{Look After You} *SEQUEL AUDITIONS!*

[socrbritney]

[Chapter Nine: A Little Bit Longer

So, I won't hesitate no more,

No more, it cannot wait I’m sure

There's no need to complicate

our time is short

This is our fate

I'm yours

-“I’m Yours”, Jason Mraz

Joe straightened his skinny pink tie and cleared his throat. He was standing outside of Jenna’s hotel room door, about to pick her up to escort her downstairs to the lobby of the hotel where the American Diabetes Association was having a special benefit dinner. Nick was, of course, the guest of honor for raising awareness through his celebrity status and through his music.

They had rolled into Los Angeles just a couple days ago. Which means he and Jenna had been officially together for a week now. Joe smiled.

One week with her makes my knees weak, he thought. Then laughed at himself. That is by far the corniest thing you have ever thought, Joe. You’re embarrassing.

It hadn’t been easy, the past week. Actually, it’s been the hardest week yet since Joe met her. Now that he knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her, it took everything he had not to kiss her every time he saw her. But he couldn’t. He knew that.

……………………………..

Last week….

“Joe, I’m not even sure if I’m allowed to have a relationship with you. I don’t think your parents would approve,” Jenna said as she slowly ran her fingers through Joe’s hair. Joe’s head was on her stomach as she lay back on the couch. Every time Joe exhaled, his breath tickled her stomach.

They were hanging in the back of Jenna’s bus while everyone else went out to a dinner. Joe had claimed he was feeling ill, while Jenna stayed behind to “catch up on work”. Kevin and Nick had grilled him suspiciously, as he was never known to miss out on going somewhere to pig out. As soon as they had left, he bounded over to Jenna’s bus, eager to be wrapped up in her arms again.

“And God help us if any of the media or the fans find out. Trust me, I know the consequences that could bring” Jenna said. Joe just chuckled quietly and turned his head to look up at her.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m dating my Public Relations Rep. She can spin anything to sound good. She’s very talented,” he said happily. Jenna smiled, rolling her eyes.

“I’m serious Joe. I do want to be with you, believe me. But I don’t want to flaunt our relationship. Not in front of your parents, not in front of the public, not even your brothers,” Jenna pulled Joe off her and got up, beginning to pace.

Joe winced. “I don’t keep anything from them.”

Jenna sat back down next to Joe and took his hands into hers.

“I know. I don’t want you to keep anything from them. I just think, until we figure out how we’re going to work this whole situation out, we should keep it on the down low,” she looked into his eyes, pleading.

Joe sighed. He didn’t want to hide anything anymore. He had his hid feelings for her for so long; he thought that finally being with her would make all the ache go away. But not being able to show the world how crazy he was about her brought on a whole new kind of pain. He bit his lip in thought.

“Hey,” she said to him softly. She put her fingers under his chin and lifted his head up. “Turn that frown upside down, Joey Joe,” she murmured, leaning in to kiss him.

Joe’s worries faded away as he wrapped his arms around her to pull her down on top of him. She laughed as they both fell down clumsily off the couch and on to the floor.

……………………………..

Joe clenched and unclenched his fist nervously. Even though he knew how Jenna felt, he still had to give himself a pep talk before seeing her, just to slow down his heart. Dad would kill me if I had a stroke over a girl, he thought with amusement.

“I seeeeee you Joe,” came a voice from behind the door. Joe laughed and put his eye right up to the peephole.

“Let me in, pretty girl,” he said through the door. The door cracked open and a slender, manicured hand popped out. The hand twisted its finger, beckoning him closer. As Joe stepped forward, Jenna’s hand curled around his tie, slowly pulling him in.

“WHOA!” Joe gasped as he was abruptly pulled into her hotel room by his neck. He spun around at the sheer force that Jenna pulled him in with. When he finally got his bearings, he looked over at Jenna, who was laughing. He wanted to laugh along with her, but he was too busy staring at her in adoration.

“You switched dresses on me,” he noticed. She did a little spin. Instead of the blue dress he saw her try on at the mall, she was wearing a short black bubble dress, its material swished against her legs as she spun. A big gold bow decorated the front, accenting her waistline. Her hair was pinned up loosely, with blonde curls tumbling out haphazardly. But the most beautiful accessory, Joe noted, was the giant smile she had on her face while looking at him.

“Well, I couldn’t very well wear a dress you’ve already seen. I gotta keep you on your toes,” Jenna said. She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and rested her face in the nook of his neck. Joe felt her warm perfume fill his senses. He felt dizzy.

“What do the guys think you’re doing?” she murmured.

“Using your hair straightener,” he said sheepishly. Jenna pulled away from him and laughed.

“What’s bad about that is the fact that you actually have borrowed it before,” she teased. She squeezed his hand one more time before heading to the bathroom.

“Well, I told them we would meet them down there, so hurry up. My public a ‘waits,” Joe said as he looked in the mirror, smoothing down his hair. Jenna looked at him from the mirror and rolled her eyes.

“Well, Fabio, you have some competition tonight. Because I. Am looking. Fabulous,” she said slowly, pinning up a few more curls. Joe came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the place where her shoulder met her neck. Joe felt her shudder as his lips touched her skin. He smiled at her in the mirror.

“No argument on that one, my dear.” He spun her around in a little dance and dipped her. She kissed him once, and went back to the bed to grab her clutch.

“Ok, ground rules. No holding hands, no blowing kisses, no touching that could lead to suspicion. We can talk and hang out tonight, of course, but we need to be extra careful. There is going to be a lot of paparazzi surrounding this event. So we just got to make nice at the benefit and then afterwards…” Jenna trailed off and looked up at Joe. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

“I did not hear a word you just said. I keep staring at your legs.” Joe came over to her and kissed her long and hard. He held her face gently, with two fingers on each cheek. She moved her hands to the back of his neck, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Joe moved his hands to her waist, pulling her closer. She smiled against his lips, tugging at his hair gently. When he pulled away, they were both breathless.

“Just to last me through the night,” he whispered. Jenna ruffled his hair, smiling.

“Fair enough. Now, let’s run a straightener through your hair,” she said, pulling him toward the bathroom. Joe pulled back in protest.

“I said that as a cover,” he explained.

“I know. But your bangs are wild and out, boy,” she gave one last tug and he reluctantly let her pull him into the bathroom.

……………………………..

The ballroom was filled with candles and draped with red, gold, and silver. Clusters of balloons stood in every corner, and a huge band played rousing, up beat numbers while couples spun around on the dance floor. Tables were scattered about, with tall vases filled with crystals and lilies towering in the center. Everywhere Jenna looked, people were conversing or laughing happily. She smiled.

This is so incredible, she thought wistfully. She looked up at the man next to her. Joe was looking around with amazement too, his handsome face glowing. Jenna felt her heart skip.

And so is he.

Jenna spotted Nick and Kevin, standing close to the stage admiring the guitar work of the band. Joe followed her (keeping his distance, of course) over to the two boys.

“Well, here are the two most handsome men in the room,” she said as she admired the boys in their suits. Nick blushed and looked down at his feet.

“Thanks, Jenna. You look great, by the way.” Kevin nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, you clean up nice,” he said, wrapping her up in a hug.

“Can I get a picture?” A photographer came up in front of them. The boys looked over at Jenna, and she nodded her approval. She quietly stepped to the side so they could get a round of pictures. A couple other photographers came up as well, wanting pictures.

As the flashbulbs went off, Jenna felt great pride in her boys. They smiled patiently, standing for almost five minutes while photographers asked for “more, just one more, please!” Finally she stepped in front of the guys.

“Thank you, that’s enough. Their going to enjoy their evening, as I hope you all will too.” She said to the crowd. The photographers mumbled their thanks and dispersed.

The band kicked into a rendition of U2’s “Sweetest Thing.” Jenna’s ears perked up.

“I LOVE THIS SONG!” she and Kevin said at the same time. Without hesitation, Kevin held out his hand to Jenna. She took it, and did a little curtsey. Kevin led her to the dance floor.

They danced crazily, doing spins, over exaggerated dips, and singing out their favorite parts. Kevin was an excellent dancer, and he smoothly carried her around the dance floor. She put her head back, laughing loud. She caught Joe’s eye across the dance floor, and he was beaming at her. She smiled back, and let Kevin spin her away.

……………………………..

Joe heard Jenna’s laugh from across the floor, and he smiled to himself. He watched her and Kevin dance, loving how happy she looked with his brother.

“She’s something, isn’t she?” Nick’s voice broke his thoughts. Joe kept staring at her, watching Kevin spin her out and back in.

“Yes,” he answered quietly. Nick studied Joe’s face watching Jenna. He cleared his throat, hesitant to speak.

“So, it’s good to see you guys are friends again. I mean, I notice you two are a lot happier,” Nick said carefully. Joe’s head snapped toward Nick.

“Um, sure. We worked things out,” Joe said absentmindedly, turning back to Kevin and Jenna. Nick nodded silently, not taking his eyes off Joe.

“Joe,” he said. The tone in his voice made Joe put full attention to him. Nick was staring at him, slightly amused.

“Do you think I’m dumb or something?” Nick asked. Joe turned red, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

“What do you mean, Nick?” he said, his voice breaking. Nick reached up and squeezed Joe’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry man, I won’t tell. Neither will Kevin.” Joe’s eyes bulged out in surprise.

“Kevin knows, too?” Joe asked, worriedly. This made Nick laugh.

“Of course. Like I said, do you think we’re complete idiots? We see the way you guys act around each other. Giggling, whispering, sharing looks you think no one else sees. Unfortunately, we know you both too well,” Nick said. Joe started sputtering out an explanation, but Nick raised his hand to silence him.

“Hey, we’re just glad you guys are happy. But, I’m just letting you know it’s painfully obvious sometimes. And if you don’t want this thing to get real bad real quick, I’d try and cool it a little bit,” Nick advised.

Joe turned his eyes back to Jenna and Kevin. “What do you think Mom and Dad will say?” he asked, lowering his voice. Nick bit his lip, pondering it.

“Tough call. On one hand, they want you to be happy. And if she’s the one that does it, so be it. On the other hand, she’s a lot older than you, and an employee. I don’t know, man. I might tiptoe around that one for awhile before coming clean. Kinda feel it out with them, I guess,” he said. The band finished the song with a round of applause from the crowd.

“And now, the American Diabetes Association is proud to present, Nick Jonas,” the leader announced into the microphone. Joe gave his brother a slap on the back as he jogged up the stairs onto the stage. A giant white piano was wheeled out, and Nick sat down on the bench, adjusting the microphone.

“Thank you everyone for coming out, to support the American Diabetes Association. I was diagnosed a couple years ago with diabetes, and I wrote this song on an especially hard day for me. If you could, grab a friend, or a loved one, and please, hit the dance floor,” he said with a smile. Nick softly began to play the opening notes.

“Got the news today
But they said I had to stay
A little bit longer
And I'll be fine
When I thought it'd all been done
When I thought it'd all been said
A little bit longer
And I'll be fine”

As Nick sang, Joe searched the crowd for Jenna. Grab a loved one, Nick had said. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around, and found Jenna smiling up at him.

“Hey, stranger. Care to dance?” she asked in a husky voice. Joe leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Isn’t that against the rules?” he said in a teasing voice. She chuckled softly.

“Hey, Nick said to do it. I’m just following Mr. President’s orders,” she insisted. Without another word from Joe, she grabbed his hand, leading him to the dance floor.

They came together, trying to maintain a formal distance. Joe concentrated on not pulling her into him, wanting to feel her head on his chest again. She looked up at him, her green eyes sparkling with happiness.

“I am so proud of your brother,” she said. Joe looked up at Nick on the stage, his eyes closed, putting everything into his song.

“Yeah, this song still gives me goose bumps. Or those might be from you,” he said, his face serious. She closed her eyes, tilting her head to the side in thought. Joe’s lips tingled, longing to kiss her. He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to focus on the other couples around him.

Kevin was dancing with his mom, talking animatedly. His dad was right next to them, dancing with Felicia, both watching Nick with proud smiles on their faces. He laughed as he saw Frankie, looking adorable in his suit, shyly asking another girl in a pink dress to dance.

“And you don't know what you got
'Till it's gone
And you don't know what it's like
To feel so low
And every time you smile or laugh you glow
You don't even know”

Nick’s velvet voice poured from the speakers as everyone swayed along. Joe glanced down at the girl in his arms, and he couldn’t remember a time where he felt more at peace.

……………………………..

He watched them from the corner of the ballroom, near the other reporters. He watched Joe say something to Jenna, and she smiled in response. A loving smile.

Steve narrowed his eyes as the blonde media rep and the dark haired pop star stared at each other meaningfully.

They seem awfully chummy, he thought with an evil sneer. He elbowed his photographer next to him, who was nearly asleep against the wall.

“Check out that blonde brat over there that told me off at the press conference. Doesn’t she look comfortable in the arms of her client?” Steve asked the wheels in his head turning. The photographer peered over at them, and then shrugged.

“I dunno, they look like their just dancing,” he replied. Steve snorted in response.

“That is why you, Bill, are the photographer and I am the reporter. Just, keep a close eyes on them tonight, see if we can’t catch them doing something their not supposed to,” he ordered.

“You’re the boss,” Bill said, grabbing his camera. Steve smiled to himself.

Watch your step, Jenna, he thought.

……………………………..

“So I wait 'till kingdom come
All the highs and lows are gone
A little bit longer
And I'll be fine
I'll be
Fine”

Nick finished the song, eyes closed. The ballroom erupted in a cheer. Nick stood up and bowed. He grabbed a microphone from a stand next to him.

“Thanks again for being here, everyone. We hope you continue to show your support, and we enjoy the rest of your evening. Drive safe!” Nick waved as he hopped off the stage to rejoin his brothers and Jenna, who were waiting for him at the end of the stairs. Mr. and Mrs. Jonas came over as well, pulling the three boys into a hug.

“Excellent party, boys. What do you say we go out for some dessert now?” Mr. Jonas said, his arm around his wife.

“You are coming, right Jenna?” Mrs. Jonas asked. Jenna smiled at her, nodding.

“Let me just get my purse off the table and I’ll meet you outside,” Jenna said, turning to leave.

“Joe, go with her so she’s not walking alone outside. I’m sure the press will be out there, I don’t want her getting hurt,” Mrs. Jonas gave Joe a little push towards Jenna. Jenna and Joe shot a glance at each other, and looked back at Mrs. Jonas.

“I’ll be ok, really,” Jenna insisted. Mrs. Jonas put her hand up.

“Now, I won’t hear another word. Joe will escort you out. I know the fans are out front, but I’m more worried about the guys with cameras in the back. They almost knocked over Fe the other day. Rob will clear a path and we’ll wait in the car. Ok?” She didn’t wait for a response. They group slipped out the back exit, exchanging stories from the evening. Jenna gave Joe a little smile and went to her table.

Jenna quickly grabbed her purse off the table and skipped back to Joe across the empty ballroom. He held out his arm, and she linked hers with his.

“Will you escort me, you strong, strong man?” She asked, leaning seductively into him. Joe looked around the ballroom to make sure no one was near. He snaked his arm around her hip.

“It does get dangerous out there, ma’am. I’ll protect you. After all, danger is my middle name,” Joe said, wiggling his eyebrows. He led her towards the door, preparing for the media frenzy outside.

“Ready?” she asked him. Joe put his hand on the small of her back, giving her smile as he placed his hand on the door to open it.

Suddenly the door burst open and flashing lights snapped and popped at them. Jenna and Joe quickly put more space between them, not expecting the door to fly open like that. The crowds of photographers seem to move in closer, wanting to get a shot of the pretty blonde with Joe Jonas.

Big Rob came storming through the crowd, pushing people aside. He grabbed Joe’s arm first, pulling him in front of his large body. Then he wrapped his arm around Jenna’s shoulder, holding her tight as he led them to the car. The crowd followed them, trying to get one last picture before the doors shut.

As soon as Jenna and Joe were in the car, the driver pulled away. The rest of the Jonas family were debating where they should go get dessert. Frankie was asleep, his head on Nick’s lap. Joe looked at Jenna with relief.

“That was a close one,” he said to her under his breath.

……………………………..

The offices of were dark as a figure sat at a computer, going through the pictures that were taken at the benefit. So far, nothing interesting. He clicked through them, his eyes searching for…he wasn’t sure yet. Something.

Joe and Nick.

Kevin and his mom.

Nick, Kevin, and Joe.

Kevin and Jenna dancing.

Nick singing.

Mr. and Mrs. Jonas talking to the boys and Jenna.

Steve sighed, frustrated he wasn’t able to find any photos worth posting. He continued clicking. A picture came up on the screen, and he stopped. He leaned in towards the monitor.

It was a picture of Joe and Jenna. They were smiling at each other as they exited the ballroom. Joe’s hand was on the small of her back. Jenna’s hand was gently clinging onto his suit jacket. But more evidence was in the look they were giving each other.

Steve smiled.

Perfect, he thought.

………….

There you have it, folks! Chapter Nine. What did you think?

Sorry for the wait, but I hope it was worth it.

Anyways, leave your comments.

Much love to my fabulous readers…

[socrbritney]

Chapter Ten: Lights. Camera. Lie.

If you are what you say you are,

A superstar

Then have no fear, the crowd is here

And the lights are on

And they wanna show oh oh oh oh, yeah

-“Superstar”, Lupe Fiasco ft. Matthew Santos[/center][/i]

Jenna’s phone buzzed harshly. She picked her head up slowly from the bus bunk and glanced at it. A text message from Joe. She smiled and opened it.

Honey bunny pudding pop…I miss you. And I hope that nickname embarrassed the heck out of you. Have a great day!

She laughed to herself. Every time Joe texted her, he came up with longer and cornier pet names for her. She quickly texted back, her fingers moving rapidly over the keypad.

I’m going to smack you for that last nickname. I can’t wait to see you later today, my mop-topped banana cream pie ice cream sundae.

She put the phone back down, and rolled over to get more sleep. She felt like she just went to bed 10 minutes ago. Which was probably true.

Her nights consisted of waiting around for Felicia to go to bed, and then waiting for Joe to call after his brothers went to bed. That was often around 2 or 3am. Then they would stay up late talking about anything and everything, sometimes until 5am. The lack of sleep was taking its toll on Jenna, but she knew he was worth it. It was like being in a long distance relationship with someone who was never more than 20 feet from her.

Jenna’s cell phone vibrated again just as she was drifting off to sleep. I’m gonna kill the man, she thought bitterly. She snatched up her cell phone, expecting another text message from Joe. It was Mr. Jonas calling her. She sat up, ready to sound alert on the phone.

“Hello?” she said, trying to sound awake. Her voice croaked. So much for that.

“Hi, Jenna. Were you sleeping? I’m sorry to wake you,” Mr. Jonas’s gentle voice filled her ears, and she laid back down.

