Chapter Forty-Four
Danny
Ican’t face our bedroom. Not now. Her scent will linger on the sheets.
After checking on Joel, I switch off my phone, grab a blanket and settle on the couch, propping cushions behind my head. In my hand, I hold a photo from our wedding night. Jo and I are smiling. We’re happy.
I sip the whisky I poured earlier; its warmth spreads through my body, but it does little to dull the ache. I don’t want to think about her, but I have to. I have to accept that she’s gone.
A tight knot coils in my stomach. I take a shaky breath, fighting the urge to be sick. Slowly, the wave of nausea ebbs, leaving my throat tight and my chest hollow. Then, suddenly, my whole body begins to tremble.
Wrapping the blanket around me, I step onto the veranda and close the double-glazed door behind me. The cold air stings my skin as I lean against the railings and let out a raw howl, deep and guttural, like a wounded animal.
Spent and shivering, I slide down the door, drawing my knees to my chest. My head throbs, and tears burn my eyes as I clutch the photo of Jo in my hand.
The icy numbness creeps into my fingers, jolting me back inside. I force down two painkillers with another swig of whisky and collapse onto the couch.
My grief has drained, leaving only an empty, aching silence.