"Andre offered you a deal." Tori's voice is calm as she repeats Jade's earlier words, but her subtly narrowed eyes and the tense line of her mouth give her suspicion away.
The hurt that stabs at her chest is inevitable, but not unexpected, just like Tori's doubt isn't. It's her word against her brother's, and they don't exactly compare. Only one of them had already betrayed Tori's trust.
She lets out a breath, nodding. "Yesterday." She spent the night staring out the window and thinking his words over. Over and over.
'Your love is destroying her.'
Tori's careful with her words when she speaks again. "I hope you understand that this - it's a lot to take for granted."
"I know." Jade lets out another breath, this time heavier, and leans back - slouches, more like it - into the couch, taking her eyes off Tori and studying her coffee table. "I don't expect you to believe me without proof, you know," she points out, and Tori shifts next to her, almost unsurely, but she inconspicuously scoots away from her. "But I also don't want to keep anything from you." A rueful smile touches her lips, and she hears Tori sigh. "Didn't work out very well in the past."
Tori's silent for several seconds, before: "Call him. Tell him you're in." When Jade finally looks at her again with disbelief, her shoulders are tense. "I believe that would be proof enough."
Jade blinks, incredulous, but Tori's gaze on her is unwavering. She's not joking. "Tori, he'll kill me when he finds out I set him up."
"I'll handle it." There's a new kind of fire within Tori's brown eyes, and its intensity is almost frightening. "I just need to - I need to be sure." Of what, Tori doesn't specify, but Jade doesn't need her to.
This - I could show her she can be sure of me. Of us. "I'll do it," falls from her lips before she even fully processes what's about to go down. "Right now."
Tori's nod is confident, but her gaze is not. "Okay."
Andre picks up after the third ring. Jade wonders if he made her wait on purpose while he utters a greeting. "Well," he says, with a humorless chuckle, and Tori's jaw tightens as she listens to her unsuspecting brother on speaker phone. "That was fast."
Jade glances at her. "I'm in," she says, practically snaps, suddenly wishing for this conversation to be over. "I accept the deal, and I'll stay away from Tori when you hold up your end of it." She swallows at the dark frown on Tori's face that's deepening by the second.
"Of course," Andre replies, and he doesn't even try to hide his smug grin. Maybe he doesn't know Jade can hear it in his voice. But she can, and so can Tori, and there's a bitter crease to her brow as she locks her jaw with anger. "So how much would this cost me, Miss West?"
Well, fuck - she didn't think of a number. When she glances at Tori, she realizes she won't be much help. "I - I need to meet with you again," she quickly says, grimacing when Tori raises an eyebrow at her. "There are… um, several conditions I need to discuss with you, and I won't do it by phone."
"I'm not tapping it if that's what you're worried about," Andre says.
"It's not. But we still need to discuss all the terms."
There's a pause. It's clear Andre doesn't want to see her again, and the feeling is rather mutual, but Jade's already began to dig herself a hole. Might as well go all out. "Fine," he says in a clipped tone. "I'm available this Thursday at lunch. I trust you to make it quick, Miss West."
"Of course," she can't help but mock his earlier words. He either doesn't notice or pretends not to notice.
"Good. Till Thursday." He promptly hangs up afterwards, and they are left to stare at the phone. Dial tone is sharp and annoying, so Jade quickly presses the end button.
She meets Tori's eyes and suppresses urge to shudder at the sheer anger she finds in them. "I'm sorry," she offers in a whisper. "I'd - I'd rather I were lying."
"No," Tori rasps, before clearing her throat. "No, you -" The speed with which she springs to her feet is nothing short of frightening, and Jade recoils in her seat for a fraction of a second. Before the realization of where Tori's going sinks in.
Her hand is on Tori's wrist, and even Tori's hot glare doesn't make her drop it. "Jade." And neither does the barely constrained rage in her voice.
She only raises an eyebrow at her and comes closer, fingers still wrapped around a slim wrist. "Tori," she says, evenly. "You can't go after him in this state, and you know it."
"All I know is that the boy needs a lesson or two," Tori growls before tearing her hand out of her grasp and heading for the door, Jade hot on her heels.
"I'm not saying you're not wrong, because you aren't, but you need to cool off first." She practically jogs ahead of Tori, placing herself between her and the door. Brown eyes finally meet hers, and she struggles to keep her voice calm when she sees the pure anger blazing at her. It's not for me. It's not.
