Firmly Grasp It (teehee: Nothing dirty I swear)

Chapter Fourteen

Demi drove about a few miles away from port until she released something moving in the rear view mirror.

What is that?

She stopped the boat and heart groaning in the back. She took a random piece of plank wood that happened to be lying on the floor of the boat. She got ready to attack at the intruder.

"Who's there?" she queried as she got closer.

"Mmmasdjkfadf" said the groaning.

"JOE?!" Demi dropped the plank angrily. "I literally can't get away from you, can't I?"

She helped Joe off of the ground and she was in pain. She found a bruise on his hip and a scratch on his right shoulder. The afternoon sun was glistening off of his built abdomen and his broad shoulders.

"Sorry, can't do." Joe joked.

Demi threw some ice at him from the ice box. She felt really guilty taking some random fan's yacht. She'll really have to make up for that.

"Just please stop following me. I'm so tired of being followed by you. Can't I have some privacy?"

"Demi, we have to talk."

"No we don't."

"Yeah."

"No."

"Yeah!"

"NO."

They both crossed their arms and turned abruptly away from each other like two little kids. Their hearts were hurting. Demi took a seat on one of the side couches. Joe took a seat next to her, putting one arm around her and the other bringing her chin towards him so she could look at him.

"I'm tired of fighting with you," Joe whispered.

"You think I'm not?"

"Then why are we fighting?"

Demi swiftly got up and paced back and forth. Joe tried following her, getting a hold of her. She rejected.

"We have so many problems. Even as 'best friends'. I don't want to deal with anymore drama."

"Then just listen to me so we can finish off of this phase we're going through. Honestly, you've been only listening to me but you never really hear me. So, all I ask, just listen."

"Fine."

Joe sat down with his legs apart with his elbows placed upon his knees. His hands were palm-to-palm dividing half of his face as she had found him in her living room apartment the first time he came over. He took a deep breath and began his rant.

"I'm crazy about you. You have no idea. I do these things and I always end up feeling like an idiot because I always end up hurting you. I'm not intentionally trying to hurt you. I swear to God that it's an accident. Always. Some of my actions probably haven't been thought through thoroughly but my first instinct was to protect you from getting even more hurt by the public. I don't want you to suffer in public. I don't want you to suffer behind closed doors. I just don't want you to suffer.

"You mean the world to me. You've been my best friend since the day we met. You are the one I really love. I'm portrayed as a heartbreaker when our break-up broke a part of me as well. I don't want to be with you but I do. I really, really want to be with you.

Demi's eyes poured more tears, so much that her face was filling up a puddle but she stayed quiet to listen. Joe's eyes stung and tears blurred his vision.

"Then why can't we be together?"

"Because, like I said, I don't want to hurt you."

"Not even privately?"

"Not even privately. They'll find out sooner or later."

"So?"

"So? I don't want you to get hurt."

Demi was so outraged. Back when they broke up, she was going through more and more. Most of which was her cutting, her depression, her eating disorder. The break-up just toppled along on everything else. She was clean for more than one year now. She's stronger now. She wanted Joe to realize that.

"I'm not as weak as I used to be."

"I never said you are weak nor did I imply you are."

She paced faster from one side of the boat.

"Then why would you assume that I'll get hurt?"

"Because I know you will. I hate it when you're hurt."

"Joe, you can't keep me from being hurt. I'll always get hurt. Whether it's the media, what people say about me, what I say about myself, or what we  through or whatever, I'll always get hurt. I'll definitely try to prevent the hurt but nothing ever really stops it.

"You may have hurt me in the past but you have never failed to cheer me up aside from the break up. You always fixed me right up. You know just what to do and just what to say. You're my biggest weakness and strength. I know you try not to hurt me. At least I know you try. We'll learn from our mistakes. We can work things out."

Joe stood there as Demi's pace came to a stop in front of him. He observed her wonderland-of-a-body. Her black bathing suit helped make her glow alongside of the afternoon's sun reflecting off of her curvy body. He then looked at Demi's face, wiped away her tears, and wiped his own away.

He suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms. Demi's now-dry-face was snuggling up to Joe's chest and they held each other like they never wanted to let go until Joe's grip loosened.

Demi looked up into his apologetic eyes down to his lips. He glanced at her lips and returned back up to her desiring eyes. His lips collided with hers so smoothly. His kisses made her feel like a woman. Like she's in wonderland.

When Demi's lips reached Joe's, Joe felt sparks all around his body. Her soft, warm lips were what he needed to contain some of the feelings that Demi provided for him. He felt like he was floating on cloud 9.

Now Demi, she felt heaven in his lips. They sent her butterflies down in her stomach. His wonderfully flavored, soft lips were like perfection for Demetria. No paparazzi, no cell phone or any source of publicity to bother them, the moment was perfect.

"Wow," Demi breathed as she caught up for breath.

"Yeah," Joe smiled.

"What happens when we get back?"

Joe thought for a moment. 

"Just friends because I don't want people to think that I'm a cheater."

They both chuckled.

"I wish we could stay here forever but I need to give this mini yacht back to that fan I rented it from," Demi joked.

"Alright."

They both traveled back to the port where the fan was waiting at. Demi repaid the fan and her friend later with a dinner on her, a few pictures, autographs, twitter follows, backstage passes to her next concert in L.A., and just a whole day with her and Selena.

Joe went back to his brothers and shared a wink with Demi. She winked back flirtaciously. Welcome back Jemi.