Forty-One

ELLIOT'S POV

I alternated between regularly glancing at Zora and the road before me. It broke my heart to see her like this. She rarely ever was so broken and devastated as she was now, no matter the challenges she faced.

The last time I had seen this broken version of her was when her father had died six years ago. She had completely gone to pieces and grieved in such a way that I began to fear for her physical health. I had done my best to stand by her, to offer the comfort she needed, but she had pushed me and everyone away.

That was the beginning of the end of our relationship. I was forced to watch until she became a mere shadow of her former sunny self. After that, the communication gap between us kept widening until it became a chasm that none of us could get through.

I turned a corner and once more glanced at Zora. Even though she was asleep, a tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, taking some black stuff that was probably mascara along with it. It fell, leaving a da