Ever Since New York

Atlanta.

Hero smiles at me, then hands me a black leather jewelry case. "Merry Christmas, Jo."

I take the jewelry box, and gasp when I open it. Inside is a silver rocket necklace with diamonds embedded into it. I turn over the necklace and feel over the smooth surface as I read 'to the moon and back'.

"What does this mean?" I ask quietly, but somehow, I already knew.

Hero gulps. "It means that... that I love you Josephine. To the moon and back."

My heart swells at his words. "I love you, Hero."

He leans in and tenderly kisses me. I feel butterflies in my stomach like I did the first time we kissed.

After breaking the kiss, I quickly get up and race over to my purse and pull out my gift for Hero. When I sit back down, he has a huge grin on his face. I hand him the box and he opens it, pulling out the gold watch I got him. He studies its detail and admires the design of it. "It's beautiful."

"Look on the inside." I tell him.

He turns the watch over and sees the little infinity sign that I had engraved into it.

He smiles down at it as he brushes over the symbol that started it all.

"I love it, Jo." He says, looking up at me. "And I love you."

"I love you." I place a gentle kiss on his lips.

We had just exchanged our first 'I love you' to each other, and being here in London, sitting in front of the fireplace, with Hero's lips on mine made me feel like I was the luckiest girl in the world.

***

I wake with a start, my hand clutching the necklace wrapped around my neck. I blink a few times so my vision can focus and see that I'm in a room.

It's not my bedroom however.

My eyes frantically search around, and I see that I'm in Hero's room. I look down at my body which was currently tangled in sheets.

How did I get here?

I look over and see Hero, staring intensely at me. He doesn't say anything as I stare back, my eyes full of anger and confusion. I sit up and notice that I'm in clothes, his clothes.

My fingers trace over the sore spot on my neck, hoping that the events of last night were just a figment of my imagination. But the tenderness of the bruised spot confirms that it was a reality.

"How did I get here?" I choke out.

"You fell asleep on the shower floor." He says flatly.

"Did you put these clothes on me?" I ask, tugging at the shirt.

His silence is the only confirmation I needed.

"Why, Hero? Why did you do that to me?"

He doesn't answer.

I remove myself from the bed and stand in front of him. "How could you treat me like that? You made me feel worthless. You're mad because Dylan kissed me, I get that. But I meant what I said yesterday. If you're not going to talk to me and continue to act this way, then I'm done. And after that little stunt you pulled last night... I can't believe you!"

"Maybe we shouldn't be together." He says quietly, and I feel a sharp pain in my chest.

"W-What?"

"Think about it, Jo. There're so many reasons why we can't be together. We're trying to make something happen that probably shouldn't have happened in the first place."