The Artist - 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧

𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖞 𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

Hero's POV
I pace back and forth in front of the building while I wait for Khadijha to come down again. I'm a hundred percent sure he's not going to listen. I showed up more than 5 times and he didn't let me in every time. A month has passed and I still can't get her out of my mind and I still refuse to. I watch the sun finally go down behind the buildings diving the city into darkness. This waiting is making me crazy, my hands are sweaty and I can't stay on one place for a second. "Hero!" I quickly turn around to see Khadijha standing at the entrance of the apartment. Her lips are pressed into a straight line and her eyes droop down sadly making me instantly sigh. He said no again. I already am closing my eyes in pain and want to turn around but her voice stops me. "He's agreed to see you but if you say one wrong thing he's going to kick your ass again." My eyes open wide in surprise and I quickly make my way in squeezing myself past her. "Woah wait a second the Flash." She holds me back at my arm. "I need to explain this Khadijha, as fast as I can so she can come back from fucking South Carolina." I laugh but there's no amusement in it. I'm desperate and when I heard that she left for South Carolina a month ago I couldn't and I still can't stand the thought of her being so far away and with this cast..
"I can't sleep okay? I can't eat or breath when I imagine that she's thinking I fucking cheated on her! I feel like a dead man and I can't even imagine how she must felt like, she left LA because of me for fucks sake." She lets go of my arm holding her hands out in surrender. "I know you love her Hero but please take it slow, Joaquin is already beyond pissed if you say one wrong word or do something wrong he's not going to listen anymore." I nod appreciating her helping me. "I'm going to wait in the car okay?"
"Okay- and hey thanks for believing me."  "Anytime loser."

I turn around and make my way up the steps knocking on the white door. It takes a few seconds for it to open and when it does Joaquin stands in the door frame a scold on his face. I instantly grab for my shoes to leave them in the floor but he stops me. "You're not going to stay very long leave them on." His voice is cold and I get a bit nervous. This is going to be harder than I thought. I step into the apartment and close the door behind me. Joaquin sits down at the dining table motioning for me to sit down. It's quiet for a few minutes because I really don't know how to start. "You wanted to talk about April?" He starts the conversation. It's weird to hear her name out loud no one mentioned her in the cast for weeks not even Khadijha. It leaves a burning sensation in my lungs and a bitter sweet taste on my tongue like I've burned myself and even if it's hurting I can't stop touching it. "Yes I.." I cringe when my voice trembles and take a deep breath I can't mess this up right now. "I wanted to talk about what happened in the café a month ago."
"You mean that you kissed Josephine?" I look up from the table and into his cold eyes. It's weird seeing him like this because we got along pretty well but I know him he'd do everything for April. "Yes which is not true I didn't kiss her." He raises one eyebrow. "I don't know what you hetero guys understand under kissing but if two lips are attached to each other I call that kissing."
"Yes we technically kissed but it wasn't me who intended it it was Jo. She's all over me all the time and I try to tell her that I'm not interested but she doesn't get it." I say desperately. "Why didn't you part from her?"
"I was just about to do that!"
He rolls his eyes at me and stands up. He grabs a glass and some expensive liquor pouring himself a drink. "Why should I believe you? You can say anything now maybe you didn't wanna part with Jo."
"I tried to talk to you for four weeks. I tried reaching April." My voice breaks a bit when I mention her name and I hope he didn't notice but his eyes widen for a short moment. I stand up to be on the same eye level as him and to prove my point. "She didn't text me back. If I wanted to be with Josephine I could've now for a month but I didn't because I don't want to. The media is telling some stupid stuff and at first I was fucking angry and almost lost my role but thanks to my manager he could safe it for me. But if it means April or my job I'm totally fine with throwing my career away. It doesn't matter because April is the one that matters and how she makes me feel."
Joaquin is quiet for a long time and I wait for him to say something or I'm going to explode.
"Even if I believe you." My body instantly relaxes and I let out a quiet sigh but he hears it and holds up his finger. "This is hypothetical." I nod eagerly waiting for him to go on. "So even if I believe you 1) I still don't understand why Jo is after you it seems a bit sketchy that she won't let you go 2) April is in South Carolina and she's doing good, she's happy I won't ever take that from her you need to tell her yourself."
"Do you know how I can reach her?" I ask him hope igniting inside of me. He nods "I do but I won't give you the number Hero." I furrow my brows did he just say he won't give me the number?
"You need to understand. I saw her after your break up she wasn't doing good and I promised her to protect her. I sent her away and she is good where she is I don't have the right to pull her out of that." I sigh and sadly I even understand his point. "But..I could maybe drop this paper accidentally with the address on it." He opens a drawer and puts a small note on the table. I step forward to grab it and hold onto it for my dear life. "Thank you Joaquin you don't know how much this means to me."
I want to turn to leave the apartment but he stops me to say one last thing.
"If you hurt her again I'm going to break more than your jaw."
My face scrunches into distaste when I remember his fist breaking my jaw at the café. I quickly make my way out of the apartment and rush into Khadijha's  car before Joaquin thinks otherwise and hits me again. "So what did he say?" She asks me instantly.
"We need a flight to South Carolina you wanna join me?" I ask her a grin on my lips. Her eyes light up instantly and she pushes the gas pedal speeding off into the night.