Cup of Joe | A Joe Jonas Fanfiction

c h a p t e r t w e n t y t w o .

Two days passed.

Being back in her home state was a crushing reminder of her failed relationship with Nolan. Over the 48 hours, she had explained the story numerous times to every family member who was confused on the sudden change. It was humiliating to admit the same faults over and over again. What was even more humiliating was that despite it all, her heart still ached when she thought of Nolan. There was a lengthy file of memories stored away in her brain of her years that she shared with him. Winter had loved him and, even in the most extreme situations, falling out of love is something that comes with time. While in New York City, she had Joe as a constant distraction from her own somber thoughts. Now, alone with her emotions, Winter was accepting the fact that there were still some buried feelings that she needed to face.

From the beginning of their relationship, her family had adored Nolan and his parents. They were a charismatic bunch. They lived the American dream of self made wealth. The Rockefeller's were charitable, friendly, and involved in the community. It was no wonder why her own family was so eager to accept and support the relationship with Nolan. What parent wouldn't want their daughter to be married off into wealth? When she finally got the nerve to tell her parents about the abusive turn in their relationship, both her mom and dad seemed completely blindsided by the change in his behavior.

Even more shocking was their reaction to her relationship with Joe. Her dad was always a man of few words, but he had a lot to say about the celebrity. There was a whole spiel about how she needed to be careful with who she gave her attention to, and her mom chimed in to add in her own two cents about how infatuation with him wasn't a solid foundation. Both of them agreed that dating a celebrity was a bad idea. That it would only end badly. That it was just a fling. That he was a womanizer. But Winter shrugged them off. They didn't know Joe the way she did.

Rowan was the only one to express any genuine happiness over the pursuit of her relationship with the Jonas Brother. But Rowan had the upper hand. Unlike the rest of her family, Winter had kept her in the loop all along, giving her all of the updates about Nolan and Joe and such. Winter trusted her sister and valued her opinion most. Rowan had her reservations about the situation, but she knew that her sister could handle herself and her own emotions. Growing up, the pair of siblings never got along but they grew closer as they aged.

There were plans on her agenda for the day that made her sick to her stomach. Today was the day when she was going to move out of her house with Nolan. They had been living together for quite some time. Everyone in her family was working, so this was a task she would have to face alone. Perhaps it was better that way. Winter drove to the house in silence, her mind buzzing with memories.

As she turned into the driveway, her stomach churned. She hadn't anticipated such a visceral reaction upon seeing the home they had once been so happy in. Her hands remained fastened to the steering wheel while she stared, eyes unfocused, at the quaint cottage style house before her. Winter exhaled in a methodical manner. The silence in the car around her was deafening while the years of memories with Nolan replayed in rapid succession in the depths of her brain.

One more controlled exhale.

Get a grip, she thought sourly.

With shaking hands, she ripped the keys from the ignition and started towards the front door. Everything beyond that second was hazy. Winter worked with haste as she threw her life into boxes. Emptied drawers dangled open in the bedroom and closet, alluding to how chaotic their split had been. Through it all, she was focused and strong. With one final box in her arms, she made her way back to the car, ready to close the door on her life with Nolan.

"Winter?"

The voice made her stop dead in her tracks. She peered over the top of her box to meet the striking green eyes of Eleanor, Nolan's mother.