AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you so much for all of your kind words! To answer a few questions, yes, I'll be doing the story as realistically as possible. This includes Demi's trip to rehab. This story is sort of my take on what happened between them within the last 4 years. And also, the chapter titles are very important. I title them after songs, and I've started posting what lyric in the song relates the most to the chapter and their relationship!

I know they're severely dysfunctional, but I think that's not that far of a stretch from reality.

There, I just said it
I'm scared you'll forget about me
Chapter 4: Edge of Desire

They fought more often as time went on. Everything was a mess. Selena knew it, but what was she supposed to do? Letting Demi go wasn't even an option.

Demi still wouldn't validate their relationship. If she put a label on what she and Selena were doing, it would make it more real. And that scared the living hell out of her. She wasn't ashamed, she was just afraid.

Her health was growing worse by the day. Her weight was dropping, cuts were showing up more and more, and Selena's heart was completely broken. Their communication was horrible.

Demi was gearing up to spend a month or so in Canada to film the second Camp Rock movie. She was excited to get out of Los Angeles for a while, but that also meant leaving Selena.

"Do you have enough coats and stuff?" Selena asked her while she helped Demi pack her bags in her room. Selena was sitting on Demi's bed, zipping up her bag.

"I don't even know how the weather is, Sel. If I need a coat, I'll just buy one." She looked down at her, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Okay," she sighed. "I just wanna make sure you've got everything."

"I love you for that, pretty girl. But I can manage." She smiled and pecked Selena on the forehead. Selena smiled dreamily up at her. Moments like this made her entire week.

"Okay, my packing is done!" Demi laughed out loud. "I'm two days ahead!"

Selena high fived her. "I'm proud!"

Demi will never know that when she went to sleep, Selena searched her bag, just in case.

They woke up to the annoying sound of Demi's little sister beating heavily on the door. Madison yelled out that Demi's mom had made breakfast, and Demi visibly deflated.

"Come on," Selena nudged her with her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "I'm starving."

When they went downstairs to the main house, they both greeted Demi's family sweetly. Dianna made a large breakfast and Demi was completely overwhelmed. Her family didn't notice, but Selena did. Selena always did.

"Mom, we're taking ours back to the guest house." Demi stated nervously as she picked up her plate.

"No," Selena interjected, knowing exactly what Demi was trying to do, "we can eat here, it's fine."

Demi shot a look at Selena that basically told her she would kill her if she didn't shut the hell up.

Dianna didn't even look up from her phone. "Alright, whatever you want." Selena had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. Why didn't they care?

The moment Demi entered the guest house, she threw her plate away. All of it.

"Demi, you're eating breakfast."

"Do not tell me what to do." Her nostrils flared with anger. Selena was getting so insanely tired of this routine that she wasn't bothering being gentle anymore.

"I swear to God, Demi, if you don't eat breakfast, I'm calling your manager and telling them everything."

"You wouldn't dare."

"You need help!" Selena cried out, suddenly so overwhelmed by her emotions. "Why won't you just get help?"

"It's not even a big deal, Selena. Jesus. You don't know what you're talking about." Her voice was shaking.

"I don't know what I'm talking about?" Selena asked, infuriated. "I know you. I know all of you, Demi. I know that you skip at least half of your meals completely, and when you don't, you pick around at your food without eating hardly any of it. I watch you, Demi."

"Shut up." Demi whispered.

"I know when you say you're hanging out with Miley, you're going to parties. I know you throw up. I know you have sex," her voice cracked at this admission, "you have sex with people that aren't me. You cut yourself when you get frustrated. You drink to take away your pain for a few hours. You hurt yourself, Demi. You hurt me." Selena is crying outright now, and Demi is just staring at her like she's seen a ghost.

"I'm not done," Selena whispers angrily. "You toy with me. You kiss me. You tell me you love me. You even make love to me, and you pretend it's nothing to you! I've done nothing but love you unconditionally for almost my entire life and you can't even fucking commit." She takes a shaky breath, and her hand grabs at her heart because she feels it beating so hard it's almost hurting her chest.

"I lie for you when people get suspicious. I cover your tracks with your own family. And it's horrible. It's so horrible because honestly, I think I screwed up. I shouldn't hide your problems for you because they're serious. They can kill you, Demi. I make up excuses, and I tell myself that it's because I can handle this, that I can take care of you myself because I'm strong enough for both of us. But honestly, Demi, I can't. I'm in way over my head." She cries out with such defeat.

They sit without speaking for at least ten minutes. Selena's quiet sobs are the only noise in the house. It's like this wall has been knocked down with Selena's admission. There wasn't anything left to confess. It was all on the table, all of her feelings and fears.

Demi speaks up when she can't bear the silence any longer (or the completely devastating sight of Selena sniffling and furiously wiping away her tears.)

"If I eat breakfast, is that a start?" She whispers out nervously with so much hope in her small voice. She is so messed up. She continuously hurts this beautiful girl in front of her and Selena never asks for an explanation because she understands.

Selena smiles with her mouth closed, it's a sad smile. "Yeah, it's a start."

She takes Demi to the airport the next day, knowing that once she gets to Canada, she has no more control over Demi. She can't watch over her.

But more than that, she knows she's going to miss her so much it hurts.

They hold hands in the car on the way there. Demi hums along with the radio and tries to focus on anything other than the dread in her stomach. The guilt that looms over her right now is so heavy she can barely breathe.

They say their real goodbye in the car before they get out. Demi leans over to kiss her so hard, it almost literally takes the breath out of Selena.

It's desperate, the way they're kissing. It's interrupted by Selena taking sharp breaths and Demi apologizing profusely.

She eventually just falls into Selena, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "I'm gonna try to be good, Sel. I promise." She sniffles out.

Selena just sighs and kisses her hairline. "That's all I want, Demi. I just want you to try."

They kiss again, and Selena thanks God that their windows are far too tinted for paparazzi to even know they're inside.

Demi grabs her face with both hands and kisses the tip of her nose once, and pecks her lips before pulling away to stare into her eyes. "I love you." She says with such sincerity. "I really do, Selena. I love you."

Selena just stares at her almost in awe at how real it sounds to her. It leaves her with a little bit of hope that things are gonna get better now. She blushes deeply and Demi nearly dies at how cute she is.

"I love you, too. You know I do, Dem." She whispers before kissing her firmly on the lips. "Let's get you on that plane."

They link arms through the airport, and Selena carries Demi's bags.

At the terminal, she sadly smiles at Demi before enveloping her into a bone crushing hug.

Demi breathes into Selena's neck heavily, trying to keep from crying again. "I'll miss you, pretty girl." She sighs.

"Take care of yourself, Demi." Selena says seriously. "Please."

Demi just smiles into her neck and chuckles lightly. "I'll try my best."

Selena pulls back and kisses Demi on the forehead, lingering there much longer than any normal best friends should in the middle of an airport. But they weren't just best friends, and they certainly weren't normal.

"Go," she whispers when she pulls back. "Have fun, text or call when you have time, okay?"

Demi just nods and hugs her quickly again. "I love you, Selenalena." She chuckles and sneaks a brief peck to her cheek.

"Bye, Dem." Selena says as she watches her disappear into the terminal.

She sends Kevin a text on her way back to her car.

Take care of her.