#faiy

"You what, bro?" Ja'Marr asks.

"I told her I loved her," Joe replies, shutting his locker. Ja'Marr grabs his shoulders and shakes him.

"You have only been dating for nine months. What goes on in that brain of yours? Let the women say those words first. I taught you better than this." Ja'Marr shakes his head, causing Joe to laugh at the younger boy's words. It's been three weeks since Joe dropped the L bomb on you and three weeks since he last spoke to you.

"Should I call her?" Joe asks, looking through his phone. You haven't returned his texts or his calls.

"She ghosted you. Your girlfriend ghosted you. I need you to get a grip and move on." Ja'Marr grabs Joe's shoulders and forces him to sit on the bench.

"Don't listen to a word he says. Doesn't he have like three baby mamas?" Sam chimes in, making Joe laugh. Ja'Marr flips him off and walks away. Sam sits and holds out his hand, asking for Joe's phone. Joe hands it over and lets him scroll through the messages. He makes a face and shakes his head.

"She definitely ghosted you. Maybe she's just busy. She is one of the top actresses out right now." Sam hands the phone back. They didn't help Joe at all.

"He said what?" Eliza, your best friend, shouts, jumping up from the bed. You turn around and nod your head.

"He said he loves me. I panicked and didn't reply. I've been ignoring him since that day." 

"Girl, that was three fucking weeks ago! What is wrong with you?"

"I can't say those words to him. I didn't even think things would get this deep. I thought we were having a good time together. Oh God, he's calling me!" You toss your phone on the bed and start pacing. Your best friend grabs your phone and forces it into your hands after answering it.

"Hey-Hi," You answer, glaring at her.

"Oh, hi. I didn't think you would pick up. How are you?" Joe nervously fidgets with his seatbelt.

"Busy. I'm sorry. I picked up a new role, so I got invested. I'm sorry." You apologize.

"I understand. Umm, I'll be in LA for some work. I was wondering if I could come to see you."

Eliza nods her head, telling you to say yes. You frown and shake your head.

"Yes. Sure. That would be great. Text me the info. I have to go." You hang up and throw your phone. 

"See, was that so hard? The guy seems to really like you. Give him a chance. He's hot. You've said the sex is fantastic, and he's the hottest thing right now. America is obsessed with him. This is a win. See where it goes." She tells you. You start playing with your fingers and catch yourself before you can get carried away. Joe arrives Thursday night, and you guys stay in for dinner and a movie.

"I can't believe you've never seen Titanic. It's my favorite movie like ever." You're about to sit in the movie chair, but Joe pulls you onto his lap.

"A movie about a real historical tragedy is your favorite?" Joe questions you. YOu bury your face in his neck.

"When you put it like that, it sounds terrible. But Leo and Kate are all-time greats. Their chemistry was beautiful. You'll see." You climb off his lap and sit in your chair as the movie starts. Joe barely watches the film. His eyes continue to drift to you. At one point, you start crying, and he leans over to wipe your tears.

"The way he loved her. Urgh, my heart is so full."

"So you are a fictional romantic?" Joe asks. You pause the movie and turn to him.

"What do you mean?" You ask, feeling a little on edge.

"I mean, I confessed to you, and you panicked and ignored me for three weeks. But things in movies and shows have you smiling and crying."

You open your mouth to speak but don't know how to answer. 

"I like what we have going on, but love isn't something I'm looking for. If you want to continue this relationship, I want to keep things the same." You stand up, taking the empty popcorn bowl to refill it, but Joe lightly grabs your wrist and stands up. 

"Why does love scare you?"

"It doesn't! I have the right to be happy with my situation, and I don't think love has anything to do with that."

Joe cups your face and reads your expression. His thumb grazes your bottom lip.

"Do I make you happy?"

You nod your head, getting lost in his puppy blue eyes.

"Do I make you feel good?" Joe asks, bending down so that your lips touch. You nod again and lean forward to kiss Joe, but he pulls away with a chuckle.

