Page 72 of Better Run

He releases Jo, and she continues to show no emotion. She just follows like an obedient dog.

And somehow, that hurts more.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Cole

We drive back to the cabin in silence. Jayden’s face is hard, and he keeps glancing in the rearview mirror at us.

Jo says nothing. She does whatever I tell her to do, but there’s nothing in her eyes. I’ve seen dissociation before. I don’t try to break her from it. When we get back, I carry her upstairs and lay her in our bed. I go downstairs and glare at Jayden.

“I told you she didn’t need to see that.”

He throws me an angry look. “She’ll be fine.”

“Sure. She’ll be fine in the way we’re fine.” Anger rolls through me, and I snatch up a whittling piece I’d been working on. It’s starting to look like Jo on her knees – naked. The knife gives me the tiniest amount of peace, but I want to cut skin with it. Draw blood.

I glance at Jayden and can tell he’s deeply angry. “I said she’s fine.”

“Whatever, man.” I pick and chop and slice with no finesse.

“Listen, I was going to chase Sage through the house before I did it. Maybe scare her and make her pay. But I didn’t.”

“I said whatever.”

There’s a soft moan upstairs, and we both pause. It sounded like she was in pain.

“Did you leave anything up there?” Jayden snaps.

“No.”

Jo moans again, followed by the sounds of retching. This time there’s no mistaking the pain. Both of us go upstairs. She’s lying on the edge of the bed, gripping her stomach. She pukes on the floor.

I grab the trash can and put it by the bed. She’s violently shaking. I sit next to her.

“She’s just in shock,” Jayden says.

“Hey.” I grab her shoulder. She continues to shake. She squints her eyes closed like she’s in pain. “Hey, little one.”

She doesn’t respond. Instead, she leans over and pukes again.

“It’s just your body reacting to stress. Let it out.” Jayden crosses his arms, but a flash of guilt comes across his face.

She grits her teeth and lets out a deep moan.

“What’s going on, little one?”

She opens her eyes and looks around in a panic. She’s still not there. It looks like she’s looking right through us. She breathes heavily while her teeth chatter. “Oh my god, it hurts.”

“Jay, something’s not right.” I look her over. I don’t see anything wrong.

He gets down on her other side and starts to pat her down.

She screams, gaze bouncing between us. She scrambles to get back, then doubles over again, puking on the bed.

“Fuck.” Jayden lifts up her shirt. Everything looks fine.

“Jayden,” I bark and move her leg off where she was sitting before. The bed is smeared in blood.