She's back. He thought, had he heard right? No he couldn't have, Joe did not just tell him that.
"Nick, are you listening?" Joe pressed once more.
Nick shook his head, desperately trying to grasp what he had just heard. She was back. She is back. Back here, in Dallas after being gone so long in LA.
"Who's back?" Selena walked into her boyfriend's room looking at both Nick and Joe.
Joe awkwardly looked down, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. Not that her being back was bad news. Well maybe for the couple but not for everyone else who had fallen in love with her also. He looked at Nick wondering what was going on in his head. The way his eyes widen as he came over this morning to tell him who he had just seen the other day. Predictable, he thought.
Selena walked over to Nick and laid a kiss as she asked once more, "So, going to tell me who this mystery person is?"
Nick wrapped his arms around his beautiful girlfriend and looked at Joe before answering. He pressed his lips onto her forehead. "Miley," he spoke.
xoxo
She walked up to the yellow, cream house in front of her. This was somewhat novel yet familiar at the same time. She had cried on these steps before. She had felt every emotion she possibly could on these steps. She held onto her bags as she walked through the doors.
Home, she thought, sweet home.
But there was nothing sweet about being home. All of it screamed, failure, at her.
Everything felt the same, even if she hadn't step foot on these floors since five years ago. Her mom had been taking care of each room waiting on her to come back. She swore she could still smell the scent of her mom lingering in the spaces. Warm, french vanilla.
She tried smiling slightly at the familiarity, but she couldn't let go of all the wrong things that had happen here in this small town of Dallas. Dropping her bags in the living room, she walked towards the cream door down the hall in front of her. The red walls were still there. More faded now, but still there. She looked around, her eyes landing on the wall of her closet. His name was still there, still sketched into the wood as if it was yesterday. Her eyes trailed down the wall a bit more, forever.
And at that moment she wanted to puke.
xoxo
Joe walked down the street, trying to play in his head what had just happened. He rolled his eyes at the idea of Nick being over her as if that wasn't the truth at all. His little sister was back. Well not blood, but close enough for him to only regard her as his little sister.
He looked over at the yellow house and noticed the door being open. He knew she was home and getting ready to unpack after spending all of yesterday leaving the airport. He wanted to walk in, but he knew he shouldn't. Not at that moment.
He continued down the block, reaching his house, he sighed. He headed towards the kitchen, knowing the particular person he wanted to see was in there. He walked up to the brunette preparing dinner and hugged her from behind.
"You know, I love you, right?" He spoke against her ears. She smiled as she leaned against him. She put down the knife and turned around to face her husband.
"Of course," her eyes brightly smiling and she pecked him on the lips.
He deepened he kiss before breaking away. "Good," he grinned before letting the silence engulf them.
Demetria turned back towards cutting the carrots. "How did he take it?" she spoke up as she slid the carrots into the pot.
Joe sighed once again. He walked towards the sink to wash his hands and then turned to sit down at the counter across from her. "He says he's glad she is back. Selena walked in when I was telling him."
Demi looked up from the cutting board. She gave him this look as to motion him to continue. Stopping, she waited for his response.
"She knows who Miley is and she understands that there is no threat," Joe continued, "only because Nick convinced her."
Demi chuckled lightly and a bit sarcastically before returning back to preparing dinner. Joe pressed on, "He says he only wants her to be happy and if being home makes her happy, he can't really take that away from her."
"Happy?" Demi questioned, "Does he not know that this small town in Dallas is literally her worst nightmare?" She sighed. "Miley is not happy here, she was once upon a time, but not now and probably not ever. She had an emotional rollercoaster here, with her heart being broken and now her mom being gone..." Demi choked to keep from the tears falling, "...there is no way this place brings her happiness."
xoxo
Miley had already unpacked, putting her clothes into the drawers and closet. She made a mental note to buy paint. It was time to paint over certain walls or maybe just one.
It was already nine-o-clock. She looked out her window, down towards the green house. He wasn't that much farther away from her anymore. She looked at the opposite direction, towards the light blue house. Funny how, she was in the middle of everything. Mere steps to her right and there lived her first heartbreak and mere steps to her left held the people who have always been there for her.
The phone rang snapping her out of her deep thought.
"Hello," she picked up.
"Hi, best friend ever" the voice on the other line returned.
Miley smiled as she leaned towards the wall, "Hi, best friend."
She laughed as she heard a distant voice scream, "I thought I was your best friend, Miles."
"Tell Joe that he is." She laughed again.
Demi passed along the message with laughter. "All settled in, M?"
"Warm and cozy," Miley released the sarcastic remark. There was a knock on her door before she could hear what Demi was saying. "I have to go, D. There's someone at the door."
