Collide: A Jonas Brothers Love Story

Chapter 19

BEK’S POV

{What can I say about Hollywood and love?}

No that wasn’t it.

{Love doesn’t seem real in Hollywood.}

Crap. That’s awful too! I slammed my face into my keyboard and groaned. I had thought coming into the office to work would help clear up my writer’s block, but I was wrong. My friends were absolutely no help. Reda was off in her lovestruck world with Kevin. And Faye was busy essentially torturing Nick. Neither one of them were home much. But if I was really honest with myself the reason I couldn’t write was because I couldn’t stop thinking about Joe.

“Stupid frickin’ Joe Jonas,” I grumbled. “I can’t get him out of my head at all.”

“I hope that means you’re willing to talk,” Joe said popping into my office.

“Joe! How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough to know you’ve been thinking of me.” I groaned as he winked at me. “Can we talk?”

“I really don’t want to talk to you right now,” I said staring at my computer screen. “I have an article due tomorrow.”

“Please?” I could feel his eyes on me waiting for me to look up.

“Fine,” I groused. “Talk away. Tell me why you’ve been avoiding me ever since that day. The day I told you I liked you. Tell me all the reasons why you don’t like me.”

“But I do like you.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.”

“Just listen okay?” I looked up in his eyes surprised to find that I was no longer crying. Good. I didn’t want to waste any more tears on him anyways. “I had to figure out how to tell you why I left. You know how sometimes people can do things with the worst intentions behind them, but in the end it all turns out for the best?”

“Give me an example.”

“Like with Reda and Kevin. She kept that secret from him because she was trying to keep him from leaving her.”

“He did leave her.”

“But he came back. And they are more in love than ever. Just yesterday I walked in on them making out on the couch?” Joe shuddered. “And what about Nick and Faye?”

“They hate each other.”

“True. But Nick got that producing gig because he’s trying to get to know Faye.”

“And she’s busy torturing him. I’m going to be honest Joe. Those are some pretty crappy examples.” Joe looked down in defeat. “Care to explain the point of all of this?”

“When I first read that article you wrote about me I was angry. I didn’t think I had changed at all. So I decided to get my revenge. I started working on getting to know you so I could make you fall in love with me. Then when you had I was going to drop you. I wanted to hurt you as much as you hurt me with that article. But as I spent more time with you I started to fall in love with you. I couldn’t hurt you like that so I left. I was going to come up with some elaborate plan to get you to forgive me, but I’m hoping that by coming here and being honest with you that you’ll forgive me. That you’ll love me back.”

“Let me get this straight,” I said standing up and moving around my desk to advance on him. I could feel the anger and indignation seeping into my bones. “You decided to get revenge on me because of a stupid article? And then when I fell in love with you; you left anyways to protect me? And now you’ve come back hoping that by being upfront with me I’ll forgive you for all of that?” Joe nodded as he looked hopefully up at me.  “I’d hit you, but I don’t think I can hit you hard enough to feel my rage.”

“Beks please. I just want you. I’m so sorry for everything."

“I’m calling security,” I said picking up the phone at my desk. Joe stood up in alarm. “Or you can leave now.”

“But—“ Joe sputtered. I merely glared at him until he backed out of the room. He spoke again once he reached the threshold of the door. “I love you Beks. I wish that was enough.” I waited until I was sure he was out of the office before closing the door. Then I walked back to my desk and stared at the word document on my screen.

{Love sucks.}

Perfect. Then I set my head on my desk and cried as my heart cracked in two. The problem was, I loved him too.

[AN: Sadness.]