“No, I was just lying down. Kinda feeling under the weather,” she replied.

“Hm, you and Joe both. I can barely drag him out of bed these days. And that’s saying something. He’s hard enough to wake up as it is. I hope you guys aren’t coming down with something,” Mr. Jonas said, sounding concerned. Jenna cringed.

“Um, yeah. I feel fine. Is there anything I can do for you, Kevin?” she asked.

“Actually, I just scheduled a phone interview with Ryan Seacrest and I was wondering if you could be there with the boys. I can’t be there today, I’m going to be on a conference call at the same time with the label. I just need someone supervising. We should be in Tampa in about an hour or so, and after sound check we’ll do it. How does 4pm sound?” he asked.

“That’s fine. I’ll definitely be there,” she replied, suppressing a yawn.

“Ok, great. Well, I think that’s it for now. Go back to sleep. Oh, one more thing. My wife tells me you’re leaving us for a week?” he said, sounding excited.

“Yeah, I’m going back to Indiana to visit family. I hope that’s alright,” Jenna said.

“Oh, of course! You’ve been away for awhile and I bet they miss you. Be sure to tell them how happy we are to have you with us. You’re such a great role model for the boys. Take care, Jenna. I’ll see you later,” Mr. Jonas said before hanging up.

Jenna felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Great role model, she thought to herself. Yeah, if that means secretly dating your son behind your back. She groaned.

Maybe I’ll talk to Joe today about it. We need to at least tell them what’s going on. I owe them that much, Jenna thought with resolve.

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep with all the troubled thoughts in her head, she got up to take a shower.




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Joe paced backstage, waiting for Jenna to get there so they could start the interview. He didn’t see her all day, and it was driving him nuts. And he wasn’t the only one bothered by it.

“Dude, stop moving. You’re making me nervous. She’ll be here soon,” Kevin said, trying to calm him down.

Having his brothers know about their relationship made things a little easier, but that didn’t mean he got to see her any more than he used to. He hadn’t told Jenna that his brothers knew, because he knew she would become uncomfortable, maybe even angry.

Not that her being angry is all that bad, Joe thought.

Joe smiled as he thought back to their first fight.

Last week…

“Joe, just because I told you to act single, doesn’t mean you should flirt with the girl at the Starbucks counter in front of me!” Jenna said angrily, storming down the hallway toward her hotel room. Joe followed behind her, trying to catch up. Her long legs kept a good distance between them.

“Babe, I wasn’t flirting. I was just being myself, I was acting nice! She was flirting with me, and I wanted to be polite. Don’t be angry,” Joe pleaded as they got to her room. Jenna fumbled with the hotel key, failing to slide it in the slot right. On the fourth try, she got it. She pushed the door open.

“Polite? Please! You leaned over the counter and winked at her! How do you think that makes me feel to see that?” Jenna said, walking into the room. “I’ll see you later,” she threw over her shoulder, slamming the door in his face. Joe stopped it with his hand, pushing it open and stepping in. Jenna turned to look at him.

“What are you doing? You’re supposed to be back at your room bringing the boys their orders. Get out of here before someone notices you’ve been gone for awhile,” Jenna ordered. She put her hands on his chest to push him back to the door. Joe stood firm and grabbed her hands, pulling them behind her back and locking them there. He pressed her close to him in a hug.

“I’m not leaving when you’re mad at me. I want to fix this. Now, I know you’re not really mad about the Starbucks girl. You know I’m head over heels for you, and you have more confidence than anyone I know. Me smiling at a girl shouldn’t bother you. What’s really going on?” Joe asked, gently pushing her away to look into her eyes. Jenna ripped out of his grasp and walked to the other side of the room.

“I dunno. I just…I just didn’t count on all this jealousy. I know every girl out there wants to throw herself at you and there are thousands of girls who would do anything to get to you. But ever since we got together, it drives me INSANE to actually see it. Everywhere I look, girls are ogling you and staring at you like a piece of meat!” Jenna shrieked. She tore a rubber band off her wrist and messily put her hair up into a ponytail. She let out a sigh, and took her hair back out, shaking it with her hand.

Joe smiled. She only did that when she was mad. He took a few steps closer to her.

“Well, I’m glad you feel that way,” he said. Jenna looked at him like he was nuts.

“Why would you be glad that every time I see a blonde bimbo shoving her boobs at you, I want to judo-chop her face?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“Because if you didn’t feel that way, it would mean you didn’t care about me. Trust me, I wish I could tell all those girls and the world that I have a girlfriend named Jenna. A girlfriend who I’m completely devoted to. A girlfriend who just gets so darn cute when she yells at me,” Joe said, noticing Jenna’s anger was melting away from her face.

“I mean, I get jealous when guys flirt with you. You think I don’t notice them staring? You’re beautiful, hon. And it drives me up the wall to see the way they check you out,” he said. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She gave a small smile.

“Yeah, but it’s not the same,” she insisted. Joe looped his arms loosely around her waist and pressed his forehead to hers.

“Do you want to record an album and become famous so guys start throwing their boxers onstage while you perform?” he asked in a teasing voice. She laughed.

“Lord no. You’ve heard me sing. ‘When you looooooooook me in the eyes…,” Jenna sang, her voice completely out of tune. Joe winced.

“Maybe we should have you singing all the time. That would keep the boys away,” he said. Jenna gave him a horrified look, pretending to be hurt. She flicked him in the forehead and quickly jumped away from him.

“Ow! Hey, little girl. Violence is not the answer!” Joe protested as he chased after her. She gave a little shout as he caught her by the elbow and tackled her onto the bed.

Joe stopped laughing and looked at her lying next to him. She kissed his nose.

“I’m sorry I got mad,” she whispered. Joe stroked her hair.

“You’re the only one for me, Jenna,” he murmured. Jenna smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

“Ditto,” she replied against his lips.



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The door to the dressing room opened, and Jenna walked in, juggling a pile of papers and her laptop. Joe’s stomach did a flip. He started to walk over to her, but he stopped himself. His brothers wouldn’t mind if he showed affection toward her, but because Jenna didn’t know that they were aware of their relationship, he held himself back.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know you guys have been waiting, I fell asleep at my laptop,” she said tiredly, shooting Joe a look. Nick and Kevin shared a smile.

“Well, no worries. You’re here now. We can call Ryan and do this quickly,” Kevin said, helping Jenna with her papers.

“Yeah, you look like you need a nap,” Nick offered. Jenna smiled meekly at him.

“That’s just another phrase for “you look like crap,” she laughed as she turned on her computer.

“I think you look great,” Joe said without thinking. Jenna blushed.

“Thank you, Joe. Um, let’s get Ryan on the phone and do this thing.” They all sat around the phone, putting it on speaker. After talking with the show producer, they were put on hold. Finally, after ten minutes, Ryan’s voice filled the air.

“The Jo Bros! How are you guys?” Ryan’s peppy voice asked. The boys answered with enthusiasm.

“We’re awesome. We’re halfway done with our tour and it’s going great,” Kevin said.

“Good to hear, guys. Now, the phones have been going crazy with fans calling in with questions so we’ll take those first and then I’ve got a couple of my own. Amanda from Austin, TX you’re on the air with the Jonas Brothers,” Ryan said. A girls’ voice came on the line.

“Oh my God! I just wanna say how much I love you guys!” Amanda squealed.

“Thank you, very much. What’s your question?” Nick asked.

Three more fans called in after that, and each of the boys took turns answering. They kept it light, talking mostly about their tour and life on the road.

“And Joe just sat there, letting Kevin completely cover me with post-its while I slept,” Nick said. He was finishing a story about the latest events of their prank war. Ryan laughed.

“Wow, never a dull moment with the Jonas Brothers. Well, I think I’m gonna ask some of my questions. And you know I have to ask, are you guys still all single?” he asked. Jenna raised her eyes from the email she was writing, waiting for the boys to give their standard answer. Joe met her eyes and raised one eyebrow.

“Yes, we are all single. Not much time to date, unfortunately,” Joe answered. Jenna relaxed and went back to typing.

“Oh? Well, I’m looking at this picture on Joe, of you and some hot blonde chick and I gotta say, it doesn’t exactly scream “single”. Who is it you’re with?” Ryan asked.

Jenna froze. She started typing furiously, obviously going to the website.

“What picture is that, again?” Joe asked hesitantly.

“I dunno, man. It’s you and a blonde, and you’re all dressed up. The headline says and I’m quoting the website, “Joe Jonas Gets Impure with His Publicist?” Wow, that’s your publicist?” Ryan asked.

Jenna pulled up the website and there, on the front page was the picture of Joe and Jenna leaving out the back exit of the ballroom. They were smiling at each other, and Joe had his hand on her lower back. Jenna sucked in a deep breath, noticing how happy they looked with each other. Definitely not good, Jenna thought. She slammed the laptop lid closed and raced toward the phone.

“Ryan? Hi, this is Jenna Freeman, media rep for the Jonas Brothers,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Oh, hello Jenna. So this is you in the picture? I don’t mean to grill you, but my publicist definitely doesn’t look at me that way,” Ryan said, laughing. Jenna took a breath, trying to calm herself.

“Oh, that picture. Yeah, pay never mind to that. Joe was just being a gentleman and making sure the paparazzi didn’t trample me getting to him. I am very close with all three of the boys, and I can understand why this picture leads you to believe there is something going on with me and Joe. Those people over at are trying to make a story out of nothing,” Jenna said quickly, putting on her most professional voice. The three boys exchanged worried glances. Kevin leaned forward.

“Yeah, Ryan. You know how these websites spin things out of control. Believe me, if Joe were dating someone, we would know about it. We’re together nonstop,” Kevin assured.

“Alright, guys. Sorry to bring it up. That’s all the time we have right now. Thanks for calling in boys, and good luck on the rest of the tour!” Ryan said.

“Thanks, Ryan! You’re the best,” Nick said, his eyes not leaving Jenna. They waited until the line went dead. The dial tone was the only noise in the room while the four of them sat there, trying to process what just happened. Jenna leaned over and clicked the phone off.

“I’m so sorry about that, guys. I didn’t think Joe and I looked like that leaving the benefit. I assure you, there is absolutely nothing…” Jenna got cut off by Kevin, who put his hand up.

“Absolutely nothing going on? Jenna, we may have only known you for a couple months, but Joe is our brother. And we know when A, he’s crazy about a girl. And B, we know when he’s with the girl he’s crazy about,” he said. Nick nodded slowly, leaning back on the couch.

Jenna glared at Joe. “You told them? Joe, I asked you not too!” she yelled while abruptly standing up to pace. Joe stood up too, on the defensive.

“They figured it out, Jenna! I’m sorry I can’t hide my feelings as well as you can! They said they weren’t going to tell mom and dad, and they won’t,” he said. Jenna stopped pacing.

“Well, now they don’t have to tell! This picture will say it all! Oh God, and it’s probably going to be on the other websites, then E news is going to run a story on it. Oh my God…” Jenna began pacing again, covering her face with one hand.

Joe walked over to stop her. He pulled her into a hug, smoothing down her hair. She buried her face in his chest, trying to hold back her tears.

“Hey, we’ll figure it out. There are always rumors. About all of us, and we always fix it. We’ll just go with what you said to Ryan, and we’ll deny everything. Trust me, this will all blow over in a week or so,” Joe said, slowly rocking Jenna to calm her down. She pulled her head up and looked at him. His eyes were so reassuring, she immediately felt better.

“Ok,” she whispered. “Thank you.” Joe leaned in to kiss her.

“Ahem.” They immediately broke apart, hearing Nick clear his throat. They looked over, and saw both Kevin and Nick’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Seriously, guys? I’m going to overdose on sugar just from watching you two,” Kevin said, pretending to gag.

“Yeah, and I’m a diabetic, remember?” Nick said.

They all laughed. Jenna went to the door.

“Where are you going?” Joe asked, reaching for her hand. She stopped and turned back at his touch.

“To talk to your parents. I’d rather handle this head on instead of waiting for them to see it online or in the gossip magazines,” Jenna said, sighing. She looked over at Nick and Joe, making sure they weren’t watching. Joe didn’t care; he yanked her arm and pulled her face to his. His kiss was urgent and calming all at the same time. When he pulled away, her eyes were still closed.

“I’m here for you, you know that? I’ll always look after you. Call me later, jelly bean pumpkin bear” he said, lowering his voice. She laughed, giving him a light slap on the cheek. Jenna walked out the door, ready to face the music.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Jenna’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest as she approached Mr. and Mrs. Jonas. They were talking with the tour manager, their heads hovering over a piece of paper. Jenna took a deep breath, and remembered Joe’s calming words.

“I’ll always look after you.”

“Excuse me, Kevin? Can I talk to you two for a minute?” Jenna asked, her voice strong.

They nodded at the tour manager, who gave her a little salute and walked towards the stage.

“What’s on your mind, Jenna? How was the phone interview? That Ryan is a doll, isn’t he?” Mrs. Jonas gushed.

Jenna nodded. “Oh yeah, he’s great. I just, um, thought you should know that there is a picture on some websites of me and Joe, and it looks like, well, it kind of looks like we’re a couple. I mean, it was taken at the benefit when he was escorting me out. I am so sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen, but I told Ryan the truth so…” Jenna rambled, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

“The truth? And what exactly is the truth?” Mr. Jonas asked, his eyes on Jenna.

Tell him, her mind screamed. Tell him!

“The truth? Um, the truth is…” Jenna felt her throat close in panic. She sputtered.

I could lose Joe. I’ll lose him if they find out. They’ll take him away from me, she thought with horror. She cleared her throat and stood up straighter.

“Well, the truth is that the media just spun it to make it seem like we were dating. Of course, there is nothing going on between you and your son. I just wanted to give you a heads up in case the papers and magazines continue to run with the story,” Jenna said, watching their expressions closely. Mr. and Mrs. Jonas looked at each other, their faces not showing much emotion.

“Oh, ok. Thanks for letting us know. There are always rumors about our boys dating this person or that person, by next week some other celebrity will do something dumb and they’ll be talking about that,” Mrs. Jonas said, giving Jenna smile.

“I think it was handled well by me and the boys. It won’t happen again,” she assured them. Inside, her stomach twisted with guilt. Mr. and Mrs. Jonas nodded.

“Good. Well, let’s talk about what we’re going to do without you for a week! You leave tomorrow, right? Goodness, we might fall apart,” Mr. Jonas joked. Jenna forced a smile.

I am a terrible person, she thought, angry at herself.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



“I almost told them, at that moment. I swear, it almost escaped my lips, Joe,” Jenna said, curling up closer to Joe. He held her tighter.

Joe had jumped in the shower first after the show, and told his brothers to cover for him while he spent time with Jenna. She was leaving tomorrow, and Jenna needed just a few more hours with him before she left for a week. Fe was thankfully out of town on vacation, so Jenna had the bus to herself.

They lay together on her bunk, enjoying a quiet moment alone together for the first time in a couple days. Jenna breathed in deep, enjoying how he smelled after a shower. His skin smelled clean, like Irish Spring soap. His hair was still damp, and it clung to his neck, curling softly.

“Why didn’t you tell them? They might be ok with it,” he offered. Jenna shook her head.

“I got this panicked thought that I would lose you. If they find out, if I told them, they would take you away from me. I couldn’t stand that. It hurts to think about. We’ve been through so much, and we’re finally together. I can’t lose you Joe, I just can’t…” her voice cracked. Joe put his hand under her chin and lifted her face so his eyes could meet hers.

“Hey, you’re not going to lose me. Ok? We’re in this together,” he promised. She squeezed her eyes shut, and a tear escaped down her cheek.

“But, we can’t hide this forever. How can we make it if we can’t even tell the people we love?” she asked, opening her eyes again. Joe’s forehead creased in thought.

“How about this. You’re going home tomorrow. Talk to your mom about it. She’s your best friend, I know. And it won’t do any damage if she finds out, right? That way you’ll have someone to talk to about it. And while you’re gone, I’ll do two things. First, I’ll do some prep work on my parents, get them ready for our little bombshell,” he said.

“And what’s the other thing you’re gonna do while I’m gone?” Jenna asked. Joe leaned down and turned her head to the side using his cheek. He brought his lips right next to her ear.

“Miss you horribly,” he whispered. Jenna shivered in response. She turned her head and captured his lips with hers. He let out a quiet moan as she pressed closer to him. He brought his hand up to her face, and she felt the cool metal of his ring against her cheek. She pulled back, ashamed. He looked at her with a confused expression.

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to make you feel rushed about, um, us,” she said, not quite knowing how to put it. Joe chuckled and rolled onto his back.

“Jenna, you’re not rushing me with anything. Geez, you act like a dude and I’m some chick,” he joked. Then, his face turned serious. “You’re not pressuring me, Jenna.”

“And I never will, remember that. Your values are important to you, and that means they’re important to me,” she said, meaning every word. Joe shrugged.

“Not that I blame you, I’ve got a hot body,” he said, flexing his arm.

She laughed, giving his bicep a little squeeze. The bus pulled into the hotel parking lot and came to a stop.

She looked up at the digital clock on the TV screen that was hanging from the top of her bunk. It was almost one in the morning.

“Shoot, you better go. A car is coming to pick me up here in the morning to take me to the airport. So I won’t see you until I get back,” Jenna said. Joe got up, straightening out his clothes. She rolled onto her side, and propped her head up with her hand.

“Now, don’t go falling in love with someone while I’m gone,” she said in a mock serious voice. She felt her face heat up at the word “love.” She hoped she didn’t scare him using that word. She was about to open her mouth to take it back, but Joe turned around, startling her. He looked at her.

“Jenna?” he started. Jenna’s heart beat picked up in speed. His eyes were burning into hers, and her mind became fuzzy.

“Yes?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Joe gazed at her. Jenna waited for him to say something. His face was flushed, a lock of dark hair falling into his eyes. She closed her eyes, taking a mental picture of this moment. She opened her eyes back up. He was still looking at her. She gave a little smile, urging him to continue his thought.

“Um, have a good trip,” he finally blurted out. He leaned down quickly, kissing her once on forehead, then on the nose, then on the mouth, like he usually did before he left her. Then he walked quickly off the bus.

Jenna watched him go, frozen in shock.

What was that all about? she wondered.

She shrugged to herself, and rolled over. She reached under her pillow and pulled out a picture. It was a photo of her and Joe, taken with a disposable camera he had bought one random day while they ran errands when they had stopped in Los Angeles. Joe had taken it himself, holding the camera up above them at arms length.

Their faces took up the entire picture. Joe was looking up into the lens, one eye shut from looking into the sun. He was smiling his half smile she knew so well. She had wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek to his. Her eyes were closed with content as she hugged the boy she loved.

Love? she repeated in her mind. She pressed the picture close to her chest, coming to terms with what she just realized.

