Herophine: Second Chances

Chapter 16

Jo's POV:

This morning, I'm suddenly woken up by the sudden need to throw up. The sun has not yet risen, and the mix of dark skies and lights throughout the city can be seen from the windows of my hotel room.

Wearing only Hero's oversized t shirt and panties I threw on after our time in the tub last night, I race from the bedroom, across the hallway into the bathroom, hastily shutting the door behind me. Hero's still sleeping and the thought of him hearing or seeing me in this way is humiliating, but I have no choice.

After I throw up, I take a moment to catch my breath and regain my composure before I make my way over to the sink to brush my teeth. What is wrong with me? I rack my brain, trying to remember what it is that I ate in the last few days that could have possibly made me feel this way.

As I finish rinsing my mouth out, Hero quietly knocks on the bathroom door.

"Jo, are you okay?"

I wipe my mouth with a hand towel, tossing it onto the floor and open the door. His eyes are a mixture of worry and tiredness. He's holding a glass of water and holds it out for me to take.

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to wake you up," I say, taking the glass into my shaky hand, giving him a faint smile.

"It's fine. Is everything alright?" He pulls me in towards his chest, his arms wrapping around me as I set the glass, still half full onto the bathroom counter.

"Yeah. I just haven't been feeling the best the last couple of days. I think a combination of all the different foods I'm not used to and being out in the sun all day the other day..." I begin to explain to him.

"Do you want me to grab your phone so you can let Roger know you won't make it today?" Hero asks, rubbing his fingers up and down my back.

"No, I'll be fine. I already feel better. What time is it anyway?" I ask, pulling away from him.

"Fucking early. The sun's not even out," he laughs.

We make our way back into the bedroom. I push the home button on my phone and it reads 5:34am. Hero is laying on his side of the bed and I slide in next to him. My back is towards him and he embraces me once more, his chin resting on the top of my head. I am quick to fall back asleep, his warm body so close to mine. But, after what seems like five minutes, my alarm that was set for 8:00am wakes us up again.

Just like the previous morning, I take a quick shower before I head to set. If it weren't for my little episode so early this morning, Hero more than likely would have joined me, creating the opportunity for shower sex to happen, like usual. Instead, he didn't want to push how I was feeling and left to shower and dress in his own room down the hall.

We met up again in the hotel lobby before heading to set together. With everything that happened in the last 48 hours, I feel like I've been in the center of a tornado. From feeling like I never wanted to look at him again, to him telling me he loved me and always had, to the time we had together in the tub...It's all so much to wrap my head around.

Today, Hero and I are the only two shooting. Everyone else was given the day off, but also given the choice to come and watch if they wanted. Today, Tessa and Hardin would be celebrating Tessa's birthday together and would most likely take all day.

When I got to set, I ate a few pieces of fruit and a bagel, careful not to overdo it. I stayed away from coffee today and only stuck to water, careful not to upset my stomach again.

By the middle of the afternoon, we only had one more scene to go. I could feel exhaustion creeping in and just wanted to finish so that I could go back to the hotel and rest. It wasn't until the yoga scene that I felt a sudden wave of nausea come over me again, asking for the second time in two days for the cameras to cut and be given a minute.

Hero explained to Roger while I went to my dressing room that I had been this way for a few days, including this morning and that I had insisted on working today. Everyone was understanding and took their time as I tried my best to get through the last part of the day.

Anna offered to run to the nearest drugstore and pick me up any medication I needed, but I told her that I just needed more rest and more water, two things that had been lacking for the last couple of days.

When we got back to the hotel, Hero made his way down to the gym for his nightly workout and I headed back upstairs to my room to take another hot bath. I could feel my eyes getting heavier the longer I sat in there, and eventually got out, got dressed and drank two glasses of water before laying down in bed.

I turned on the TV in my bedroom and cuddled up in the white sheets for a while before hearing the click of the hotel door and Hero's footsteps making their way across the suite.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he says, his hair slightly wet. He's wearing a plain black t shirt and skinny joggers that hit just above his ankles. He looks freshly showered, and I can smell his body wash as he leans down and kisses my forehead.

"I'm fine. Just took another long hot bath, made sure to drink some water. I'm good," I reply, moving towards the center of the bed as he sits down next to me. He reaches for the remote sitting on top of the nightstand and mutes the TV.

"Jo, we need to talk about something." His voice is soft, and he looks like he may be next to throw up.

"What. What's wrong?" My words come out as worried as I am and I begin to sit up, legs crossed, throwing the covers off me.

Hero reaches out and places his hand on one of my thighs. He looks into my eyes and I can see him struggle to swallow before he says anything else.

"You don't think you could be pregnant, do you?" His eyes search into mine.

"What? Hero, what are you talking about?" His words shock me. I did not expect this. I figured when he said we needed to talk about something, it had to do with that kook Vivian that had seemed to cause so many problems between us.

"Jo...think about it. You've felt fine for the last three weeks. Up until now. We've never once used a condom since we've been here. I've never pulled out. You're waking up in the morning throwing up out of nowhere and barely have enough energy to make it through a whole day of filming. I mean, there are a lot of reasons as to why it's not a dumb question," Hero says as he begins to rub his fingers up and down my leg.

To be honest, the thought of me being pregnant had NEVER crossed my mind. But, the more he says, the more I can see exactly where he's coming from.

"Hero, I've been on birth control for the last six months. I really don't think it's a possibility," I say, placing my hand on his.

"Okay, but we aren't one hundred percent sure. I have friends back home that have kids and their girls were all on birth control too, Jo. I just can't get the thought of it out of my mind."

I pull the comforter over me once again and we sit there in silence for what seems like forever. My mind is racing, and I can tell his is too.

"Well, what should we do?" I say quietly, staring at the TV at the foot of the bed.

"I could go get a test. There's a drugstore just a couple blocks down. I just want you to be okay and I feel like I won't be able to rest until I know what's going on with you," Hero says, looking at the floor.

I silently nod 'yes' and he kisses me quickly before he stands from the side of the bed and starts to leave the room. Before he walks through the doorway, he places his hand on the door trim and stops.

"I'll be right back," he looks at me once more before I hear his shoes move across the floor and the door open and close shortly after he leaves.