Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay so the editing part is giving me fits. It shouldn't be italicized after the lyrics to "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know"....And I don't own any song lyrics, they belong to the respective artists and record labels. I am in the middle of getting kids ready to go back to school and myself going back. I will keep updating but not as fast. Please review. I love hearing what you think about the story.
The morning found Melissa laying in bed, replaying the last nights events in her mind. She didn't regret any of it, a small smile on her face.. Joey was sound asleep and she wasn't going to wake him. Melissa rolled over to face him, her eyes tracing over the contours of his face. She should get up since Joey turned off the alarm. There was a couple of hours before she needed to be in class and then work again until she was off for a day. One of her hands found Joey's cheek and stroked it, letting her lips trace around his jawline.
Joey woke up by degrees, the feel of a hand touching him, then lips and then he grunted, pulling her closer. He heard a sigh and barely opened one eye. “Mornin',” he said, his voice gravelly with sleep, leaning in to kiss her. His lips met hers and he smiled, wrapping his arms around her.
Melissa kissed him back, breaking off the kiss to sigh. Smiling at him. A noise distracted her she looked over at Joey's phone, seeing Kristen's name on caller ID. “Kristen's calling...” she said, her eyes not meeting his. It had made reality come back all to quickly that this had just been something of a fantasy, that they weren't together. The next minute the thought flashed through her mind that she was one of those girls she despised.
Joey felt like ice water had been doused on him at hearing his girlfriend's name. Especially from Melissa's lips. He raised an eyebrow at her, lifting his head where he could look at her. “I'll call her back later,” he said. Breaking up with Kristen was on his to do list. She was in Pittsburgh and he didn't think anything was wrong with telling Melissa how he felt. The confused look on his face intensified when Melissa slipped out of his arms. “Where you going, bambina?” Joey was awake now, sitting on the bed as he watched her throw stuff unceremoniously in her bag.
“I'm not doing this with you, Joey. I don't regret last night, but I can't..we can't...” Melissa swallowed a lump of emotion and shook her head.
“If you didn't regret it, you wouldn't be trying to leave,” Joey told her, getting up and folding his arms across his chest. “What happened between then and now? I had a girlfriend last night too. You said you loved me. I asked if you wanted to stop. Do you remember that?” Joey's words became louder the angrier he got, at Melissa and at the fact that she was right.
Melissa nodded, wiping tears away, turning to face Joey. “I remember. And I just told you, I didn't regret it. I just realized this morning that I don't want to be that girl that wrecks a relationship. Even if you are breaking up with her, Joey. She deserves to be told. I at least told Travis I was through with him.”
“So I was a rebound fuck?” he watched Melissa blanch, stepping back from him. “You sure have a damn funny way of showing someone you care about them. I didn't hear you spouting any of this last night...” Joey bit off his words.
“I just want you to do the right thing! If you want us to be together, you'll break up with Kristen first. Not get mad at me for thinking about it. Don't be so childish, Joey!”
Joey broke the standoff, getting into her personal space. “Childish? I'm fucking childish because I love you? That I thought last night meant something to you when it didn't?” he held a finger up when Melissa started to speak. “I just realized something, Mel. That for all the things I like about you, you sure are two faced. It's okay for your brother to date Rachel while he's gay. For any other guy to do whatever he wants and then when I do something, suddenly it's wrong.”
“That's because I love you more than any other guy! I don't care what my brother does, or JC or Justin or whoever,” she finally said, her voice broken and ragged.
“You have a damn funny way of showing it,” Joey repeated, grabbing her bag after she'd zipped it up, putting on a pair of capri's. He found a pair of flip flops and slipped them on, grabbing his wallet and keys. “Come on. I'll drive you home.”
“Joey...” Melissa started, heartbroken when she wouldn't even look at her or talk.
“If you love me as much as you say you do, you won't talk to me right now,” Joey snapped, tossing her bag in the backseat of the Acura. He barely waited until she had shut the door before backing out of his driveway. “I'm not a fuckin' saint. I'm a person, Mel. I have feelings. And I thought you'd be the last one in the world to make me feel like shit. Especially after yesterday...and last night.. Guess I was wrong.” Joey stopped talking after they got off the interstate and into Lance's neighborhood. He felt his breath leave a bit when he looked over at Melissa. She had her head leaned against the window and he could see her shoulders shake. There was a part of him that knew he was responsible, but the rest of him told that part to shut up.
