A few days after getting back from Vegas I finally caved to Cat's several texts begging me to hang out with her. So we'd gone to the beach downtown, soon to be joined by the rest of our friends. It was the first time in months that I had plans that didn't involve Tori, not really out of choice though. She'd made plans with her science partner to write up some notes on their summer project. I'd already told her several times how lame she was not only for ditching me but for ditching me for a school project, but she just smiled sweetly ignoring my obvious digs at her. And even after several attempts to try and bribe her to stay with me for the day she insisted her meeting was important and left me with a kiss goodbye. So I ended up at the beach on one of the hottest days of the year so far with minimal shade and an annoying red head.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Cat whined, throwing her arms around my shoulders for the third time today. The moment she'd turned up at my house she'd thrown herself around me as if we were magnets, almost knocking me clean off my feet. For a petite girl she had some strength in her.

"So?" My tone was moodier than expected yet she didn't seem phased.

"So, I missed you! Didn't you miss me?" She bat her long eye lashes at me, using her 'kitten eyes' at me.

I scoffed quietly. I had missed her, but there was no way I'd admit that to her or anyone for that matter.

"Where have you been?" She persisted, clearly not catching on to my mood.

"About."

She dropped her eyes slightly, playing with the warm sand in her hands. "Where did you go on vacation then?" She looked back up at me.

Confusion covered my face. I'd never told Cat I went on vacation or any of my friends. They didn't know about Tori so they couldn't know about Vegas. I'd told no one other than my parents and even then they didn't seem interested or bothered enough to even know where or when I'd gone.

"What?" I let out, still racking my brain to figure out how she'd have known that. I looked down at my pale body, I wasn't even that tanned from Vegas, other than burning my chest slightly on the first day and being a bit red I hadn't caught the sun at all, unlike Tori who seemed to have literally changed color totally since going. So that wouldn't have given anything away.

"I bumped into your Mom and Jett at the store last week and they told me you were on vacation. Where'd you go?"

I mumbled slightly. I couldn't tell her I'd gone with Tori but I now couldn't lie and say it was a family vacation. I was trapped. My friends couldn't know about Tori. It's not that they wouldn't accept it, or like it, it was just my secret. Tori hadn't told anyone and neither had I. I wasn't even sure I was gay, how could I expect anyone to understand what was going on with me if I didn't even know what was happening myself. Cat was my best friend, but she can't keep secrets to save her life, or else I might have told her. But secrets aren't ever kept secret around Cat. "I-" Before I could even start I'd been interrupted, thankfully.

"Hola amigos!" Andre stood over the two of us holding beach towels and some soccer balls. He'd cast a large shadow and some slight shade over my sweating body.

"Hey you guys." Robbie appeared behind Andre. He was smothered in thick white sun screen and Rex was looking rather similar although he was only in bathing shorts and was propped up on Robbie's hand.

And lastly, Beck followed slightly sheepishly, one hand holding a cool box and the other wiping beads of sweat off his forehead before running his fingers through his thick hair. "Hey." He spoke quietly.

"Hey, Jade, you actually turned up for once!" Andre smiled, dropping the towels and patting me on the back with his clammy hand. I can only assume the pat was supposed to be endearing and welcoming but to me it was just gross and sweaty.

I watched carefully as the three guys set up their towels and began to get comfy beside us. Robbie's towel was a feminine shade of yellow which he'd spent the last five minutes trying to wipe every grain of sand off of, much to my amusement a tiny gust of wind would come along and spread more sand across his towel once he'd got comfy. Whereas Andre had just thrown his towel down messily and was trying to play the drums against the cool box. Beck on the other hand set his towel up right beside Cat, the closest out of them all to me. I'd caught him every now and again sneaking glances over at me. Every time he caught my eye he'd wipe his head again, looking around as if he were looking for shade or clouds and not blatantly at me. It was bordering on pathetic. Not only that, but I felt oddly vulnerable in just a bikini top and dark denim shorts. Normally I didn't mind people staring at me, living in Hollywood and being on stage constantly you get used to it pretty quickly, but now that I was with Tori she was the only person I wanted staring at me and my body.

