Chapter 84 Chapter Eighty
Omniscient Narrative
\[The next day\]
Demi honestly wasn’t expecting anyone to come over.
He'd spent most of the day in his room, drifting in and out of sleep, the curtains drawn just enough to let in muted light.
His phone lay face-down on his desk, ignored, not because there were messages waiting, but because he didn't want to check and confirm there weren’t, he really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, he just wanted to be left alone for a bit.
The house was quiet in that afternoon way that made time feel suspended.
So when the doorbell rang, sharp and sudden, Demi flinched.
He stared at the ceiling, heart jumping into his throat, a ridiculous spark of hope flashing before he could stop it.
Then it faded.
It couldn’t be Alex.
He wouldn’t dare show up especially when he knew Demi was extremely pissed at him.
A voice floated up the stairs, it was his mom's, it sounded gentle and questioning, what followed was another voice Demi recognized instantly.
Chris.
The visitor was Chris.
His chest tightened, equal parts relief and dread.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on his bedroom door.
"Hey Demi," Chris said softly. "It's me."
Demi hesitated, then pushed himself up and crossed the room. He opened the door just enough to peek out.
Chris stood there awkwardly, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, concern written plainly across his face.
"Shit man, you look like….well you like shit," Chris said, wincing immediately. "I mean, sorry. You look... like you've had a rough day."
Demi let out a weak huff. "That obvious huh?"
Chris nodded. "Yeah."
He didn't wait for an invitation. He stepped inside the room gently, like he already knew Demi wouldn't have the energy to say no to him.
They sat on the bed side by side, not touching at first. The silence stretched, heavy but not uncomfortable. Chris glanced around the room, then back at Demi.
"How are you feeling about the uhm…about the fight," Chris asked carefully.
Demi's shoulders tensed.
"I don’t know" he replied quietly and honestly
Chris waited.
Demi stared at his hands, fingers twisting together. "It was too overwhelming"
"I figured," Chris said softly. "You didn't answer your phone."
Demi swallowed. "I didn't know what to say."
Chris nodded like that made sense. "So... what exactly happened Demi?"
Demi closed his eyes.
When he spoke, the words came out haltingly at first, then faster, like once the door was cracked open, everything behind it spilled through.
He told Chris about the jealousy, about how he was jealous of Alex and Claire.
He told him about the confrontation, about the little shove that turned into something worse.
He didn't repeat the exact words Alex had said, but he didn't need to.
"He said something he can't take back," Demi finished quietly. "And I don't think I can forget it."
Chris's jaw tightened. "Demi..."
"He didn't mean it though," Demi added automatically, reflexive even now. "I know he didn't."
Chris looked at him carefully. "That doesn't mean it didn't hurt you Demi, you needed to see how you looked, you looked so broken before you ran out of there."
Demi nodded, throat tight. "It feels like I lost him."
Chris shifted closer, shoulder brushing Demi's. "I'm really sorry."
The words were simple, but the way Chris said them, steady, sincere, and it made Demi's eyes burn again.
"I don't know what to do," Demi admitted. "I feel stupid for still wanting him. For missing him so badly."
Chris shook his head. "That's not stupid my friend. That's just you being a human."
Demi let out a shaky breath. "I keep thinking if I'd just kept my mouth shut-"
"Hey," Chris interrupted gently. "Stop. You don't get to blame yourself for someone else losing control."
Demi looked at him, surprised by the firmness.
Chris softened immediately. "I just... I hate seeing you like this."
They sat in silence for a while after that. Chris reached out eventually, resting his hand over Demi's on the bed. The contact was warm, grounding.
"I didn't come over just to get the story," Chris said quietly. "I came because you looked wrecked yesterday. And also because-" He hesitated. "Because I care about you."
Demi nodded slowly. "I know."
Chris took a breath, like he was bracing himself.
"Can I say something kind of messed up?" he asked.
Demi gave a tired half-smile. "At this point? Sure."
Chris stared at the wall for a second, then back at Demi.
"We're both already hurting," he said. "Over people who can't, or won't, be with us."
Demi's chest tightened, but he didn't argue.
"And," Chris continued, "we already crossed that line more than once. We already know we're comfortable with each other."
Demi's heart started to pound.
"What are you saying Chris?" he asked quietly.
Chris met his gaze. "What I’m saying is that what if we stop waiting for people who keep choosing other people instead of choosing us?"
Demi's breath caught.
"What if," Chris said carefully, "we try being together?"
The room felt suddenly too small.
Chris rushed to add, "Not like, any pressure or anything. I’m not saying pretending will fixes everything. Just... seeing if we can help each other move forward instead of staying stuck."
Demi stared at him, emotions colliding, grief, fear and exhaustion.
"I don't know if I'm ready for an actual relationship especially with what’s going on with Alex," Demi whispered.
Chris nodded. "And that’s very okay."
"I still love him," Demi added, voice breaking.
Chris's expression softened. "I know Demi, I know."
The honesty in that hurt burned his chest but it also felt like relief.
"And I still care and love Kyle so much" Chris admitted quietly.
They looked at each other then, the truth of it hanging openly between them.
They were just two people bruised by longing.
Two people tired of waiting to be loved by the men they’re in love with.
"Maybe," Chris said gently, "we don't have to be alone while we heal, we can be like a support system for each other."
Demi closed his eyes.
He thought about the ache in his chest.
About the nights that felt endless.
About how desperately he wanted the pain to stop owning every part of him.
When he opened his eyes again, he nodded.
"Okay," he said softly. "We can try it."
Chris let out a breath he'd clearly been holding. "Yeah?, fr?”
"Yeah."
Chris smiled, he was happy that Demi has decided to give his idea a shot.
He pulled Demi into a hug, careful and warm.
Demi leaned into it.
It didn't erase the hurt, but he was willing to try to find a way to get Alex out of his head and heart, he wanted to go back to seeing Alex as just his best friend.