"Don't tease me," You pout, pushing his chest and storming away. Joe takes a deep breath. Joe could tell a lot about you from your eyes. You were going to run every time love was the subject. Maybe you had a bad relationship, but since you've been famous, you never had a relationship. Or perhaps it wasn't public knowledge. Joe follows you upstairs into the kitchen, where you are pouring a glass of wine. He lifts you and sets you on the counter.

"So, who was this guy?"

"What guy?" You ask, sipping your wine. Joe stands between your legs.

"The guy who made you afraid of love." He replies, rubbing your thighs. You chuckle and put your glass down.

"I don't want to have this talk. I want my wonderful, strong, and very attractive boyfriend to take me upstairs and fuck me into the mattress. Is that so hard to do?" You throw back the rest of your wine. Joe scoops you up and takes you to the bedroom, where he, in fact, fucks you into the mattress.

"Feels good." You cry, riding him, letting your hands squeeze his as you feel the rush of another orgasm flood over you. You buckle over when Joe suddenly grabs your hands, thrusting into you faster.

"I'm going to always make you feel good, baby." He whispers. Your mouth falls open, feeling Joe pound away at your poor overstimulated cunt. Joe quickly pulls out and flips you over. He pumps his cock a few times and cums all over your stomach. You reach up for him, and he complies, bending down to kiss you. Joe carries you again toward the shower this time. After changing the sheets, you guys lay in bed watching movies. Joe stares at your body through the sheet as he massages your feet. You turn around, smiling.

"Should I put clothes on?" You ask, noticing the print under the white sheet. Joe shakes his head, his face becoming noticeably red. He slides his hands up your calves as you turn back to the TV. Joe slyly slides the sheet off of your body. He repositions himself so that he is hovering over your butt. You squeal when he takes a bite.

"Joseph!" You giggle, turning over on your back. Joe kisses up your body to your lips.

"Keep your clothes off." He whispers. You nod your head as he works his way back down. When he gets to his treasure, he places your legs on his shoulders. The moment is interrupted by your best friend barging into the room. Joe grabs a pillow to cover himself.

"Omg! I am so sorry!" Eliza covers her eyes.

"E, what the fuck?" You shout, getting on your knees.

"Sorry! But tonight you were supposed to go to Zendaya's birthday party. We're already late!" Eliza yells, backing out of the room.

"Fuck. Sorry, Give me an hour." You yell, scrambling to get out of bed. 

"Umm." Joe sits on the bed awkwardly.

"Oh, right. Do you want to come? We can't go together, but if you come with E, I think it should be good."

"It's alright. I'll stay here and watch something."

"Are you sure?"

"No worries, go have fun."

You return to the bed to kiss him and hurry to your closet. Joe makes himself comfortable, but after two hours, he becomes bored and decides to explore your home. He starts in the living room, where you have photos of your three brothers and father. After you and he first hooked up, he might have done a small (deep) dive on you. It did help that his sister-in-law is such a big fan; all he had to do was listen to her rant. Even his cousins adored you, so getting his family to tell him all about you was easy. Unknown to him, you did your own research on him. Joe had spent some time watching your interviews. He loved how much you adored your family. He could see the genuine happiness they brought you every time you spoke about them. Joe hopes to be introduced to them one day. He put the photo down and made his way to your piano room. You started playing piano when you were seven and haven't stopped since. Joe liked that you had such a special talent. On top of being a phenomenal actress, you had an incredible ear for music. He could listen to you play and sing for hours. It's insane to him how you didn't get into the music business first. 

"Hello?" Joe picks up a phone call from you.

"Hey. Missing you. Can you tell I'm a little drunk?"

"Yeah, baby. Are you coming home?"

"What do I get if I come home?" You slur into the phone. Joe leans against the wall smiling to himself.

"Come....find out." He says, emphasizing come. You giggle into the phone and tell him you are on the way home. And when you get home, Joe takes over your body for the rest of the night. In the morning, you feel like a brand-new person. You stand by the stove, humming and dancing as the bacon cooks. Joe sits on the counter, watching you.

"You are so beautiful. Do you know that?" Joe asks. You stop and roll your eyes.

"I'm in nothing but a t-shirt freshly fucked. My hair is all over the place. I look a mess." You complain.

