Echoes in the Darkness | Demi Lovato

Chapter 4- Without the Love

It was just past 6 PM when I stepped out of the brightness of my dance studio and into the car lot. I was surprised when rather than my mom, Demi's car was there. I walked over, wondering if I was mistaking and it was just a car that looked like hers. I wasn't.

The pop star sent me a smile when she noticed me and I opened the passenger door, pulling out my earbuds.

I'm so confused, it's getting old.

"Hey," Demi greeted, her grin never faltering. "How was dance?"

"Good," I couldn't help but smile lightly as I looked back at my studio and she pulled away. "I'm a little sore though."

"I bet," Demi laughed. "Ashley mentioned something about you dancing six days a week." Ashley was my mom. Demi's sister! Or half-sister I guess. I still can't get over that.

I just nodded in response. Dancing kept me distracted and it was my passion. Double win!

"I'm going to stop for dinner on the way home, anything you want in particular?" Demi asked after a minute of silence and I felt myself start to panic.

"I, uh, I'm not ever hungry after I dance," I lied softly. I felt bad for lying, but I would feel even worse if I ate something. I had gone almost all of the past two days without food. I was so close to three, I couldn't break now. I just couldn't!

You wear your ring, but leave me cold.

Demi shot me a suspicious look. "You just danced for three hours, you need to eat something to fuel your body even if you're not hungry," the brunette stated, leaving no room for an argument, not that I would really know where to start one.

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I was in my room now, supposedly changing before I went down for dinner. Demi had stopped at a Wendy's fast food and bought food for everyone and now she was downstairs with Alexa and my parents eating while I changed.

However, I hadn't changed yet. I was just sitting on my bed, in my leotard and tights, with a pair of black leggings and a red hoodie in front of me. Red that matched the blood flowing down my arm. I hadn't realized it earlier, but when I was dancing I must have opened some of my cuts back up. They had stained my light blue cover-up shirt and I was so glad that no one had seen. Especially Demi as I had no clue when they had opened.

Rather than actively trying to stop the blood, I was just sitting there, the washcloth against my arm without any form of pressure to slow the bleeding. Then, suddenly, a knock at the door caused me to jump into action.

You're beautiful, but you cause me pain.

"Max, are you okay? You've been up here for a while," Demi called, her voice slightly muffled through the thick wooden door. I had learned that she was staying at a hotel nearby for a performance of some kind so that's why she was visiting for about a week, but today she had decided to stay for dinner before going back to her hotel apparently. Damn. I love Demi, but I was hoping she was already gone so I wouldn't have to eat even though a small part of me glowed at the fact that she cared.

"Yeah, 'll be down in a minute," I responded, my thick with tears that I hadn't even realized were falling. Please, just let her go away.

"You sound like you're crying," Demi responded in a worried tone of voice after a minute. Shit!

I sucked in a breath, not responding as I stood up, hastily throwing on the clothes laying on my bed and wrapping the washcloth tighter around my arm. It was just in time as a second later Demi pushed open the wooden door to my room and I turned away from her, internally panicking.

"What's wrong?" She asked kindly, still standing by the door.

"Nothin'." I forced my voice to remain steady as I discreetly wiped my eyes to get rid of the treacherous tears.

"Mhm, sure, try again cause I know that's not the truth," The brunette responded immediately. Her voice was so kind and comforting, just like in all of the interviews I had seen. I thought that maybe it was just an act or something, but it really didn't seem that way now.

Sighing I turned around hoping my pain didn't show on my face but when I looked at Demi I could tell that it did.

You play my heart like it's a game.

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Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm back again... once again sooner than planned. I don't know how I feel about this chapter, it reads a little awkwardly and also, I'm not sure how I feel about Max's name. I kinda feel like I should change it, but tell me what you think. I just don't think I really like it and plus it's Demi's bodyguard's name too so that's a bit odd. If I do change it, then I'll make sure I change it in the earlier chapters and the summary as well, but please, tell me what you think about that. Also, if I did change it, there would be nothing to make it seem like it was ever anything different. So, please vote and comment and tell me what you think about me changing Max's name. And also, thank you to the readers who have been sticking with me and come back every time I update to read the newest chapter. I appreciate you guys so much! Sorry that this author's note was a little all over the place. I'm a little tired, but I real hoped that you guys enjoyed this chapter and please, like I said, tell me what you thought about this chapter, if I should change Max's name (plus any suggestions you have for a new name), and what you all have thought about the story so far. Bye and I'll talk to you guys soon! Probably in the next day or two cause I have so much written already. Lol.