Shawnie's POV  

Joe and I walked away from the table, our conversation winding down as we made our way towards the door where Ben was waiting for us.

"Put on your glasses." Joe instructed me, his tone gentle.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Why?" I inquired, not quite understanding his request.

"You were crying, and you have a few fans waiting outside for you." he explains

"For me?" I said, genuinely surprised by the news. The idea that there were fans waiting specifically for me was unexpected.

Joe chuckled softly. He nodded in confirmation as we neared Ben, who was ready to guide us further.

"I told them I'd ask if you were up for pictures." Ben informed us.

I considered the situation for a moment. Interacting with fans was a part of the territory that Chris and Aubrey provided for me, and if they were waiting to meet me, I wanted to make their experience positive even though I had all kinds of shit going on.

"Yeah, it's fine."I said with a nod, giving my approval for the impromptu interaction.

As we headed towards the door, I adjusted my glasses as Joe had suggested, mentally preparing to step into the public eye once a fucking again. It was moments like these that reminded me of the unique blend of emotions that came with being in the spotlight. I loved my actual fans.

It's still crazy to say I have fans.

As Joe and I left the restaurant, our hands entwined, we were met with a small group of people waiting for me. It was an unusual sight, something I hadn't really encountered before. The idea that people were waiting to meet me felt weird.

I approached the group with a warm smile, ready to engage with my fans. Their excitement was palpable, and I was happy to connect with them. We exchanged pleasantries, and they asked me a range of questions that were light and friendly. They wanted to know how I've been, what have I been up to, and the purpose of my visit to Las Vegas. The atmosphere was light-hearted and I found their curiosity endearing but I'm not giving out any details.

A few of them asked Joe to take a picture with them, which seemed to take him by surprise. This was definitely a first for him. I thought it was cute that they asked him. Awww, he has fans. It was a new experience for him to be in the spotlight alongside me, and I found it quite adorable.

One of the fans noticed that Joe and I were holding hands and he wasn't letting go while we were taking pictures and talking to them. Joe didn't care either. He wasn't about to let go of me. He made them stand on my side while they took the picture.

"Are y'all finally an item?" One of the girls asked while glancing at our hands interlocked.

"No." I smile and shake my head.

"Yeah, it's just a security measure." Joe says

"Can I have a picture with the both of you?"

"Yes. But when you post this, don't start any rumors." I joke with her but I'm serious as hell.

She laughs and stands in front of Joe and I and we take the pic. Joe doesn't let go of my hand.

"Wait, can we take another one?" She asks

"Yeah." We pose for the pic again.

While we were taking the picture someone walking past, threw some kind of liquid on us then I heard. "Drake's girlfriend looks better than you."

I feel Joe let go of my hand and I see him quickly approached the guy.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" Joe's voice filled with anger, booming through the building. Passerbys stopped and watched the altercation. Joe pushes the guy responsible for throwing the liquid. The guy stumbles back, but his smirk doesn't waver. "You threw water on multiple women standing here, and me. Why?" Joe's voice is incredulous as he shoves the guy again, his frustration evident.

I'm immediately on high alert, instincts kicking in as I observe the scene in front of me. I've seen this kind of situation before, and I know exactly what the guy is aiming for – he's baiting Joe, hoping for a physical reaction that he can capture on camera.

My mental gears shift into overdrive as I instinctively switch into lawyer mode.

"Joe!" I call out, trying to get his attention, but he remains focused on the guy.

"Don't nobody give a fuck about Drake. Fuck him and his ugly ass girlfriend." Joe yells. "Get the fuck out of here before I rip your fucking tongue out of your mouth."

I pivot my attention to the group of fans, their cameras recording the tense exchange. There's little I can do to control the recording, but my main focus remains on de-escalating the situation. Joe has to calm down.

Turning back to Joe and the guy, I take a deep breath, my voice steady as I interject, "Joe, it's okay. I'm fine. It's just water." My intention is clear – to prevent any unnecessary escalation.

