Page 72 of In The Dark

Jo sipped again, the drink burning a little more than the last one, and the one before that. She welcomed the sting, and she welcomed the blur it was beginning to offer. Chloe was talking about a recent holiday now, something about cocktails on the beach and falling asleep in the sun. Jo smiled, or at least she tried to, but her head was elsewhere.

Amelia. The gown, the lace, that look in her eyes when she’d caught sight of Jo.

You should have just left!

The drink was starting to hit her hard and fast, loosening the tension in her shoulders while simultaneously making her heart feel heavier than ever. The way it always did when she was on the edge of a mistake.

From the corner of her eye, familiarity caught her attention.

Ada. Thank fuck.

She was working the room the way she usually did, laughing with someone near the bar, while waving at someone else across the room. But Jo noted the exact moment Ada had clocked her. The moment her laughter faded, her brow furrowed, and her eyes landed on the nearly empty glass in Jo’s hand. Ada remembered this version of her from last time.

She’d seen it once before in a shitty flat with the curtains drawn at midday while Callum’s lies unravelled in real time. She’d been the one to drag Jo into the shower and hold her hair back when the whiskey came up. To tell her, over and over, “You’re not crazy. He’s just not who you thought he was.”

Jo tried to straighten up, but her limbs weren’t responding the way they should. She smiled at Chloe, vague and unfocused, and tried to act like everything was fine. But it wasn’t, and Ada was already crossing the room.

“Jo,” she said softly, crouching down beside her so she didn’t make a scene. “Hey.”

Jo stared back at her. “Hi.”

Ada looked at Jo’s drink, then at Jo, then at Chloe. “Could you give us a minute?” she asked politely. “Just need to have a quick chat.”

“Um, sure. Yeah.”

Jo didn’t watch Chloe walk away. She just kept staring at her glass.

“Talk to me,” Ada said, still crouching beside her, a hand now resting on Jo’s knee. “Please.”

“I’m fine.”

“Mm, that’s bullshit.”

Jo laughed. “Okay, maybe I’m…a little drunk.”

“You’re sure about that?” Ada raised an eyebrow. “A little?”

“Seriously.” Jo looked away. “It’s just a drink, Ada.”

“It’snotjust a drink. Not with you…not like this.”

Jo bristled. “Oh, don’t start.”

She knew Ada was only looking out for her, but she didn’t need this tonight. Why couldn’t she just drown her sorrows and complain about how dreadful she felt tomorrow morning? Everyone else seemed to be able to do that, but not Jo. Never Jo.

“Then don’t lie to me.”

“I saw her,” Jo said, her voice breaking. “She was with another woman. Well, what I thought wasanotherwoman.”

“I know. I saw.”

“She looks…” Jo exhaled. “She looks gorgeous.”

“And that hurts. Of course it does.” Ada squeezed Jo’s knee and sighed. “But drinking until you can’t feel your face? Flirting with someone you’re not even interested in? That’s not going to make it better.”

“I know,” Jo whispered.

Ada got up and sat beside Jo. “I’ve seen you like this before. When Callum was fucking around and gaslighting the shit out of you. You were heartbroken then, too.”