My Hero

Isabella.

"Um, Isa," my sister, Katie, said as she entered the kitchen.

It has been about three months since I left Daniel and since then, I moved in with my sister. She is like my best friend, being only about five months older than me (she's adopted), and she knows me inside and out. As soon as I moved out of the condo I shared with Daniel, Katie offered to let me come stay in her rather large home.

"What's up Kit-Kat?" I questioned, calling her the nickname I made up for her years ago.

She laughed before asking, "What the hell are you eating?"

"Crab cakes with cheese and a side of relish. Why?"

She looked at me with her bright green eyes nearly popping out of her head. "That's absolutely disgusting."

"Actually, it's really good."

"Sweetheart, hear me out on this one. Alright?" She asked softly. "You are gaining weight and eating the most outrageous things, and I mean in huge boat sized servings. What is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at your self. Your jeans are getting a little snug, don't ya' think?"

I looked down at my bottoms and realized what she meant. It was pretty bad, even my sweats were a bit tight.

"See what I mean?" She questioned, "You need to get out more. Maybe tomorrow after work, you can go out with me and a few friends."

I nodded and placed my dishes in the sink before saying, "I'm going to bed, I have to get up rather early tomorrow. Apparently someone important is coming in tomorrow and they have me assigned to their project."

"Alright, and remember, tomorrow evening we're going out with some of my friends."

I smiled and said a simple, "I know. G'night, sis." And with that I went to my room.

As I entered the calming, ocean blue bedroom, I closed the door and began to get changed into pajamas. As I lifted my shirt up, leaving my body only in a bra and panties, I caught a glance of my self in the full-length mirror on my bathroom door.

"Holy crap," I breathed, walking towards the mirror. "What the hell is that?"

I looked down at my stomach then back up in the mirror before turning to the side and allowing my jaw to drop. I had a gut. A noticeable and rather ugly gut. It made my belly ring look so awkward now that my abdomen wasn't as toned as it had been only weeks before.

"What am I doing to myself?" I asked into the mirror. "Where is this coming from?"

I placed my hand on the small bulge rounded out between my hip bones, right on my waist line, and sighed. It was official, Daniel was causing me to gain weight. I didn't think I was eating my feelings away, but obviously my body is saying something completely different. Even my hips and thighs were expanding.

I was disgusted by my appearance and couldn't stand to look at myself any longer. With that, I changed into a tank top and cotton shorts before climbing into my queen sized bed and falling asleep.

I woke up the next morning at five-thirty to the sound of my alarm clock. I groaned as I hit the snooze button on my alarm clock and trudged out of my bed.

"Ah, early mornings, what a joy?" I muttered, making my way to the shower.

About thirty minutes later, I was in my bathrobe straightening my shoulder-length auburn hair and applying a little bit of makeup. Soon enough, I was getting dressed in a nice pair of black dress pants and a deep purple blouse that hide my gut rather well. I added some nice sliver accessories before sliding on matching silver and purple pumps. Once my outfit was complete, I grabbed my new Coach handbag and left my room.

"Kate, I'm skipping breakfast! I'm running late."

"Okay, don't over work yourself-"

"We're going out with your friends," I said, finishing her sentence with a light laugh. "I know. I know."

"See ya' later."

"Bye." And with that I left the house.

***

Joseph.

I climbed into my truck around seven in the morning and started the engine. I had started my own album and I was working on it while I was out in Texas, spending time with Kevin and Danielle; the power couple.

I had scheduled a private session at a studio here in Dallas with a new sound tech. It was just going to be me and the tech, for the album I was going for a more personal feel and I didn't need a bunch of people listening in. I had a good feeling about this.

I pulled into the parking lot of the large building before finding a parking space and cutting off the engine. I placed a beanie on my head, covering my slightly messy hair, then grabbed my music and keys then left my car.

"Good morning, Mr. Jonas," a secretary said with a smile as I walked into the lobby.

I smiled politely and said, "Good morning to you too. Do you know where exactly I'm supposed to be going today?"

She nodded and began typing before saying, "Oh yes, you are in studio 208B, with Ms. Rossi. Just take that elevator to the second floor and it will be the fourth door to your left."

