Enigma || jerrie ✔︎

part 01 - echoes

What the hell was the first thing Jade thought when the sobbing reached her ears, Perrie never cries. The brunette finished the biscuit she was nibbling on and shared concerned glances with Jesy and Leigh-Anne. Jade couldn't possibly imagine what was wrong. "I'll go check on her," Jade volunteered, quickly rising to her feet.

Jesy and Leigh-Anne started to protest, but they all silently agreed on one thing: overwhelming Perrie probably wasn't the best option. Are we overreacting? Pez probably just stubbed her toe, for God's sake, Jade thought as she padded down the hall in search of her blonde bandmate.

It was supposed to be a small party celebrating the success of Black Magic in the flat Jade formerly shared with Perrie; after going through two large boxes of pizza and two episodes of Friends, the girls had started scrolling through their phones sleepily, at least until Perrie excitedly picked up her phone and went into the next room to talk. If Jade had to bet, the caller had been Zayn.

It wasn't like Jade disliked the lad. He was nice enough to all of them, and he was good looking too; Perrie and Zayn were a perfect match; no one could deny it; the way they looked at each other said it all. Even when Perrie wasn't with Zayn, she was always on her phone texting him.

Jade wouldn't say that she was jealous of the time Perrie spent with her fiancé - she supposed she was happy for them despite the twinge in her stomach every time she saw them together. Friends were supposed to be glad for their friends, and that was what Jade always tried to do. When Perrie was happy, Jade would be happy. But when Perrie moved in with Zayn and left Jade in their old flat, it hurt. It fucking hurt a lot. The flat seemed empty without Perrie's bright and bubbly personality to fill it up.

"Perrie?" Jade called in a soft, frightened voice. Honestly, she was afraid; she hated seeing her best friend in tears. "Pez, are you okay? What happened?"

Perrie was slumped against a wall with her phone clenched tightly in her fist. Tears glistened in her blue eyes as she looked up at Jade, and her bottom lip trembled. "The wedding's off." Crystal drops plinked onto her T-shirt continuously, and it killed Jade to see the hurt in Perrie's expression.

"What?" Jade stood there numbly, staring down at her bandmate with wide eyes. It wasn't possible; Zayn and Perrie were still so in love when Jade saw the couple together a few weeks ago. The news hit her like a sledgehammer, and she couldn't imagine what it felt like for Perrie. "Oh, Pez, I'm so sorry," Jade breathed, crouching down so she could embrace her best friend. With another muffled sob, Perrie wrapped her arms around Jade, who rocked her back and forth gently. "It's gonna be okay, Pez, it's gonna be okay."

"A-And the whole thing was going so well..." Perrie hiccuped, "I-I should've known..." Jade pushed a strand of Perrie's hair out of the way and swiped at her bandmate's flushed cheeks with her thumbs gently, trying to brush away the tears.

"Shhh," Jade murmured, her thoughts drifting to Zayn. What, exactly, had happened? Maybe something really had changed inside him since he left One Direction.

"What's going on?" It was Jesy and Leigh-Anne. Apparently they had gotten tired of waiting and trying to listening through the wall.

"Perrie? You wanna tell them?" Jade coaxed, rubbing the other girl's back.

"Z-Zayn called off the engagement," Perrie mumbled, swiping her tears away. "S-said he wanted to live w-while he was young."

Jade didn't know whether to laugh or curse at the irony. Jesy shook her head, sighing, and took a place next to Perrie on the floor, quickly followed by Leigh-Anne. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, babe. But are you sure he broke it off entirely?"