Another few days had passed before the two girls were both home at the same time that wasn't just to go to sleep. Jade's first year final film project had seemingly been pulling her time away as much as Cat's album had been to the redhead.

As Jade stepped through the front door, she heard the faint beat of a song playing from Cat's bedroom. Curiosity drew her upstairs, closer to the sound. When she reached the doorway, she stopped, her jaw tightening as she listened to the lyrics Cat was singing along with- it was one of her demo's that Jade had yet to hear..

"So why do we try?

You drive me insane

Now we're screaming just to see who's louder

So why do we try?"

Cat's voice rang out, spilling into the air with a mix of emotion and power, but Jade felt an uncomfortable twist in her chest. Is that really how she sees us? she thought, feeling hurt spread through her. It was like Cat was portraying her as some angry, shouting presence in her life—as if that's all their relationship was.

Cat, still singing, didn't notice Jade at the door until she started singing a series of 'nanannas' that finished that bit off, startled. "Oh! Jade, I didn't hear you come in." She reached over and paused the track.

Jade crossed her arms, unable to keep her irritation from bubbling over. "You're really going to put that on your album? You're acting like we're always just yelling at each other!"

Cat's expression shifted, a mix of surprise and frustration. "Jade, it's a song about how I love you despite the arguments we have! It's honest, not a dig at you."

Jade scoffed, her voice rising. "We don't always argue, Cat!"

Cat gave her a look, the irony clear on her face, but she sighed instead of pushing back. "You're not hearing me," she said, trying to stay calm. "This isn't about the yelling. It's about how I feel in our relationship. How, no matter what we go through, I still—"

Jade's eyes narrowed. "You make it sound like I'm this… angry person who just yells all the time."

"No you're getting it all wrong." Cat started, seeing instantly that telling Jade she was wrong wasn't the best choice of words. "Think about when you sung 'Louder' to Beck at that showcase. Its a song about loving the fight about-"

Jade's jaw dropped, cutting her off. "You're really comparing this with that? That's wrong on so many levels."

"Enlighten me, then!" Cat challenged, her hands on her hips. If Jade was going to keep cutting her off then she may as well let her talk.

"Firstly," Jade said, her voice sharp, "I sang that song at a showcase. Not for an album, not for anything like this. Second, I didn't even write that song—it wasn't personal. And third of all, do you really want to compare what we have to what I had with Beck? We broke up for a reason, Cat! Are you telling me I'm the problem just because I yell when I'm pissed off?"

Cat's frustration boiled over. "That's not what I'm saying—"

"That's what it sounds like you're saying!" Jade shot back, her voice rising.

Cat clenched her fists, taking a steadying breath. "You're doing exactly what you got mad at Radius for last week, Jade. You're telling me what I can and can't write, just like they do. This song—it's from my heart, and it's about us, and you haven't even really listened to it before jumping to conclusions!"

Jade faltered, her anger briefly replaced by a flicker of doubt. She knew what it felt like to be told how to create, and the realisation that she'd done the same thing to Cat made her chest tighten. Her gaze softened, but the frustration still lingered.

"You're really going to make me out like this, like I'm just someone who yells at you all the time?" Jade's voice cracked, her frustration raw and barely contained. "Like that's the only part of us that's real?"

Cat threw her hands up, exasperated. "That's not what I'm doing! Why can't you see that? I'm trying to write something honest, something that shows every part of us!"

"Yeah, every ugly part of us," Jade snapped back, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You really think I want people thinking that's all our relationship is?"

Cat shook her head, her jaw clenched. "You're twisting it, Jade. You're making it sound like I'm the bad guy for putting my feelings into a song. For trying to make people understand us." She took a deep breath, her eyes glistening with hurt. "I thought you, of all people, would get that."

Jade rolled her eyes, her anger flaring again. "Get what? That you think this is some public confession you need to make? That you want to make me the villain in your little love story?"

Cat's eyes narrowed. "You know what? Fine. Believe whatever you want. I'm done trying to explain myself to you." She turned sharply and grabbed one of her bags.

Jade followed her, still brimming with frustration. "What are you doing?"

"Getting away from you," Cat yanked open the closet, pulling out a few clothes and tossing them into a bag, her movements fast and angry.

Jade's heart skipped a beat as she watched. "What—what?"

Cat didn't look at her. "I'm going to Tori's."

Jade felt a surge of panic and anger twist inside her. "You're just going to leave? Over this?"

Cat spun around, her eyes flashing. "Yeah, Jade. Because right now, being here with you feels like I'm suffocating. I need to go somewhere I can breathe."

Jade clenched her fists, fighting the urge to yell again. "And how exactly are you planning to get there, huh? You can't even drive properly. What are you going to do?"

Cat slung her bag over her shoulder, her jaw set defiantly. "Walk," she snapped, marching out of the room.

"Cat, come on—" Jade reached out, her voice a mix of frustration and desperation, but Cat didn't stop. She ran downstairs, swung the door open and stormed outside, not looking back.

Jade stood frozen in the doorway, watching her storm down the front steps, though the gate and onto the street, her small frame stiff with determination. Jade wanted to call out, to say something that would make her turn around, but pride and anger held her back, leaving her rooted in place as Cat disappeared around the corner.

Jade stood there, staring at the empty space where Cat had just been, her chest tight and her fists clenched so hard her knuckles turned white. The anger that had fueled her during the argument evaporated, leaving only the raw ache of regret and guilt in its place.

Slowly, she turned away from the door and sank down onto the couch, her hands coming up to cover her face. The frustration she'd clung to was gone, replaced by a hollow feeling she didn't know how to shake. She'd pushed Cat away—driven her out of their home, her voice still echoing in Jade's ears, accusing and hurt. It wasn't just anger in Cat's voice she'd heard; it was pain, the kind that cut deep and lingered.

Jade let out a shaky breath, but it quickly morphed into a soft, broken sound. Her chest felt like it was being crushed, the weight of her own words pressing down on her, heavier than she could bear. She squeezed her eyes shut, but that only seemed to make everything worse, replaying every word they'd said, every hurtful accusation and cutting remark.

"Why did I have to push her?" she whispered, her voice cracking, barely able to hear herself. "Why couldn't I just… listen?"

The thought of Cat being gone, even just to Tori's, sent a wave of panic through her. What if she didn't come back tonight? What if she didn't want to come back at all?

Her hands dropped from her face as she stared blankly at the coffee table, eyes glassy with tears. She wanted to call Cat, to apologise, to tell her she didn't mean it, that she didn't want her to leave. But something stopped her—a fear that she'd messed things up too much, that Cat wouldn't want to hear her voice right now.

A quiet sob broke from her lips, her shoulders trembling as she buried her face in her hands again, unable to keep up the front anymore. She hadn't felt this vulnerable in years, the sharp pain of the argument exposing parts of herself she'd tried to keep hidden, even from Cat. She wanted so desperately to be understood, to be loved without feeling like she was being judged or picked apart. But in pushing Cat to understand her, she'd only ended up hurting her, pushing her further away.

"Please come back," she whispered into the silence, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry…"

But the house was empty, and her words hung in the air, unanswered. For the first time in a long time, Jade felt completely and utterly alone. The weight of her own stubbornness pressed down on her, the realisation of what she'd done tearing her apart, piece by piece.