Our Happily Ever After (Major Editing)

Chapter 11: What is this? Who is this?

Hero's POV

I'm walking along a sidewalk that is right next to a beach. I've been walking since about 11 this morning and I haven't even seen a glimpse of Jo today. The sun is setting so I should probably be heading back to the hotel. I haven't eaten today so I should probably stop and get something to eat. I walk around the corner and see a small cafe. That should be good enough, so I walk over to the door.

I'm almost there and I see a couple walking out of the cafe. They look good together, she is short and has light golden brown hair and he is a little bit taller than her. I stand there by the door, just looking at them. They walk around the corner and just as I'm about to open the door, I hear the girl laugh. It sounds like Jo, ugh the girl even talks like Jo.

I head into the cafe, sit down and order my food. I eat in total silence, and I look out of the window. It's dark out now so I suppose that I should get going. I pull out a $20 and set it on the table. I walk out of the cafe and take a right at the corner. I'm walking down the street and I hear a woman laugh, it's surrounding me, bouncing off the walls. I look around but see no one. I walk forward a little bit and turn left at the corner, heading towards my hotel.

I took the long way around, thinking that I could still have a possibility of seeing her. I walk forward more and I hear her laugh again. It sounds like Jo, a lot like Jo. I keep walking and I see that couple again. I hear her laugh again and I see her lean into his shoulder.

That's Jo. Jo and some guy. I stop and look at them. I start walking toward them again, and he stops and looks at me. Jo looks at him and he pulls her back by her arm, he pulls her back behind him like he's a white knight or something.

She looks right at me but doesn't seem to notice who I am yet.

"Stop!" The guy yells. But I don't stop, I just keep walking toward her. "Stop!" He yells again and I do stop. I stop about 15 feet in front of them, they still don't see who I am. I'm shaded by a street light, hiding away in the darkness. A few more steps and I'll be seen, do I want to be seen? Yes, I can't hide anymore.

I take a few steps forward and Jo sees me, I walk towards her some more and she backs away a little. That makes me stop dead in my tracks, I don't move a single inch. I'm now about 6 feet away.

"Hero?" The guy says and I look at him wit a confused expression. How does he know me? How does he know her? Why is he with her and why-

"Hero Finnes-Tiffin!" He yells and I am still looking at him. He starts punching the air around him and I just look at him like he's crazy.

"Oh my god! This is the best day of my life!" He yells again and starts walking towards me with a big smile on his face. He stops right in front of me and laughs.

"I can not believe that I have just met the lead roles in After in just a day. I am a huge fan of the movies!" He gushes and I just stare at him, not moving, not saying anything. After a little, I look behind him at Jo with a questioning look.

"What is this? Who... is this?" I ask Jo, who is just staring at me with wide eyes. She hasn't said a word, she hasn't even moved since she backed away from me.

"I'm Sam. It is so amazing to meet you!" He rushes out and I turn my gaze back to him.

"I'm sure it is. Can I ask you something?" I say and his eyes go wide. He just nods his head yes, probably because he is overwhelmed with excitement.

"Why are you out here with her?" I ask nodding my head towards Jo. He looks at me for a minute and then turns his gaze to Jo as well.
"I'm walking her home." He says like it is the most casual thing in the world.

"We went out to dinner today because I scared her, and now I'm walking her home. She also gave me her number! How great is that!" He yells and I look at him.

Tears start to brim my eyes and I turn my gaze to hers and she opens her mouth to say something but she just closes it back. I look at her and I almost start crying again.

I'm to late. She already found someone new. I've just wasted my time. I thought she loved me, and whenever I'd tell her that I feel the same, she would run into my arms and kiss me. But that isn't the case anymore. I've lost her to one of our fans, of course I lost her. I lose everything I love or am beginning to love.

"Yeah, it's great." I say, finally choking something out without crying. I turn on my heels and drop my head as low as I can, walking away from them. A tear roles down my face, and I can't control the ones that come after.

I stop on the corner and push my back against the wall, laying my head on the wall to. I double over, resting my hands on my knees and letting it all out. I hear someone approach so I wipe my face and stand up straight. I see Jo coming my way so I just sigh and lay my head back against the wall again. She stops a few feet beside me and doesn't say anything for a few seconds.

"What're you doing Hero?" She asks and I start to laugh. They aren't happy laughs, I'm laughing because I am broken, so broken beyond repair. I let out a few more years and try to speak.

"Yeah, what am I doing?" I ask to myself more than her. My laughs turn into sobs, and I lean my head against the wall again. The tears keep coming, and falling onto my black shirt until it's almost soaking wet. I sit up and wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my jacket.

"I was looking for you all day because I wanted to apologize to you and tell you that I love you but here you were, walking with some stranger in the middle of the night." I say and start laughing again.

"How stupid of me, right? I'm stupid, Jo. So stupid." I say, laughing a little harder. My laughs turn into cries again but this time I stop after a few seconds.

I stand there at the corner with her, not saying anything. Just standing there, and I wipe my tears away and stand up off the wall and look at her one last time. I slowly turn around and walk away from her. She calls my name but I don't turn around, I just close my eyes and walk slower, letting out more tears.

****

I'm in my hotel room, sitting in my bed, not saying anything, not blinking, and barely breathing. It hurts to breath, it hurts to move, it hurts to blink. It hurts to do anything, it hurts all over my entire body.

This must be what it feels like for her whenever I hurt her. She must feel like hell whenever I hurt her because that's what I feel. I feel like I'm in hell. It hurts to be here, but I don't have any fight to pull myself out of it. I don't have any fight left in me.

If I knew I could face her and tell her how I really feel, then I would. But like I said, I don't have anymore fight in me. I should fight for her, I really should, and I want to but I can't face her. She seen me at my worst and I don't want her to remember me that way.

So the next time she sees me, I will do something. Something to make her hate me forever because all I do is hurt her. She can't love me, no one can. I can't be fixed, I thought that she could fix me, but she can't. She can't because she isn't mine, she's with that guy, Sam I think. She's probably with him right now, in this moment.

Tears run down my face. I'm punishing myself. I'm punishing myself by thinking these things. But I deserve it, I deserve everything bad that has ever happened to me. I deserve it all. I don't deserve to be loved. Especially by her, she's to good for me and I know it. I've always known it.