Walking over to Joe, I position myself between him and the guy, standing my ground despite the charged atmosphere. My priority is Joe's well-being, and I'm willing to take my chances, even if it means he gets upset with me for stepping in.

"Get out of the way." Joe says, his tone tense and resolute, his protective instincts still in full force.

"No." I assert, my voice firm as I reach out and gently grasp Joe's face. "Look at me. Let it be. I'm serious." My touch urges him to meet my gaze, and I can see the battle of emotions in his eyes. He nods in reluctant agreement.

"Let's just go upstairs—" Joe begins, his protective instincts still lingering.

"Let me make sure this mutha—."

I interrupt him, my tone unwavering. "No." I take his hand firmly in mine, resolving to lead the way. It's time to disengage from the provocation and exit the situation gracefully.

Stepping away from the confrontation, I turn toward the group of fans and offer them a smile. "Thank you all for coming to say hi..." I say, my words genuine as I express my appreciation. With that, I lead Joe away from the tension-filled encounter, heading towards the exit and leaving behind the ignorant individual.

Once we reached the upper floor and stepped off the elevator, I could feel the tension hanging in the air between us as we walked to our suite. It was only then, away from the immediate situation, that Joe finally broke the silence that had settled between us.

"Didn't I ask you not to get between me and anybody?" He asks

"Yes, but this was different." I responded, my voice calm. "He wanted you to hit him, Joe, and I could see that turning out badly for us. He was clearly looking to provoke a physical reaction, probably hoping to create a situation that he could use against us. He could sue, and I'm almost certain that was his intention. I'm sorry I had to stop you, but I could see the bigger picture, and you couldn't in the heat of the moment."

My explanation was sincere, my aim to convey that my actions were motivated by a desire to protect us from potential repercussions. The intensity of the situation required a measured response, and I hoped that Joe would understand my perspective.

We arrived at our suite.

"If you say so..." Joe responded, his voice still tinged with frustration but he didn't say anything else.

He began rummaging through his pockets, searching for the key card to our suite.

"Don't do that to me." I implored, gently turning him around to face me. "You can't be upset with me because I stopped you from hitting someone."

"But I gave you specific instructions..." Joe says

"And I didn't want you to get arrested. Would you rather take a lawsuit?" I countered, my tone remaining steady as I sought to emphasize the potential consequences.

Joe's frustration was evident as he responded, his voice taking on a slightly higher and deeper tone.

"It's about you not following directions." He yells. "I'm here to protect you."

I smile at him. "No you're not."

"Regardless of our agreement, I'm still here for your security purposes. I don't care if you and I are involved. I'm still going to protect you.... And my title is head of security."

"Boy please! I just said that to make it sound good." We both laugh. "Ben is the only official bodyguard here."

"Yeah but everyone doesn't know that. They know my title and I'm going to protect you no matter what. I'm basically the man in your life, it's my job." He finally pulls the card out of his pocket.

"I appreciate that, Joe. I really do. But sometimes protection means preventing unnecessary trouble too." My aim was to reassure him that my actions were grounded in a desire to safeguard both of us. "If you're about to put yourself in a fucked up situation, I'm going to try to stop it. I'm going to protect you as best as I can too." I say

"I understand...." He puts his arm around me waist, pulls me into him and kisses me. "Sometimes I see red..."

"I know, that's why I had to do it. I'm starting to see your temper. We have to fix that Joe."

He shakes his head. "I swear it's getting worse as I get older. I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal. I just need you to snap out of it and not get upset with me. He was smiling, waiting for you to do something more than push him."

"I didn't see it and I was looking right at him." He says

"Exactly why I stepped in."

"Thank you but next time don't turn you back to the enemy. He could've done anything."

"That's true. If I were really a bitch I would sue his ass for assault, just because I can. But I'm not."

"I would sue his pants off. Throwing water on a group of women...." He said looking like he's getting mad all over again.

He opens the door and lets me go in first. 

"Oh, hello!" I say walking in and seeing Olivia and two other people. One I'm assuming is a stylist because he was standing next to a rack of clothes.

