I Swear It: Herophine

Chapter 18

            I've done a full lap around the small pub looking for her to no avail. I don't think she's left because Taylor is still sat cuddled up with Morgan, looking at her phone every so often and texting. I'm about to ask Mercy to go check the women's bathroom when I hear Josephine's laughter coming from somewhere behind me. I whip around and find her sitting on the far end of the bar sat next to Jack, her head thrown back, laughing at something Jack said while he looks at her with the biggest heart eyes I've ever seen on him. Fuck that shit. I push my way through the crowd over to them, stopping next to Josephine, her shoulder lightly brushing against my chest when she turns to see who is standing so close to her. I am attempting to murder Jack with my eyes and if he notices he doesn't seem to care, the smug smile on his face never wavering.

"Hi Hero, where did your friend run off to?" Jo asks, smiling around her straw and I see the empty shot glasses sitting in front of them.

"I told her to fuck off. Jo can I speak to you outside?" I say, lightly grabbing her arm and trying to pull her towards me.

"Hmm, no I'm good actually but thank you! Jack here just bought me a drink, whiskey sour, ever heard of it? It's delicious, I might even replace gin and tonic with it as my drink of choice." She says, looking me dead in the eye and tipping her head to the side while she takes another sip.

I know what she's doing and I know that she's pissed. Hell, I'm pissed she's sat here talking to Jack, meanwhile twenty minutes ago she watched another girl with her hands and mouth on me. But I wasn't lying when I told Ellen I wasn't letting Jo get away so easily. I won't let misunderstandings go, especially after learning about her ex-boyfriend. Not going to happen. I will figure out a way to gain back the trust I had earned and then some.

"Oh yeah I thought I saw Ellen here! You know we had a bet in high school and all through college about when we thought you guys would finally date and stop pretending it was just sex." Jack says laughing, causing Josephine to pull her arm away from me that I hadn't realized I was still holding but immediately feel the loss of her.

"It was just about sex Jack, you should know, she went to you when I wasn't around if I remember correctly." I bite back at him and we just stare at each other for a moment, daring the other to say something else. Luckily for us Mercy and Felix coming to say goodbye for the night, quickly breaking up our little chat.

"Jo it was so wonderful seeing you, maybe the four of us can go out together again soon?" Mercy says, releasing Jo from a hug where she's still sat on her stool next to Jack.

"It was really great seeing you and Felix again but I'm probably going to have to pass on the double date. I'm sure next time Ellen is in town though she would be more than willing." And with that Josephine is gone in the crowd, probably on her way to get the fuck away from me for the millionth time since meeting her.

"I thought she was getting past the whole Ellen thing? What the fuck did you say Hero?" Mercy yells at me, smacking my arm in the process.

"Ask fucking Jack! What the fuck was that about man? Saying shit about me and Ellen, why would you do that?"

"Oh come on man I was just kidding! I didn't think you'd get so pissy about it, you never cared before." Jack says before Mercy flicks him between the eyes causing him to yelp. With that he's out of his seat and heading back to our group of friends before Mercy actually decides to hurt him.

" What the fuck am I supposed to do Mercy? It's like every time I think I'm making progress with Jo something sets us back. The more I want this the more she pulls away."

"You need to ask her, ask her to trust you and then prove that trust to her Hero. You've never had to try with other girls before because you never cared before. Welcome to the real world brother. Go get your girl."

Mercy and Felix both hug me goodbye and leave the bar while I try, again, to find my blonde vixen. I see her outside with Taylor and Morgan and as I make my way to her I see a car pull up, Josephine speaking to the driver, and then climbing into the passenger seat, followed by Taylor and Morgan in the back. I decide it's now or never and I quickly climb in behind Morgan, shoving the other two on top of each other to cram myself in.

"What the fu—" Taylor goes to say but Morgan quickly clamps his hand over her mouth before she brings attention to my presence in the car. As the taxi pulls onto the street I peak into the front seat, seeing Josephine's eyes closed and her body slumped in the seat.

"Sir would you like to be dropped off with the young lady or the other two back there with you?" The taxi driver says, causing Josephine to jerk her body upright in the seat and whip around to see who else is in the car with her.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," she mutters under her breath before turning to the driver. "He'll be going with the two in the back thank you so much."

"But Jo-" Taylor begins but quickly stops talking when Josephine throws a glare at her.

"Jo I really just want to explain, it's not at all what it sounded like back there with Jack. If we could just talk, if you can just hear me out we can work through this," I try to whisper to her but she doesn't acknowledge me even remotely. She taps away on her phone and when the taxi stops at a red light she throws a twenty in the backseat to Morgan and Taylor and sprints out of the car, leaving me with my jaw hanging open.