Ever After New York

Bad Idea.

When my eyes open, the sun's rays shine through the curtains shielding the glass windows. I slowly sit up, wincing as I rub my eyes.

When my eyes meet his green ones, they narrow in anger. "Get out!"

"Tessa." Hero softly says, taking a seat on the bed.

"Get out!" I repeat, my voice trembling.

"Have some water." He insists.

He extends the glass towards me, but I swat it away, causing the water to spill onto the floor.

Hero looks at me with uneasy eyes before reaching over to touch me. I flinch away before pulling the covers over my chest.

"Tess, look at me." Hero pleads.

When I don't say anything, Hero reaches over towards the bedside table and grabs another glass of water. "You'll drink some water." He softly demands.

I look away from him after taking the glass and raising it to my lips. Once all of the water from the glass is gone, I reposition it back onto the table before laying back down on the bed.

"I know you're pissed, but I just want to be here for you." He continues. "The way you acted when you saw me last night... the way you screamed... Tessa I've never felt pain like that."

"Stop it." I snap.

"I just want to know that you aren't afraid of me. You aren't, are you?"

"This isn't about you." I huff.

"Fuck." He sighs, running his hands through his hair. "I know it's not. That's not what I meant. I'm worried about you."

I squeeze my eyes closed and don't respond.

"You aren't yourself baby..." He says.

I zone out for a moment, taking in the harsh reality of his words. I wasn't myself at all. The prominent discomfort of my lower region has immensely decreased, but deep down I knew that something didn't feel right.

I still wasn't entirely comfortable with my body, and it was becoming more and more frustrating only doing the same things with Hero each time things became heated.

Not that it wasn't as perfect as always, but I wasn't feeling anything on my end, and it was driving me insane.

I haven't felt that yearning, aching sensation in so long and I find myself forgetting how incredible Hero can make me feel.

"Cut!" I hear Jenny call, and I snap out of my thoughts. "Josephine, would you like to rejoin us?"

I clear my throat and quickly nod my head. "Yes, sorry."

I glance over at Hero who had a soft smile on his lips. "You okay?"

"Mhm." I nod.

"Alright let's pick it up from 'you aren't yourself'. Three, two..." Jenny gestures towards the camera, then Hero.

"You aren't yourself, baby." Hero says. "You need to talk about this, everything with your dad. It will make you feel better."

"I don't want you here." I whimper.

"Yes, you do," He says, resting his hand over the blanket that covered my legs. "You're just pissed at me right now because I acted like an asshole and I fucked up."

"I'm not." I say.

His hand shifts up to hold mine, and I so badly want to hold it back, but I can't.

"I'm sorry about Richard, I know how-"

"No!" I cut him off, pulling my hand away. "No, you don't get to do this. You don't get to come here and pretend like you're here to help me when you're the only one who has hurt me the most. I won't tell you again. Get out."