"I think you look the most beautiful right now. Mostly because I helped you get to this state." Joe grins. You slap his knee and turn back to the stove. 

"I have to fly back home today after this interview but don't ghost me again." Joe hops down. You nod your head, flipping the bacon. Joe wraps his arms around you, kissing the top of your head.

"Baby, I'm serious. I care about you." He says, turning you around. You look at him and give him a reassuring grin. But Joe can see it in your eyes; you are again in flight or fight mode. Joe links your fingers with his and kisses each one.

"I care about you too. I won't ghost you. I'm enjoying my time with you and where this is going."

"Good. Does it make you uncomfortable when I tell you I love you?" He asks you. You let go of his hand and turn toward the stove.

"I'm not uncomfortable. I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"Losing myself...again." You whisper the last part. Joe doesn't say anything, but his heart breaks for you. 

"I won't let you lose anything."

"You can't promise that. When people fall in love, one person always falls deeper." You shake the feeling creeping up in your gut and start cooking again. Joe leaves you to your thoughts and packs his bag. Breakfast was a little more awkward than you wanted it t be; you tried to make small talk, but you could tell something was bothering Joe.

"If you want to end things, it's okay." You push your eggs around, and Joe puts his fork down.

"I don't. Let's talk again. I have to go now, but I'll call you. Come visit me when you can." He stands up and walks over to kiss you. Then a week goes by with no word from Joe, so you hope on the first flight to Ohio to surprise your boyfriend for a home game.

"You did amazing!" You squeal as he scoops you up.

"How long have you been waiting for me? If I had known you were coming, I would have hurried up. I still need to shower." Joe states fixing the towel around his waist. You lick your lips and pull your shirt over your head.

"I can help you with that." You say, unbuttoning your jeans. The smirk on Joe's face doesn't leave as he watches you tip-toe toward the shower. He stands by, watching you turn the shower on. The warm water hits your body, and you hold your hand for him to join you. Joe drops his towel, following you into the shower. He is very surprised at your spontaneous public session but doesn't complain one bit. How can he when he's losing himself while giving you the deepest strokes? Joe holds you against the shower wall tiles as you dig your nails into his shoulders.

"Fuck Joey right there." You cry out. 

"Yeah, I know." Joe chuckles against your throat, leaving open-mouth kisses on your neck.

"Can I cum inside you?" Joe whispers. You nod your head, too fucked out to realize what he's asking at first. When your orgasm hits, you go limp in his arms.

"Yeah. Cum inside me." You mumble. This cause Joe to rapidly snap his hips, moaning your name and complimenting you on how good you feel. You can't help but let it all go to your head as he cums inside you for the first time. You spend five more mins making out and then finally get dressed. 

"Oh yeah, your parents want to meet at their house. I was sent in here to tell you that. I'll meet you over there." You kiss him goodbye and leave. Joe quickly dresses but finds his athletic trainer there stunned.

"No fucking way. You are hooking up with-"

Joe covers his mouth before he can say your name.

"I need you to keep this quiet."

"Why? You are banging the hottest chick in the game right now. She is everywhere."

"I know, but please."

"Fine, but you owe me, Joe." He says, leaving. Joe prays that he doesn't open his mouth. Ever since you ghost him, he feels he needs to walk on eggshells to keep you from running. There had to be some reason you wanted things to be kept quiet. Joe arrives at his parent's house and finds you in the back, where everyone is around the bonfire. You stand up to give him your seat so you can sit on his lap.

"Your mom was getting worried about you." You whisper into his ear.

"Sorry, my girlfriend held me up." He answers back. You cuddle up to him, listening to his parents tell you stories of when Joe was younger. The night ends with you and Joe back in bed. 

"I have to go to Italy for the next few weeks for some shoots."

"Is that why you came to see me?" Joe asks, sitting up. You stare up at the ceiling.

"I didn't want you to think I was ghosting you again." You lean on your elbow, turning to the side to give him your full attention.

"Can I ask you something?" Joe is ready to dive deeper into that head of yours.

"Go ahead."

