Purchased Affection: A Joe Jonas Love Story

Chapter 9

JOE’S POV

“I’m headed to bed,” Charlie said sailing past me as soon as we walked in the door. She had behaved as if nothing had happened as we enjoyed dessert with my family. In fact she had avoided me like the plague the entire time. Maybe I shouldn’t have kissed her. I just wanted to comfort her before she started to cry again. Honestly, I had wanted to kiss her since I saw her in front of the mirror in my guest room trying on outfits.

“Charlie?” I called out causing her to turn and smile at me. “About tonight—"

“Thank you for tonight Joe,” Charlie said with a sweet smile. “Spending time with your family made it feel like I was home again.”

“Uh…you’re welcome,” I said dumbfounded.

“I’m going shopping with Miley tomorrow.”

“Miley?”

“She felt bad for bringing up Della so she offered to take me out for some retail therapy. Night Joe.” I waved like an idiot as she ran off to the guest room. It seemed that in front of Charlie I could only utter single words and half formed sentences. What was happening to me? Could Nick have been right when he had pulled me aside tonight?

[EARLIER THAT EVENING]

“What is so damn important Nick?” I asked as Nick yanked me over to a quiet corner of the deck.

“Kevin told me that he and Danielle interrupted a romantic moment between you and Charlie,” Nick said watching as Charlie told Miley something that made her laugh. “Did you forget that you two have a contract?”

“No I didn’t forget okay? This isn’t any of your business!”

“I’ve seen the way you look at her. The way she looks at you. It needs to stop before you hurt her. Cancel the contract and let her go.”

“I’m not going to hurt her. She knows this is all just business.”

“Oh, you’ll hurt her soon enough. You’ve done it to all of us; you friends, your family, your fans. First, it was the partying. Then the drinking. Then the recreational use of drugs. And all those girls. Mom and dad raised you better than that. They raised us better than that.”

“I’m twenty-five. I’m allowed to live my life as I see fit,” I said looking over at Charlie as she licked some frosting from her finger. “And with whomever I like.”

“So you’re willing to take someone else down with you?” Nick asked refusing to look at me. “Despite what everyone else might think you haven’t changed at all.”

[BACK TO PRESENT TIME]

I frowned as I marched into the living room and turned on my laptop. Nick was angry at me that was for sure. Had I really fallen that far? Sure there had been parties, and I had imbibed in some things I shouldn’t have. And there had been girls in love with my celebrity more than they were in love with me. But I was still the same Joe my family had known all these years.

I clicked on Google and just for the heck of it I typed in my name. I clicked on a few of the news links that took me to article after article about my hard partying. My drinking. My tarnished image. The articles painted me as a good boy gone bad. I scrolled through some of the comments to the articles.

“I used to love Joe Jonas until he compromised his morals and intergrity,” read one.

“What happened to you Joe?” read another.

“Joe Jonas is nothing more than a waste of space on this Earth. How shameful that he acts like trash now. He’s nothing but a disappointment,” read the last one. Ouch. It seemed I had alienated my fans. That’s when I saw the article accompanied by a photo of Charlie and I at the club the other night. I clicked on the link eager to see what they had written about me. The article failed to identify Charlie as anything other than a beautiful redhead spotted leaving the club with me.

“Time can only tell if Joe Jonas will pull this good girl down with him,” the last line of the article read. Were they getting lines from Nick now for these articles? I slammed the laptop closed and groaned as I leaned against the couch. When had people started hating me so much? When had they started thinking the worst of me without any provocation. I stood up and went in search of Winston before I headed for bed.

I couldn’t find him anywhere until I heard his familiar snort. I opened the door to the guest room where Charlie slept only to find her fast asleep snuggling Winston against her. Her cat Moe sneered at me before snuggling in on the pillow above her head. Winston cracked one eye and looked at me guiltily.

“I don’t blame you boy,” I whispered as I stood over them. “It’s hard not to be drawn to a woman like her.” Winston snorted again before snuggling closer in Charlie’s arms. I walked over to the other side of the bed and pulled the covers back. Charlie didn’t move still dead asleep. I sat down next to her and she turned facing me instead of my sleeping dog. She reached out her arms as if she needed to hold something. I stretched out until I was lying on the bed next to her.

Charlie snuggled close resting her head on my chest. This felt nice; this open acceptance. She snuggled deeper and held me tighter as if she was afraid I would bolt at any second. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled the covers over us. Her right hand spread out on my chest causing the moonlight from her bedroom window to sparkle off the ring from her sister. I traced the ring wondering if she really did blame herself for her sister’s death. There had to be more to that story. As she held me closer I rubbed her back watching her sleep. One day Charlie might come to hate me, but for now I could pretend that she was the one person who loved me despite my faults.

[AN: I’m not one to beg for comments, but I really do enjoy a comment or two. Anyone?]