"How's everyone's summer break been so far then?" Andre looked around at the group, a large grin on his face.

The group began to converse and without even meaning to I spaced out, my eyes just wandering around the beach. It was such a beautiful day, typical for LA. The sky was clear blue with not a cloud in sight. The sun was so hot that you could see heat rising from the ground on the street and the sand was hot against your skin. My eyes wander towards the sea where several people are swimming and paddling. The smell of the sea water tickles my nose, and I can almost taste the salt on my tongue. The clear blue ocean stretching to the farthest ends of what my eyes could see; almost as if it were trying to kiss the orange sun. It's beautiful and all I can think of is Tori and how much I wish she was here with me, not instead of my friends, but with me and my friends.

"Jade?" My thoughts are interrupted.

I turn back to the group who are all staring at me with blank expressions. "What?" I reply.

"Cat said you went on vacation, did you go anywhere nice?" Robbie questions under his breath.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes." Was my blunt response.

"Okay then.." Andre trailed off. Finally someone had got the hint I didn't want to talk about it.

"Does anyone want to go in the sea?" Cat squealed, standing up and throwing sand over everyone accidentally.

"I'm in." I finally cracked a smile, it was too hot to sit in the sun anymore and the water was looking more and more appealing by the second. Grabbing Cat's hand to stand up beside her, I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and placed my sunglasses on my head.

Beck watched carefully as I stood. "Me too." He added quickly.

"Yay! Let's go. I love being in the water! I love being wet!" Cat rushed towards the vast blue in front of us all, oblivious to what she'd just said.

"One day I think it'll click for her." I chuckled to the group before following the wild red head.

"You think?" Beck responded, catching up and walking along side me. He was walking one step behind me, almost as if he was scared of me.

I froze for a moment, turning to face him briefly. This was just weird. He'd broken up with me months ago and we'd barely seen eachother since. Yet here he was acting like we were best friends. "Yeah." I brushed off.

Waves crashed against my feet, mild water cooling me off instantly. I smirked as Cat was already waist deep in the water, giggling wildly to herself.

"So, how have you been?"

I cocked my eyebrow at him. God knows why he was trying so hard to talk to me, I had no intention of returning the gesture. "Fine."

I knew he could sense my hesitation. "Good. Yeah I've been good too." He stepped out further into the water, the waves began rippling just below his knees. "Listen, about what happened in May.."

"I really don't care, Beck." For once I wasn't lying. We'd done this before, broken up and got back together and each time I ran back to him without thinking twice, but this time it was so different.

"Look, what I said, I didn't mean any of it." He stepped towards me slowly, his eyes fixed on mine.

"Forget it. I'm over it." I took a step back away from him.

"Jade don't be like this." He moved closer again.

"Like what? I'm fine, Beck."

"Well I don't believe you." His voice stayed so smooth and calm although his face began to redden. "I'm sorry for what happened, I just want to make it right."

I scoffed. "Beck, I'm deadly serious. It's fine. I'm fine. I don't need this."

"Well I do. I miss you, Jade. I miss us."

I was speechless for what felt like hours. For the entire time I'd known Beck he had always been so bland and emotionless a lot of time. Getting emotion out of Beck was like drawing blood from a stone; impossible. Yet here he was, trying to pour his heart out to me. I hadn't even thought about him since meeting Tori, not romantically anyway. But hearing him say those words made my heart stop, only for a split second. I didn't love him, not anymore and hearing him say that only made me realise how little I did like him. He missed me like I missed Tori.

"You've found someone else, haven't you?" I could see my blank face reflecting in his eyes as he spoke.

I tried to speak but was so lost for words. How did he know?