"You set all of this us?" I look at Joe surprised.

"Olivia did. I told her what I wanted to do and she made it happen for me. I know how you are with your hair and makeup. It always has to be done." He laughs

"Not always..." I try to correct him.

"Most of the time." He says

I just nod my head. I feel he really hates woman wearing all of that. He's always making what I take as smart remarks when it comes to it. Or maybe it's just me, he might not even mean it in that way. Maybe I'm just taking it wrong because it's me. I'm not upset about it though.

"So do your thing, everything is set up in the second bedroom. We have two hours." He looks at me with a serious face. "Casual, nothing too fancy, Shawnie."

"Okay." I say with a smile.

He disappears into our room.

"He's a guy, he doesn't understand." Olivia says. She must know I took it a certain way.

"Yeah but he makes it seem like that's all I care about when I don't." I say

"You're fine. If makeup and hair makes you happy then whatever. He's not putting it on." She says.

"But he has to look at it." I sit in the chair. "Let's do my makeup as natural as possible, and let's just do a ponytail."

"Hair added?" The hairstylist asks

"No." I say

"I guess you want a simple outfit too." The stylist asks with a hint of an attitude.

"Yes, he said dress casually. It'll grab something from what I already have." I say

"But you have all these nice clothes on racks." He points

"I won't need them today. Thank you." I say as she starts my hair.

The stylist packs up his pieces and after a few minutes, he leaves.

*************

Joe's eyes light up as I enter the room, and a smile spreads across his face. "You look beautiful, Shawnie." His words make my cheeks flush, and I can't help but notice something more in his expression—like he's holding back a thought.

Blushing, I reply, "Thank you, Joe. I thought I'd try something different tonight."

His smile widens, and he glances at my outfit. "I'm glad you took my advice and went for a casual look. Jeans and Jordans, huh?"

"I figured I'd give it a shot..." I say with a small chuckle. "I actually listened this time."

He laughs, a sound that's reassuring and familiar. "Yes, you did." He nods his head. "You're nervous?" he says, his gaze holding mine.

I let out a nervous laugh and nod. "I don't even know why I'm so nervous. I mean, technically, it's our first proper date. I guess that's why. I don't know." I say feeling a little disappointed in myself.

"You know, if we want to be technical, we could consider some of our previous outings as dates too."

"True but there's something different about tonight." I say

"It does feel different."

He nods, his gaze holding mine. "I feel it too. I'm excited."

I smile. "I am too!" I say, "I feel a sense of closeness with you. It's new to me. The fact that we share this nervousness and anticipation for today, it's like forging a deeper connection between us."

Joe's nod is full of agreement. "Absolutely. It's these genuine emotions, in this moment, that are making tonight even more special than I could have imagined..."

"Yeah... Come on. Let's go. We don't wanna be late." He says

We both jump up and head downstairs to the awaiting suv.

The ride over was silent but I was fine with that. I was focused on my nerves and trying to calm them. I've never been in a helicopter before. Never really wanted to either. This was going to be an experience that Joe and I shared that I was going to remember forever. I was happy with that aspect of it but the thought of the ride scared me. I think Joe picked up on my nerves and grabbed my hand and he held it the whole way, even when we stepped on it.

Joe helped strap me in first, then himself. We put on our headsets and I said a prayer for our safety because I personally feel like I'll be the one to fall out of this thing.

As we lifted off the ground I gripped Joe's hand tighter. A helicopter is way different from an airplane. Airplane didn't seem so bad because you basically don't have a front seat for everything and it's so much bigger. I could see everything in this little thing and it was only 3 of us here, us and the pilot. It's scary.

We took the ride to see the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. I hate flying over water is one of my fears, but flying over the Grand Canyon has unlocked a new one for me. It was okay but I was scared the whole time and couldn't really enjoy it. Joe kept trying to ease my mind and it helped a little but I was ready to land on the earth.

