I've Never Cried

Chapter Thirty-eight - "The Painting."

"I've Never Cried"

Chapter Thirty-eight

'The Painting.'

Joe's POV

June 6th.

That was the day we'd ended.

June 6th.

All because of me.

It's been two months, and eight days.

Two months.

Eight days.

It was the day before my birthday- August 14th. Two months and eight days since the last time Demi and I had been happy. In six days, it would be Demi's birthday- August 20th.

She'd be turning twenty, I'd be twenty-three.

We still hadn't been speaking; not that I hadn't been trying. Demi and Nick were speaking, though. He'd agreed to help me get her back, and has since been trying to get her to trust him enough to come over. Demi definitely wasn't speaking to Selena, and neither was Nick, so all they had were the two of each other. So far my plan was working seamlessly.

Demi had cut off all connections with me; she even changed hotel rooms to keep me from coming by. I knew she was upset, but when she did that, it was absolutely official that nothing had changed between us after I saw her again. I thought back to our first unofficial date, and the way Demi had described herself to me.

                 "I'm the kind of person who doesn't say much. Sometimes, I don't know what to say at all. But when I do say something, I mean every word of it."

She stuck to her word. I didn't want this; any of it. I'd been torn apart, falling to pieces ever since. I wasn't a mess. I'd been solid; a rock on the outside, only filling the emptiness within me with efforts for the girl I loved.

But I was determined to do whatever it took to make Demi forgive me, which was why I'd planned something for Demi's birthday. Something she'd love - something unforgettable.

One Month & Eight Days Before

The grand piano stood before me, flooding me with memories. Selena stood at my side, supplies in her arms; I dropped my equipment by my feet. Slowly, I made my way over to the large black instrument, and slid into the bench. I heard Selena approaching me as my fingers hovered above the melodic keys, and took a breath.

"You sure about this?" She asked, placing a frail hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, stood and we got started.

-----

My birthday came and went, unnoticed by everyone but Selena, Nick, and the few relatives that had called. But my mind was so captured by all the work that Selena and I had been doing, I'd barely noticed it'd passed myself. She'd treated me to a mini indoor picnic, which was really nothing but us breaking for lunch when we'd been working on my gift for Demi, and briefly discussing how it felt to be older, a quick "Happy Birthday" and then back to work.

One Month & Thirteen Days After(Present)

It was August 19th- the day before Demi's birthday, when we'd finally finished.

The room was beautiful. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. I remembered Demi's accurate description of the room whenever she gushed about it, and how many things she'd wanted to change.