Three Strikes

Hey it’s Joe. Sorry I can’t take your call right now, but leave me a message and I’ll hit you back as soon as I can. Thanks. *Beep*.

Wordlessly, I hit the end call button and threw the phone back on my bed. I pulled at my hair and perched on the end of futon, gnashing my teeth together. Why didn’t he hear me out? Why couldn’t he have arrived earlier? Why was he so thick-headed?!

I considered calling his phone again but I knew I’d only get the busy dial tone and his answer message. I wanted to slap him, to knock some sense into him. Hadn’t I told him that I was in love with him? Didn’t he know my views on relationships?

“Ugh,” I groaned, flopping back against the pillows. I willed myself not to cry - I hadn’t done anything wrong. “I love Joseph,” I mumbled to my bedroom décor, “but sometimes I just want to smack you silly.” With a sigh, I reached over and grabbed my phone. “One more call.”

XXX

“Why?” Joe shouted as he paced back and forth his parents’ LA home. “Why? I mean, she knew I’d be there, didn’t she? Unless she took the day off to be with him… And she’s always so busy… maybe she was with him all the time!” He slumped into a chair and buried his face in hands. “I’m such an idiot.”

Kevin shook his head negatively. “You’re not an idiot, Joe.”

Joe looked up. “I’m not?”

“No. It’s come as a shock to all of us,” he gestured to their youngest brother who had yet to comment on the situation. Nick lay back against the couch rubbing the Dalmatian’s ears affectionately. Kevin let out a large gust of breath. “I don’t know what to think.”

“My girlfriend…” at Kevin’s odd look Joe went on, “My fiancé. She. I. Just. Why?” He couldn’t form a full sentence. Joe’s phone started ringing. “It’s Rose.”

“Are you going to answer it?” asked Nick, speaking up.

“Do you think I should?” Joe stared down at the digital object in uncertainty. After a second’s though he quickly pressed the ignore button and placed his blackberry in his jean’s pocket. “I can’t talk to her. Yet.” He added more to himself than his brothers.

Patting Joe’s arm, Kevin stood up. “I’m gonna go grab us something to drink. Coffee?” At his two siblings’ nods Kevin clapped Joe on the back and left the room. Basking in silence, Joe stared down at his shoes, deep in thought when Nick spoke up.

“I’m not for asking questions. And I’m not choosing sides so don’t look at me like that. Joe,” Nick paused and look his brother dead in the eyes. “Who’s Amanda?”

Joe appeared to choke on his own spit. He narrowed his own eyes. “What do you man ‘who’s Amanda’?”

“I saw her. Both of you. Kissing when we had those couple of days off back in Boise. And I’d like to know what’s going on because to me it seems like you’re both playing some sick sort of game.” Nick shot back at his brother, glaring slightly. “And I don’t see how you can go and call Rose a whore when you’re one yourself.”

Joe’s usually bright eyes darkened as they turned to slits. “Don’t speak about things that you don’t understand, Nick.” He said, standing up.

“Well I want to know what’s going!” Nick shouted finally, getting to his feet as well. He dropped the puppy on the chair where it curled up happily. “I was so confused, Joe! I was worried! I rang Rose!”

Joe turned to him. “You rang her?”

“Of course I did. I’m sorry, did you think I’d lie for you?” He pointed to his purity ring. “These things mean more than just no sex, Joe! They mean honesty!” Joe looked furious. “And Rose is family - you proposed or did you forget that when you were making out with Idaho girl?”

“Nick-”

“No Joe! No. Okay. Just no. I’m not going to listen, okay? You are. You’re going to sort this out with Rose. Now. You’re going to go and find her and figure out what’s going on between you two because if Mom finds out you’re both dead and I like having you as a brother, Joe. Yeah, even now, I do. And I like it when Rose is around and I’m not going to let you fuck this up.” Nick whispered the last part, panting angrily from his shouts. He didn’t break eye contact with his brother and Joe was left to look away.

“Amanda was a mistake.” Joe said quietly after a second or two.

“Maybe the kiss was.” Nick spoke of Rose’s lip lock with Adam. “But you’re not going to find out sitting here doing nothing and acting like a hormonal teenage girl.”

Joe grabbed his wallet and car keys and made to leave when the door burst open and Denise Jonas stood there. “Joseph.”

“Mom,” Joe said, attempting to step around her. “I have to go. I need to talk to Rose.”

“Damn right you do.” Denise Jonas cursed, much to the surprise of her sons. “And I think you need to explain this and get your story straight before your father gets home.” She threw a rolled up magazine at Joe’s feet. Picking it up, Joe’s eyes widened at the headline as the pictures of him and Amanda filled the entire front page.

Joe Jonas’ Other Woman Speaks Out: Exclusive.