JO WAS CLEARED to go back to work when her glucose-tolerance test came back clear. She didn’t have gestational diabetes, but the doctors warned her to take it easy. She’d had a simple spell of syncope. It was, hopefully, a one-off. Her obstetrician also wanted her to rest and make sure she ate regularly.
Henrik was taking the doctor’s words to heart. He hadn’t moved out of her place and brought her lunch almost every day. Even though it was okay for him to go back home, she was finding herself not wanting him to leave.
She liked the company.
When David had died, she didn’t want anyone around. She just wanted to be alone.
She’d thought it was better.
Like she could still feel his presence if it was just her there. It was foolish to think, but it got her through some lonely moments. She’d forgotten how it was not to be alone.
She had missed companionship.
Friendship.
Before, she’d been worried about what the town thought, but now everyone knew she was expecting and Henrik was the father, so it didn’t matter anymore, and it didn’t seem to bother Henrik at all.
They just settled into this pattern of living together for the last few days, and it was nice. They’d get up and go to work, and at night they’d share dinner and talk about their day.
It was so comfortable and easy, and she looked forward to it every day.
The more time she spent with Henrik, the more she wanted him again.
And not just as her friend.
The more they laughed and talked, the more she remembered their night of passion. She craved his touch, his kisses, but he had made it clear he didn’t want a relationship, and she wouldn’t push him.
“Well, I think it’s great!” Lloyd said, interrupting her out of her thoughts, and she continued checking over a bump he had gotten on the head during a boisterous shed party with some tourists.
“The bump?” Jo teased.
“You and Henrik and the baby!” Lloyd exclaimed.
“Oh, that.” Jo cleaned up the wound and bandaged it.
“Melissa was never good for him. Even his gran said so. That girl wanted to explore the world, and so she did. So I’m glad he has you, especially now that she’s back.”
Jo’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t exactly sure that she had Henrik. “She’s back?”
“Aye. To visit her grandparents. She said she’s thinking of moving back. It’s good when the kids of Fogo eventually find their way home.”
“I’m sure it is.” Jo didn’t know what else to say.
She knew Henrik had loved Melissa. If she was back, Jo wouldn’t get in their way. Still, that green-eyed monster of jealousy rose up in her.
Melissa had left Henrik. Why was she back to stay? Jo was worried her return would interrupt Henrik’s and her happy little existence.
She grew frustrated with herself for feeling that pettiness again.
She had no right to feel this way. Henrik wasn’t hers. They weren’t in a relationship. There were no promises between them.
Just a baby.
And, if the situations were reversed and David somehow could come back, she’d be with him. The only difference was that David was dead and Melissa was alive. If Henrik wanted a life with Melissa, she couldn’t interfere. Even though she was doing what she’d said she never would do, and that was falling for Henrik.
“There’s a terrible storm coming,” Lloyd said, changing the subject. “It’s out of season. Be sure to have your groceries and emergency supplies tucked away.”
“Thanks for the tip. You’re all done, Lloyd.”
“Ta.” He got up. “I’m off to prepare.”
“Remember to take it easy,” Jo warned, but she seriously doubted he would listen to her.
Jo walked Lloyd out to lock the door, as he was the last patient.
Henrik snuck in, in his paramedic’s uniform. He was frowning, and she wondered if he had seen Melissa.
“Do you have emergency supplies?” he asked.
“You’re the second person to mention that,” Jo said.
“Well, there’s a bad storm moving up the eastern seaboard.”
“I’ll have to see what I have.”
“I’ll take you shopping. I’ll be on duty when it hits,” Henrik said, firmly. “Grab your purse, and we’ll go stock up.”
There was no point in arguing. She had sent Jenn home early because the school had called her to come get her daughter Missy ahead of the storm. Jo had never been in a storm that warranted emergency supplies. She’d never been in a hurricane or any kind of ocean-based storm. The worst had been the odd snowstorm. The best thing to do was listen to Henrik, and if he wanted to take her for supplies, she would gladly follow.
“What should I be getting?” she asked.
“Water, canned goods, storm chips.”
“Storm chips?” Jo asked.
He grinned. “Just tradition, but everyone gets some chips to pass the time. I’ll show you. Does Gary have candles?”
“Yes.”
“Good. The power will probably go out.”
Jo climbed up into his truck, and they drove off.
“Do you have supplies?” Jo asked.
