Death Wish Love | A Joe Jonas Fanfic | Book One

Chapter 1: One and Done

*Natalia's POV*

Three. I was three shots in. It was enough to take the edge off, forget all of life's problems until the morning.

My body grinded to the music bumping through the speakers, holding onto Jules' hands as she moved in sync with me from behind. If anyone didn't know us, they would've easily assumed we were a couple. The truth though was that we were just best friends since birth that nine times out of ten drunkenly made out for the fun of it.

Our moms were childhood best friends, just like us. Our dads, however, were never present. Honestly, I had no idea who my dad was, nor did I care to ask. Those few stories my mom told me were enough for me to know I wanted nothing to do with that man.

"Hey!" I turned to face her as I shouted over the music, still holding onto her hands while dragging us to the bar, "Another shot?"

"I can't," she replied, breaking away from me to lean on the counter, "I have work in the morning, remember? They're giving me one more chance, Nat. I can't fuck this job up too."

I groaned, throwing my head back, "Fine, fine. I guess I wouldn't trust a hungover bartender either."

She took her phone out of her pocket, hitting the side button to light the screen up, "Shit."

I moved her hair over her shoulder, trailing the tips of my fingers down her upper arm, "What?"

"I need to go," she glanced back up for a brief second before vigorously using up all her focus on her phone, her fingers moving around at lightning speed, "It's almost two, babe. I should be sleeping right now to be up in four hours. Damnit! I'm going to be fucking screwed."

I cocked my head at the sight of Jules in a panic, my face falling at the sudden downer that wasn't the alcohol, "Go."

"What? Without you? No, not a chance," she lowered her phone, keeping it in her hand's possession, "I just ordered us an Uber. You're crazy to think I'd leave you at a club by yourself."

"I'll be fine," I gave her an assuring grin, "Go, alright? I'll text you when I get home. Or if I forget, just look at my location when you wake up. You'll see I'm not dead in a ditch in the middle of nowhere, and instead in the comfort of my bed safe and sound."

"You better be," she said with a glare before carefreely kissing my cheek, "I'll be over after my shift. Possibly earlier if I get fired."

"Um, yeah. About tomorrow," my face contorted in the discomfort fear of relaying tomorrow's plans, fully knowing the judgment was about to come.

"Oh fuck no," she shook her head, pointing her index finger at me, "I'm walking away before I hear what I think you're about to say."

I rolled my eyes as I sat down on the stool, Jules already parting ways to catch her Uber. Another shot was definitely needed just with the mere thought of tomorrow. But before I could order one myself, the bartender already put one down in front of me.

With a raised eyebrow, I asked as my gaze went back and forth between him and the shot glass, "What's this?"

"Tequila," he gestured to the other side of the bar where the counter curved, "From that young gentleman over there."

I peered over in the direction he was signaling to, my eyes instantly meeting a man in his mid-thirties. From what I could gather at a distance, his hair was messily spiked up at the front. Not in the early 2000s kind of way. More modern with a hint of curls. His shirt was casual, some design imprinted on the front that I couldn't quite make out. It fit him just right, defining his arm muscles that popped out from the short sleeves.