Page 6 of I Survived and will rise again

“I know. But I willneverjudge you or blame you, and I willneverhate you. We went to hell, survived, and climbed out with our souls intact.”

He doesn't say anything, but his face contorts with sadness, and the tear marks on his cheeks tell a story of heartbreak and regret. I can't help but feel the pain along with him. I know he's hurting, and I want nothing more than to ease his pain.

Sophia pulls away and looks at Jo. She leans in and plants a sloppy kiss on his lips, then turns to me and lets out a happy squeal. We join in, the sound filling the room with ease and comfort.

“My little unicorn,” he says gently with a genuine smile. “You know exactly what I need, don’t you?”

In response, Sophia releases a soft laugh and wraps her little arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder while facing me. I blow her a kiss, and she presses her lips against her palm and blows a kiss back in my direction.

“Your voicemail caused a shift in my path,” Jo confesses suddenly. I listen intently, my heart breaking for him as I imagine the emotions he was fighting through that night.

“You still found it in your heart to forgive me. Even after I attacked you,” he continues, his warm, whisky-colored eyes locked on mine.

“You weren’t yourself, Jo. So, how could I blame you?”

“It doesn't matter. Bipolar or not, I should've found a better way to handle my fucked-up moods.”

“You weren’t on your meds, Jo. You relapsed,” I try to explain, but he shakes his head in disagreement.

“Sade, it doesn’t matter. It happened and?—”

“And it’s over,” I finish for him in a firm tone.

This has always been Jo’s issue—constantly rehashing the mistakes he made that were outside his control. It happened. It sucks. But we move past it. What is the point of forgiveness if we dwell on all the bad shit? Besides, it shaped him into the man he is today—a humble king who will fight for those he loves.

He stares at me with a blank expression. “So that’s it, huh?”

I nod, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth as I dust my hands together as if brushing off the matter. “Yep, it's done,” I say confidently. Jo looks at me with a hint of amusement, his lips curving into a cocky smirk.

We sat silently for a few minutes, both becoming lost in our thoughts. The previously relaxed atmosphere has now been replaced by an almost tangible weight of silence as if the thoughts we are grappling with are too heavy to put into words.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I have to say something. “You know...I trusted Javi,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper, trying to keep the lump in my throat from choking me.

I feel his eyes on me, and I turn to face him. “I knew the moment I met him,” I continue, “that he was loyal. I saw it in his eyes, just like I see in yours.”

He nods slowly, his expression serious. “I know,” he says. “I trusted him too.

I never would’ve left you unprotected if I could help it, Sade,” he says, his voice breaking.

“I know that, Jo.” I can't help but smile at him, trying to lighten the mood a little. “Okay, this conversation has reachedits expiration date. Let's talk about something else,” I say as I turn away from him.

“Like what? You being pregnant again?” Jo asks, his tone serious.

My head jerks in his direction, and my entire body tenses up with a sudden rush of discomfort. He's got his overprotective brother's face on. I still remember the way he reamed my ass when he first found out I was pregnant with Sophia.

But the moment he laid eyes on her, he fell in love with her, and the anger toward me disappeared and was replaced with a deep affection for my little unicorn, who won his heart over instantly.

“Relax.” He softly chuckles. “I overheard the paramedic when they put you on the stretcher.”

I sigh. “It wasn't planned, Jo. And before you lecture me, I knew what Donnie and I did was reckless, but it happened, and now we’ve accepted it.”

Jo's gaze is fixed on me, and the softness in his expression instantly puts me at ease. When he doesn't respond, I continue. “I'm going to be okay, Jo. Everything will fall into place. Donnie isn't the type of guy who will make a baby and not take responsibility for her or him. I know he’ll take care of us.”

Jo smiles knowingly. “I know he will too.”

With those words, the tension in my shoulders eases, and I feel like I can breathe again.

“But if he breaks your heart, I'll break his arm, and he'll never be able to pitch again,” he says with a menacing tone, but his smirk says he doesn’t mean it.

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