Demi Lovato Imagines

Publicity Stunt - Part 2

6 months later - February

Demi's POV:
"How was breakfast," Rose began as I approached the kitchen were she was sitting. "with Wilmer?" Her head was turned away from me, staring out the big window with a city view over NYC, next to the small, round dining table.

"Could've been better. Could've been you." (A/N: Stolen phrase btw)

I desperately hoped she would, maybe at least give me a tiny, barely noticeable, weak even, smile, but instead...she scoffed and shook her head causing her hazel, shoulder blade length hair to fall out of her face and back in place. In that brief moment I was able to notice something, a difference, something about her face was unusual, odd...my all time favorite thing about her face, her eyes. The mesmerizing sparkle wasn't there, well, actually, one day it left and ever since that day it never returned, but besides that there was another, rather abnormal thing about them. I knew I'd need a closer look though to be able to fully make out what exactly that mysterious thing was.

"Can I have a kiss, baby?" I asked nicely walking over to her and stroking her soft hair as I reached my one and only.

I joined her and gazed outside the window. It wasn't necessarily sunny yet it was a warm day. The clouds were partly floating around the skyscrapers and the cars were busy, typical New York. I used to love spending time with Rose here in NY, even when we were just in my apartment watching TV, cooking together or just sleeping all day long, snuggled up in each other's embrace...used to. I still can't believe how a single suggestion, this stupid publicity stunt, could change our relationship so much, change her. Yeah, even then I knew it hurt Rose, but there was just no way we could have stopped this "project" or whatever you'd like to call it. I personally will always call it a mistake. Anyway, I was still waiting for her to reply, lovingly stroking her hair all the while.

"I prefer your lips unkissed, you know." I sighed at her delusional commentary.

We, Rose and I, had that deal that me and Wilmer wouldn't kiss publicly which meant that there was no kissing between him and I at all, not that I wanted to kiss him after all. But a few weeks back, um, Wilmer and I were caught during an very obvious conflict, not worth mentioning what it was about, so we had to pull it off somehow and yeah, I kissed him. I kissed him, thus I broke our promise and probably a bit of her already fragile heart as well. One part of me could relate to her reaction the other part was rather like "Are you serious? I saved the ass you love so much!"

"I explained the situation to you already, detailed even, honey I had to do it and we both, you and I, know it. I did not do it to hurt your feelings nor did I do it because I wanted to, hun, trust me, I certainly did not. The only pairs of lips I want to kiss, ever, are the both of yours," Rose chuckled and hid her face even deeper in her hair, this time to hide the blush on her cheeks. "Now, give mommy a kiss." A barely audible sigh slid through her plump and oh so kissable lips. "Pretty please with, exceptionally, your cherry on top." Aware she couldn't see it I smirked nonetheless.

Finally she turned around, eyes already closed, strange enough, and puckered her lips for me to peck them. I studied her face for a quick second taking in all the changes that the current situation had caused. Horrific.

"Boo, we always lock eyes before we share a kiss so the opposite can see if the other wants it, if they mean it and feel it, and to share the love that's hidden in our eyes, or not we never know," I paused for a quick second, "remember?" And I knew this would answer my still open question, it had to.

Rose hesitated. She refused to open her eyes. Worry was starting to take over my entire system. Why wouldn't she just show me her beautiful eyes!? She kept them  close, her head lowered and rose again. She bit her quivering lip hard enough to make it turn white. I was getting suspicious but as soon as that one oh so familiar thing entered my mind I erased the thought. It felt like a decade had passed. My stomach turned as this worrisome situation didn't seem to have an end very soon.

"Baby..." I cracked out. "Look at me. Please." My thumb found its way to her right cheek in the meantime, wandering up and down.

As soon as a single tear escaped one of her still mysterious eyes I placed my lips on the salty liquid. I was confused, I felt useless and was on the verge of crying myself. Not because I was heartbroken like Rose was, though I was kind of, but due to her behavior. Everything stopped around me, my gaze practically piercing through her wrinkly eyelids and further, I gazed into the seemingly thin space.

"I'm sorry." Rose spoke barely audible and bringing me back to the here and now.

I was even more confused and so much more worried, thousands of things and ideas and thoughts rushing inside my head like the countless people during Rush Hour in New York Penn station where we had first met.

"I'm sorry." She repeated even more quieter and shakier.

I was about to say something as Rose, my girlfriend, my best friend, my so very strong soulmate, opened her no longer mysterious pairs of eyes...

————

Stay strong, but most importantly stay alive everybody! You're loved. Believe it. It's true.
-U