"I kind of guessed." Beck stood back slightly, turning to face where Cat was playing. "It was written all over your face. You were barely talking today. I knew you wanted to be somewhere else, with someone else. I think you forget just how well I know you, Jade."

"I'm sorry." I wasn't, it was just the only words that seemed to make sense.

"I hope he treats you right, Jade. I hope he makes you real happy."

My lips pulled into a slight smirk, if only he knew how happy 'she' makes me.

He moved towards me slowly, kicking away the water by his feet as he lent into my face. "And when he breaks your heart, I'l be right here waiting for you." I froze as he placed his lips on mine. His stubble brushed against my smooth skin as I pushed him off me, a smirk on his lips. "Remember that."

Anger, frustration, humiliation, confusion all rushed over me as I stormed away from the boy who once owned my heart. I felt consumed by anger and hatred. Why couldn't he just leave me alone. He knows I've moved on and yet still insists on trying to fuck with my head. I couldn't work out who I was more mad at, him for saying those things and for kissing me, or myself for letting him do that and not punching him square in the face. That's not the Jade West everyone knows. I'm not the same girl since meeting Tori Vega, that's for sure.

"Jade, wait!" Cat raced after me, flicking water everywhere as she ran behind me.

"I have to go." I forced my clothes onto my damp body as she watched helplessly.

"But my brother isn't picking us up for another two hours? Is this because of Beck?"

I moved close to her face, my whole body shaking with anger. "Don't ever mention that again. Do you understand?"

She nodded carefully as I turned away from her. "Please don't go." She breathed pointlessly as I was already storming half way up the beach.

...

It took me well over an hour of fast paced walking to get back to my house. I thought I would pass out on more than one occasion. Walking through LA during the middle of July under the beating sun is not a good idea. It was long and hot but the walk calmed me down after what had just happened. Although I was still furious about what Beck had said and done, I didn't feel like I was going to punch a wall so much anymore.

As I headed up towards my front door, something wasn't quite right. My eyes adjusted to a slim figure sat legs into their chest, head down and leaning against the doorway.

"Tori?" I squinted my eyes at her as a head popped up. "I didn't think I was seeing you today?"

"I'm sorry, I just needed to see you." Her voice was shaken.

As I got closer I could see black tear stains down her quiet face. Her eyes were heavy and she was paler than usual. "What happened?" Everything that had just happened to me went out the window as panic was now the only thing I could feel.

"Nothing, it's silly." She stood up, brushing off her skirt. "I'm sorry about this. I just missed you." She pulled the worst fake smile I've ever seen.

"You're not fooling anyone, Vega." I wrapped my arms around her neck, holding her as close to me as I could. I could practically feel her heart beating against my chest as she let out a small muffle, followed by a few more tears. "Wanna tell me what's wrong now?"

She shook her head. "You'll laugh at me."

I opened my mouth into an 'O' shape. "Me, laugh at you? No way!" I smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood.

"Eww, you're all sweaty. Where have you been?" She wiped her hands on her bare legs, a real smile appearing.

"The beach and then I walked home. That's another story though, now tell me what's wrong."

"Promise not to laugh?"

"For gods sake just tell me what's wrong." I snapped a little too harshly at her. She jumped slightly, her eyes widening at my reaction.

"I fell out with my science partner." She began twitching her fingers together, something she only does when she's excited or nervous.

It's so hard when Tori tells me not to laugh at her to keep a straight face, especially when she tells me stuff like that. A weird half smile stole across my lips as I tried to take her seriously. "Okay..?"

"I told you it's silly." She sat back down heavily, picking up at a few stones and throwing them across my yard.

I sat beside her, my hot body cooling against the cold tiles that made up my porch. "No, go on."

"I wanted to change our project and do something totally different but she wasn't having any of it. So we got into an argument and I stormed out. So basically I still have to do the project regardless of how I feel about it." Her eyes began to water again, she looked so scared and nervous over something so silly.

