The show must go on

Chapter 23 - the fight

Perrie POV

"How long have you been standing there?", I ask fearfully, not daring to look at her.

"Long enough," she just says with such anger and bewilderment in her voice that it almost scares me, yet makes me slowly turn towards her. I cringe briefly as I see her blue, swollen bruise, her sweaty forehead, the dried blood on her face, her far too thin figure. The sight of her alone is enough to tell me that I did the right thing, that she needs help, that she is not healthy enough to tour. But the look of betrayal in her eyes, the quick gasp, her trembling with anger, makes me panic.

"Babe, please calm down," I say quickly, immediately worried about what these emotions are going to do to her. Automatically, I move closer to her, but she backs away.

"Don't touch me," she says and I stare at her in shock.

"Babe, come on, don't do this," I persist.

"You promised not to tell anyone. You betrayed me," she states without looking at me.

"I know, but I should never have done that in the first place! You're sick, Jade! Damn it, I just want you to be okay!", I justify myself out loud.

"That's not your problem," she says in a harsh voice.

"Of course it is!"

"No, not anymore," she retorts so quietly but so angrily that I stare at her in bewilderment, hoping I've misheard her.

"Come on, let's talk about this in peace," I continue to try calmly.

"I don't want to talk to you. I'm never going to talk to you again."

"What's that supposed to mean now?", I ask shaking my head.

"We're done."

Stunned, I stare at her, unable to respond. Deep down, I know she's full of shit and already regretting the words as she says them, I can tell that by the look on her face that she's not in the right frame of mind to make such a decision, that I really shouldn't take her words seriously. But after all I have done for her, it hurts like hell to hear something like that. And even when I should be stronger, when I should be more mature, when I shouldn't take it seriously, those words hit me so deeply that I have to take them to heart.

"You don't mean that," I retort, my lip trembling.

"Just leave me alone, don't come near me," she remains stubborn, glaring at me again before she leaves me standing in the hallway, shouldering her backpack by herself and she nearly topples over in the process while I have to suppress every impulse in me not to walk closer to her to help her and staggering, she walks out while I sob and gather my things, praying she doesn't mean any of this.

Jade POV

I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth and yet I can't take them back. I feel so betrayed by the one person in the world I can trust with everything. I understand her motives, but it doesn't change the way I feel about it. I don't even know how to look at her, let alone allow her love right now. I'm so pumped with blood and rage that I can't think straight and out of emotion I say the words that hurt both Perrie and me the most. And even though we both know that in a normal world, under normal circumstances, I don't mean it at all. But at this moment, I do nothing to make it clear. On the contrary. I shoulder my backpack and make a run for it, leaving her standing alone in the hallway with tears streaming down her face and hurrying to the van with my sunglasses on.