His Second Chance

I looked at Nick with question and he just shrugged. I got up excusing myself and walked out into the lobby area to look for him. I really didn’t have to care about him, I thought. Why did he just have to always be my biggest concern?

“Joe,” I said quietly to myself, “Where are you?” I turned the corner and there he sat, head in knees back against the wall, sitting in the middle of the hallway.

I made my way slowly over to him, thinking about what I could say.

I sat down next to him and decided to say something just randomly, “A termite walks into a bar room and asks, ‘Is the bar tender here?’”.

He didn’t think it was too funny for he just glared at me, “Okay Joe please, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong, you are what is wrong!” He said frustrated.

“I don’t seem to comprehend,” I said needing more.

“You act as if nothing ever happened. Like you’re totally over it! You know how much I’m dying watching you,” He demanded standing, but I gave no answer just locked with his
eyes, “So much Kris. Why are you hurting me like this?”

“Hurting you, Joe please,” I hissed back, “I’m hurting way more than you. You know how much it took me not to apologize that night, how much I had to convince myself this road was the right path for us. I’ve learned to hide my feelings over the year Joe.”

It was quiet between us for the next few seconds, trying to get our breathing to a steady rate, “Kris why would you do that to me,” He whispered sitting down right in front of me.

“Oh Joe, if I could go back in time to take it back I would. I can’t though,” I replied hesitantly
brushing my hand to his cheek.

“You didn’t answer the question. Why,” He pleaded touching my hand with his.

I shrugged, “I honestly never had a reason. It was me being scared that we might do
something reckless and our consequence would be bad.”

“I told you a million times that I would trade all of this for you Kris,” and I did know that that.
He always made it clear.

“And I’ve always been wrong,” I admitted, “I knew it since I left I was wrong.”

“So why didn’t you just call or comeback?” He wondered.

“I thought you wouldn’t want me back in your life,” I looked down at our entwined hands.

He sighed, “That could never happen.”

I bit my lip running my thumb over his, “So where does this leave us?”

He looked up locking our gazes once again, “Kris I really don’t know. I’m still not over you leaving me yet.”

I nodded accepting, “I understand, but I really am going to try and win you over again Joseph.”

He smiled and nodded then said quietly, “I really missed you Kristen.”

“Me too Joe, me too,” we were finally getting somewhere.

“Hey, we were looking for you two-” Jay stopped mid-sentence before getting hit by Chris who mumbled, “They’re talking finally! You just ruined it.”

“Oh,” Jay realized, “I hear Nick calling, coming Nick.” He walked away, Chris following.

Joe and I sat there, laughing at the two, “Let’s go.”

I pulled him up with me and we started back to the room.

First entering, Nick was now the one with curious eyes, yet I just smiled and he nodded. He
would ask either Joe or me later.

“So whose house are we eating at?” Andrew spoke up.

I laughed, “I thought Danielle invited everyone to eat at the Jonas’?”

“Not again,” Joe groaned.

“What’s wrong? She’s actually good at cooking,”

“Oh we know, but we always eat at our house and Dan likes to stuff us full” Nick added.

“So why don’t you just tell her?” I questioned.

“She scares us,” Jay admitted and I laughed a bit harder.

“Then let me take care of this,” I took out my phone and dialed her number, putting it on speaker.

“Hey Kris,” She answered.

“Hey,” I replied, “Do you think that we could eat out tonight?”

“But I was going to cook dinner,” She replied.

“I know but I haven’t had Tony Roma’s in forever and I want to spend time with you. Not watch you take out dishes. Come on please,” I begged.

“But-” She started.

“You can cook breakfast tomorrow,” I said.

She groaned and the boys smiled, “Fine.”

“Okay I’ll see you tonight around seven k. Love you,” I said and we hung up.

“And that’s how the master does it,” I said looking at the boys to receive hugs from all.

“Tony Roma sounds great!” Jay exclaimed.

“Yeah, I can meet your girlfriends.” I requested.

“Sure sure.” Andrew replied.

“So what do we do now?” I questioned.

“Well we’re done here so we have the whole afternoon to do whatever,” Jay shrugged.

“So I can go to sleep!” I got excited.

“Don’t think that’s a good idea, you won’t go to sleep tonight.” Chris shook his head.