“I do. Not that I will need them, being on duty. Hopefully the storm will just sideswipe us.”
“Lloyd said it’s not usual for this kind of storm at this time of year.”
“He’s right. I’m hoping for a quiet weekend.”
“Oh, no. Don’t say that,” she said, feeling dread rise within her.
“Why?” he asked, perplexed.
“Superstition in the emergency room. It’s like, as an ER doctor or nurse or other frontline worker, you never walk through the main emergency doors to start your shift. Everything will go completely wrong.”
“Seriously?” Henrik asked.
“Have you never heard this?” she asked.
“No. Of course, I never did talk to the ER doctors, besides giving information about the patients. I never realized you were all so neurotic.”
Jo laughed as Henrik winked. They pulled up in front of the co-op. It was busy, but not as bad as Jo thought it might be given the situation.
She grabbed a cart, and they headed inside.
“I’ll get you bottled water and some batteries for your flashlight,” Henrik stated.
“Okay,” she agreed.
“Henrik?” a female voice behind them called out.
Jo didn’t need to turn around to know it was Melissa because the look on Henrik’s face said it all. His eyes were wide, and he looked like he was in shock.
Another pang of jealousy stabbed her. She turned and got her first good look at the woman who had broken Henrik’s heart all those years ago.
Melissa had strawberry-blond hair and green eyes with a spattering of freckles across her nose. She was also younger than her.
She was very beautiful, and Jo could see why Henrik had been in love with her.
“Melissa, what’re you doing here?” he asked.
“Thinking about moving back.” Melissa’s eyes darted between Jo and Henrik.
“This is Dr. Josephine York,” Henrik replied, stiffly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jo said. “I think I’ll just go round and get the rest of my supplies. Excuse me.”
She walked away from Henrik and his ex. He needed space to talk to Melissa, and she couldn’t blame him.
“It’s great to see you,” Melissa said.
At least that’s what he thought she said. He was still having a hard time believing that she was there. “It’s good to see you too. It’s been a while.”
“It has.”
He didn’t know what else to say.
Truth be told, he was angry that she was back.
“You completed your training as a paramedic, then,” she said, looking appreciatively at him in his uniform.
“I did, and I’m just about to go on shift, so I’d better go.”
“Henrik, can we have a coffee sometime?” Melissa asked.
“Why?” he asked stiffly.
“To catch up?” she offered.
“We’ll see. I’ll see you around.”
Henrik stormed off and found Jo getting ready to check out. When he saw her, instantly his anger melted away, and he saw that she had chips in her cart. She looked over at him and smiled, that sweet smile he already adored.
Of course, Melissa had smiled at him sweetly too, and he’d been thoroughly duped by her back then.
Don’t let Melissa ruin this for you.
“You got your storm chips?” he asked, trying to calm himself down.
“I did. You okay?” she asked with concern. “Your face is like thunder. Very cloudy, very tense.”
“I do feel a bit tense, but I’m okay. I just want to get you home before this storm hits.”
“Hopefully it’ll blow over,” Jo said.
He knew she wanted to ask him about Melissa, but he didn’t want to talk about it, and he appreciated that she didn’t pry. That’s what he liked about Jo. She didn’t push him to open up. Although, she was the one person he’d confided in the most.
Seeing Melissa had annoyed him, but it didn’t hurt the way it had when she’d left or the way that he’d thought it would if she ever came back.
Right now, he was just confused. All he wanted to do was focus on work and forget that Melissa was back in Nubbin’s Harbor.
He didn’t want to talk to her or about her.
After Josephine paid for her supplies, he dropped her off at her apartment, carrying up her water and making sure she was settled as the dark storm clouds could be seen over the ocean.
“How long are you on duty for?” Jo asked, staring out the windows toward the sea.
“Forty-eight hours straight,” Henrik said. “I have to make up for that hand injury. Just in time for the storm, apparently.”
“If you need help, please come get me, or let me know where to go. I’m willing to pitch in.”
“You need to rest,” Henrik said, firmly.
“I’m fine. I’ve been resting, but if there’s an emergency situation... I’m a trauma surgeon, after all. I mean, I was pregnant when I tied that man’s artery in the field, and I did burr holes on a beach pregnant.”
Henrik smiled. “Yes, I know. I remember.”
