In the Rose Garden

"I hope she's worth it, Joe."

Joe tried to ignore Taylor's voice repeating that line over and over in his head. It was the last thing she ever said to him before she hung up on him the night he broke up with her. He felt bad that things had ended so abruptly between them and had made several attempts to reach out. She wanted nothing to do with him. All of his phone calls and texts went unanswered and unreturned. After a while, he decided there was nothing more he could do. Despite the encouragement from Addison, he felt he could only do so much without upsetting the new love of his life.

"If you want to go say something to her, you can," Addison said quietly. She gently put her hand on his chest.

Joe looked at his girlfriend and shook his head. "No, I'm all right. I've apologized enough. It's her turn to say something now." All Addison could do was nod her head as he leaned over and kissed her. When Joe peaked at Taylor for the last time, she quickly looked away and started to act interested in what one of her band members was saying.

Joe took the keycard from his father and shoved it in his pocket before picking up his bag. Addison grabbed her bag and Joe's hand and they followed everyone to the elevator. Once the doors closed, Mrs. Jonas started to say "Hey Joe, did you see-"

Joe cut her off. "Yes, I saw her and no, I'm not going to say anything else to her because I have nothing left to say."

The elevator stayed silent after that. They quickly arrived on the sixth floor and everyone filed out. They all found their rooms and went inside. Joe set his bag on the bed and then took Addison's and set it next to his. "So, since we have an hour to kill, was there anything specific you wanted to do?"

Addison shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, you? I've never been here before so…"

"Okay, we'll find something," Joe said as he stood up. He took her hand as they walked out of their room and to his parents'. A few seconds after he knocked, his mom opened the door. "Addison and I are going to go for a walk. We'll be back on time."

"Let me get one of the body guards to go with you," said Mr. Jonas as he pulled out his cell phone.

Joe held his hand up. "No, we'll be fine." He pulled Addison away before his dad could make the call.

"Are you sure about that?" Addison asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Joe said as he pressed the lobby button.

It made for an interesting scene for the paparazzi as they were leaving. First Addison and Joe were photographed leaving hand-in-hand only to be followed a few seconds later by Taylor Swift. They all yelled the same questions at Joe and Taylor. They both ignored them. Taylor would be getting her revenge, if you want to call it that, on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in a few days. Joe just wasn't going to talk about it since it was no one's business what really happened. He felt that keeping quiet on his behalf meant keeping Addison more under wraps. If things get out of hand because of Taylor, then he'll say just enough to keep his name clean but that was it. Joe already knew he was going to end up a line in one of her songs but he didn't really care at this point. She was going to end up the same way.

"Oh hey, there's Acoustic Café. We actually have one of these back home cause the owner lives out there now but they're actually really good," Joe said as he held the door open for Addison. Addison remember driving or walking past the place a couple times but had never stopped to actually check it out.

The little café was full with mainly college kids who were too busy cramming or chatting to even be bothered with looking up when the little bell over the door rang. Very few girls looked up over their laptops to notice that Joe Jonas had just walked in. Joe liked it this way. A few of the girls had whipped out cell phones but Joe didn't really care. He could handle a few girls and a few miscellaneous photos on the internet. No big deal, he told himself. Joe looked over at Addison who was looking up at the menu. He told her his recommendations.

"Just get me whatever then. Whatever you think I'll like," she responded.

"Besides me?"

Addison laughed. "Yes, besides you."

When they stepped up to the counter, Joe ordered them both a flavored coffee and some various pastries since he couldn't decide which one he wanted. The brown haired girl behind the counter told him it would be a couple minutes and they could have a seat anywhere. She then took the next person in line. Before they could turn to go to their seats, Joe felt a tug on the back of his shirt.

"Mr. Jonas?" Joe turned around looked down to find a little girl standing behind him. "Can I have your autograph?" she quietly asked.

Joe bent down. "Of course and you can call me Joe," he said as he took the piece of paper and pen from her. "Mr. Jonas makes me feel kind of old… like my dad." He made a face and the little girl laughed. "What's your name?"

"Addison."

