The week dragged on like a storm cloud neither Cat nor Jade could escape. Each passing day only solidified the silence between them, and both girls felt trapped, not by anger but by an overwhelming fear of misstepping. Cat couldn't bring herself to reach out, convinced Jade needed the space she had asked for. Jade, meanwhile, held back, afraid that Cat was still too hurt to hear from her. It was like Jade needed permission to come home- and Cat didn't know she was meant to give it.
Both of them wanted to break the silence, to apologise, to fix things, but their love for each other twisted into a barrier rather than a bridge.
Beck sat against the RV's wall, scrolling aimlessly through his phone. He'd planned to leave Phoenix two days ago, the wanderlust tugging at him as usual, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to Jade. She wasn't okay, and as much as her presence disrupted his own plans, Beck knew better than to push her out the door.
Across state lines, Andre was feeling the weight of Cat's emotions more than anyone. She'd poured everything into the new song they were working on—every ache, every ounce of longing, every unsaid word. It was raw, devastating, and undeniably beautiful.
But it also tore Andre apart every time they worked on it. He knew Cat needed Jade, and he suspected Jade needed Cat just as much.
That's when Andre decided he couldn't just sit by anymore and he sent Beck a message,
Andre: "Yo, I need you to play this for Jade. Like, now. She needs to hear it."
Attached to the message was an audio file, its title 'My Everything v3'.
Beck hesitated for only a moment before tapping the file. As soon as the first notes played through his headphones, the weight of the song hit him like a freight train. The melody was hauntingly beautiful, Cat's voice soft and aching as it carried the rawest lyrics Beck had ever heard. It was all there: her guilt, her longing, her love for Jade, and the pain of their silence.
By the time the song ended, Beck didn't even hesitate. He grabbed his Bluetooth speaker and placed it in the middle of the floor.
"Jade," he called over to her, pulling her from the book she was reading off of her phone, his tone serious.
"What now?" she muttered, barely looking up from her phone.
"Just listen," Beck said firmly.
Jade furrowed her brows but didn't argue. The room filled with the sound of Cat's voice, and within seconds, Jade froze. Her breath caught as the lyrics hit her, each word cutting deeper than the last.
"I cried enough tears to see my own reflection in them
And then it was clear
I can't deny, I really miss it
To think that I was wrong
I guess you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
Pain is just a consequence of love
I'm saying sorry for the sake of us"
It began. It was as if Cat was in the room, pouring her heart out to Jade directly. The vulnerability in her voice shattered every wall Jade had built over the past week. As the song continued Jade was staring at the speaker, her hands trembling.
A few minutes later it ended with a soul goodbye, Cat was clearly crying while singing this part.
"'Cause you are, you are
You are my everything
You are, you are
You are my everything"
Jade didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face until Beck handed her a tissue.
"Cat didn't send it," Beck said softly, sitting down across from her. "Andre did. He's worried about her. And from the look on your face, I think he's right to be."
Jade wiped at her face, swallowing hard. "She... she really feels like this?"
Beck gave her a pointed look. "What do you think?"
Jade's phone was in her hand before she even realised it. She didn't care if Cat needed space anymore. What they both needed was each other, and Jade wasn't about to let another day go by without saying it.
She opened her texts and started typing, her hands still shaking.
Jade: "I'm sorry. I've been an idiot. Can I come home?"
Jade stared at her screen after hitting send, her heart pounding. She half expected Cat not to respond, maybe even to block her out entirely. She deserved it after everything, but she couldn't keep running away.
The seconds felt like hours, her mind racing with all the ways Cat might react. Maybe she was too hurt. Maybe it was too late.
But then, her phone buzzed, and Jade nearly dropped it in her rush to check the screen.
Cat: "please"
One simple word, yet it carried enough weight to knock the air out of her lungs. Jade didn't hesitate. She jumped up, grabbing her bag and keys.
"Leaving already?" Beck asked, though there was a trace of relief in his voice.
"She said to come home," Jade replied, her voice quieter than usual but steadier than it had been in days.
"Good," Beck said, standing and offering her a small smile. "You two are better together than apart. Don't screw it up this time."
