"I've Never Cried" is one of the best Jemi stories I have ever written. There are so many twists and turns, love and hate, friendship and betrayal, all while still being a great read. This story has proper grammar and writing format, simply to make...
Nick returned from his trip a week following my conversation with Demi. He'd been gone on a week long vacation, attending a writer's camp for prospective musicians. There was a part of me that wished I had stuck to my music as well, but Nick had a burning passion that I simply did not have. My love wasn't in music anymore. Back then it was a hobby, but when I saw how seriously Nick took it, I knew that looking at it that way would be nothing but offensive to him.
"Welcome back," I said to him, as he walked in through the front door. He had a backpack on, a hard-shell guitar case in one hand.
"Hey bro," he responded, shutting the door behind him and dropping his baggage on the floor.
I clicked off the living room television that I was watching. "So how was it?"
"A lot harder than I'd expected."
"I bet," I replied. I wasn't actually interested in how Nick's camp was, I was just asking him to be polite. He half-assed the conversation too, so I didn't feel so bad. I decided to hit him with the facts head on.
"So I've been talking to Selena."
"Don't fucking make me punch you again, Joe."
"Dude, relax-,"
"Why are you talking to my ex-girlfriend?" Our conversation was taking place as we both walked into the other room, Nick raiding the fridge as we spoke. He didn't seem interested. I continued anyway.
"It's gonna sound pretty stupid, but I actually need her help."
"With what? Demi didn't forgive you, so you need another booty call?" He asked, slamming the refrigerator door and turning around to face me. He was madder than I had initially thought. His face was fuming, and I probably should have reasoned that right then was not the time to be talking to Nick about this. He was already tired and cranky from his flight, so I was sure I wasn't helping. Still, I ignored his asshole response, and continued speaking, already deep enough into an idiotic hole that I couldn't dig my way back out.
"Actually, you're half-right." I replied. He charged at me then, but this time I was ready for whatever he came at me with. "Hold on!" I shouted, stopping him from throwing his fist at me.
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"What I mean is, Demi didn't forgive me." He took a step backward then, taking a second to calm himself.
"Yeah, well, I didn't think she would. What the hell does Selena have to do with that?"
I started from the beginning, explaining to Nick everything he'd missed since he'd been gone. I told him about my visit with Demi, and how many plates were sacrificed because of it. I even took the time to detail every outline of my conversation with her, and how I needed to do something big to win her back. I explained to him my plans to do that with the project I'd been planning, and how he was actually the inspiration to ask Selena to lend her artistic hand. I even laid out the details of the conversation I'd had with her on her porch the week before. He nodded slowly, listening intently to everything I had to say. During my speech, he'd shifted onto the stool beside the island.
"So," he began, once I'd finished. He was calmer now that he understood. "You and Sel are still friends, or...?"
"Not in the slightest," I replied quickly. "She just feels guilty enough to help me. It wasn't that easy to get her to agree."
Nick shifted in his seat, his eyebrows turning up. "Bro, why are you telling me all of this?"
"If you want the cheesy answer, I'm telling you this because you're my brother, and I don't want you thinking that we're fooling around or anything. I want you to know what's going on, so you can trust me again."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "And the real answer?"
I sighed, trying to humble myself enough to get my brother to see things my way.
"I know you don't owe me much of anything after the shit I've put you through," I said, finalizing my explanation. "But I need you to help me win her back."
Then he did something that surprised even me.
He nodded, and said, "Okay."
"You're actually gonna help me?" I asked, baffled at how easy that was. My brother grinned at me, rolling his eyes humorously. He stood then, directly across from me, and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't question my kindness. So what is it you need?" Every part of me wanted to ask more questions, as the psychology of Nick's actions weren't adding up to my predictions. He was forgiving me way too fast; I thought I would at least have to suffer a little bit. Still, I didn't want him to take back anything he said, so I kept my inquiries to myself, and proceeded with my plan.
"Demi's never gonna come here if I ask her to. She's still not talking to me, even after everything that went on at the hotel." I took a second to gather how I wanted to word what I was going to say. "Basically, I need you to convince her to come here, without her knowing that I'll be here too."
Nick dropped his arm from my shoulder and back to his side. His face went flat.
"You want me to lie to her?"
"In a sense," I said, considering. Nick seemed a little disappointed in my choice, but he didn't address it.
"Joe, even if I did do that, she's never going to believe me after your stupid outburst during that phone call."
"Well, just make her believe you." I tried. He started to protest, but I cut him off before he could even speak. "Nick, you and Demi are the only people that actually get what the other is going through. She's has no one that truly understands how it feels except you. I just need you to use that as leverage." He glanced down at the floor beneath him, and I could tell he was starting to pull away from the idea.
"Please?" I tried, hoping that word would change something. "Please at least try."
"When do you need her here?"
"Like a month from now." I said. I watched his face carefully, and he slowly began to grin, though it didn't reach his eyes.
