I looked at Joe with loving eyes. Did he really mean it, or was he trying to be sweet just to soften my heart up, get back together with me, and somehow, break my heart once more. What was I supposed to do in a situation like this?

"Do you really think I'm beautiful, or are you just saying that?" I asked suspiciously. Maybe I shouldn't have because, Joe's face hardened and he stood up.

"So that's what I get?! I make this wonderful breakfast for you, I wear the most ridiculous apron a man could ever wear, I call you beautiful and I meant it, and all I get in return is a 'Do you really mean it?' ?!" He shouted, looking at me with sad eyes.

Frankie walked down the stairs, rubbing his little yes, Elvis, Nick's new puppy if you didn't know yet, following tiredly close behind.

"Why is everybody so mad all of a sudden?" He asked in his cute little tired voice.

"Oh sweetheart, we're not mad, we're just upset." I said, bending down on one knee so I would eye level with him.

"Why?"

"It's a girl thing."

"Is that why Joe is involved?" He laughed.

I giggled back and I heard Joe say a playful "Hey." from behind me.

"Do you want me to walk you upstairs?" I asked.

"No, Elvis and I can handle it. Thanks though."

"Okay, Frank, goodnight."

The little seven year old walked happily back up the stairs, the tired puppy still following close behind him.

"Joe," I said, turning around to face him. "I don't want to fight. I want everything back the way it used to be. When you'd hold me when I was sad and tell me everything was going to be alright, when we'd lay outside on the lawn and watch the stars, when you'd sing to me at midnight, laying under the sky when I couldn't sleep, and I'd fall asleep in your arms and wake up in my bed, you happily laying next to me, smiling and telling me how beautiful I was; when you'd kiss me like we haven't seen each other in a million years, even though we had only been apart for five minutes. That's what I miss. Not you and your brother fighting and you being mad at me. Not all of this!"

I let a few tears slip down my cheek as Joe's face softened back up again.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done what I did with Serena, but I didn't do what you think."

"What? You mean have sex?" I asked, trying to contain my tears.

"No, I mean yes, I mean, ugh! I didn't have sex with her alright. We almost did, but I stopped it. I saw her naked and I started to think, and I stopped. Just please, let it go! I've done some things that I'm not proud of, but I regret it! I miss it when you'd tell me how much you loved me, and when I'd sing to you, when you'd fall asleep in my arms. When you'd tell me how proud of me you were, when Nick and I didn't fight, and a bunch of other times. Just please, don't do this!" He said, stepping closer to me.

I backed away slowly and started to think. Tears formed on the rims of my eyes, and they poured over. My face became red, along with my eyes, and Joe started to take a step closer to me.

Before I could say something and run away, my cell phone rang. My ringtone filled the room and I rushed to pick it up.

"Hello?" I asked, best I could, without squeaking.

"Is this Miss Shelby Phillips?" A soft tone asked from the other end of the line.

"Yes."

"I have some bad news." The voice said again.

"What is it?" I asked, preparing myself for something horrible.

What came out of her mouth next was horrible. She spoke the words that I would never want to hear. I hung up the phone and collapsed on the floor. A put my arms around my stomach and Joe knelt beside me and rested his hand on my back. He rubbed small circles on my back and tried to ask me what happened.

Nick and Kevin appeared at the top of the stairs and looked at me. They rushed down and knelt by my side as well.

"What did you do to her now Joe?" Nick asked, shooting daggers at his brother.

"I don't know. Someone called her and the next thing I knew she dropped her phone or something and collapsed to the floor crying. That was an unfair accusation!" Joe shouted.

Kevin noticed me holding my stomach and asked, "Is it something with the baby?"

I shook my head and fell into Joe's arms. Nick looked at us and he looked crushed. Why, I'm not sure. He stood up and walked upstairs.

Kevin watched him and looked back at me.

"Shelby, what happened? You know you can tell me anything." Kevin said sweetly.

I looked up at him quietly, dreading the words that came out of my mouth next.

"M-My parents were i-in a c-c-car c-c-ra-as-ash, wit-th m-my br-brothe-er. They're g-gone." I sobbed.

I buried my head into Joe's chest and he stroked my hair. I cried as hard as I could. Why was life so unfair? I regret telling them. Maybe I would've been with them longer. Maybe I shouldn't of gone to that stupid party. So many regrets raced through my mind and I said to Joe, "I l-love y-you."

Denise, Paul, and Nick appeared at the top of the stairs. I told them what happened. Everyone reacted differently. Denise, gasped, then pulled me away from Joe and into a hug. Paul just just looked at me consolingly, and rubbed small circles on my back. I caught a glimpse of Nick, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, ankles crossed, head hanging, and Kevin standing next to him, trying to get him to speak what was on his mind.

I slowly stood up and walked over to Nick. His big brown eyes showed sadness and his eyes were watery. I stopped crying and he uncrossed his arms.

"I'm sorry about your family." He mumbled.

I just looked at him unbelievably.

Kevin looked at me as if saying 'I'm sorry'.

I just turned into Joe's strong arms. After Frankie woke up, we told him, very slowly. He had every right to know. He and Palmer were practically best buddies. He cried a little, but then looked at me. He ran into my arms and wrapped his little arms around my waist. He cried into my stomach and looked up at me with his big puffy eyes.

I walked up to the guest room, refusing to eat. Nick wouldn't look at me, and Joe was bringing me everything, until I locked the door because, I was getting annoyed and laughing here and there, so he eventually stopped. I took a deep breath and got up off of the bed. I opened the closet to see my cloths color coordinated, due to Joe, and shoes organized by size of heel and color. I giggled to myself and dug through the back of the closet to see a black and purple case, squished in the corner. I pulled it out and set the case down on my bed. I ran my finger over the latch, and pulled it up, resulting in the case top going up slightly. I opened the case to reveal my prized possession, Old Belle. She was beautiful. Dark wood accents decorated the body of Old Belle. The neck was mahogany, and the strings were gold. The head of Old Belle was light color wood. The stars were painted light blue on the body. I pulled out my blue pluck that read 'Waiting on a Cure' in white letters. I plucked a few strings and tuned Old Belle.

I began to sing, "Joe looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see
That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be
I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about
And she's got everything that I have to live without

Joe talks to me, I laugh cause it's just so funny
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

Joe walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky cause

So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light
I'll put his picture down and maybe
Get some sleep tonight

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do
He's the time taken up, but there's never enough
And he's all that I need to fall into..

Joe looks at me; I fake a smile so he won't see."

I looked down at the guitar and saw little bubbles of tears, dripping down the side.

I put the guitar away, but stopped when I noticed various papers and photos on the bottom of the case.

I put the guitar on the bed and pulled out picture that was on top of the pile. It was me and Joe at the Emmys. I smiled at the picture. After the Emmys, he took me out to dinner and asked me to be his girlfriend. I pulled out the next picture. It was me and the boys at the concert of the night of their third album release. That's the night told me he loved me. I pulled out another photo. It was me and my family, at Disney when I was six. I put the picture right back down, face down, in the case, put the other pictures back in, placed my guitar in its case, closed and locked the case, and put the guitar back in the closet.

Life was cruel and I wasn't happy. Why?

There was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked, crying.

Joe walked in.

"Joe, I don't need anything." I said annoyed.

"I heard you singing." He said.

I just looked at the floor.