Met by Coincidence...Separated by Destiny...

I am his neighbour...

Jo's Point of View...

I don't look at Hero while he drives. He kept stealing glances at me but I dared not to look at him.

"Hurt", is a small word to express how I feel right now. I feel used, humiliated, and trapped. Yes, trapped. I want to end this trip and go back to my normal life more than anything. But, I cannot blame Hero entirely. Last night, I was the one who made advancements. I was the one who wanted Hero in the shower with me. So, I cannot entirely blame Hero for whatever happened this morning. I mean, I am confused, about whether I should feel relief that Hero was trying to use a lame excuse of not bringing condoms to get out of the situation or if should I feel humiliated by the fact that I was naked in front of him and he still didn't want me.

Question is..Am I that desperate for his attention? What I did last night was not me. Those actions don't define me. Never in my imagination have I ever thought that I would make advancements with a guy and then be rejected. But then again, I never had become that intimate with any other guy ever in my life. Hero was my first in so many ways. But, "Was", is more definitive. Isn't it? I need to move on from whatever that has happened between us. No way I can keep repeating the same mistakes. When Hero humiliated me in front of his friends, I should have taken my queue and should have stayed away from him. But, I didn't. Hero didn't force me to agree to this trip. I willingly did that. Hero again had no hands in last night's happenings. That's all on me. The way I see it now, whatever has happened between us, I am the problem. I always repeat the same mistake. Mistake of trusting Hero, with my heart. And every time I do that, I end up with heartache and a broken heart. Even my heart has reached its limits to be wounded and then to be healed, again and again.

I don't look at Hero even though I know, he is looking at me. Does he want to talk? But then again what we can talk about, nothing is left between us to talk about. I gave myself to him and he rejected me. End of story. I just want to attend this marriage and go back to being invisible "Jo" again.

Also, I have to talk to Uncle Rick. I have to tell him that I can no longer tutor Hero. Tutoring him is off the table.

I was only thinking about not tutoring Hero when Hero speaks. It's like he can read my mind.

"Will you still be tutoring me?" His voice is laced with uncertainty and something I never expected from him, Vulnerability. I turn to look at him, even though I don't want to.

I laugh at his question. He looks at me with a questioning look. I can see confusion in his eyes. I turn my face to look straight at the road ahead of us.

"Give me one good reason that I should tutor you?"

Now he turns his attention away from me and looks straight at the road.

"Because I genuinely need your help. And I know you agreed in the first place because you wanted to help me."

"I did but that was way before you humiliated me..again. What else do you want Hero? How many more times and more different ways, do you want to humiliate me?"

"Jo..I.." But I beat him before he could complete his words. I am too angry with him and more with me to think straight.

"You first humiliated me in front of your friends and now you humiliated me in front of myself. And now you hope, I should still help you."

"I made a mistake Jo.."

"And how many more mistakes do you have to make to understand that I am in love with you.."

Hero is too shocked and even I am with my admission. He applies the break, a little too hard, and within seconds, his car comes to a complete halt.

Great now I have given him another opportunity to humiliate me. My Subconscious scolds me for blabbering my true feelings for Hero to Hero out of a fit of anger and rage.