Herophine: All Good Things

Chapter 22

Jo's POV:

I'm never drinking again. Okay.. I'm lying. Maybe. But the pounding in my head is begging me to think otherwise.

As soon as I opened my eyes this morning, I was met with the blinding brightness of sunlight rushing through my bedroom window just above my bed. So much for blackout curtains that don't do shit unless I remember to close them.

My mind is foggy and my vision is somewhat blurred from both sleep and what I can imagine to be the worst hangover of my adult life thus far. Bits and pieces come flooding back of how I ended up back at my apartment last night.. or this morning rather.. as I jolt up from my pillow and look around at the room. The sudden movement has my head nearly toppling off my shoulders and onto the floor.

Everything is in its place. Even my outfit from last night. My phone is laying on the night stand next to my side of the bed, accompanied by a small glass of water. As soon as I see it, I reach for it like I've been stranded in the Sahara for my entire life. The room temperature water is quickly gulped down and I'm heaving by the time I remove the glass from my lips.

Suddenly, my phone pings from beside me and I glance at the screen lighting up.

Sunshinegirl106 replied to your story

Replied to my story? What the hell?

I snatch my phone up and am met with a flood of messages from Instagram, similar to that same one. I don't remember posting anything on my story.. I never post on here.

Within seconds, I find myself opening the app and searching for what the hell is going on. Eventually, I watch my said story, cringing at the fact I look three sheets to the wind in the picture I somehow was posing for with a pool stick in one hand and a drink in the other. And then I come across the video. I'm leaned over the pool table, looking like I'm about to take a shot, when someone comes up behind me and leans down to nearly my level.

I squint my eyes, studying both of our movements, not bothering to pay mind to the sea of people around and behind us. When suddenly, I remember who it is. Ryan.

I rewatch the video a few more times before clicking the app closed and dialing Kath. There was only one other person with access to my phone last night, and it's her. I place the call on speaker as it rings and rings. Just as I'm about to hang up, I hear her answer the call.

"Hello?" Her voice is groggy, like I just woke her out of a sleep. Which if she's feeling much like I currently am, she probably was.

"Did you post a story on my Instagram at the bar last night?" I answer. No good morning. No hello. Just straight to the point.

"Yeah. And you're welcome."

"For what?"

"You're first post in over a year," she groans into the phone sarcastically.

"And I should be thanking you.. why?"

"Jo.. it's eight in the freaking morning. We got in at almost four. Can you please just leave all the questions until I've had a proper eight hours?" My sister whines through the phone.

Ignoring her pleads, I continue on. "How did I get home? And where the hell are you?"

"Ahhhh.." She exhales through the phone. "We all took an Uber. You were adamant we drop you off first so the driver, Emilio I think, dropped you off first.."

"Wait, who's we? Just you and I or those guys at the bar too?" I interrupt.

"Us and Jaxon," she replies. Jaxon..Jaxon.. oh yeah the one she was basically chained to all night.

"Okay.. and where did the other two go?" I ask, referring to Reed and Ryan.

"Ryan was sober by the time the bar was shutting down. He offered to give us all a ride but you basically freaked out at the idea and ordered an Uber instead," she continues, sounding bored with the conversation.

"What do you mean I freaked out?" I ask, suddenly worried about what I might have said last night.

"Jo.." Kathrine groans into the phone, like my own name is too painful to say. "Can I please call you later? I feel like I've been run over my a train this morning. Please."

As much as I wanted answers from her, I knew she was basically useless in this state. If I gave her time like she was asking, she wouldn't spare any details on me. Agreeing, I ended the call and peeled myself from underneath the sheets of the bed, water glass in hand to refill it.

My apartment was quiet and cold. Despite the sun shining outside, the air conditioning that had run all night made the linoleum floor of the kitchen feel like ice on my bare feet.

In the last few months, there had rarely been a morning where either the scent of coffee or some sort of breakfast food floating through the small confines had greeted me first thing. Most of the time, all thanks to Hero who was much more of an early riser than myself.

The thought of him made goosebumps creep onto my exposed arms as I turned on the tap. Hero. With all the notifications from Instagram this morning, I hadn't even checked to see if I had any missed calls or texts from him. I quickly glance to the time stamp on the stove a few feet away. 8:14am. New York would be two hours ahead.

I didn't even know what his schedule was today. Seeing as how I couldn't hear a single thing he was saying when we had talked on the phone last night. Oh shit. I told him I would call him when I got home. Shit shit shit.

I turn off the faucet, set the half full glass on the counter next to the sink and speed walk back into the bedroom to retrieve my phone. After finding it in the heap of covers and pillows, I plop down on the edge of the bed and begin searching for any sign of him trying to reach me.

No missed calls. No texts. What the hell? Automatically, my mind goes back to the video that was posted. Chances of Hero seeing it were nearly 10/10. Even though he rarely posted, much like me, he was always scrolling through to see what his friends and family back home were up to.

The thought of him watching as Ryan was so close to me makes my insides hurt. That, mixed with the need for food in the next thirty seconds. Was he mad? Wondering who the guys were when I had told him it would just be us girls? And why hadn't he even tried to reach me, even this morning?

Within seconds, I was dialing his number from my favorite's list. The phone was pressed harshly to my ear and I hoped I wasn't about to interrupt him in a meeting or something.

The phone rang, rang and rang again. Just as I thought he might have picked it up, his voicemail kicked in, loud in my ear.

'Hey, you've reached Hero. You know what to do'

BEEP.

Taking a deep breath, I began to leave a message. "Hey.. it's me. I'm so sorry I didn't call back last night. Please call me when you get this. I need to talk to you. I.. I love you. Bye."