That word is love (Demi Lovato fanfic)

That Word Is Love: Chapter 21

COMPETITION WEEK 3- MONDAY NIGHT:

"You ready?" Simon nudged me.

I sighed, then pushed myself up and nodded. He gave me an encouraging smile, knowing that this was difficult for me, and I was beating myself up about it.

"Go on. I promise you, they won't care."

XXX

I could hear their voices through the door- all three were in Layla's room, speaking in hushed voices. Tentatively, I rapped on the wood, almost wishing they wouldn't hear.

The voices stopped. I heard footsteps padding towards me, and steeled myself when the door handle turned. Isaac's face peeked out through the narrow gap, and he looked at me with a mixture of hurt and confusion. He made to close the door, but I stopped him.

"I'm sorry," I said pleadingly. "Please?"

Isaac gave me a long look before grudgingly stepping aside and widening the gap.

"Is it Simon?" Layla asked. "I need to- oh."

All three of them were staring at me, arms folded across their chests, waiting for an explanation that I didn't want to give. This week is a bad week. Tomorrow is the worst night.

I bit my lip nervously, begging them to forgive me with my eyes. "I'm sorry. I really, really am. I shouldn't have said any of those things- I didn't mean any of those things. Especially to you," I turned to Isaac. "I was a bitch, and I'm sorry. You're not annoying, or a freak; I am. If anyone doesn't deserve to be here, it's me. You guys have been nothing but nice to me and I'm the worthless freak who doesn't deserve it, not you. And I-"

"Woah," Aaron held up a hand. "It's not that I mind if you want to make it a long, heartfelt apology, but... stop. You're not any of those things either."

"I am," I disagreed quietly, glancing again at Isaac. "Just for saying those things to you, I am. Please don't- I mean, you don't have to be around me, I get it, just can you not- don't hate me?"

"You are making this really difficult to be mad at you," Layla groaned, running a hand through her hair. "Stop it, Dem. We forgive you, alright? It happens."

Isaac slipped his fingers through mine, squeezing my hand. "It's okay, Demi."

"Yeah, everyone has bad days," Layla added. "We were talking about it. We know that wasn't you, it was just someone having a bad-" She stopped short when she saw the torn expression on my face. "Oh, Dem..." Briskly, Layla smiled brightly at Aaron and Isaac, then shoved them out of her room. "Girl time. Bye guys!"

"Hey, you can't just-"

The door slammed in their faces.

Layla came over to me, slipping an arm around my shoulders and dragging me over to the bed. When she pushed me down to sit, I was unprepared and had to bite my lip to keep from crying out at the sudden pain. "Okay, talk to me. What's wrong sweetie?"

"Nothing." It wasn't something I was forbidden from talking about, I just... didn't want to. Even to her.

She didn't accept it, lacing her fingers through mine. "You know you can tell me anything." There was almost a deeper meaning to her voice, a hint of dark edge.

"I'm fine, really." I forced a week smile, knowing she could see right through it. "It's just a bad week, this one. Like you said."

"You wanna talk about it?" Layla prodded again. When I shook my head, she brushed her fingertips lightly over the tops of my hands. "Whenever you do, I'm here."