Sequel: Hearts On Fire

In the Rose Garden

Those Three Little Words

"Why now?" Addison asked as she tried to block out the catchy Britney Spears's song that was playing in the house behind her. "And don't say your apology is better late than never." She glanced at him and waited for him to answer.

Kyle stayed silent as he tried to figure out a right away to explain his apology.

"You told someone you love them and they laughed at you, didn't they?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, it happened. I just remember one of the last things you said to me was what goes around comes around. Well it's true. It most certainly came back around. It took a while but it did and now I know how I made you feel and I'm really sorry for that. I really am. I hope one day you can forgive me."

Addison thought for a moment and shook her head. "For right now, I still can't. I have this amazing boyfriend and I want to tell him those words but because of you, I can't." She looked up at her ex-boyfriend who had recently made the news for a football game he played with his college team. He was still the same cute boy she dated back in high school. She quickly looked away from him so he wouldn't pull her in with his light green eyes the way he had at the beginning of junior year.

"I'm sorry. I just… I'm really sorry," he mumbled just before some of his friends walked over to them.

His friend in the flannel shirt checked Addison out and said to Kyle, "Oh, are you trying to get the hook up? You want us to leave you alone?"

Kyle shook his head. "No, she's my ex from high school."

"Oh, so you don't mind then if I talk to her?"

Kyle gave his friend an incredulous look. "Yes, I do mind actually. Besides, she's seeing someone."

"Dude, Jerry, she is so out of your league," a girl said from beside Addison.

"I'm pretty sure she's out of yours too," he countered.

The girl rolled her eyes. "I already have a girlfriend so it doesn't matter. Too bad you can't say the same."

"Whatever lesbian," he said and walked away. Kyle gave Addison a sad look before walking away with the rest of his friends.

"Sorry about Jerry. He hits on anything with a pulse."

"I hate guys like that. They're so annoying."

"I'm Kissy by the way."

"Addison."

Kissy stayed silent for a moment as Ashlee Simpson's "Outta My Head" started playing. People booed in protest and the song quickly changed to Cobra Starship's "Guilty Pleasure."

"I think you should tell them."

Addison threw Kissy a confused look. "Tell who what?"

"You should tell who you're with that you love them. I didn't mean to be like, eavesdropping on your conversation with Kyle."

"Well we are outside so we couldn't expect too much privacy." Addison shrugged her shoulders.

"You shouldn't let what Kyle did rule your relationship. If you love someone, tell him or her. Forget about the rules or the fear of looking ridiculous. What is truly ridiculous is passing up on an opportunity to tell someone that your heart is invested in him or her."

Addison let what Kissy said sink in. She was right. She shouldn't let Kyle's obvious and stark disregard dictate her relationship with Joe. She was pretty sure what she felt for Joe was love: real and unabashed love.

"Oh hey, there are you are," Lily said walking up to Addison and Kissy. Addison introduced her to Kissy and then pulled her phone out of her pocket.

I hope you're having fun at the party. I think I'm starting to wish I had come after all.

"So, what did Kyle want?" Lily asked as Addison responded to her boyfriend.

"To apologize for what he did in high school. How weird is it that you brought that up earlier today and then this happens?"

"It's pretty simple actually: I'm psychic."

Addison laughed. "You're funny."

Lily just shrugged her shoulders and started typing on her phone. Addison got another text a few seconds later.

Tell your boyfriend that you are here with me and this is Lily time.

Addison texted back: Maybe we should leave in like, half an hour and go back to our boys. I don't think it's going all too well over there.

"Okay, that sounds like a plan," Lily said as she tucked her phone into her front pocket. The girls went and mingled with everyone else for their half an hour. They traded phone numbers with Kissy and headed to the Jonas house.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

"So, did you have fun at the party?" Joe asked as he pulled a plain white tee over his head.

Addison shrugged her shoulders. "It was all right. Lily and I met this girl Kissy and she's pretty cool. She's really funny." She decided to leave out the part about Kyle and his apology and friends.

"Well that's good," Joe said as he watched Addison button up the top to her pajamas. She started to quietly laugh after a moment. "What's so funny?"

"Dude, we're both nineteen years old and we're getting ready for bed like an old married couple."

Joe thought about it for a moment and then agreed. "I guess we're just practicing right now."

"Could be," she said and climbed into Joe's bed next to him. As soon as she was settled in, Joe reached over and turned off the lamp that was on his nightstand. Addison curled up in his arms and put her head on his shoulder and stared up at the ceiling. "Joe?"

"What?"

"I'm really scared about tomorrow. What if she changes her mind?"

"Don't even worry about tomorrow. I'll be right there with you no matter what happens."

"Joe I'm serious. She can still back out. She could always leave before we get there or she could always just say she changed her mind or she-"

"Or she could go with and get the test done and over with so she can go back home and do whatever it is she does," he said as Addison propped herself up on her elbow and faced him.

"Or-"

He cut her off by kissing her.

"No more ors. Now it's time to go to sleep."

"Okay," she said and lied next to him.

"Goodnight Addison."

"Joe?"

"What?"

She thought about saying the words but couldn't bring herself to do so. "No, never mind. Goodnight."

