Nick glanced at me, infuriated, with his fists clenched tight. He pointed toward the outside hallway with the pissed expression he had plastered among his face. "May I speak to you outside, Joseph?" Nick gritted his teeth, crossing his arms around his chest.
Demi started to giggle, as though she was some drunken women exiting a bar and realizing she was a completely different person. "Why are you looking at Joey like that, Nicky?" she asked, smiling while she looked from me to Nick and Nick back to me.
"Sure bro," I said, acting like everything was normal as I gave Demi a kiss on the cheek. I entered the hallway, just as Miley walked by to kiss Nick good-bye and give me a quick hug. I waved as she walked off and said good-bye to everyone in the kitchen with her sweet sounding voice, putting my hand down just as the door slammed tightly shut.
Nick turned to me, the same annoyed expression plastered on her face. He pushed me up against the wall, pinning my arms tightly so that I wouldn't be able to move. "How did you like the view, Joe?" he pressed, pushing me harder against the thick wall. What was he talking about? The view…the view of what?
I placed my hands on his arms, trying my best to make him loose his tight grip from around my neck. He kept on pressing his hands harder onto my neck, causing me to stop breathing and loose conscious. "What are you talking about Nick? What view?" I whispered, furrowing my eyes in confusion as I grabbed the side of the wall for support to help me not hit the floor.
Nick rolled his eyes in frustration, pulling his hair in agony as well. "The view of Miley and I kissing and having a conversation about our relationship. The view where you were laying at the edge of the roof, thinking that no one could see you. Does that refresh your memory Joe?" Nick yelled in my face, slapping my cheek hard so that all I could feel was the sting that the slap had left behind after it was all over.
I didn't say anything back, I just couldn't because I had no strength left in me to fight back. He was so much stronger than I'd ever be and had everything that I wish I could have: the looks, the body, being a ladies' man, a phenomenal student, but most importantly, having the girl that I've loved for so long (9 years, 5 months, and 14 days to be exact.) All of this stuff just came to my mind and I just couldn't take it anymore because they're other people in this world besides the self-centered ones, like Nick. "I'm sorry, dude. I heard you guys talking about me and Demi's relationship and felt that I had the right to listen in on your relationship status since you think you know everything about my relationship with Demi," I explained, hissing through my clenched teeth as I breathed heavily in and out of my nose while the emptiness in my soul began to fill with satisfaction.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Joe. You never have and never will. You walk around this world thinking everyone loves you because they think you're the best thing ever. Well, things have changed since then, Joe. You need to get your head out of the past and get yourself a fucking reality checks like the rest of us already have," Nick shouted, shutting the door tightly while the sound of breaking glass filled my ears.
I lay on the hard cream colored floor with my face staring up at the ceiling. My consciousness must have come back to me some time in that short moment, because I felt myself walking down the screeching staircase and into the dark, emptiness of the living room. I threw myself onto the warmth of the couch, burying my face, into what felt like a pillow, as I bawled my eyes out while beginning to shake uncontrollably with defeat. Wrapping my arms tighter around the pillow, I began to hear a slight heartbeat against my ear. I glanced up, locking eyes with two breath taking oceanic blue eyes. There she was in front of me, looking gorgeous, watching me be a wimp as the tears continued to cascade down my eyes. God, why me?
"Joe…," Miley whispered, wiping away the tear stains that had formed on my face, "it's going to be okay. I'm not going anywhere." She pulled me up next to her, slipping her hand around my waist as she laid me down on her chest.
I looked up at her, picking my head off of her chest and onto the backboard of the coach, releasing her grip from around my waist in the process. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, following every move that I made with her delicate eyes. "I'm sorry Miles, I just think it would be awkward since you're dating my brother and we don't have that type of boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. You know you're like a sister to me, right?" I could feel my chest tighten up, my heart rate beginning to accelerate in its chamber as it pounded heavily against the weakness of my chest. The tears didn't stop there, if not, they just continued to fall in torrents. I just wish she didn't see me like this.
She nodded her head up and down, stroking my hand as she gently kissed it. Why did she have to make things harder than they already were? "Yeah, I know what you're saying and I don't think Nick would approve of that, either. But, I hope it's okay if I stay with you because I don't want you to be alone. I promise to stay on one side and you can stay on the other," Miley laughed, shifting her body toward the other side of the leather coach.
"Alright," I said, staying on my side while getting a blanket to wrap around my shivering body.
"Uh, Joe? I'm sorry, but do you have like any clothes I could borrow to sleep in? I didn't know I was going to stay over tonight and I didn't pack anything," Miley explained with a half hearted smile among her thin lips.
I could feel my lips curl into a slight smile. No girl has ever asked me to borrow a T-Shirt or shorts for them to sleep in or anything. Not even my long term girlfriends of like 6 months. Or Demi. "Yeah sure, you could go upstairs and get them if you want. They're the last drawer on the left," I say, making up my side of the couch, separated from Miley's empty side.
She slightly smiled, grabbing my arm to the staircase and pointing to the top where a light had bounced off of the wall and back into the bedroom. "I don't want Nick to know that I'm here. I just want it to be us tonight and for it to be drama free. So, could you please go get me clothes?" Miley pleaded, her eyes begging like a lost puppy looking for its owner.
I let go of her arm, stepping on the first step that made a loud, obnoxious squeak. Stopping dead in my tracks, I pointed to the couch for Miley to go to, in case Nick or Demi decided to come down and look for me. I continued up the steps, this time tiptoeing and being more vigilant about the rest of the steps that lay ahead of me. I stopped at the top of the staircase, looking from one way to another to see if Nick or Demi had a chance of seeing me. Carefully opening the door to my room, I quickly turned the light on, scattering through all of my clothes for pajamas for Miley to wear. I repeated this process again while making my way back downstairs into the safety zone. Making my way toward Miley, I realized she was sleeping. I gently shook her, whispering her name into her ear every chance I got. "Miles, I got you clothes," I murmured, lightly shaking her fragile body.
Miley shifted to the other side of the couch, so that her back was facing toward me. "Just put the shirt on me," she mumbled into the pillow, beginning to pull off the shirt she was originally wearing.
"No Miles, it's okay," I exclaimed, turning my head around and covering my eyes, not wanting to see anything my brother would murder me for looking at.
Miley turned me around with my eyes still closed, removing my hands from over my eyes. As she did this, I shut my eyes tighter, blocking my vision from the rest of the world. "Joey, it's okay, I still have my shirt on," she giggled, pointing to her navy blue American Eagle sweater, "But, could you please take it off for me? I'm too lazy to do it myself. Don't worry, I have a tank top on underneath." Thank God.
I slowly pulled her shirt over her head, gulping every free time I got. She was absolutely stunning, even her body was magnificent. Who knew? "Um, I brought you two shirts. Which one do you want?" I gulped again, looking away so that I wouldn't do anything I would regret while she made a decision.
"It doesn't matter to me, but I'll go with the red one," Miley yawned, picking up the shirt and handing it to me. Really? She seriously was doing this to me, making me put on her shirt? Oh God, this girl has to make my life so much more difficult than it already is. But, she's so worth it.
