Sliding Doors - 2 (English Version)

Chapter 12 - Josephine

Josephine

He promised me.Two years ago, I think.Above his trailer for the set of After, as we watched the sun rise, he promised me that sooner or later he would take me to see the sunrise on the beach.He remembered.Right now.Right now, when things between us are... Weird? I don't know what to call it!I feel my head spinning and I don't know how to interpret everything that's happening today.Since I've seen him again it's been a whole series of unexpected things and I really need to sit down for a moment and analyse the situation!

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Let's go back in time.

- A few hours earlier -


"Hurry up! We can't possibly be late all the time!" Puffs Mia grabbing her bag.

"It's an all-night party, what's your hurry?"

"We're meeting the others at 8pm and we're still here. It'll take us a while to get there!" She snorts again, opening the door.

"Is it really necessary then to stay overnight there?" I ask taking the last things.

"I'd say yes, we'll be late... I took care of everything, don't worry!!!"

"Then I have to start worrying!!!" I laugh teasing her "What's this news???"

"I have to... I have to meet a guy! Okay? I said it!!! Now if you don't move you will be responsible for my disastrous love life!!!"

"A guy????" I ask suddenly serious and interested "Who is it???"

"If you leave the house, I'll tell you all about it!!!" She smiles and I quickly follow her.

"It takes almost two hours to drive to Palm Springs." I look up the route on Google Maps "I'll drive, so you can tell me all about it!!!"

Mia happily agrees, partly because she hates driving while I love it and we've had very few opportunities to do so lately. Let's just say zero!!!
Thank you Coronavirus!!!

"So?" I incite her as we hit the road.
"What's his name? Do I know him? When did you meet?"

"Hey hey, easy!!! One thing at a time!!!"

"Tell me!!!" I smile excitedly.

"So... His name is Antony and we met at the gym a few weeks ago!" She lowers her gaze with a shy smile.

I turn to her pretending to be scandalised "And what were you waiting for to tell me?!?"

She smiles covering her face with one hand and I smile along with her.
I love seeing my best friend happy!

"I was waiting to see if I really liked him..."

"And do you like him then?"

"It's our first date this... I thought it would be a good idea to go out as a group first, just to see how we are together..."

"Convoluted speech but I agree, at least I can get to know him right away and warn him because-"

"Hey Tiger, calm down! Don't scare him right away please!!!"

We both burst out laughing and I nod in amusement
"If he even remotely thinks of hurting you I-"

"I know, you break his legs like they were breadsticks..." She does my imitation.

"Perfect! So warn him..." I smile as I follow the navigator's directions and turn on the radio.

"Can I turn on Spotify?" Mia asks taking my phone which is already connected with the car's Bluetooth.

"Sure! There are folders with songs."Mia starts searching in religious silence for a few minutes.
I take my eyes off the road for a moment, we're approaching the desert and we're the only ones around at this hour.

"Found anything?"

"What's the folder -Songs He Loves-?"

She looks at me with a mischievous grin "He...who?"

"Ah no, nothing..." I suddenly get hot and think I've turned red! "It's a game... I mean not a game but... I mean, change the folder please!"

"No, now tell me!" She pulls my phone away so that I can't get it and I snort amused.

"They are songs that..." I take a deep breath "We had done it as a joke, he has the songs I like and I have the songs he likes..."

"Yes, but who is he?" She smiles.

"Come on you know!!!"

"He is the one who must never be named?" She says quoting Rowling and Harry Potter.

"Sort of..." I smile since she played in that very movie as Tom Riddle as a child.The reference is spot on!

"Oookay..." She continues to smile "And this -He- knows you still have this folder on Spotify?"

"Why would he?" I ask frowning.

"Why would you still have it on your phone, that's the question!"

"I'm lazy, you know..." I focus on the road hoping she'll change the subject.

"I know that, but I don't see you being lazy about certain things!" She bursts out laughing.

"I don't know what you're referring to!!!"

"Hero! I'm referring to that big hot of a guy Hero Fiennes Tiffin, that's who I'm referring to!!!"

Just hearing the name, my heart skips a beat!

"Who says it's him?"

"Oh come on, Jo! Who else would it be? You've gone burgundy!!!"

"I did not!!!" I lie unashamedly, feeling hot and knowing full well I've turned red!

"I dare not imagine what you'll do when you see each other again!"