“If I’m needed, I’m here.” She took his large hand in her delicate one. Usually he liked to be touched by her, but he was still bothered by Melissa’s return, so he instinctively pulled his hand away.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Be safe and rest.”
He left the apartment. He was confused and hurt, and he just needed the distraction of work.
Just like he had when Melissa left him all those years ago and like he suspected he’d need to do when Josephine left him too.
The storm hit within twenty-four hours. It was eerily quiet. He and Hal were parked, and he just stared in the direction of the churning ocean, not that he could see much through the rain, but he knew it was there and what it looked like.
It was a cyclone. It had been a hurricane farther south, but by the time it got here it was downgraded to a cyclone, but it was strong, nonetheless.
He hadn’t seen a storm like this since his parents had died. Henrik just continued to stare out the window, with the rolling waves and the wind howling and the rain coming at him sideways.
Hal had been out getting them a coffee and jumped into the passenger seat, drenched.
“It’s a doozy out there, my b’y,” Hal stated, handing Henrik his coffee.
“It is indeed.” Henrik gripped the coffee cup and took a sip, not really tasting it, because it wasn’t just the storm that was eating away at him, and neither was it Melissa. He was mad at himself for pulling his hand away from Jo’s like he had, especially when she was just offering comfort.
What was he so scared of?
She understood him like no one had ever done before.
He was just so terrified of getting hurt again because if Josephine left him too, he knew it would hurt him so much more.
It would shatter his already-badly damaged heart.
The radio crackled.
“Capsized wharf in Tilting. Mass casualties. All medical personnel able to attend are requested.”
Henrik set his coffee cup down and flipped on the lights and sirens. They made their way to Tilting. Henrik had seen collapsed wharves during storms, but he had a feeling this was the hotel that was built on the wharf.
He was unfortunately right, but he was not expecting to also see homes that were being washed into the ocean by hungry, angry waves.
“My God,” Hal whispered in horror.
“We need Josephine and any other person with first-aid experience,” Henrik said, thinking about all the casualties.
“I’ll get on the horn and call in all the volunteers I can,” Hal said, texting.
All Henrik could think about as he stared at the disaster laid out before him was his parents. The storm that took away his family. He couldn’t think straight for a moment.
He felt like he was going to crack.
Usually he could hold it all back, but for some reason he was feeling that bite of loss particularly keenly right now.
Perhaps it was the storm that triggered him.
The one on the outside and the one raging on the inside. A storm that wanted Jo, wanted a life with her, one that wanted to take a chance on them.
One he was trying desperately to hold in because he was terrified.
As he stared down at the destruction, he vowed that everyone would be found.
No one would not know what happened to a loved one or feel the same rage he’d felt all these years.
Jo had never been in a cyclone before. It was terrifying, but when she got the call about the wharf collapsing, she knew she had to be there. So she was downstairs and ready when Lloyd swung by to get her because all emergency personnel had been called to Tilting.
The wind was tossing her around, and her yellow rain jacket’s hood was plastered to the side of her face.
Lloyd grabbed the bags of emergency supplies and fastened them into the back of his truck. They didn’t say anything on the short ride to Tilting. She wasn’t sure what to expect when they got there, but the first thing she saw through the rain was the flashing lights from the ambulances.
Then she saw the destruction. The crumbling rock, the shattered homes and the wild sea.
“Lord have mercy,” Lloyd whispered.
“I need the bags taken to that tent. That’s obviously the triage area.”
Jo got out of the truck. She drowned out the howling of the wind and the cries of the injured and the scared. She had to compartmentalize all of the horror that was going on around her so she could focus on the task at hand.
She could see Henrik in the fray, tending to the wounded and helping the search-and-rescue teams pull people from the rubble.
Dr. Cranbook was there with a small team from the hospital. He took one look at her and relief washed over his face.
“Dr. York, I’m so glad you’re here,” he said. “I could use another good trauma surgeon.”
“Glad to be here, or rather, glad to be of help.”
She went straight to the first patient and got to work checking vital signs and going through her mental check list of the ABCs of trauma. Airway, breathing and consciousness.
There were fractures and lacerations, and then there were people coming in from the sea with water in their lungs.
Exposure patients.
Hypothermia.
The whole gamut.
“Jo,” Henrik called, waving at her frantically.
She came over to where he was crouched protectively over a small child he had pulled out of the wreckage.
“I think he might have a collapsed lung. He has a chest-wall injury,” Henrik said.
