The question, while fair, was one Jo had hoped he wouldn't ask, for even now a year after the fact she still hadn't come up with a reasonable excuse. Their relationship might have deteriorated beyond repair but she had little desire to outright lie to him. Omit, avoid, evade, sure. Lie? She didn't think she had the heart for it. The truth would break him though, Jo knew that as sure as anything.

Should she lie?

"No, I ... no." Jo confessed whilst avoiding his gaze. The truth would hurt but a lie would ruin any chance of friendship they could manage. And they needed to be friends for Ilona's sake. "I had thought to rejoin the dig in Venezuela maybe. It didn't work out that way." She hadn't even asked, hadn't had the courage to. Not because Zach knew of it and could find it, but because of her newfound insecurities and weaknesses. Jo wasn't who she once was and to face that then ... she couldn't do it.

Are you? She nearly asked to his last statement. He had moved on with his life, hadn't he? He purchased a new home and established new routines. Zach very well could have even found a new mistress in their time apart, as would have been his right. Jo left, which meant she had no claim to any part of him anymore. "It's good to be back," she said instead, still not quite looking up at him.

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