Speak Now

FIVE

Demi entered the apartment hoping to go straight to bed. Seeing Mrs. Stewart made her uneasy. She just wanted to forget about the unexpected encounter.
She set her bags down on the entryway table and made her way into a dining room chair.

Nick was setting out plates for the three of them. He slid on a pair of oven mitts and opened the oven taking the chicken and rice out, he set them on the counter. He began filling up two plates with food and set them down on the table.

"I didn't know you cooked." Demi said surprised. She inhaled the delicious aroma of the food in front of her. Picking up a fork and knife she cut her chicken breast into several pieces. she stabbed a piece of chicken and popped it into her mouth.

"When I moved out I made it a priority to learn." Nick replied tucking into his plate as well.

"How are you doing? With all of this?" He asked, genuinely concerned for his friends wellbeing.

Demi finished chewing trying to come up with an answer to his question. What did he mean? About how she felt about being back home? Or how she felt about Joe's engagement?

"I'm fine." She answered.

Nick set his knife and fork down. "Demi.." He sighed. "We both know that's not true."

Damn. Nick could always read her so well. It scared her sometimes how well he knew her.

"I was shocked at first but I'm happy he's found someone to be happy with." It was true, all that mattered to her was Joe's happiness even if it wasn't with her. Even if it wasn't her who made him happy.

"Demi." He pressed on.

"Nick." She retorted.

"When's the last time you went out on a date?"

Her mouth dropped open. She couldn't remember the last time she's been on a real date.

"Why would you ask that?"

"I'm curious we haven't talked in a while."

"Not since Joe." She admitted.

He sighed rubbing his temples.

"I saw what the break up did to both of you guys and it wasn't good."

Demi fell silent. The aftermath was something she tries to put behind her. She wasn't around to know how their break up affected Joe. She knew that it probably destroyed him.

"You don't know what it did to him? Do you?" Nick asked.

She shook her head.

"Joe was a mess, I mean I don't know what went on between you two but it was extremely hard to deal with. I was losing two of my best friends."

"He never told you why we broke up?" Demi asked.

"No. I know it's not my place to say but he just wasn't the same after. He was-"

"You're right it's not. If Joe wanted me to know what happened after I left he would've told me."

"I think you should talk to him about it at some point."

"Fine." She replied curtly.

They resumed eating dinner in silence. Once Demi was finished she took her plate to the sink and leaned up against the counter.

Selena sauntered into the room still wearing the clothes she arrived in.

"You hungry?" Nick asked getting up from the table.

"Starving!" She exclaimed. The brunette sat down in the seat previously occupied by Demi.
Nick filled her plate with the food he made and set it down in front of her.

Demi could still feel the tension in the air.

"I'm gonna go get ready for bed." She quickly left the room unsure of how to feel about her conversation with Nick.

An hour later she'd picked out an outfit for the next day, brushed her teeth and flossed. She noticed that Selena still wasn't in her bed when she went into the bathroom to dye her hair. Demi did her best to clean up the mess from the dye.

While she sat in bed Demi became overcome with guilt. She knew that the break up would be difficult but hearing about the pain she caused made her wish she never agreed to come.

Nicks words echoed in her head. He wasn't the same after. She began to wonder what he meant by that. Despite not having the full story she still felt bad.

Demi shook her head banishing her curious thoughts.

It was too late. The damage had been done. What's the point in bringing up old memories that they both have been trying to forget?

She wouldn't ask. She didn't want to know. It was better that way.

Demi saw no reason to talk about their relationship, he found someone to love who wouldn't hurt him.

That was all she did, cause pain.

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What do you think Demi did that caused Joe and her to break up??

XOXO - A