Downfall

I straightened my shirt for the tenth time in the mirror of my room. Running my hand through my hair as to give it a tad more volume, I turned on my heels and walked toward the door. Shaving: check. Cologne: check. Brushed teeth: check. Clean shirt: check. Room key: check. I was set. Nick had left before I was out of the shower, and was with Demi at the time I was getting ready. They would both, no doubt, be with my family by the time I had picked Chloe up.

I headed down the hallway casually, popping the collar up to my pink dress shirt and smoothing it over my black sweater as I did so. I stopped at her door, giving three sharp knocks as I waited. I shoved my hands into my pockets, rocking on my heels as I heard shuffling from behind the walls. Chloe soon opened the door. “Hi,” she said, smiling. “I’ll be ready in just a second.”

She gestured me to walk into her room, closing the door after I’d stepped in. “Are you okay?” I asked, feeling a little bit uncomfortable with the mood.

“Yeah,” she said as she painted her lips a pale pink color. “Just a tad nervous.”

I smiled, amused. “It’s just me and my family. They’re all the same; no need to be nervous.”

She shrugged, rubbing her lips together and examining her reflection in the mirror, “Still.” Suddenly, she turned to me. “How do I look? Jonas approved?”

I watched as she slowly turned, my eyes wandering her body. She wore simple clothes – a white blouse and colorful skirt, yet still toned down enough for the occasion. “Perfect,” I said, “Jonas approved.”

“Good,” she said, flashing a quick smile. She walked over to me, grabbing a small purse and my hand all in one move. “Let’s get going then.”

We held hands as we walked. The act was the one of the oldest in the book, but it still made me smile to myself when I realized I was half-dating an Olympic athlete, let alone planning on starting a family with her. I pressed the down arrow on the elevator pad, waiting for the doors to open. “Where is the dinner?” she asked as the elevator stopped on out floor.

We stepped inside of the lift. “A few blocks down. I hope you don’t mind walking.”

“I don’t,” she said as the doors closed.

“We get a nice private room in the back of the restaurant,” I said, looking down at her.

She looked back at me, excitement dancing in her green eyes. “Really? I’ve never had one of those before. That’s so exciting!”

I smiled, “Yeah, it’s pretty–” I stopped talking as the elevator made an unsettling chunking noise. The lights flickered and the lift jolted to a stop.

“Oh, my God!” Chloe shrieked. She took my hand, and grabbed my arm with the other. She began freaking out; repeating “oh, my God” over and over in quick statements.

She put her hand on my chest, practically squeezing half of my body. “It’s okay,” I said, putting my arm securely around her. I pressed the alarm button on the panel and pulled her into a hug. “Don’t panic, because we will get out.”

She put a vice into her grip around my waist. “But what if we don’t? What if the cable breaks and we fall to our deaths? That way I’ll never get to compete again, and you won’t sing, and we can’t have the baby–”

“Chloe!” I snapped. I rubbed her hair, “We will be fine. I’ve been in this situation before, and it’s not that bad. Besides, we’re only about fifteen or so feet from the ground; we won’t die.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I just do.”

Content with that answer, we stood in silence for another few minutes, just holding each other. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it; I could get used to it in a hurry. The elevator began moving downward again, causing Chloe to give a dramatic sigh of relief. I continued to hold her, however, just to be safe. “I told you so,” I said as the doors opened.

She danced ahead of me, turning around and sticking her tongue out. I laughed at her immaturity before grabbing her hand again. “Whatever,” she finally said as we made it to the lobby. “I’m taking the stairs from now on. Your legs can never be too strong, you know.”

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After a long and semi-awkward dinner, I found myself walking with Chloe back to her room. I carried my jacket over my shoulder and held her hand nonchalantly. She laughed with jubilance over a joke that Kevin had made during the meal that she just couldn’t get over. I laughed along with her, happy to see her happy.

When we made it to her door, we turned to each other, holding both of our hands. “Filming starts tomorrow,” I said, swaying our limbs carelessly. “I won’t be able to hang out as much.”

She blinked, “That’s okay. I have to look for an apartment and crap tomorrow.”

“I had fun tonight,” I said, feeling my face flushing. It wasn’t really a legitimate date, but I had my family’s approval.

“Me too,” she said, smiling widely. “I forgot how amazing your family is.”

I sputtered playfully. “They’re not all that great.”

She looked down, studying her bright red heels. “They’re good for the baby.”

My smile faded, and I nodded stiffly. “They will be, after they get used to the idea.”

She gave me a small, wry smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She gave my hands a small squeeze before dropping them and looking through her purse for her key.

As she unlocked the door, I forced myself to become bold. She looked at me one last time, her expression almost longing. I leaned my face closer to hers, gauging her reaction. Right as our lips brushed, she turned her head, causing me to kiss her cheek.

She took a deep breath, an unknown emotion jumping through her eyes. “Goodnight, Joseph,” she said quietly, clicking the door closed slowly.

I glared at the ground in humiliation. “Yeah. Night.”