I look at her as if she had just said something absurd "I will greet him politely and I will study the part so well to shoot in front of the cameras that we won't need to rehearse."
"Yes, you two will rehearse on camera... I'm telling you!!!" She bursts out laughing as I pat her on the back to make her stop.

"Look I'll leave you here, in the middle of nowhere if you continue!"

"There is so much sexual tension between you that it's almost embarrassing to be around you!!!"

"And what do you know about that?"

"I'm always with you during interviews, remember? And I dare not imagine what you might do when you come face to face..."

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

"You don't believe it either..."

"I mean this Andrew? Or what's his name?" I desperately try to change the subject.

"Antony" she quickly corrects me "You'll meet him tonight, you don't need to tell anything about him... I know you'll give him the third degree!"

"Okay, so let's think about the music."

"Relax... I won't say anything more!" She smiles at me amused, "But now I want to hear what songs are in here... Can I?"

"They're all rap songs. Open the Rock folder instead."

"I'll do it. Before you really leave me in the middle of the desert!"

The music starts and we start singing along to the notes of the Rolling Stones.

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"Did you really make a reservation at this place?" I look around ecstatically.There is a huge pool and a fantastic silence.It's 4pm but it seems the resort is completely deserted.

"Good evening, welcome to our little corner of paradise!" We are greeted by a smiling girl at the reception desk.

"Um Jo... Will you take the bags while I check in?" Mia looks at me leaning on the counter in front of Hallie, I read her name tag.

"Okay..." I step outside and grab my bags while continuing to admire the place.

"Perfect! This is it! Here's your key. We have two suites!" She smiles radiantly as I return to her.

"That much? How much is this place???" I look at her worriedly.

"It's a gift!" She exclaims hastily.

"A gift from whom exactly?"

Something doesn't add up about this whole situation!

"From the sponsors... I have to do a photo shoot near here and they gave me accommodation!"

"For me too?"

"Of course! I told them that... um that you were my manager!" She bursts out laughing.

"Ah well..." I keep looking around as we cross the corridor and reach our two rooms, or rather suites!

"Get changed and I'll see you in a bit!" He opens his door and disappears inside.

"Mia!" I call back to her.

She quickly exits and looks at me questioningly.

"Thanks!" I smile at her "I really needed that!"

"Wait to thank me..." She smiles.

"Should I be afraid?"

"Always, you know!"

I explore my room and then decide to take a nice relaxing bath.
I know she said to hurry up and change, but it's only 4.30pm and we still have more than 4 hours before we have to go to Coachella.

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I almost fell asleep in the tub, I was so sleepy.Lately I can't sleep well, I always have thoughts in my head and I wake up many times at night.I don't know exactly what occupies my dreams or nightmares, it depends, but I feel restless and I can never get back to sleep!

Okay, I know what my constant thought is. I know perfectly well!

'He who must not be named' in one way or another, messes up my existence!Pride tells me I shouldn't consider him any more, reason screams that I never really cleared up with him and my heart says I can't stay away from him that long without going crazy!I can't find a balance.It would be so easy to go back to that brief period when we were just friends.
We would be together laughing, joking until late, me and him alone.His eyes, his laugh...Okay, I'll stop.The mobile phone starts ringing non-stop and I rush out of the water to answer it.It's Mia! It must be late...

"TELL ME YOU'RE READY!" she shouts as I accept the call.

"Specify the word - Ready -" I laugh.

"Josephine Eliza Langford! I'm leaving without you, I'm warning you!"

"Ehi what time is it?"

"It's late! That's all you need to know!!!"

"Okay, okay... Give me ten minutes and I'm ready!"

"If I don't see you out that door in 10 minutes, I'll kick it in!!!"

"How exaggerated you are!!! Come on, I'm coming!" I put the phone away laughing.

I grab a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt, given the temperature range we usually have here, I'll probably need.
I dry myself and dab my hair to remove the excess water! It will air dry, shouldn't be a problem in this heat.

"Ready!!!" I step outside almost out of breath.

"I don't think so!" She looks at me carefully from head to toe.

I follow her gaze and... "Oops..."

"The shoes!!!" I burst out laughing "Wait..."

I walk into the room, grab a pair of ankle boots I love on the fly and put them on as I walk prancing towards my friend.

"Here I am, now we can go!!!"

She rolls her eyes and bursts out laughing, before taking me by the arm and dragging me away with her!