"No way! That's my best friend's name too. I really like that name," he said as he scribbled on the paper. He handed her back the paper and pen.

"Thank you!" she squealed in his face.

"You're welcome, Addison." She ran off to her father and excitedly told him that Joe said he liked her name. He picked her up and mouthed the words thank you to Joe. Joe nodded his head and turned back to his Addison.

"That was cute," she said.

"The little ones make this all worthwhile."

"She was too cute, with her blond little pigtails and pink bows. I think I might have to steal her."

"No, no. No baby snatching today. We'll have our own one day and you can pink bow and pigtail her all you want." They sat at a two person table next to the window and someone brought them their stuff a moment later. Joe checked his watch and then tore apart a pastry while Addison took a sip of her coffee. Joe passed her a chocolate doughnut and she took it from him. "They're really good."

"Okay," she said. She watched Joe as he watched her. "What?"

"Nothing. That will seriously be the best chocolate doughnut you've ever had. I mean, better than Dunkin Doughnuts."

"I never said I didn't believe you." He continued to watch her. "Stop staring at me." He pretended to check his phone while she tried the doughnut. After a moment, she said, "What? That is really awesome. What'd they put in this thing, crack?"

Joe laughed. "I told you it was good."

From across the little café, they heard little Addison shout, "Bye Joe!"

"I'll be right back," Joe whispered to Addison and got up. He approached the little girl and her father and gave her a quick hug before they walked out the door.

"You're too cute and sweet," Addison said when he came back to the table.

"It could all be a part of my plan."

"What plan?"

"I act all cute and sweet and innocent and the deeper you fall in love with me."

Addison laughed at him. "Yeah, okay," she responded sarcastically and continued to drink her coffee. After a few more minutes, they cleaned up their table and headed out. Addison noticed that when they stepped out, Joe hesitated for a moment and was unsure of he wanted to go the way they came or go the other way. He finally decided on the way they came.

Joe grabbed Addison's hand and held on tightly as they walked towards Barry. Barry was Joe's own personal bully. Every time he was in New York, Barry never failed to locate and trail Joe Jonas during his entire stay in the Big Apple. He was becoming notorious for it among the other paparazzo.

"Just ignore this guy," Joe quietly said to Addison and started walking.

"Oh, okay," Addison quickly said and walked beside him. She watched moments later as this guy with a camera walked up to Joe and shoved it in his face while asking questions. Joe clearly did not want to be bothered with it but he wasn't saying a word. "Joe…"

"It's okay," he quietly responded.

"Hey, where's Taylor? I know she's in town somewhere. Are you two secretly meeting up?" Barry drilled him with questions. "Is this your new girlfriend? Did you cheat on Taylor with her?"

"Joe!" He could hear the panic in her voice.

"It's okay, Add." He sent her around Barry one way and he went the other. He was starting to wish he had listened to his dad after all and waited for that bodyguard for Addison's sake. Once they were far enough away from him, Joe stopped and put his hands on either side of her face. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," she whispered.

"I'm so sorry about that. I totally forgot about him," Joe said and kissed her.

"You forgot about him?" she asked.

"He does that every time I come here. I don't know why but he does. It's like he makes it his life goal to bother me. Next time we'll bring Big Rob with us. I'm sorry Addison."

"It's okay. Can we just go back to the hotel now?"

"Yeah," Joe responded and took her hand.

"Where you going?" Barry asked as he walked up behind them.

"Bar, come on. Leave them alone now. They obviously don't want to be bothered with you." A police officer had seen what happened. Joe Jonas wasn't the only one Barry bothered but he was his favorite. "Let's go this way and leave them alone so they can get to where they need to go."

"Thanks," Joe said and he and Addison left as the police officer escorted Barry away from them.

"Wow," was all Addison could say.

"It's not always like that. For the most part, they give you your space. It's that 'you respect them, they respect you and vice versa' kind of thing." As a couple, they hadn't yet encountered a vicious photog in California. Everyone had been fairly decent so far.

They finally arrived back at the hotel after another five or ten minutes and Joe got ready for his show.