Time passed and when the two year mark hit Joseph, he decided that it was time to move on. Leila wasn't going to return and while he still was hoping from the bottom of soul, he knew better.
Keeping wishing, hoping and almost begging God for the girl he had deep feelings for and to see her again, dragged Joseph to a point where he couldn't concentrate on making music.
The band split that Autumn and Joseph moved to Baltimore to take care of his parents. They didn't need to be taken care of but he did it anyway. In all reality, it was actually him who needed to be taken care of. Heartbreak had broken him.
He stayed in Baltimore for one more year until his stepdad passed away. His mother decided to move away from their house and in with her sister in Florida, leaving Joseph without a reason to stay in his hometown. After he had packed up the house and put it for sale, he flew back to Washington and left the realtor to take care of the rest.
Since his former band mates had moved on with their lives, starting new bands, gotten 9 to 5 jobs and started families- it left Joseph with a huge decision to make. Would he ask the band to come back together or he would go on alone and start his solo career?
Thanks to his international fame and name, he quickly found himself a manager and buried himself into making new music. He went on independently, refusing to sign with any label. He had already felt the pressure that the industry had put on him years ago and so, he didn't want to get him pressured any longer. His new manager had managed to score him a well respected production team and hired songwriters to help him with his new album.
But while he was going on alone, the members of the rest of his former band still hung out together once in a while after they had split.
Darius took a job as a UPS courier and was already starting to hate his job but didn't join another band, trying to mend the rest what was left of his relationship. Howie, on the other hand, took a job playing bass for an indie band and was happy.
Joseph hadn't seen his friends in a while and when they met after a long time, no one couldn't hide their excitement.
"We are going on an European tour this winter," Howie raised his glass to his lips.
"Spain? Britain? Norway?" Darius asked and Howie nodded.
"We are so excited to hit the road. Everything is set and arranged. Michael, the drummer, packed us some special liquor and cubans, so we could celebrate after the first big show."
Everyone around the table at the Mock pub drank their beers and chatted while Joseph settled with a bottled water. He turned the gap off and downed the half of it.
"And you? I heard you are going solo?" Darius asked Hewitt.
"Yeah," he replied. "I'm still going to make music.. Whatever happened will just inspire me.."
"Inspire how? Writing about a freaking heartbreak, crazy good sex and drown your audience with depressive feelings and compassion?"
Darius had a point but Joseph already knew the whole concept theme of his new album- destroyed and ravished by feelings.
"Shut it, Darius." Howie intruded. "Let the man grieve in peace."
"Grieve? She's not even dead. She's with that hotshot guy who runs congress or something.."
Joseph's eyes shot up, his water bottle's label already halfway peeled off.
"You saw her?" Joseph asked and Darius's face turned from his usual blank to a horrified look.
"Deem..." he cursed but while nobody else at the table didn't intervene, he decided to share his little news with his dear friend.
"Check the latest Guardian when you get home... page six." He said and watched Joseph hung on to his every word. He gave no warning, shooting up from the table, knocking over Howie's half empty glass of beer and bolted out from the door.
"Well... crap," Howie shot a glare at Darius's direction. "You just fucked everything up.."