“Let me listen.” Jo leaned over, and she heard the air constriction and inspected the wound.
“Well?” Henrik asked.
“We’re going to have to place a drain until this boy can get to the hospital, or he won’t make it there.”
“I’ll get what you need,” he said, quickly moving to gather supplies.
Jo prepped the area, cutting away the child’s shirt. She had to perform a stat tube thoracostomy on a kid. She hated doing it, but it would be the only way he’d survive the trip.
“I have a large-bore needle and an IV catheter,” Henrik stated.
“I need an antibiotic,” Jo said. “Is there any cefazolin?”
“Here.” He handed it to her.
Jo prepped everything. She didn’t have to instruct Henrik further as they worked together to get the boy ready for the chest tube. It was like he knew what she was thinking, and it made the whole procedure that much easier.
Jo took the scalpel and made a transverse incision. She inserted the clamp on the pleura, and a rush of air came out, which made her smile in satisfaction. She had found the right spot. She inserted the tube catheter and sutured it into place.
The boy started to breathe easier, and he moaned.
Henrik grinned at her. “Good job, Doc.”
“Good job recognizing it. He’ll need to be taken right away to the hospital.”
“I’ll take him.” Henrik motioned to Hal, and they loaded the boy into their ambulance.
Jo made her way through the crowds. She looked back to see Henrik smiling anxiously at her, and a rush of pleasure washed through her.
She knew what he was thinking.
“I’ll be careful,” she shouted. “Go.”
It was nice that someone cared about her again.
Henrik nodded and climbed into the back of the ambulance. She watched it leave. The wind was howling, and it was dangerous out there. She hoped Henrik would be okay too.
He’ll be fine.
And that little reassuring voice calmed her. She took a deep breath and continued on with her work as the storm raged on, glad to see it was starting to die down.
Jo kept working until all the injured were dealt with. After six hours on her feet she was finally able to go home.
Dr. Cranbook dropped her off on his way through, and she intended to head straight for her shower and then her bed. She’d worked longer shifts, but this had wiped her out completely, and as she glanced at the clock she realized that it had been thirty hours since Henrik had taken her to get groceries.
She tried to turn on a light, but it when it didn’t come on, she remembered that the power went off just before she’d left and hadn’t been restored yet. She had her quick shower in the light of a flashlight, then got into her comfiest lounge wear to climb into bed.
Before she could settle, there was a knock at the door.
Jo sighed and made her way there, answering it to see Henrik standing there. He had dark circles under his eyes.
“Henrik?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m tired, but I’m fine.” Jo stepped to the side. “Do you want to come in?”
“Yes, please.” He stepped inside, and she closed the door. Instantly she noticed he looked agitated.
“Are you okay?” she asked, gently.
“No.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “A lot has been happening.”
“I noticed. Do you want to sit down?”
“No.” Henrik paced.
“Okay, you pace. I’ll sit.” She settled in her chair, watching him closely. “Is it Melissa?”
Henrik stopped. “Partly.”
“I can only imagine,” she said, softly.
David hadn’t chosen to leave her, so her heart had been broken a different way from Henrik’s. Then, the more time she’d spent with Henrik, the more she’d discovered it had healed, which made her sad because she felt like she was betraying David. Only, she knew she wasn’t.
Even since she’d got pregnant, she’d been feeling this guilt and fighting feelings for Henrik. Regretful that she and David had never had this chance, yet at the same time she was so thrilled to be pregnant, to become a mother. Henrik didn’t know why Melissa had left him, and a stranger was carrying his child, so it was no wonder he was struggling too.
Are you two strangers, though?
No, they weren’t. They’d become friends. They’d become close.
You’ve become more than friends, and you know it.
She considered that carefully. David would want her to be happy. She knew that absolutely. There was no reason to feel guilty about Henrik or the baby.
“It was today, or rather when the wharf collapsed, the storm...all of it.” Henrik ran his hand through his hair.
And then she knew. “It was a storm just like this that killed your parents, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “I’ve assisted search and rescue before, countless times and in other storms but...we didn’t recover some of the people today.”
“I know.”
“The sea took them, and I’m so mad I can hardly speak.”
She could see his heart was breaking. She got up and didn’t say a word, just pulled him into an embrace, holding him as tight as she could. At first Henrik was stiff, but then his arms came around her too.
Holding her. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest, the warmth of his body, the comfort he offered her, and she melted against him.
