Chances That You're Burning Through

Original | Chapter Ten

"Then help me understand, Demi."

"He didn't want her," I darkly admit, my tone low, almost growl-like, animalistic even,...protective.

"Demi, that can't be true. He-,"

"It is true!" I raise my voice, not even caring at this point if I wake the girls. "He wanted me to get a fucking abortion, Nick!"

His lips purse tightly into a frown as his facial features cloud over, becoming darker, becoming uncharacteristic for him.

Then, much to my surprise, he rises to his feet and storms out of my house without so much as a simple goodbye wave.

I blink at the now empty space that he was previously occupying. Confused, drained, and feeling as if I am on auto-pilot, I slowly, numbly, make my way to the front door that he left open in his haste to leave.

Just as I am about to push the door shut, Nick barges through with Joe in tow.

"I had him waiting in the car," Nick stiffly explains.

I shut the door as they enter. We three stand in the middle of my living room. Nick scowls at his older brother. If looks could kill, Joe would be chilling comfortably in a coffin.

"Joe?" The familiar name rolls off of Nick's tongue much harsher than usual, as if the word is poison on his lips.

"Hm?"

"Is it or is it not true that you told Demi to get an abortion when she told you that she was pregnant?"

Joe glares at me. For a moment, I fear that he is going to deny it and that, in result, Nick isn't going to believe me. My heart hammers painfully in my chest just at the mere thought.

"You said that you wouldn't tell anyone, Nick"

"Don't even try to pull the guilt card, brother," Nick spats the last word with so much anger, so much disgust and, dare I say, hatred.

You're tearing their close-brotherly relationship to shreds, and you don't even care. I wince at the nagging voice in the back of my mind.

"It's true," Joe admits in a bored tone, not removing his gaze from mine. "I told her to get an abortion, but she wouldn't listen. To be honest, I still stand by my decision. It would've saved a lot of headache, don't you think? But, Demi, you just had to be stubborn. You just had to go looking for her after you gave her up. Speaking of which, doesn't that make us one and the same?"

"I am nothing like you," to my surprise, my voice is calm and even despite the deep loathing and frustration that I feel.

"But aren't you?" he raises his eyebrows with an arrogant smirk. "You gave up on her. You didn't want her either."