"Stop crying." I wiped my fingers carefully under her hazel eyes. "It's just a dumb project, Tori. Man up." I know she expected me to be sweet and loving with her but that doesn't always work with me. I work on tough love.

"But I don't want to do it." She whispered.

"Yeah and I don't want to do a lot of things, but I get on with it. That's life." I watched as she let out a deep sigh. I knew she knew what I was saying made sense. "Now do you want to come inside for some lemonade or would you like to continue sitting outside my house looking like a loser and probably cooking yourself alive?"

She giggled finally. "Lemonade sounds great. I'm so hot."

"You sure are." I eyed her up and down as she stood up again.

A louder laugh left her lips as she entered my house. "Perv."

"Bite me."

...

Once the sun had set and all was calm again in Tori's world we sat on my balcony staring up at the dark, clear sky. The vast darkness was lit up by millions of stars. It was a sight I'd often forgotten to appreciate. Until Tori came into my life I didn't care for things like that, but she did and therefore that meant I did too.

"How was your day then?"

My heart began to beat fast as I thought back on the day. It had been great, up until Beck ruined it all. "It was fine." I replied hesitantly.

"Just fine?" She looked up at me with wide eyes. She was laying across me, her head resting on my legs her eyes staring straight up at the sky. The millions of stars glimmered in her eyes like tiny lights.

"Yep." I ran my hands through her hair, playing with strands around my fingers.

"I wish I could have come." She sighed.

"Me too. I had fun, but I just have so much more fun when you're around."

Her cheeks blushed pink. "Aww, Jade. I feel the same too."

"Good." I lent down and kissed her softly. Her lips always tasted so sweet. She had such a unique taste and I was well and truly addicted to it. "Tor?"

She'd left her eyes closed after the kiss, her whole face relaxed and delicate in my lap. "Mmm." She mumbled.

"Don't you want to just tell me, you know, about us?"

Her eyes opened again. "I don't know. Not yet. Not now. I hate keeping secrets, more than anything, I just don't think we need to tell anyone. It's no one's business is it?"

"I guess." I shrugged my shoulders at her. "We're hardly keeping secrets though."

"From our families and friends we are. Which sucks more than anything, but at least I get to be totally honest with you." She stroked some hair from my face before closing her eyes again.

I had to tell her about Beck now. I couldn't earlier because of how upset she was. But now we're talking about honesty and secrets I can't keep this from her. She needs to know how much of an ass he is too. "I need to tell you something."

She sat up slowly, turning her body to face me. "What?" I could tell she was worried. I could read her like a book. Her eyes began to scan my face, fear installing into them as she locked her eye line on my own.

"It's about my ex. He was at the beach today with us all." I paused and took a deep breath. "He started talking to me, about me and him. And, then.."

"And then what, Jade?" Her calm expression was slowly changing to one of anger mixed with panic and worry. Something I'd never seen on Tori before.

"And then, he kissed me."

She didn't even let me finish or explain before she'd stormed back into my bedroom and locked herself in my en-suite.

I followed after her like a puppy, sitting outside the locked door. "Tori, let me explain!" I begged. "He kissed me and the moment he did I pushed him off me and ran away from him. He was just being an ass. He know's I've moved on and I don't like him anymore. He half knows I'm with you. Tori I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away you were just so upset when I got back from the beach that I didn't want to upset you even more."

No matter what I said and how many times I explained myself she wasn't budging. So after a while of silence, I curled up with a blanket beside the bathroom door and drifted off only to be woken up a while later by a very tired and sorry looking brunette who curled up behind me and cuddled into me until we both fell asleep.

This girl is stubborn as hell, probably almost as stubborn as me, but god do I love her.

A/N - So yeah, haven't update in a while and I'm really sorry about that. I could give you a million excuses why but the list would be as long as this update ;)

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and a happy new year.

Hi Doll ;)