Joe and Dianne: Dancing is better with you

Chapter 23 - An unwanted wake-up call

Joe's POV:

After Di fell asleep on me, I carried her up the stairs and settled her down under the soft covers of my bed. Mine and Diannes relationship had definitely reached the stage where we could share a bed together, so for the first time I didn't feel obligated to set myself up for another night on the sofa. I brushed my teeth and stripped down into nothing but my boxers and a pair of old joggers that I always wore in the winter months to sleep in, before gently shuffling myself under the covers up next to Dianne - careful not to wake her up.

As she began to stir in her sleep, I felt her roll into my body - wrapping my arms around her, as her back was pressed up onto my chest. I rested my hand on the mattress beside her, before she pulled my hand into hers - knowing that it would send her back to a welcome comatose state, I rubbed circles into the palm of her skin with my index finger. As expected, Dianne began to softly snore as she fell back into sleep - I however found myself much more awake then I was before. As I traced patterns into her skin, I couldn't help but notice the cut across Dianne's palm. There was never any doubt in my mind about the fact that Dianne was a bubbly - funny - optimistic and upbeat person. Yet somehow she had allowed herself to do..... that to herself.

Both her and I had been quiet all night but for very different reasons - Di was in a state of quiet contempt. She was happy and knew that nothing needed to be said between us. I however couldn't have been further from that if I tried. My head was still running with thoughts about last weekend. Blackpool was brilliant for so many reasons, yet there was still something that I couldn't get out of my head. 'Why? ..... Why the fuck did Dianne feel the need to get to that stage?'

I had only ever had to deal with this sort of thing once before but that was because of Sophie.

'NO JOE DON'T THINK ABOUT HER !' I reprimanded myself. I had been trying to get her out of my head for the past 2 years yet still she manages to creep back into my thoughts during my darkest moments. I had been lying here for about an hour now, Dianne had shuffled away from me and I had decided that sleep was a lost cause - I got up, and headed quietly back downstairs, and sat on one of the broken bar stools at my kitchen counter.

Narrator's POV:

As Joe sat there, his head drooping in his tired state, and is shoulders hunched over, he allowed his mind to wonder for the first time in months. It was clear to Joe what he thought about Dianne. He never had to second guess his emotions towards her, and never had to wonder about what he really ever felt for her - he knew that he was in love and that is all that ever really mattered. But what was she thinking?

As in all relationships, Joe wasn't adverse to letting his brain take the better of what he had with Dianne and allow doubts to settle in the depths of his head. His own thoughts about their relationship were never changing - that much he knew. But in the early hours of the morning, Joe couldn't help but let himself believe that Dianne's thoughts about him would change at the flip of the switch.

It's not the first time that that would have happened to Joe. He was 27 years of age and had never ever had a serious girlfriend. The closest he has ever got to being someone's boyfriend was when he went out with a girl called Sophie over 2 years ago. He was 25 and she was 23 - they saw each other on and off for about 3 months. They went on several dates and went away for one weekend to the countryside together. Joe was happy and he thought that Sophie was as well.

Whilst they were going out, one night Joe came round to Sophie's house after some meetings. He had had a long day at the office sorting out brand deals, new ideas and possible routes for Sugg life and for his channel to take. He was tired, slightly irritable after being stuck indoors all day and wanted nothing more than to sit down and chill for the evening with the girl he was slowly but surely learning to love and care for. He knocked on her front door and waited for a few moments. With no answer, Joe started to get concerned. He knew that she was in and there was no reason that she wouldn't be able to let Joe in unless something was wrong. Having always been someone to assume the worst in certain situations, Joe knew that he needed to get into her apartment. Knowing there was a spare key on top of the light outside the door, Joe reached up and grabbed the other key, he let himself in and instantly felt his heart shatter as he looked out into the apartment.