You've Got it Bad

Thirty Six

Nobody's POV

Jade sat in her car outside the address Jesy had given her, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Her heart pounded like a drum in her chest, but she forced herself to take slow, steady breaths. She couldn't lose focus now. Not with Perrie on the line.

This was dangerous. She knew that. Walking into this house could go a hundred different ways, and most of them ended badly.

Especially considering the last time she saw Gary. But none of that mattered now. Perrie was out there somewhere, and Jade would do whatever it took to bring her home.

Her hands trembled, but she tightened her grip on the wheel and took another deep breath. "Come on, Jade," she whispered to herself. "You've got this. It's now or never."

She reached into the paper bag her brother had handed her earlier. The cold, heavy weight of the gun sent a shiver up her spine, and had it been her first time handling a gun, she probably would have been terrified and ended up dropping it, but it wasn't.

She wasn't new to this. She tucked it into the waistband of her jeans, determined to get the answers she needed.

Before fear could take over, she pushed the car door open and stepped into the chilly night. Her legs felt shaky, but she didn't stop.

She charged straight up to the front door of the run-down house, the weight of the gun pressing against her back with every step she took.

When she reached the door, she didn't even bother with the bell. Her fists hit the wood hard, rattling it in its frame.

She didn't care if she looked desperate. She was desperate. There was no time for being delicate. The love of her life was hanging in the balance.

The door swung open so quickly that Jade barely had time to react. Her pulse quickened as her eyes met Gary's smirking face.

For a moment, fear crept in, but it was drowned out by a surge of adrenaline and just pure hatred. She shoved past him without hesitation, forcing her way into the house.

Once inside, she quickly spun around to face him, taking note of how he slowly closed the door and locked it behind him.

The click of the lock echoed in her ears, and her chest tightened. He leaned casually against the door, that same disgusting smirk plastered across his face.

"Jade," he said, dragging her name out like it was some kind of joke. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Her stomach turned at the sound of her name in his mouth, and the way his eyes raked over her body. When his gaze lingered on the bit of cleavage peeking out from her v-neck, she quickly zipped her jacket up to her chin, her jaw clenching.

"Have you been texting me, Gary?" she snapped, her voice steady even though her nerves were screaming. "And threatening me?"

His eyes finally met hers, cold and lifeless, and they made her skin crawl.

"Why don't you ask me what you really came here to ask, Jade?" he said with a grin that made her blood boil.

Her heart raced as she swallowed hard. What the hell was he playing at?

"And what is that, Gary?" she shot back, folding her arms over her chest. She was trying to look composed, but she could feel the fear bubbling under the surface. She refused to let him see it though.

"Why don't you come in and have a seat? We can catch up," Gary said, his smirk growing wider. Jade's stomach twisted as she realized exactly what he meant.