"Demi, please... please talk to me. I know you are there." The soft voice pleaded on the other side of the phone. It was the voice Demi had least expected when the nurse had said there was a call for her. It was a voice that she hadn't heard in almost eight months. It was a voice she had secretly fallen for.
It was the voice of her once-upon a time best friend Selena Gomez.
Demi opened her mouth to say something, to say anything but she felt her breath catch in her throat and she found herself unable to speak. She heard a sigh coming from the phone that she was clutching tightly to her ear. Desperate to hear that voice once again but terrified of what it would say.
"All right, Demi. I understand. You're not ready to talk but please, just listen. You're my best friend and it destroyed me when I heard what had happened. I'm coming to see you, Demi. I made a mistake when i let you push me away all those months ago. I'm not going to make that mistake again. I'm going to fight this time, for you, for our friendship. I love you,Demi and I'm going to see you soon." By this point Selena was sobbing and Demi felt her heart breaking. She sighed softly, a tear falling down her pale cheek.
"Oh, Sel. Why are you crying? I'm the one that's in the treatment centre"
Within ten minutes they were laughing and telling jokes like nothing had happened. Yet something had happened and the two were painfully reminded of it as Selena spoke her farewell before Demi's allocated phone time ran out.
"I'm booking a flight now, I'll be with you tomorrow. I'm going to make everything right between us. See you soon. Love you Dems. " A bright smile spread across Demi's face that hadn't been there in a long time.
"I love you too Selena. See you tomorrow." The phone was hung up but the smile remained. Demi turned to the nurse who was required to stay with her while she spoke on the phone.
"My best friend is coming to see me!" Demi exclaimed, happier than she had been in a long time. The nurse smiled softly, amazed to see the young eighteen year old looking so happy at the thought of just one girl. By dinnertime the smile remained on Demi's face and everyone that communicated with Demi knew that her best friend, the Selena Gomez, was on her way to visit her.
She didn't get much sleep that night. She tossed and turned all night, terrified that Selena wouldn't show up. That their friendship, their distorted form of a relationship ( if you could a first kiss at ten years old and a few since then a relationship) , was just as irreparable as she had first thought. When the knock came of the door of her small room at the treatment facility at around six-thirty in the morning to signal that it was time for Demi to get up and begin her day she was already awake. As she answered the door she hoped her face didn't betray her lack of sleep.
"Good Morning Lucy." She greeted the nurse who came to wake her every morning. Lucy, by far the youngest nurse at twenty-five years old, smiled softly.
"Good Morning Demi. Breakfast is in half an hour and then you have your first therapy session. You're excused after that since your friend is visiting for a few hours but you have to attend your night-time session after dinner. " Demi smiled at her words. It was almost a confirmation that Selena was going to be there. After saying good-bye to Lucy, Demi got ready for the day. Looking in the mirror, she blushed as she realised she had dressed up slightly for Selena. Groaning in embarrassment she mumbled to herself,
"Gosh Demi, do you have to be so obvious?" Sighing she continued on to breakfast, counting down the minutes until she would see Selena's face in person for the first time is eight months. She sat by herself at breakfast that morning, even though she had made herself a few new friends after the initial awkwardness of "oh my God, You're Demi Lovato!". She was far too tense to engage in any type of conversation at the minute and so chose to sit quietly in the corner and try not to think about what could go wrong today. After breakfast she proceeded to her counselling session. Only she couldn't stop thinking about Selena. She couldn't stop talking about her. The councillor was probably regretting asking about the upcoming visit now.
"So, Demi, I hear you have a visitor coming today?' Doctor James had asked. A smile had once again appeared on Demi's face.
"Yeah. My best friend Selena. I love her and I've missed her so much. She helped me through a lot and I really think she could help me through my recovery. " Doctor James sat quietly with a pensive look on her face for a few moments before asking quietly.
"Demi, Forgive me for asking, but would I be right in saying that you are in love with miss Gomez?" Demi went bright red.
"What? NO! No-" Demi stopped and sighed at the look on the doctors face.
"Fine" She Conceded. "I am, I love her but she doesn't feel the same. I know she doesn't and even if she did, you guys said that becoming involved in a relationship wouldn't be good for me just now." A small smile appeared on the doctors face.