"Why don't you want to go public about us? I'm sure there will be speculation when you've been to two games already and photos of you around my family."

"Which is why I've attended other sports games. I went to the Rams games a few times."

"But why? Why keep us a secret?" Joe asks, rubbing your hand. You slip your hand away and get up from the bed to grab your clothes.

"I should take a plan B." You say, going through your purse. Joe lays back down and stares at the ceiling. It seems he takes one step forward with you and two steps back.

"Can we talk without getting mad or changing the subject?" This time, Joe gets up and follows you to the bathroom.

"Joe, I can't give you the answers you're looking for. There are reasons I do what I do. I can't love you right now."

"What do you mean right now? Then when? Do you think I will wait around for you to love me?" Joe's voice comes out louder than he expected it. Both of you are shocked. You squeeze your palms so tight that your nails dig into your flesh. Joe looks down at your closed fists and tries to reach out, but you flinch away.

"Hey. Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice." Joe's voice is softer. Joe reads over your body language and takes a step back.

"I need to go. I have to catch a flight to Italy. I'll call you." You stand there waiting for him to leave the bathroom. Joe takes the hint and leaves you to get dressed. He sits on the bed panicking, but you come out of the bathroom in a different mood.

"I'll call you when I land, okay? If you have some time, you should come to visit me." You kiss his cheek and grab your phone. Joe doesn't walk you out because he's never been more confused in his life—the dry texting between you two last weeks. During Joe's bye week, he uses this time to fly out and see you. Eliza plans everything so when you return to your hotel from a long day of shooting; you find your boyfriend with roses. A feeling of guilt rises in your chest, and you drop your bag running over to him. Joe pulls you into his arms.

"I'm sorry for being difficult. I want things with us to work. If you give me some time, I think things with us could work out."

"Of course. That's what being in a relationship is about. We will work on things together."

"Thank you for coming to see me. It's been such a crazy schedule. I'm so tired. You don't have a game?"

"On bye week, so no game this week. I decided to come here, spend some days together, and fly back. So, are you going to show me a good time?" He asks. You nod your head eagerly. You show Joe the set and your trailer, telling him all about the movie's plot. Joe even gets to watch you in action.

"Who's your favorite actor?" Eliza asks while you guys have dinner at a local restaurant.

"Of all time or currently?"

"Currently, well, besides your girlfriend." Eliza gives you an elbow. You sip your wine and lay your head on your boyfriend's shoulder.

"My favorite actor right now is Jackson Taylor. I think he's amazing. I mean, I've probably watched every movie he's ever done. He's a good guy too. He has so many charity organizations too. I hope to collab with him one day. And he's from Ohio, so can't go wrong there." Joe laughs. Eliza looks at you, and your eyes are staring at the table.

"Nice." You comment, excusing yourself to use the restroom. Eliza watches you walk away and turns her focus to Joe.

"How much do you love her?" She asks, ready to give him the best friend shakedown.

"I'm in love with her completely. But I can sense she's not ready for that step. I want to take things as slow as she needs." Joe takes his card out to pay the bill.

"Be careful with her. She's fragile. But I think she's coming around these days. I haven't seen her so happy like this in a while." Eliza's comments stick with Joe all week. He knows there's more to the story, but he decided to take his time and let you tell him when you're ready. When you get back to the States, you go visit Joe. It's Christmas time, and you decide to spend the holidays with him. One year ago, you met at your cousin's wedding, and here you are, all lovey-dovey. 

"Fuck, baby." Joe moans moving your hips as you ride him on the couch. Joe bites your shoulder, bouncing you up and down on his cock, sending waves of pleasure through your body.

"Don't stop." You cry, feeling yourself reach another orgasm. Joe flips you onto your back, pushing your legs to your chest. 

"One more baby. Give me one more." Joe coaches another orgasm out of you as he fills you simultaneously. He grunts, and his hips stutter. Joe throws his head back and runs his fingers throw his sweaty hair. You lay there trying to catch your breath. Joe pulls out of you and reaches down to scoop you up for a quick shower. He kisses your back in the shower and tells you how much he loves you. Once both of you are fully dressed, you guys finish decorating your Christmas tree. Yeah, you both got carried away and decided to have sex in the middle of decorating.

