Chapter Thirty-Two
Miley hurriedly picked her ringing phone up and answered it. "Hey."
"Hey Miles, I'm coming up." Nick spoke in a soft voice as he entered the elevator to her floor.
"Okay, good. I missed you." Miley hung up and threw her phone back onto the side table and she sat up and rushed to the door to open it to find Nick there. "That was quick."
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her to him. "I ran. Impatient, you know me." He gazed down at her. "We should talk."
"Oh."
"Don't get any ideas, Miley, ok. I said I wasn't going anywhere."
She let go of him and quickly checked the hallway and then closed the door. "What's this about?"
"Lets sit down." He grabbed both of her hands and pulled her to the couch, sitting her down. "Miley, I found a really nice place in L.A. It's really nice and I want you to come see it with me."
Miley sighed in relief. "Is that what this is about? You scared the living shit out of me, Nick." She whacked him on his shoulders. "Next time don't be so intense, buddy."
"I told you not to be scared and Im not finished."
She just lifted her eyebrow and waited on him to finish.
"I want you to live with me."
Miley's mouth dropped open slightly but she said nothing.
"Miley?"
"Absolutely not, Nicholas." She shook her head roughly. Had he completely lost his mind? They had only been dating straight for a complete six months. What if something went wrong?
"And the reason is...?"
"I don't need a reason. You should already know. This isn't practical."
"Screw practical. I love you and you love me and I want to just wake up beside you every morning." He was still holding onto her hands and staring deep into her blue eyes.
"You feel that way now but things could change. Things always change, Nick."
"Not this again, Miley. Geez, you and Joe are so much alike." He snapped back at her. "Why don't you two let go once in awhile and stop thinking?"
"We're too busy thinking with our brains instead of our hearts." Miley stood and walked around the couch still looking at Nick, angrily.
"Oh yeah? And how's that working out for you so far? Are you happy?" He followed her steps.
"Nick, stop." He was starting to hit a little too close to home and she didn't like it one bit. "This is how it always goes. You always get your freaking way after you make me feel one thousand times worse for feeling differently about things than you do."
"I wasn't gonna-" He gave up on what he was going to say and stepped closer to her wrapping his arms around her and placing his chin on top of her shoulder. "Miley, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Miley was breathing slightly fast from the encounter with Nick when he hit her with one last blow.
"But sometimes it just feels like you don't believe in this relationship as much as I do. Maybe I was just mistaken."
Miley sat there with her body squeezed against Nick's thinking about that and maybe he was right. She didn't feel like she believed in this relationship at all. What was the point really when it was all going to change anyway.
"Hey guys," Demi waved at them with a big smile as she approached the group outside the theatre. "I guess Im the last one to arrive. Im sorry. Im not late am I?"
"You're just on time." Joe wrapped his arms around her in a hug and pulled back. "And actually you're not the last one to arrive."
"I'm not?" Demi looked at the other six people standing next to them and Miley shrugged. Oh no, she had a really bad feeling about this and it seemed like her stomach was already a few steps ahead of her because it was already churning.
"No. I bought a date. I hope that's already."
"Say what?" Miley stepped forward intending to do damage and Demi stopped her with one look.
"No, that's fine. I'll be the ninth wheel but what's new?"
"You're not the ninth wheel, Demz. If anything that's Taylor."
Taylor immediately jumped and Lautner held her back. "Joe Jonas, walk away or in thirty seconds I'll show you how redneck I can get."
"Yeah because scenes are your thing. Fine, I'll just go find Blanda then."
"Hey Joe, one thing before you go." Selena held up one of her fingers in gesture.
"Yes Selena." He snapped. "Thats her real name."
"Okay, bye bye." As Joe walked away, she pulled Demi in closer to her and Miley and Taylor leaned in too. "Minor setback but you can't really be worried about this, Demi. Her name is Bandana or sumthin."
Taylor chuckled and Demi rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter what her name is. If he can't keep his eyes on one thing then what's the point. He changes girlfriends like he changes water bottles. Im not gonna be one of them."
Miley frowned at the familiar 'what's the point' phrase and glanced back at Nick having a conversation with David and Lautner. "Demi, you have to do what I tell you, okay?"
Demi shrugged. "You haven't steered me wrong so far."
"Good. Lets start with this." Miley snatched Demi's shirt down a little so that it showed more cleavage.
"What are you doing?!" Demi gasped and covered her breast as Selena and Taylor stood there with their mouths open.
"You're gonna have to show Joe that you own him right in front his Banana or Bandana or whatever it was."
Demi laughed lightly and shook her head. "I don't own Joe."
Miley sighed and turned to where Joe was standing at the door and yelled to him. "Hey Joseph!"
He rolled his eyes and looked over at her, yelling back. "What?!"
"Demi would like some pre show ice cream."
His eyes widened. "Oh. Be right back. Watch for Blanda. She said she'll be wearing a blue vest." He rushed out the door in a hurry.
"And that's how much you own Joe."
"Oh my god..." Selena tilted her head and watched Joe race to his car. "He knows there's an ice cream place right next to the theatre right?"
"He actually raced out of here..." Taylor trailed off stunned.
Miley raised her eyebrows. "Are you all stupid?" She pointed her thumb over her shoulder at the boys. "I could make any one of them do that for any of us but lets get back to Demi."
Demi was busy looking down at her shirt and she smiled up at Miley. "You're right." She pulled her shirt back down and shook her blonde curly hair out. "Now girls Im not normally a bitch but the things you have to do for love..." She pushed past them and walked straight toward a girl with a blue vest on and held her hand out. "Hi, you must be Bandana."
"What?"
"Oh, " Demi fake laughed and hit herself upside the head. "I apologize. My friends and I were just talking about how TACKY bandanas are and I got it mixed up with your name. What is it again?"
"Blanda..." she slowly took Demi's hand and shook it. "You're Demi right?"
"Yes, I am."
"I read about you in the tabloids. Tough break. I hope you're feeling better. I hope you're not... popping pills again." She whispered the last part as if it was some big secret.
Demi gave her a another fake laugh and squeezed Blanda's hand tight. "I was never popping pills. I mean, come on, it's not like my name is Blanda or anything." Demi turned her smile to Joe who was coming through the door as Blanda glared at her. "Hey, thanks for running straight out and getting this for me." She took the ice cream from him. "But I thought about it and I don't wanna ruin my nachos so..." she dropped the ice cream in the trash can, "your friends super nice though. I can see why you like her." She blew Joe a kiss, "I'll see you inside."
"I'll... see you..." he stood back and watched as Demi brushed past him purposefully into the movie.
Miley and the girls high fived silently behind him and Blanda and followed Demi in.
"I think that girls falling back into her bad habits..." Blanda shook her head slowly.
Joe glanced at her and sighed.
"What?"
"Don't do that."
