Find Me

14. He's Trouble

Josephine POV:

I stare at my two favorite boys sitting on the couch as they watch 'their' cartoons as they claim. It's never just one of them watching cartoons, it's always both of them together. Always Hero with Henry either on his lap or besides him, with their eyes staring at the colorful screen intently. Goodness, I really did pop out a mini Hero. So far Henry is really displaying the same drive for acting that Hero has, he will watch the characters on the screen then go stand in front of it and act it out himself. It's adorable to say the least, and I can tell Hero really enjoys it. Seeing his son be just like him. 'But he displays your same hard headed qualities,' Hero will tell me with a chuckle as Henry refuses his bedtimes, baths and responsibilities like I used to refuse similar things. With every bone in my body.

It doesn't bother me a bit, if it were even just a few months ago, it probably would. Now I feel as if I can look back at everything I've struggled with and smile at my progress rather than feel like it's still effecting me.

Since a few nights ago when the 'punishment' happened, I've felt more free. Like the thing that happened those years ago isn't holding me nor Hero back. It's invisible chains aren't wrapped around our relationship anymore and tainting the way we interact with each other. Somehow our love making that night really set us free. I truly love him with my whole soul, and I know he loves me.....
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"Boys!" I yell from my room as I throw my arms through a t-shirt really quickly.

"Yeah?!" They reply together, Hero's deep voice mixing with Henry's high one. I almost laugh at the sound.

I walk out from my bedroom and into the kitchen where I grab my purse, "put your shoes on, we are going to the store." When I say that, they both groan with diastase. "Oh shush it or else no snacks," I chuckle and hear both of them getting off the couch with loud thuds and rush to get their shoes on.

About a couple minutes later, Hero walks in with Henry's small hand in his and both of them showing both displeasure for going to the store but also excitement for the snacks that I intend to buy. Gosh they are such kids... well Henry actually is a kid but Hero just internally is. Wordlessly, we exit the house and enter the hot Australian day. With his other arm, Hero wraps it around my waist and holds me close to him. I smile up at him and he returns it down to me.
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Arriving at the store, Hero puts Henry on his shoulders and walks behind me as I push the shopping cart. I lead them over to the produce section and lightly grin as I hear them talk intently about which Sponge Bob character is the best. Hero says it's Sponge Bob himself, while Henry says it's Patrick. They both make valid points I note to myself.

"Hey, love, me and Henry are gonna head to the crisps isle real quick. We'll be back." He kissed my forehead. (A/n: it was weird for me to type crisps cause I call them chips haha)

"Alright be safe and don't lose our child." I point at him while I laugh and so does he as they walk away. Turning back around I head over to the strawberries and look at the different containers trying to decide which looks like it has the best berries. I take a few minutes doing this till I finally decide on which I want and smile to myself.

"You were always so picky about your strawberries." I snap my head up to see Jake standing in front of me with a small smirks, my own smile instantly drops.

"Yep," I answer shortly and take a deep breath. With my cart I walk over to the tomato's, attempting to wordlessly tell Jake I don't want to talk to him and I start to examine the tomatoes.

"Remember when we were seven and that's all you would eat?" He pushes out a forced chuckle, clearly not happy at my disinterest.

"Yeah, I also remember that was when I actually liked you." I look up at him with hard eyes and continue to search through the tomatoes.

He coughs awkwardly and then rubs that back of his neck, it's a thing that Hero does that I find absolutely hot but when Jake does it, it seems like the most unattractive action. "I'm, would you maybe wanna hang out sometime?"

"I recall me already telling you 'no' a few months ago, my answer hasn't changed, Jake." I tell him sternly.

I see anger flash in his eyes briefly before he covers it up. "Jo I'm sorry-"

"-Hey, babe." Hero's voice interrupts and he slings his arm around my shoulder and has Henry on his hip.

"Hi," I reply and kiss his lips, when I open my eyes I see Hero already has his open and is looking at Jake. I look over to Jake to see him staring back at Hero with hard eyes. They are both snapped out of their staring match when we hear a 'eww' come from Henry. "What's 'eww', baby?" I ask him and take him from Hero.

"You and daddy kissing is eewwy," he tells me exasperated.

I chuckle and pinch one of his little chubby cheeks, "sorry, baby, we won't do it in front of you. Okay?" I ask my smart little son.

His eye brows furrow together in what seems like determination as he sticks his bottom lip out, then he nods in conformation. "Otay, you bwetter not." He tells me.

I laugh and so does Hero, but I notice Jake out of the corner of my eye watching us intently. Looking over fully to him, he mouths, 'still the same whore?' And walks away. Suddenly the old thoughts that used to plague my mind, try to push their way back in. I squeeze my eyes shut and count to ten and think back to all of the sessions with Dr. Todd, all of the progress I've made and how I can't go back to my old mindset.

"Jo?" Hero's voice and hand on my shoulder snaps me out of my thoughts. I open my eyes to see him looking worriedly. "Are you alright?" He sincerely asks.

"Not right now, but I will be later." I truthfully tell him, he nods his head in understanding.

"Mama! Guess what!" Henry exclaims with his arms raised.

"What, love?" I answer back with his same enthusiasm.

"Me and daddy got soooo many swacks," I smile at his pronunciation of 'snacks'.

"Oh my goodness! Well we should get home quickly so you can eat those snacks!" I exclaim. He nods his head quickly agreeing with me.

I hurry up and finish my shopping and soon we are on our way back to my grandparents house.
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"Hero?" I ask as we lay in bed.

"Yes, baby?" He replies.

I chew on my bottom lip, "I think we should move into our own place." I tell him nervously. His head snaps over to face mine so quickly.

"Really?"

"Yeah." I say with a small smile.

"That'd be great!" He gets up and flops on my, I breathlessly laugh as he squeals like a little girl.

"Wait, where though?" He then asks seriously.

"I was thinking New York.... where we grew up. I haven't been there in years so I know we'll have to look for a place-"

"-I've been paying on it," he rushes out quickly and looks away with a blush.

"What?" I asked confused.

He stays silent for a bit seeming deep in thought then finally says, "these past years I've been paying the rent for your apartment in hopes you'd come back to it." He thinks for a moment, "even all these months I've been here with you, I've still been paying it. It's still the same way you left it, so it's perfectly ready for us to come back to it." He looks up at me with hopeful eyes.

This catches me off guard, he was waiting for me? The thought makes me both happy and sad at the same time, knowing that he loved me that much to wait. Instead of answering him, I grab his face and smash my lips to his.

"I love you, I love you, I love you." I repeat over and over as I continue to kiss him. "Gosh I love you so fucking much!"

We're going back to New York, with our new family.

Note from author❤️:

Here's this! I hope you all like it, I wanted to post yesterday but the time escaped me and I couldn't but yeah haha.

Thoughts or theories?

You know you love me xoxo,
Zoë