He touched her face, his fingers brushing her skin, making her body tremble with anticipation.
“I’d very much like to kiss you,” he whispered against her ear.
This time she wouldn’t try to stop it. This time she wanted to feel. She wanted to heal. She wanted this moment with him.
Here and now. Try as she might to resist, she was falling for him.
“I’d very much like you to kiss me now too,” she murmured, her heart racing. She’d been fighting this for so long, telling herself she didn’t need this and that one night was enough. She hadn’t come here for love, but it was finding her, nevertheless.
Henrik smiled, and her pulse thundered in her ears as his lips hovered over hers. Her mouth going dry, her body trembling in anticipation. Her lips remembered his kisses. Her body longed for his.
This is where she wanted to be, in his arms, melting for him.
Vulnerable to him.
She didn’t want it to end.
She wanted to savor this moment, to take it with her when she had to go back to Toronto and leave him behind.
You could stay.
She flicked that thought away. Now was not the time to think. Now was the time to feel.
“Jo, I want you so much. It’s hard to stop kissing you, touching you.”
“So then, don’t stop.” She kissed him again, nibbling on his lower lip.
The kiss deepened, his tongue melding with hers. His hands ran up her back into her damp hair.
“I need you, Jo,” he whispered.
All she wanted was for them to be skin to skin.
Henrik scooped her up in his arms and carried her off to bed. Her body was thrumming with excitement, longing and need. She was still a little afraid but also tired of living alone.
Like a ghost.
Tonight she could feel alive again, even if it was for a short time. Henrik set her down, brushing her cheeks.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said.
“I’m not.”
“You’re trembling.”
“I know. It’s because I want you, Henrik. So much.”
He closed the little bit of distance between them and put his arms around her again. She could feel the hardness of his chest.
“I’ve tried to fight this, but I can’t any longer. I’ve wanted you so badly too.” Henrik tipped her chin and kissed her again. She swooned.
“Henrik, please.”
“I know.”
They moved to the bed. She wanted to feel every part of him again, to remember this moment. Her body craved it and demanded no less. She wanted to bury all the ghosts that haunted her and held her back so she could move on.
His kisses trailed from her mouth down her neck.
“You’re wearing far too many clothes,” he whispered, huskily, pulling her sweatshirt off.
“So are you,” she teased, unbuttoning his shirt, tossing it behind her. She ran her hands over his gorgeous chest. He snatched her hand and kissed her fingertips.
“That’s not where I want your kisses,” she said, her voice catching in her throat.
“Oh?” he asked, smiling. He kissed lower, cupping her breasts. “And where would you like my lips, then?”
He removed her bra, and then his tongue swirled around her nipples, sending a zing of electricity through her. Henrik knelt in front of her, untying the drawstrings of her pajama bottoms and pushing them down over her hips.
Her nipples hardened as his mouth kissed her hips, the slight swell of her belly.
“Oh, God,” she moaned, each press of his lips heating her blood.
Henrik picked her up and laid her down on the bed, removing his pants so she could drink in the sight of him. He leaned over her and slipped his hand under her lace underwear, stroking her and touching her.
Teasing her, making her wet and inciting her to want him all the more.
“Don’t torture me,” she gasped. “I want you. You know that.”
He grinned, and she parted her thighs, eagerly awaiting him. He settled between them, where she could feel the hard swell of his erection at her opening, teasing her, and all she wanted was for him to be inside her.
To claim her.
To be a part of her.
She urged him to enter her, as the head of his shaft slipped into her warmth.
He moaned. “Jo... Oh, God...”
He thrust forward, filling her.
She rocked her hips, wanting him to take her harder.
Faster.
“You’re so tight. You feel so good,” Henrik murmured against her neck. “So good.”
She ran her hands over his shoulders, holding onto him.
Not wanting to let go.
Henrik’s hands skimmed her hips, controlling her movements, guiding her to an exquisite release that washed through her body like a cleansing wave. She arched her back, crying out as she came. Henrik soon followed, his thrusts coming faster and shallower until he groaned with the strength of his own release.
Henrik kissed her again tenderly and carefully withdrew.
She curled up against him, not saying anything. She just listened to the sound of his reassuring heartbeat as he held her.
It calmed her.
He was alive, and for the first time in a long time she felt alive too.
