The 20 Year Old Virgin | Herophine

Chapter 35: A Lady Never Tells

Two months later...

Jo

"Anna, no. I'm sorry. I love you but I just can't," I tell her, shaking my head and pacing back and forth in her living room.

"Why not? It's for the entire cast, Jo," she insists.

"You and I both know it's for him. It's for his fucking birthday. I just can't," I shake my head adamantly.

"Well we can't really tell him, hey Hero, come to the Nice Guy for your surprise birthday party, now can we?" She says, sarcasm evident in her tone.

I ponder the situation for a while before plopping down next to her on the couch. "Ask Sam to fetch him at his hotel. They're close enough that he won't suspect anything out of it," I suggest hopefully.

"He's not gonna buy it Jo. It has to be you."

"No, it doesn't. My suggestion is better than me going to his hotel unannounced after months of no communication. It'll be so weird. Plus I wasn't really planning on attending his surprise birthday party anyway."

I can't believe Anna and I are even having this conversation. She knows too well what happened two months ago. She knows Hero and I haven't spoken to each other since that scandal broke out, so I don't really understand what her fucking point is by asking me to trick Hero into going to his surprise birthday party which Anna and the production has arranged for him.

"Why? Where are you off to that night?" She asks, her curiosity piqued.

"I'm meeting Jeremiah. I'll be helping him out with something... personal," I vaguely say.

"You and this guy have been spending quite a lot of time together, Jo. Are you really dating him like what the paparazzi are saying?" She eyes me quizzically.

"I'm not gonna say anything about that, Anna. A lady never tells," I wink at her, smirking.

"You're being so private lately, I hate it!" She huffs in frustration, making me giggle.

It's been two months. Two fucking torturous months without contact whatsoever from Hero. I waited until I couldn't anymore. I held on to his promise until the very end.

I know what he's been up to back in London. I know he's been partying like crazy with his mates. I know he's been fucking around with almost every girl he's been seen with. And he doesn't even make an effort to hide it from anyone. He flaunts it like its a fucking badge of sorts. His friends post stories of him wasted out of his fucking mind, having different women on his lap and kissing him. It's sickening to watch him, really, but it's like bad television or a really bad reality show-you know it's trash but you just can't get enough of it. I wait and watch for every single bit of video or photo I could find of him even if it hurts.

Even if they almost kill me.

He's changed a lot. Is it for the better? I don't know. Only he knows the answer to that.

I've changed a lot, too, over the course of two months. I no longer crave the life of the party. I've been clean, not sober but at least clean from drugs of any sorts. I haven't bailed on any of my auditions and callbacks. I haven't hooked up with anyone since Hero. My parents have been very happy with these changes, and so has Katherine. Slowly, I've been building my relationship with my family for the last two months. They've been visiting me more often and we've been calling and updating each other about random things. I have to say, this is the best thing that ever came out of my breakup with Hero.

Mia hasn't been the happiest with my changes though, complaining about how I've lost my flair. But she still remains to be my best friend through it all. And I love her more so now after she pulled me out of my funk.