"I did date someone before you." You place a snowflake on the tree and turn to Joe.

"Yeah?"

"I started dating him when I was 18. He was 30."

"What the fuck?"

"Umm yeah. It was hard for me to move on from him. The reason I can't go public is that he-I signed an NDA. And if our relationship ended, I couldn't date someone else for five years."

"What piece of shit did that to you?"

You shake your head.

"It doesn't matter. Joe, I'm happy with you. I want a future with you, so if you can just be patient with me, I can work this out."

"5 years...How long has it been?"

"3." You stop decorating to face Joe. He places his snowflake down and opens his arms.

"What he's doing can't be legal. There has to be some loop and-"

"No one knows besides Eliza. I was stupid and young, and new to Hollywood. I shouldn't have signed anything, but I thought he was my forever." You bury your face in Joe's chest as he rubs your back. Joe doesn't pressure you into telling him more about your ex; instead, he makes you his mother's famous hot cocoa, and you watch the polar express on the couch. Having Joe in your life gave you back the normalcy you craved. He was fun, caring, and loving. Joe always made sure you were comfortable and able to be yourself. In his eyes, you weren't a star; you were his world. Spending the holidays with Joe and his family left you feeling renewed. Joe has been asking to meet your family, but you're too afraid to take that step. What if things don't work out? What if Joe hates your family dynamic? What if Joe leaves you? What if-

"What are you thinking about?" Joe groans, kissing your forehead. You've been taking space in his home for the last few weeks. You didn't realize Joe was awake for the last 5 mins.

"Nothing. I have to fly home today. It's my dad's birthday." You close your eyes as Joe pulls you closer to his chest. 

"Yeah?" 

You loved waking up to Joe's deep morning voice. He always called you first thing in the morning when you were away from him.

"Would you like to meet him?"

"Are you sure?" He asks cautiously. You only nod your head. With Joe's season-ending because of the loss to KC, you thought that this was the right move. Joe will have a lot of downtime, so it's better to get the meeting over with. And with that, you find yourself making room for Joe in your own home. He arrives today, and you've already psyched yourself into him meeting your family. Everything needs to be perfect. But, of course, nothing goes your way. You get called into a last min appearance at some day party. Joe tells you it's okay, and he will find his way to the house. But Joe gets invited by Ja'Marr, who was there, so it works out for you. The place is packed with celebrities; you laugh and greet some friends and make sure to mingle with everyone because once you find Joe, you plan to stick by him for the rest of the party. That is, until you spot him. Ja'Marr is the first to see you and waves you over. You smile, walking over and hug him, Joe, and the man they're talking to.

"I can't believe we are talking to the legend himself, Jackson Taylor," Ja'Marr says excitedly. Joe agrees with the comment.

"Don't brag on me too much. I don't think I'm a legend yet." Jackson replies with a big grin.

"You are! Don't humble yourself. You are up there with Leo, DeNiro! You are!" Ja'Marr can't contain the excitement and asks you to get a photo of all three of them. You take his phone and snap a few pictures. 

"How do you guys know her?" Jackson asks, placing his hand on the small of your back. Joe doesn't miss the way you stiffen.

"Who doesn't know her? She is also an amazing actress. She is on the cover of every magazine, and she's da-"

"My brothers are huge Bengals fans, so I took them to a few games." You interrupt Ja'Marr and take Jackson's hand off your back. Jackson takes this opportunity to hold your hand.

"You guys should do another movie together," Ja'Marr adds.

"What do you think, sunshine?" Jackson asks, kissing your hand. You nervously laugh and slide your hand out of his.

"That would be awesome. I need to find Eliza."

"Actually, you guys don't mind if I steal her away, right?" Jackson asks. Ja'Marr shakes his head, and Joe doesn't respond. Jackson takes your hand and pulls you away from the crowd. You snatch your hand out and walk in the opposite direction. Jackson follows you, calling your name. You bump into Joe and stumble back. He catches you and gives you a concerned look.