"Thank you," I replied with a polite nod and soon walked to the elevator.

I became slightly excited as I hit the second floor button, even more so when the doors opened. I was soon walking down the hallway looking for the studio.

"208B," I murmured under my breath. "Ah-hah."

I knocked on the door and was totally swept away by what was behind it. There stood a beautiful female with light brown-ish red, almost auburn, colored hair. She had the most amazing blue eyes that reminded me of the crystal-clear ocean water of the Bahamas. She was slim, but still had curves. She had a few freckles covering her nose and upper cheeks, accenting her perfectly tanned skin. She was gorgeous.

"I'm Isabella," she said, holding out her hand and breaking me away from my thoughts.

I smiled and shook her hand before saying, "I'm Joe."

"Oh, I know. Step in," she told me, closing the door as I did so. "I know of your work. My cousins are big fans."

"And you're not?" I smirked.

She looked slightly embarrassed, like a deer stuck in headlights, making me chuckle softly. I shook my head and placed my hand on her shoulder while she looked for a polite explanation. It's good to see that she was respectful and considerate of other people.

"I'm totally kidding. It's cool if you're not, our music is kind of toward a younger audience, which is why I'm here," I explained. "As you may know, my brother, Nick, put out a new solo album and it had a more...mature sound. I'm trying to do the same thing in a way, but with a totally different style."

"Well, I'm ready when you are."

***

Isabella.

I spent hours with the man known as Joseph Adam Jonas. He was much more than people gave him credit for. He was much more in touch with his emotional side than any other man that I had ever met and this interested me. He was perfect, much better than Daniel ever was.

"So, I want to listen to that last song once more and then call it a day. Sound like a plan?" Joe asked.

I nodded smiled, "Sounds perfect."

"Alright."

I waited for him to pull a chair up before playing back the song, allowing the soft music to fill the room. He was doing a cover of Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls as a bonus track and he definitely made sure the song had his own sound to it, but still respected the original writers and performers.

"Joe, this is honestly great," I told him. "Your vocals are way better than they were before. You don't get enough credit for your true talent."

"Thanks." He smiled a soft smile that was reflecting brightly in his eyes making my heart flutter.

"So, you obviously know you're music," he started once the song stopped, "do you write?"

I laughed lightly and just shook my head, "That's the reason I do what I do. My dad owns these studios and one of his best friends is the CEO of Hollywood Records, I could have gotten signed years ago. I like the behind the scenes stuff though, so I turned it down."

"That's really interesting. Maybe one day I could hear your work?" He suggested with a goofy and playful smirk.

"Maybe."

Joe looked down at his watch and frowned then said, "I have to get going. I told my brother that we could play golf at three. What are you doing tonight? Maybe we could hang out."

"I'm actually going out with my sister and her friends," I told him as I reached into my pocket. I pulled out my business card holder and pulled out a tiny piece of parchment. "I'll give you my cell phone number, though." I quickly wrote the number on the back of the card and handed it to Joe.

"Thanks for everything Bella. I really had a good time today," he smiled, putting my number into his phone. "I'll see you tomorrow to finish this up? My producer is flying out here to hear the stuff and make sure it's up to par, I think he'll like you though. I'll call you tonight, okay?"

I nodded and grinned softly, "I'll be waiting."

***

"Oh, Katie," I sang when I arrived back home around five that afternoon.

"Ooh, looks like someone had a good day," she smirked as I entered the living room. "What did you do?"

"I met one of the sweetest people the planet has to offer."

She raised her eyebrow questioningly and asked, "Who might you be speaking of?"

"Joe Jonas," I smiled. "He is great. His music is so-- so amazing. It was a relief from the normal junk that I get sent. I think Dad set this up for me, but it was so great."

"Aw, does someone have a crush?" She cooed. I couldn't help but groan, she knew that relationships were a sensitive topic for me. I was cheated on by my fiancé. I was hurt, but everyone wanted me to just forget about it and act like nothing happened. Impossible.

"Isabella Maria, you know you will have to move on eventually. That douche was no good for you anyway."

"I know," I sighed. "I know."

I would get over it one day, it's just going to take a miracle.