Temporarily Mine

30

JOSEPHINE

After Hero took off walking, I grabbed my blankets from the back of his truck and moved to my car in the parking lot. I texted Cassie who told me Kathrine  got home safe and none of them were coming back unless I needed them to, but I wanted to be alone, so I told them we'd chat later.

Right after, I called Kathrine  and talked to her a few minutes to make sure her and I were okay, but Felix was pounding on her door the entire time, so I let her go to deal with him.

That was two hours ago.

Now I'm lying here trying to rest, but sleep won't come, so it's about to be a long ass day.

While seniors are allowed to skip the first half of their schedule after Senior Night events, senior athletes aren't. We participate at our own risk, so after a night of zero sleep and high-strung emotions, in this gym for practice is the last fucking place I want to be.

It's the last place I expected Hero to be, too.

I should have stayed home last night.

"Josephine," Scarlett snaps. "Stop being lazy with your dip. Roll your hips all the way and tug them into your partner."

I clench my teeth but nod and get back into step one, waiting for the music to end so she can replay.

"Are you going to talk about anything that happened last night or are you going to ignore me, too?" Felix asks quietly.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to Kathrine or Hero, so why the hell would I want to talk to you?"

"Me and Kathrine  are fine, Jo. You told her years ago, and I explained where my head was at last night. It sounded bad the way Hero said it, but it wasn't like that at all."

I shake my head, going through the moves lazily to keep attention off us. "And you and Hero, are you good? 'Cause guess what?" I spin, pinning him with a glare. "We aren't. I shouldn't even be dancing with you right now! Why the hell did you have to tell him like you did? We could have talked to him alone, explained--"

"It wouldn't have mattered, Josephine. You don't know everything, there was no breaking it to him easy. He would have reacted the same no matter what."

"But it didn't have to be then or at a school function with everyone around. I should have thought to tell Hero everything weeks ago." I get back into position, facing forward. "Look what your way led to for you and Kathrine ."

"I told her everything."

"You tell her I don't really have a boyfriend?"

His hands tense, then fall from me as he steps around to face me with a scowl. "No. I didn't, so I still feel like shit, like I'm lying to her."

I shrug. "Might as well have told her. We're done with the role play."

"Josephine." Concern thickens his tone. "Don't walk away from him when he gets mad and acts like a dick."

"I didn't walk away," I hiss. "He did."

"Fuck." Felix's eyes fall to the floor.

"Josephine," Scarlett sing-songs. "Waiting on you. Again."

My head snaps around and I glower.

Her hands find her hips. "You know what. Switch with Hollans, he needs the help anyway. You two can pair back up for the performance."

"I'm not switching," I refuse. "There's no point."

"You are, because I said so," she bites out.

Andrew steps up, moving right behind me when Felix bumps past him and moves toward the girl he's now forced to work with.