“I’m in love with you, Joe,” she said out loud.

Jenna closed her eyes, feeling more alive than she had ever felt before.

[socrbritney]

Chapter Eleven: Three Little Words

Sunset sailing on April skies
Bloodshot fire clouds in her eyes
I can't say what I might believe
But if God made you he's in love with me

-“If God Made You”, Five for Fighting[/center][/i]



“You’re dating a 19 year old?” Jenna’s mom asked, her eyes widening with disbelief.

Jenna bit her lip, nodding slowly. They were both in the family room, where most of Jenna’s life confrontations took place over the years. They had been watching the Fox Soccer Channel, until talk came to Jenna’ romantic life. When her mom asked her if she was dating, she told her the truth. Kind of.

“Yes, mom. But he doesn’t act 19. At some points I think he’s older than me,” she reassured. Her mom muted the TV and turned toward Jenna.

“I just don’t understand what a bright and beautiful 23 year old would want with a 19 year old. I mean, that’s quite an age gap, honey,” her mom said in a soothing voice. Jenna reached over and grabbed the remote, flipping to MTV. Sure enough, they were showing the live performance of “Burning up”. Jenna gestured with the remote.

“Those are the boys I work for,” she said. Her mom looked at the television.

“I know that, I did research when you first got the job. They seem like nice boys,” she said distractedly.

“Yeah, they are. That one is Nick, he’s 15. He’s crazy smart and just, really a musical genius. The one rocking out the guitar is Kevin, he’s 20. He’s probably my best friend, only because he shares the same interest in guitar hero as me. And that one, in the yellow, that’s Joe. He’s the funniest guy I’ve ever met. He’s….he’s 19,” Jenna said reluctantly. Her mom stopped bopping along to the song and looked at Jenna.

“19? Oh, so that’s…he’s the one you’re…um, involved with,” she said, looking back at the boys performing. Joe was singing to the crowd, swiveling his hips and smiling. Her mom raised her eyebrows.

“Well, I can see why you’re attracted to him,” she said. Jenna rolled her eyes.

“It’s not like that at all, mom. I mean, yeah of course he’s good-looking and performs like a rock-god. But you see that ring, the one he’s wearing on this left hand?” Jenna asked, pointing it out. Her mom looked at her, scared.

“Oh, God. You didn’t marry him did you?” she demanded. Jenna laughed.

“No! That’s a purity ring he wears. I just mean that, it’s not like that between the two of us. He’s funny, and incredibly sweet. He listens to me, and has such a good heart,” she said, dreamily closing her eyes. Her mom nodded along, watching her daughter

“Well, any man that can make my daughter swoon like that is alright in my book,” she said. Jenna opened her eyes and jumped to the other couch, hugging her mom.

“I’m so glad you feel that way! Hey, you called him a man, didn’t you?” she asked in a pleased voice.

“Well, he certainly acts like one on stage,” her mom said, tilting her head toward the TV. “And if he makes you happy, then of course you have my blessing. What do his parents think? They can’t be too thrilled with an older woman seducing their son,” she said, poking Jenna in a teasing way. Jenna’s smile disappeared. She looked sheepishly at her mom.

“You haven’t told them? You’ve been sneaking around behind their backs? Oh, Jenna…” her mom said, shaking her head in disappointment.

“We’re going to tell them when I get back. I feel guilty, believe me. The fact that I can’t tell his parents that I love their son…” her mom cut her off.

“Love? You love him?” her mom asked. Jenna looked away, silently cursing herself for letting that slip. She looked back at her mom, who was deep in thought.

“Hm. I didn’t think it was that serious. Does…well, does he love you?” she asked cautiously. Jenna shrugged.

“I haven’t told him. And he hasn’t said that to me. I guess I’m not sure. And frankly, I’m terrified to tell him. He is a guy still, no matter how famous he is,” Jenna said with a light tone. Her phone rang, blasting the tone “You’re My Best Friend”, by Queen. She dove across the coffee table, snatching it up.

“Speak of the devil?” Her mom asked in a knowing voice. Jenna stuck her tongue out at her and walked into her bedroom to talk to Joe.

“You changed my ringtone again, Joe?” she said without saying hello. He heard him laugh huskily, and she felt lightheaded. Even after all this time, she couldn’t control how she reacted around him.

“Well, I get bored hearing your other ringtones. And I want a special one, sue me. How are things going with your mom? Did you tell her about your hot, young boyfriend who swept you off your feet?” he asked in a bragging voice. Jenna laughed.

“Yeah, I told her about that. Your name didn’t come up,” she teased.

“Ouch, that one stung. Well, things are great over here. The city of Baltimore is fantastic,” Joe said sarcastically. “I miss you so much, when are you coming back? Now?”

“I’m coming back tomorrow. I think my flight gets into New York around noon. And then the cab will take me back to the hotel to meet up with you guys,” Jenna said.

“And the second you step out of the cab, you’ll run into my arms?” Joe asked hopefully.

“Well, if no one else is around I will gladly run to you. If not, I’ll just give you a high five,” Jenna replied. Joe groaned.

“Because hugs are overrated?” he asked. Jenna winced.

“Dear God, did you just quote one of your songs in an every day conversation? I might have to break up with you,” she said in a mock serious tone. Joe laughed.

“Please, you would be a mess without me. Crying yourself to sleep, eating hot fudge out of the jar, you know the usual. Well, I’ll let you get back to your mom. I know you missed her. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, babe,” he said, his voice lowering. Jenna assumed that other people had come around him.

“I can’t wait to see you either. Dream of me,” she said, clicking the phone shut. Jenna sat on her bed, wondering if she should’ve told him she loved him. No, she thought. It didn’t feel right. She walked back to the living room, her mind reeling.

Maybe when I see him tomorrow, it’ll feel right.

---

Joe looked down at his phone, itching to call Jenna back even though he just got off the phone with her. He fought the urge, knowing she wanted to spend time with her mom. He grabbed his bag and walked off the bus, heading into the hotel lobby through the crowd of reporters. He ignored the questions shouted at him, just wanting to get to his room to lie down.

“Joe! Is it true you and your publicist are dating?”

“Joe! Where’s Jenna?”

“Over here, Joe! Did she make you flush your purity ring down the toilet?”

Joe’s hands balled up into fist, trying to calm himself down. The past week since Jenna left had been rough. Not only because she was gone and he couldn’t see her. But because he was dealing with the rumors that were following him and her. If the media was this bad over one picture, imagine the chaos that would happen if they went public with their relationship. Joe shuddered at the thought.

He had yet to talk to his parents about it. Every time someone called from a paper or a magazine wanting to confirm the rumor, his parents denied it to the fullest extent. And every time Joe heard them say, “Not true” into the phone, the lump in his throat got bigger. He hated lying to his parents.

When she gets back, we’ll tell them together, he decided. Everything is always better when we’re together, he thought.

It was true. He felt lighter on his feet after a conversation with her. He didn’t mind waking up early anymore, knowing he would see her that day. He was writing more music now, as well. Every time she laughed at his jokes, or kissed him, or held his hand, he wanted to bust out in song.

He had never felt this way about a girl before. Sure, he’s had serious relationships before and he’s had his heart broken. But being with Jenna made everything pale in comparison. There was no drama surrounding her, and everything was easy. He felt like he didn’t have to pretend when he was around her.

Joe kept going through all the reasons he was crazy about her as walked to his hotel room. Nick was behind him a couple steps, humming along to his ipod.

She listens to me when I complain about even the simple things.

She’s my number one fan, front row at every concert, singing louder than anyone.

She is the only one who makes me laugh when I get upset.

I can’t see myself with anyone else, ever.

Joe dropped his bag and stopped abruptly. Nick bumped into him, not noticing that Joe had stopped walking.

“Dude, what are you doing?” he asked, taking out his ipod buds.

“I love her,” Joe said, turning around to face him. Nick just looked at him.

“You love who?” Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Jenna. I love her. I just realized it. I am so in love with her!” Joe said happily, giving Nick a slap on the back.

“That’s great, Joe. Unfortunately I’ve known that for about a month now. You really are clueless, sometimes,” Nick said, putting his ipod buds back into his ear. Joe just stood there, watching him go. He smiled to himself.

“I love her. And I’m going to tell her tomorrow,” he said out loud.

---

“We hope you enjoyed you enjoyed your flight with Southwest Airlines, and welcome to New York City.” The flight attendant’s chipper voice came over the loudspeaker, and Jenna shut the book she had been reading. Her heart started beating faster at the thought of seeing Joe soon. But with that excitement came a wave of dread.

She didn’t want to scare him off by saying, “I love you.” But the words were constantly on her mind, she wasn’t sure she could hold them back much longer. She knew the next time she saw him, she’d want to scream it at him.

Jenna gathered her bags and slowly followed the line out of the airplane. She came out of the door, entering the airport and searched for a sign to point her to the cabs. She started walking towards the baggage claim, watching as couples and families reunited with hugs and cries of joy. She smiled in spite of herself. She got out her cell phone to text Joe that she landed. She looked up, spotting a suspicious man 10 feet in front of her in jeans and a plain, long sleeved gray t-shirt. He had a baseball hat shoved over his head, but she saw dark locks spilling out. He gave her a smile from underneath his aviators. A sideways smile. She knew that smile.

Joe, she thought happily. She dropped her bag, starting to rush toward him. He held up a hand to stop her, pulling out a white sign with her name on it.

J-Bomb.

She laughed. Joe dropped the card to reveal another one underneath it. He had scrawled in big magic marker, she recognized his loopy handwriting anywhere.

I forgot to tell you something last night.

Jenna stared at Joe in confusion. She tilted her head to the side, waiting. He dropped that card, and her heart leaped into her throat as she read what he wrote on the final card.

I love you.

She put her hands over her mouth in amazement. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her with his strong arms, letting the card dropped to the ground. She looked up at his face.

“I love you too, Joe. So much,” she whispered. He smiled and spun her around, letting her legs swing out.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he said when he put her down. He kissed her full on the mouth. He cupped her face in his hands as she let out a happy sigh. When he pulled away, she looked him over, laughing at his outfit.

“My God, is that an Abercrombie shirt? You must really love me to wear that so no one will recognize you. And a baseball hat? You poor thing!” she said as she pulled the rim of his hat down lower.

“Consider yourself lucky. I would only do this for you. Now let’s get out of there before these clothes turn me into a Hollister clone and I start listening to loud, repetitive techno and buying ripped jeans,” Joe said. Jenna looped her fingers through his belt loops, pulling him closer.

“I do miss your tight pants, but those would’ve been a dead give-a-way. However, these jeans have their advantages,” she said as she admired the top of his boxers peeking out from below his navel. Joe blushed and yanked his jeans back up.

Jenna laughed, feeling like she was on cloud nine. She grabbed his head and pulled him down to her again, kissing him with everything she had.

At that moment, Jenna felt like they were the only two people on earth.

But they weren’t.

They didn’t notice the photographer at the next terminal. He raised his camera, zooming in on the happy couple.

Click. Click. Click.

---

Two weeks later…

“Big Rob, you want me to grab some ice cream sandwiches? I know you love them,” Jenna said into her cell phone, gazing into the freezer. She was at the grocery store, shopping for some food to stash in her fridge on the bus while they stopped in Los Angeles before heading out for the final month of their tour. She also promised the boys she would pick up a few things.

“Yeah, grab me some of those would ya? You’re an angel,” he answered. He was outside waiting for her in the car, ready to take her back to the Jonas household for a relaxing evening before the tour chaos began again.

“Anything for you, my man,” Jenna said, hanging up the phone. She grabbed a big box of them, throwing them into her cart. She looked back down at the list Joe had given her.

Apples and Peanut butter.

Poptarts.

Carrot Sticks.

Uncrustables.

Whipped cream.

The word “whipped cream” had a wink face next to it and she laughed.

“He wishes,” she said out loud. She decided she was just about done and she headed toward the check out. Each line was three people deep, and she groaned as she went to wait behind a group of young girls who were looking at gossip magazines while they waited to pay for their popcorn and bottled water.

“She is not pretty enough for him. I don’t know what he sees in her,” one of them said. The rest nodded. Jenna sighed to herself, realizing they were probably talking about her.

Joe had been right about the frenzy over the picture of the two of them. It had blown over quickly as soon as Miley Cyrus was spotted with some new guy. Still, she still wasn’t used to complete strangers talking about her.

Jenna’s eyes wandered over the covers of the magazines in front of her. She looked over the headlines with boredom, not paying attention to any of them in particular. Her eyes landed on the over of US Weekly, and her heart stopped. There, at the bottom of the cover, in pink writing.

“Joe Jonas Reunites with his Publicist Sweetheart at JFK Airport!”

Jenna reached over and grabbed the magazine, quickly flipping to the article. When she found it, the color drained from her face.

“Oh my God,” she whispered in horror.

It was just a one page article, but the pictures were damaging enough. A picture of Jenna running to Joe. A picture of him swinging her around. Jenna kissing Joe. Them walking away together, holding hands and laughing.

How did they know? How did they know it was him? she thought, her hands gripping the pages. She found her answer.

In the picture where Joe was holding Jenna’s face to kiss her, they had blown up the picture of his left hand. An arrow had been drawn to point out the ring on his finger. There was no way to spin this, it was definitely him.

Jenna felt faint. The room started spinning, and she held onto the conveyer belt for support. The girls in front of her looked at Jenna with strange expressions on their faces.

“Oh snap! It’s her! The one kissing Joe in the airport! She’s right behind us!” one of them shrieked. Jenna left her cart and took off running outside. She searched desperately for the car, not seeing Rob anywhere. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed his emergency number, realizing she was going to pass out. She heard him the answer the phone, but she didn’t have a chance to say anything. Her legs gave out from underneath her, and she hit the ground hard.

She heard a car screeched to a halt next to her, and Rob got out. She heard the sound of footsteps approaching and cameras flashing. Reporters were yelling at her.

“Jenna! Are you and Joe a couple?”

“Do his parents know you’ve been seeing each other??”

“Are you sleeping with him?”

Rob helped her up, and she clumsily pushed through the crowd of paparazzi to get into the car. He slammed the door behind her, and she heard him yell at the crowd to back up. He got in and quickly pulled away. He looked at Jenna in the review mirror.

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” She repeated as she put her face in her hands.

“Chill out, woman. What’s going on? What happened in there?” Rob asked, his voice full of concern.

Jenna realized she was still holding the magazine. She held it up for Rob to see.

“Uh-oh. You know that’s not good,” he said. Jenna threw the magazine down, wanting very much to crawl under a rock and die.

---

Joe hummed happily to himself as he stirred the big bowl of cake mix. He decided to bake a cake on a whim. He told everyone it was to celebrate the last leg of the tour, but it was really for Jenna. It was their one month anniversary, officially. He picked up the box, reading the directions. Kevin and Nick came into the kitchen in mid-conversation. When they saw Joe, they stopped talking.

“Are you baking?” Kevin asked, amazed. Nick came closer and stuck his finger in to taste it. Joe swatted at his hand with the spoon.

“Hey, just wait until it’s done. You can lick the bowl afterwards, Nicholas,” he said in a father-like voice. Joe heard the front door slam.

Jenna, he thought, his heart beating faster. He brushed the flour off his face, waiting for his beautiful girl to walk into the kitchen, smiling her beautiful smile. When she did walk in, his blood ran cold.

Her face was pale white, and she seemed to be shaking. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her face was twisted with pain. Joe felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest at the sight of it. He ran over to her.

Kevin reached her first, throwing his arms around her.

“Jenna, what’s wrong? Are you ok? You’re shaking!” Kevin wrapped her up in his arms tighter, trying to get her to stop trembling. He looked at Joe, who was now just as pale as she was. He looked down, and saw that she was clutching a magazine. Joe pulled it from her hands and looked at it.

He saw the pictures. There were five of them, all of her and Joe. Smiling. Kissing. Looking very much in love. Joe’s breath came out in very short gasps. Nick peered over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

“Oh, crap. Mom and Dad are going to freak out,” he said. Joe barely heard him. He was too busy reading the article that was written around the pictures. He was so angry, he could only make out some sentences.

Joe and Jenna have been secretly seeing each other for months.

Much older woman.

Dipping her pen in the company ink.

What do the parents think?

Jenna and Joe: the new Demi and Ashton?

Joe looked up at Kevin, and slowly pulled Jenna from his arms to wrap his own around her. She was whispering.

“What are we gonna do? Your parents are going to fire me. It’s over. It’s over…” she trailed off.

Joe looked at his brothers with a helpless expression on his face. Kevin put his hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“They’re in the dining room. Just get it over with. We’re here for you. Both of you,” he said. Nick nodded in agreement, grabbing Jenna’s hand and holding it tight in his own. The four of them stood there for a moment, trying to come to grips with reality. Jenna finally untangled herself from the boys she loved and wiped her eyes.

“I’m surprised they didn’t know about it sooner. This is a pretty high profile magazine, I thought people would be calling in like crazy,” she said. As if on cue, the phone rang. She jumped in surprise. Kevin picked up the phone, holding it to his chest as he motioned for the two of them to go into the dining room.

“Don’t worry, no one has this number. Just go in there and talk to them. It’s now or never, guys,” he said.

Joe looked over at Jenna, and they both took deep breaths. Joe gave her a little smile.

“We’re in this together, remember? Together,” he said, slowly brushing his thumb along her cheek. She smiled back, putting her hand over his and savoring his touch on her face. They linked their hands in a tight grasp.

Together, they walked to the dining room.

[socrbritney]

Chapter Twelve: Decisions

Like any uncharted territory
I must seem greatly intriguing
You speak of my love like
You have experienced like mine before
But this is not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

-“Uninvited”, Alanis Morissette[/center][/i]


Jenna’s heart would not settle down. No matter what thoughts she put into her mind to calm down, nothing worked. She thought of puppies, her mom, Joe kissing her, Joe touching her, Joe laying with her…

Ok, not the thoughts to have when you’re about to tell his parents that you’re in love with their son…, she thought with a scowl. She looked over at Joe, who seemed to be trying to calm himself down as well. His jaw was tense, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. For a moment, her troubles vanished as she gazed at his beautiful face. She reached over and brushed a lock of dark hair off his forehead.

I really do love him, she thought as Joe closed his eyes at her touch. He put his hand over her heart, and they stood that way for a minute. His hand on her heart, her hand on his face. It was as if they were going in to meet their deaths.

Our relationship death, she thought bitterly. At that thought, she felt her knees shake. Joe seemed to read her mind. He put his arms around her waist, bringing her in close.

“No matter what happens in there, we will be together. You. Will. Not. Lose. Me. I love you, Jenna. Nothing will change that,” Joe said in her ear. She breathed in his scent, and felt calmer.