Melissa used the back of her hand to wipe her face and got out of the car. She dug her key out of her purse and gave Joey a sad look as he got her bag and left it on the sidewalk. “Are we back to where we were before?” she asked in a small voice, watching as he stood there, emotions running across his face.
“I don't know,” Joey told her, running a hand over his face. “Not sure if I'll have my phone with me today.” It was his nice way of telling her don't call him, that he needed some time. He saw her nod, feeling like an ass. Nothing was going the way he thought it should. Joey got back in his car and backed out of the driveway, saving the cursing and banging the steering wheel until he'd gotten to the stop sign at the end of Lance's street.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
“You gonna sit there all day like that?” Lance asked his sister, watching her stare off at the dark screen of the television, a mad scowl on her face. He'd been surprised when she was home that morning when he got up, offering clipped answers of why she was home. It didn't tell him anything and she left for work, coming home in much the same mood. “Do you want something to eat?” he asked, thinking he heard her mutter she'd rather starve.
“What happened? Is it something with Jo--”
“Why does everyone assume things happen with Joey when I'm upset? Is Joey my boyfriend?” Melissa yelled at him, getting up and walking past her brother to go to her room. “No, he's not. He's with Kristen. “
Lance sighed heavily, grabbing the remote. “Yep, it's Joey,” he muttered, flipping channels.
*^*^*^*^*^*
“Is something weird going on? Did aliens come abduct your body or something?” Justin asked Joey as they shot hoops in front of Justin's house in Orlando. They were going for a game of HORSE,
but so far it had been quiet on Joey's side of things with one word answers and no jokes. Justin held the ball. “Seriously, dawg. Either fuckin' talk or I'm gonna body check you into the sidewalk and make you scream like a bitch. Mel will have to take you to the hospital and you'll have to tell them you got your ass kicked by me.”
Joey started to have a smile on his face from his friend's insult, but snorted at the mention of Melissa's name. “Nothing to talk about. You don't know how to keep your trap shut,” Joey grabbed the ball from Justin and shot. He didn't want to admit that he'd slept with his best friend and now not talked to her for two days. Joey felt like shit. He'd toyed with calling her, and to his surprise, Melissa had actually listened when he told her not to call. Joey told himself she hadn't called because she was waiting on him to call her, but he figured she was waiting for him to break up with Kristen.
“You don't look and act like a fuckstick until you and Mel aren't talking. Which has been more in the past three months than the past five years,” Justin told Joey, grabbing the ball back and executing the same shot Joey just had. “What's the problem? She decide to bang some guy or what?”
“We slept together...” Joey ran a hand through his hair, his eyes not meeting Justin's. “As in, we had sex.” It was no secret that he and Mel had shared a bed before, but nothing physical had gone on.
Justin stopped, a huge grin on his face. “So you're here with me because why? You aren't trying to get more bow chica wow wow?” He stopped when Joey glared at him. “I mean, if she's your girlfriend...”
“She's not.”
Justin put two and two together and Joey had to duck when the basketball sailed unceremoniously close to his head. “You motherfucking cocksucker! You fucked your best friend while you were still with Kristen? And Mel let you? Were you both high on crack?” Justin yelled at him, not caring when Joey got up in his face. “You wanna throw down, Fatone? Get mad, bitch. That's it,” Justin smacked Joey's face, getting hit in return in the mouth, spitting out blood.
“Why the fuck do you care so much? Melissa's not your little sister or your cousin or some shit. I asked her if she wanted to stop and she didn't tell me no-”
“Of course she's not going to tell you no, dumbass! She loves you!”
“Then why didn't she tell me I wasn't the rebound fuck?” Joey yelled, wishing he could really hit Justin. He was mad, confused, and not sure what he wanted. Actually he knew what he wanted, but he hated being the bad guy. “She told me to break up with Kristen before she and I did anything again, but that night it was 'oh Joey' this and 'kiss me Joey'.”
