I'll Fix Your Broken Heart (Lawson Fanfic)

Chapter Five - A Changed Man

(Joel's Point of View)

I stepped off the train with my bags and sighed. Back home for two weeks. I'd been in London for the past two months with the lads working on stuff for the band. The whole two months I was in London, all I thought about was her. She would just not get off my mind. I spent most of the time staring at my phone waiting for a call from one of my friends telling me they'd seen her out with another guy but I'd had nothing. I'd rather have been told she was out with some other lad than have no news at all. Made me sick to think she could be seeing someone else. Especially when I felt this way about her. She didn't even know though. She didn't want anything to do with me because of the way I was a dick basically. However I did mean what I said to her that day at college. I will change and I am. Even Ryan thought so. I made my way out the station which brough me onto one of the high streets. I shouldered my bag and pulled my suitcase along behind me. I had John Mayer blasting through my headphones so I wasn't even paying attention to what was going on around me. Then, somehow I looked up and at that exact moment, I seen Joanne crossing the street from one shop and ducking into the Costa which sat at the corner. I smiled to myself and decided I suddenly wanted a coffee before heading home to my parents. I paused my music then headed in that direction. I walked into the shop and headed straight to the counter to put my order in. I glanced around and found her sat by the window with a drink in front of her and a book in hand. I waited until my drink was ready and headed over to her.

   "Someone sitting here?" I asked and waited for her to look up from her book. She finally did and I watched her face fall. 

   "There are a ton of empty seats and tables yet you choose to come over here and ask to sit with me." she said. 

   "Just thought I'd be friendly and say hello, that's all." I sighed and shouldered my bag again as it had started to slip down. "I'll just go now. Was nice seeing you again Joanne." I added and turned for the door. I don't know why but I expected her to call after me and invite me to sit with her but she didn't. I was halfway down the street when my phone started ringing. I reached a hand into my pocket and pulled it out hitting accpet when I seen Ryan's name flash up.

   "Mate! How's it going back home? See that girl yet?" he instantly asked. I sighed down the line.

   "Just there in Costa. Tried being nice but as usual with her she just doesn't want to know. So I'm heading home now." I explained.

   "Seriously? You need to do something to get her attention and show her you've changed. Or you go for the twat option and make her jealous." he said. I thought it over, what could I do which would show Joanne that I had changed for the better?

   "I like the idea of doing something to get her attention. But what could I do?" I asked.

   "Mate its you who's in love with her not me. You'll come up with something. Look need to go now. Only called to see if you'd had any luck with her yet. Talk to you later." he said. I replied with a quick bye and hung up. Now to think of something that would show Joanne how much I've changed.

(Joanne's Point of View)

Okay so maybe I was a bit harsh towards Joel earlier today. However, he disappears for what two months and then appears out of the blue and asks to sit with me. Slightly weird. And yes I had noticed he was gone but only because I hadn't seen him at college or out and about on our street. I sighed and scored out the sentence I had been trying to write for my notes. He would just not get off my mind at all! I don't even know why. Not as if I like him or anything. The guy is an asshole. I stood up from my desk and walked over to my wardrobe and pulled out my favourite pair of pyjamas and changed into them. I went to sit back at my desk however, I heard something tapping against the window. I looked at my clock and seen it was just after eleven. Who the hell would be outside at this time? I went over to my window and pulled back the curtain. Obviously it would be him. Joel Peat outside my window throwing stones. Could it get any more cliche? I slid the window up and leant out.

   "What do you want?" I asked, loud enough so he could hear me but quiet enough that I didn't wake anyone up.

   "Look, I want to talk. Give me a chance to show you that I'm not that guy you first met in the park two months ago. Please? Just come down." he said with a hopeful look on his face. I sighed.

   "If I do will you please leave me alone if my opinion of you is the same afterwards?" I asked. He nodded and I told him to give me a minute. I didn't bother changing into clothes again especially seeing as my pyjamas weren't that obvious that they were pyjamas. I pulled on my Converse and headed downstairs quietly. I shut the front door behind me and locked it. I walked over to where he stood on the grass and folded my arms across my chest.

   "Look come with me and we can talk." he said and started to walk down the street. I followed after him until we got to his house. We headed around into the back garden and down to the bottom where there was a cluster of trees and hedges.

   "Joel how much further? Its late and I'm cold." I whispered into the darkness in front of me. He must have stopped because a few steps later and I had walked into him.

   "Here take my jumper." he said and handed me it. I hesitantly pulled it on and zipped it up. "Not much further now, just through here and a little bit more." he said before I heard the rustling of leaves meaning he had climbed through. I followed after him and found myself in a secluded area which was pretty amazing.

The moonlight hit off the small pond that was off to the side under some tree's which had just started to get their leaves again. I turned and faced Joel who was sat on a log.

   "Joel this place is beautiful." I smiled.

   "You have a gorgeous smile." he said completely ignoring what I had said to him.

   "Uh thanks." I said and felt a small blush creep up onto my cheeks. Thank god it was dark enough that he couldn't notice. "So you wanted to talk." I said, walking over and sitting on the other end of the log.

   "Yeah, look I know what you think of me but I meant it that day. I would and have changed." he started off saying. "I have always been a cocky, arrogant twat because that's how I've had to be. I was never confident before I started acting that way. Then I meet you one day and all of a sudden what you think about me matters. I never used to care about what people thought of me until you. There was something about you when we first met and there's still something about you now. I don't know what it is but I really want to find out. Because you're the girl who got me to change who I was. And I have changed. My parents have noticed it, my friends have started to notice it too. I'm just hoping you will or have already." he finished off. I was silent for a few minutes. He really did change. And I'm the reason he did. But why? I barely knew him yet he's done this because of me.

   "If I'm honest I think you have changed. You just seem different. The way you are. The way you were earlier in Costa and the way you've been speaking. It's not as harsh and out there as that day in the park." I said softly, pulling the sleeves of his jumper down over my hands. Something I did when nervous. 

   "Because I have. I've done it for you. Well for myself as well because I'd never get through life like that but still..." I cut him off mid sentence.

   "Why though? I barely know you." I said. He looked over at the pond before looking back at me.

   "Because I really like you. Like I said there's something about you and I want to find out what it is. If you'll just please agree to hang out sometime. Doesn't have to be a date. Just friends." he said with a hopeful smile. There is when I knew he was different. He had never smiled at me. It was always that cocky smirk. I nodded and smiled back at him.

   "Yeah okay then. But maybe, I'll agree to a date sometime. Because for some reason, Joel Peat, you have not left my mind since the moment we met." I whispered so quietly I didn't think he had heard me.

   "Yeah well right back at you. You've been on my mind twenty-four seven." he grinned. Then in that moment, Joel and I, in that gorgeous little area with the pond and the reflection of the moon, we both leant in a little closer and our lips met. It was a short kiss yet still amazing. I pulled away and could feel my cheeks burning.

   "Wow!" Joel said slightly breathless. "Come on I'll walk you home." he said as he stood up. He held his hand out for me and I gently grabbed hold of it letting him pull me up. We didn't let go of the other's hand until we said goodbye at my front door.