Sweetness

Chapter 19.

Demi's POV

"Who is this Demi?" I shut my eyes tightly mentally slapping myself for forgetting to tell her Odell was here.

This should be fun.

I turn away from Odell a sheepish smile on my face, "Mom, Maddie, this is Odell. My boyfriend."

I can tell my mother is taken back by the way her mouth dropped slightly but she plays it off with a smile.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mrs. De La Garza." He extends his hand for her to shake and she does.

"It's lovely to meet u too dear."

He introduces himself to Maddie too her response more relaxed than my moms, which is expected, after all her husband in a hospital in need of brain surgery.

***

It's now a few minutes after 10 pm and 5 minutes before my dad is taken into surgery when Dallas bursts through his room door making the doctors and I look up at her.

"Its about time you got here." My mom says not taking her focus from my fathers face.

"I had something to do." She shrugs.

"That thing was more important than Eddie?" I ask slightly annoyed.

"I'm here now so it doesn't matter."

Instead of saying anything else I watch as the doctors finish preparing my dad for surgery. When they're done they take him from the room and we follow, going as far as they'll allow us.

"I'm sorry ma'am but this is where we'll have to leave you." A nurse dressed in blue scrubs says offering a sympathetic smile.

I nod walking over to the side of the bed taking his hand in mine giving it one last squeeze saying a final prayer hoping he'd be okay and that the surgery will go well.

A moment later he's brought into the operation room and we're left standing in front of the door in silence until my mom speaks up.

"I'm going to the cafeteria, do you guys want anything?"

"Yeah I could go for some coffee." I say and the three of us head to the cafeteria.

When we get there I spot Odell and Maddie at a table laughing about something and I smile loving the fact that they were getting along well.

"What is he doing here?" Dallas whisper shouts and I roll my eyes.

"He's here because he didn't want me to come alone."

"You're not a baby, you would have been fine." She says folding her arms over her chest turning her body to face me.

"Dallas please this-" my mom goes to speak but I stop her.

"I'm happy he came, I was anxious the entire flight here and he helped to keep me calm." I say to her and this time she rolls her eyes. 

"There you go being all needy and dependent again." She says going to walk away and I'm ready to loose my composure.

"You know what, fuck you Dallas." I slightly shout at her causing the cafeteria to go quiet and people started to look over at us.

I ignore the stares and quickly leave, going to find a someplace where I can be alone. I find myself in a staircase not long after walking around the ward.

It's too not long after I hear doors open behind me and within a few seconds Odell sits beside me.

"What's wrong sweetness?"

"Nothing."

"It can't be nothing Demi, the way you stormed out of there wasn't "nothing"."

Instead of answering I shrug and look down playing with my fingers. He sighs and takes his hand under my chin, turning my face, forcing me to look at him.

I hate it when he did that. He always seemed to get the truth out of me some how when he does.

"Tell me what's up."

"Dallas said I'm being dependent again," I tell him trying to avoid his caring eyes "and I'm scared she might be right."

"Demi you are not being dependent, I don't understand what she means."

I was hoping to avoid this conversation for as long as possible but I feel like I needed to tell him this " In my past relationships I have been somewhat co-dependent on my partners for my happiness and security. I used to feel like I needed them because of the things they've either done for me or saved me from, so ignored red flags, put up with emotional abuse and ignored or cut off my friends and family when they were telling me what I was doing wasn't healthy and in doing that I lost myself in the people I dated and looking back now I see how I changed myself to fit the person I was currently with and I don't want to fall down that path again. I've come to far."

I take a deep breath after letting that all out. It felt good not having that cooped up inside of me. I look up at Odell waiting for him to say something but instead he pulled me into a hug and he held my head against his chest and I smile.

"Baby girl you have grown so much ever since the first time I met you and you're a new woman now. You don't have to worry about becoming too dependent because you are secure enough in yourself to know you don't have to depend on anyone else to bring you happiness because you have yourself." He let's go of me and I pull him into a kiss. 

I pull away to see him smiling "What was that for?"

"A thank you for not judging me and for what you just said. It means a lot."

"You don't have to thank me sweetness, it's just the truth, a simple reminder." He says wrapping his arms around my shoulder, kissing my cheek.

I could get used to these simple reminders from him.