“I love you, too. I’m not going anywhere,” she promised. He put his forehead to hers, and leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back eagerly, wanting to savor the taste of his lips on hers. When will be the next time I can kiss him? she thought with fear. She felt a tear escape her eye.

Joe pulled away, kissing the corner of her eye, making the tears go away. He kissed her forehead, her nose, and finally, a slow, passionate kiss on the mouth. She was breathless. The situation they were in, his desperate kisses, the way he held her at this moment. It left her without breath.

He grabbed her hand, and they turned to toward the hallway where the dining room loomed at the end. They started walking, ready to face their fate.

Mr. and Mrs. Jonas were sitting at the big, wooden table, laughing and looking at schedules for the upcoming month. When they looked up and saw Joe and Jenna, they stopped laughing.

“Hey you two, what’s up?” Mr. Jonas asked with a smile. Jenna saw his gaze drop to their hands, which were still intertwined. Jenna went to pull away, but Joe held on tight. Mr. Jonas looked back up at them, a confused look on his face.

“Joe? What is it? Is everything ok?” Mrs. Jonas asked, her voice filled with concern. Joe looked over at Jenna, then back at his parents.

“We have something to tell you. We were going to tell you sooner, but we were afraid you two would freak out so we kept putting it off. And then something happened and we can’t hide it anymore. We didn’t mean for all this to happen…” Joe was cut off by Mr. Jonas standing up, motioning for them to sit. Joe immediately sat down, while Jenna stayed standing.

“Joe and I have been in a relationship for the past month. I tried to put distance between the two of us, as I didn’t want to jeopardize my employment with you. But it happened anyway. I didn’t expect it, and I certainly didn’t plan it. Believe me, there is nothing about this situation that has been easy. I am so sorry if this is causing you any pain right now. We just wanted to tell you, before things for worse,” Jenna finished, taking a deep breath. She realized her hands were shaking. She clasped them together, awaiting their response.

Mr. and Mrs. Jonas sat there, looking stunned. They appeared to be absorbing the information. Mrs. Jonas looked at Joe.

“Is this true, Joe? Did you chase after your own media rep?” she asked, her voice shrill.

“Yeah, it’s true. But I didn’t chase after her! I mean, I did but it’s not like it’s a game between us. It’s more than that. It’s…it’s…” Joe stuttered, trying to find the right words.

“I’m in love with your son, Mrs. Jonas,” Jenna finished his thought. Joe looked over at Jenna in shock. He thought he would be the first to drop that bomb. He heard his dad suck in a deep breath.

“Jenna, we would like to talk to our son for a moment,” he said in a monotone voice. Jenna nodded slowly and walked out of the room. As soon as she rounded the corner, she collapsed against the wall.
…………

“Joseph Adam Jonas! I could kill you!” Mrs. Jonas said, standing up in frustration.

“What? What’s so bad about being in love? Huh? We’re happy; I thought that would make you happy!” Joe argued, folding his arms.

“Oh, please! Joe, you’re 19. You can’t possibly be in love. Jenna isn’t just a girl with a crush. She is a woman. She’s older than you, and works for us! What were you thinking?” Mr. Jonas yelled.

“I was thinking just fine, Dad! That’s the point. As soon as she came into my life, I was thinking clearly. You guys saw how happy I was, I was writing more music, laughing more, enjoying my time on stage…I mean, you can’t say that her being around was a bad thing!” Joe yelled back.

“Don’t raise your voice at your father. Ok, let’s just all calm down,” Mrs. Jonas said in a soothing voice.

The three of them grew silent for awhile. Finally, Mr. Jonas cleared his throat.

“You said earlier that something happened? What happened?” Mr. Jonas asked.

Joe closed his eyes and reached up to grasp at the cross Jenna had given him. It was as if he was holding on to her, for however much longer he had her.

“Well, I went to pick her up at the airport a couple weeks ago, and that was actually, um, the first time I told her I loved her. And I guess there was a photographer there…” Mr. and Mrs. Jonas groaned in unison, knowing what was coming up.

“Which magazine ran it?” Mr. Jonas said, holding his hand out. Joe timidly walked forward and placed the magazine in his outstretched hand. They both read it over, scowls on their faces. Finally, he slapped the magazine down.

“Joe! How could you be so careless? This isn’t just a rumor we can make go away! How are we going to explain to the fans and to the press that you’re secretly meeting your girlfriend, who also happens to be your publicist and is four years older than you, at airports!? You boys are supposed to be role models to your fans! What kind of message are you sending? Sneaking around? Lying to everyone? Putting your career in jeopardy over some girl?!” Mr. Jonas’s voice was rising dramatically. Joe glared at him.

“She’s not some girl,” Joe said through clenched teeth. “I am in love with her. She’s in love with me, and we want to be together. And if that means I can’t be a pop star or play music anymore, fine. If what’s standing between me and my happiness is the Jonas Brothers, then I don’t have to be a Jonas brother, do I?” Joe’s tone was threatening. His parents shot each other worried glances.

“Now, Joe. Let’s not get dramatic. We’re just upset. This is quite a mess, and well, frankly we’re not sure what to do. We’d ask our media rep, but she’s part of the problem!” Mrs. Jonas said. The three grew silent again.

“Joe, can you ask Jenna to come in here. We’d like to discuss this with her,” Mrs. Jonas asked quietly. Joe nodded, and turned quickly to get her.

He found her back in the kitchen, sitting at the island with Nick and Kevin, who were reassuring her in hushed voices. Her head was on Kevin’s shoulder, eyes closed. When they saw Joe come in, they all stood up. Joe looked at Jenna, his heart breaking. Her green eyes were a deep jade color from crying, and her lower lip trembled.

“They want to talk to you,” he whispered to her. She nodded, and started to walk towards the dining room. Joe grabbed her hand, wanting to comfort her, but she just looked back at him. Her face held no emotion. She let his hand slip out of hers as she walked away.

…………..

Jenna stopped outside the doorway, trying to come to grips with reality while she waited in the shadows. She twisted the ring on her right middle finger, remembering the day Joe had given it to her…

“Now, try not to fall when Joe flips you this time, ok Nick? You about gave me a heart attack last night,” Jenna said, giving one last spritz of hairspray to Nick’s curls before they went onstage. They were beneath the stage, just about to load up on the elevator that would reveal them to the crowd. Jenna was doing her usual pre-concert touch up to the boys, having somehow become their stylist as well as their publicist.

“I won’t fall. Joe didn’t count right last time,” Nick grumbled. Jenna smiled and finished rolling up his left sleeve, making sure it was tight. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and sent him to the platform.

Kevin stood in front of her, having trouble with his guitar strap. She giggled as he struggled.

“You’re hopeless. You can play guitar in your sleep, but you can’t strap it on. Let me,” Jenna said as she helped untwist the strap. She fist bumped Kevin, then turned and knocked her hip against his. It was their special good luck ritual.

Joe came up to her, fixing his collar. She smoothed it out for him, keeping her arms looped around his neck when she was done.

“Have a great show. You’re going to be amazing,” she gushed. He smiled and shrugged.

“Well, yeah. That’s a given. I hate to ask, but can you tie my shoe? I can barely bend over in these pants,” Joe asked with pleading eyes. She rolled her eyes in protest, but bent down anyway.

“Well, maybe you should get a size bigger. You can barely do your kicks when your pants are so…” Jenna stopped talking when she saw a tiny silver band tied onto one of his shoe laces. She quickly pulled it free, standing back up and holding it to Joe’s face. He looked at her with an innocent face.

“What is this?” Jenna asked, suspiciously. Joe laughed and took the ring from her.

“Well, what did you find down there? Is this a present for you? I think it is…” he said in a mischievous voice. She laughed and grabbed the ring back. It was simple, just a silver band. She looked inside the ring, and saw the inscription. Last Chance.

“It’s supposed to represent the day we got together,” Joe said, searching her face for approval. She slipped it on her right middle finger, admiring it.

“One minute to go, guys! Let’s get ready!” said a voice from backstage. The crowd grew louder as the band started playing. Jenna gave Joe a hug, and brought her lips to his ear.

“I love it, thank you,” she whispered. Joe gave her a tight squeeze in return then hurried around her to get on the platform. She gave his butt a playful smack as he ran by her. He turned around, giving her a wink. The boys waved to her, and she gave them a thumbs up.

“See you in the front row, Jenna!” Kevin yelled as they rose up. She watched them go, her heart filling with pride. Then she raced to get to her seat.
…………..

She twirled the ring around her finger faster and faster. Last chance, she thought.

She stepped into the dining room, walking cautiously to a seat. She sat down, and waited.

Mr. and Mrs. Jonas looked at her with frowns. Their disappointing gaze made her insides ache. She opened her mouth to speak. Mr. Jonas put up his hand to stop her.

“Jenna, we know that you didn’t do this on purpose. And we know that you didn’t want for anyone to get hurt. While we’re finding it hard to grasp that you and Joe are in love, we’re more upset about the lying. Especially to us, you know you could’ve come to us right from the beginning,” he said. Mrs. Jonas nodded in agreement.

“That’s right, hon. While I can’t exactly approve of what’s going on between you and my son, I did notice how happy he’s been. I mean, anything that gets that boy to give up his music well…” Jenna snapped her head up when she said that.

“What? He said he was going to give up his music?” Jenna asked in disbelief. She closed her eyes, feeling waves of guilt wash over her. She struggled to find words.

“I…I don’t want that to happen. I would never ask him to give any of this up for me, you have to believe that. I love this job, and I love him. But I would rather leave then let Joe do anything like that,” Jenna said, her hand on her chest. She looked at Mr. and Mrs. Jonas who were watching her carefully.

“I know you didn’t ask him. Joe has always been very intense about his feelings, and he seems willing to sacrifice a lot for you. He’s worked too hard to throw it away, don’t you see?” Mr. Jonas asked. Jenna closed her eyes and nodded.

I am nothing but trouble, she thought. She opened her eyes back up, and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry that this happened. I want you to know that this job, these boys, have been everything to me. Not only Joe, but all three of them. They are so amazing, and I have been so proud to be apart of this family,” her voice cracked on the world “family.” Mr. and Mrs. Jonas smiled at her. Jenna kept going.

“But to think that me being here is causing a family problem or making Joe feel like he has to give up music. That I cannot bear. I will not be the cause of any more pain for this family,” she said with resolve.

“Jenna, I know you don’t want to cause any more pain. Look, we have a month left of the tour. I don’t want to get rid of you; you’re great at what you do. But, this situation needs to be fixed, and fast,” Mr. Jonas said. “So, I’m inviting you to finish out the tour with us, and then afterwards we can talk more. As for you and Joe, I think it would be best if you guys put whatever it is you two have on hold, until this mess gets cleaned up. We’ll release a statement, stating that you two were in a relationship but decided it would be best to remain friends. What do you think, Jenna?” he asked. Jenna looked down at her hands, watching the ring she wore catch the light.

“I agree. Can I please talk to Joe about it first? I think if I explained it to him, as a media rep, he would understand more,” she said. They both nodded.

“Of course. Why don’t you two go up to his room and talk? Then we can put this matter behind us and finish the tour. When we’re done, the three of us can talk again,” Mrs. Jonas said, standing up. She walked over to Jenna and put her arms on her shoulder.

“Joe is just a boy. Don’t force him to make a decision he’ll regret,” she said in a soothing voice. Jenna shook her head furiously, hating herself for putting Joe in this position. Me or music? she thought with dread. I would never let him choose me, she decided.

Jenna stood up and gave them a small smile. “Thank you so much for allowing me to stay for the rest of the tour. I will do everything in my power to fix this,” she promised. With that, Jenna walked out the room. She ran to the bathroom, shutting the door before the tears came.

This is a mess. What were we thinking? And now, Joe thinks he can give up his career for me. I won’t let him, I won’t! she thought as she sat on the toilet lid, sobbing into her hands. She let the tears fall, holding nothing back. After what seemed like several minutes, she stood up and splashed cold water in her face. She looked into the mirror, studying her face, as if the answer was there.

Joe is better off without me. He is still so young. He needs someone his own age, someone who the public will want to see him date. Someone his parents approve of. Someone who doesn’t put his career and his happiness in danger, she thought as her heart ached. She didn’t want to lose him, she knew that. But was all of this worth seeing Joe give up his first love? The only thing she knew would heal him? She would rather leave without ever seeing him again then make him stop making music.

Jenna finally felt composed enough to go out to the kitchen. It was just Joe this time, sitting at the island with his head on the table. She came in quietly, but his head whipped up as soon as he heard her. As always, his handsome face took her breath away. His eyes were red, as if tears were threatening to spill over. He looked tired. Defeated. Broken. Jenna felt the pain in her chest throb at the sight of it.

Look what I did to him, she thought with horror.

“What did they say?” he asked, coming over to her. She took a step back before he could reach her. When she pulled back, Joe looked like he had been slapped.

“Let’s go to your room and talk,” Jenna said in a gentle voice. He looked at her curiously, but turned and went to the stairs. She followed.

When they got to his room, she shut the door. He sat on the bed, hands folded. He waited.

Jenna paced back and forth across the carpet, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Babe?” she heard him say quietly. She turned to look at him, and her heart shattered. He looked so worried, so in pain. It took everything she had not to run over and throw her arms around him in comfort. Instead, she put all those thoughts in the back of her mind and thought about what was best for him,

“Well, their going to keep me on the tour for the last month of it. And then we’ll talk again,” Jenna started. Joe’s face lit up.

“That’s great! You get to stay!” he said in a joyous voice. When he noticed that Jenna didn’t meet his enthusiasm, he stopped talking.

“I am not allowed to see you in that way anymore,” she said, the pain in her voice apparent. Joe closed his eyes, trying to understand.

“What? We can’t be together? Ok, ok. No problem, we’ll just wait until this blows over and when the tour ends we can start fresh. We won’t hide anything, and everything will be ok,” he said, standing up and walking over to her. Jenna put her hand up.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Joe. Clearly us being together is not what anyone wants,” she said. She knew his heart was breaking as much as hers. Joe took her hands in his.

“Who cares about what anyone else wants? What do you want? I want you, and I don’t care about anyone else. We can make this work, we’ll keep sneaking around or…or I’ll just take a break from music for awhile…” Joe stammered in desperation. When he mentioned his music, Jenna felt her stomach drop. She ripped her hands from his.

“No! Don’t you dare say that! You cannot give up music for me! I won’t let you. We can’t sneak around anymore. You can’t quit the band,” Jenna said, her heart ripping to pieces with every word. She didn’t dare look at him, knowing his heart was breaking just as hard. She could barely get out her next thought.

“Joe, we can’t be together,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Saying that almost killed her, but she knew what was best for Joe. Her Joe. She finally met his eyes, and immediately regretted it. His eyes were full of rage.

“What are you talking about? You told me you weren’t going anywhere! What about the promises you made? What about always being there for each other? Remember, Jenna? Always together! TOGETHER!” He yelled, grabbing onto her shoulders and shaking her. She choked back a sob.

“Joe, I’m sorry. It’s for the best. Your parents are right. I can’t be here forcing you to make these decisions,” Jenna said. Joe gripped her tighter.

“You aren’t! There is no decision to make!” he said. Joe put her chin in his hands and locked it there. He forced her head up, to look into his eyes. “Look at me,” he said throatily. “Tell me you don’t love me,” he dared. “Tell me.”

“I do love you-“ she barely got the last word out when Joe crushed his lips to hers. This was unlike any kiss he had ever given her. It was needy, hungry even.

She kissed him back with just as much urgency. She forgot about the past couple hours and focused only on Joe’s lips on hers. She tangled her hands in his hair, pushing his lips harder on hers. Joe let out a stifled moan. All the pain she was feeling, the fear of losing Joe was causing her head and her heart to lose all control.

She walked him back towards the bed. His knees hit the edge, and he fell backwards, taking Jenna with him. Their lips never left each others. She whispered his name in between intakes of breath. She pressed her body to his, loving the feel of his lean, muscular frame against hers.

Joe reached his hand under the back of her shirt, slowing rubbing his hand up and down her bare back. She shivered, knowing she should stop, but all she thought about was the fire in her chest. She lifted her body off his for a moment, pulling his t-shirt over his head. He didn’t stop her, only pulling her closer to his bare chest when the t-shirt hit the floor. Her heart picked up speed as she ran her fingers up and down his chest.

Joe sat up, and moved his lips to her neck. She straddled him, wrapping her legs around his waist. She raked her nails gently up and down his bare back, loving the noises she was causing Joe to make. It all felt so good, she couldn’t stop. Even if she tried, she couldn’t.

Joe’s hand was climbing higher up her back underneath her shirt. Jenna urged him on, kissing him deeper and deeper. Suddenly, she felt his ring graze against the bumps in her spine. She pulled her mouth off his, and looked into his eyes. He looked back at her, his face eager, his lips swollen. They were both breathing heavy.

“Oh my God. Do you see, Joe? Do you see what happens when we’re together! I am no good for you!” she said in exasperation as she climbed off him. She fixed her shirt, loathing herself.

“Jenna, come back here. I would’ve stopped before anything happened, I promise,” Joe said, reaching out for her from his spot on the bed.

“Sure, but I can’t promise that I would’ve stopped it. I mean, everything you love and believe in goes out the window when I’m around. I’m not healthy for you,” she admitted, dropping her head. She looked back up, watching Joe’s features turn from lust to anger.

“You know what? If you are so against us being together, then fine! I am willing to fight for us, and you would rather throw it all away! You’re running again, Jenna! Stop running!” he yelled finally, crossing the room in two big steps and pulling her to him.

“I have to run, Joe. To save you, I have to run,” she murmured. He shook his head.

“Don’t run from me. Don’t run from us. I…I need you. I love you, Jenna. I can’t be without you,” he said, his voice full of emotion. He leaned his head down to kiss her. When his lips touched hers, she let out a sob.

“Joe, I can’t do this anymore. If I’m going to stay on tour, we can’t do this,” she cried. Joe pushed her away gently, and turned his back. He let out a sigh, and turned back to her.

“You can do that? See me every day, look at me every day, and not be with me?” he asked, his eyes wide. She felt the tears fall down her cheeks, and she nodded.

“I have to,” she whispered. Joe turned back around. She saw his back muscles flex with anger.

“Fine. Get out,” he spat at her. Jenna reached to touch him, but he shook her off when he felt her touch.

“Get out,” he said again, his voice level and angry. She stepped back from him, her heart in pieces. She reached the door, and opened it. She looked back, but Joe was still facing away from her. The tears came faster.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a weak voice.

Jenna walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
………..

PHEW! That. Was. Intense. What did you guys think? Leave me some feedback and I’ll love you forever!

