Cup of Joe | A Joe Jonas Fanfiction

c h a p t e r t w e n t y e i g h t .

Winter's blue-grey eyes bored into the screen of her laptop while her finger hovered over the mousepad. The feeling in her stomach didn't remind her of butterflies, but bees. After her spur of the moment meeting with Nolan, something inside of her stirred and guided her to the next step. Deep down, Winter wasn't certain if it was love or infatuation or something else of the sort, but what she was certain about was that no matter the underlying cause, there were emotions tied to Joe that were so visceral that they ravaged her body. She yearned to see his gentle chocolate gaze. The pair had scheduled a video call to further discuss the entire Gianna debacle. Her fingers itched with impatience.

Then, the sound of the call rang out over her speakers.

She swallowed, trying to choke down the feeling of her heart in her throat. Her eyes flitted over to the opened notepad beside her. The buzzing of her thoughts in her head seemed almost unbearable as she scanned her notes and her plans that she wanted to discuss with Joe. In rapid succession, she recounted each point she wanted to make. The investment deal had provided Winter with the necessary means to move her business to a bigger city, and she was ready to take that step. Leaving behind her life and familiarity with North Carolina would be difficult, but it would make everything easier : her job, her relationship, her sanity. She nodded with resolve and answered the call.

"Hey, you." Winter couldn't stop herself from beaming the moment that his video opened up onto her screen.

"We have a lot to talk about." Joe blew out a breath. Not exactly a good sign that he used that as his opening line.

There was a pause before Winter shook her head and willed herself to stay focused. "Can I go first?" She waited for Joe to agree and then she continued. "I'm going to move."

"Move?" He echoed, unable to disguise the shock that thickened his voice.

"The investment deal sealed my fate. If I want to be a celebrity event planner, I need to move closer to my clientele."

Joe hesitated, almost as though he were lost for words. "And you're sure this is the right choice for you?"

Winter creased her forehead. "You think I'm making the wrong choice, don't you?" It was rhetoric. His reaction had given her the answer.

"That's not it at all! I couldn't be more proud of you, Winter." There was a soft fondness in his expression that made Winter melt into a puddle. "It can be overwhelming to pick up your whole life and move it somewhere else, but if you're ready, you're ready. I don't want you to regret your decision when things get tough."

"I'm tougher than you think." She twisted her face into a determined grin. A lull in the conversation caused tension to build while Winter and Joe both ignored the glaring topic - Gianna. "So..."

"So..."

"About Gianna." This time, her words were confident and pointed. Her mind was open and ready to face the situation head on. No more running.

On the video, Joe rubbed his hands together while he carefully chose his words. His jaw was clenched when he spoke. "There are no perfect scenarios, but I did what I thought was best. Winter, you have my entire heart. You know you do. I have never fallen as hard or as quick as I did for you.  We fit together like a puzzle. Nothing will change how deep my emotions are for you, Winter."

Her heartbeat quickened. "What does this have to do with Gianna?"

"I considered this from every angle. You have to believe me and be willing to hear my thoughts, okay?" Joe dropped his hand into his hands. He already appeared defeated and the conversation had barely begun. "I have decided to pursue a press-based 'relationship' with Gianna. Nothing real. It would be surface level to appease the fans and the press. You and I could still be together, just in secret."