"You're home early." Joe pointed out as Demi crossed the threshold to their bedroom. Demi plumped on the bed, sucking in air when it hurt her ribs.
"Yeah," Demi said. "Taylor hates me."
"She does not." Joe said as he got up from the desk and sat on the bed next to Demi.
"Oh, she does." Demi said, rolling her eyes. "She's mad because I'm staying here and not going back to LA with her."
"You're staying?" Joe asked, surprise in his voice.
"Yes," Demi said. "I'm staying for you and Maddie and mom. But Taylor doesn't understand that I can't leave again. There is no way I can leave Maddie again. Especially now."
"Well, Taylor will get over it." Joe said, taking Demi's hand in his. "And if not then it's her loss."
"Joe," Demi sighed. "She's my best friend, the only one in Delaware. I need her right now."
Joe sighed and just held her hand. They both just lay there in silence. Joe knew that there was no point in trying to reason with Demi. She would keep talking about how she was right and he was wrong. It was always like that.
Demi didn't know what she could do to convince Taylor that Demi needed to stay. She could pull some examples of how she missed Maddie grow up, she lost—but now has found—her one and only true love, how she didn't want to leave her mom when her dad has just died and it was basically her fault. But Taylor probably still wouldn't understand. Not like Selena and Miley would.
"I'm going on the porch to call some friends back in LA. To tell them that I'm staying." Demi said as she got off the bed letting go of Joe's hand, letting it fall on the bed. Joe just watched her leave, knowing that this is what she needed to possibly get her mind off things.
Demi dialed the phone number to the apartment. She was hoping they would answer.
Selena answered the phone, exasperated. "Hello," She said.
"What have you been doing?" Demi asked, laughing a little.
"Demi!" She yelled in the phone. "Where are you?"
"I'm in Delaware." She said. "My dad died."
"Oh, Dem, I am so sorry." Selena said.
"It's not your fault." Demi said. "I feel like it's all my fault."
"What happened?" Selena asked.
Demi told her everything that happened. Starting with the coma and ending with the second heart attack. "When I woke up, Joe told me he was gone." Demi finished as Selena gasped.
"Joe... as in Joe, Joe." Selena said.
"Yes, Selena, as in Joe, Joe." Demi said giggling a little. "He told me he still loved me." To Demi it felt good confiding in a girl friend. Especially one who wasn't mad at her for leaving. But of course Demi hasn't told her the worst of it.
"I'm staying, Selena." Demi said, bracing herself for what was to come. Selena didn't say anything. The phone sounded like it went dead, but Demi could still hear her breathing. "Sel,"
"Wow," Selena said. "You figured that out by being there for four days."
"My sister needs me, Sel. My mom needs me and Joe needs me." Demi said. "And I think I need them."
"But what about me and Miley, Dem?" Selena asked. "Don't you need us?"
"Of course I do." Demi said. "And right now I need you two more than ever. My best friend here is mad at me for staying because she's coming out to live with you guys. I was hoping you would understand better than her. I need to stay."
"I know you do, Demi." She said. "But there are a couple problems."
"Like what?" Demi asked.
"One, I have to meet Joe. Two, who's going to tell Miley, and three, what about your stuff?" Selena said.
"I will fly out pack all my stuff and drive back. I'll bring Joe with me and if Miley's home right now, I will tell her." Demi said smiling a little at the fact Selena wanted to meet Joe. But frowned when she knew she had to tell Miley.
"Actually, she's not. She's at her boyfriend's house!" Selena cooed.
We both laughed and talked for another hour. Demi told her about making out with Joe in a hospital. Selena told her about staying at Taylor's for a whole entire week without telling anybody, they just sat around watched movies and ordered pizza for every meal of the day.
Suddenly Demi was missing her best friends. They've been there for her for the last three years. Taylor thinks Demi is still the girl from three years ago when she left. But she's not anymore. She's braver and nicer and older. Things change and so do people.
Demi walked inside from being in the chilly night. She shivered when she closed the door as she slowly walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Joe was still up, shirtless, sitting up in Demi's bed. She smiled as she immersed herself under the covers.
Demi's talk with Selena made her feel so happy. It's like the Taylor thing vanished. It didn't matter anymore. She knew Selena and Miley would be happy for her. Demi would still visit them and they would visit her. Demi was actually thinking about flying them out for the while summer. It would be cool if they could see Delaware, and meet her family and spend more time with Joe.
"How was your girl talk?" Joe asked, breaking Demi away from her thoughts.
"It was amazing." Demi said with a big smile on her face. "We have to go to LA."
"What? I thought you were staying." Joe said panicky.
"I am," Demi said. "But my stuff can't stay there, neither can my car."
"Oh," He said, as he heart slowed down.
"I was thinking me and you could fly there, maybe stay a couple days then drive back in my car." Demi said already making plans in her head of where they would go and what they would see.
"Okay," Joe said agreeing with whatever she says. He would do anything to make her happy. And if that meant staying in LA for a couple days then that's what he would do. He just hoped that Demi wouldn't change her mind about staying, while they were out there. She had her friends and she was alone and before Taylor called she was doing just fine. Or at least Joe hoped she was doing just fine.
The next morning Demi woke up before everybody else. She slowly and carefully got out of bed and walked down stairs. She made herself some hot tea and slipped on Joe's hoodie that was hanging by the door. She opened slowly and went to sit on the porch swing.
She sat there thinking of what's happened to her in the past few days. Her dad dies and she gets into a car accident and fractures some ribs, finds out she loses a baby when she didn't even know she was pregnant, gets her best friend mad at her and then reconnects with her best friend from LA. But she was still really shocked she was pregnant.
Nothing in her was changing in those first three months. Maybe except for the fact that she had to pee more than usual, but Demi just thought she was drinking a lot of water. But she still had her period and she was still taking birth control. So the baby probably wouldn't have come out normal anyway. And she still wanted to know who the father was. But there was no way to find that out.
Demi's thoughts were interrupted by the front door opening. It was her mom. "Hey, mommy," Demi said as her mom sat down next to her.
"Hi, baby," Her mom said. Demi looked at her mom, like, really looked at her. She realized that her mom looked really tired and she looked old. Demi felt guilty by thinking about that, but it was true. Demi's mom never looked old, she was pretty and well made-up. Demi figured she probably was tired and that it's typical for people to look old when somebody they loved died.
"After dad's funeral, me and Joe are going to LA to get my stuff, okay?" Demi asked as she leaned her head on her moms shoulder.
"Of course it's okay. Just promise me you're coming back." Her mom said, a single tear running down her check.
"I will come right back." Demi said embracing her mom. "I'm never leaving like that ever again."
Demi sat there, holding her mom, they both were crying silent tears.