Is it?
"Tor," she tries again, and the harsh lines of Tori's face smooth, just barely, at the tender name. It doesn't last long. "Please. I know you're angry with him, but - he was doing what he thought was right for his family." She swallows the last of her hurt down. "For you. He was trying to protect you."
"I don't need his protection." Tori's brown eyes are sharp and wild. "I don't need anyone's protection."
Jade decides against pointing out that just because she doesn't want it - "Okay," she says instead, palms up. "Okay. But - please. I don't want to be the reason for you're fighting with him." Again.
Tori must see something in her gaze, because she lets out a loud breath and nods, reluctantly. Jade thinks it's scary. How much power she still has over her, after everything. It's not - it's not something she wants. It's definitely something she'd be happy to give up. "Fine," she bites out, not even realizing how much she sounds like Andre.
And moves towards the door again, only to be stopped by a perplexed Jade. "Whoa. Wait. I thought we agreed on something."
Tori's sigh is small and tired. "We did," she says. "But - I need to go clear my head. This was - a lot," she admits, dropping her gaze to the floor for a second.
It was, wasn't it? Her finding out her brother is scheming behind her back, her getting actual proof her brother is scheming behind her back - not to mention the whole thing with Jade and trust, or, really, lack thereof - only to be proved the damn near impossible.
Jade wasn't lying, and Andre - Andre wasn't, either, but he was withholding the truth, and in this situation, Jade's not really sure which one is worse.
She swallows. Doesn't step away from the door. "I - I could… leave, if you want."
Tori glances to the side. "I don't think that would be necessary, Jade," she says. "Or appropriate."
"...Appropriate."
"I'm not going to kick you out of your home just because I need a meltdown," Tori snaps. And - she knows it's not about her. Not for her, but it still feels like she's been slapped.
She swallows that down as well. "Well, I'm not going to let you wander the streets at night when you're alone and upset," she says defiantly. "Either you stay here, or I'm going with you."
Tori looks like she's ready to spend the whole night arguing, and Jade's sure her own glare is a testament to that, too. She doesn't know what it would've come to if it weren't for Cat Valentine, who chose this exact moment to open the door with her key and quite literally walk into Jade.
"Jadey, I'm ho - ooh."
It takes Tori a mere second to slip her stoic mask back on. "Miss Valentine," she says, and there's that detached politeness that makes Jade wince internally. "Hello." She looks at Jade next. "I should go."
Not going to happen. "Perfect," she practically snaps in reply. "Cat needs the place to study, right, Cat?"
Her friend looks between them, then down at the plastic bag full of beer she's holding, then back at Jade again. There's a myriad of unasked questions in her curious eyes, and she just knows she won't be able to brush her off with an 'I don't wanna talk about it' this time. "Yeah," she simply says, and Jade's so grateful for her she could kiss her. She probably would have if Tori's face wasn't this blank at having seen Cat feeling at home in her apartment again. "Totally."
Jade turns to give Tori a triumphant grin. "I'm ready whenever you are." She doesn't know why she's acting so bratty. Maybe she knows Tori needs this little bit of riling up to take her mind off the fact that her brother's scheming behind her back. Maybe she needs to blow off some steam herself. She doesn't know, and whatever the reason is, it's probably fucked up, so she's not going to think too deep about it.
All she knows is that right now, Tori shouldn't be alone.
And Tori clearly disagrees. "Jade," she says, warningly.
"Tori."
"Cat!" When they give Cat a puzzled look, she only shrugs. "What? I couldn't resist. I mean, it's a Shrek line. It's iconic by definition. That's my name, by the way," she tells Tori. "Not Miss Valentine. Miss Valentine makes my skin crawl."
Tori blinks. "Noted."
"Why is it such a big deal whether you guys stay or leave?" Well. It's definitely been more bluntness than subtlety with Cat. Jade's not sure she's appreciating it right now, but she's certainly sure she can't do anything about it.
"It's not," Tori is quick to reassure her. "I've more than overstayed my welcome, and Jade is being courteous by trying to make it seem like I haven't."
Cat snorts and drops the bag to the floor. "Sorry, this shit is heavy and my arms are killing me," she says, not sounding apologetic at all. "Knowing Jade, that's definitely not just about courtesy."
