Foreign

Chapter 22

Hero looks back and forth between Melany and me, confusion showing on his face. Why is he even confused?! He knew I was coming back today! He opens his mouth to speak.

"What-" I don't wait around to hear what he has to say. I drop the beers on the floor and run back to my room as fast as I can. I hear him shouting after me but I don't turn around. Not again. In my room I slam the door shut and lock it before I break down in a million pieces. I curl up on the floor, sobbing. It physically hurts. How can this happen again? How could he do this to me? When I close my eyes I see it all over again. Melany in her perfect Victoria's Secret underwear (a lot of lace, not leaving anything to the imagination) with triumph showing on her face. Hero walking out of the bathroom with a towel low around his waist, confused and scared. In a way it reminds me of last year but at the same time it's so much worse. I knew Melany was up to something. I knew Hero felt bad for her because she has no friends and I knew something was wrong when he didn't text me back. I just don't understand how he could do this to me after everything we went through?! The sound coming out of me scares me. It's like the pain inside of me is trying to come out. I've literally never felt this way. That's when the pounding on the door starts. Hero is trying to break down the door to come in.

"Charlotte!" he screams. His voice sounds desperate and hurt. "Open this damn door!"

I curl up further on the floor, like a foetus. He keeps pounding.

"Charlotte, come on! You need to let me in and explain!" If he keeps yelling like this everyone will hear it. I don't want to cause a scene but I don't have the strength to get up and open the door. I don't have the strength to face him after what I just witnessed.

"Baby, come on. You don't know the whole story."

"I love you." He sounds softer now.

"Please don't do this to me."

"Let me explain."

I still don't reply and I don't move.

"LET ME IN!"

I don't know how long he's out there, screaming his heart out but at some point I realise he's not alone anymore.

"What the hell is going on here?" Brody.

"Leave us alone!" Hero sounds furious.

"We can't do that. You're trying to break down a door. What's wrong?" That's Josh's voice.

Hero doesn't reply to their questions. He's still knocking on my door and yelling at me.

"What did you do, Hero?!" Josh sounds angry now.

"Is she okay?" Brody demands.

For a second, the pounding stops and Hero is silent. Then he breaks. His sobbing is breaking my heart all over again (if that's even possible) but it's too late. He shouldn't have done it. I know at some point I will have to face him but not now. Not today.

"What's wrong, Hero?" Brody's voice sounds gentle and soft now.

"Okay, Hero. Put your head between your knees and try to breath slowly. You're hyperventilating." Josh again.

"Okay buddy, that's it. Just calm down." Josh manages to calm him down enough to start talking.

"I... I don't know really. I was in the shower and.." his voice breaks and he whimpers. It's the worst sound I've ever heard.

"Go on," Brody gently urges him to continue the story although I'm very certain they all know what's coming.

"I heard knocking on the door so I jumped out of the shower an put a towel around my waist. When I entered my room I saw.." He's searching for words and I'm crying in silence. How can he sound so broken after what he just did? Surely he must have known how I would react.

"I saw Melany standing there in her underwear and Charlotte... she was the one who knocked."

"What?!" Josh's voice sounds harsh and angry. From the sounds outside I know he jumped up. "How the hell could you do that? What is wrong with you?!" He sounds disgusted.

"I didn't. I don't know what happened, I-"

"Go away, Hero. You don't have any right to be here." Brody has his anger more under control but I can hear he's fuming too.

"I can't. I need to explain, I need to-"

"You don't need to do anything. What is there to explain?! Go away and leave her alone!" Josh is yelling now.

"Josh, calm down." I can imagine Brody standing between them to keep Josh from fighting.

"I can't."

"YOU CAN'T?! YOU DUMBASS PIECE OF SHIT! HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID?! HOW CAN YOU DO THAT TO A GIRL LIKE HER?!"

"Josh, calm down. Hero, go away. I can't hold him any longer."

Hero is protesting but Brody is firm. And that's it, Hero walks away.