Give It a Chance for Our Love to Start

"What," I asked, surprised. I started laughing. Had I seriously thought he was going to tell me he loved me or something? Wow. Maybe I was insane. The look in his eyes told me that he was even more convinced of my insanity. I stifled my laughter. "Um. Thank you?"

He half smiled. "Seriously Bethany. There has to be something wrong up there."

I coughed to hide a chuckle. "And why is that Nicholas?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "You're madly in love with Joe."

I sighed. So this was the reason for our ice cream trip. "Nick, --"

"Just listen, okay Beth," Nick cut me off. I sighed, and nodded. I didn't really think I had a choice. "Look. What happened to Tinsley is bad,--"

"Horrible," I corrected him.

He nodded. "It is horrible. But isn't giving her something fake even worse?"

"Nick—"

"I know, you want to help her Bethany," he said. "But is lying to her and pretending that Joe loves her not helping her?"

"Joe loves her," I said quietly, feeling the pain shoot up into my heart even as I said the words.

Nick sighed. "He does. Ten years is a long time to think you're madly in love with someone, and then find out you're not. But he loves you Bethany, far more than he loves her. I mean, come on. Do you really think he'd go along with this little charade of yours if he wouldn't die for you?"

"It's – he --," I sighed, not knowing how to explain, how to show Nick that Tinsley was my sister, my best friend. I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't go to her and say you love Joe, good. Now give him to me. Give me your love. "If he hadn't found out, Nick, if I hadn't been so stupid as to hum that melody, our melody, he would have never known. And then, this is what would have been happening. How could I punish Tinsley for my stupidity?"

He shook his head. "Do you believe in soul mates, Bethany?"

"What," I asked, slightly thrown off.

"Soul mates," he repeated. "you know? The one person you were made for? Your other half? Two parts of a whole?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes." I sighed. "Sometimes, I feel like there's a part of me missing, like I'm not whole. But when I'm with J--" I stopped, realizing I had said too much.

He smiled sympathetically. "When you're with Joe, you feel like you're finally whole," he suggested.

I didn't say anything, just looking at the ice cream in front of me. "That doesn't—"

"Beth, he loves you. And you love him. You're insane for thinking he could just forget about that, or that you can either."

I sighed. "It doesn't matter Nick. What's done is done. I just hope Joe doesn't—" I stopped, knowing I had said way too much.

"Doesn't what," Nick questioned.

I sighed. I knew he would be persistent until I told him. "Jo said he'd only marry her the day I married someone else."

I saw Nick's eyes tighten as his grip on his spoon did. "He what?"

"It's perfectly reasonable," I said quickly, sensing Nick's anger. "I mean, like you said, it's my stupid plan. And he can't just forget me."

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Still, to put you through that Bethany," he didn't continue, just shaking his head.

I reached over and covered his hand with mine. "Hey, I'm going to be okay, alright?"

He smiled at me, nodding. "Let's finish up so we can watch the rest of the game."

"Game," I asked, confused.

He smirked. "Don't tell me you forgot. Eagles verse Cardinals."

I grinned. "Oh yeah. The one were we Eagles are going to kick Cardinal butts."

He laughed. "Yeah right."

---

"This was so boring," Tinsley groaned, leaning on Joe as he changed the channel. The game was over, and, much to Bethany's displeasure, the Cardinals had won, kicking the Eagles out of the playoffs.

"And rigged," Bethany mumbled.

Joe and I started laughing. "You're just saying that because your precious Eagles lost, just as we said they would," I smirked at her.

"Because it was rigged," she repeated.

"That's what all Eagles' fans say every time they lose," Joe sighed dramatically. "Forget the fact that the Eagles suck."

The room turned slightly cold as Bethany turned to glare at Joe. I smirked. "Oh, you're in trouble now."

Joe's eyes grew wide as he started to look panicked. "They do not suck Joseph Adam Jonas," she seethed at him, grabbing his hair.

"Ow," he whined as she pulled it harder. "Get off!"

"Say they do not suck," she demanded.

"They don't suck, they don't suck," he said quickly.

Bethany released him. "That's what I thought," she grinned.

Joe rubbed his head. "Thanks for the help Tins."

Tinsley smirked. "Sorry babe," she said. I watched as both Bethany's and Joe's eyes tightened at the word. "But Bethany is psycho, not that I understand why in this case. It's just football."

"Just, just football," Bethany asked in disbelief. "Just football? It is not just football. It is the great American pastime. It's, it's –" She sighed, getting up. "I cannot take this." She huffed and stormed up the stairs, mumbling something about just football.

Tinsley laughed. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my best friend." She got up, quickly kissing Joe before following her. "Come on B, I was just kidding."

Joe watched her go. I saw his lip quiver slightly before he turned back to the television, pretending nothing had happened. I groaned. "Joe, you're an asshole."

"What," he asked, confused.

"You're such an asshole," I repeated. I don't know why, but for the last few days, I had become quite blunt. "I cannot believe you're actually forcing Bethany to marry someone."