"We did say that but I do believe that this is one relationship that would not only be good for you, it may be the most instrumental thing in your recovery. Take a risk Demi. Remember what I told you when we first met. Take one risk a day. Learn to not doubt yourself" Doctor James laid a hand on her arm. " I do believe that will be all for today. Give it a try Demi. You never know."
Demi smiled for a second before a worried look appeared on her face.
"And you won't tell anyone that I'm..." She trailed off. The doctor shook her head.
"Of course not Miss Lovato. And one day, when your fans find out, they will support you. In fact, I dare say they will love you all the more for it."
Demi took a deep breath and nodded before heading back to her own room. It was eight o' clock by now and Demi began to wonder when Selena would arrive. With thoughts of Selena in her head and heart she drifted off to sleep.
Demi awoke to someone shaking her lightly and a soft voice saying
"Demi, wake up. Your visitor is here." Demi's eyes snapped open to see a nurse standing above her. "Selena is outside. Shall I let her in?" Demi took a deep breath and nodded quickly. Yes, Let her in. This was it. The moment Demi had been waiting for, for eight months. She barely had a chance to revel in the moment when a dark haired beauty collided with her in a hug as she stood up. The figure was sobbing and clutching tightly to the clothes Demi had picked out so carefully that morning. Demi returned the hug, breathing in the scent of her best friend. The nurse retreated from the room leaving the two girls who stood in each others arms for a good ten minutes afterwards. Finally Demi summed up the courage to speak.
"Selena." She breathed. The taller girl opened her eyes and smiled brightly.
"Demi. I've missed you so much. You are all right, aren't you?" Demi nodded, squeezing the other girl. The two sat down on Demi's bed.
"I'm not at my best but I'm getting better Lena. This place is really helping me." She promised. Selena took a deep breath.
"Was it fine that I phoned? I mean its not going to disturb your healing, is it?"
"I'm so glad that you phoned Lena. It made me so happy, the happiest I've been since we lost contact. The doctors even say that our relationship will help me recover. Our relationship could be good for me." Demi spoke quietly, knowing that this risk could go so wrong.
"When you say relationship..." Selena trailed off quietly. Demi gulped before taking a deep breath.
"I'm in Love with you Lena. The doctors know that. They say that although a normal relationship wouldn't be good for me. We are. Because I'm so in love with you. I only hope you feel the same." She confessed. Selena's eyes were wide with shock before a soft smile appeared on her face.
"Oh Demi. I'm in love with you too. Would you like to be my girlfriend? We won't be able to go on dates while you're here but I'll visit as often as I can." Selena said. Demi accepted and the two sealed the proclamation of love with a kiss.
Over the next four months Selena kept her promise and visited Demi as often as she could and on the days that she couldn't visit Demi was always the recipient of a phone call. They sorted out the issues that caused them to drift apart and Demi slowly healed her own personal demons. Finally, on the twenty eighth of January, Demi arrived back in Los Angeles. The best part was that she hadn't told Selena she was home and left the airport to go straight to Selena's house. The paparazzi gathered around her car as she had left the airport but they were unable to follow her into Selena's gated community and so Demi arrived at her girlfriend's front door without much hassle. She nervously rang the doorbell and smiled at Selena's mom who had came to the door and hugged her. "It's good to have you back Demi. Selena is sleeping in her room if you want to go surprise her. She's been working long hours on set the past few days."
"Thanks Mandy." Demi said softly, making her way towards Selena's room. She smiled at the sight that greeted her of Selena curled up on her right side, clutching her pillow tightly, and perhaps the best part of all was that her small frame was covered by one of Demi's shirts. Demi moved towards the other girl and sat down, stroking her girlfriend's hair. "Selena" She spoke softly. After a second the girls eyes opened and a wide smile appeared on her face.
"Demi, you're home!" She yelled, pulling her into a kiss. Demi pulled back and hugged her girlfriend.
"Its so good to be home Lena. I've missed it so much. And we can finally go on those dates now." She said with a smile. Selena hugged her tighter.
"That's right Demi. We can. We do need to think about going public though, depending on the location of those dates." She reminded her.
"I know, Selena. But for now I'm glad to be back home in your arms and I want to enjoy the moment." She spoke softly.
"Then that's exactly what we'll do Demi." Selena said in the voice. The voice that had re-started it all. The voice of her best friend. The voice of her soul-mate. The voice that she would never forget.
