~Demi's POV~
After the girls leave, an awkward silence falls over us. Nobody knows what to say. I notice that Dallas wears an expression of confusion and contemplation. I hold my breath, anxiously waiting for her to ask something.
"Who was that girl?" She finally decides. "The one that opened the door..."
"My daughter," both Nick and I answer in unison, and her eyes widen.
"Her name's Bailey," I inform in a barely audible tone, my gaze casted downwards.
"I...when?" Dallas stammers.
"Fourteen years ago, on my Neon Lights Tour."
"But...but you were with Wilmer! You were happily with Wilmer."
"Happily?" I shake my head. "Yeah, okay, sure, him and I have had some happy moments, but the bad greatly outweighs the good."
"And your cheek?"
"Wilmer...he-he, uh, he hit me," I ashamedly admit, my words eventually becoming nothing more than a mumble as I toy with my fingers.
"What? No," My head shoots up as I look at her in astonishment. "He wouldn't do that," Although she sounds like she's trying to reassure herself, her words still hurt.
"Oh, so I'm lying now?"
"That's not what I-,"
"No, you're right," I sarcastically continue. "I'm lying because I'm that much of an attention-seeker. And you guys have totally been in my life for the past fourteen years, so you must know what has and hasn't happened. I fell, right? I'm not getting a divorce because my marriage is freaking perfect: my husband doesn't hit me, he doesn't disappear for days at a time and come home drunk, and his daughter isn't terrified of him," Fed up, I rise to my feet and glare at Nick. "You shouldn't have called them."
I hurry upstairs, desperately wanting to get away from my family. This is exactly why I haven't spoken to any of them in fourteen years. I close myself in a random room, not bothering to lock the door. Shifting my gaze around, I realize that I'm in Jordan's room. I sit on her bed and take a deep breath, exhaling heavily. A sob wracks my body before I crumble.
"Dems?" Nick says, followed by the clicking of the door being shut.
"They hate me."
"No, they don't," he swipes away a few of my tears that managed to fall. "They're just surprised. They haven't seen you in years," he reasons. "I can invite them back another day-,"
"No, I want to get this over with," I sigh, rising to my feet and walking towards Jordan's bathroom. "Do you think they'll judge us?" I splash cold water on my face and grab a towel.
"Why would they judge us?"
"I don't know," I shrug. "Maybe they won't judge you, but they'll definitely judge me," I return the towel to the rack after drying my face.
"They won't judge either of us. They're not like that. You're their daughter and sister, Demi. Just give time for the shock to wear off."
"I guess," I lower my gaze to the floor.
My breathing hitches as my body freezes.
"Nick, please tell me that my eyes are deceiving me."
With a trembling hand, I remove the only thing from Jordan's trashcan. The metal blade shimmers as the light bounces off of it.
"Maybe her razor broke?" He suggests.
"Then where's the rest of the razor?"
My stomach churns as I think about Jordan harming herself.
"How did I not notice?" I think back, wracking my brain for any indication, any signs.
Nothing.
"There's more than likely a reasonable explanation-,"
"Yeah," I snort, cutting him off. "Her life has been turned upside down, and now she's seeking control. I don't blame her. It's my fault. I'm the worst mother ever."
"No, you're not," he insists. "You know now, that's all that matters. We can help her, Dems."
I nod, tossing the blade back into her trashcan with a sigh.
"She threw it away," he points out. "That must be a good sign."
"I hope so," I mumble, returning my eyes to the floor.
"Hey," he tilts my chin up so that my eyes meet his. "None of this is your fault."
"I have a very difficult time believing that," I roll my eyes. "My daughter is fighting internal wars with herself, and I didn't even realize it. Despite everything, she always seems so happy, but I should know better than anyone how much a smile can hide. I failed her, Nick."
"Why don't we just tackle one thing at a time?" He softly asks. "We can talk to Jordan when she gets back, but, for right now, your family is downstairs probably wondering where we've disappeared to."
"You're right."
To my surprise, he suddenly places his lips on mine, only to break our embrace just as quickly.
"I'm sorry," he hastily apologizes, his face flushing.
"Why?
"I just-I didn't know if you-," I interrupt his soon to be senseless rambling by wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing his lips to mine.
Upon his silent, hesitant request, I open my mouth, allowing our tongues to entangle themselves as he gently presses me against the sink. When we break apart for air, I rest my forehead against his with my eyes closed.
