That word is love (Demi Lovato fanfic)

That Word Is Love: Chapter 25

A/N:

Not a super-long chapter but yeah. Tell me what you think?

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Simon's POV

COMPETITION WEEK 4- MONDAY:

Just then, my phone rang. "Simon speaking," I picked it up.

"Hey, it's Aaron."

"Where are you?" I was instantly alert. Please not another phone call to tell me Dave was doing damage control because one of my teens got smashed at a party...

"At the local mall. We walked- me and Isaac. I'm just calling because, uh, I figured I should let someone know?" It came out like a question.

"Thanks," I told him. "That's great, have fun. Is Demi not with you?"

"No." He hesitated. "That's also why I'm calling. She didn't want to come- she was a little moody about it. She's alone."

"Alright, well, I just got in to the house, so I'll go check up on her now."

"Cool. Bye."

With a quick goodbye, I hung up, then strode up the stairs.

I didn't know what was going on with Demi for sure, and that was killing me. I'd sent the camera crew a week early in the hopes that either they would manage to catch something on film, or they'd protect her from whatever it was. When they'd come back a day early, I hadn't heard about it until this morning, and I'd chewed them out for it. They didn't understand why- "We got more than enough footage, Simon!"- but I knew they would have kept her safe from whatever it was.

Was it her father? Was she even being abused at all? If so, it could be anyone, not necessarily her father. Her tutor, if she had one, her uncle, her grandfather, her aunt- literally anyone at all.

Maybe her father had a girlfriend who was cruel. Maybe her father was drunk or high or absent all the time. But something was not right with her home life, and I would be damned if I didn't find out what. I was still more than a little pissed off at her, but after I'd gotten my head out of my ass to realize that she might be in danger, I'd quickly sobered up.

"Hey," I opened the door, glancing around to try to spot her. "Aaron and Isaac said you were alone at- Demi?" As I crossed to the other side of the room, I saw her curled up on the floor next to her bed, hugging her knees. Her head was buried in her arms, and her shoulders were shaking.

Immediately, I was beside her in two quick strides, grasping her shoulders to let her know I was there. For all of her flaws and lies, Demi was still a seventeen year old girl who, if my suspicions were correct, was going through a whole lot more than someone her age ever should. She looked up in confusion, and that was when I saw the tears streaming down her face. "Demi, you're crying...?" The Girl Who Never Cried- and yet here she was.

The moment my hand made contact with her skin, she sprung back as if burned, and scrambled back until her back was pressed against the side of the bed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were alright." Honesty was the best policy right? "Aaron and Isaac called to say they'd gone out and left you."

"Yeah, I wasn't nice to them. They don't really like me right now," Demi said bitterly, wiping at her cheeks self-consciously, her face turned to the side to try to hide it. "You don't, either. Why are you even here?"

"Demi," I started quietly, not willing to upset her anymore than she was right now, but she cut me off.

"Everyone hates me. I'm a liar. Just leave."