The week after the single release was like a dream for Cat. Her song with Myles blew up overnight. Fans were sharing it everywhere, leaving comments that ranged from heartfelt praise for her voice to endless excitement about the collaboration. Her label called the song a huge success, and even hinted that the next single would be coming sooner than planned.

Then the video dropped soon after. Fans were loving the chemistry between her and Myles, reacting exactly how the label had hoped for. The internet was obsessed, and the speculation about the nature of their relationship exploded in full force. Headlines and thumbnails popped up everywhere, claiming, 'Caterina and Myles: Hollywood's Newest Couple?' and 'Are These Two More Than Musical Partners?'

Jade had thought she was prepared for this. She'd watched Cat step into this new life and was happy to support her, feeling proud to see her girlfriend's dream come true. But now, seeing the endless wave of rumours swirling online, she couldn't shake the tightness building in her chest. Jealousy burned, tugging her between pride and frustration.

She knew it was ridiculous. It was all for show, for PR, for the image Cat's team was trying to build. And Cat had been clear about her feelings—her love for Jade was undeniable. But the internet was relentless, and every time Jade opened her feed, she saw it: images of Cat and Myles smiling at each other, leaning close, all from this damn music video. And then, it got made worse by her PR team making them meet up again, do radio interviews together, and other promotional nonsense.

When Cat came home each night, her energy was electric, her excitement contagious. She'd fill Jade in on the day's events, telling stories about the fans she'd heard from, the interview questions, the reaction from her label. And each time, Jade found herself torn, smiling and nodding, while something heavy weighed down inside.

Cat must have noticed one night, because she paused mid-story, looking at Jade with a soft, searching expression. "You okay, Jade? You've seemed… a little off lately."

Jade hesitated, not wanting to bring it up, not wanting to sour Cat's first taste of real success. "I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile. "I think I'm just… I don't know, getting used to all of this, I guess. It's just weird to see so much of you… everywhere, you know?"

Cat moved closer, wrapping her arms around Jade and resting her head on her shoulder. "I know it's a lot," she said gently. "And I hate that the rumours are even a thing. It's all just this big, dumb part of the job, and I wish it didn't have to be."

Jade nodded, trying to push down the sting of jealousy. "I know. I know you're just doing what they tell you to. It's just… different, seeing people talk like they know you. Or… like they know you better than I do."

Cat pulled back slightly, meeting Jade's gaze with steady, caring eyes. "They don't know me better than you do. No one does."

Jade swallowed, the knot in her chest loosening a bit. She leaned into Cat's embrace, closing her eyes as she let herself believe it. This was still her Cat—the girl who, despite the whirlwind, still chose her, every day. And even if it was hard, even if it stung to watch her and Myles and read the world's assumptions, this was the life she'd signed up for. But she needed to talk to someone- rant about it. And this was just one of those things she couldn't tell Cat about.

Grabbing her phone she sent Tori a quick message telling the half-Latina that she'd be over to hers tomorrow. As much as her and Tori may not have been the best of friends, that girl did have a habit of being available when Jade needed someone to talk to, on the rare occasion that Cat wasn't the right person.

Jade flopped onto Tori's couch with a huff, arms crossed tightly as she glared at her phone, watching the music video for the 100th time. "It's terrible, Tori. The video quality is awful—overexposed, out of focus half the time. It's like they handed the camera to an intern and said, 'Here, just go for it.' I could've made something better in my sleep."

Tori looked up from her snack, eyebrows raised. "The video quality? You think that's really the issue here?"

"Yes," Jade snapped, then sighed and slumped back against the cushions. She set her phone aside and stared up at the ceiling. "I just don't get it, okay? They put all this time and money into hyping her up, they promise her this whole big marketing push, and then they come out with… that?"

Tori nodded, waiting for her to continue. She could tell there was something else brewing beneath the surface of Jade's rant. "But it seems like it's doing well, right? Like, even if the quality's not great, people still love the video."

"That's not the point," Jade muttered, crossing her arms again. "The point is… I don't know. It's like she's everywhere now. And suddenly everyone's in love with her, everyone thinks they know her, like… like she's theirs. And then there's him."

"Myles?" Tori guessed gently.

Jade's jaw clenched. "Yeah. Myles. Everyone's acting like they're some perfect match, like they've been together forever. And the way he acts around her… I mean, I trust Cat. I do. But he's so… he's just always in her space, and it's making everything worse. The worst part is, I know she's just doing her job, and I know she loves me, but…"

"But it hurts," Tori finished softly.

Jade swallowed, looking away. "Yeah. It hurts," she admitted. "And I feel stupid for even feeling like this, because it's not like she asked for any of this. It's all her label pushing for this image, this… whatever it is they're trying to make her look like."

Tori moved closer, resting a hand on Jade's shoulder. "Hey, it's not stupid. It's totally normal to feel jealous and, yeah, hurt. It's like… you're sharing her with the whole world now, and that's a huge adjustment. Especially when they're making her look like she's with someone else."

Jade let out a shaky breath, nodding. "Exactly. And she deserves this, you know? She's so talented, and she's worked so hard to get here. I don't want to be the one dragging her down because of my own… insecurity."

Tori squeezed her shoulder. "You're not dragging her down. This is just part of figuring it all out together. She loves you, Jade. She's always going to choose you. Fame and all this… it's a lot, and it changes things, but it doesn't change what you two have."

Jade looked over at her friend, some of the tension in her expression finally easing. "Thanks, Tori. I needed that."

"Anytime." Tori smiled, giving her shoulder a final squeeze. "But hey, maybe you should tell her. Even if it's hard, she'd probably want to know what you're going through."

Jade thought about that, her gaze softening. "Yeah. I think you're right. I'll talk to her… just not when I'm this worked up."

"Good call," Tori laughed. "And in the meantime, you can hang out here, rant as much as you need to, and we can make fun of Myles' Instagram selfies. Sound good?"

Jade smirked, a spark of her usual energy returning. "That actually sounds perfect."