"Let's get this night started!!!"

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"Is it possible to know who you are perpetually on your mobile phone with tonight?" I look at Mia suspiciously "Is it possible that this guy is calling you all the time?"

"What guy?" She looks at me as if caught in the act.

"Like which... Antony! How many do you have flirting with you?" I burst out laughing.

"Uhh you would know..." She smiles and puts the phone away.

"You didn't answer!" I point out.

"When did you get so nosy Miss Langford?" She teases me and leads me towards the stage where Justin Bieber's concert is coming up soon.

"Do we really have to be in the front row in front of everyone?" I complain.

"You can't see anything otherwise."

"He's a singer, you'd just have to hear his voice, you know?" I stick my tongue out at her.

"I want to see him instead, alright?"

She's easily irritable tonight, I think...I feel she's hiding something from me, but I avoid investigating more, seeing how tense she is.She is probably anxious about her meeting with Antony.

"He should be arriving soon" She looks around and I follow her gaze to see which one of these guys might be.
Her phone rings again and she steps back a little to answer it.
This secrecy is killing me with curiosity!!!

"Change of plans... He went to see Harry Styles! He's in the other pavilion!" She points to an undefined spot.

"So... No Bieber? Too bad!!!" I tease her.

"Sadly no... But Harry Styles isn't bad either!!!" She smiles at me.

"My Hardin!" I jest remembering all the interviews I did for After where the question "Is Hardin inspired by Harry Styles?" recurred every.single.time!!!

"That's right... You will meet your Hardin!" She bursts out laughing but I don't get the joke!

"Okay..." I laugh too, looking at her suspiciously "You're weirder than usual today..."

"Trust me!" She takes me by the arm again and we walk towards the stage where the other singer will be performing.

Outside it's getting dark little by little and the stage lights faintly illuminate the whole landscape.The people around us are dressed extravagantly and I am enchanted to see the outfits chosen by someone in particular.

"He looks like a highlighter." I whisper to Mia looking at a boy not far from us dressed in glow-in-the-dark colours.

"He looks comfortable though."

"Yes, he is to be admired..."

I look down at my black t-shirt and short jean shorts "I'm just anonymous like that..."

"You are the antithesis of the idea of being recognised!" She teases me but I know she's right.I care so much about my private life and being recognised around doesn't appeal to me at all, on the contrary.

The concert starts but there is still no sign of the long-awaited Antony.Mia looks around from time to time and checks her mobile phone, answering the messages that are coming in.She's making me nervous too!

"Everything okay?" I ask, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. He'll be here soon! I was hoping to let you meet him before the concert, but apparently they are late..."

"They... How many people are with him?"

"He came with three friends!"

"Ah okay... And do you know them?"

She thinks about it for a moment "No, I would say no. I've heard of them and maybe seen them in pictures."

While waiting, I focus on the images projected on the screen in front of us and we comment on them together.A rabbit appears on a field full of daisies. Really strange!

"A rabbit? What the fuck is a rabbit doing at a concert???"

We both turn around and find Oliver with more of his friends, right in front of us!They're guys Mia met I don't know where or how, but we've been hanging out with their group a lot lately.

"I have no idea! There are also little flowers!" I reply laughing.

"Are we sure it's Harry Styles' concert and not some hippie singer?" Oliver hugs us both, smiling.

"You make me wonder..." Mia laughs as some girls in front of us turn around looking at us ruefully.

"Hey..." I hear someone next to Mia calling her name, she turns around and warmly greets the boy next to her.

I play dumb, it will be Antony at last.
I wait for her to introduce him to me and give him some privacy!

"Jo?"

The blood freezes in my veins.I hear a very familiar voice. Too much so.It was almost a whisper but it's a voice I would recognise anywhere.It can't be, can it?It's in London.It can't be here.It's starting to get confusing, I'm probably hallucinating.

"Hero?" I hear my friend shout excitedly.

I can't ignore hearing my name now.Mia stirs behind me and I take a deep breath before turning around.

His eyes.
He's here!
He really is here!!!

I have dreamed of his coming back here to America for months on end.
I spent entire nights dreaming that I was back on the set of After with him.
I still dream about him, despite everything.

"Hey..." I see his mouth moving imperceptibly as he runs a hand through his hair, as he always does when he's agitated.

