Jade
Zac came over with pizza, kebab rolls and fries a little while ago. He said we needed all the unhealthy food we could get to cure our hangovers. Well, Jess, Leigh and I needed the food and a lot of aspirin for our throbbing heads. Perrie, on the other hand, not so much. She had like, what? Three drinks last night, meaning she wasn't suffering the consequences from drinking too much.
She did, however, need all the rest she possibly could get. My beautiful girl dealt with our drunk asses from the moment Jesy got into the bar fight to the moment she put us to bed. She handled us very well. I couldn't be happier to have someone as amazing as Perrie by my side.
We sat in a circle on the light brown parquet floor, wearing oversized sweatshirts and very comfortable sweatpants. We still wore last night's make-up. My eyes hurt from the day-old mascara.
Perrie wore her hair in a messy bun, looking as beautiful as ever. She was the only one that had washed off her make-up. I thought she looked amazing. But then again, my Perrie always looked amazing. She didn't have to dress up or wear any make-up to look good. My Perrie had natural beauty, she was just too blind to see it.
Leigh, Jesy and I let our hair flow freely down our backs. We were too lazy to style it today. All we wanted to do was eat the food Zac came with and enjoy this rainy Sunday together.
"Last night was a whole lot of fun" Leigh said as she buried her teeth in a pizza slice.
"Up until you three got drunk" Perrie laughed.
"You still had fun, though, dealing with us, right?" Jesy asked simply.
"A little. You guys are funny yet hella annoying when you're drunk" Perrie said.
"Me girl did a good job dealing with us" I said softly as I looked at the blonde.
"Couldn't agree more" Leigh said with her mouth full of food.
Jesy threw a disgusted glance at the slightly younger girl. She hated when people talked with food in their mouths. According to her, it proved that the one who spoke with their mouth full, lacked manners. Now I didn't know if I agreed on that, but I did agree with her that it was disgusting when someone talked while stuffing food in their mouths.
The buzzing from Jesy's phone averted her attention from Leigh-Anne. Looking down at the screen, she sighed deeply.
"Oh shoot, it's chief Thompson" she said, dissatisfaction evident in her voice.
Pretending to gag, she put her kebab roll away and answered her phone. She rolled her eyes at the sound of our boss's voice. She'd never dare to roll her eyes at him in real life. Chief Thompson would whoop her ass, and she wouldn't be able to walk for a week after that.
"Officer Thirlwall and I will be there, sir" Jesy said politely.
"What's up, Jess?" I asked curiously when she hung up her phone.
"A man has been killed. A runner found his body in St. James's Park."
I sighed. I didn't want to leave now. Why couldn't chief Thompson ask other officers to come to the scene? Why did it always have to be me and Jesy?
"Duty is calling, Jade. We gotta go" Jesy said softly.
"Chief Thompson is such a pain in the arse" I muttered.
"Agreed" Jesy chuckled.
Accepting the fact I won't be spending the Sunday the way I wanted to, I grabbed the hand Jesy held out. She pulled me up on my feet as if I was weightless.
We headed to the bedroom I shared with my lovely girlfriend. We couldn't show up in the clothes we wore at the moment. That'd come off as unprofessional. And unprofessional was the last thing we were.
Perrie and Leigh waited for us by the door when we had changed into a shirt and jeans. Neither of the two seemed pleased with us leaving. News flash: we weren't happy about this either. Like them, we wanted to hang out all day today, eat lots of unhealthy food and watch movies. We didn't want to go to work. But when duty called, you had no choice but to go.
"Promise me you'll be careful, baby" Perrie said lovingly.
"Mhm, I love you, pumpkin" I said as I pecked her lips.
Jesy and I said our goodbyes to the two women we loved, then we walked out the door. Usually we'd take my car but Jesy's was closer, so we chose hers today.
Hopping in and buckling up the seat-belt, a wave of discomfort and dissatisfaction washed over me. I'd give anything to not have to go to work. I didn't feel like looking at a dead body and walk around interrogating people on a Sunday, on my day off. Screw chief Thompson for calling me in on duty.