“You can hang out at our place,” Joe said and everyone shot him a questioning look
causing him to hesitate, “I mean you guys can, plus Kris hasn’t seen it yet.”

I laughed quietly, “I think that sounds good.”

“Okay we’ll meet you guys down there then,” Chris said and we all followed his lead leaving
the room.

“Do you want to ride with me? Catch up,” Joe asked.

“Yeah, sure. Guys,” I said hopefully.

“No funny business you two,” Andrew called out causing both of us to blush a little.

“Let’s go.”Joe said in a happy tone and I followed him to his car.

He lead me through the parking lot and stopped at a blue Benz.

“Fancy?” I smirked.

“Well they wouldn’t let me steal your car,” He shrugged smiling as we both entered.

His scent lingered all over the car and a hint of pine from an air freshener and all I could do
was breath and smile.

“Do you like living here so far?” I asked.

"The air is warmer so that’s a plus and my parents are trying to get a small beach house so
they can come and visit when Frankie is on a break from school.” He replied, “How’s
Berklee?”

“Great, sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“I mean the people are great and I’ve learned a lot but I live alone so…,” I trailed off.

“Why do you live alone? You do know that’s not safe right,” He turned to look at me with a
sort of protective look.

I smiled, “Well the company decided to send out recording stuff so that takes up half of the room and the other half is where I sleep.”

He sighed, “You should have called your brothers or Kev, Dan, Nick, even Jenny or your dad to see you.”

A chuckle escaped my lips, “I’ll make sure I’ll do that when I get back out there.”

“When are you going back,” He questioned.

I shrugged, “I don’t really know. Whenever this stuff is done I guess.”

“That song in there was really good,” He said slowly, “I would have never admitted it with you
here.”

“That’s what Nick usually tells me when I get his feedback,” I smiled looking out the window.

“I’m really sorry for all the horrible things I said about you. It was just hard to hear you
sometimes.” He explained.

“Hmm, listening to you was the only thing that actually kept me sane.” I blurted making us
blush once again.

“How was your birthday,” I wondered.

He looked at me for a second and then looked back, “Long.”

“Long?” I responded and he nodded, “Well then maybe we could go out you and me,
celebrate.”

“Kristen, my birthday was months ago.” He laughed.

“I know, but I got you a gift and never had the guts to send it out.” I sighed.

“You didn’t have to,”

“I know but I wanted to.”

He smiled, “What about tomorrow night?”

“Good,” I nodded, corners of my mouth risen.

“Here we are,” He said putting the car into park. I looked out my window to see a two story
house, not too big but not too small.

It was beige with a brown roof and a palm tree greeted you on each side of the cement that
lead to the door. The grass was green without any dead patches and chimes played as the
wind blew. On the small porch they had, there was a wooden swing made for two. It was
cute.

I stepped outside and we made our way in, “I like it so far.”

He smile was wider and he was excited, “Shall we go inside.”

“We shall.” I answered and he turned the knob open to reveal a beautiful house. Denise
Jonas had definitely been here, “It’s gorgeous,”

“Mom did a lot with the help of Dan,” I knew it.

“It’s not like you were creative enough to do any of this,” I teased.

“Hey, I put up the pictures.” He defended and at that moment I felt the urge to kiss him, I
couldn’t though.

I bit my lip nodding, wishing he’d hold me in his arms. I distracted myself with looking
around the area. Upstairs, there was a little balcony area that had a pool table on it and I took a guess all the rooms were up there too.

“Uhh, if you keep walking in the family rooms really in there, this is just for show.” He pointed out.

I looked at the area we were standing at now and yeah it was too formal for any of the Jonas’ to really have a good time. There was a piano in there though, probably where they worked most of the time. Taking more steps, pictures of the boys growing up guided me to the other living room.

“Diet drink?” Joe asked me and I had realized he remembered. I nodded looking around more.

The room had about every game system in here and it amazed me all the movies and games they had on their shelves.

“Here you go,” He said putting the cold drink on the table.

I thanked him and opened it up. Feeling a bit awkward in this house.

“Relax will you,” I heard him saying I blushed a bit.

“Movie?” He suggested and I nodded walking over with him to the couch section where
again I sat stiff on the couch.

He laughed and I questioned him, “What do you want to watch.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Benjamin Button it is,” He said and opened up a dvd case.