EDITING, demi becoming part of lockwood & co had been a complete accident. after a bad incident at the fittes agency, she wanted to find a smaller, safer company to work for. that was not lockwood & co and yet, she ended up there anyway. no parents...
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━━ CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR/ anthony
Demi didn't sleep in Lockwood's bed when they got home. She didn't even sleep in her own bed. Instead, she curled up on the couch downstairs and stared at the wall while the house fell dead silent. Demi didn't want to sleep, she didn't feel like it. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Francis. Her dark skin, wide smile and gorgeous brown eyes that Demi forgot how much she missed. It was too much and every time she closed her eyes, she saw as the light disappeared from Francis'. It made her want to sob.
But there were no tears left to cry and so when she heard someone walk down the stairs after an hour or so of simply staring, she didn't have anything to be worried about. There was no physical evidence of how everything was eating her up inside. Her back hurt and she ignored it. Her knuckles had begun to bruise from the punch she had thrown at Kipps but she ignored it. Not one physical indicator that she was in pain.
Yet, she was. Demi had become an expert at hiding it and she cuddled the pillow closer to her chest as she heard the kitchen door open. Her eyes fell closed for a moment, hoping that it would provide some reprieve but Francis appeared again. Her smile, that smile. The smile that she could never seem to forget. The smile she wore until the very end.
Demi opened her eyes again and stared off. The sun leaked through a gap in the curtains and at some point, the gap was closed. At first, she wasn't sure who did it and then someone placed a cup of tea on the coffee table and her favourite pack of biscuits - ginger nuts - were placed down too.
"I didn't know if you wanted tea but I was making some anyway. I can hear Lockwood pacing so I couldn't sleep," George's voice was soft, attempting to be a little humorous but they both knew it fell flat. Demi forced an attempt at a smile on her face and briefly met George's gaze before her face burrowed back into the pillow.
"Thanks." Demi's voice was hoarse, quiet and tired. They were all so tired. She could even hear it in George's voice which made her feel guilty. More guilty because Lockwood was only awake because he was worried. Every question he had thrown Demi's way had been ignored and she had given him nothing at all. Not even a look. It made sense he was worried, "I'll talk to him," She decided after a moment. George opened his mouth to protest but Demi was already up and halfway to the staircase before he had the chance.
He could see that every movement she made hurt her. It was obvious in the stiff movements and quiet way she spoke. Demi - even after it all - was loud. She was such an obvious presence in a room. George didn't like what she had been reduced to. He had never seen her like this and it scared him, scared him so much.
The brunette reached the landing and walked over to Lockwood's door. She didn't knock. She could hear his feet shuffling across the floor and his head snapped up, ready to apologise to George but it wasn't George. It was Demi and he froze, unsure what to do.
"Please, stop pacing. You're keeping George awake," Demi said softly. It was nothing like her usual tone. It was so defeated and the frown returned to her lips as soon as the words had left. Lockwood nodded. He didn't know what to say and he just stared at her, fumbling over the right thing until it was too late and she had closed the door. George was walking up the stairs now with his mug of tea and she smiled half-heartedly, "Tell me if he starts again. I'll be downstairs." George nodded and walked past up to his room. Demi headed down and her feet tapped against the stairs as she took the steps one at a time. Every single movement made her body ache but she fought to ignore it.
