Behind The Scenes

5. Jo

I finally arrived in Los Angeles after a long four hour flight and once I got into the taxi that will take me to Anna's house, who took the early morning flight, I take off airplane mode. I find a lot of missed calls and messages from Hero:
Jo.
Please answer me.
I need to talk to you.
I ignore all these text messages and leave the phone behind.
Until Anna calls me: «Jo, are you okay? Did you come home?»
«Anna! No no, I'm still in the taxi, you're at home aren't you?»
«Yes yes, okay, see you later».
«Yes, see you later».
I'm a little embarrassed to stay with her for a few weeks. If this mess hadn't happened, Hero and I would now be in our hotel room choosing a nice house together, but instead it's not like that...
«Honey!» Anna welcomes me with open arms in front of the door of her house.
«Anna, thank you very much indeed, I hope I'm not a burden to you» I say embarrassed, suffocated by her embrace.
«Are you serious? Make yourself at home, you are always welcome here! Now let's go in, fix your things and then tell me what happened if it can help, okay?»
«Okay» I smile.

We enter the house, it is beautiful, very bright, there are books, DVDs, videotapes, vinyl records everywhere: very Anna Todd.
«Wow, it's beautiful!» I exclaim.
«Oh, it's nothing special».
We go up some stairs and then she shows me a room next to a small living room.
«Here you are, you can settle down here. Up here you will have your maximum privacy, nobody will bother you, I assure you» she says smiling. «Okay, make yourself comfortable and go down when you want. Oh, I almost forgot, behind the door in the living room is the bathroom!» and goes down the stairs.
I am truly grateful to her.
The room is nice, not too big but at least it's as comforting and welcoming as I hoped. The walls are white and the bed is gray for one and a half, on the floor there is a very clean white carpet, a wardrobe, many drawers and shelves with various super cute gadgets.
A few hours have passed since my arrival: I took a shower, I fixed all my things, Anna came to ask me if I needed anything several times.
I decide to go downstairs and find a child, well more than a child a boy now.
«Hi! Who are you?» I ask him with a smile.
«Asher, what about you?» he responds by continuing to play with his legos on the ground.
«Josephine, a friend of your mother's».
«Why are you here?»
«It's difficult to explain... Mom isn't there?»
«Yes. Mooom!» he shouts.
Anna hurries to reach her son, irritated by his screams. «Asher! What happened? Why are you screaming?»
«There's that girl in the kitchen».
"Jo! You're here, do you need something? Are you hungry?» She says when she turns to look at me leaning against the kitchen counter with my arms wrapped around my chest and my pajamas on.
«You know, actually yes» I giggle.
«Well, you're right, it's after 8:30... Asher, it's late, go to sleep, leave everything as it is today, it doesn't matter».
The boy nods and goes up to his room.
«Ah! He's so independent already!» Anna says letting out a sigh and I smile at her.