My brain completely loses control over the word and I don't know what I'm saying but it's rambling, meaningless sentences.All I know is that I have to get out of here, I have to figure out what's going on and I feel like I'm not breathing right now. There is no air here. What is happening?Everything happens in a second.I run away as fast as I can, dragging Mia with me.Oliver follows us worriedly and, almost running, we reach a kiosk not far away.I'm out of breath and trying to get as much air as possible.

"Jo are you crazy?!?" Mia grabs me by the shoulders "Breathe! What's wrong with you?"

"There is no Antony, is there???" I realise everything suddenly and yell at her in panic "You've made a deal with him!!!"

"Not really with him! With Alex, his friend!" She smiles weakly "It seemed like a good idea!" She runs her hands over her face in despair.

"Definitely not!!!"

"You girls look like you've seen a ghost!!!" Oliver is definitely worried "Can you explain?"

"It's a long story!" I sit down at a small table to catch my breath.

"I'll get you some water." Mia trails off and reaches the counter.

"Feeling better?"

I look Oliver in the eyes and the image of Hero comes back to my head.He was standing in front of me a few seconds ago and I ran.How could I be so dumb!!!?I ran away!!!Of all the things I could have done.I lay my head on the table, hiding it in my hands.

"I'm a mess!" Sigh "A real mess!"

"That's not true!
You're a beautiful person! You're not a mess!""Oh trust me, I am..." I smile slightly "Do you think it's normal to run away? Running away like this???" I gesture distractedly with my hands in the air.

"Did something happen?"

And for the first time since Khadijia told me about her and Hero, I tell someone else.Tears flow uncontrollably and Oliver gets up to come to me and hug me!I stay I don't know how long like that, trying to calm down and stop thinking that his scent is nowhere near Hero's.
Hero's embrace was and is one of the very few things that can calm me down in an instant, I never even needed to say anything! The rhythm of Hero's breathing was enough for me.I'm terribly smitten with Hero, I know but sooner or later it will pass!

The fact that he was supposed to be in London right now, instead of here, would have helped.We have an avalanche of interviews again in two days.
How is he going to do them? Oh God, he'll definitely do them here!

"Whatever it is that's bothering you, don't think about it now." he strokes my hair and I also feel a kiss on my head.

If I were more lucid and less broken I would have detached myself from him by now, but I need to calm down and it seems like a good alternative to crying alone in front of so many people.

Mia joins us shortly after and the same thing Hero and his friends do, to my misfortune.I try to avoid him by all means, even though his mere presence warms my heart and draws me in like a magnet.I stay chatting with Oliver and his friends while I see Hero taking several drinks and drinking laughing his head off.

He doesn't seem to be upset by this situation at all and I'm happy for him, he's moved on with his life, exactly as I should.

I sigh and pray inside that this evening will soon be over.When I see them on the floor rolling with laughter, I decide to approach them to help them up so they can leave.Yes, because Mia informs me that we are all at the same resort.When you say luck???

"Will you hold these for me?" Felix approaches and hands me two cards "I don't have pockets, please..."

"Okay..."

They're two keys to his room and I'm thinking that probably, seeing how he's on a roll, I'd better hold on to them in earnest.I help him to his feet and then risk...

I offer my hand to Hero who, however, to my amazement, refuses and tries to get up on his own, albeit with some difficulty in balancing himself.

Good.

He doesn't want to deal with me!

When we finally get to the resort, after arguing about who should take the Uber that had arrived first, I literally rush to my room.

I want to sleep and not think that he is here somewhere. So close and so far away.

I take off my shoes and throw myself onto the bed.
I'm almost tempted to go to bed so dressed!
It's 5.00 a.m., if I've seen the time correctly, and I'm literally shattered!

The room phone rings scaring me! I didn't expect it at all!

"Yes?"

"Miss Langford, there's Hero here. He needs his room key!"

Shit. Felix's keys!
I quickly rummage through my bag and pull out the two keys.

"Hero?" I decide to play around a bit "and last name?"

I hear the receptionist ask Hero the same question and I smile amused.

"He says his name is Hero Fiennes Tiffin..."

I'm tempted to get him to say the other two names too, but it's late and I'm tired so I give him permission to go upstairs.

And here we are.
Facing each other again.

I miss my breath again but I try to stop my legs from wanting to run away.He wants to take me to the beach.I don't know what his intentions are, as we are in the middle of the desert two hours from the sea and I would never admit it, but I am happy!