God Bless the Broken Road

Sighing Leigh Ann opened her eyes and stared the clock. The red numbering was mocking her. It was four in the morning; she should be asleep, yet here she lay staring at the clock having not caught a wink of sleep since she had laid her head on Joe’s chest the night before.

She rolled over to look at Joe’s sleeping form; it amazed her that he could look so peaceful after the night they had. She rolled back over and looked at the clock before sighing sitting up and letting her feet hit the cold tiled floor of her apartment.

She slipped out of bed and made her way to her desk sitting down in the chair and opening her laptop. As the computer loaded its light cast a glow onto the calendar she had sitting on her desk. Her eyes filled with tears as she pulled the top drawer open pulling out the tattered composition notebook that she hadn’t opened in so long. She gently ran her fingers over the cover before grabbing a pen and opening it to a blank page.

15, March 2009

Wow, it has been so long since I have written in this book. I don’t know I guess somewhere along the road I just felt like I didn’t need to anymore. I was no longer broken; I was finally healing and moving on with my life so I pushed this book to the back of my suitcase to be forgotten.

Until today…

It was so crazy really because yesterday had started out as such a normal day. The boys had a full day of filming followed by a late night recording session so I knew I would be on my own.

I had decided to a little shopping before meeting Kevin’s girlfriend Danielle for lunch and as I drove out the gated parking lot of my apartment complex I was met by a few paparazzi on stakeout.

Joe and I had been ousted by a nosey fan at the Honor Society concert the month before so it really didn’t surprise me to find them there but as the day went on the numbers began to grow and by the time I parked at the restaurant I had not a few but a crowd.

Now to say I was confused was an understatement. I mean Joe wasn’t with me so why were they following me? The minute I stepped out of my car that question was answered.

A rather lanky guy that I recognized from TMZ stepped forward showing his camera into my face, “Is it true you are responsible for the death of four of your friends?”

“Were you driving the car?”

“Does Joe know?”

“Did you really try to kill yourself?”

“Is it true that you were admitted into a mental institution?”

The questions were pouring from every direction and I felt like everything was closing in on me, but I did what big rob taught me to do. I ducked my head ignored the questions and made a run for the door. As soon as I was through the door I started to cry; I was just so confused, how had the press gotten wind of my story.

Not long after entered the restaurant I saw Danielle step through the door. I guess that she had been bombarded as well because as soon as she saw me she whipped out her phone and called Kevin; they spoke briefly before she hung up and put her arm around me. The minute I felt her arm around me I lost it. I’m not quite sure how long I cried; all I know is that one minute Danielle was telling me it was alright and the next Joe was there holding me in his arms and telling me it was okay.

But it’s not okay; how can it be when everyone thinks Joe Jonas is dating a murderer.

I have officially ruined my boyfriend’s life.

Leigh Ann threw the book against the wall in frustration, wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the date on the calendar, March fifteenth; it had been one year to the day since the accident. It didn’t seem like a year, not to Leigh Ann. She closed her eyes as the memories flashed through her mind.

With a shudder Leigh Ann opened her eyes and reached for the keyboard with shaky hands. She now knew how the press had gotten wind of the accident. Apparently the news paper in her home town had run an article about a memorial service that was to be held in honor of Jake, Carry, Melanie and Kyle. In it they mentioned the accident and that she was the sole survivor.

She sighed as she typed in the address for the newspaper’s website and clicked on the article. As it loaded she sighed. Though she hadn’t told Joe, she had known about the memorial for weeks. Her mother had been badgering her nonstop to come home for it but each time Leigh Ann supplied her mother with an excuse for why she couldn’t.

Mainly she felt that it was right of her to show up at the memorial. She knew that Jakes family still blamed her for the accident and really she couldn’t blame them for it; after all she was still alive today and their son wasn’t. It was understandable for them to resent that fact.

As Leigh Ann read through the article she began to have second thoughts. Maybe she should go; they would have wanted her to but at the same time she felt like she would be rubbing the fact that she was alive in their family’s faces.

She sighed as she continued to stare at the picture that accompanied the article as she tried to decide what to do.

XXXX

Half asleep Joe reached out to wrap his arm around Leigh Ann only meet air. He opened his eyes sleepily peering around the room spotting her he crawled out of bed and made his way towards her.

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head before wrapping an arm around her and resting his chin on her shoulder, “Babe I really think you should go.”

She sighed, “But their families…”

“Would understand; you need closure Leigh Ann.”

”But what about work; you guys need someone to make coffee runs while you record.”

“Leigh Ann I love you but I think we could survive a few days without you; besides Kevin is entirely too addicted to coffee, it will do him some good to go without.”

She let out a quiet giggle, “Joe even if I wanted to I couldn’t. There is no time, the memorial is tomorrow and I would need a plane ticket and I would have to let your parents know; there’s no just no way.”

Joe reached down and grabbed his jacket off the floor pulling something from its pocket before silently handing it over to her.

As she looked at the plane tickets in her hand she gasped, tears springing to her eyes, “How did you know?”

“A few days ago I got a rather interesting call from your mother; I knew you would regret not going so I bought the tickets.”

Leigh Ann looked up at him in confusion, “But there are two.”

Joe rubbed the back of his neck, “Well yeah; I didn’t really want you going alone and I didn’t think you would mind the company but I mean if you would rather I not go then…”

“But what about…”

He laughed, “Already taken care of; I don’t have to be back in the studio until Wednesday afternoon and you take as much time as you need.”

“But…”

Joe sighed, “Leigh Ann you need to do this.”

She sighed, “Okay.”

As Joe pulled Leigh Ann into his arms he knew the next few days would be rough but necessary, he was just glad he would be there to help her threw it.”