"Cat," Jade hisses, but her so-called friend shushes her and focuses her attention back on Tori who's looking more uncomfortable by the second.
"Since it's not a big deal and I have it on good authority that you won't outstay your welcome here in foreseeable future, we could all hang out here. I brought enough beer for the three of us and Jade's a decent cook when she wants to be."
"Thanks," Jade mutters. Unsurprisingly, she gets ignored.
"I could always go out and get fancier stuff, too. You look like you like wine," Cat continues.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Tori deadpans, but Jade spies a barely-there upward twitch of her lips.
"It probably was one," Cat says before grabbing the bag off the floor and taking a confident step inside the apartment, closing the door behind her. "Now. How do you feel about The Walking Dead?"
"If there's anything that's outstayed its welcome, it's that show."
Cat cracks an impressed grin. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
It's not that Jade is a petty person. But - simply objectively speaking - this is going much better than any of Tori's social functions she's attended. Also objectively speaking, that's mostly due to the fact that Tori's not the one who knowingly set the whole relationship up for a betrayal at the end.
Maybe she shouldn't really go down the comparison route since she's not gonna win anyway. Although - once again, objectively speaking - Cat's much funnier than all of Tori's friends combined. That's something she can revel in, at least.
She watches Tori hide her grin in her cup at something Cat's said, and it's getting harder and harder to fight off the urge to lace their fingers together the more beer she drinks. She's reached her tipsy stage a cup ago. Maybe she should slow down before she embarrasses herself and scares Tori away.
Although, judging by the amount of beer Tori drank herself and by undecipherable glances she keeps throwing Jade's way that keep growing more heated each time, she's not the only one. And Cat - even though subtlety isn't her strong suit when it comes to using it, she's got no trouble picking up on it. That's how Jade finds herself in the kitchen next to her after she's called her to help her with ice - which, by the way, has got to be the flimsiest cover-up to ever exist - whispering back and forth.
"Okay, West," Cat quietly says, "We both know clothes will hit the floor as soon as I leave, so my question is do you want that to happen or not?"
Jade doesn't really have an answer to that, so she hides behind a rhetorical "Who wouldn't?" and throws a glance at Tori. Who's in the middle of staring at her.
"Ugh," she hears Cat mutter behind her. "You're already wasted, so you're no help. Now I have to figure that out for myself. Just for the record, it would've been much easier to do if you explained the nature of your relationship to me after Tori saw me without pants."
She tears her gaze away from Tori to try and refocus her attention on her best friend. "If you gotta go, it's cool," she lets her know. "Don't worry. I'll handle it."
Cat gives her a dubious look. "You're not thinking with the right head, are you."
"I don't have that other head you're hinting at."
"Well, technically, your clit is-"
"Oh, my God," Jade's whisper grows louder. "Look, we're both drunk and we respect each other's boundaries. I'm not gonna sleep with her tonight."
She realizes she's slipped up when Cat gives her a sly look. "Just tonight, huh?"
She scoffs. "You know what I mean."
"Of course I do. You're in so much trouble once you're sober. For never telling me you're banging her on the down low."
"That's not what we're doing," she says, because it's not. Tori's the one doing the banging. So, technically, that's not what's happening.
She might be a little drunker than originally thought.
"Hey, I don't blame you," Cat whispers. "She's, like, ridiculously hot."
Jade takes another look at Tori who's lounging on her couch, shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal toned forearms and the sharp cut of her jaw even more pronounced as she smirks at something she sees on tv.
"That's definitely my cue to leave. I have no desire to see you bent over that couch." Cat whispers next to her.
She turns away from Tori to glare at her. "We're adults, okay? Nothing's happening tonight. If you do need to go, then go."
"I don't need to, but I really, really want to."
Okay, so maybe she kinda lied to her best friend. Maybe. Maybe, she also doesn't really feel guilty at all. It's difficult to feel anything other than helplessly aroused when Tori's got her pressed up against the door.
They're getting scarily good at this, Jade thinks as Tori's hand finds her hip just in time with her hooking her leg around her waist. Then, Tori's lips find her pulse point as she rocks into her, gently but firmly, and all she can do is arch her back and moan at the delicious friction.
