The Hookup

Fifty three

Hero

The feeling of tiredness comes over me as I gulp down the last remnants of whisky in my glass before I rinse it off under the sink water and place it on the granite counter top. It's well past ten p.m and I'm about to call it a day.

The events of today with Jo coming home early from work and all made it so things did not go as according to plan. Instead of watching her be elated with the lengths I went to spoil her once she was once again home from work, I ate alone on the couch with Law and Order reruns as background noise. What can I say? She's got me hooked.

I had a few glasses of whisky. A bottle I keep in the fridge for when I get the sudden urge to drink a drop or two. I'm nowhere near drunk; tipsy may be even stretching it a bit far as well. But I know for sure it'll help me sleep better tonight.

I checked on Jo again less than an hour ago. She hadn't moved from the same position as the first time I had. I watched her a bit longer this time. Committing every region on her beautiful face to memory, soaking it all in silently next to her. I found myself wanting to crawl inside her head. Wondering what I might find if given the chance.

Jo's unlike any woman I've ever met. An intricate web of layers that I've had little success in pulling back. It's no secret she guards more than she lets be seen. There's a haunting in her eyes that sometimes appears when she thinks no one is watching. But I see it. And I wish more than anything I could fully understand.

She's let me in more than I expected her to, seeing as how we left things the first time. She's even gone as far as touching on the subject of her ex boyfriend who apparently did a number on her. Emotionally only, let's hope for his sake. But it's times like today when I get the feeling that there's something she's not telling me.

I'm just about to shut the lamp off in the corner of the living room and make my way down the hall when I hear small footsteps behind me, making me glance over my shoulder. Josephine's awake and looks like she has tears in her eyes.

"What are you doing up? I was just about to come to bed," I say quietly as I turn to face her. My hands both hanging at my sides.

Instead of speaking, I watch her slowly walk over to the couch and sit down with one leg folded beneath her. Her fingers wringing together in her lap.

"Can you sit please?" She asks. Her voice small and almost broken. Making my pulse pound beneath my skin.

I do as she asks and slowly sink down beside her. Only an inch or two of space separating us from where we sit. My hand wants to reach out to her, but instead I force them both on top of my lap.

Silence invades the room. A thick blanket of tension surrounding us and I feel like if it continues I may not be able to breathe. A war wages within my mind whether or not to be the one to break it, but she is the one who came to me.

"I need to tell you something and I need you to promise me you won't freak out."

Her words make my head snap in her direction and I look her up and down while she fidgets under my watch. Searching for any outward clues as to what it is she needs to tell me.

My first thought is she's about to reveal she's pregnant. And while the thought does make my chest tight because we haven't done a single thing to prevent such a thing from happening, (I'm not even positive she's still on birth control at this point), it wouldn't be the worst news I'd ever receive.

"Okay," I nod, swallowing thickly as I patiently wait her out. She inhales a shaky breath, her fingers messing with the hem of her shirt in her lap. Mentally preparing herself to spill.