Happy Place || A Jerrie Fanfiction

XVIII - FEELINGS

After that interesting phone call with Jesy, Perrie swoops in front of me a few minutes later with a plate of burger and fries.

With one eyebrow raised, I tell her, "I already ate. What's with the food? It's not even lunch yet."

Perrie stares at me for a few seconds, then when realization hits, she breaks into a grin. "I'm sorry -- did you think I brought this for you?"

Suddenly my cheeks feel warm, and nothing is going through my head except the fact that I actually assumed Perrie brought food for me because she merely wants to. I have got to stop assuming everything she does is for me.

Immediately, I shake my head and cover my embarrassment with something akin to nonchalance.

"No, of course not."

Her grin merely widens. "Are you hungry again?"

Once again, I shake my head in disbelief. "No. So don't share your food with me if you think you can't finish it. I'm full."

To my surprise, she scoffs and gives me that incredulous look one would give when the other is being ridiculous. "For your information, Jade Thirlwall, this food is for me and me only. I do not share."

As if to emphasize her point, she slowly -- and by slowly, I meant really slowly just to aggravate me -- grabs her burger and munch on it. Her eyes widen and there's this weird noise she suddenly makes while chewing -- almost like a squeal of a girl who had finally been given her favorite Barbie doll.

She covers her mouth with one hand and starts talking, "This is so good."

"Of course you'd say that," I chuckle, shaking my head. I lean back on my seat and cross my arms. "This is your restaurant, after all. You look like you're advertising your food to me."

Perrie smirks. "Oh, you bet I am. Celebrities can be really influential, you know."

"So I have been told," I state smugly, returning the smirk and even going as far as to whip my hair behind my shoulders.

When my eyes land back on her though, I catch her gaze trained on my exposed collarbone. It was a fleeting moment, short enough to convince me that perhaps I was just imagining it. But when she snaps her gaze back at me, she flushes at the realization that I have been watching her.

My smirk widens because I know that I have caught her.

She clears her throat, seeming recovered from whatever embarrassment she must have been feeling a moment ago. It's getting quite difficult to stave off a giggle just by watching her try to compose herself as she focuses on her food.

"So," Perrie starts, popping some fries in her mouth. After she swallows them, she speaks up again, "Leigh's throwing a party tonight."

I raise my eyebrows. "For what?"

She merely shrugs. "Just because."

"And you want me to come?"

"I didn't say that."

I furrow my brow, suddenly bemused. "So why did you tell me that Leigh's having a party tonight?"

"Uhm, because I just wanted to tell you that I'm coming . . .?"

I just stare at her, not saying anything in response because this seems too absurd for me to deal with at ten in the morning. Is she honestly for real?

Perrie stares back at me, then snorts, revealing her pearly-white teeth as she beams at me. "I was just joking. I want you to come."

Later that night, I don a pair of high-waist denim shorts and a plain white v-neck shirt tucked inside. I decided to forgo make-up since I have no one to impress in the party. Perrie told me the party starts at eight and texted a few hours ago before I left her restaurant that she'll pick me up at seven by the lobby. And I am honestly praying that she doesn't forget about me.