40. The Wrong Woman

I want Cole to keep driving and driving until we are as far away from here as possible, but he pulls over barely a minute later.

I can’t even tell him to keep going because I’m crying too hard to form words. He brings the car to a complete stop, which makes my sobs the only thing either of us can hear.

I tried really hard to not cry, but once the tears started flowing, there was no going back. The little strength I was using to hold myself together turned out to be nothing compared to the emotions that hit me as soon as I was in the safe cocoon of the car.

I’m hiding my face behind a tissue I plucked earlier, not wanting to face Cole.

“Jo, what happened?” Cole asks, his voice tense and full of concern.

I shake my head. There’s a throb at the back of my head from where I hit the floor earlier, and my cheek is stinging with pain. The hand he grabbed isn’t working too well either. I can’t squeeze it right when I try to blow my nose.

I discard that tissue and press my palms to my face. C