Justin had resigned himself to listen, leaning against the porch, a funny little smile on his face. “You have no fucking idea, do you? I'm not saying Melly's perfect. She's a woman, she has issues. But if you think for one second she wouldn't damn well do whatever she could to have you, you're sorely mistaken.”
“I told her she could be with me! What else do you want me to do? What about me and Kristen?”
“That's the first time I've heard you ask that since we've been home, dawg. And no woman wants to be 'the other woman'. Melissa realizes she's now that woman. She's letting you fix your shit,” Justin told him. “I sure as hell ain't gonna be the guy dating the girl I didn't want to because I was too afraid of what might happen in the most perfect relationship I had that I ruined.” Justin shrugged. “You must not love Mel like I thought you did.”
“It's not that cut and dried. What if it was you and Britney?” Joey asked, watching a stony far off look come to Justin's face.
“Fuck you. We were talking about you, not me,” Justin told him, picking up the basketball that was at his feet. “You don't want the woman who only wants you on Friday night. You want the woman you want to spend all day Saturday with cleaning house or reading the paper or whatever shit you do,” he told Joey, pointing a finger at him. “Mel's not completely innocent, but I lay the blame on you. Either break up with Kristen or tell Melissa you two are just friends. Nothing else.” He watched a pained look cross Joey's face. “Remember that feeling when someone else has her and you don't. I gotta go meet JC to go over some music,” he looked at his watch.
Joey knew Justin wasn't being rude, he hadn't called to check what Justin was doing, just showed up at his house. He nodded. “Thanks for the game.”
“You should be saying 'thanks for your wisdom oh great Justin',” Justin told him with a laugh.
Joey shook his head and chuckled slightly, “Maybe you can get your own talk show when NSYNC is done.”
“No, I'm gonna take Mel and marry her and have five or six kids.”
The space between Joey and Justin lessened in the next ten seconds and Justin smiled wide when Joey had him by the throat. Joey outweighed Justin by a bit and he was pressed up against his front door. “What's the problem?” he coughed out, still smiling. “You'd cut out your own liver with a rusty spoon if she asked you to. You don't want her with anyone else, but you won't give her what she wants.”
“Which is?” Joey ground out between clenched teeth, letting Justin go, punching the metal door. His hand throbbed and he figured he broke a knuckle, smiling back at Justin who'd flinched.
“You, Joey. That's all she wants,” Justin took that opportunity to punch Joey as hard as he could in the stomach. “That was for choking me. Love you, dawg,” he said, patting Joey's head as he was bent over. “I wonder what kind of engagement ring Mel would like.” He grinned when Joey huffed and flipped him off. “My work here is done.”
It took Joey a few moments to recover and pick up his lungs and swallow his lunch back down into his large intestine. He looked at Justin's front door, trying to figure out what kind of circles the younger man always talked in. He got in his car and picked up his phone, seeing he had missed calls from Kristen. Joey sighed, tossing his phone back into the empty cup holder.
*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*
Joey sat on his couch, dozing off. He'd planned on making the effort to go to bed, but so far it had been a bust. For a Friday night, he'd done almost nothing besides heating up some tv dinner that tasted like cardboard. Joey figured out why nothing good was on television. Most people would be going out on the start of the weekend. He'd been invited out by Chris who was going to DJ at one of the local clubs. Joey had turned him down, not in the mood. He was avoiding calling Kristen, not sure he wanted to deal with her reaction, whatever it would be. His phone hadn't even had a text message from Melissa and he was depressed over that. Joey wanted her as his best friend and his girlfriend. It seemed that it was a no brainer, but here he was over-thinking it. “Fuck,” he muttered, picking his phone up and flipping it open. Headlights coming down the road reflected into the living room and Joey paused, seeing them come into the driveway. He raised an eyebrow at company so late, wondering if he missed a text or call saying someone was coming over.
The security light came on and Joey waited until a knock on the door came to get up, praying it was someone he actually wanted to see. He looked through the peephole and blanched. There was Kristen standing on his doorstep, looking like she'd fell off a page in Vogue and not too happy.
Joey took a breath and released it as he opened the door, a smile pasted on his face. "Kristen, I didn't know you were coming."
"Surprise," Kristen grinned, throwing her arms around him. "I was missing you and decided to come and spend time with you," she leaned up touching her lips to his.
