You're My Exception

Chapter 24

Demi took a deep breath. "Now or never," she muttered. Knocking on the door, she stood outside her fiance's house.

"Demi, hey," he smiled. "I haven't seen you all day, you okay?"

"No, Sterling, I'm not," she said as he let her inside the house. "We need to talk."

"What's wrong?" he asked, closing the door and giving her a questioning look.

"Look," she bit her lip. "A lot has happened today. I realized something I should've seen a long time ago. All this time with you, Sterling, has been amazing. I hope you know that. I really hope you do."

"Dem, where are you going with this?"

"Where I'm going with this, is..." Demi looked down. She was about to hurt him in a way she never meant to. But what choice did she have? If she were to go through with marrying Sterling, she'd have another man on her mind. He'd never leave her, even if he wasn't around. He'd always be the one that got away. She'd always be thinking of him, no matter what and she knew it. It would hurt Sterling to do this, she knew, but she didn't love him like she loved Joe. It was time to speak the descision aloud. "I think it's better if we didn't do this." As she said the words, she slid the engagement ring off her finger. "Before you ask, no, I didn't say yes to you because I felt I had to. I love you, Sterling, I really do, but--"

"--but you love him more," he finished her sentence solemly.

Demi bit her lip, trying to control her emotions. "Yes, and I'm so sorry. I didn't...I can't control my feelings. Don't get me wrong, I didn't think Joe would ever cross my path again, until that one day he came into my life. I can't deny what I feel for him, I've done that for too long. I'm not going to ask you if we can be friends; I'm not even gonna ask for you not to be mad at me. I just want you to know the truth. That's all."

They stood in silence for five seconds...ten seconds...the silence grew. Demi shifted her weight uncomfortably as Sterling kept his gaze on her. "I'm not mad," he finally said.

"You're not?"

"I...I don't know Demi, I think I just need to let this sink in." he explained. "Where is Joe now?"

"He's on a flight to Hawaii," she sighed.

He nodded. "I guess you should go now."

Taking this as a cue to leave, she walked over to him and placed the ring in his hands. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. Demi kissed his cheek and walked out the door. A weight had suddenly been lifted off her shoulders. She didn't have to hide the truth that had been buried inside of her for so long. She knew it when she saw Joe in the studio on that summer day. Hell, she even knew it before that. She never stopped loving Joe. That's what she was sure of. It was amazing how long it took for her to realize it, out in the open. Sterling was a close second, but her feelings for Joe were something she could never compare anything to. As she got in her car, she dialed a number. "Pick up, pick up," she muttered.

"Hey, it's Joe, I can't come to the phone right now," his voicemail answered.

"Damn it, he's on a plane right now!" she groaned to herself. The long 'beeeep' went off, queing her to go. "Hey Joe," she said shakily. "I...I was wrong today. I messed up. I'd really like to talk to you so can you call me when you get this? Or better yet, will you stop by my house when you get back from your vacation? All right, bye, Joe." Demi hung up, sighing. She needed to talk to him. She needed to see him. She needed to let him know she loved him. But all she could do was wait.

"Stop it!" She screamed, laughing.

"Make me," he grinned.

"Joe, stop tickling me!" she screeched.

"Only for you, Dems," he answered, pulling his hands away from her sides.

"You ready for our tour this summer?" she asked, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Hell yeah," he smiled like an idiot. "I get to be on tour with my girl for months!"

"And we have duets," she giggled.

"Yeah," he replied, a faint smile still on his lips. "Who would've thought we would ever be this successful at such a young age?"

"Young?" she joked. "You're twenty, I'm seventeen. You're old!"

"Not that old," he smiled. "We'll grow old together, Demi. I know we will. I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied, pressing her lips against his.

Demi opened her eyes. She bit her lip. 'A dream of the past," Demi whispered.