I've Never Cried

Chapter Twenty-five - "I Couldn't. I Wouldn't."

"I've Never Cried"

Chapter Twenty-five

'I couldn't. I wouldn't'

Scene..

The next day

Joe's POV

That slut.

She made me cheat on Demi. She made me deceive my brother. She made me guilty.

She made me want her.

I saw Demi the day after that, and wondered if she knew. She actually came to my house this time; surprising me, yet scaring me even more. She came up to my room as I was in there, pillow over my head, trying to clear my guilty conscience. She tapped me, and I removed the pillow, and threw it at her, thinking she was Nick, coming up to bother me. She caught it, and when she laughed, I turned and saw that it was her.

Horror was written across my face.

"Hey," She said, handing the pillow back to me, sitting on an office chair I had in the room. I sat up, and readjusted my face, mumbling back,

"Hey. Sorry about that. I thought you were-,"

"It's okay," She said, then looked me up and down. "Why are you so dressed up?" I wasn't really dressed up. I had on the same T-shirt I'd slept in, jeans and an old blazer I'd thrown on when I went to make a grocery run.

"No reason," I responded, saving myself an explanation. She leaned over and kissed me quickly, and I knew she didn't know. I wanted to tell her, because I loved her. But if I did, she wouldn't love me.

I couldn't tell her.

I wouldn't tell her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, forcing a smile I couldn't bear. I hated lying to Demi. It cut me up inside.

"I just wanted to come and see you." She said and I nodded. A silence followed, and I began to feel like she was suspecting something. I assumed it was just my guilt eating me alive, and I was suffocating in it.

"Did you talk to Selena?" She asked. I jumped out of my skin. My heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings.

I stuttered, "W- what do you mean?" I heard myself gulp; Demi heard it too. Her eyebrows pulled together, before she raised one in confusion. Her eyes narrowed, though I couldn't meet them.

"About why she broke up with your brother, Joe." I could feel her staring at me, my breathing quickening. Flinching as I turned to meet her eyes, I responded.

"Not really," I lied, and groaned once I felt my gut wrench. "Why? Did she say anything?" I said it almost too quickly, and Demi caught that, but she must've ignored it.

She pulled me to my feet by the hand, and placed her palms in mine. "I didn't ask her." She said, worry suddenly appearing in her eyes. Her fingers curved through my kicked up, short hair, and she watched my eyes. "Is everything alright?" I naturally pulled her closer to me, my nose touching hers. And for a second, it felt great: just being there with her, staring at her, sharing this feeling with her. Loving her, endlessly. Everything felt right, like what was meant to be was said and done. Like there was no ground from here, and all you could do was aim for the sky. Like there was no turning back from here, all you could do was push forward. But what if there was a fork in the road, and you didn't know which to take? What if that road had a dead end, a cul de sac, and you had no option but to turn around, and head south? If it all ended here, where would I turn?