyfriend.

"Yeah, I think so." Perrie confirmed after scanning over everything. Both of them were sweaty from moving stuff and going up and down the stairs a lot, but they were finally done.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After Perrie told Jade and Leigh-Anne the truth, neither of them wanted her to stay alone in her house. Jade spent the night with her, Leigh-Anne having to go home and help Andre with the twins. Before Leigh-Anne came back the next morning Jade had witnessed two falls and had to carry Perrie to bed when she fell asleep on the sofa and Jade couldn't wake her. When Leigh-Anne arrived both Geordies were in the bathroom as that morning the nausea had won and Jade's heartfelt breakfast had gone to waste.

Of course Perrie had tried to refuse. Jade already had a roommate in her flat and adding in a third person would be a tight squeeze. It was possible, Holly used to live there, and Jade argued that her room was free.

Zack had been dating his current boyfriend for a few months and decided to start looking for flats for the two of them. He was away a lot anyways and he was able to read Jade's feelings for Perrie. There was no way he was going to get in her way.

In the end Perrie agreed for one reason. Her mother insisted. Jade and Leigh-Anne convinced Perrie to call Debbie and tell her everything, even sitting in on the call. When Perrie broke down in tears Jade held her and Leigh-Anne took over explaining about her health and her ex fiance.

Debbie agreed that she didn't want Perrie living alone in a four storey house. If something happened, which they all knew one day it would, she wouldn't be able to call for help. Debbie gave her youngest the ultimatum, either Perrie accepts Jade's offer or she moves down to London and into that house with Perrie.

She didn't want to inconvenience her mother so accepted Jade's offer, wanting to keep her independence, and she wouldn't admit it but getting out of that house with so many painful memories of Alex made her happy.

Perrie couldn't help but draw parallels between Jade and Alex. When he found out, all Alex could do was push her away, but here Jade was pulling her closer and closer, never wanting to waste a precious moment with the blonde.

Claud was called in to help move Perrie's belongings. He knew the situation and Perrie trusted him completely, so he happily agreed to help. One day soon she would have to tell their dancers, Claud was going to have to choreograph for Little Mix very carefully - if they were even coming back - and their dancers would have many questions about the changes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I suppose we better order pizza then." Jade decided as she pulled out her phone to place the order. She knew to order cheese free pizza for Perrie because she hates cheese. Jade fondly remembers how much Perrie complained when filming the Hair music video that she had to pretend to eat normal pizza.

That day the older woman pulled her into a hug and told her to stop being a baby, placing kisses on Perrie's cheeks until the blonde was left laughing hysterically and agreed to go along with the pizza.

Reaching out her hand, Perrie took Jade's hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze before retiring to her room to begin unpacking. For the first time in years Perrie was able to decorate her bedroom the way she wants it without having to consider where to put a boyfriend's stuff.