Cup of Joe | A Joe Jonas Fanfiction

c h a p t e r t w e n t y f o u r .

Those few minutes of jealousy quickly turned into hours which turned into days. Busy schedules kept Joe and Winter running on different timelines and it was near impossible to find a spare moment to bring up the grievance. The brief chances when they were able to have a conversation were teeming with tension. It was like Gianna was an off limit topic, but neither Joe nor Winter were willing to be the one to bring it up.

Several days passed.

Winter had never been so overwhelmed with the lack of motivation. Peaceful sleep seemed like an unattainable goal at this point, but waking up was no better. Her brain was fixated on Joe. Day and night. Her thoughts were a constant ticking marquee of wondering what exactly went wrong followed up by feelings of emptiness. In those moments when she felt most conflicted, Winter struggled to understand how she had been so consumed by Joe Jonas. She had fallen hard and quick for the singer. They were still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship. How had they gone from loving to fighting in the matter of a single sentence?

Things were only growing more complex. One thing was for sure - attempting to maintain a budding relationship with a celebrity whose band was releasing their first album in years didn't come without a plethora of challenges. The most glaring of these challenges was the distance. If they were still sharing a penthouse, they would be able to find the time in their day to talk it out. Her stomach lurched when she thought about how much time Joe was spending with Gianna this week.

Winter exhaled a deep breath as she stared at herself in the mirror.

Today wasn't an ordinary day.

It was her birthday.

While she was never a big fan of celebrating birthdays, it was particularly painful that she and Joe had yet to make amends. On a further note, she wasn't certain that she had even mentioned that it was her birthday. It was a big day for Joe and his brothers - today was their album release. Her birthday was trivial compared to such a momentous occasion.

A knock on the door caught her attention.

Her mom was standing in the door frame of the bathroom. "Happy birthday, sweetie." She said with a warm smile.

"Thanks, mom."

"How does it feel to be 27? Do you feel older and therefore wiser?" Her mother's playful snicker filled her with peace.

Winter turned around to face her, rolling her eyes at the banter. "Now that you mention it, I did wake up this morning feeling unusually wise beyond my years."

Her mom wiped her brow in feigned relief. "Thank goodness. So, do you have any plans for today?"

"Nope." She replied, popping the "p" at the end of the word.

"Have you heard from Joe?"

"Moooooom." No matter how old she was, there would never be a day that Winter wouldn't groan at her mother's nosy nature.

Her hands went into the air defensively, showing that she meant no harm. "Just a question, honey. Well, if you have no other plans, I thought we could all the family together this evening for a dinner for you."

Winter nodded. "Sounds amazing, mom. Thank you."

"Any requests?"

There was no hesitation in her answer. "Steak and red velvet cake!"

Her mother laughed. "It your day, so steak and cake it is!"

At that moment, Winter heard her phone chime. A sign from the universe. It was Joe. "That's Joe now." Winter looked at her mother pointedly.

With a knowing shake of head, her mom left, giving her privacy for whatever conversation ensued next. Her heart thumped. She grabbed her phone only to feel disappointment grip her like a vice. It wasn't Joe, after all. Just an email. But this wasn't just any email.

It was from Markus and Erin.

A cold sweat formed on her brow while she willed herself to open the email. No matter the outcome, she was proud of herself. Thanks to Joe, she had been given to chance to redeem herself and present her accomplishments without fear of failure. No more hesitating. Her finger hovered over the 'open' button.

Ms. Winter Clayton,

We are eager to extend the following offer to you. Your resilience and personality were able to shine through in our last meeting. These traits of persistence, even when you were turned away, are the exact traits we look for in business investments...

Her eyes scanned the document, reading and rereading the words in disbelief. The further she got into the email, the more she found that her breath was catching in her throat. This couldn't be real. They were offering her the full amount she had requested plus an additional 15% investment with no strings attached. An angel investment. Markus and Erin believed in her.

After it had time to process, Winter knew she couldn't wait another second to let Joe know. He had made this second meeting happen. He deserved to know the outcome.

As she dialed his familiar phone number; Winter could feel her anxiety skyrocket. But her call went straight to voicemail. Winter frowned and tried the call again only for the same result. She tried a third time. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. In that moment, she embraced that meaning of the word. Winter called and called and called. She sank to the ground.

For the first time since their argument, she let herself cry.

The investment was a major deal and she wanted nothing more than to share her excitement with someone who meant so much to her. On the cool tile of the bathroom floor, she let her phone slip out of her hand while tears streamed down her face. If Joe only knew the power he held over her heart. Why wouldn't he answer?

But she didn't linger in the sadness. It was her birthday. And Joe was busy. At least, that's what she told herself. He would return the call when he had a moment to himself.

The day passed.

The sun rose into the sky and began its short descent onto the horizon for those early winter evenings. As dinner time approached, there has been no word from Joe.

"Winter!" The voice of her mom carried through the hallway. "Dinner will be ready soon and I'm sure everyone will be arriving shortly! Come and join us!"

With no more sulking, Winter resolved to enjoy herself. She would share the news with her family over dinner. They would partake in her excitement. Not all was hopeless after all.

Right on cue, there was a knock on the door.

"Winter, can you get the door? It probably your sister."

"Sure thing, mom!" Winter hollered back down the hallway. She jogged over to the front door and when she opened it, her jaw dropped to the floor.

Standing in the doorway was the gentle brown eyes of none other than Joe Jonas, holding a bouquet of flowers. Seeing him in front of her brought on an unexpected surge of emotion. She fixed her gaze on his slightly curled hair. His unsure smile. His stiff shoulders. Every part of her soul was soaring at the sight of him.

"Hey, can I come in?"