[socrbritney]

I wanted to take this time to tell all my fabulous readers how much it means to me to read all your wonderful comments and to have your support. This story is my first fan fiction, and I was very unsure about writing it. But you guys made me fall in love with it, much like Joe and Jenna! I will continue to write as long as you guys continue to read. So thank you thank you thank you! I could not have made it this far without my JONER HEADS!

Enjoy Chapter 13!

All my love,

-SocrBritney

Chapter Thirteen: Not Enough Words

Time will fly away with me
If truth won't stop and let me see
And tell me I am to believe
That you and I should never be again
I'm drowning
When the one you leave is the one thing you believe
You say goodbye when underneath your one belief
That love rules all, conquers all

-“Drowning”, Missy Higgins[/center][/i]

“Joe! JOE! Get up, dude. We got to get ready for the show,” Kevin said from the front of the bus. Joe grunted back a response from his bunk. He heard Kevin walk down the stairs.

Joe slowly picked his head up, his eyes struggling to focus. His headache was still there. His head had been pounding unbearably ever since Jenna shut the door to his room.

Shut the door on us, he thought bitterly. That was two days ago, and all he wanted to do was sleep. If he wasn’t performing, he was sleeping. It was the only escape from the dull ache in his heart, and the throbbing pain in his head.

What upset him most was the fact that she just gave up. She didn’t fight or try to work it out. She simply distanced herself from him like it was nothing.

Wasn’t it killing her like it was killing me? Joe thought with anger. He had never gone this long without talking to her. Even before they were together, they were still hanging out all the time. He accepted that they couldn’t be together right now, but does that mean forever?

Here come the questions again, he moaned. Correction, if he wasn’t sleeping or performing, he was questioning. Constantly questioning what went wrong. His thoughts spun so fast in his head, he felt dizzy. Nothing he could do but write them down.

He picked up his guitar, starting to play the song he had been working on for the past couple days. Joe sang, trying to release some tension.

If this is right
If this is it
Why does my heart scream out?
Something doesn’t fit

You can’t imagine the pain
You can’t grasp the ache
Finding you gone, finding us done
There are some tears I’ll never fake

He realized as he was singing, that the tears were indeed threatening to come. Maybe this was a bad idea, he thought as he put down his guitar and choked back the tears. Nick sat down next to him. Joe jumped in surprise; he didn’t even hear him come on the bus.

“That was really good. Did you just write that?” Nick asked, looking down at Joe’s song book.

“Yeah, if I don’t get my feelings out through the song, I might just punch something,” Joe said wearily. Nick nodded in sympathy.

“Joe, I’m not going to pretend to know what you’re going through. I mean, we’ve all had our hearts broken, but I know this is different. But I think Jenna is doing this for you. She doesn’t want to cause any more trouble, and this is her way of doing it,” he said. Joe sighed out loud.

“How can this be good for me, if it’s killing me?” Joe said, his voice cracking. Nick winced, obviously in pain along with his brother.

“Does she know that? She’s in just as much pain as you are, I bet. Maybe if you guys talk this out again, get everything out in the open. Don’t lose hope for the two of you. I’m not losing hope, man,” he said, pointing to himself in emphasis.

Joe scoffed in annoyance. “She lost hope when she told me we couldn’t be together. She doesn’t want to be with me. She said it!” Joe stood up, putting his hands on his head.

“Hey, stop being like this. You guys are being so stubborn, it drives me nuts! No, it’s not an ideal situation. But what you two have is more than enough to fix what’s been done. The media will die down, mom and dad will cool off. And after the tour, you guys can start over,” Nick said, standing up and putting his arm around Joe. Joe shook him off.

“I dunno, man. I just keep thinking of the reaction this is bringing to the band. People don’t like it,” he said.

“Well, as much as we love our fans. I think it’s more important to your happiness, both of your happiness, to try. And, you know what? As soon as people realize that you two are in love and that nothing will change that, they’ll come around. So, just stick it out for a couple weeks and go from there,” Nick said. Joe slumped his shoulders, looking defeated.

“But what am I going to do about right now? It hurts so much, Nick. I didn’t know I could hurt like this. Then again, I didn’t know I could feel about someone the way I feel about her,” Joe said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. Nick just stared at him, unable to come up with an answer.

“I don’t know what would help. Staying away from her, or trying to maintain a friendship right now,” Joe said. He felt helpless.

“What do you feel in your heart is best? I guess what I’m asking is, what hurts less?” Nick asked.

Joe thought for a moment, trying to control the pounding in his head.

“Seeing her without being able to touch her hurts bad. But knowing she wasn’t around at all? That would probably destroy me,” Joe decided. Nick nodded and went to walk off the bus. He stopped before reaching the door. He gave Joe a reassuring smile.

“She loves you, man. We’ve seen it. You know what they say, whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. So just think, after it’s all been said and done, you guys will be like a rock,” Nick said, walking down the stairs. “And finish that song! I think it would help to play it to the crowd!” he yelled back up the stairs to Joe.

Joe sighed and picked the guitar back up.

………….

Jenna took a pause from typing and stretched her fingers. Her back ached, her eyes were strained, but she kept pushing herself.

Keep working, Jenna, she told herself. If you stop, you’ll think of him.

Too late.

Jenna wasn’t sure what hurt worse, knowing he was in pain or knowing she was the one who caused the pain. For the past couple days, she had been working herself to the bone, only stopping to sleep and maybe slam a red bull to curve her hunger pains. She didn’t want to stop to think for a second. When she did, her mind filled with thoughts of them happy together. Thoughts of them fighting. The thought of Joe’s back to her.

“Argh! Stop!” she yelled to no one. She pushed away from her laptop and got up off the couch in the back of the bus. She had managed to avoid him for the past couple days, but she couldn’t avoid him for the rest of the tour. She wondered how he was. Was he in as much pain as she was?

She heard footsteps coming up her bus stairs. Her heart put itself back together and soared at the thought of Joe coming to see her. She would wrap herself in his arms and never pull away again. She looked at the front of the bus. It was Kevin.

“Hey, Jenna. Are you that happy to see me?” he said sarcastically as he watched her face fall. Jenna sighed and walked to him. He pulled her into a hug, trying to take away some of the pain.

“I’m sorry, Kev. I’m a mess. I am falling apart. I don’t know how much longer I can take this,” she moaned into his shirt. Kevin patted her head. He sat them both down on the couch, keeping his arm wrapped around her.

“You’re a fighter, Jenna. You and Joe both are. You just gotta get through these next couple weeks, and you guys can work it out. No worries, right?” he said, trying to sound optimistic. In reality, he was scared. Jenna looked pale, thin, and ragged. Where was the beautiful smile?

“Tell me the truth, Kevin. How is he?” she asked, not knowing if she wanted to hear the answer. Kevin looked away, biting his lip.

“I’m going to be honest here, Jenna. He’s…he’s not good. No, he’s worse than that. He’s a mess, just like you. He just sleeps. The only time I see him like his old self is when he’s on stage, and even then I can tell he’s on auto-pilot,” he said gently. Jenna felt the wound in her heart burn. I did this to him, she shuddered.

“I never should have come here. It’s killing both of us. First, I reject him when he kisses me. Then I make him rescue me, putting both of us in danger. Then I ignore him. Finally, we’re together and I make him lie to everyone he cares about, putting his career in danger. Then I tell him I can’t see him anymore, which was by far the most painful thing I’ve ever done,” Jenna said, hating herself with every word she spoke.

“Well, then why did you tell him that? Why did you take away his hope for the two of you?” Kevin wondered.

“Because, he was willing to sacrifice his music for me. I couldn’t let him do that. The only answer I could think of was that I just get out of his life. I would rather be without him than ever be responsible for him quitting the band and breaking up his family,” she said in a firm voice. Kevin hugged her tighter.

“I just don’t think I can take being here, around all of the things that used to bring me so much happiness. I can’t be here knowing that I can’t be with him,” Jenna said, her voice dripping with heartache.

“Well, this might not be easy to hear, but maybe you should leave. At least until the tour is done. Think about it. Joe could focus more if he knows you weren’t around, and you would be able to heal without all these painful memories surrounding you every day. It might be the healthiest option. And then, you guys will be able to think clearly and make decisions about the two of you,” Kevin said, watching Jenna crumple when he mentioned leaving.

“I…I don’t think I can say goodbye to him,” she whimpered.

“Not goodbye, Jenna. It would just be time and space. Maybe that’s what you both need. Time and space. I mean, you guys being around each other without being together is like salt on the wound. Times a thousand. That can’t be healthy for either of you,” Kevin said.

Jenna put her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes.

Can I leave? Or would that just make things worse? Not that they could get much worse, she thought.

“For Joe, Jenna? What’s best for him?” Kevin asked, and Jenna’s eyes shot open.

“It has been nothing but trouble with me around. Maybe if I just leave him alone for awhile, we can both heal,” she said. Her mind was made up.

“Are you going to say goodbye to him? Or do you want me to tell him that you’re leaving?” Kevin asked her.

“No, I’ll tell him,” Jenna replied, getting up. “Except he won’t know I’m saying goodbye,” she added.

“Well, the bus is taking us to the hotel tonight after the show. I’ll tell Nick to stay in my room for the night, and you can tell Joe whatever you want. The sooner you guys get away from each other, the better, I think,” Kevin said. He got up and pulled her into one last hug. She hugged him back, realizing that she was saying goodbye to him, too. She felt tears start to leak out of her eyes. She wiped her face, surprised to feel the wetness.

I thought I was all out of tears.

…………….

Joe sighed in frustration as he tried again to slide his hotel key through the lock. The light finally turned green, and he walked into the room. He threw his bag on the floor and flung himself on the bed.

The show had been a near disaster. While Joe could sing these songs in his sleep, he couldn’t seem the find his rhythm tonight. He missed his cues, forgot words, and wandered around between songs like a lost puppy. He felt bad, knowing he didn’t give 100 percent of himself to his fans. He put his hands over his face, rubbing his eyes.

I’m glad I have the room to myself tonight. Although I find it awfully weird that Nick would suddenly want to room with Kevin because they were “in the middle of writing a song”, Joe thought.

He stood back up and picked up his phone. He stared at the background, which was of course, Jenna. She had taken it herself one day when she had snatched up his phone when he wasn’t looking. She was smiling goofily at the camera, and her eyes were laughing at him. Joe snapped the phone shut, feeling his chest start to tingle with regret.

He threw the phone across the room, knowing if he held it any longer he would call her.

I don’t know how much longer I’m going to last, Joe thought with a weary sigh. There was a knock at the door. He got up, expecting Nick had enough of Kevin’s late night chatter. He stomped angrily to the door.

“Nick, I told you that you had to stay there if you-“ Joe lost all train of thought when he whipped open the door to find Jenna standing there. She was in an old faded Indianapolis Colts t-shirt and baggy black sweatpants. Her hair was in a sloppy ponytail, and she looked exhausted. She wore no make-up, and her usually athletic frame seemed to have shriveled up in the past two days. But to Joe, she was the most beautiful thing he could be seeing at that moment.

“Hi,” she said in a near whisper. Joe’s heart came back to life at the sound of her voice, and then broke all over again when he thought about the past couple of days.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her, trying to be cold. When he saw her face fall at his cold tone, he felt horrible.

“Can I come in?” she asked hesitantly. Joe simply nodded and held the door open for her to walk in the room. He wasn’t in the mood for another gut wrenching discussion about their relationship, or lack there of. He shut the door and turned around, prepared to tell her to just say what she wanted to say and leave.

“Look Jen-“ Jenna didn’t wait for him to finish, she just ran up to him and put her lips on his. Joe stood there, stunned for a few seconds. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. The painful throb in his head went away. The ache in his chest was gone. It was like he had been drowning, and he was coming up for air.

She pulled away too soon. When she did, she had tears in her eyes.

“Can I just stay with you tonight? I don’t want to fight or talk. I just want to be with you,” she whispered, stroking his hair.

Joe hesitated, not sure what was happening. But having her there was more than enough for him. He took her hand, and led her into the darkened room. The only light was a sliver of moonlight that crossed the bed in a small line.

Joe laid down, pulling Jenna with him. She turned on her side towards him, and Joe pulled her close to his chest, tucking her head under his chin. They stayed that way for awhile, just listening to each other breathe.

“Joe?” Jenna finally said. She picked her head up and looked up at him.

“I love you,” she breathed before kissing him. Her kiss was slow and gentle, and Joe felt his legs go numb at her touch. He kissed her cheek, her nose, her neck, her forehead. She clung to him, letting out happy sighs every once in a while. Finally he pressed his forehead to hers, and closed his eyes.

“I love you too, Jenna. Always,” he promised, giving her one last lingering kiss. She put her head back on his chest, and he wrapped his arms tight around her.

Soon, they were both asleep.

………..

Joe woke up the next day with a smile on his face. Jenna’s warm body pressed to him gave him the best night of sleep he’d had a long time.

Jenna, he remembered. She wasn’t wrapped up in his arms like she was last night. Joe felt cold. He sat up, looking around the room for her.

She was nowhere.

He rolled over, feeling the sting in his heart return when she realized she was gone. His hand brushed something on top of the blanket. Joe grabbed it, realizing it was a piece of paper. He opened it, his stomach dropping as he recognized the handwriting.

Dearest Joe,

By now you realize that I have left. It took every ounce of me to leave your loving embrace this morning. But I had to. I’m sorry if you don’t understand now, but hopefully you will someday.

I feel that it is best if I go back to Indiana for awhile. Me being here is only tearing you apart inside, I know it. And I can’t stand seeing you every day knowing the pain I caused you. In order for us to heal, I have to go.

I don’t mean for this to hurt you more. Wherever I am, you can trust that I am barely breathing at the thought of leaving you. I did it for you. I refuse to be the one to wreck your career and your happiness with music. You have worked so hard, and I would rather love you from a distance then put anymore strain on your life.

Ever since the day I met you, I have been changed. You knocked the wind out of me, and flipped my world upside down. You made me so happy, I welcomed the chaos. I know I will never find another one like you. You made me feel so loved and so safe. Remember that. I do not regret a single second with you, and I never will.

Please do not contact me. We both need time apart to heal. Hopefully, I can see you again one day. Until then, enjoy your music and your life. I am so proud of you.

Goodbye, Joe. I will miss you so much. And I’ll be thinking of you every day.

In love with you forever,

Jenna

Joe finished the note, his hands shaking. He gripped the paper so hard, he crumpled the edges. He stayed perfectly still, trying to process the information. He held his breath, hoping that this was all a bad dream and that she was really right next to him, waiting to be held.

But she wasn’t.

She was gone.

Joe set the note down on the bedside table, and noticed a small object resting there. He picked it up, placing it in his palm.

Her ring.

Joe closed his hand into a fist around the ring and shut his eyes.

He couldn’t hold anything back anymore.

Joe put his head back down on the pillow. He inhaled her perfume that lingered there.

And he felt the tears silently run down his face.

……….


Poor, poor Joe. Well, what do we think of chapter 13?

Oh by the way, the song Joe sings in this chapter and in chapter 8 were written by me. Just so you know and don’t try and hunt down those songs. They don’t exist (lol).

Leave me love!

[socrbritney]

Chapter Fourteen: Forward or Backwards?

You could be happy and I won't know
But you weren't happy the day I watched you go

And all the things that I wished I had not said
Are played in loops 'till it's madness in my head

Is it too late to remind you how we were
But not our last days of silence, screaming, blur

Most of what I remember makes me sure
I should have stopped you from walking out the door

-“You Could be Happy”, Snow Patrol[/center][/i]


Jenna felt the cool ocean breeze run through her hair. She was standing at the edge of the water, watching the tide tickle her toes. The bottom of her long, green tunic gown was damp. Jenna breathed in the salty air, and exhaled with a smile.

She felt arms wrap around her from behind. Dark locks brushed against her bare shoulder, making a chill run through her body. Joe grabbed her hand, and she watched their matching silver bands catch the light.

“I love you, Mr. Jonas,” she whispered. Joe squeezed her tighter.

“I love you, too. Mrs. Jonas,” Joe whispered back, putting his lips to the back of her neck. Jenna turned around, wanting to kiss him.

When she turned around, there was nobody there. She yelled for him, but her voice was carried away with the wind.

Jenna awoke with a start. Her sweaty t-shirt stuck to her back. She let her eyes adjust, realizing she was in her own room, back in her childhood home in Indiana. Just a dream.

At least in that one he was there, she thought, rolling over and closing her eyes again. She struggled to bring him back, but it was no use.

Nearly a month since she left and she was still having dreams about him. When she first got home, she cried every night, and her dreams were just her running. Always running. She wasn’t sure if she was running toward something or away from something, but she always woke up with a racing heart and tears streaking down her face.

After a couple weeks, she started dreaming that he was with her in the dream. She would see him, and she would reach for him. She never could touch him. She wasn’t sure what was more painful to wake up to. Realizing she was just dreaming that he was there, or having a dream where she didn’t even see him.

Might as well get up, she thought finally. She heard her mom in the kitchen, probably making coffee. She threw on some clothes and stumbled down the hallway towards the smell of breakfast. Her mom smiled when she saw Jenna.

“Morning, honey! Are you all ready for your phone interview, today?” she asked. Jenna nodded, feeling a surge of nervous energy pulse through her. She had a phone interview to come on as a writer for a new TV show that NBC was developing. They had been emailing her, requesting writing samples. Today they were going to do a phone interview, and Jenna could not be more excited.

Except the one person I want to share this with hates me, she thought, all excitement gone. She knew she told him not to call her, but she longed to hear his voice anyways. Once, after her sisters took her out to ease the pain, Jenna had too much to drink and gave in. She called him, and her heart shattered when she realized the number no longer worked. He had changed his number.

Not that I blame him. I am a horrible person, Jenna bitterly told herself. Her mom was watching her, a concerned look on her face.

“Are you thinking of him, honey?” her mom asked, moving to put her arms around Jenna. Jenna sighed.

“It’s been almost a month, hon. Don’t you think it’s time to start the process of moving on?” her mom wondered.

“I’m trying. I think once I know the tour is over and their doing something else, I’ll feel better. They have their last show next week in New Jersey, and after that I’ll know that Joe is moving on as well,” Jenna replied. Her mom hugged her tight.

“I know that leaving him wasn’t easy for you. But I think it was for the best,” her mom said.

“I miss him so much, mom. I’m not sure if this was best, because I’m still hurting. And I worry about all the time. I just want to know if he’s ok,” Jenna whimpered.

“Oh, I know you were heavily invested in the relationship. You’ve always been like that. When you fall, you fall completely. That’s just how you are. But I bet if you knew how Joe was doing, you’d feel differently. I bet he was upset for a day or two, and then he got over it. That’s usually how guys work. He’s got a million screaming fans, Jenna. I’m sure he’s just fine,” her mom insisted. She hugged her daughter one more time and then pushed her gently towards the coffee pot. Jenna poured a cup of coffee, trying to wake up. She let her mom’s words echo in her head.