"I-"

"Joe Burrow. Look at us two Ohio boys. I wanted to talk to you about joining one of my charity events. Let's chat." Jackson steps in. Joe looks down at you, and you give him a weak smile.

"I'll leave you guys to it." You walk away to find Eliza and leave the party. But Eliza is currently chatting up some guy. You don't want to block, so you find a seat and stay there. Joe finds you sitting alone and takes a seat next to you.

"It was that piece of shit, wasn't it?" He asks you, eyes trained on Jackson, who is talking someone else up. You don't take your eyes off Eliza in the opposite direction. Joe shoots up, and you grab his hand.

"I'm ready to go home." You say with pleading eyes. Joe takes a deep breath, and you leave together. At home, Joe doesn't mention Jackson, but you know in the back of his mind he's dying to talk about it.

"How did you know it was him?" You ask, taking a seat next to him. 

"When he touched you, you stiffened. Every time he spoke and we laughed at one of his stupid jokes, your face held a look of terror." Joe rubs your hand. Little things like that could bring you back to the surface, so you appreciate every small gesture from Joe.

"Oh. I thought I got better at faking it. But seeing you laugh with him, I feared he would take you away from me." Your voice is sad again, and Joe stands up and squats before you, cupping your cheeks.

"No one on this Earth can take me away from you."

"Joe, you don't know what kind of power he holds. He can have me blacklisted at the snap of his fingers. I don't know what I would do if he ruined your career too." You take Joe's hands off your face and stand up. Joe follows you to the kitchen.

"What are you saying?"

"We should break up. It's for the best that way; nothing can happen. I'm not breaking the contract and-"

"He can't hold that contract over you. You're a person, not an object. You can date whoever you want to date. Fuck that guy."

"Joe, please, you don't understand how this works. I won't go to jail, sure, but I will have my career ruined. I've worked so hard to get where I am. I can't let him take that away from me. My father gave up everything just to get me into auditions and school. I can't throw it all away. My career is too important!" You didn't realize you were yelling until the silence filled the space between you and Joe. 

"I know you're scared, but he no longer controls you. Think about the people that would be behind you if you spoke up. Think about the women you will help keep him away from. Most importantly, think about how free you will feel after it all comes out. You deserve to be happy....to be loved."

You shake your head and step away from Joe.

"I'm sorry." You walk away, leaving Joe standing there, trying to find a way to fix this. But he is clueless for the first time when it comes to you. Joe finds you in the bedroom texting. You tell him it's over and that he should go home. There is nothing Joe can do but give space. 

"She broke up with you? Out of nowhere?" Ja'Marr laughs, throwing his head back. Joe shakes his head and stares at his phone. His lock screen is a photo of you sleeping on his arm. He unlocks his phone to look at his home screen, which is another photo of you smiling down at him. It seems like an innocent photo, but you're in Joe's jersey riding him in that photo. Joe locks his phone and groans. He tried texting you, but you blocked him. 

"Can't believe you messed that up. But since we both are single, we got invited to a party. There are bound to be bitches all over." Ja'Marr pulls Joe off the couch.

"I'm good. I'm going to stay here."

"Stay here and be sad? What kind of a best friend would I be if I let you do that? We are in LA; there are too many women for you to sulk about one, even if she is the hottest. Besides, I need a DD unless you want me to drink and drive!" Ja'Marr forces Joe to get dressed and come along to the party. Joe talks to a few people and mingles.

"Joey B! Am I allowed to call you that?" Jackson smiles, making his way over. Joe instantly stands up straight and glares at the older man.

"Joe is fine." He replies, correcting him. Jackson raises his eyebrow and nods.

"Thanks for coming to my party. I like to host these little events to have fun. You don't need to be football Joe; just be yourself." Jackson taps Joe on his shoulders with both hands. Joe removes his hand and tries to walk away.

"Is everything okay between us? Earlier, you were my biggest fan, and now I'm sensing animosity." Jackson crosses his arms over his chest. Joe wants to tell him to go fuck himself, but he has to protect you. This isn't protecting you.

