Editing Joey Potter (section)

===Season 3===
After Dawson returns from visiting his mom over the summer, Joey regrets breaking up with him and offers herself to him. However, Dawson rejects her, fearing another blowout will wreck their friendship permanently. Dawson asks [[Pacey Witter]] to keep an eye on the dejected Joey.

Joey takes a job at a Logan's Marina, where she receives unwanted sexual advances from her supervisor, Rob Logan.

Joey struggles with Dawson keeping his distance from her and attempts to heal the rift in their shaky friendship. Meanwhile, she finds herself progressively spending more time with Pacey. Joey has a brief relationship with a college student, A.J. Moller ([[Robin Dunne]]). This relationship makes Pacey jealous, and after she breaks up with A.J., Pacey declares his feelings for Joey and kisses her. Though Joey is initially angry at Pacey for kissing her with no warning, she forgives him after he apologizes for potentially putting their friendship at risk.

Pacey joins Dawson, Joey, and Andie on a spring break trip to the home of Dawson's aunt, Gwen (Gail's sister). Blossoming tension between Pacey and Joey prompts Pacey to ask Joey whether she reciprocates his feelings. Joey admits she felt a spark after he kissed her, which leads Pacey to kiss her again. They are caught by Aunt Gwen, but she keeps their secret while also warning Joey not to be careless with Dawson's heart. Though Joey is fearful of hurting Dawson, she realizes she cannot fight her feelings and embraces Pacey in a kiss. The two begin a secret romantic relationship.

Joey grows more anxious the longer the relationship is kept secret. When Jen accidentally tells Dawson first, he reacts furiously. Dawson confronts her and Pacey, ends his friendship with Pacey, and gives Joey an ultimatum between dating Pacey and saving her friendship with him. Joey tearfully ends things with Pacey in an effort to preserve her lifelong friendship with Dawson, leaving all three of the friends alone and devastated.

Dawson and Joey begin to converse again; however, Joey is dismayed that Dawson considers his friendship with Pacey forever destroyed. Dawson decides to win Joey back by competing in a sailing race with Pacey and throwing an alternative prom with Joey as his date. However, when Dawson witnesses Joey and Pacey share a romantic dance, he leaves devastated.

In the season finale, Joey confesses to Dawson that whilst she considers their friendship her first priority, if she thought he might forgive her then she might have continued to pursue a romantic relationship with Pacey. Dawson eventually urges Joey to follow her heart, and Joey rushes off to tell Pacey that she is in love with him before he departs for a summer at sea on his boat. She joins Pacey aboard his boat, the True Love, and the two then sail off into the sunset.