She hung up and walked towards the door handle. Twisting it, she pulled the door open and she had wished her eyes were deceiving her.
Curly-hair and all, stood the built man on her porch. "Hi, Mi" his lips tugged at a small smile.
Mi, she thought. He still called her that. She frowned at the thought, how could he act as if nothing had happened. How could he say that name like the past five years had wound back in time.
He felt discomfort at her frowning in front of him. "Sorry, shouldn't have said that."
She shook her head and laughed. "What do you want, Nicholas?"
He cringed at his full name, remembering that she only spoke it when she was irritated and confident. Mainly confident and it was enough to scare him away.
"Heard you were home," he looked her in the eyes, "wanted to see how you were doing."
She laughed once again, this time more bitterly than she had intended. "How I'm doing?"
"Well, Nicholas, my mom died, my career in fashion went down the drain with every mile I flew back here, and honestly this whole fucking town reminds me of why I left in the first place. So I would say, Nicholas, I am doing fan-fucking-tastic." She let each word roll out with more menace at the tip of her tongue.
He moved to comfort her, not knowing what else to say.
She chuckled and pushed him away. "No," she screamed. "You don't get to comfort me, you don't fucking get to." The tears now evident against her cheek bones.
Now, he was mad. "Me?" he spoke up against her accusation that he was at fault. "I ran after you. I was there when you needed me all those years ago. You're the one who turned me down. You ran away, remember?"
He looked at her again in the eye, "So I don't get to comfort you? You're right. I don't, not anymore, because this is it. I'm tired of you pushing me away." All the past emotions he pushed down came crawling up as he stood in front of her. He needed to get away. He needed to walk away at this moment before he did something irrational or rational in their case. Nothing was safe anymore and all boundaries were murky each time.
"I pushed you away? You lost hope. And that's why you walked away." She spoke harshly and slammed her door in his face.
He stood there stunned and a few seconds later he left back to his house.
She slid down the wall, crying her eyes out.
xoxo
Miley had fallen asleep on the couch after bringing herself to get off the floor. The lights shone brightly through the curtains waking her up.
"Ugh" Miley opened her eyes. "Why are the damn curtains open?"
"Because you, my dear, need to get your ass up," Demi spoke from the kitchen, "and get changed."
Miley winced at her tone and pulled over the blanket to cover her face. "Let me sleep," she groaned. "There's nothing out there that won't screw me over."
Demi sighed and looked among the pantry and cabinets in the kitchen. There was no way in hell Miley would be able to take care of herself in this house. She didn't know what to do she didn't understand how to cheer her up. Demi had fallen in love with this town, it was her hometown. Sure, she had moved around a lot from the east coast to up north and around the west coast before settling down in Texas with Joe. But she understood this town meant nothing special to Miley like it did for her.
Miley laid under the blanket for a while, wondering if she had won. She heard Demi's heels clattered along the floor to a sudden stop.
"Fine," Demi let the words roll out of her tongue with attitude. "You're going to eventually have to get your skinny ass off that couch and face what is out there."
Miley heard the door slam. She sighed as she pulled the blanket down from her face. What in the world was she doing here, she thought. How could this possible be the best move in her life? She looked at the clock above the t.v. Eleven- thirty, she groaned. Demi was right, she had to get off this couch.
But then again, she sighed to herself. "There really isn't anything out there worth my time." This whole town sucks. The people here suck. And she sank back into her sleep.
xoxo
Joe heard the front door slammed. Things didn't go well, he guessed from how hard the noise was. He sat up in bed ready for the complaints heading his way.
"JOE!" Demi yelled from downstairs
"In the bedroom," Joe replied back loud enough for her to hear. He heard her footsteps going up the stairs.
"That little brat," Demi spat as she entered. "Why in the world would she ever come back here if everything that breathes in the town makes her way too bitter for her own good?"
Joe opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off before he could make a sound.
"I swear, if she wasn't my best friend. I would totally kick her ass," Demi sat down on the bed. "Wait, I totally could still kick her ass, I'm her best friend, who else would have permission."
Joe chuckled before wrapping his arms around her from the back. He moved her hair and began kissing down her neck. "Calm down," he spoke between kisses. "That's..." he kissed. "Miley..." he moved down. "...for you." He was kissing her back now.
Demi smiled for a moment, taking in the hot breath all over her skin. "I don't care if that's Miley," she moaned. "She's lucky that I'm her best friend or else everything in this town is out to screw her over."
Joe pulled her down and pulled her closer to him. "Let her do it her way," he faced Demi.
Demi moved closer and pulled him in for a kiss that lasted less than a minute before she pulled away. Joe groaned and hit his head back against the pillow.
"Get up," she demanded as she got off the bed. "We need to go grocery shopping."
