Disclaimer: Based on real events, but some things are made up to help the story. Slight AU. Goes in a different direction.
Chapter 31 - February 28th, 2017
"I pray for all your love. Girl, our love is so unreal. I just wanna reach and touch you, squeeze you, somebody pinch me (I must be dreaming). This is something like a movie, and I don't know how it ends, girl. But I fell in love with my best friend." - Excerpt from Best Friend, Jason Chen
"What's wrong?"
Miley looked up, surprised. "What?"
Liam chuckled. "You've sighed, like, five times in the last second—and I'm not even sure if that's possible." He slipped his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. Miley's gaze traveled from their fingers to Liam's face. His eyes were full of concern and love and a million other things, and his smile was open and trusting. "Talk to me," he murmured, giving her hand a tight squeeze.
Miley removed her hand from his and buried her face in her hands. She felt Liam hands slowly remove her hands from her face. He peered into her eyes, but Miley kept her eyes tightly shut. Then, he took her by surprise as he placed a soft lingering kiss on her lips. It took her a second to respond, but Liam pulled back, gaze serious now. "Miley..." he said slowly, taking her hands in his.
"I kissed Nick."
Liam kind of breathed in sharply. "I thought so."
"Actually, no. He kissed me. Actually, we kind of just kissed each other."
Liam sighed and turned to Miley. "And how do you feel?"
Miley slid her hand out of his and touched her lips delicately. "I..." Miley squeezed her eyes firmly shut. She remembered how eager and warm and gentle and loving Nick's lips had felt against hers. He hadn't rushed it. It had been soft and sweet and full of emotion. Miley would be a liar to say she didn't feel anything there. Nick had waited for her to be ready, and...
It had felt amazing.
She remembered all of those hidden emotions she had always locked up inside of her escape her as he lowered his mouth to hers. She remembered how alive she had felt and how wonderful the adrenaline rush felt. She remembered the look in Nick's eyes heartbeats before they had kissed. He loved her, he really did. His gaze conveyed that and so much more.
Tears sparkled in Miley's eyes, and she was powerless to do anything to prevent them. She felt Liam wipe the tears away before pulling her in a gentle embrace. The strength of his arms around her were familiar and comforting. She buried her face in his chest, taking comfort in his familiarity and letting him heal her. She met his gaze. "I don't know what to feel," she blurted out.
"Yes, you do," Liam said sadly. "You've always known."
Miley's eyes widened. This couldn't be the end of them. "I-I-I—"
"Miley..." Liam sighed and tucked some stray locks of her hair behind an ear. "Miley, Miley, Miley..." He closed his eyes briefly. "I love you so much, you know that." She tightened her grip on his shirt and closed her eyes tightly. His lips brushed against her cheek. "Nick isn't going to wait forever... and you wanted to kiss him. You..." Liam trailed off, not speaking the words.
Miley touched his face. "This isn't fair."
"It doesn't have to be," Liam said roughly, turning away from her a little bit.
"Are you breaking up with me?" Miley demanded. She wanted to know right away if he was going to—a clean break would be easier than him sugar-coating everything because he was scared, scared of hurting her because he was so selfless. He turned to her now, pain evident in his eyes. Miley shrank back. It hurt her so much to know that she had hurt him so much.
"No." The brief word didn't reassure Miley like she thought it would. Maybe it was because Liam's voice was so dead and emotionless. "I'm waiting for you to break up with me."
"What? That's insane!"
"No, it isn't," Liam said gently. "You know it isn't."
"I love you!" Miley argued.
A sad smile tugged at Liam's lips. A smile might've been on his face, but the smile didn't realize his eyes. "I know you do. But you would also love Nick—and you would love me too much to keep me trapped in this sort of mess." A mess? Was that what he thought of their relationship? Miley knew it was wrong, but she felt hurt. How ironic, considering she was the one inflicting so much hurt. "Now, I'm just waiting," Liam said softly, eyes sad.
"Who said anything about me dumping you for Nick?" Miley demanded.
"You didn't have to say anything," Liam said softly. "I can see it in your eyes. Your eyes light up when he's around, like they do when you're really happy. If you didn't have feelings for him, you wouldn't rejected his attempt at the first chance you got. If you didn't have feelings for him, you wouldn't have kissed him. If you didn't have feelings for him—" Liam stopped. "Miley, take a good look at the facts. All it took was a month—less than a month—for all this to happen. He's stolen your heart... and he never bothered to give it back. That's why you can't love me in the same one."
Tears streaked down Miley's face. "You're everything I've always wanted," she murmured.
"But he's the one you need," Liam said, shifting so she couldn't see the pain in his eyes.
Miley shook her head and rested her head on Liam's shoulder. He slung an arm around her shoulders. Miley didn't remember things being so messed up between them... They really had drifted apart. Liam had hid his feelings so well that she hadn't noticed. How did she not know? She had hid her feelings in the same way before? She turned to Liam, trembling.
"Miley..."
