What This Could Be- Joe Jonas Fanfic

Chapter 47: Hello Instead of a Goodbye

*Joe's POV*

This was exactly what I was afraid of. She repeatedly told me she was scared of me, of us, that I would leave her. But it turned out to be the opposite. What happened to us? What happened to the woman that always made me feel safe and secure?

Pulling the covers up to my neck, I turned my body, my back facing Taylor's side of the bed. It was cold. Untouched. Empty.

My phone gave light to the darkened room as a notification popped up. With no purpose to give, I reached out from over the covers to retrieve it. Glancing at my Ring notification, my eyes widened at the sight of Taylor at my door. Giving me a glimpse of hope, I sat up and clicked to open the camera. No more Taylor in sight. She really had left. Again.

I let my phone slide out of my hand and back onto the bedside table. First, my birthday. Then, Thanksgiving. Now, Christmas. Special occasions were days I needed to become a recluse until it was over. At this rate, they were just bad omens.

Motion at my door again. Sitting up at full throttle to click on the new Ring notification, my hopes were once again let down.

Fuck it. I now knew she was still close.

I quietly rushed to the door with my phone still in hand and looked out of the peephole. My camera wasn't lying to me. She really wasn't there.

Quickly, I checked on Willa and Delphine, making sure they were still safe and sound, before slipping my shoes on and dashing outside.

"Taylor!" I called out as I ran across the parking lot, easily spotting her partially inside the driver's seat, the door cracked open.

She climbed out, using the door for leverage, to face me with a look of confusion and concern, "Joe? What are you doing? It's like thirty degrees out here!"

"I don't care," I replied, my breath visible amongst the freezing temperatures until I grabbed her face, the distance between our lips no longer there.

She reciprocated, taking in this moment with me. Her warmth had begun to heat up my body that wasn't prepared to be out in this cold of weather with the lack of clothing.

Parting our lips, I rested my forehead against hers as my hands stayed cupping her face, "I couldn't let you leave without kissing you goodbye."

"What if it's a hello instead of a goodbye?" she breathed out, her eyes looking up to mine.

My face twitched while breaking away, my hands lowering to hers, "What do you mean?"

Letting my hands go, she durably shut the door to the driver's side and opened the one to the backseat, fetching a giant wrapped box, "I never gave you your Christmas present."

My skin started to catch up with its environment, creating goosebumps as my teeth chattered, "Can we exchange them inside?"

She nodded, a slight smile appearing on the corners of her lips, "I didn't know you got me anything, which still would've been fine, by the way. Spending the day with you would've been enough, but that's kind of my fault for fucking that up."

I didn't disagree. "C'mon. I got it," I took my present from her arms, lighter than expected for how large it was.

She followed me back inside the condo, taking the box back from me, "I'll be waiting for you in the bedroom."

Willa and Delphine being my first priority, I checked on them once again to ease my mind. I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, but it was my job to make sure they were fully rested.

I rubbed my hands over my face after refraining to fully close the door, keeping a small crack present just in case either of the girls needed me, "I don't even know what to think or say right now."