To lighten up my bad mood Jesy turned up the volume to max. Upbeat songs blasted from the radio. The loud music drew attention to us. Pedestrians and other drivers looked at us like we had escaped from the madhouse. People really had to learn how to let loose and not be so serious all the time. What's life if you don't allow yourself to have fun?
We sang from the top of our lungs, did some pretty awkward dancing, and enjoyed ourselves in general as we drove to our new crime scene.
"I don't even know how I did that
Need a round of applause
Just like cream to a kitty cat
Lining up at the door
Maybe it's the way I work it
My beach bring the boys to the shore
Maybe it's the way I flirt
That they get hurt, they just don't learn
I don't even know
Why they fall like dominoes
Oh my Gosh, I did it again
He said I broke his heart, it keeps happening
I don't know why they always fall for me
Why they always fall for
Oh my Gosh, I did it again
He said I broke his heart, it keeps happening
I don't know why they always fall for me
Why they always fall for
Oh na na
Oh na na
Oh na na
Oh..."
By the time the catchy song ended, we pulled over on Horse Guards Road, outside the war memorial Guards Division Memorial across from St. James's Park.
Police officers and news reporters were all over the place. Civilians couldn't enter the park since it was roped off and heavily guarded.
Jesy and I had to show our badges in order to enter the usually crowded park. A high-ranking officer told us the deceased was by the lake. We didn't have to walk especially far to get there.
CSIs took photos and worked with weird-looking tools when we arrived at the spot where the dead guy was found. Observing him, he didn't seem to be older than 26. Poor soul. Taken way too soon.
Judging by the dead guy's appearance, the way he died must've been painful. He had fifteen stab wounds in total, most of them all over his torso. The shirt he wore was covered in blood. His lips, however, was what caught my attention. They looked like they've been cut. Both the upper and lower lip were destroyed. No plastic surgery in the world could fix them.
"What on Earth happened to his lips?" I asked Rachel, our CSI.
"Looks like they've been cut with a scissor" she said simply.
"A scissor? Holy shit."
This was new. Out of all murder scenes I've ever been to, none of the victims have had their lips cut. Most of them had been shot, stabbed, pushed from a tall building, drowned, or strangled. Never once, no matter how they got killed or how bad they looked, had their murderer destroyed a body part like this. I wondered what caused this guy's murderer to go after his lips.
"Hey, Jesy, what are your thoughts on this?" I asked curiously.
Jesy's face was white as a sheet when I turned to look at her. Her usually sparkling, lively eyes were drained, lifeless. She didn't look well.
"Are you alright?" I asked anxiously.
"He...he looks exactly like Jake" she said, her voice barely audible.
"This isn't Jake, Jess, okay?" I said softly.
"I know, but..."
The breathtaking ginger didn't finish the sentence. Her legs gave in and she collapsed. I caught her right before she hit the ground.
"Can I get a little help over here?!" I called.
Zac and Rachel came for my aid in a matter of seconds. Worry flashed in Zac's crystal blue eyes as he scanned a passed out Jesy in my arms.
"What happened, Jade?" He asked anxiously.
"She just fainted" I said, concern lacing my voice.
"Is this the first time she's fainted?" Rachel asked firmly.
"As far as I know, it has never happened before" I said.
"Okay, but don't worry, I'll take care of her."
I laid her down on her back. Trusting Rachel could help my friend, I decided not to get myself too involved. I had to let her do her job.
Zac looked as anxious as ever as Rachel spoke to Jesy while shifting between slapping her across the face and shaking her shoulders roughly. Every now and then Jesy would groan, which was a good sign.
Approximately two minutes later, my ginger friend fluttered her eyes open. A wave of relief washed over me. I sensed how Zac relaxed too.
"Welcome back, you" I said kindly.
"What happened?" She asked, confused.
"You fainted. The dead guy reminded you of somebody" I explained calmly.
"Oh..."
I got a strange feeling that Jesy started to remember the looks of the dead guy. Her eyes were just as dull, as lifeless, as they were when we arrived at the scene and saw him for the first time. Looking at me, I sensed there was something she wanted to say.
"Can you take me to Jake?" She asked weakly.
"Of course I can, babe" I said tenderly.