“..he’s just fine.”

“I hope so,” Jenna murmured to herself.

………….

Please kill me now, Joe thought to himself. The boys were standing, waiting for the meet and greet to start. The shrieking fans were usually something Joe enjoyed. He loved to see their faces light up when they met the Jonas Brothers. But all Joe was ever interested in was one face in particular.

Joe often had this vision that she would appear somewhere. In the front row at one of his concerts. In the line of screaming girls at a meet and greet. Walking through the door while they held a press conference. Behind the counter at Starbucks. But she never did.

Joe sighed, shaking another girl’s hand. He tried to put a smile on his face, but it was a lost cause. He hadn’t smiled a genuine smile since the day in the hotel room when he found her note. And now, nearly a month later, his heart was still in pieces.

Actually, I’m fairly certain my heart is just gone, Joe thought while posing to take a picture.

When the last group of fans left an hour later, Kevin and Nick turned toward Joe with angry expressions on their faces. Joe just looked at them, crossing his arms in annoyance.

“What? I was better that time! I smiled, shook hands, waved at everyone. What’s the problem?” he asked in a shrill voice. Kevin scoffed.

“Are you kidding me? You were a zombie. I understand right after it happened you would be a mess, but it’s been almost a month, dude. You need to start moving on,” Nick said. Joe turned and stalked back to the dressing room for lockdown. The boys followed him, slamming the door behind them.

“Joe, we love you. And we know this is tough. It’s probably close to the most painful thing a person can experience. But she wants to move on, she said so. You should too. You guys loved, it didn’t work out. End of story. I’m sorry for the tough love, but you didn’t send her away. She left on her own,” Nick ranted. Kevin cleared his throat. Nick shot him a look.

“What?” Nick asked him. Kevin shrugged, trying to look innocent.

“Nothing, just had something in my throat,” he answered. He looked away, whistling.

“Kev, you’re a horrible liar. What’s going on?” Nick asked. Joe looked at Kevin, waiting for an answer.

“Well, while I agree with Nick about moving on or trying to get over it, he’s not entirely correct about Jenna leaving on her own,” Kevin said. Joe furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a stab of pain cripple his chest at the sound of her name said out loud.

“What do you mean, Paul Kevin Jonas?” Nick said through clenched teeth, obviously annoyed with his older brother withholding information.

Kevin shrugged again.

“Well, I talked to her the day she left. I mean before she left. And well, we were talking about how painful it was for Joe and her to be around each other without being together. So I suggested…”

‘You suggested?” Joe snapped.

“I might’ve mentioned that it would be a good idea for her to leave,” Kevin said in a meek voice. Nick slapped a hand over his face and shook his head. Joe sucked in a deep breath.

“You TOLD Jenna to leave?” Joe asked shrilly. He couldn’t believe it. Here he was slowly dying from Jenna leaving, and his own brother was to blame.

“I didn’t tell her to! But what else was I supposed to do, Joe? You guys were falling to pieces. It was literally painful to watch. So it was either keep watching as two people I really care about fall apart, or do something about it!” Kevin shot back, his voice defensive. Joe was seething.

“So tell her to take me back! Tell her to get back together with me! Tell her that nothing else mattered, and that me and her belonged together! You couldn’t tell her that?” Joe yelled. Nick stepped in the middle of them, putting his hands up.

“Alright guys, let’s just chill out. Kevin was just trying to help, Joe. Cut him some slack. Maybe it wasn’t the best advice, but his heart was in the right place,” Nick said, trying to calm Joe down.

“And all those things you think Kevin should’ve said to Jenna…why didn’t you say them? If you were so ready to fight, why didn’t you? I think I remember you hiding out in the bus the last couple days before she left,” Nick pointed out. Joe unclenched his fist and moved to the couch. He sat down, putting his head in his hands.

“Everything is a mess right now. I just want to play these last two shows and get back home for awhile,” Joe said in a low voice. Kevin and Nick gave each other a sympathetic glance.

“Well, we have to meet with the band in a couple minutes. Why don’t you hang out here for awhile, and then come find us later? Clear your head, dude. I can’t have you self-destructing on stage. You might throw yourself into the crowd out of desperation, and I would never see you again,” Nick said in a mock serious tone. Joe smiled despite himself. Kevin clapped.

“Hey, there’s that DJ Danger smile! Alright, Nick. Our work here is done. We’ll see you later, man,” Kevin said as him and Nick let the dressing room. The door slammed shut, and Joe put his feet up on the couch, lying back to catch a few moments of peace. He shut his eyes, trying to think of soothing things. He tried to resist, but memories of Jenna forced their way into his head…

“See that cluster of stars over there? That’s Andromeda,” Jenna said, pointing. Joe followed her finger to the bright collection of dots above them.

“Well, do you see that star over there? That’s the Joe Jonas star,” he said, pointing. Jenna laughed.

“And why is that the Joe Jonas star?” she asked, turning on her side and propping her head under her elbow.

“Because it’s the best looking star in the galaxy,” Joe replied naturally. He turned his body towards her, giving her a quick peck on the lips. They were lying on their backs on top of the tour bus, waiting for the rest of the crew to pack up so they could get on the road to the next venue. They were in Oklahoma, and the stars were unnaturally bright in the sky.

“When do you think they’ll come looking for us?” she whispered.

“Hopefully never,” he answered. He pulled her head down on his chest, breathing in the smell of her shampoo. Cucumber melon, he thought. Heaven.

“Should we pick out our own star?” Jenna asked, searching the sky for one.

“See that one over there, right next to the big dipper? That will be our star,” Joe decided. “It’s bright, big, and probably very attractive up close. Just like us.”

Jenna laughed softly and Joe felt her breath tickle his neck. He pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head, making her squeal in protest.
“I will throw you off this bus, boy. Don’t think I won’t,” she threatened. Joe clung to her in mock terror.

“You would never. You are too crazy about me, Jbomb,” he said.

“Got that right,” Jenna replied, leaning her head up to kiss him.

Joe knew he shouldn’t be torturing himself with happy memories of her. But he let himself dive deeper into the memory, and he quickly fell asleep with a smile on his face.

………………

“Thank you! I’m very excited to get started! I’ll see you in two weeks, Jill,” Jenna said into the phone before hanging up. She just stared at her cell phone in her hands, hardly believing the conversation that just took place. She sprang into action.

“MOM! MOOOOOOOOOOM!” Jenna yelled, jumping off her bed and into the family room. “I got it! They want me on staff as a writer! I’m going back to Los Angeles!” she screamed, jumping into her mom’s lap like she did when she was little.

“Oh honey, that’s fantastic! See? Things are working out,” her mom said back, giving Jenna a big hug. Jenna jumped back up, barely able to sit still.

“Oh, man. I gotta find a place to live out there. I guess I could stay with Gina until I find my own apartment. I need to pack. I have to do so many things. Holy moly, I gotta call Katie. I gotta call Daddy. I gotta call J…” she stopped herself before saying the rest of his name. And just like, the energy drained out of her body. Her mom’s face fell, noticing Jenna’s change in attitude.

“Don’t be upset, dear. You’re starting a job you love, remember?” her mom reassured her.

“Yeah, but I’m not with the guy I love,” Jenna whispered back. “I’m excited, really I am. But I just wish…I just wish I could share it with someone who loves me. I mean, besides you, of course.” She gave her mom a small smile.

“Well, who knows? Maybe after you move out there, you’ll run into him again in a couple years. You’ll both have grown up a bit and maybe you guys can start again,” her mom said. Jenna rolled her eyes.

“Please, you think a guy like Joe, whose beautiful inside and out will stay single for that long? I highly doubt that,” Jenna said dryly. Her mom got up and started walking towards the kitchen to make dinner.

“It’s your choice, Jenna. Either move forward, or keep moving backwards,” she said over her shoulder.

Jenna sighed. She hated when her mom was right.

She walked back to her room and shut the door. She reached under her bed, and pulled out a shoebox labeled “My Summer”. She lifted the lid, and started sifting through it.

She knew it wasn’t healthy to bring back happy memories, but this was Jenna’s only way of connecting with Joe. And with great things happening to her, she felt the need to share this with him, in any way she could.

First, she went through the pictures. All taken with a disposable camera that Joe always picked up in each city, as if to document their growing relationship. Some of the pictures were taken before they got together. Jenna had her arm around him in one picture, but she still looked guarded. In every picture, she looked happy.

There were pictures of her that Joe took when she wasn’t looking. Bent over her laptop, her face focused. One of her with Kevin, a guitar in her arms and him trying to teach her a song. Her and Nick on the couch together, both asleep on the bus with sunglasses on their faces. A picture of Jenna laughing as Big Rob rolled around on a Segway.

Then there were the pictures of Joe that she had taken. On stage during sound check, twirling a microphone. All three of the boys in a huddle before taking the stage. Joe asleep in one of the chairs at the venue, his dark hair covering his face like a curtain. Nick and Joe warming up their voices in the bathroom, their eyes closed. Joe talking with Kevin in the corner of the dressing room, their heads close together. Joe standing alone in the parking lot, his arms stretched out, taking in the warm sun.

Under the pictures were the mementos she kept. Her friends called her an emotional pack rat. She kept anything that the people she loved touched. One of Nick’s guitar picks. A note Kevin had written her and left on her bed that read “SWEET DREAMS CUPCAKE” with a smiley face. The grocery list from that horrible day. A ticket stub from one of the many concerts she was at. Her media pass. A jolly rancher Joe gave her the second day he met her.

Then there was the red shirt. Jenna had swiped in during one of their last days together. It was thin and faded, with the words “New Jersey” written across it in big bold letters. It had been Joe’s. She was packing up his stuff for him, and she noticed it on the ground. She picked it up, inhaling his scent. She never told him she took it. She used to sleep in it, but not that they were no longer together; she couldn’t bear to put it on. So she stowed it away with the rest of her memories.

Finally, there were the letters. Sometimes Jenna had to tell him everything she was feeling. So she wrote him a letter, sealed it, and put it back into the box. There were almost twenty of them. They held everything she was feeling, everything she remembered. She pulled out a fresh piece of paper, and began to write.

Joe,

An amazing thing happened today. I wish I could call and tell you. Actually, I wish you were next to me when I told you. I remember how excited you got for me whenever anything good happened. You would smile this huge smile, and wrap your arms around me in a tight hug. Sometimes you cut off my oxygen, but it was worth it!

I miss you so much. I’m not the same when I’m not with you. I feel like half a person.

I love you still.

Jenna finished writing, feeling too sad to continue. She quickly folded the letter, popped it into an envelope and shoved it into the bottom of the box.

………………

Joe shuffled down the long hallway towards the bands dressing room, where they were supposed to go over tonight’s set. They’d been kicking the idea around of playing some brand new stuff, things that weren’t even on an album yet.

Two more shows, Joe. Then you can sleep the pain away, he thought to himself. As he got closer to the room, he heard a familiar song floating out of the open doorway. He heard Nick’s voice crooning the lyrics. Pain shot through his heart as he realized what song it was.

Called you for the first time yesterday
Finally found the missing part of me
Felt so close but you were far away
Left me without anything to say

Joe had written that song right after he and Jenna had got together. He played it for Nick a couple times, but he didn’t think it was very good. Joe stepped into the room. They were huddled in a circle with guitars, casually going through the song. Kevin looked up and noticed Joe standing there.

“Oh, hey Joe. Um, Nick told us about this song that you wrote. And it’s amazing. We were thinking, uh, thinking of maybe playing it tonight. I mean, if that’s ok with you,” Kevin asked hesitantly. Joe took a deep breath, trying to calm the racing of his heart. He hadn’t played that song in so long; it knocked the wind out of him to hear it. He opened his eyes back up, looking at the faces of his band mates. His best friends.

“Sure guys. I think it’ll be fun to play. Let’s practice,” Joe insisted. Everyone relaxed, and started the song over again. As Joe sang his part, he felt like he was reaching out to Jenna. It felt almost…nice.

Like he was healing.

……………..

“How you doin, Boston?!” Joe yelled to the crowd. The crowd responded with ear-shattering screams. Joe felt the usual surge of energy as he looked over the sea of faces.

“We want to thank you so much for coming out. This is our second to last show, and we couldn’t think of a better place to wrap up this tour then this city,” Joe continued. They were gathering at the stairs, putting guitars on and grabbing microphones.

“We have a special treat for you all. A brand new song, and you guys will be the very first ones to hear it. How does that sound?” Nick asked the crowd. They yelled back, eager to hear it.

“Alright then. Good to hear. Joe wrote this song, and he calls it Love Bug. Hope you like it,” Kevin said as Nick counted down.

They crowd swayed as they played the song. Joe was happy to see a reaction from the crowd. It made him feel stronger. He put the microphone to his lips.

Now I’m speechless
Over the edge
I’m just breathless
I never thought that I’d catch this
Lovebug again

Hopeless
Head over heels in the moment
I never thought that I’d get hit
By this lovebug again

The crowd screamed in response to Joe’s voice. Joe smiled, scanning the front row. His eyes landed on a blonde headed girl with a smile on her face. His heart stopped. His mind went blank.

Jenna, he thought. He closed his eyes, and heard her voice.

“I know exactly how I feel about you Joe. And it scares me. I am terrified by my feelings for you. I can’t breathe when I’m around you. I blush constantly. I can’t stop smiling when I see you. You make me feel like a teenager again. Every time something funny or interesting happens to me, I want to tell you first. I dream about you. When you kissed me, I didn’t want you to stop. When you held me that night in the car, it felt so right I could’ve stayed that way forever. That’s how I feel about you.”

Joe opened his eyes back up and searched the crowd for the face again. He found her. It wasn’t Jenna. Just another pretty blonde girl. Not his pretty blonde girl.

Joe felt his head start to spin. Ignoring the worried looks from his band mates, Joe stood up in the middle of the song.

And walked off the stage.

……………..

Brutal. How did everyone like chapter 14?

I’m visiting family this weekend, so I can’t say for sure when I’ll get working on chapter 15. But I think you’ll see some good turns in the next chapter for Joe and Jenna.

Leave me some love, please!

[socrbritney]

Chapter Fifteen: “Go Get Her.”

I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

-“Far Away”, Nickleback[/center][/i]


They found him in the quick change area.

Kevin and Nick heard the frantic shouts in their earpieces before they saw Joe leave the stage. They had about 3 minute’s tops, before the crowd would turn hostile. John Taylor was jamming on guitar to buy them some time.

Joe was sitting on the floor, hands over his ears. That was the only way to drown out the screams from the crowd. He didn’t look up when Kevin and Nick threw the curtain back.

“Dude! What. Are. You. DOING?” Kevin asked near hysteria. “You can’t just leave like that! Are you hurt? What’s the matter?” His tone changed from angry to concerned.

Joe looked up, and Nick gasped. Without the dim lights of the stage, the rings around his eyes were more pronounced. Joe looked like hell.

“I’m sorry guys. I felt the walls closing in. I mean the song…and I saw her…” Joe mumbled.

“She’s here?” Nick asked in disbelief. Joe shook his head.

“No, it wasn’t her. I was just seeing things,” he answered. John Taylor had finished his guitar work and Joe heard the drums pick up a beat.

“Joe. You have to pull it together and get back out there,” Kevin insisted. Joe took in a shaky breath.

“Hey, we’re here for you. We’ll be next to you the whole time,” Nick promised. He held out his hand.

“It’s just the three of us out there, playing music. No one else. Let’s finish this. Together,” Kevin said. He reached his hand out as well. Joe looked up at his brothers. Their faces were creased with worry, but their eyes were strong. Joe felt a surge of energy. He grabbed Nick’s hand, then Kevin’s. They helped him up.

“You’re right. Music makes me happy. Playing with you guys…that’s what makes me happy. I deserve it. You two deserve it. And the fans definitely deserve it,” Joe said, his voice growing stronger with each word. He popped his ear piece back in. He heard the voices of their band asking frantically where he was. Big Rob popped his head through the curtain, a walkie-talking up by his mouth.

“You finishing this?” he asked Joe. Rob looked him square in the eye. “Just say the word and we’ll fix this. You don’t have to go back out there.”
“Yes, I do,” Joe said. Rob nodded once and put his finger to the talk button.

“I got him. He’s coming back on. Cue up the next song,” he said into the mouthpiece. Joe heard a voice say something over the static as Rob turned and walked away. Nick thrust a microphone at him. Joe took it, his hands shaking.

“Living the dream, remember? It’s just us out there,” Nick reassured him. He pressed his forehead to Joe’s, and Kevin put his hand on top of his hair. They stayed that way for a couple more seconds. When they pulled apart, Joe was smiling.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s do it!” he exclaimed. His brothers picked up on his enthusiasm and started jumping around.

Shoulder to shoulder, the three brothers went back onstage.

……………………………..

“For the last time, we are the Jonas Brothers. Thank you, Boston! We love you!” Nick yelled as they ran offstage. They didn’t stop running until they made it to their bus. Their parents were already on board. The doors slammed shut, and the bus driver pulled away.

Panting and sweating, the boys grabbed bottles of water from the mini fridge. They collapsed on to the couches and patted their faces down with towels. After a couple minutes of silence, Mr. Jonas finally spoke.

“Well, Joseph. You mind telling us what happened out there tonight?” he asked in a calm voice, but his eyes burned with annoyance. His mom was sitting next to him, arms crossed. Joe took another swig of his water, trying to think of a good answer. There was none. So he told the truth.

“I lost it. I think singing the song I wrote about her was too much. Then I thought I saw her, and I just snapped,” he answered. He was careful not to say her name out loud. It was still too painful. His mom closed her eyes at the sound of Joe’s obviously hurt voice. She sighed.

“Honey, I know your heart is broken. We’ve all been there,” she assured. Joe let out an annoyed breath.

“Oh have you? Have you fallen in love with someone you weren’t allowed to be with? And after weeks of pain and suffering, had all your dreams finally come true? And when you finally have that person, was it everything you wanted and more than you possibly could’ve hoped? And was that person yanked out from underneath you in a moments notice? With nothing but a letter to comfort you?!?” Joe worked up into a yell. Mr. Jonas put his hand up, trying to calm him down.

“Joe, it was an unusual situation. But I think what Jenna did was smart. We talked to her about it. She didn’t want you to make a decision you would’ve regretted,” he said.

“There was no decision to make! I told her I’d wait. I told her I wouldn’t give up my career. She wouldn’t let me, I know that. I told her I would do anything in order for us to be together! But she left! She left me anyways!” Joe was getting worked up again. Nick put his hand on Joe’s shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.

“It’s not the fact that we weren’t allowed to be together. We both knew what was coming. It was the fact that she wasn’t going to try. And that she left like that. Did she honestly think it would help? I told her, everything was better when we were together. You guys saw it, everyone saw it. How could she not see it?” Joe asked to no one. He got up, and walked to the back of the bus. The rest of his family looked at each other.

