Description: My completely original version of how Pacey and Joey got together. Set after high school. Slight crossover with Pretty Little Liars, has nothing to do with -A though.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. The only thing I own is the original storyline.
Author's Note: Leave a review and I will update regularly.
Second Chances
Chapter #10
(Pacey's pov)
" Hey Jo.", are about the only worlds I could think that say right about now. Potter is the last person I expected to run into. This girl never ceases to amaze me. I spent nearly all afternoon searching for Joey and just when I give up, here she is. Unfortunately, she's not alone. Why, why is Potter out with her ex? Was it not just last night she all but assured Emily there was not a chance in hell she would take him back? If that were true, why is Joey out with him? Better yet, where the hell has she been all day? With this guy? If so, then why? Could Potter have patched things up with this prick?
" ...It's not what you think Pacey.", confesses Joey before glancing back over her shoulder at where she had been sitting only minutes before. Averting her eyes toward mine briefly, I watch as she eventually lowers them before biting on her bottom lip. Not really certain how I'm supposed to respond, I merely offer a shrug of my shoulders. Not exactly positivewhat it is that I'm expected to say or do right now. How does she even know what I think? More importantly, why does Joey even care?
" None of my business even if it were. I'll see you around Potter.", I manage in a gruff manner with a brief nod of my head. The last thing I want to do is stick around and meet this prick again. I'm not all too certain why Joey felt the need to clarify heractions to me. Whatever her reasoning might be for giving this prick the time of day has nothing to do with me. Joey is a big girl, she can make her own decisions.
" Wait a minute. Please don't leave Pace?", I hear Joey all but plead as I turn in attempts to leave once more. She wants me to stay? What the hell for? This guy...Ezra, he's the last person that I want to see right now. The last thingI want is to stick around, not knowing that Joey's probably been with that prick this whole time. Just seeing the guy makes me want to knock his lights out. The only reason that I have restrained myself from doing exactly that? I know for a fact Potter would hold it against me.
Not knowing what I'm supposed to say or let alone do, I all but tense up at Joey's hand gently grasping hold of my arm," What do you want from me Potter?"
Taking a small step towards me, Joey's eyes meet mine quietly. Offering her famous half smile, she sarcastically quips," Well, my cellphone for one would be nice. ...Look, Pacey. I know that I shouldn't have just took off the way that I did earlier. Could you please spare me the guilt trip?"
" Shows just how little you know me, I was never going to give you one Jo. Though, I got to say you certainly know how to make an exit.", I tease with a light nudge to her side. Got to hand it to Potter, that girl took off faster then anyone of us could stand from our seats. Then again, Joey has always been a master at avoidance. She has been known to make herself scarce when she doesn't want to be bothered or runs into someone that she would rather not see.
" Do you think, maybe we could go somewhere Pacey?", questions Joey as her eyes once again meet mine. Unsure what to think or let alone say when I feel her tug on my sleeve lightly before grasping my hand in hers. I try to ignore the fact that my pulse has suddenly began to race. My heart is nearly pounding against my ribcage. Does this girl have any idea what the hell she is doing to me? One way or another Josephine Potter is going to be the absolute undoing of me. I'm all but climbing the walls and she probably doesn't even have the slightest clue of how much it is killing me not to hold her in my arms.
" Where did you have in mind, Jo?", I find myself asking without so much as a second thought. Yeah, I am a complete goner. Who am I trying to kidding? There is no telling Potter no at this point. The girl may not know what she does to me, but there is no use putting up a fight. Who the hell am I kidding, I was a goner the moment Joey spoke my name and I turned around.
" Think we could go anywhere but here Pace? ...Please?", requests Joey in a low voice almost pleading voice. I can't help but notice her peek over her shoulder once in a while. Maybe I had it wrong. Maybe seeing Ezra wasn't something she had originally planned on doing. The look on her face is clear, Joey does not want to be here. Guess that is is safe to assume that whatever the reasoning behind her seeing Ezra tonight to begin with had nothing to do with working out their issues. Had that been the case, Potter wouldn't be looking for a reason to bolt right about now.
" Yeah...yeah we could do that. Think I know a place that you might like Jo, come on lets get out of here.", I offer before place my hand on the small of her back. Leading Joey outside, I open the car door to my jeep and wait for her to climb in before doing the same. Turning the key in the ignition, we take off down the narrow streets of Boston. For the most part we drive in silence, neither of us feeling the need to utter a word. Glancing over at Joey once in a while, I can't help smiling to myself at how beautiful she looks.
Staring out the window with a word, a few minutes pass before I hear Joey eventually ponder aloud," Where exactly are you taking me Witter?"
Turning off onto a small dirt path beside the docks, I park just outside the gates of a nearby marina," That's actually a surprise Potter."
" A surprise? Oh great, the last surprise you had for me landed us in a wet smelly swamp on a search for snails while our row boat drifted down stream.", mutters Joey with mock enthusiasm and a slight roll of her eyes. Laughing to myself at the memory, I can't help but grin. Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking that day. Potter was not all to keen that I had nearly destroyed our snail project and managed to almost land us stranded in a swamp by forgetting to tie our boat down. That was the day I first noticed Joey as more than the annoying tom girl who lived down the creek. Now that I think about it, that was also the day I kissed Joey for the first time. Wonder what made her bring that day up or if she even remembers? I sure do, to be great disappointment that kiss never really amounted to anything between the two of us.
" Say what you will Joey, but you can't admit that wasn't at least a little fun.", I tease before leading Joey carefully down a nearby pier. This is where I have True Love docked these days. I sailed her up to Boston Harbor a few weekends back when I had made the decision to scout out a place for a new restaurant location. This boat was my second home over the years, can't believe that I nearly lost her in a storm our senior year. Joey played a major part in helping me make the old girl sea worthy both after I had salvage her from a junk yard and after the minor damage it had sustained in that storm.
" Pacey, is this True Love? Wow, I had no idea you even still had her.", points out Joey with an almost astonished look on her face. Climbing aboard, I soon hold my hand out and wait for Joey to do the same. To be honest, there were one or two times that I almost had to sell True Love. For a while when I first reopened the Ice House, there was a time when I thought that I would have to give her up just to stay afloat. Thankfully that wasn't the case. Over the years, I haven't had the chance to take the old gal out sailing all that much. This summer, I'm hoping to sail the coast with her again like I had junior year of high school. ….