"Great," Joey said, hoping he sounded happy as a boyfriend should. He must have failed because Kristen pulled back and looked at him, searching his face.
"What's going on?" She asked as they made their way into the living room. She kept her eyes peeled for something out of place. Something to give her an inkling that not all was well. "What have you been doing on break? I've been trying to call but..." she trailed off.
Joey winced. This was not how he was planning on doing this. “Let's sit down and talk, Kris,” he said, moving towards the couch. When Kristen didn't move he turned and stood there, not sure of what to say.
“You've ignored me for almost a week, Joey,” Kristen said, looking him over. “I could understand it if you were touring or recording, but you've been off. How stupid do you think I am? That I didn't think that when you'd get back home you wouldn't be spending all your time with her.”
“Her name's Melissa,” Joey said, watching Kristen get upset. He let out a sigh and looked at her. “I was going to come see you this weekend and talk to you,” he frowned when she huffed, “I think we should start seeing other people.”
Kristen stood there for a moment before laughing. “You're kidding right?” she said, looking at Joey. He wouldn't meet her eyes and Kristen stilled. “You're serious...”
“I've been in love with Mel for a while now, I just didn't realize it. I didn't want to hurt you, Kris....It just happened.” Joey wasn't lying, but he wasn't being totally honest either, not sure he wanted to fess up to sleeping with his best friend.
“What just happened? You forget you had a girlfriend and decided to go slumming? Getting rid of me for her? I thought you had better taste than that,” Kristen sneered, looking Joey up and down. “You know what? Let's hope she's as good in bed as me. And I hope every time you fuck her that you'll think of how good we were together.”
“There's more to a relationship than just sex,” Joey told her, getting a little perturbed at her raising an eyebrow at him.
“You're a good one to talk,” Kristen told him, shaking her head. “I remember you always wanting some.”
“I think it was the other way around, sweetheart. You liked my name, my celebrity status and what I could do for you. Just like all the other fakes,” Joey said in a clipped voice as he bit off his words.
“Believe it or not, Joey, I loved you. Yes, I used you some. I liked the money you made and enjoyed being someone...but I did think you were a nice guy. Did you sleep with her?” Kristen took Joey's silence as an affirmative answer and laughed, shaking her head. “And you're like all the others, always looking for your next piece of ass. Be sure to let me know when you get rid of her like you did me. I'm not going to let you go that easily, but I will leave just so you can try and fail. Because no one breaks up with Kristen Devon and just keeps me from getting what I want. And I want you.”
“That's why they made restraining orders,” Joey told her, raising an eyebrow to Kristen laughing. “Just leave me alone, Kristen.”
Kristen's smile broke and she glared at Joey. “Fuck you.”
“Sorry, I don't think you're a part of the 'us' I want to be a part of. Now please do me a favor and get the hell out of my house.” Joey ushered Kristen out the door, but not before she kissed him softly on the lips and gave him a smile. “Bye, Kris.” He was thankful that the taxi had waited, shaking his head at her telling him he'd get tired of Melissa and come back to her. Joey stood there in his driveway a few minutes. He felt better than he had the past few days, but still sad. He had liked Kristen, up until he'd realized his real feelings for his friend. Maybe it was not as clear cut as that, but it seemed like the obvious answer of what had happened. Joey ran a hand through his hair and thought about Melissa. He felt a little lost, not knowing what she was up to.
Joey went inside and grabbed his phone and fired off a text to her. 'What u up to, bambina?' was his question and he laughed when he got the response. 'I lie awake, I drive myself crazy.'
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
“You're over there with a stupid smile on your face. Did someone text you and tell you that Justin was mistaken for a poodle?” Rachel asked, throwing popcorn at her friend. “Or did Joey text you?”
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Melissa said, feigning innocense, trying to hold in her smile at her smartass reply to Joey. She and Rachel were sitting in her living room watching Dirty Dancing. Lance had gone to the club with Chris, the girls deciding they didn't want to mess with the crowd and the noise.
“Well if he's texting you, that's good right? Unless he's trying to get my foot up his ass,” Rachel replied, watching Baby dance her way from the bridge out of the scene where she'd just practiced with Johnny. “If he interrupts this movie, I'm kicking his ass. You two can go away and leave me to day dream about Patrick Swayze.”