After an hour and a half or so, the helicopter gently landed on a plateau within the Grand Canyon. Relief washed over me as we set foot on solid ground. Not all the way down on the canyon floor, thankfully. That probably would've had my anxiety higher than it already was. This was the best part, being back on the earth. We were given time to relax, take pictures, and simply enjoy the stunning surroundings. A cozy picnic setup awaited us, adding a touch of romance to the experience. Okay Joe, I see what you're doing.

"This is cute." I exclaim, taking in the spread. "A light meal and champagne? Did you plan all of this too?"

"This is part of the tour, but I did make a few tweaks."

"Such as?"

"We're staying here to watch the sunset." he reveals with a warm smile.

"That's so sweet!" I gush. "I haven't watched a sunset like this since San Diego."

"I thought you'd like it." We take our seats at the table, and Joe opens the champagne. He pours our glasses.

This is so nice. The perfect setting. We should talk. Like really talk somethings out.

"I feel like this is a perfect time for some serious talk." I say, smiling.

Joe's gaze softens as he looks at me. "We can talk about anything you want, baby. What's on your mind?"

"How do you think things are going between us?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"I think they're going really well. And Shawnie...I want you to know that I love you. Please don't hold that Drake shit against me."

"No, I forgive you. I promise." I say

"....You just might be the first woman I've loved like this."

"In what way?" I ask

"In a way that I never knew was possible. I thought I'd experienced love before, but it was nothing compared to this. It's intense, overwhelming even. I wanna bang my head against the fucking wall." He says and we both laugh.

"I feel the same way." I admit. "I get overwhelmed when I think about how much love I have for you. It's a lot and I know my cousin might say she's heard me say all of this before but I know what I feel. I'm aware if everything I've said in the past. This is different. This is real. Realer than I've ever felt."

"I appreciate your honesty. But I know it's hard for you to believe you deserve what I have for you after searching for so long."

"It's a strange feeling." I confess.

"I really want to give you everything. My all is only what I want to offer to you." He says in a serious tone.

I smile. "Awww, same here Joe." I say. "That makes me feel all tingly inside."

I laugh shaking off the chills I'm getting from this conversation. I look at him and he still has a serious face.

"........ And because things are so serious between us, there's something else I need to tell you."

My heart starts to race at his serious tone. "Wait, there's something else?"

He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Yeah..."

"Okay... I'm listening. Just tell me." I say in an understanding tone.

"I wanna start by saying I'm sorry." He says

"You're sorry?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Because I know this is going to be hard news to process..."

"Okay..." I say nervously

"This is something I don't share. Only my close family knows about it. But..... when I was 22, I was diagnosed with leukemia."

My heart skipped a few beats and my mouth dropped as Joe's words hung in the air. Leukemia? I stared at him for a few seconds, mouth open and my thoughts racing as I tried to process what he had just shared.

His vulnerability in opening up about his past, about a battle with such a serious illness, touched me deeply.

Leukemia? What? No.

After a few moments of silence, Joe continued, his voice steady. "Five years ago, it came back. I had to go through six weeks of chemotherapy and medication, and thankfully, I went into remission again. I know how hard this may be for you because of the situation with you mom, but I felt you needed to know."

I just sat there trying to process the news. He can't be sick. I can't lose someone this close to me again.

"Leukemia?" I reiterate

"I see this may be triggering but you know I have a strict diet I follow. I'm on medication that I have to take for the rest of my life. It's meant to hopefully keep the leukemia in remission. Everything has been great for five years, I'm straight."

My heart ached for him, for the challenges he had faced and the strength he has shown through everything. He lost his sister while battling this sickness. I couldn't imagine the emotional and physical toll such an experience must have taken on him. Damn.

"Joe...." I say softly. "I—." I'm kinda at a bit of lost for words.

"I know." He says

"That's a lot to go through." I reached out, placing my hand over his, offering my support and understanding. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

His fingers intertwined with mine, his touch warm and reassuring. "You're important to me, and I want you to know everything about me." He says. "I can honestly say I truly love you and I don't want secrets coming between us and tearing me apart from you. This is something only a few people know about me and I felt you should know."