"Everything is good. I'm tired, and Ja'Marr dragged me to this party. It's an honor to be here." Joe replies with a smile. It made him sick to his stomach to be conversing with him.

"Been there. So many of my friends dragged me out to parties; you get used to it, trust me." Jackson offers Joe a drink, but he declines. Joe continues to engage in unwanted conversations with Jackson, and when your name is mentioned, Joe mentally calms himself down. 

"You guys seemed a little close at the party earlier." 

"Not really," Joe mumbles, looking for Ja'Marr through the crowd.

"Seemed like it, but that one is quite the girl." Jackson smiles and laughs to himself.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Joe turns toward Jackson, facing him. Jackson is a few inches short than towering Joe. His aura is intimidating, but Jackson laughs it off.

"You know these young stars that get around. I wouldn't get mixed up with that one. There are rumors, and I'm guessing you would like to keep the title as America's All-American good boy." Jackson's smile isn't inviting or nice. Jackson is threatening Joe. Joe stares into his green eyes, not backing down.

"I think I can handle myself."

"Relax. It was a joke. You're a good kid. Enjoy the party. I'll have my people contact your people." Jackson bumps Joe's shoulder as he walks away. Fuck. He knows. Joe knows he knows. There is no way he doesn't know. Joe had one opportunity to protect you, and he blew it. He let his stupid anger get the best of him. Joe grabs Ja'Marr, and they leave the party. The next morning, Joe is one of the celebrities on the gossip blog. 

Jackson, Ja'Marr, and Joe photographed at party together.

Joe stares at the photo of him all smiles with the man who ruined his relationship without even trying. He throws his phone and screams. You haven't unblocked him, and you probably saw the headline. He picks up his phone, logs into IG to find your page, and realizes he's blocked there too. Joe does the most desperate thing he has ever done and emails you.

"Why is Joe emailing you?" Eliza laughs, checking your email. You have your makeup artist stop so you can read the email.

"Can you block it? Thank you." You tell her, handing the Ipad back. Eliza takes a deep breath and blocks Joe's email. The door opens, and Jackson walks in. You sit up straight as the room clears. Eliza stands in front of you protectively.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm the executive producer of the show. I think I'm allowed to be on set." Jackson laughs. You stare at him through the mirror.

"What? Your name was not on the project at all. I wouldn't have let her book if-"

"Money talks. I'd like to talk to her privately." 

"Go fuck yourself. Stay away-"

"It's okay." Your voice is meek. Eliza looks at you, and you give her a nod. She leaves the room. Jackson stands behind you, touching your hair.

"Do you know why you got this role?" He asks. You don't look at him; only focus on your hands. Jackson softly grabs your face and turns it towards him.

"I'm a good actress." You whisper. Jackson laughs a loud belly laugh. He wipes his fake tears.

"Sweetheart, you're not good at all. I told the director to hire you. I think this is a better way to keep an eye on you. I met your little boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend. You made sure of that." You spit, snatching your face out of his hand. Jackson lifts your hand to kiss it.

"I care about you. If you get caught up with relationships, it will only mess up your career. This is how I look out for you. I'm always going to love you. I'm always going to care about you. Stay away from him."

"I don't know who you're talking about. I'm not-"

"Joe Burrow."

You don't move at the name, and Jackson smiles.

"Maybe you are a good actress. I'll see you out there, sunshine." He kisses your cheek and finally leaves. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. You quickly put out hand sanitizer on your hand, trying to rub off his touch. 

Joe flies back home to Cincinnati, heartbroken and confused. His brother opens the door, shocked to see his younger brother looking heartbroken.

"Is Janet here? I need to ask her something."

"What's up?" Janet appears almost out of nowhere. 

"I need help with a contract. You're a lawyer, so I figured it makes sense." Joe says, walking into the living room.

"Your contract? What's going on?" Dan walks over, joining the conversation.

Joe takes a seat. If he's going to protect you, he needs to know everything on the contract. He doubts you will let him see it, but maybe Eliza would help in that area. Joe was going to do everything in his power to help you, even if that meant you couldn't be with him in the end.