"So there's this game I played a bit ago with a few friends, it's fun 'cause it's questions we either have to answer ourselves or it might be directed towards everybody else. And I think, you take a big gulp of your drink if two people know that you didn't answer fully honestly," Joe says, sitting at the counter with three glasses, a bottle of tequila, a deck of cards, and his brothers.
His brothers stay quiet, unsure of the game.
"That work?" Joe asks. "The more we drink, the more the questions are going to be answered, so," he says, taking a sip from his glass.
Nick and Kevin chuckle nervously, agreeing with nods.
"Joe." Kevin starts.
Joe grabs a piece of paper from the center glass. "Okay," he says, peeling it open. "Is there someone in your life you hold real resentment towards?" He pauses, "Uh yeah, that ballerina that-"
His brother's cut him off, laughing.
"That talked about your small penis?" Kevin asks, laughing.
Joe looks at them semi-seriously as they continue to laugh. "She talked about my penis, she didn't- I don't- she didn't talk about a small penis."
Nick and Kevin laugh louder at this, unable to contain themselves.
"That ballerina, to this day, I think she was talking shit, and I don't- I'm not cool with it."
Kevin continues to laugh for a moment, Nick taking a sip of his drink.
Joe chuckles.
"Drink all that," Nick says, pointing to Joe's glass.
"Drink it all," Kevin agrees.
"That was the truth, though," Joe says to them, already holding the glass in his hand.
"Doesn't matter, it was a terrible answer," Nick responds, filling Joe's glass after he drinks it.
The boys deal cards, each grabbing one.
"Ready, one, two, three-" Nick says, and they all flip the cards over.
"Boom!" Joe says.
"Nick." Kevin follows. "Bowl it."
Nick grabs a question before reading it aloud. "Do you regret anything? Yeah, of course. Regret, like, so much shit all the time."
"Let's say, specifically, to this- the brothers." Joe says, narrowing down the question.
"Well, yeah, I mean, it's all encompassing. Um, biggest regret in regards to the brothers.," he pauses. "Um, season two of "Jonas"."
Kevin and Joe chuckle, glancing at one another.
"That's a big regret," Nick continues. "We shouldn't have done that. It really stunted our growth, you know? I feel like it was... just a bad move."
"Yeah," Joe agrees.
"Like it was just not the time and- literally, we- we couldn't evolve because of it."
Joe and Kevin both take sips from their drinks.
There's a short silence.
"Do you think that's when things started changing?" Joe asks.
"I think I became frustrated because..." Nick pauses. "I was in those sessions to write the music, and like, you guys didn't want to do that and so I just felt, like, a little bit of resentment. That seed of getting angry that you guys weren't in it with me there."
"Mmhmm," Joe hums, listening.
"Creatively felt shitty." Nick finishes.
Flipping cards again after another moment, Joe picks up a question.
"Why did you play a Jonas Brothers radio show after we broke up?" Joe says before pausing. "Oof."
He and Nick make eye contact and Joe takes a second before answering, letting out a deep breath and then directing his answer towards Kevin.
Kevin takes a sip of his drink, waiting.
"Um," Joe starts. "I think it's because we felt you were holding us back," Joe finally says. "That's the truth."
Kevin takes a second, blinking as he absorbs the answer.
"I think there was, um, moments that... Nick and I wanted to do our own thing."
Kevin takes another sip.
"And we felt like your focus was not in it anymore, and it wasn't a priority for you, and starting a family was. Your guitar playing, kind of, like, fell in the back seat." Joe pauses as he and Kevin look into each other's eyes for a second. "And I think we wanted to both continue doing music. And I think we had these gigs in front of us."
Kevin looks down, gulping.
"Now, as I think back on it, I realize how fucked up it is, going to take a Jonas Brothers gig and you weren't on stage, but it took me time to understand having someone in my life that I'll do fucking anything to see Addison for an hour."
Kevin nods lightly, a hurt expression on his facial features.
"All of those years, our first love was music," Joe says. "First love was the band. And so for me as a teenager and a young adult, to see you prioritize anything but... was bad."
Kevin avoids eye contact for a second, his eyebrows raising slightly before going back to their natural position.
"But it took me a long time to understand that." Joe says. "Like, you found love very young. Um, and I do think you know now, too, it's a balance. Back then, we didn't feel like you even tried that. It felt like, it was just like, 'the show's done, I'm out'. And it was like, 'well fuck like sometimes that hand with brothers is so important'."
"And I get that," Kevin says, nodding.
"I love you. I'm sorry that you had to go through that." Joe says.
Kevin nods. "Yeah."
"Let's carry on. Let's leave it there."
Later, after the three of them make their way to their rooms, Joe takes out his phone, starting a Facetime call to Addison.
Her face shows up almost immediately, a grin on her face.
"Hello hello," he grins.
"Hi, headed to bed?"
He nods. "I am. But I wanted to see you first."
"I'm glad. I miss you."
"I miss you too," he grins.
Addison immediately notices his down mood, furrowing her eyebrows. "Everything okay?"
He sighs, nodding. "Yeah, we uh, we played a questions game tonight, talked about some difficult stuff... but we needed to, so."
"Ah," she nods. "Well, a conversation is the beginning stages of healing."
He grins. "Ain't that the truth," he chuckles. "How's wedding planning?"
"Good," she nods. "I um, I'm a little overwhelmed, I'm not gonna lie. But, the girls are helping a lot and Dani is the biggest help of all. I mean, she's just guiding me through it all, giving me ideas, helping organize... all of it."
He grins. "I'm glad. Winter wedding here we come."
"Winter wedding here we come," she repeats, her smile large.
He chuckles. "I'm having a good time, but I have to admit I can't wait to get home to you."
"I can't wait for you to get home to me," she tells him, honestly.
He smiles.
"You should get some sleep, but I love you and I will talk to you when you wake up."
He nods. "I love you too. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she responds, ending the call.
He sighs, plugging his phone in, setting it down and closing his eyes, trying to fall asleep over the repeated conversation recap in his brain.
***
hello friends!
a new update already?! I'm on a roll!
Just for the record, yes, this conversation is word for word from their documentary, it is not an original conversation but it's still important to the storyline so I felt it would be nice to include it!
comment your favorite moment or part of this chapter and don't forget to hit vote!
all my love,
Shan:)