Just Catch Me. {Demi Lovato Fanfiction}

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

*Kelsey*

I wake up to the bed moving. I look over to see Demi's outline sitting up in bed, her back rigid and chest heaving. "Demi?" I whisper into the dark, trying to untangle myself from the sheets. "Demi, are you okay?" She glances at me and leaps out of bed, running out of the room.

"Demi!" I call after her, swinging out of bed after her. I call her name again and hear the screen door slam. I look out the window to see Demi sitting on the porch couch with her knees pulled up to her chest. She rests her chin on her knees and stares at the sky. Her hands are pressed between her knees, and her shoulders are shaking with each breath. I can see her breath. I don't miss the fact that her arms are twitching, like they're trying to break free from her knees. I know what that means, and I know I can't leave her alone for too long, or she might do something she'll regret.

It has to be freezing outside, I think to myself. I grab a quilt and a sweatshirt and walk quietly onto the porch. She glances at me for a second before looking up again. She doesn't move. I sit beside her and wrap her up in the thick blanket. She closes her eyes and sighs quietly.

"Give me three minutes," I whisper in her ear, setting the hoodie beside her. She nods but doesn't say anything. She never looks me in the eyes. I kiss her cheek lightly and the corner of her lips turns up, just slightly. But it's enough for me. I know she's okay, at least for a few minutes.

I walk back inside and start heating up mugs of milk for microwave hot chocolate. Instant hot chocolate is never as good as homemade, but I don't want to leave Demi alone for too long. The timer goes off and I quickly grab both mugs and set them on the counter, adding the mix and vanilla creamer to the hot cup.

Demi smiles softly as I sit next to her outside. "More hot chocolate, huh," she whispers, her voice raw and tired. She wipes tears off her cheeks with her sleeves and takes a mug carefully. I notice that she put the sweatshirt on, and I bite back a smile. She sips the cocoa slowly, closing her eyes.

"God, how do you make this stuff so good?" she rasps, taking another drink. Again, I don't miss the way her hands shake slightly as she lifts the cup to her lips.

"Instant hot chocolate will never live up to the homemade stuff," I tell her, chuckling softly. Her lips turn up into the beginning of a smile. "But I did add vanilla coffee creamer to it. Makes it better, doesn't it?" She giggles lightly and nods. "C'mon," I tell her softly. "Let's go back inside and out of the cold."

Demi nods and slowly stands, her back slight hunched in the cold. I open the door for her and she smiles at the gesture. I sit down on the couch and she cuddles up close to me. She tucks her head under my chin and wraps her around my abdomen. I stretch my legs out underneath her and she adjusts herself again.

I look down at her face as she closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. Her cheeks and nose are a bit pink from the cold, and the corners of her eyes are squinting, as if she's blinking with her eyes closed. Her hair falls gently over one side of her face and tickles her cheek. She has the slightest hint of a smile on her face, and right at the moment I'm struck yet again by her beauty.

"God, Demi," I whisper, shaking my head. She looks up.

"What?" she asks.

"You are just so goddamn fucking beautiful. And you don't even realize it."

Her face blooms into pure happiness as she looks up at me. She sighs and presses her face into my neck and breathes in. "I'm so lucky," she sighs, her breath tickling my skin.

"About tonight Demi," I say, and she squeezes her eyes tighter. "You don't have to tell me right now, you know," I tell her. "If you're not comfortable with telling me right this minute, than wait. But don't handle this all on your own. I'm here to help you, and I don't want you to carry this on your shoulders by yourself."