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

"This is such bullshit," Mrs. Turner mumbled from the passenger seat of her ex-husband's SUV.

Mr. Turner sighed and quietly said, "You put the thought in her head and she thought about it for a long time. Had you just kept your mouth shut, we wouldn't be in this predicament right now."

His words were still heard loud and clear throughout the entire car.

Joe glanced over at Addison who was staring intensely out of the window. He knew she was trying to block out her arguing parents. He reached over and gently touched her arm, pulling her attention away from the not so scenic view. He tugged his seatbelt away from his chest and leaned towards his girlfriend.

Joe whispered, "It's going to be all right."

"I sure hope so," she quietly responded and turned back to the window. After another fifteen minutes, they finally got to the location of the medical center and they only had a five minute wait before a nurse took them into a room where they waited while the nurse gathered everything she would need.

Ted looked at his ex-wife and then at his brother. Even though nineteen years had passed, Ted still harbored ill feelings towards Donnie. He told Donnie and Cassie that he had forgiven them but part of him never really would. He loved Cassie and Donnie was supposed to be his older brother and best friend, not a possible sperm donor. He then looked over at his daughter. She was holding Joe's hand and they were whispering to each other. Joe pushed her bangs aside and kissed her forehead before pressing his against hers.

Angie, the nurse, finally walked back into the room. She set everything down and washed her hands before putting on some gloves. She took the first buccal swab from Addison and then her parents and Donnie. She told them they should have the results in at least three business days. She then discussed with the adults how they wanted to receive the results. Addison ignored her since she didn't really care how she got them as long as she got them. When they left, Ted and Donnie didn't even say goodbye to one another. Donnie said goodbye to Addison and Joe and that was it before he got into his car and left. Ted dropped Cassie off first before dropping Addison and Joe off at Joe's house. Ted had to get to the studio since he had a meeting with All Time Low's management about producing their 2009 release. Before Addison went into Joe's house, he exchanged some words with Addison and kissed her forehead before telling her he'll talk to her later.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Joe put his arm around Addison's waist when he saw a group of paparazzi notice him and his friends. He was praying that they would at least keep their distance since Addison wasn't in the best mood and the last thing he wanted was his girlfriend lashing out at them Britney Spears style sans an umbrella. Today would not be her day though. When the group approached, Garbo and Lily stepped in front of Joe and Addison in an attempt to make them less accessible. They only needed to make it to the front doors of the Ivy and their security would take over from there. The questions started flying.

"Are you two dating or not?"

"Addison, what's it like to be dating Joe Jonas?"

"Joe, do you always date the daughters of people who work for you?"

"How does Taylor feel about Addison?"

They finally made it inside the Ivy and their security kept the paparazzi from entering. The hostess took them to their seats and a waitress quickly approached and took their drink orders. They were quietly looking over the menus when Addison lowered hers.

"Hey, how'd they know my name?" she asked.

"And how do they know your dad is working on our album?" Joe also asked. "We haven't released any information like that. But then again, they all have their own ways of finding stuff out." Joe shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure we'll find out the source sooner or later," Lily said and looked back at her menu. After a few more minutes, the waitress came back and took their order and menus.

"You know what else I don't get: why do the paparazzi ask questions if they're just taking pictures? They're not writing anything. I get that some of them have video cameras but the others don't so why ask?" Addison said.

Joe shrugged his shoulders again. "There are some things I will never understand about this life. Maybe it's something that was never meant to be understood."

"Okay," Addison said satisfied with his answer. He'd been in this kind of life longer than her and if he didn't know, then it is what it is.

"So, we have some big news we wanted to share with you guys first," Garbo said.

"It's good news, right?" Joe asked.

"Yes, silly Joe Jonas," Lily said and reached across the table to ruffle his hair.

Joe gasped. "Not the hair!" He fixed it as best as he could.

"So, what's the big news?" Addison asked.

"Lily and I are moving in together," Garbo announced.

"Awe that's great you guys!" Addison said.

"We're pretty sure we've found a place and you're going to help decorate it, right?" Lily asked Addison.

"Um…"

"Addison!"

"I'm just kidding, yes I will help you Lily."

"We figured we would tell you guys first since if it weren't for you two getting together, we never would have gotten together," Garbo said.

"You're welcome," Joe said and patted Garbo's back. "I expect your first son to be named after me."

Garbo laughed. "Oh now that's funny. You should do that."

"No. I'm not naming any of my kids Joe or Garbo. Sorry," Addison said and shook her head.

"We'll see about that," Joe said.

Addison spent the time trying to focus on her friends and not the pending paternity test results.
♠ ♠ ♠
Feedback kudos: Jenna, Katherine and Mashi.

I'm not quite sure if this is the last we'll see of Kyle. I have a couple ideas concerning him but I'm just not sure I want to use them. Let me know what you think of Kyle and we'll go from there. Kissy is also based on one of my co-workers. Her full name is Kissondra hence why she goes by Kissy.

Hopefully you guys remember that Ted and Cassie are Addison's parents. I used their names to give Addison's father more of a personal aspect so you can get a little of him as a person instead of just as Addison's father.

I'm working on revising this story. No big changes, just minor things. We have a new crappy layout and I'm going to start giving the chapters actual title names instead of 1/2/3/4...