Hosie~ One Shots

The Birthday Present Part 3

Josie's POV:

Josie stepped off the plane in Japan, the bustle of the airport around her a sharp contrast to the stillness she felt inside. She'd always loved traveling, especially to places like Tokyo where the city seemed to pulse with life. But this time, the excitement was muted. She had left behind more than just her friends, and the weight of that was settling in her chest.

Her thoughts drifted back to Hope—how she had left her on her birthday. Josie wondered if she had made the right decision. She had told herself it was just business, that she couldn't miss this opportunity, but part of her felt guilty. It wasn't like she had confessed anything to Hope, but still... leaving felt wrong. And then there was Landon.

Josie couldn't shake the sinking feeling in her stomach whenever she thought about him. Hope had mentioned him casually, but Josie had seen the way her face lit up when she talked about him. She didn't blame Hope—of course, she didn't—but hearing about Landon only made her more certain that her feelings for Hope would always be one-sided. She had been trying to move on for years, pretending her love for Hope wasn't as deep as it was, but here she was, halfway across the world, and she still couldn't stop thinking about her.

Josie sighed, hoisting her bag over her shoulder as she made her way through the terminal. She had a full schedule of business meetings, and she needed to focus. This trip was important for her career, and if there was one thing Josie was good at, it was putting on a professional face and doing what needed to be done, even when her heart was aching.

A few hours later, she found herself in a sleek conference room, the Tokyo skyline visible through the large windows. Business executives sat around the table, talking in rapid Japanese about the upcoming deals. Josie nodded along, contributing when needed, but her mind kept drifting back to the States, back to Hope.

She forced herself to focus. This was what she was good at—putting her personal life aside and dealing with the task at hand. Josie had always been the reliable one, the one who kept everything together, and this was no different. She had to push her feelings down, just like she always had, for the sake of her friendship with Hope and for the sake of her own sanity.

But even as she sat there, giving presentations and discussing business strategies, her thoughts strayed back to that moment in high school when Hope had first mentioned the necklace. Josie had never forgotten how devastated Hope was when she lost it, the heirloom that her mother, Hayley, had given her. It had taken Josie years to track it down—years of quiet determination and endless searching. It had become her personal mission, a way to show Hope just how much she meant to her, even if she could never say the words aloud.

Finding that necklace had felt like a small victory, a way to express her love without crossing the line. And she had been so excited to give it to Hope, to see the look on her face when she realized Josie had kept her promise.

Now, sitting in this room surrounded by strangers, Josie wondered if it had been enough. Did Hope even understand how much it meant? Or had it been just another gift to her, another gesture that would fade into the background of their long history?

As the meeting wrapped up, Josie packed up her things and politely excused herself, stepping out into the cool air of the city. She looked out over the bustling streets of Tokyo, feeling the distance between herself and Hope more than ever. She didn't regret giving Hope the necklace—it had been the right thing to do—but now that it was done, she couldn't help but wonder what might happen when she returned.

Would Hope have figured things out by then? Would Josie be able to keep pretending everything was normal when she got back, knowing that the necklace had probably sparked something in Hope's mind?