Joe groaned again, "But we did that yesterday. What more could you possible get?" He pulled the comforter closer to him before looking at his wife. "I mean I could really starve if the food happens to go missing in like fifteen seconds."
Demi laughed. "Not for us dork. For Miley, she is going to starve if we don't help her." She pulled him up again. "Please, I don't want to go alone." She kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Fine," he sighed before removing the comforter.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Demi smiled. As Joe went to get ready, Demi knew in her heart this was where she belonged. Right here, right in the arms of the man she loves and right at home. She sighed as her thoughts went back to Miley. "Now if I could only prove that to her," she whispered to herself.
xoxo
Nick looked down at his girlfriend lying next to him. He pushed the hair falling in her face away and smiled to himself. He placed a kiss on her head as he stroke her hair back.
Selena woke up, smiling. "Why, hello there handsome."
Nick smiled warmly at Selena and continued to stroke her hair before wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "Good morning to you too, beautiful."
Selena giggled before breaking away and turning to face him. "How was seeing Miley last night?" She thought to bring the subject up.
Nick's eyes flicked to pain for a moment but not long enough for Selena to recognize. He smiled slightly before settling on what was appropriate to say. "She was just being Miley," he chuckled.
Selena smiled before laughing along with him. She didn't really understand the statement as everyone else in this town had but had a glimpse of who Miley was through all the gossip. Selena had moved to Dallas four years ago when her job required her to do so. Her music production company had just started a new recording studio here in this small town, hoping to find some unknown talent.
Selena picked up her bags from the airport reminding herself that she was almost there to her apartment. The plane ride to Dallas from New York was just the most tiring one she's ever been on. She didn't know rather it was the plane ride for her nervousness that worried her to sleep. She was just about to hail a cab when she heard someone sing.
"Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing is right. Nothing is right when you're gone. Losing my breath. Losing my right to be wrong. I'm frightened to death. I'm frightened that I won't be strong."
Selena turned around as her eyes followed the wonderful melody being played from the guitar. Her eyes landed on the freckled face, curly haired boy with his guitar. She hadn't seen whom he was singing to but that was some talent she thought.
She rushed over to him more excited than ever only to miss his sad eyes that seemed focused on something distant.
"That was really great!" She exclaimed before lending out her hand. "I'm Selena Russo, I'm a music producer from a company in New York and we just started a record label here."
Nick open his mouth a bit shocked as he shook her hand. "I'm Nick," he recovered blushing slightly.
Selena went on about how she wanted to sign him to the record label and help him become a musician.
Nick blushed again at her compliments. He hadn't wanted to be a musician. Music was and has always been a part of his life for as long as he could remember. Well he thought, for as long as the girl of his dreams had been in his life. His mind flickered back to what had brought him here at the airport. He shook Selena's hand again and let go. "I'm not really interested," he replied. "Excuse me, I have someone to catch."
And he ran off, leaving Selena slightly stunned.
Nick looked at his girlfriend again, noticing her mind was somewhere else. "What are you thinking about?" he pulled her close once more.
She laughed once more, "When we first met."
Nick remembered the day and joined in with the laughter. "At the airport," he pressed on.
"Yep, and you turned down my offer of being signed as a musician." Selena giggled.
Nick's face fell as little as he attempted to laugh with his girlfriend. "Yeah, I don't know where my head was that day."
Miley, he thought to himself.
Selena pulled herself out of his arms before getting out of bed. "I'm going to hang out with Taylor today." She kissed his lips and then ran off to the restroom.
xoxo
The door opened and slammed shut, waking her up once again.
She groaned, "I really should lock that door sometimes."
"Oh please and not get amazing visitors like us?" Joe spoke up.
"Not get visitors who don't let me sleep," She replied bitterly.
Joe followed his wife towards the kitchen. "You were right Demi, someone did wake up in the wrong side of the bed this morning."
"Great," Miley growled, "My best friends are talking shit, absolutely wonderful."
"Hey it's what best friends are for," Demi plopped herself down on the couch after putting the groceries on the kitchen table. "They're also for getting to you food, so someone in this house won't starve."
"That's right, I don't want to starve." Joe piped in from the kitchen causing Demi to laugh.
"Come on, M." Demi pulled the blankets off. "This is your official first day back here and you're going to mope in the living room instead of hanging out with your best friend."
Demi sighed and put on her best puppy face. And for the second time, Miley wished she hadn't opened her eyes.
Miley sighed, "Fine, let me take a shower, get dressed, and then suffer this whole day outside with you."
Demi smiled before getting up to help Joe put away the food. Miley unwillingly got herself off the couch and headed upstairs. "Some best friend you are," she muttered.
Enjoy :) Please review, I would really like it.