“Oh shut up, it's Dirty Dancing. If he wants to see me, he can come over and watch it.” Melissa's phone rang and she looked at it. Before she could answer it, Rachel snatched it up.
“Listen, you red haired doofus. If you make us miss the practice lift scene in the lake, I will make you sing higher than Chris,” Rachel threatened as Melissa tried hard not to laugh. “Oh you did? Well good for you. If you're coming over we'll take some junk food from McDonald's. And you have to watch Dirty Dancing with us, since you're the interloper of the party..” Rachel rolled her eyes and nudged Mel, “Let me talk to Mel..” she mimicked Joey, handing the phone off and shoving Melissa towards somewhere that wasn't the living room.
“Hello?” Melissa said, going into the office that was on the main level of the house, “sorry about that.”
“It's all good,” Joey replied. “So, Dirty Dancing huh? I guess I'll live through it if I come over.”
“If? Well fine, I didn't want to see you anyways...” her voice trailed off, wanting to hope he was calling for a reason. She could just be friends with him, she reasoned. It might hurt, because she'd wanted more, but Melissa just wanted Joey to be in her life. “I hate you not talking to me.”
Joey listened to Melissa's voice change and swallowed hard. “Yeah, no shit. I wanted to call you, but...” he sighed. “We'll talk about it when I get there with some damn Mickey D's.”
“I know that just breaks your heart to get food. I want my usual, please,” she told Joey, talking to him a few more minutes before hanging up. She came back out to sit on the couch by Rachel, both of them watching the lake scene. “Why do I get the feeling you're going to bail on me after Joey gets here?” she asked the taller blonde girl.
“Because I am,” Rachel told Melissa, giving her a smile. “Don't worry, I know you aren't ditching me for Joey. You two need to talk. You want my opinion? Give it a week or three before you decide to be boyfriend and girlfriend.” She didn't miss Melissa's crestfallen look. “I'm not saying don't hang out or make out, just don't go telling everyone you're together. Ease into it. I mean, hell, you've waited this long. You both need some healing time if Joey just broke up with Kristen. Even if he did it with the purpose of being with you.”
Melissa sighed heavily and leaned back on the couch. “I hate it when you're right. I don't like hearing it, but you make a good point.” Headlights came through the blinds in the living room and Melissa got up to answer the door, smiling when Joey stepped through the doorway, handing her the carrier of drinks.
The three of them settled on the couch with their food, Joey sitting on one end with Melissa in the middle and Rach on the other. Joey hadn't really watched Dirty Dancing, but had heard some of the songs, trying not to chuckle at the girls whose attention was on Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. “What is it about the movie you like?
“The dancing. The sex,” both of the girls answered, two different answers.
“The dancing is better than the sex,” Melissa told Joey, a stupid smile on her face as she watched Patrick Swayze's back muscles flex as he moved his hips. “It makes the parts where you know they're doing it better.”
“Because they danced?” Joey asked, raising an eyebrow at her, a bemused smile on his face.
“Think of the dancing like foreplay, Fatone.” Rachel gave him a look to stop talking, but smiled when he got this look on his face that said he got it. She gathered up her trash and slipped her shoes on, finding her keys in her purse a little bit later. “Call me tomorrow, Mel. Er..later today.” She gave them both a hug and a smile before leaving.
Joey looked over at Melissa after the door shut. “So, how are you?” he asked, watching her bite her bottom lip as he grinned.
“I'm alright, how are you?” she asked, moving to where she could snuggle into Joey, putting her arms around his neck. Melissa laid her head on his shoulder and smiled when he pulled her closer.
“I had a surprise visit tonight. My then girlfriend showed up at my house,” Joey told Melissa. “We talked a little bit and then I told her I wanted to see other people. She didn't like it, but as of about an hour ago, I'm single and she's my ex-girlfriend.”
“Are you okay with that?” Melissa asked Joey, watching him nod. “It's okay if you're not, Fatoney.”
“Melly, listen to me,” Joey said, moving around to where he could tilt her face up to look at him. “It hurts a little, but I'll be alright. It hurt me more not to talk to you for three days...You're my best friend. And I want you to be more.” He brought his mouth down to kiss hers softly.