Jade rolled her eyes, though there was no real venom in it. "Thanks, Dr. Phil."
"Anytime."
The plane ride back to LA was a blur. Jade didn't let herself overthink it—she didn't rehearse an apology, didn't try to justify her actions in her head. She just sat and stared out the window, each mile bringing her closer to Cat and further from the mistakes she'd made.
By the time she reached their house, it was just past sunset. The faint golden light painted the quiet street as Jade parked her car and stepped out. Her legs felt unsteady, her heart a mess of nerves and hope.
She unlocked the door, stepping into the familiar space that felt both comforting and foreign after the week apart.
"Cat?" Jade called softly, her voice cracking despite herself.
Cat appeared at the top of the stairs, her face a mix of emotions—relief, anger, exhaustion, love. Her eyes were red and puffy, but to Jade, she looked like the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, the silence heavy with everything they'd left unsaid.
"I'm sorry," Jade said finally, her voice breaking. "For leaving. For... everything."
Cat took a hesitant step forward, then another, until she was standing right in front of Jade.
"I missed you," Cat said, her voice trembling. "I thought you'd never come back." She threw her arms around Jade, clinging to her as if letting go wasn't an option. "And I'm sorry too," She whispered, her tears soaking into Jade's jacket. "I didn't mean to push you away."
"You didn't," Jade murmured, holding her just as tightly. "You never could." They stood there for what felt like forever, the morning light spilling into the room as they held on to each other, finally feeling like they were home again. "Jade's voice was soft, almost hesitant. "I want to listen to 'Why Try' again."
Cat pulled back slightly, looking at her, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face. "No," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "I pulled it off the album—it's gone."
Jade's brows knitted in confusion and guilt. "No, don't do that because of me. You deserve to be able to write how you feel, Cat."
Cat looked away, her arms crossing protectively over her chest. "It doesn't matter. I don't want it on there anymore."
Jade hesitated, unsure if she should push further, but then decided to just say it. "Andre sent me 'My Everything'... I assume that's what it's called?"
Cat blinked, surprise flashing in her eyes. "He sent it to you?"
Jade nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the tension in the air. "He cares about you, Cat. We all do. And that song..." Jade trailed off, shaking her head slightly, overwhelmed by the memory of it. "It's incredible. Is it going on the album?"
Cat hesitated, her cheeks tinged pink. "I want it to be the title track," she admitted softly.
"Good," Jade said with a surprising amount of conviction. "It should be. It deserves that."
Cat looked at her, her expression softening, but there was still a trace of uncertainty lingering in her eyes.
"I've done a lot of thinking- about how it isn't my place to tell you what to sing- it's no one's place in fact. You sing what you feel, not what anyone else tells you to sing. Now, please," Jade said, her voice dipping into that rare vulnerability she only let Cat see. "Can I hear it?"
Cat hesitated again, her hand hovering over her arm, as if she were holding something back. "Jade..."
"Cat, I need to hear it. Please." Jade's eyes were pleading, the weight of her request clear.
Cat sighed deeply, looking down at her feet before finally nodding. "Okay," she whispered.
She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her files until she found the demo. She hesitated a moment longer before pressing play.
As the first notes filled the room, Cat sank onto the couch next to Jade, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Jade listened, her eyes closing as Cat's voice poured through the speaker, raw and unfiltered.
The lyrics hit her like a tidal wave all over again. They weren't just about arguments or yelling—they were about love, the messy, imperfect, beautiful kind that endures through everything. All that she'd missed on that first listen.
When the song ended, the room was silent again. Jade opened her eyes, glancing at Cat, who was staring at the floor, her cheeks flushed.
"I'm sorry," Cat said quietly, "if it hurt you. That wasn't my intention."
"It didn't hurt me," Jade said, reaching out to take Cat's hand. "I wish I'd listened to it properly the first time- the whole thing. Like you told me too. I'm sorry for not listening to you- or to the song."
For the first time in days, Cat smiled, leaning into Jade's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.
Jade kissed the top of her head. "Now promise me you'll keep it on the album."
Cat laughed softly. "I'll think about it."