CHAPTER HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT

I’d fallen asleep in the study after locking myself up and cried myself into exhaustion. I had also managed to wake up extremely late. The house was empty by the time I was leaving but the with the coldness I felt oozing out of the house, Jared had been gone for a long time.

The back of my eyes pricked with pain but I had no tears left in me to cry. I deserved whatever I got. I’d hurt Jared and made him feel less of the beautiful person that he was. I hunched my bag over my shoulders and hurried to work.

The drive to work was the fastest, yet slowest I’d ever encountered in my entire life. At each traffic stop, I couldn’t help but remember the hurt in his eyes, the pain he felt. The blare of a horn revived me out of my stupor and I continued driving. Twice, I almost caused an accident but I finally made it.

I was almost 20 minutes late but I couldn’t care less at that point. Something in me had broken last night and all I wasn’t sure I’d ever get it back.

“You’re late!” Judy shouted i