"This okay?" Tori mumbles against her lips, sloppy, rushed, and - she could say yes. Because God, this is more than okay, this is incredible and she's missed Tori so much even though it's only been mere days since she took her, and tonight, Tori's eyes are a special glow of warm honey espresso and she's not pushing her hands away when they wander and what if tonight she'll—
She's already gently pushing Tori away when she fully realizes what she's doing. "We should… we should probably slow down," she says quietly, not letting herself drop her gaze. Because of that, she doesn't miss the way Tori's eyes soften for a fraction of a second.
"If that's what you want."
"I think that's what we both need," she tells her with a small smile that grows after Tori gives her a tiny nod. She watches her take a step back and let out a breath, running a hand through her hair.
"Yeah," Tori says. "Yeah, I think you're right." She sighs again before giving her a smile of her own. "You were right about a lot of things today."
She knows Tori means it in a good way, but she can't help but cast a guilty look to the side. Unwittingly, she's once again become the rift between Tori and one of her people. Her brother. Her actual family.
A light, tentative touch on her arm brings her back to the present. "Thank you," Tori tells her as careful brown eyes watch her. "For being honest with me, and for - tonight. For this, too," she gestures between the two of them.
Jade's drunk enough to allow herself a raised eyebrow and a lewd grin, and Tori huffs. "Not that," she utters, but her tone is warm, and there's a twinkle in her eyes, too.
"I get it." Tori's still touching her arm, and so she raises it so that their hands meet; and when Tori doesn't flinch, she releases a small sigh of relief. "You don't need to thank me for it. I - I want to do right by you."
She expects Tori to shut her out again. Instead, she receives a nod. "Still. Thank you." With that, she slowly takes her hand out of Jade's hold, stepping back again. "Okay," she says, with a chuckle. "I think - now I definitely should go."
Jade knows it's desperate, but: "Not necessarily. I mean - it's late and you're drunk." When Tori gives her a look, she rolls her eyes. "Sorry if your ego can't take it, but you're kind of a lightweight when it comes to cheap alcohol." She leaves Tori to contemplate her words while she goes to her bedroom.
When Tori sees her emerge with a spare pillow and a blanket, already in her pajamas, an amused smile plays on her face. "It's been a while since I spent the night in the doghouse," she jokes.
Jade scoffs as she quickly makes her bed on the couch. "These are for me," she announces. "You're taking the bed."
She doesn't need to look at Tori to know she's giving her an incredulous look, so she doesn't. Instead, she promptly plops down, sighing in satisfaction and stretching her arms before putting on a show of getting comfortable.
"Jade." Tori sounds thoroughly unimpressed. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not gonna make you take the couch in your own home."
"I'm not being ridiculous. You're the guest. You get the bed."
She's surprised when Tori only gives her a sigh in reply and silently walks into her bedroom. She's much less surprised when Tori comes out carrying a pillow and a blanket. She's even less surprised - and certainly less impressed - when Tori proceeds to lie down on the floor next to the couch.
She scowls. The lights are still on and Tori doesn't look even remotely ready for bed - seriously, she hasn't even taken her watch off - and this is stupid.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hisses.
"Clearly engaging in a pissing contest," Tori replies dryly. Their gazes lock, and something sparkles in brown eyes that makes it impossible for Jade to keep a straight face any longer. Or, perhaps, it's the sheer absurdity of the whole thing. Either way, she can feel a smile forming, and there's an answering one on Tori's face, too, despite her biting her lips to keep it from spreading.
Next thing she knows, they burst out laughing, simultaneously. They way Tori closes her eyes as laughter tumbles down from her lips is entirely too mesmerizing, and Jade finds her own chuckles dying as she drinks the sight in, lip caught between her own teeth.
Soon, Tori realizes she's the only one laughing, just like she realizes she's being watched, and the very tips of her ears burn red when she clears her throat. "Well, it appears that we've come to an impasse," she says.
"So it does."
Tori's smile is still there. "I'm stubborn enough to spend the night on the floor, and the couch is definitely better for my back, you know," she points out, and Jade knows she's already lost this round.
As long as she gets to see Tori laugh like that, she's more than okay with it. "Fine," she says, rolling her eyes only a little and only for show. She stands up and Tori does, too, sitting down on the couch.
"Well, uh - goodnight," she tells her lamely.
Tori nods, unrolling her sleeves so she can take her shirt off. "Goodnight, Jade."
The memory of her smile follows her all the way to her bed.