She shook her head. "I'm not letting go," she mumbled.
A slight smile shifted on Liam's face. "Not now," he corrected. His gaze grew distant again. "Not yet... But soon."
Miley felt something shift in her heart. She wished she didn't believe that he was right.
Still In Love Somehow
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know what to do think."
"Then don't think."
Nick glared. "You're not helping me."
Joe shrugged helplessly. "I'm not here to help."
"Then what's the point of showing up and saying you're moral support?" Nick demanded.
Joe grinned. "Again, not here to help. Besides, I thought this would be a good way to get the juicy deets." Nick sighed and sank further into his couch, head throbbing with memories. Joe patted his back. The brotherly gesture was enough to make Nick smile. Joe grinned. "I knew I could get you to smile," he said. "Anyway"—Joe schooled his face into a thoughtful look—"why don't you tell me everything that's going on?"
Joe was a surprisingly good listener. Nick found himself breaking down the entire story from the start—how his relationship with Miley started a month ago, how it progressed, every almost kiss and special moment, and then the kiss. Joe only interrupted occasionally for clarification for one thing or another, but for the most part, Nick talked, and Joe listened.
Nick found himself pausing to gather his thoughts, but Joe only watched him intently as he explained. When Nick glanced at the clock, he found that he had talked solidly for over an hour. But there was still so much to talk about. "I guess you could say that it was that kiss that really changed everything for us," Nick said, pausing to contemplate his thoughts. "I think... I think that that was the point where everything sort of just exploded. We haven't talked since then, though. She left shortly after."
Joe paused. "That's interesting... I think you're both very confused about this—actually, there's no doubt about that—but I think Miley would've told Liam about this."
Nick nodded. He had come to the same conclusion. "Yes, but everything's just a huge gaping blank space."
Joe took a deep breath. "I'll get Demi to talk to Miley—but knowing Miley, she'll come to Demi first." Nick nodded, waiting for Joe to continue. Joe met his gaze steadily. The joking side of Joe was gone now, and the softer, more serious, side of Joe—the rare side—was out now. Joe looked thoughtful now. "We'll wait for Demi, but, dude, you've got to calm down. How about a walk?"
Nick raised a brow. "How is a walk going to help?"
Joe shrugged. "To clear your mind."
Nick shrugged. "What's the harm?"
Still In Love Somehow
"I'm worried about you."
"You shouldn't be."
"I think you're trying so hard to protect everyone you don't bother thinking about yourself."
"You're not supposed to be this wise. I'm not that wise."
Noah grinned. "Not true. Besides, I grew up with a lot of wise people."
Miley grinned at Noah and embraced her sister briefly. They were at Levi's Stadium, where Noah was going to perform. Noah was dressed in a super cute black outfit that was a mix of rock and roll and chic. Miley, not one to outdo her sister when she was just opening up, was wearing a simple black dress (not dissimilar from the dress she had worn at the A-List party that had changed everything) and a leather jacket. Black boots went up three fourths to her knees, and her hair was down in wavy curls.
Noah's coiffed hair framed out her gorgeous face, and a touch of eyeliner made Noah's eyes seem bigger and brighter. Noah's bright smile accompanied the happy-go-lucky attitude. Miley grinned at Noah, who beamed back. Surprise flickered across Noah's face as she looked at something behind Miley. For half a second, Miley thought that there was a murderer. But Noah's initial shock transformed into happiness. Miley turned, and her eyes widened.
"Demi!" Miley screamed excitedly.
"Miley!" Demi shrieked happily.
They raced towards each other, throwing each other's arms around each other. Then, Demi turned to Noah and threw her arms around Noah, too, screaming Noah's name. Miley grinned as Demi turned to her to Noah and back to her. "I didn't think I would arrive on time, but oh God, I'm so glad I did!" Demi said excitedly. "You guys are going to be awesome!"
Miley's grin widened at Demi's enthusiasm. "Thanks for coming, Dem!"
Noah beamed. "Yeah! Thanks, Demi!"
"Anything for my favorite pair of Cyrus sisters!" Demi grinned.
"Miley Cyrus!" the intercom announced.
"That's me," Miley joked. She grabbed her microphone, gave Noah and Demi one last hug, and ran onto the stage. "How're y'all doing tonight?" Miley yelled into the microphone, grinning as the crowd roared and chanted her name. She let the cheers ring out. "This song," Miley said with a huge smile on her face, "is for my little sister, Noah Cyrus!" The crowd erupted into cheers. "This is Party in the USA!"
The song started. Miley forgot how much she missed performing. She sang the words and did the dance with her back up dancers. She remembered it all. Miley felt the rush and melody pound in her blood as she danced and sang the summer hit. She grinned as she saw others dancing around. As the second verse approached, Miley scuffed the ground with her boots.