I looked into his eyes, my heart swelling with a newfound level of affection for him. "I appreciate your honesty. It takes a lot to open up like this. I can't believe you went through that."

"Yeah, it was tough." He says

"....But I have to be honest. I'm scared. Can it come back? How long can you be in remission?"

This is some serious news. I don't think I would be able to deal with another person so close to me dying from illness. I need him to be okay.

Joe's expression softened, and he squeezed my hand gently. "It's okay to be scared, Shawnie. Leukemia is a tricky disease, and while the chances of it coming back are there, I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy and manage it."

"What about the remission?"

"There's no definite answer. Remission can vary from person to person. Some people stay in remission for years, even decades, while for others, it might return sooner. The key is to stay vigilant, follow the treatment plan, and focus on living a healthy life and I'm doing that."

"That's why you don't really drink." I say putting the pieces together in my head.

"It lowers your immune system." He says

"I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing for you to say. I just needed to share that with you." He says, taking a deep breath. "Now that that's out of the way... changing the subject, can I ask you something?" Joe's voice turns curious.

I try to shake off any residual feelings about what her just told me. I meet his gaze, intrigued. "Sure, what's on your mind?"

"I just wanna know, why didn't you do your normal hair and makeup today?"

I feel a pang of uncertainty at his question. "What do you mean? You don't like this?" I self-consciously run my hands over my head, rubbing down my ponytail.

"No, that's not what I meant. I said I like it when you don't have makeup on, but that doesn't mean I want you to change what you do."

I look down, feeling kinda embarrassment. "I thought you said you didn't like it when I wore a lot of makeup. I wanted to make a decision to put less on, thinking it might make you happy. But I guess you hate it."

Joe's gaze intensifies, his hand reaching for mine. "Shawnie, there's nothing wrong with wearing makeup or going without it. I see why you did this, and I appreciate the gesture, but it doesn't mean I want you to change anything about yourself. I like you for you, not for how you look."

"You really mean that?"

"Absolutely! Wear your pounds of hair and pile on the makeup. You look beautiful either way. I know you have to look a certain way in public. You don't need to please me all the time." He smiles

I smile. "Thank you for that. I just figured, you're the one that has to look at me so

"Don't worry about me and my stupid opinion. As I stated, you're beautiful either way."

In that moment, I realized how much Joe truly cared about me, beyond appearances. His acceptance and understanding made me feel valued and cherished, just as I was.

As the sun set, I knew that Joe had put in so much effort to make this day special—for both of us. The helicopter tour, the intimate picnic, the shared conversations—it was all a testament to his care and thoughtfulness. My heart swelled with gratitude for the lengths he had gone to, and for the genuine connection we were forging.

I realized just how much I appreciated Joe. His understanding, his honesty, and the way he made me feel at ease—these qualities meant the world to me. It was more than just the grand gestures; it was the little things, the shared smiles, and the unspoken understanding that truly made this day unforgettable.

"Thank you." I whispered, my voice carrying all the appreciation and affection I felt.

His gaze met mine, his own smile warm and sincere. "You don't have to thank me, Shawnie. This day has been as special for me as it has been for you."

I didn't say anything, I just placed my head on his shoulder and enjoyed the quality time we were spending together.

******

We flew home the next night. I had so much fun in Vegas as I always do. I feel like every time I'm there with Joe it brings us closer. Every single time. It's been this way since the beginning. Good things always happen when I'm there. I would seriously consider moving here. Joe seems to like it...and I love his building. It was peaceful. No paps. Only when I'm on the strip I'm bothered but not anywhere else. Maybe that's something for me to really think about.

Vegas was fun but I had to get back because I had an interview I agreed to do. I wasn't prepared either. I had gone over everything in my head and Amanda said she would be there to guide me, so I felt good about it. Different from the first time. I feel like this time this is going to be good. I'm going to say what I have to say without hurting anyone and everything is going to go well.

I hope.

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