282 Jayden is Here

(Winona)

I pull the GPS tracker out of my bag, the tiny device feeling foreign in my palm. I tie it into my hair, tucking it into the tight bun I’ve secured high on my head.

My fingers tremble as I make sure it’s hidden.

I have a lifeline, but that doesn’t make me feel any less on edge.

I don’t know how long Jayden will take to get here, but I’m using every minute to get prepared. My mind keeps circling back to everything that’s happened. I left him.

He stood at the altar, humiliated in front of everyone—our family, our friends. The children. Our children.

I push the guilt down as best as I can, but it sits heavy on my chest like a weight I can’t shake. I made that choice, and I had no other. I had to leave. For Cass.

Gus drove us to this nearby camp—an odd place, not quite a hotel, but functional enough. There’s a kitchen, a bathroom, and some food. I’ve showered and put on layers of warm clothes, thinking ahead for when I find Cass.

She might need them more than me.

I slip a small n