"Thanks, Jade, you're a nice girl" she smiled.
"Mhm. Do you want to stand up?"
She nodded. Relieved she was alright, I got up on my feet. I grabbed both her hands in mine and pulled her up. Zac being Zac, carried her bridal style and carried her all the way to the car. He sat her in the passenger seat, obviously thinking the same as I. She was in no position to drive after her fainting spell.
"Thank you, Zac" I said, grateful for his help.
"No worries" he smiled.
Chief Thompson called him back to the scene before I got the chance to say anything else. Stupid old man.
Zac blew a kiss to Jesy, then he walked back. Not having anything to do here anymore, I hopped into the car.
At Highgate Cemetery.
Shivers cascaded down my spine as I stood a few meters behind Jake's grave, waiting for Jesy while she spoke to her late fiancé. Cemeteries were scary and I hated them, but I loved my best friend and I'd do anything for her. I'd even stay the night here for her.
"Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. Everything I see and hear remind me of you, even that stupid commercial about giving your pet an insurance. You used to laugh until you couldn't breathe when it came on. I can't even listen to Ed Sheeran anymore, let alone our song, Tenerife Sea..."
Jesy went on and on about how much she missed him, how difficult work was now that she didn't have him to comfort her at the end of the day...Listening to her broke my heart. Jake meant the world to her. She loved him wholeheartedly, unconditionally. And he loved her. He went out of his way only to make sure Jesy was happy. He was selfless, kind, loyal, caring, funny, ridiculously romantic - he had the whole package. His death was a great loss.
I knew how much Jesy struggled with moving on. She had terrible nightmares about his death, she constantly blamed herself for not saving him. During work, she'd go to the bathroom and cry. She hadn't told me about it, but I've heard her a few times. She didn't know I knew and I planned to keep it that way.
Everybody on the force thought she did well, that she had moved on. Neither of them seemed to know how much she still was hurting. But I didn't blame them for not knowing how she really felt. Jesy was excellent at hiding her pain. Her smile could fool anyone.
But just because somebody was smiling didn't mean they were happy. A simple smile could hide so much pain, so much sorrow. People had to learn that. If more people knew, we'd be able to help more of the people who suffered, whether that'd be from physical or emotional pain. Anyone who needed help should get it.
"I love you, Jake."
Jesy connected her lips to the black stone, then she left a sealed envelope next to the scented candle and got up on her feet.
"Does it feel alright, babe?" I asked tenderly.
"A little. Been a while since last time I was here, though" she said calmly.
"Well, I'm here for you if you feel like talking" I said lovingly.
"I know, Jade" she smiled.
Out of habit, she intertwined her fingers with mine. A smile crept upon my face. We used to hold hands all the time. Lately, there hadn't been much hand-holding, though, which was sad.
We walked under complete silence, both deep in thought. Jesy must had a shit-ton of thoughts flooding her mind, while I couldn't stop thinking about how scary this cemetery actually was. Some of the statues gave off creepy vibes. Looking at them made me shiver. It felt like some of them followed my every move with their lifeless eyes.
Thank God I had Jesy with me. Although we were here past 11 in the morning, I would never have managed to walk here alone. Without Jesy, I would've curled up into a ball somewhere and waited for someone to come and get me.
The sudden sound of my colleague's voice booming through my walkie-talkie startled me. Jesy suppressed a laugh.
"Officer Thirlwall, are you there?"
"I'm here, officer Bushnell, what's happening?"
"We have a jumper at Tower Bridge. He wishes to speak to you."
"Officer Nelson and I will be there in twenty minutes."
"We don't have that much time."
"Buy us time, then!"
With that, I switched my walkie-talkie off. I knew I wasn't supposed to have it off, but I couldn't deal with other officers's stress right now. I had my own. Besides, I was on my way to a man who was ready to end his life. Getting to him in time was the most important thing at the moment.
_________________________________________________________
The girls actually said in an interview from 2016 that Zac Efron is husband material, so I made a good choice when I paired Jesy up with him. They'd look so good together in real life, though 😍
Also, this chapter is rushed and complete trash, I apologize for that 💗
xxMxx