Calamity [Zarry Stylik AU]©️

Chapter 41: BORDERSZ

Z,

I kept my hand on Harry's and he held it while looking at me eagerly. I was nervous. Perrie was on the other side of the phone and my guilt was eating me alive. Did she hate me?

"Hi," I repeated like an idiot. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" Perrie replied with an animated voice. "Better, at least. Did you know I had my jaw wired shut? Ugh. I'm so skinny, I could give Gigi a run for her money on any catwalk!"

I let out a gentle cackle, feeling my heart fill with joy. My Perrie was back. Her goofy, ridiculous self was back.

"I bet you could..." A tear of happiness came down my face and Harry squeezed my hand again. "You sound...so good."

"I feel good." Perrie underlined. I could almost see her speaking on the phone, smiling at me with shiny blonde hair falling down her shoulders and her piercing blue eyes looking as dreamy as ever. "I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. I had the centre's phone number, but I was trying to find the best way to talk to you. I believe it hasn't been easy for you either."

Harry wiped a tear from my face and I kissed his hand and thanked him.

"My struggle is nothing compared to yours, babe."

"Oh, please. Let's not compare sizes. We have both suffered these past months. How does that sound?"

The guilt ate me up inside. I looked down at my hand in Harry's and imagined I was holding Perrie's.

For months the guilt resided within me as I blamed myself for the party and for letting Perrie be hurt. I wanted to speak to her but I feared her reaction. In my mind, she would scream and point fingers at me.

"I am so sorry," I confessed. I was met with silence on the other side. "I am so sorry. It was my fault. I should've protected you, stayed with you. Been with you. I was...fucking high out of my mind. I am forever sorry, Perrie."

"Zaynie..." Perrie called. "You don't have to apologise for a fucking thing. It was my fault! I brought the pills. I spiked the punch. I made you share it with me. It was...a bad decision. It was my fault. You were...amazing. Just amazing. If it weren't for you, I would be dead by now. Dead, Zaynie. I believe whoever attacked me, would have killed me in a heartbeat."

I exhale feeling the sweet relief of guilt being lifted off my shoulders.

"I don't remember who it was, Perrie."

"You don't have to. You don't need to. The police are on it. It's their job. Your job is to be my friend. My beautiful friend." Tears of guilt rolled down my face and Harry kissed my forehead with all the love he could give me. Perrie sniffed on the other side as well. "Jesus, this was supposed to be a happy call."

I smiled through my tears.

"I'm sorry. I am a ridiculously sentimental fool."

"You are. You so are!" Perrie reinforced sniffing too. "Listen, I didn't call to hear your unnecessary apology, Zaynie. I called because I read on the papers and blogs that you have been released of the shackles of marriage!"

I smiled looking up at Harry, who showed me compassion in his eyes. His hair was still dripping wet, and he looked beautiful.

"I have."

"I almost want to pull up on Gigi and laugh in her face."

"Don't. She's hurting." I explained. "She loved me."

"Anyone with a set of eyes could see she was madly in love with you," Perrie explained. "Which makes everything even sadder. Three years pinning for a person who does not love you while being married to them. Oh, that poor girl's heart. I heard she's pregnant. It's not yours, right?"