Close To My Heart (Zerrie AU)

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Perrie parked the car and turned the engine off. Niall opened the door and stepped outside, putting his hands inside his pocket. He looked at the building the were at, Perrie's father's workplace. Perrie came out of the car and walked over next to Niall. He gave her a confusing look and she locked the car not seeing the necessity to clarify herself to Niall. Perrie started walking and Niall shrug his shoulders and walked behind her. 

They entered the building and Perrie walked over the receptionist. "Could you please call Mr. Mark Edwards office and tell him his daughter is here to see him, please?" Perrie asked and the black haired man nodded his head and grabbed the telephone on his desk. He dialed a number and waited for Mark's secretary to pick up.

"Hey Patrice, could you please inform Mr. Edwards that his daughter is here? Thanks." The man said and hanged up the phone. He opened the top drawer and took out two visitation cards. He handed it to Perrie and she held onto one and gave Niall the other one. "Do you know the way, Miss Edwards?" 

"Yes, thank you." Perrie said and she grabbed Niall's arm and led him towards the elevator. She pressed the floor her father's office was in and the doors closed. "Could you please stay outside when we get to his office, please? I need to discuss something with him." 

"Sure, no problem. I should probably call my mother, I haven't talked to her in a while." Niall said and Perrie sighed in relief. She wouldn't care that Niall walked in, if what she had to talk to her father wasn't serious. Perrie still couldn't get over the fact at how easy the decks caught fire and how they exploded afterwards. 

The elevator stopped and the door slid open. Perrie came out followed by Niall, who stood behind her and both of them pressed their visitors cards on the machine placed beside the doors. Once it was recognized by the machine, the doors opened automatically and they entered the department of Design & Structure. 

"Hey Perrie! And Niall." Patrice, the secretary who has been working for her father greeted. Perrie and Niall would hang out with her whenever Perrie's father had a meeting with Niall's mother. "Your father said you could came inside, the meeting finished 20 minutes ago."

"I'll stay here." Niall said and sat down on the chairs by the waiting area. Perrie nodded at him and thanked Patrice before entering her father's office. Niall grabbed his phone and dialed his mother's phone number knowing how it would make her happy to have him call her. "Mom?" 

"Niall baby boy, how are you?” Her sweet voice spoke through the phone and Niall breathed in, missing his mother right now. He usually found her a pain in the ass, but when Niall started growing up, she started traveling more and Niall just missed her less and less. 

“I’m good ma, I’m here at Mr. Edwards office.” Niall said and his mother gasped remembered what she just heard in the radio. It did come as a shock because she has known Mark for a long time and he usually doesn’t make mistakes as deadly as this one. 

“I heard about the accident, I’m just glad that there were no deaths. But I bet people might be against Perrie’s father and his company right now. I should come back any time soon to help as much as I can.” Niall’s mother explained and Niall smiled to himself. His mother has always been the type to help as much as she could. 

"That would be nice ma. I just really wanted to call you and know how you are." Niall spoke softly sitting down. He looked at the side and noticed Patrice staring at him or at least something near him. Once he checked to make sure it was him she was looking at, Niall winked at her. 

"I'm fine, I told William to book my trip back to Middle City. It is about time for me to make an appearance." Hearing that his mother was coming back made Niall much more nervous than he imagined. His mother would find out that Niall has been a spoiled brat, who never worked a single day in his life since he turned 16. She was going to get mad knowing that he just bought a new studio in the Northside. 

Inside the office, Perrie had her arms crossed looking at her father with fear. "You are telling me that the accident was intentional? That someone most likely planted bombs in there?" Perrie yelled and her father nodded his head disappointed. He knew it was probably a rival company trying to attack them and destroy their place in the business. 

"I need you to keep this on the downlow for now Pez. We need to gather proof before we can start accusing people. We have to make sure that we bring justice into this matter." Perrie sat down in front fo her father and thought about what he just said. People's lives were in danger for no sane reason. 

"Dad, I must help you figure this thing out. I can't just sit back and do nothing. My life was almost ruined and many of the people in that train. 23 people were injured. Please allow me to help you dad." Perrie pleaded and her father held onto her hands. 

"Honey, you will be busy finishing your final community and service hours. Maybe you can help me, but once you are done, you are free to help me with the investigation." 

                                                         X-X-X

"Still thinking about that girl?" Leigh asked while playing around with May's hair. Her head was lying on top of Leigh's thighs, while Leigh and Zayn watched TV. May would rarely leave the room and spend time with Zayn and Leigh in their small living room. But Leigh begged her to spend some time together, after she found out what happened to Zayn. Zayn looked at Leigh startled, while biting his lower lip. He looked like his mind was in another planet. 

"I'm just wondering what she is doing right now. That's all I promise." Zayn lied. He lied to his best friend and he hoped this wouldn't happen too often. He knew that Leigh was aware of his lies, but she simply shrugged and continued watching the TV Series they were watching. Zayn faced the screen but all he was thinking about was Perrie. When was he going to see her again?

"We can try and go to the Northside on my off days." Leigh suggested after the room was filled with silence. Zayn looked at her but Leigh didn't flinch or anything. Deep inside she hoped to butt heads with the rich blond guy from the train station. She honestly wanted to see him again and probably bicker with him until he runs away. 

Looking down at May, with her eyes closed, Leigh felt guilty. She can't focus on boys. Not now. "It's not necessary Leigh. If Perrie and I are supposed to meet again, then we will. I can't just go look for her, it will look creepy and her boyfriend might kill me. Besides, I won't step foot in the Northside for a while." Zayn explained and Leigh decided to drop the subject. If Zayn wasn't going after Perrie, then Leigh shouldn't be thinking about that guy. 

"What did Ronnie say when you talked to him?" Leigh asked remembering Ronnie's temper, whenever he didn't get the money from a delivery. The money Zayn recieved from the Northside kids, was inside the pizza bag he left in the train to burn. 

"Oh, he fired me. He said that if I had gotten injured, he would have forgiven me, but since I am still alive, he fired me." Leigh started laughing, not believing that Ronnie was capable of firing Zayn because he didn't have the money. 

"Hey, if it makes you feel better, you can always come and work with me in the café. We need the extra hand." Leigh suggested and Zayn agreed with her. Leigh needed the money as fast as possible and Zayn needed to work in order to help his best friend. 

"Then I will start tomorrow." Zayn said and Leigh fist bumped him. It would be great having Zayn around to help Leigh around.