“Mom, we have to get Jenna back here. He’s hurting, and it’s showing no signs of stopping any time soon,” Kevin said with worry dripping from his voice. Nick nodded in agreement.

“You guys didn’t see them when they were together. Jenna made him better. Not that Joe was ever anything less than great, but he seemed to believe it when she was around. He was more passionate about his music, he had more fun with the band, and he opened up and talked to us more. He even felt closer to you guys, just because Jenna sparked something in him. Trust us. We were there from the beginning. Jenna was a shot of life for Joe,” Nick finished. Mr. and Mrs. Jonas just sat there, absorbing the information.

“Ask Rob, ask the crew. Ask ANYONE. Joe and Jenna together may not look good in the eyes of the media. But in the eyes of this family, it is a very good thing. They shouldn’t have lied, they both know that. But they only wanted to protect what they had. And if I’m ever lucky enough to have what they had, I would protect it with my life,” Kevin said.

“Don’t be angry at Joe, and don’t be angry at Jenna. If you have to be mad, be mad at the media! The magazines that ripped them apart because they couldn’t accept it! They saw them happy, and they wanted it destroyed. How can you expect two people against the world to survive when they don’t even have their family to fall back on? Just give them a chance. Jenna didn’t want Joe in the beginning, but she gave it a chance. As his brother and her friend, we’re asking you to give them that same chance,” Nick begged.

Joe stood in the back, listening to every word. He was so proud of his brothers, so grateful for their support, it left him weak with relief.

Mr. and Mrs. Jonas shared a long look. They seemed to be communicating without words. Finally, they looked at Kevin and Nick.

“Well, if you two say that Joe is better off with her, then we believe you. I’ll make some calls…” Mr. Jonas got up. Joe heard his dad and burst back into the front room.

“NO!” Everyone jumped, startled by Joe’s scream. Mr. Jonas looked at him curiously.

“But honey, isn’t this what you want?” Mrs. Jonas asked. Joe closed his eyes and felt his heart throb with pain. Each beat was like a dull ache in his chest. He put his hand over his heart, trying to sooth it.

“No. She left. She left me without anyone making her. It was her choice. Let her be,” Joe said finally. Kevin’s mouth dropped open.

“The one thing that could make all of this go away is in Indiana. Mom and Dad are going to bring her back for you. And you’re saying no?” he asked incredulously.

“That’s right. She didn’t want to be with me, so that’s it. Nothing more to discuss. I don’t want her here,” Joe said firmly. He wasn’t sure he could handle seeing her again after he spent his days just trying to forget her. And worse, what if she didn’t want to come back? What if she was happy? What if she had moved on?

“But Joe, your brothers just told us how much better you are with her around. I want you to be happy. I don’t think we can take seeing you like this much longer,” his dad said. They stood there silently for a moment, and Joe shook his head furiously.

“I’ll be fine. I just need more time to get over it. Just respect her wishes. Don’t bring her back here,” he demanded through clenched teeth. Nick let out a cry of anger.

“Now you’re just being a stubborn idiot! That’s not the reason you don’t want her here! You don’t care about respecting her wishes. You want her to be in pain too! You’re punishing her! You’re scared to see her! You’re scared to lose her again! You know what, Joe? It’s going to be scary and it will take awhile for both of you to move past it. But you need to grow up and accept the fact that you will not be fine until Jenna gets back here!” Nick yelled at his brother.

“Don’t say her name to me! Just stay out of my life! I don’t want her back here, and that’s it! Leave it alone!” Joe shouted as he ran to the back of the bus. They stared after him in shock. Soon, they heard the bathroom door slam shut and the shower turn on. Nick was still standing, clenching and unclenching his fist in frustration.

“I swear, there are days when I just want to smack him over his head. He’s so stubborn!” he complained. Kevin watched Nick sit back down, and he looked over at his mom and dad.

“Don’t listen to Joe. He’s heartbroken, and he’s trying to protect himself. But you have to believe me, all he needs to do is listen to Jenna. I know that if me and Nick talk to her, she’ll understand and she’ll come back. She has to, I know her too well. She wouldn’t be able to stand the thought of Joe in this much pain. She’ll want to fix this,” Kevin said urgently. Mr. Jonas sighed and looked at his wife. She smiled back at him.

“You promise that this is the best for Joe?” he asked Kevin.

“Yes,” he answered.

“And you promise that Jenna will want to come back and fix this?”

“Yes,” Nick and Kevin answered at the same time. Mr. Jonas took one last moment to think and then looked both of his sons in the eyes. He took a deep breath.

“Go get her.”

……………………..

“Man, what is the hold up?” Jenna muttered under her breath as she sat in traffic. Her mom asked her to go pick up dinner, and the months on the road had made her less patient when sitting in traffic. She flipped through radio stations to pass the time, not finding any good music. She kept flipping.

“…Jonas Brothers concert…” Jenna’s heart stopped as she heard the DJ say that name. She frantically flipped back, trying to find the station. Finally, she did. She listened intently to the DJ, her hands gripping the steering wheel.

“The boys had a concert in Boston last night, and it was rather bizarre. Did you guys read about this? In the Boston Globe, they reviewed the concert. They gave it great reviews, of course. But then the article goes into a part of the show where the middle brother, Joe, just walked off the stage in the middle of performing one of their new songs, Love Bug. After five minutes of no sight of him or the rest of them, the brothers finally emerged and continued the concert. No one is sure what happened,” the DJ said, rattling off info from the newspaper. Jenna held her breath and kept listening.

“Joe has recently been a target for the media for his alleged relationship with his 23 year old publicist. Their father-manager released a statement about a month ago saying that the two were just friends, and that was kind of the end of it. No more pictures and no more news on the two of them. Anyways, let’s keep the music rolling. Here is “I Kissed a Girl”….” Jenna switched the radio off, feeling numb. She had been careful to avoid newspapers, magazines, and TV shows that might talk about her and Joe. As far as she knew, the media had died down about the pictures from the airport after a couple weeks.

Jenna felt dizzy. She quickly pulled over, putting on her hazard lights. She took a couple deep breaths, still reeling over hearing his name again. The questions flooded her head.

Why did he walk offstage?

They played a new song?

Is he alright?

Does this have anything to do with me?

That last one made her sick to her stomach. On one hand, she hoped that Joe had moved on and was happy. On the other hand, she couldn’t help but think that this might have been her own fault. And she felt relief flood through her at the thought of Joe still thinking of her. She felt tears sting the corners of her eyes.

Don’t cry, Jenna. You haven’t cried in so long, she told herself.

It was no use. The tears flowed freely, and the sobs that escaped shook her entire body.

She cried for how much she missed him.

She cried for the pain she had caused him.

She cried at the memory of the two of them.

She cried because she missed her boys.

She cried for what felt like hours. She was sure other cars were passing her and staring. She didn’t care. She kept crying until her body finally stopped shaking. She wiped her nose with a napkin she pulled from the bag of Chinese take out.

Mom is probably worried sick by now. I should get going, Jenna thought. She started the car, and with one final wipe to her eyes, she headed home.

Driving had always made Jenna feel better. Whenever she was upset or anxious, she just got in the car and drove. She had tons of CDs for all her different driving moods. Angry music, depressing music, happy music. She dug under her seat until her hand felt a CD that she swore she would never listen to. It was a burned CD in a purple case. She read the words that he had scrawled on it in red permanent marker.

In case you miss me.

She had found it when she had first come home and unpacked. Joe must have thrown it in her bag before they had fought. She had stashed it into her car after finding it, because she was afraid to listen to it. Now, she was ready to listen.

Jenna took the CD out of its case, keeping one hand on the steering wheel. She let it load, and took a deep breath as she waited for the first song. She heard the opening notes, and smiled. Of course, she thought.

If I don't say this now
I will surely break
As I'm leaving the one I want to take
Forgive the urgency
But hurry up and wait
My heart has started to separate

Oh, oh, oh
Be my baby
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
I'll look after you

Jenna loved this song. One of the many times they had played the favorite game, she had told Joe this was her all time favorite love song, if not her favorite song ever. She was happy to see he remembered.

He always did say he would look after me, she thought sadly. She continued singing along to the song, letting the lyrics soak in.

It's always have
And never hold
You've begun to feel like home
What's mine is yours
To leave or take
What's mine is yours
To make your own

The song finished, and Jenna pulled onto her street. She noticed a black car parked in her driveway. She thought about all her sisters and their friends, trying to figure out whose car it was. She thought of no one. She parked next to it, trying to look into the tinted windows. No use.

Jenna shrugged to herself and grabbed the food from the car. She headed into her front door. What she saw in the living room stopped her dead in her tracks.

Kevin. And Nick. Sitting on her couch.

Jenna dropped the bag of take out food. She heard it splatter on the floor, but she didn’t care.

My boys, she thought happily.

She ran into the family room and dove onto the couch, tackling them both in the process. She buried her head into their curls and squeezed tight.

“Thank God you guys are here! I’ve missed you SO MUCH!” she said as she hugged them tighter. Nick made a gurgling noise. Kevin reached out, trying to untangle Jenna’s hands from their necks.

“Um, Jenna? We are so happy to see you too, but we can’t breathe,” Kevin said, gasping for air.

“Oh, sorry. I just can’t believe it. I feel like I’m dreaming. You two! In my living room!” Jenna squealed like a 15 year old girl. Nick covered his ears while Kevin winced. Jenna felt so happy, but then she was suddenly overcome with panic.

“Is…he…with you guys?” she asked, glancing around the room as if Joe was hiding somewhere.

Nick shook his head. “No, he’s not. He, actually, doesn’t even know we’re here,” he said, somewhat embarrassed. Jenna glared at them.

“So, what are you guys doing here? Just visiting? Something tells me you’ve got something planned,” she said bitterly. Jenna tried to ignore the sinking feeling she got when Nick said that Joe wasn’t there.

“Yes, we do have something planned. This is a kidnapping,” Kevin announced.

Jenna was taken aback. “A kidnapping? As in you two are taking me somewhere against my will? Because you don’t have to force me to spend time with you two, I missed you way too much!” she insisted. Kevin and Nick exchanged a look.

“We’re kidnapping you…and taking you to Joe,” Nick said. Jenna gasped at the sound of his name. Her heart tugged in her chest, reminding her of the past month.

“Why?” she whispered to them. “Is he hurt?”

“Well, physically, no. He’s safe. But yes, Jenna. He’s hurt. Bad,” Kevin said. Jenna nodded in understanding. The three of them sat in silence, wondering what to say next.

“And you think the one that caused him to be hurt will make it all better?” Jenna asked. She did not sound convinced. Nick grabbed her hand. He looked into her eyes, pleading.

“Jenna, I know that you are hurting just as much as he is. I could tell as soon as you walked in the door. What happened between you two, well, that’s your business. But Joe’s happiness, his well being is our business. And you leaving…it about killed him,” he said, his voice cracking at the last part. Jenna shut her eyes and let a wave of guilt wash over her.

“I thought it would be better for him if I left,” she said in a quiet voice. Kevin put his arm around her.

“We know. You weren’t trying to hurt him. Face it, it was a bad situation to begin with. You couldn’t think that you two wouldn’t face any rough patches. I think you guys were too happy to realize that,” Kevin said. Jenna nodded. We were too happy to care about anything else, she thought to herself.

“Well, here it is. Here’s a rough patch. What are you going to do? Let Joe continue to hurt? Let yourself continue to hurt? You both need to be together. I don’t want to throw around the word “soul mate”, but c’mon Jenna. You two were made for each other,” Kevin said, laughing almost.

“You are the only one who gets all his jokes, and most of them are way out there. He is the only one who lets you touch his hair before a show. Or ever, for that matter. You never share your food, except when Joe gives you puppy dog eyes. You have a stubborn streak a mile wide, and the only one who can challenge you is him. He pushes you, and you push right back. You’ve gotten smiles out of him when he was more angered than I’d ever seen him. And when everyone else is afraid to wake you up, Joe has no problem calling your cell phone at any hour, because we know you’ll melt as soon as you hear his voice,” Kevin said. Jenna listened, feeling her heart race faster with each word out of his mouth. Nick stepped in, wanting to speak his mind.

“But beyond all that, you see past his talent, into his heart. You don’t care if he’s a rock star or super rich. I have no doubt in my mind that if you guys were both homeless on the street with only dimes in your pockets, you would be together, fighting over the fact that you can’t decide which cardboard box to sleep in that night!” Nick said. Jenna laughed, thinking about that.

“He’d probably only want to be in one that used to hold refrigerators or something,” she admitted, smiling a little bit. Kevin and Nick chuckled.

“Don’t you see, Jenna? He needs you. You need him. Is there anything else you need to know?” Nick asked. Jenna bit her lip in thought and looked down at her lap.

“I dunno guys. I feel like I caused too much damage. You said so yourself he doesn’t know you’re here. If he wanted me there, wouldn’t he come get me himself?” she said.

“He would be here himself, if he wasn’t scared of getting hurt again. But we both know that you won’t do that. And while the next few weeks won’t be easy, it’ll be worth it. With you two together, you guys can get through anything,” Kevin replied.

“There isn’t much left to say, Jenna. Joe loves you, and we’re here to take you to him. You tried to do what’s best, but obviously leaving wasn’t going to fix anything. But here’s your chance, Jenna. Here is your chance to fix it,” Nick said, letting go of her hand. She put it over her heart.

“Last chance,” she whispered to herself. Joe’s face flashed in her mind. He was smiling. She heard his voice. She could’ve sworn he was right next to her, whispering in her ear.

“I love you, Jenna. Always.”

Jenna stood up, filled with resolve. She turned back to the couch, and smiled at her two boys.

“Alright, take me back. I want to fix this. For good,” she said. The two boys jumped up and let out a cry of excitement.

“I’d high five you two, but I think that would be a little after-school special of me,” Jenna joked. They laughed.

“How about a group hug?” Kevin asked, his arms already out.

“That’s even worse! But what the heck…come here!” Jenna said as she wrapped both her arms around Nick and Kevin. She was so relieved, she thought she might pass out. Instead she pulled away from them and yelled for her mom.

“MOM! I have to…” she started.

“I know, you have to go. I already packed a bag for you. It’s in their car, waiting to take you to the airport,” her mom said, walking in from the kitchen. She came over to Jenna and kissed her on the forehead.

“Go and be happy, honey. And tell Joe I can’t wait to meet him,” her mom whispered, pulling her daughter into a hug. Jenna hugged her back, and took off out the front door. Kevin and Nick ran after her.

“We gotta hurry, our flight leaves in like, an hour,” Kevin said, checking his watch. Jenna stared at him in shock.

“You booked a flight already? How did you know I would say yes?” she wondered. Kevin shrugged.

“Please, Jenna. I had no doubt you would come back for him,” he answered. Jenna smiled at him at got into the car. Soon, they were pulling away from the house and headed to the airport. Jenna looked out the window, her body buzzing with anticipation.

I’m coming Joe, she thought happily.

……………….

Alright! Finally, some good news.

What did you guys think? We got one, maybe two more chapters to go and then an epilogue.

The song Jenna hears on the CD is, of course, “Look After You” by the Fray. Duh.

Leave me some feedback, my fellow Joner Heads!

[michelle]

aw yay!!!!! go get him jenna! lol

but only 2 more chapters and an epilogue?? now that makes me sad. boo. lol can't wait for more though!

[socrbritney]

Chapter Sixteen: Plan B

I’ve been trying to get down
to the heart of the matter
but my will gets weak
and my thoughts seem to scatter
but I think it’s about forgiveness
Forgiveness

-“Heart of the Matter”, India Arie[/center][/i]


“Jenna, wake up.”

Jenna slowly opened her eyes, amazed that she was able to fall asleep. She saw Nick’s face smiling at her from his seat next to her.

“Welcome to New Jersey,” he said, patting her on the shoulder.

As soon as she felt the plane wheels come down, her body came alive with buzzing anticipation. That anticipation was immediately followed by a huge wave of nervousness.

What am I going to say when I first see him? she thought to herself. Will he even listen to me?

“We just have to get you and Joe alone for a little bit before the show,” Nick said out loud, as if reading her mind. Kevin looked up from zipping his carry on.

“How are we going to do that? First of all, Rob is always around. Especially before a show. And we have so many things to do before we go on, I doubt they’ll let Joe get one moments rest. Especially since we took off and he’s doing all the interviews by himself,” Kevin said.

“So, where does he think you guys are?” Jenna asked nervously. Nick and Kevin smiled at each other.

“Dad told him we had to finish up some background guitar rifts for the next album, so we stayed behind in New York. Clever, huh? It was my idea,” Nick said, obviously proud of himself. Kevin smacked him on the arm.

“Dude, it was my idea!” Kevin said. Nick slapped him on the arm back.

“What? It was totally my idea!” Nick yelled back.

“I said to tell Joe we stayed behind in New York!” Kevin insisted.

“Yeah, and I came up with the guitar thing!” Nick slapped Kevin again, this time in the head. Kevin put his hand to his head in pain, and smacked Nick in the forehead with the other. Soon, it was an all out slap fest. Jenna sighed.

“Alright boys! Break it up, don’t make me turn this plane around!” she said as she grabbed both of their hands by the wrist. Finally, they stopped.

“Let’s just get off this plane and we’ll talk about me and Joe on the car ride to the venue. How far away is it?” Jenna asked.

“About an hour from the airport,” Nick answered, rubbing his forehead in pain.

“Alright, well all we need to do is figure out a way to get Joe to listen to me. Because knowing him, he’ll take one look at me and run. So, we need to get me and him alone in a room without Joe knowing what’s going on. If that doesn’t work, we’ll need a plan B,” she said, thinking out loud.

“Oo, can we give this a cool operation name? Like, “OPERATION LOVE” or something?” Kevin asked. Nick rolled his eyes.

“Terrible name. How about “Operation J & J?” he offered. Kevin laughed.

“Even worse than mine.”

Jenna sighed again. “How about we don’t have an operation name?” she decided.

“Fine, but it would be a lot more fun if we did,” Nick grumbled.

“Whatever, I’m calling it operation love,” Kevin said, turning away from Jenna. She smiled and laughed to herself.

The walk through the airport was uneventful, just a couple fans coming up to them. They had a police escort through the main terminal. When people saw the policemen walking around two curly haired boys and a blonde woman, they began to stare.

Jenna barely noticed. She was almost skipping through the airport. She couldn’t believe she was merely an hour away from seeing her Joe. She hoped he would listen. She hoped he would understand.

She hoped he would forgive her.

