Joanne gasped softly as Jeffrey's arms crushed her against him, his hold full of something desperate and unspoken. His breath was warm against her temple, and the tremble in his chest betrayed just how close he was to falling apart.
"I'm not leaving," he whispered, his voice raw and thick with emotion. "I'm not going anywhere, Jo."
And in that single breath, she believed him. His voice cracked with truth—undeniable and pure. Her heart, once racing in terror, began to slow, syncing to the steady beat of his.
"Don't ever cry for me, Jo," he murmured, pulling her even closer. "I don't deserve it…"
There was pain in that confession. She could feel it in the way he held her, the way he buried his guilt beneath his tenderness.
He wanted to tell her. About Caruso. About everything. That he had been the one who, in a moment of weakness and ignorance, put her in harm's way. That he was the bastard who left her the night before their wedding.
