Before the Storm (A Jonas Brothers Fanfic)

Chapter 18

Joe

"So what time is it?" I asked the group as we stood in the subway train, heading back towards Times Square. Aubrey was still a little mad at me for giving her my jacket, but I didn't care. It actually kind of made me happy, in a weird way. Even if she didn't know, she hadn't changed one bit.

"4:15," Nick said looking down at his phone. "We have to be at Penn Station by 8 o'clock so we don't miss the train." I nodded at him and started calculating in my head what else we could do.

"Well, we can eat at Penn Station?" I asked Nick and he nodded. "So, we should get there by 7, just to be safe." Nick agreed and the girls shrugged. Nick and I laughed. They had no idea what we were even talking about. "Do you guys want to see all of Times Square?" I asked Aubrey and Ronnie and they both said yes. "Well good, because-"

"Times Square," the subway conductor said over the intercom.

"-We're here," I said with a grin and the girls followed me and Nick out of the subway station into Times Square.

"It's huge," Aubrey said, mesmerized, as she looked around Times Square.

A mischievous grin appeared on my face as I whispered, "That's what she said" into her ear. She, shocked, but slightly laughing, smacked my arm and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Ooooh! M&M World!" Ronnie said from behind, leading us straight to it.

"I hate you," Aubrey murmured into my ear as she tried extremely hard not to laugh at my joke.

"No, you don't. Don't lie to yourself, Aub," I responded to her with a wink and a grin. She started blushing and I felt those damn butterflies in my stomach for what was probably the 50th time today.

I took a second to look at her and could tell she was no longer trembling. 

"What happened? Are you no longer cold?" I asked her with a light chuckle in my voice as she glared at me and I, out of habit, wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

Everything just felt so right.

-----

"I don't want to put your jacket up here, Joe, it's nasty," Aubrey said to me with a disgusted look at the overhead compartment on our Long Island train.

"Give it to me, come," I said, letting her sit window seat. I remember how badly she used to fight me for that damn seat. "Watch," I said as I folded up the jacket and handed it to her. "Now it's a pillow. Enjoy." She rolled her eyes and I looked down at my watch. 8:40. "We should be leaving in the next few minutes," I mumbled to Aubrey who already had my jacket planted between her and the window and her eyes closed. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Hey," Nick whispered from the aisle seat next to me.

"Yeah?" I said as I turned to face him. "What's up?"

"I think she's falling for you again, Joe." My heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Now, get some rest," he said as the train began to move. "This is a great chance to take a nice nap. I know you; you're gonna wanna hang out with her all night."

-----

"I want to spend New Years in New York at least once in my life."

"Let's do it, Aub. This year. You and me." I grabbed her hands.

"Joe, are you crazy?" She asked with that laughed that made me feel so alive. "We're 17. You're crazy if you'd ever think my parents would let me go alone with you."