“Mmmm,” Melissa whimpered a little at his kiss, looking at him as they broke it off. “I know this is between me and you, but Rachel had a good point,” she explained to Joey what her friend had said and they talked about the pros and cons of waiting to announce they were together. “How about two weeks?” she asked, giving him a grin.
“One week,” Joey countered, watching the ending credits of the movie roll past. “Unless you need two weeks for a mourning period.”
“Shut up,” Melissa scooted away from him and grabbed a pillow and patted it. “Lay down and we can talk.”
“You told me to shut up, how can I talk when you say that,” Joey did as she asked, laying down with his head in her lap. His eyes closed when he felt her fingers in his hair. “God I missed you.” He looked up at her, with a smile “One week?” he pouted, kissing her when she leaned down for her lips to meet his.
Melissa kissed him and sat back up, rubbing his head. “One week. And I want you to ask me to be your girlfriend. Not just assume because the week's over we're just together.”
“So you want to be romanced and all that? I'm scared,” Joey teased her. “It's sort of like one of those things you don't see coming. Like with feelings and such. I mean, I'm a guy so I stuff mine away, or try to. And you see me for who I am and like me anyway. Even when I'm being a dick.”
“There have been days I'd like to have told you to kiss my ass. When you were tired or sick..but we all have those days when you wake up in a crappy mood and stuff happens during the day. I've had them too. I hate to inform you that you're not perfect and neither am I.”
Joey feigned a surprised look. “I'm not? Holy shit!” He reached up and wound his fingers through hers, kissing her knuckles. “You are perfect. For me.”
“That's funny, I feel that way about you,” Melissa told him, making his hair a mess. It was later that they went to bed, and even then it took them a while to get to sleep, talking about different things. Joey's hand felt warm and protective on Melissa's stomach just under her shirt and she smiled, hearing the air conditioner kick on. “Lance is going to kick your ass for messing with the air.”
“I can take him,” Joey told her, his voice quiet as he kept his eyes shut. It wasn't the same as being in his bed, but he was fine with it. The woman he loved was next to him and not going anywhere. “What?” he asked when Melissa moved around to where she was facing him. “I thought we were sleeping.”
“Don't get whiny,” Melissa said, knowing she would have a grumpy Joey if she didn't leave him alone. “Sing to me?”
“No. It's your turn to sing to me,” Joey told her, opening his eyes. “Don't get embarrassed and shit, just sing.” He smiled at her biting her lip in the dark. “Am I not worth singing to?”
“No, it's not that...I mean, we are goofing off most of the time when we're singing,” Melissa explained, blushing. “The only song I can think of right now is a Britney song.”
“Then sing me a Britney song,” Joey told her, waiting. He rolled over onto his back and put his arms behind his head.
“If I suck, you can't tell..” Melissa quit talking when Joey growled. “My friends say you're so into me, and that you need me desperately. They say you say we're so complete, but I need to hear it straight from you. If you want me to believe it's true. I've been waiting for so long it hurts, I wanna hear you say the words. Don't. Don't let me be last to know.” Her voice wasn't the same timbre as Britney's, but she thought she was doing a pretty good job, making it through the chorus before stopping, waiting Joey to say something.
Joey's breath came out, not realizing he'd held it. He looked over her and rolled over to his side. “C'mere,” he pulled her down to him, cradling Melissa in his arms, kissing her softly. “What is it you want to hear me say, Melly?” he nuzzled her neck, smiling when she tried to get away, his goatee tickling her ear. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I love you.”
Melissa stopped struggling and looked at Joey, stroking the side of his face. “I love you. I don't think I'll get tired of hearing you say that.” She moved to where they were more back to where they were to sleep.
“I love you, I love you, I love you...til the day my life is through, this I promise you,” Joey sang, chuckling at Mel laughing at him being silly. “Night, Mel.”
“Night, Fatoney. I want waffles for breakfast.”
Joey harrumphed, putting a hand over her mouth. “Keep talking and you'll be getting the angry monster from the bed for breakfast. Kapeesh?” He let her mouth go a second later after she nodded, feeling her pull the covers up more and snuggle into him. Joey didn't mind, glad he'd kicked the air down. Lance would just have to deal with it.
Story Tags: joey
