Together (Demi Lovato Adoption)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

I found myself on the phone to Grace only a few days after the situation with Nick, learning that he had suffered from diabetic shock. He was thankfully conscious and stable now, taking a lot of guilt and worry off of my shoulders.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Grace began, on the subject of her birthday celebration. "It's really nothing much. You, Sully and I were just supposed to hang out —"

"Gray, I'm coming. I've just gotta day goodbye to Nick and give him a hug, and then I'm going to get a lift to yours. Is Leon there already?"

"Nah, he's waiting for his brother to finish soccer practice. I'll see you soon."

"Okay — see ya!"

"Oh and Lovato?"

"Yeah?"

"Do not bring me anything," Grace warned. "If you do, I will kill you. I will kill you until you're dead."

"Thanks, Grace."

"Anytime."

As I hung up the phone, I noticed that Demi had appeared at the hospital once again, her presence being scarce yet somehow still more frequent than it had been for me.

Sighing, I walked into Nick's hospital room, his face lighting up as I crawled onto the bed with him and cuddled his strong body, his arms snaking around me gently.

"You ready for your party yet El?" Nick asked, his raspy voice ringing out through the room.

"Yeah, just wanted to say goodbye to you before I asked Eddie to drive me. I love you and I hope you feel better by the time I get back."

"Thanks Ellie. You better have fun for me yeah? Tell me all about it when I see you next."

"Okay Nicky. I love you!" I squeezed the man tightly, scared that if I let him go something horrible could happen — again.

He kissed my hair as I exited the hospital room, grabbing my phone out to figure out where in the hospital Eddie was. Before I could dial his number, Demi approached me from behind and placed a hand on my shoulder gently.

"I'll drive you." She began. "Give us time to catch up."

"I'd rather go with Eddie." My tone was curt as I began to walk away from my mother, her anger evident.

"Hey!" Demi scolded. "Don't take a tone with me! Leave dad to have a break from being your taxi driver and I'll drive you!"

"At least he's paid more attention to me being my taxi driver in the last few days than you have for the last few months, Mom."

I walked away from her and out of the hospital this time, finding the De La Garza's car and climbing onto the bonnet, waiting for Eddie to answer his phone.

It didn't take long before he reached the car, giving me a disapproving but amused look at me sitting on top of his car. He called me down and the pair of us buckled up and set off.

"Where are you headed to Ellie?"

"Grace's house," I replied. "It's her birthday today."

"Tell her I say happy birthday." Eddie smiled as he spoke. I could tell by the way he was looking at me that there was something he wanted to bring up with me, but Eddie being Eddie, didn't have the heart to say anything.

"Eddie? Was there something you needed to say?" I prompted. I'd rather know what he wanted than be thinking about it all day.

"Uh, yeah actually," Eddie shifted in his seat uncomfortably as we approached a stop light. "It's about your mother."

"Eddie, I don't —"

"Listen, I'm not exactly thrilled with her either Ellie, but you've got to talk to her. There's no point shutting her out and ignoring her — it's only going to hurt both of you more." Eddie tried to reason with me, and as much as I wanted to run back into the arms of my mother, I was still so torn up over the fact that she kept leaving. 

"It's fine when Wilmer's home. Because she wants to see him. She, however, does not want to see me. So because Wilmer has been filming a million different movies this year, she barely sees me. She's forgotten about me Eddie, and it hurts."

"Don't think I'm at all on her side Ellie, because I'm not. Dianna is pissed off beyond belief, I'm disappointed because although she isn't biologically my child, I thought I raised her better than that. I don't know what's going on with her, and clearly neither do you. But maybe if you talk to her you'll find out that there's actually something happening that needs to be addressed."

"I swear if she's putting Sam in any danger by using or —"

"She wouldn't. If she had relapsed, that would be obvious to us all. And if anything like that does happen, Ellie, I'm promising you right now that you and Sam will be looked after by Dianna and I, not someone who is using or drinking. I won't allow it."

I didn't respond, but instead moved my hand into Eddie's as he squeezed it tightly before letting go, turning a corner carefully. It was comforting to know that Demi might not be ignoring me and blocking me out because it's me, but more so because something more might be happening. I just hoped it wasn't too late.

It wasn't long before we rolled up at the designated meeting place, Grace waiting on the edge of a small water feature out the front of her house. Eddie quickly said goodbye and kissed me on the forehead before allowing me to run off to Grace. 

"Eyyy, Lovato!" Grace greeted, bringing me in for a hug as the two of us waved goodbye to Eddie. 

"Hi, Grace. Happy birthday." I handed her a gift, earning a death glare from the now seventeen-year-old girl. "Just take it."

"Lovato, I told you not to! First, you buy me this charm bracelet, and now something else?" Grace pointed towards the Mickey Mouse bracelet on her wrist, causing me to grin. She hadn't taken it off since she got it. 

"You're my friend, I'm not just gonna show up to your birthday party without a present!"

Grace rolled her eyes yet nonetheless opened the present in her hand, the tissue paper I had enclosed her gift in now torn to shreds. I had given her a new backpack similar to mine after she had pointed out that she liked mine a few weeks ago, some more eyeliner and a new charm for her bracelet. This one was the Cinderella's castle charm, and I thought it was beautiful.

"Elle, stop buying me expensive shit that makes me wanna cry. Agh, damn!" Grace hugged me once again as she wiped away her tears before Leon, who had just pulled up, could see. 

"Don't worry everyone, the life of the party is finally here!"

"Shut up Sully."