Purchased Affection: A Joe Jonas Love Story

Chapter 15

JOE’S POV

I swore softly as my knee connected with another piece of furniture. The next time I saw Miley I was going to encourage her to go with the minimalist approach to decorating. So far I had run into three sharp corners. I thanked the Lord that Charlie was a heavy sleeper. My eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness of the room, and I studied her sleeping form.

I didn’t really know why I was here. If anyone found out that I had just snuck into Miley’s condo at two in the morning I would be in so much trouble. I just needed to see Charlie. To know she was okay. I was risking a lot coming here with her brother Nate living in my house. I had to wait until he was fast asleep before leaving.  I looked around the small room immediately noticing that Charlie was more trusting of Miley. Instead of keeping everything in her suitcases she had actually unpacked and strewn her belongings around. I made my way over to the desk where a small journal lay open to a page. I recognized her scrawled writing and picked up the journal to read.

She supposed she would never be able to figure out just why her sister had made that ultimate choice. No amount of research or hard work was going to provide her with that answer. She just didn’t know how she was supposed to keep on living. Maybe her sister had made the right choice. The smart choice. The coward’s choice. Why was this so hard, she thought. He was a great guy who wanted to give her everything. So why was she so afraid to be happy?

“Put the journal down Joseph,” a sleepy voice said from the bed. I dropped the journal in shock turning to see Charlie sitting up in her bed.

“You’re awake,” I said nervously rooted to the spot.

“I was never asleep. Mind telling me why you’re breaking and entering?” she asked raising one eyebrow on her forehead.

“You’re supposed to be asleep.”

“I know, but I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately. What are you doing here Joe?”

“Would you believe I was out for a walk?” She glared at me before reaching over and turning on the bedside lamp. The flash of light blinded me momentarily.

“Why can’t you just admit that you came here to see me?” Because then I might be admitting that I am starting to fall for you. She sighed heavily at me. “Come over here.”

“On the bed?” I squeaked. She nodded and moved over patting the space next to her. After a few panicked minutes I finally joined her sitting next to her on the bed. “Are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said calmly. “Why do you ask?”

“I was just worried your brother might have upset you earlier today with all that talk about Della.”

“I’m not a little girl,” Charlie pouted. “I can handle my brother.”

“He really doesn’t like me, does he?”

“Nate’s never really liked any of my boyfriends,” Charlie said snuggling into my side. I wrapped an arm around her thankful to have her warmth next to me again. “He once told me that I wasn’t allowed to even think about boys until I was forty.” [AN: My brother told me this all the time.]

“I wonder what he would say if he knew about the contract,” I mused. I instantly regretted bringing it up because Charlie pulled away from me. “How about we talk about something else?”

“Like what?”

“That story in your journal; is it the book you’re writing?”

“So you did read it.”