"I ... I'm not sure." There was little chance of her remaining nearby should he reject Ilona. Jo could tolerate the repeating heartbreak if he were to accept Ilona but abandon their relationship. She could handle sacrificing time with her daughter and respecting Zach's rights. Merlin, she could even withstand him remarrying so long as his new wife treated Ilona right. But, she absolutely refused to coexist so near to him if she had made an error in trusting his kind heart. To do so would be unbearable.

She twirled the glass in her hands, desperate for a momentary distraction. Jo had to elaborate on her answer before he assumed the worst and left, she had to tell him the truth.

"We - you - I - we have -" Jo stuttered out, faltering just short of the full reason for their meeting today. Merlin, how was she to go back to the inn as if nothing had happened if he walked away? She couldn't break down in front of the innkeeper without providing an explanation, and any explanation she could think of would see her immediately expelled from the establishment.

Panic took over then as she looked sharply from him and towards the front door. Perhaps this was a mistake, maybe he was better off not knowing. Ignorance was bliss, wasn't it? Besides, what could he do with the knowledge anyway? A lump formed in her throat as her hand gripped the glass tighter. Fuck, this was a mistake.

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