The Artist - 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧

𝕾𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞

"Who was that?"
"Joaquin he's staying somewhere else tonight." I look up at Chase who lays beside me on my bed. The same bed Hero lied down with me months ago. I sigh and put my phone away deleting the chat of us. I know I was harsh to him but he doesn't deserve it any other way. I'm not actually angry for him faking the relationship with Jo he's a young actor and he got tricked by this fucked up manager. I'm angry at him because I found out he didn't really cheat and it was a misunderstanding through a ducking magazine Joaquin send me. He didn't have the courage to just tell me. I'd would've spared us losing time and much pain. If I stayed in LA months ago and didn't leave for Arizona would we be together again? "What are you thinking about." Chase asks softly his fingers sliding up and down my arm. I told him two weeks ago that I wanted to try it. I finally thought my heart was good enough to let someone new in and I won't lie it feels good to have him at my side. We promised each other to go slow and take some time to look how far I can go. But now..now I find out that Hero didn't cheat on me and that he trusts me. What does that even mean? It means he trusts me in my choices. Will he still think that way when I choose Chase? Wait. There is no will, I've chosen Chase and Hero is long gone. I think. "Hey." Chase says softly again and I'm reminded that he asked me a question.
"I'm just dozing off I'm pretty tired from all this walking today."
"Okay then go to sleep." He kisses my head and I catch myself wanting him to sing a song. I once asked him to but he said he wouldn't sing in his whole life time. Hero sang me every night he was with me to sleep. Stop comparing them April. But I can't help it I'm doing it every damn time. I'm doing it when Chase is talking to me, when he's touching me or even sleeping beside me. Even now I notice his soft snores beside me and I know that Hero would've never fallen asleep before me if I had so much to think about. He would talk to me about how sound effects were being made or the importance of music in a movie. It would get me to sleep and once my eyes were closed he always started to hum this little melody.

My phone starts to vibrate against my night counter and I quickly pick it up leaving the room to not wake Chase up. "Hello?" I whisper after I switch on the lights in the living room. "April thank god you're still awake. Because if I don't say this now I think I'm going to explode." Joaquin's hectic voice is at the other end of the line. I hear some shuffling but try to ignore it and focus on his voice. "Where the hell are you?" I ask him alarmed.
"I'm fine this isn't about me. It's about Hero."
I groan and roll my eyes.
"If it's about the article I already read it no worries. But it's not going to change anything."
"Yeah because this dipshit can't get a word out."
"Hey!" A second voice slurs in the background and my eyes widen when I recognize it. "Are you with Hero?!"
"Maybe..but listen please just listen for once April because if I'm not going to say no one is going to and Hero is to..limited right now to say anything." I roll my eyes at his words. "He's drunk."
"Hey I'm not drunk!" I hear his voice call me out. "Shut up." Joaquin and I say at the same time. "You remember the time where you flew out to Arizona?" I'm quiet for a few seconds because I don't know if I really want to hear another story that lets Hero look like the good guy. I thought we were done I didn't want to hear from him anymore. And Joaquin acts like he's on his side and I feel betrayed. "Yes I remember." I sigh.
"Hero came up the next weeks to talk my ear off and he texted your phone because he obviously didn't know that you don't have it with you. After a month Khadijha came up and told me that it was all a misunderstanding and that I should listen to what Hero has to say."
"Wait. That means you and Khadijha both knew that Hero didn't cheat? Wonderful everyone knew besides me who actually got cheated on!" I say angrily.
"You have to be patient I'm not finished. I might've told him the address of the set of outer banks and he might've flew out that day to Arizona." My mouth drops open at his words and my heart starts to beat faster. Hero was in Arizona? "It was the day Khadijha showed up she told everyone she was visiting Madison but the truth is that she came with Hero who wanted to tell you that he didn't cheat."
"But he didn't he got scared and ran off." I say now bitterly but Joaquin's answer surprises me again. "No he was probably a few feet away from you when Chase kissed you that day on the beach. He got obviously angry and flew back leaving Khadijha behind." I gulp at his words. Hero was in Arizona. He left the set of after to just see me and tell me that it wasn't true that the kiss wasn't real. What if Chase didn't kiss me that day? Maybe we would be together now and happy but faith didn't allow it. "Why are you telling me that now?" I whisper and my eyes start to sting. "I'm telling you that because Hero's miserable and he doesn't want to bother you because he thinks you're happy with Chase."
"He's damn right." Lie.
I hear Joaquin sigh and his steps maybe he's changing the room.
"April I know that Chase helped you through a lot and I like him I do but you two are not meant to be. You would've let him into your heart much sooner but you couldn't because you felt that it wasn't right. This thing..with Hero was so real everyone who saw you two wanted to have what you two had. Everyone's eyes got stuck to you two once they saw you because it looked like it was meant to be." He whispers probably so Hero won't hear him. A lonely tear rolls down my cheek. I don't let my heart open up again or to have one piece of hope in it. "I'm happy with Chase. I don't want to see Hero anymore or hear from him you can tell him that because you're with him right now. You're with him and not with me Joaquin and I think that says a lot." I hang up and a sob makes it's way out of my lips. I roll myself into a ball on the couch and cry myself to sleep.