┌──────┐
ＰＲＥＳＥＮＴ
└──────┘
ＨＥＲＯ
Sunlight bounces off light hair.
A cotton dress.
White sandals.
It sinks into a tiny, black wrist tattoo. H.F.T. scrawled inside a paper heart.
The same paper heart tattooed to my forearm.
She turns enough I can make out her face.
There's no denying it.
That's Josephine.
The woman who stole my heart is standing in front of Trader Joe's, finger curled into a brown paper bag, eyes on her cell screen.
She finishes tapping a text. Slides her phone into her purse.
Turns toward the coffee shop.
Toward me.
This isn't possible.
For two years, she's been a ghost. Gone without a trace. Nowhere except my head.
For two years, the only proof of her existence has been her sister's promise that "she's okay somewhere else."
Now she's shopping at Trader Joe's.
Picking up almond milk and cocoa powder like it's a normal afternoon.
Her gaze shifts from the sunny walkway to the shade against the wall.
To the green patio table.
The textbooks sprawled over it.
Me.
"Hero." The word falls off her lips seamlessly. Like she crawled out of my bed this morning. Like she screamed it last night. Like it's still her favorite thing in the world.
"Josephine." The gears in my brain refuse to turn. They're stuck on Josephine. Her hair is lighter, her makeup is a little darker, but, otherwise, she's the spitting image of the woman who owned my heart.
Deep blue eyes.
Soft smile.
Luscious legs.
That's her.
How the fuck can it be her?
"I... uh..." Her gaze darts around the airy courtyard. The gold sign of the frozen yogurt shop to her left. The parking lot to her right. Me. "I have to get home."
Where the fuck is home? Who's waiting for you there? Why the hell did you leave?
"Good luck." Her gaze flits from my eyes to my textbooks. "With finals."
"Thanks."
"I'll see you around." She nods goodbye, walks past me, past her favorite coffee shop, like she always meant to circle the shopping center on her way back to the car.
Like she isn't going out of her way to avoid me.
It's almost sweet, Josephine trying to spare my feelings.
But it's not necessary.
I got the message when she disappeared two years ago.
She wants me out of her life.
She wants me as far away as possible.
YOU ARE READING
BROKEN (Herophine Fanfic)
ChickLitI lost her once. I won't lose her again. After my brother's death, I was drowning.She was my life raft. Josephine and I were opposites, the outspoken art student and the brooding athlete. She was passionate where I was apathetic, bright where I wa...