Henrik watched Jo sleep next to him, reveling in the feeling of her soft skin and the fact that she wanted to be with him in that moment when he’d been feeling so out of control and vulnerable.
He didn’t like being that way in front of anyone, but he’d felt like maybe he could be with her. He couldn’t recall ever feeling comfortable enough to let go with Melissa. That scarred side of him, those memories that were triggered sometimes, no one saw that side of him ever.
He’d kept it locked away, but Jo saw him.
And he saw her.
She was so beautiful.
He had been dreaming of making love to her since the first time they were together.
All during the accident, he’d struggled with emotions from the past, but then he would catch Josephine working.
He would watch her saving lives and healing.
She was an oasis of calm among the chaos and the sea.
When she was with him it felt right. He forgot about everything else.
Including his pain.
His loneliness.
This is what he wanted, even though he was still afraid to reach out and take it.
Even though it was right here in front of him.
There was a knock at the door. Jo stirred, and he rolled over, giving her a kiss on her bare shoulder.
“Stay here, I’ll get it.” Henrik got up and quickly dressed.
He opened the front door.
“Dr. Linwood... Gary!”
Gary looked surprised. “Henrik!”
Henrik stepped aside as Gary came in.
“I thought you were in Munich,” Henrik said.
“I was, but I came back.” Gary set down his bag. “Is Jo around?”
“Gary?” Jo was dressed and came out of the bedroom.
“Hi, Jo! Sorry for not calling. It was sort of a last-minute decision, and then you guys had a storm,” Gary said.
“It’s okay,” Jo said.
“Can we talk?” Gary asked.
“Sure.” Jo looked at Henrik, and he took that as his cue to leave.
“I’ll head out.” Henrik got his coat and left, with a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. Why was Gary back so early?
He was supposed to be gone for another ten months. That would have given Henrik time to convince Jo to stay. How would he be able to convince her now? By the looks of it, there was going to be no time left.
For one wild moment, he thought maybe that them being together last night would change her mind, but it was only for a fleeting moment.
Just because they’d made love didn’t mean anything. There had been no promises between them. No declarations.
Just their baby.
He wandered around Nubbin’s Harbor. The power was still out, and everything was closed. It was quiet and a good time for him to think. He made his way down to the water, picking his way over driftwood and other debris that had washed ashore.
He looked up to see an iceberg slowly making its way by.
It calmed him.
It gave him the clarity he was searching for, like it always did.
As he scanned the shoreline he caught sight of someone else walking among the rocks. It was Melissa.
For so many years he had wanted her back. He’d dreamed about Melissa returning, but then it had never happened, and he’d just grown angry.
Bitter. Cold. Hard.
He’d given up all hope.
Now here she was, and even though he didn’t like that she’d hurt him, he also found he didn’t really care. And with that came a sense of freedom.
Instead, he was mildly annoyed she was back and wanted to talk to him, to infiltrate his life again. She turned and looked up at him. She was smiling, but it wasn’t a warm, beautiful smile like Jo had. It wasn’t a smile that made his heart beat faster.
“That was some storm, eh?” she asked.
“Indeed. Is your family okay, then?”
“Yes. Grandad has a generator up and running.”
“Good.”
“You don’t sound so okay yourself. I heard what happened in Tilting. What a tragedy,” she said.
“I’m fine. Tired, but fine.”
“Are you?” she asked.
“Why did you come back?” Henrik asked abruptly.
“What?” Melissa asked hesitantly.
“You didn’t want to be here. You didn’t want to live here.”
“You’re right,” Melissa said. “I was young, and I didn’t want to be here, but people can change.”
“I didn’t change,” Henrik stated.
Melissa half-smiled. Like she was pitying him. “I know.”
Henrik watched as she turned around and walked away. It didn’t bother him watching Melissa go. What was eating away at him was that Josephine could leave soon, taking his baby with her.
Would leave.
You can still convince her to stay.
But he couldn’t figure out how he was going to do that. There was nothing he could offer her. His heart was too broken. He couldn’t open it up again to a killing blow, and so to protect himself he had to let Jo go.
You could go with her.
Only he couldn’t do that either. It terrified him to leave. Yet it terrified him to lose Jo and the baby. He hated himself in that moment.
Hated that he was too scared to take the leap.
He loathed himself.
Fogo was in his blood. He’d promised his parents he’d wait.
It was where he was born, and it was where he’d die.
Alone.