The final chorus approached, and Miley injected as much liveliness and spirit into her performance as much as she could. She gave it her all, enjoying every bit of it. Finally, the song ended, and Miley posed with the back up dancers. Miley began to walk off the stage. "Noah Cyrus, everyone!" she called into the microphone as Noah stepped onto the stage. Miley embraced her sister briefly before running off backstage.
"You were killer, Miles!" Demi grinned, hugging Miley tightly.
Miley grinned. "Thanks, dragon!" She turned to wink at Noah admiringly. Noah beamed as she sang. She looked like she belonged.
"You wanna talk?" Demi said as she passed Miley a bottle of water.
Miley accepted the water gratefully, swallowing a few gulps. She nodded, turning to Demi. She sighed, putting the water down. "I..." Miley bit her lip, trying hard to keep the tears at bay. Miley was an emotional person. "I told Liam that I..." Miley squeezed her eyes shut. "That I kissed Nick." Demi's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt Miley. "And Liam..." A few tears streaked down Miley's face.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Demi whispered, pulling Miley into a hug.
"H-h-he told m-me he wa-was waiting for m-m-me to b-br-break up with him," Miley whispered.
Demi's jaw dropped. "That's... oh my God... Tell me everything."
Still In Love Somehow
"Come on, come on."
Nick's eyes swept through the backstage lot, searching for one person. Yes, that person was Miley Cyrus.
His gaze landed on Demi, who was hugging a slim figure in black. Nick's heart lurched violently in his chest. Miley. He started towards them, and Demi caught his eye. She whispered something to Miley, and Miley turned towards Nick. Nick's eyes widened as Miley's gaze locked onto his. Her lips were slightly parted, and her eyes were wide. He quickened his pace.
"Miley," he said breathlessly.
"Nick?" Miley frowned. "What're you doing here?"
"To root Noah on," Nick elaborated. "Plus..." He lowered his head shyly. "I wanted to see you."
Miley smiled a little. "She'll be glad to see you," Miley murmured.
Nick shot a questioning look at Demi, who shook her head softly. Nick turned to see Noah rocking out on the stage. He turned to Miley and waited for her to meet his eyes. She looked up, and a wry smile curled onto her lips. Nick smiled back weakly. "Noah's great," he said admiringly. "She reminds me a lot of you—you guys have the same sort of energy."
A smile broke out on Miley's face. "Noah's great," Miley agreed cheerfully. "I'm going to miss her—she's traveling all over the place now."
Demi grinned. "Unless you go on a tour with her. I can see it now: The Cyrus Sister Tour!" Demi smirked. "I'd totally go to every concert."
"Yeah, and I'll get you front row tickets," Miley joked.
Nick grinned. "I'd tag along with Demsicle, too."
Demi raised a brow. "Did you just call me Demsicle?"
Miley laughed. "God, Nick, you're making her sound like some sort of Popsicle."
"Maybe that's what I intended," Nick said stubbornly, flushing. But the smile on Miley's face was all worth it. Her eyes were bright and happy and relaxed. The three turned towards the concert and Noah. Noah sang passionately and performed with such renewed vigor that reminded Nick so much of Miley. He could see parts of Miley in Noah. It wasn't just how closely they resembled each other—it was that spark in their eyes. It was their compassion and soul and fire.
"She performs like you," Nick murmured quietly to Miley.
Miley's answering smile was just as bright. "Hey, she grew up with me," Miley joked.
Nick chuckled. "She's lucky."
Right now, they weren't just two exes that were just standing side by side. They weren't lovers enjoying a concert together. They were just Miley and Nick, and they were friends, watching a concert. Their hands were close, fingers just an inch apart, but Nick didn't try to grab her hand. He knew Miley, and he wouldn't make things awkward. And things weren't awkward.
He wished life was that simple.
Noah's voice rang in the air.
"I never needed you like I do right now."
QotD: What's your favorite subject in school?
#History #I guess it's the way my teacher teaches it, but the class is easy, and the teacher is the sarcastic kind of funny.
A/N: Hey, it's Darky! So, here's this. I think I wanted Liam to fight for Miley (which will be explored—maybe—later on in the story), but that couldn't happen in this chapter. I realized that it has been five chapters (five days) since Noah has arrived into the story, and I knew I couldn't postpone her concert any longer. Levi's Stadium was the first thing that popped into my mind, so there's that.
It was interesting trying to put Joe as a serious person, but, of course, no matter how joking you are, you have some seriousness in you. But it felt a little weird, to be honest. I guess Joe is a character I like to write about because he's so light-hearted and joking compared to all the dreariness and despair of everything else. I guess it's sort of to balance everything out.
Anyway, I made a new Niley video! It's called 'Best Friend.' The song is by Jason Chen, hence the quote used for this chapter. It's only about 39 or so seconds, but I felt like I had to do it. One day, I'm going to learn how to actually put Nick in the same scene as Miley instead of doing what I do now. We'll see what happens, I guess.
Review your answer to the QotD! Tell me your thoughts? I appreciate it though you don't need to. But who doesn't love reviews? ;)
- Darky