Remember Forever (Book 9 in Nemi Forever Series)

Chapter 22

Nick

I should have run after Demi, but I was a tiny bit in shock at what I had walked in on & I also didn't think she'd leave & not come back. I guess I should have known since she was upset, because I remember how upset she got when she hit me. Seeing her slap Reid was insane. It was like a dream I was watching or maybe a nightmare, except I couldn't wake up & make it not be real.

I embraced Reid as he sobbed against me & then I heard the front door slam. A few minutes later, I heard her car start up & then heard her roar out of the driveway. Reid cried even harder, letting me know he probably heard it, too.

"Mommy left. Daddy, Mommy left because I was bad at school." Reid cried out, his voice trembling.

"No, she didn't. Mommy lost her temper & she's probably giving herself a time out since she hit you. She'll be back as soon as she calms down & feels better. Remember we told you Mommy has a hurt brain now?" I asked & Reid, nodding, wiped at his tear stained cheeks. "Well, sometimes, she does things that she can't control because of her hurt brain. She's very sorry she hurt you. She knows it was wrong. It wasn't anything you did. You didn't deserve to be hit. Let's go upstairs & have a talk though about what you did at school, okay?" I took Reid's hand & headed upstairs.

Reid listened while I told him how wrong it was to push anyone, especially a girl. Then he answered the questions I asked him & I knew he learned his lesson. Boy, did he learn his lesson. After we finished our discussion, we headed downstairs since it was almost time for the rest of the kids to get home from school. Once the kids got home, Reid told them what happened, so I had to explain to them the same thing I had told Reid. Mercy didn't seem convinced, but she didn't say anything or ask any questions. My mom had brought the girls & Avery home a little later, since she had watched them that day.

It was hard to concentrate on anything that evening, so I was thankful for my mom. Thank God for her, because she helped with the kids & of course, Mercy told her what Demi had done to Reid. That was the reason she ended up staying & helping, actually. So I guess I couldn't be too upset with Mercy.

I couldn't help but to worry about Demi. I wasn't angry at her anymore. Now, I was worried. I was terrified. That look I saw in her eyes was one I'd seen before. I saw it when she got the news that she might not be able to have kids & then again when we lost Delaney. While the kids were doing their homework, I tried calling Demi. I sighed with frustration when it went straight to voice mail. I didn't leave a message. I figured she would be home soon. Sadly, I was wrong.

I helped my mom get the kids in bed & then we both headed downstairs so she could grill me with questions. I explained to her what happened & told her about my concerns & my mom, admittedly, looked scared, too. She grabbed me in an embrace & held me so tight. She knew this was bad. I was trying not to let my mind go to a bad place, but I couldn't help it now. I hadn't heard from Demi in hours & every time I called her, it went straight to voice mail.

My mom ended up spending the night & I didn't sleep much. Once an hour, I called Demi with no luck. I was trying not to freak out, but my mind was filled with ideas of what Demi could be doing. I was even more scared since no one was calling me to say Demi was with them & she was okay.

I managed to fall asleep at some point, in the wee hours of the morning & I was startled awake by my phone ringing. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I reached for my phone. I felt my heart sink when I saw it wasn't Demi's phone calling me. I heard heavy breathing after I answered, then heard a man clear his throat. "Mr. Jonas?"

My stomach turned from the fear I felt, at that moment. I closed my eyes & started praying in my head. 'Please don't let this be someone telling me Demi is in trouble.' I said the sentence over & over, not wanting to say the word I feared the most. After all, I would have felt it if she were dead. "Yea?" I said, my voice cracking as I stood up to walk toward the sliding glass doors in the dining room.