Cup of Joe | A Joe Jonas Fanfiction

c h a p t e r t e n .

Silver keys glinted in the light that reflected off of the surface of the fallen snow. On the short drive from the recording studio, the weather had worsened and the sky had darkened to a menacing shade of gray. There was an ominous ambiance in the air that sent shivers down Winter's spine. The tinkle of the keys jingling in her hand echoed in her ears. She sped up, eager to get inside and away from the sense of dread that crept over her.

Roscoe was helping Joe with a handful of errands. Winter had opted to head into the penthouse to get ready for their chill night in while celebrating Joe's songwriting victory. It was strange to know that Joe trusted her enough to give her the key to his place. Each day, he became less and less of an out of touch celebrity in Winter's mind and more of a friend. She was looking forward to having a movie and game night with Joe and Roscoe and they had expressed their enthusiasm in the car ride as well.

Flicking on the lights in the penthouse filled her with happiness. While the guys were out, it gave her the chance to make one of her specialties - homemade hot chocolate. Her stomach rumbled right on cue. Winter grabbed a speaker and turned on one of her playlists on her phone to motivate her while she cooked. With no one else around, she danced around the kitchen, snagging ingredients out of cabinets and shimmying in the pantry. The music was just loud enough to reach the bedrooms. While the stove was heating up, Winter decided to change into a more comfortable outfit to finish the evening in. She twirled down the hallway. Right before she turned to walk into the bedroom, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Without thinking, she whirled around and found herself frozen with fear. Standing at the end of the hallway was Nolan.

"Where are your manners, Winnie? Not going to greet your guest?" Nolan's body was silhouetted by the the light pouring down the hallway from the kitchen. He appeared as a faceless shadow figure from where she was standing and she swayed on her feet in shock.

"Ho-how did you get in here?"

A lofty chuckle rumbled in his throat. "The front door, silly. Just like you." He began to walk towards her, his pace slow and intentional. "Nothing has ever stopped me from getting what I want. You know that, Winnie."

"Don't call me that."

Nolan paused as soon as the words left her mouth. "Oh. Is only Joe allowed to call you that now? Now that you're screwing him instead of me?"

Winter's anxiety skyrocketed at the scathing tone to his voice. "It's not like that. I don't owe you an explanation."

But her words fell on deaf ears. He continued his vicious wordplay like it was some sort of sick and twisted game. "Money wasn't enough for you, was it? You needed more. Money AND fame. I just don't know what Joe sees in you."

Without warning, Nolan lunged forward and ran at her. Winter let out a startled scream as he chased her into the bedroom. He overpowered her within seconds, pinning her down on the bed and using his weight to hold her in place. "What the hell is wrong with you, Nolan?! Why are you being like this?"

"I started to see through your little schemes the second I got the phone call that you were turned down on the deal. You did it on purpose. You were using me for money. And when you realized that I was figuring you out, you ran. Ran from the truth."

"You're delusional."

Using his knee, he pressed his leg onto her chest and allowed his body weight to restrict her movement. Winter's lungs were constricted and she found she was only able to take in shallow, quick breaths. Thinking quickly, she kicked her leg upward, heaving Nolan off of her and gasped as air rushed to her lungs. But Nolan's anger increased his speed. With one swift motion, he scooped her back onto the bed, this time face down. "Stop fighting me, Winter. We were so happy together. Why can't you see that?"