"Do you know how long it's been since I've been kissed like that?" I rhetorically question in a soft tone.
I peck his lips, then return downstairs with him in tow.
"So," I address my family, hovering near the stairs, ready to make a break for it, if needed. "I'm assuming that you all have questions, and I'm willing to tell ya'll everything, but, in return, I ask that you do not judge my daughters or look at them any differently. They didn't ask for any of this to happen."
My family agrees, and I sigh, knowing that this is going to take a while.
"So, why were you screaming at Wilmer earlier?" Nick wonders after I'm finished talking, not giving my family time to speak.
Honestly, I was hoping that he had forgotten about that.
"Well," I nervously toy with my fingers, stalling for time, knowing that he'll be pissed when he finds out.
Suddenly, the front door opens.
"We're back!" Bailey announces in a sing-song tone.
She groans when the three of them enter the living room.
"I told ya'll that we'd end up interrupting something if we didn't call first. They look so serious."
"Dallas, my mom called," Sara says. "She wants me home."
"Okay," my sister nods, approaching the blonde girl.
"Come back for dinner, Dallas, if you can," Nick invites, which shocks me. "And you guys, too," he includes the rest of my family.
"I'd like that."
"And for dessert we can watch Nick receive his death wish," I sarcastically chime.
"Ooh, trouble in paradise," Bailey mutters.
"Rose garden filled with thorns," Jordan adds.
"Keep you second guessing like oh my god," Bailey recites the familiar throwback lyrics.
"Who is she?" Sara smirks, obviously knowing the older song as well.
"I get drunk on jealousy," Bailey turns to her.
"But you'll come back each time you leave."
"Cause , darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream," They finish in unison, giggles escaping their lips.
"I didn't know that you listen to throwbacks," Bailey sounds kind of impressed.
"Taylor Swift is perfection," Sara shrugs. "Plus, there's a lot that you don't know about me," she winks before following my sister out the front door.
"We'll be upstairs, so you can finish talking," Bailey drags Jordan up the stairs, and a door shuts moments later.
"Nick," my little sister removes her car keys from her purse. "Thanks for the dinner offer, but I'm going to have to pass. Demi," she wraps her arms around me, and I return the gesture. "Please don't be such a stranger now," she whispers in my ear before releasing me, not even waiting for a reply. "Bye," she waves over her shoulder as she leaves.
"How about Eddie and I go pick up something for dinner?" My mom offers.
"Dianna, you don't-,"
"I insist," she smiles before her and my stepdad leave.
"Okay," Nick turns to me. "What did he say you?"
Sighing, I sulk to his bedroom, knowing that he'll follow behind me.
"Dems?"
I lean against the wall with my arms crossed. I direct my gaze to the floor.
"He's fighting for custody," I nearly mumble.
"Of Jordan?"
"And Bailey."
"What?" I look at him, gauging his reaction. "He can't do that!"
"I put his name on her adoption papers," He curses and begins to angrily pace. "I had to put someone's name down. I didn't have a choice, Nick."
"You could've put my name, Demi! I just got her in my life, and now that bastard is going to try to take her away from me," his hands curl into fists at his sides. "I could kill him, Demi. I could honestly kill him and feel no remorse whatsoever."
"Nick, calm down-,"
"Calm down?" He laughs bitterly. "How am I supposed to calm down? Is there anything else that you haven't told me?"
"He alerted the media," I hesitantly respond.
"About what?"
"I don't know."
"Just fucking great," he shakes his head. "He could ruin us with one news article," he stalks towards me, clearly pissed as he fumes under his breath.
I instinctively flinch when he raises his hand, only to feel embarrassed when he simply streaks his fingers through his hair. My reflex doesn't go unnoticed by him.
"Demi?"
"You're angry," I mutter. "I just assumed-,"
"I will never hit you. No matter how pissed I may be, whether at you or not, I don't want you for one second worrying about me harming you, okay?"
I mutely nod, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"We'll figure this out, Dems," he grips both of my hands, kneading reassuring circles into my skin with the pads of his thumbs. "I'm not going anywhere," he kisses me like he did early, pulling away quickly, and I, also like earlier, hook my arms around his neck and kiss him as if my life depends on it, on him.
In a way, I guess it does.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