………………

Joe let out a sigh of relief as he walked away from the crowd of meet and greeters. He never had to do that alone, and it was chaos. So many girls were mad, seeing that Kevin and Nick weren’t there. Still more were overly excited at the fact that Joe was alone. Regardless, it was the longest and most tiring meet and greet he ever had to suffer through.

Was it really that important that they had to leave the day of a show and miss everything? Joe wondered with bitterness. He walked into the green room and greeted the other members of the band who were currently deeply involved with a game of Halo.

“Hey, do you guys know when Nick and Kevin are going to be back? I mean, I did the meet and greet, but I don’t think I can pull off an entire show by myself. The fans would throw rocks at me if they see that they don’t get all three of us,” Joe said. John Taylor paused the game and looked at Joe.

“Your dad was just in here. He got a text from Kevin saying they landed. They should be here in an hour or so. Just hang tight until then, I guess,” he said. He restarted the game and turned his attention back to the screen. Joe was suddenly very annoyed.

“Don’t you guys have sound check or something?” Joe muttered. John laughed.

“Aren’t we Mr. Sunshine today? Actually, we’re gonna go get some food. You coming?” he asked as the other guys stood up and left the room talking loudly. Joe shook his head.

“Maybe in a little bit. I just need to relax right now. It was a stressful day, ya know? Without the other two, I’m a little less like myself,” he said, sitting down on the couch and putting his feet up on the table.

“Yeah, I get it. Well, come find us in catering later. Oh, and that came for you by the way,” John said pointing to a FedEx package sitting on the table. He gave a wave and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Joe felt a lump in his throat as he picked up the package. He knew exactly what it was. He had left a bunch of stuff in his hotel room back in Arizona a couple weeks ago. They had called and said they were shipping it back to him. It had finally found him.

Truth was, he left it there on purpose. Joe tore open the package and shook the contents out. They fell on the table.

A disposable camera, with three pictures left. A song book, the pages torn out. A hotel key, the one from their last night together. And finally, a blank DVD.

Joe picked up the DVD, turning it over in his hands. It was homemade, made months ago. Jenna burned it on her laptop and gave it to him as an early anniversary present. They watched it together immediately, laughing throughout the whole thing. Joe had not watched it again since.

He walked over to the big screen TV and popped it in. He settled back on the couch and pressed play on the remote.

Might as well watch it one more time before I throw it out, he thought with sadness.

The first image was Jenna, of course. Seeing her happy face fill the screen knocked the wind out of Joe. She was wearing a Camp Rock t-shirt that he had bought her as a joke. Joe smiled at the TV, remembering. He waited for her to talk. When he heard her voice pour out of the TV, he held his breath.

“Hi Joe! Happy one month anniversary! I made this DVD for you as a way to remember this tour and this summer. And of course, to remember us. I love you, Joey Joe.”

They clips that followed were of Joe and his brothers. Performing on stage, goofing off in the bus, walking around the empty venues, giving silly tours. Joe laughed as he watched him and his brothers together. The camera shook every couple of minutes, and Jenna’s laugh boomed through the TV.

The next clips were of Jenna interviewing different people about the boys. Felicia, Big Rob, his parents, the stage manager. They all had great things to say about the Jonas Brothers, and it made Joe smile.

Jenna came back on the screen next, almost whispering to the camera.

“I made a copy of those parts for everyone on the tour, but this next part of the video is just for me and you.” She kissed her fingertips and then pressed them to the lens. Joe swallowed, and his mind begged for him to turn the TV off. But he couldn’t. He kept watching, his heart beating faster.

The next clip was of just Joe, with Jenna behind the camera giving an interview. Joe leaned forward, staring at his face on the television screen. How much had he changed since then? In the video, he looked happier. His face was full of life, and his eyes were bright. Now, when he looked in the mirror, he always looked tired and worn out. He barely laughed anymore, and he felt like he aged ten years over the past month. Joe turned his attention back to the video, where Jenna was asking him questions.

“Joseph Adam, and what point did you realize that Jenna was the coolest girl on the planet?”

“Definitely the day she mentioned Legend of Zelda, which was the first day I met her,” he answered. Jenna laughed behind the camera.

“And what is your favorite part about being with her?” Joe smiled at the camera.

“Probably the fact that she always has candy lying around.” A hand reached out from behind the camera and playfully slapped his cheek.

“OW! Ok, seriously. When I’m with her, I can just be with her. I’m not Joe Jonas, one of the Jonas Brothers. I’m just Joe. And I like that.” Joe finished talking and stared at the camera. Suddenly the camera moved, and Jenna popped her head into the frame, so she was videotaping both of them.

“You heard it here first, guys. On Jenna action news. Joe Jonas hates being in the Jonas Brothers,” she said in a serious voice.

“That’s not what I said! Gimme the camera.”

“I wonder how much money I would get for you saying that on camera. Better yet, I’m going to film you while you shower and see how much money I can get for that!”

“You wouldn’t dare. Gimme the camera, woman!” Joe launched himself at Jenna, who dropped the camera to the floor. For a while the screen just showed the floor, and the sounds of them running around and Jenna’s squeals was all that was heard. Suddenly, two feet appeared in front of the camera, facing each other.

“What am I going to do with you, Jenna?”

“Just kiss me for now.”

Joe watched as her feet lifted up on her toes to kiss him. He paused the video, feeling sick.

We were so happy, he thought painfully. Joe stood up, leaving the room to join his band for dinner. He turned the TV off on the way out, not wanting to watch the rest of it. He didn’t need any more reminders how much he had loved her.

He would never forget that.

…………………

Jenna walked down the ramp of the venue, her heart threatening to pop out of her chest. She tried not to think, she only concentrated on the guys in front of her. Their curls bobbed as they walked swiftly through the backstage area. Jenna took another deep breath. Kevin heard her and turned to give her a reassuring smile.

“Relax, Jenna. He’ll listen to you. And if not, there is always plan B. Which, call me crazy, but I kind of hope we have to use it. It’s SO rad,” he said with a high five to Nick. Jenna’s eyes bugged out of her head.

“I hope we NEVER have to use it! Are you kidding me? I just want to talk to him, tell him I love him, and live happily ever after. Is that so hard to ask?” she moaned. They walked into the green room, and Jenna fell onto the couch.

“After the past month, yeah. It is a little too much to ask for. But, we’re going to get Joe now, ok? John said that they were all eating. Which means you’ll have about twenty minutes with him before we have to get dressed and go into lockdown. Is that enough time?” Nick wondered.

“Enough time to make up for the all the things I did to him? No. But it’s enough to get started. Thanks again, guys. For coming to get me, I mean. I doubt I would’ve had the strength to come back on my own,” Jenna said gratefully. Kevin and Nick came over to her, giving her one last hug.

“Hey, what did we always say? Safety net,” Kevin said, giving her a kiss on top of the head. Jenna nodded silently, and gave them a little wave as they stepped out of the room. Nick winked at her before shutting the door. Jenna was now alone with her thoughts.

She couldn’t believe she was back there. It felt like no time had passed. She saw the game controllers thrown about, the empty red bull cans. A guitar was placed in the corner, right besides Nick’s insulin pump. Jenna sighed, trying for the millionth time to think of what to say.

Joe, I came back here because I heard you were upset.

Joe, I’ve missed you so much. Can you ever forgive me?

Joe, I love you.

None of that sounded like the right opening line. Jenna decided to just speak from the heart. She would know what to say when she saw him.

She wandered over to the TV, flipping it on. Maybe it will help me relax, she thought. She stood in front of the TV, watching the image come up as the TV turned on. It seemed to be a paused movie. A hotel room of some kind and two pairs of feet. One pair had pink flip flops on. The other was bare. Jenna sucked in a breath. She recognized the feet.

It was the DVD she had made him. And he had been watching it. Jenna felt dizzy, so she sat down on the floor in front of the TV.

Why would he watch it? I could barely stand to hear his name, let alone watch a video of our memories. Is he over us? Did he move on, and that’s why he was able to watch this? Jenna thought worriedly. She leaned over and pressed play on the DVD player.

The next clip was of her sleeping in her bus bunk. Her head was almost entirely covered by a Colts blanket, and her mouth was open. Ew, she thought to herself. She realized she was smiling at the memory of the video.

The camera shook a little bit as Joe climbed into her bunk to hover over her. She watched as he set the camera on the side of the bed so that both she and Joe were in the shot. Jenna felt her heart skip a beat as Joe’s handsome face appeared on the screen. She studied his face, memorized it. As if she could ever forget. His brown eyes, his perfect eyebrows. That sideways smile.

On the screen, Joe was humming into her ear. Jenna leaned closer to the screen, trying to remember what song he had hummed to her that morning. It was “She will be loved” by Maroon Five. Joe stopped humming as she rolled over in the bunk.

“Ah, the sleeping princess awakes to her handsome prince.”

“Joe, you won’t be handsome after I punch you in the mouth.”

Joe smiled as she flung one of her arms around him and snuggled up next to him.

“You just can’t stay mad at me can you? Tell the viewers are home why that is.”

Jenna’s head popped up from underneath the blanket and looked at the camera. She glared at Joe and went back under the covers.

“Why are you videotaping me in the morning? You know I look like death when I wake up!”

“Oh, I love how your hair sticks up every which way and your eyes squint in the morning. Now, come on out.”

“No!”

“Come out, or I’m coming in there to get you.” Joe smiled evilly at the camera as he pulled the blanket over his head. She let out a scream and the camera was knocked over onto the ground.

Jenna had seen enough. She pressed stop and turned the TV back off. Seeing the video reminded her of what they once were, what they could be again. It gave her strength. Hope.

“Thanks for helping me find my insulin pump, Joe.” Jenna jumped up as she heard Nick’s voice coming from behind the door. They were coming.

“No problem. I can’t believe you lost it. You’re usually so careful. Now, the last place you had it was in here, right?” Joe said as the door opened. Jenna closed her eyes.

Just breathe, she thought.

…………………

Joe stepped into the room, and did a quick sweep with his eyes. He saw the insulin pump next to Nick’s guitar. He turned back, but Nick was gone.

“Nick? Nick! I found it,” Joe said, walking over to grab it. As he reached the other side of the room, he realized he wasn’t alone. He smelled something in the air. Something sweet, and familiar. His heart started beating faster. Slowly, he turned around.

Jenna.

She was standing on the other side of the room, next to the TV. Her blonde hair was longer, and she wore it straight and swept behind her shoulders. She wore no make up, but she seemed to glow. Joe thought for a second that he was dreaming. Then he saw that she wore his red New Jersey t-shirt. He thought he had lost it.

“Hi,” she breathed. Joe just stood there, frozen in shock. Jenna bit her lip and continued.

“Um, your brothers came and got me. They told me that you weren’t, um, doing so well. And I...I wasn’t doing well either,” she said. Joe still couldn’t find his voice. He just stared at her.

“That’s a lie. I wasn’t just not doing well. I was a mess. I was miserable. And something amazing happened and I couldn’t tell you and…and I really lost it this morning on the drive home. But your brothers were their and I want to fix this and I miss you and I’ll do anything…” she started rambling. Joe took a deep breath, trying to find the words.

“Why did you come here?” he finally asked. Jenna looked like she had been slapped. She looked down, her cheeks flushed.

“To get you to forgive me. To tell you I love you, and I don’t want to be without you anymore,” Jenna whispered. Joe’s felt his stomach drop. The words that he had been longing to hear…he finally heard them.

“Can you ever forgive me, Joe?” Jenna asked as she took a step closer to him. Joe immediately put himself on the defensive, trying to protect his heart after all these weeks without her.

“Forgive you for what? For giving up on us? Or leaving me?” Joe asked bitterly.

“All of it. Joe, I know that me just showing up like this isn’t going to fix what I did. But you have to know that I was only trying to do what was best for you. I thought that if I left, that you wouldn’t hurt anymore. I thought that if I wasn’t here coming between you and your family or your music, it would be better,” Jenna admitted. Joe shook his head at her slowly.

“How could you ever think that you leaving me would be better? You didn’t think that I would fall apart without you? Because I did, Jenna. I fell to pieces when you left. You broke my heart!” he yelled at her. Jenna’s lower lip trembled, and Joe fought the urge to comfort her. She needed to hear this.

“We could’ve worked it out. You didn’t have to abandon me. I was in pain every day, and you weren’t there to help me. That was the worst part. Knowing the one person who could make it better was gone,” he said. Joe saw a tear fall down her cheek, but he kept going. He didn’t care if his words hurt her. He was finally getting things off his chest.

“And then you come back here, expecting me to just tell you everything is ok? Well, it’s not! You came to my hotel room that night, and I thought we were going to get through it. And I woke up…and you…you were gone! You didn’t even say good-bye,” Joe’s voice cracked on the word ‘good-bye’, and Jenna let out a quiet sob. The tears were flowing freely now down her face, and Joe wanted so badly to wipe them away. But the burning in his chest reminded him why they were in this position in the first place.

“How could you? How could you tell me you love me, promise me you’ll never leave…and then just disappear?! Why did you want to hurt me, Jenna? Why?” he asked, wanting answers. Jenna stopped crying. Her face changed from sad to angry. Joe took a step back, waiting for her to explode.

“How dare you think I did ANY of this on purpose? You think any of this was easy for me? You think I didn’t mean it when I said I loved you? I DO love you! I was just trying to protect you! None of this was easy. Leaving you. Writing that note. Trying to move on without you. Don’t you DARE think I tried to hurt you. After all we’ve been through, you know me better than that. I would never intentionally hurt you!” Jenna’s voice came out low and steady. Joe folded his arms, but said nothing.

“Yes, I left. I made a mistake. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, leaving you. No, second hardest. The first hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was admit to myself how much I loved you. That was very hard for me, but I did it anyways. For you. And leaving? I did it for you. And now I know it wasn’t the best idea. So here I am. I came back to beg for your forgiveness. I’m in front of you, still in love with you. Because Joe, I might’ve gone home, but my heart stayed with you,” she insisted. She walked quickly over to him, and Joe thought he was going to pass out from the nearness of her. She put her hand over his heart and looked up into his eyes.

“My heart stayed with you,” she repeated.

Joe felt the ice around his heart melt under her touch. He put his hand over hers, and they stayed that way for what seemed like forever. They looked into each others eyes, challenging each other to do something. Jenna moved first. She slowly took his hand and moved it to her face. Joe closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her skin under his fingers.

She kissed his palm and then took her other hand and moved it to his face. He opened his eyes and concentrated on her hand on his cheek. His heart was beating so fast, he knew she could her it. She took away her hand suddenly, and his heart stopped. He looked at her, waiting to see what she would do next.

Jenna closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. Joe forgot how to breathe.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she said as she brought her face to his. She lightly pressed her lips over his.

Joe had imagined this moment for so long. How it would feel to have her back in his arms again. How it would feel to kiss her again. It was better. No dream could ever do this moment justice.

Joe put his arms around her waist and urgently crushed her body to his. He kissed her back, feeling all the pain evaporate from his heart. His hands were everywhere. In her hair, on her face, on her back. He never wanted the moment to end. Jenna sighed.

“Joe…” she said quietly between kisses. Joe opened his eyes at the sound of her voice.

What was he doing?

He tore his lips from hers and pushed her gently away. She looked at him, confused. Her beautiful face was flushed, and her lips were parted slightly as she breathed heavily in and out. He felt the pain rip through his chest as he thought of their last night together.

“Do you think you could fix this with just a kiss? You came to me that night and I thought you were going to stay. But I woke up, and you were gone! Are you going to be gone tomorrow morning too? Or when I get done with the show…are you already going to be on a plane back to Indiana?” Joe demanded of her. Jenna took a step back, a hurt look on her face.

“No, I’m back. I’m here for good. I won’t ever leave again, I promise! Joe, you have to believe me,” she said desperately, walking over and taking Joe’s face into her hands. He grabbed them and put them at her sides and stepped back.

“How can I believe you? How do I know that the next picture that’s taken of us and published in a magazine or online won’t send you running? We can’t hide forever, you know that. How can I trust you, Jenna?” he asked her.

Jenna made no move towards him. She stood there silently.

“If there is one thing that you can trust, it’s my love for you,” she finally said. She walked up to him, but made no move to touch him.

“I never stopped loving you. And if you can find it in your wonderful heart to forgive me, I will work every second of every day to make this work. You are the one for me, Joe. And I never want to let you go, again. I swear,” Jenna said. She leaned down and put her lips over his heart. Joe felt her kiss through his thin t-shirt, and he shuddered. She looked up at him, waiting.

“I don’t know, Jenna. I’m not sure I can ever forgive you,” he muttered. He looked at her, and watched the tears fall down her face. It hurt to make her cry, but he wanted to protect himself.

“I have to get ready,” Joe said as he walked to the door.

“Wait, Joe. Please,” she whispered as she reached for him. Joe turned back, and took another look at his beautiful girl. Tears in her eyes, lips trembling, pain in her face. It made him ache. He took one last look at her, and then silently walked out of the room. He shut the door.

Joe saw his two brothers walking towards him. He felt a rage kick up inside him.

“You brought her here? Why did you do that? After I told you not to?” he screamed at them. Nick put his hands up.

“Hey, we’re just trying to help. You weren’t being reasonable. We had to take drastic action,” he insisted. Kevin put his arm on Joe’s shoulder.

“I take it that it didn’t go well,” he assumed. Joe scoffed, and rolled his eyes.

“I can’t deal with her right now. It’s our last show, and I need to concentrate,” he said. Nick made a face at him.

“Joe, you could do the show in your sleep. What you can’t do in your sleep is fix things with Jenna. That takes two. So go back in there and at least tell her you’re willing to talk after the show. Don’t leave her like that,” he said.

“You mean how she left me?” Joe shot back. He turned and walked towards the dressing room. Nick and Kevin shrugged and walked into the green room.

Jenna was on the couch, her face in her hands. She was crying. When she heard the door, she looked up.

“He doesn’t want to listen to me, guys. We tried. I don’t think this is going to work,” she said in a shaky voice. Kevin shook his head.

“No, it just means one thing,” he said, smiling at Nick. Jenna closed her eyes and groaned.

“I really hoped it wouldn’t have to come to this,” she said. Nick and Kevin jumped up and down excitedly.

“Plan B!” they shouted. Jenna laughed in spite of everything that just happened. These guys were nuts, she thought.

“Yes! Operation Love rages on!” Kevin yelled, putting his hand up to high five Nick. Nick just stared at his hand.

“Dude, stop calling it that,” he said. Kevin shrugged and gave himself a high five.

They opened their cell phones to make the calls. Jenna sighed as she watched them make the arrangements. She was dreading this, but one thought comforted her.

Whatever it takes to get you back, Joe.

…………………..

Eeeek! PLAN B!

One more chapter to go, guys. And then the epilogue!

Reviews are REALLY appreciated!

[michelle]

ohhhh!! come on joe, give the girl a chance!!! lol
can't wait for more!