Jo ran out of the office. Her heart pumped heavily the blood through her veins. She hardly tried to draw breath. Seeing Zane with Zoe churned up so much pain inside of her, it nearly broke her down. Again! She hated this feeling. She tried so much to get over him but she can't. Seeing the man she loved more than anything else in her life caused so much pain. Not to be able to talk to him like she had done before felt horrible. She knew that she needed Zane in her life. But she could never take him from Zoe. If he loved her – she thought – well then he should go-ahead with dating her and she would suffer in silence. But why did he kiss her then? Too many things went through her head when she arrived at her car she had parked just a few steps from Carter's office. She opened the car and sat down without starting the engine. She wasn't able to drive right now.
Meanwhile Zane was still in the office with Zoe, who wanted to celebrate with him. Zane felt lousy because of what had happened. He kissed Jo and it felt damn good to him. Then he was so close to get the answers he wanted to hear from her but Zoe interrupted them, hugged him and Jo … Jo looked awful. She looked sad and it was his fault – he thought. He couldn't blame Zoe for it because it was actually his own fault. He started dating her to mess up with Carter a bit even though he knew that she had a crush on him. It was the first time that he regretted anything. He regretted to date Zoe. He regretted that this kiss with Jo felt so much better of anything he had known. He regretted to cause her pain.
"So, what about celebrating now? Zoe asked Zane who was totally lost in his thoughts and the picture of Jo inside her head leaving the office as sad as he had never seen her before.
"Zane?" Zoe tried to get his attention.
"Yes?" he answered.
"Is everything alright with you? Yu look kind of sad? I hope my Dad treated you well if not I could …"
"No, no. Everything is alright I am just … thinking." Zane interrupted Zoe. She looked a bit confused as if she knew what bothered him.
"OK, ca we leave then?" she carried on "You remember? We wanted to celebrate at Café Diem."
"Yeah, sure." Zane left the office with Zoe hanging on her arm even though he wasn't in the right mood for celebrating. Not with her. Not if everything he could think about is Jo.
Zane didn't recognized Jo still sitting in her car when he left the office with Zoe crossing the street to enter Café Diem. But Jo saw him with her on his arm. Her heart broke. She couldn't describe the feeling or managing it. She had no idea what she should do. She never felt that lost before in her old timeline. This could already be a routine feeling for her in the new timeline but it seemed to get worse and worse and she had no idea how to handle it.
She felt to sick to start the engine of the car and when Grace dropped by seeing her sitting in the car nearly crying she knocked on the window. Jo didn't want to open it but Grace didn't stop knocking. Finally the tears ran down her cheek. She started the engine. No one should ever see her crying – she thought. Not even Grace.
Grace was shocked and crossed the street entering Café Diem where she had a date with her husband. Still in shock she didn't recognized Zane sitting there with Zoe. She went over her husband who just sat two tabled away from Zane and Zoe and told about what she had seen.
"Jo? Crying? Henry yelled out shocked. So that even Zane could hear it.
"Are you sure? I mean, it's Jo." He attended in a lower volume.
"I know. I was in a shock, too. She didn't want to talk to me. She drove away without opening the window or anything." Grace told him. "May be we should tell Carter?"
"OK, let's get over to his office." Henry said, took Grace and left Café Diem.
Zane's POV
Jo? Crying? No way. She is the toughest woman I have ever met. She can strike anyone down with just one hand. She would never let any emotions win the control over her. Grace must have pointed something wrong.
But what if she is crying because of me? Because of the kiss? No way. She doesn't even like me. She said that there has never been anything between us and then all this stuff about romanticizing our relationship and that we won't fit. But why should she cry then?
"Zane? Hello? Are you still there?" Zoe sat in front of him wondering if he had listened to anything she told him.
Zane looked at Zoe and had no idea what he had done but all these words just scrambled out of his mouth: "Listen, Zoe! I am sorry but this thing between us? It won't work. I mean, I know you have a crush on me but … it is just a crush and besides I am way to old for you."
"What are you talking about, Zane? I mean age should not be the problem …"
"No, let me finish please. It is not just the age. I never meant to hurt you Zoe but I never had kind of these feelings for you that you had for me. I know it was dumb but I used your crush on me to mess up with Carter a bit." Zoe had no idea what to answer. She was shocked and damn angry. Zane could see that in her face and added "I am so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you and … I really like you but just as a friend and if you are not getting too bad at me I would love staying friends with you but not more."
Zoe took a deep breath before saying anything. She pulled herself together. "I can't believe you'd done this. I thought all this stuff they are talking about you being a jackass is not true and I believed you and I thought I even know you." She packed her things and left. She didn't want anyone to see her crying and she had to fight her tears badly. She went out of Café Diem leaving Zane behind.
Zane felt bad. Again! He didn't want to hurt her … well at first he hadn't thought about it when he started dating her. It was all just to mess up with Carter a bit but he never thought about Zoe and her feelings. Zane was completely lost in different kind of thoughts mostly about Jo and her reaction about the kiss, the hug with Zoe and the crying part.
Zane decided to take the risk. He stood up and went out of Cafè Diem to call Jo.
Meanwhile Jo drove home. Home means Carter's home S.A.R.A.H. because her house wasn't ready at all. She entered and ran directly in her room. She didn't want to talk to S.A.R.A.H nor Zoe or anyone else she expected to be home. She didn't recognize that she was all alone and shut the door of her room behind her. She fell on her bed with her head full of thoughts about Zane when her phone rang again.
Zane. Again. – She thought and let her voice mail answer it.
Jo didn't accept any call from Zane so he decided to drive over to meet her. He kind of knew that she wasn't in her office at GD because if she would be that mad that she even cried, she would never go there. The chance to face anyone would be way to high. So he decided to drive to Carter's home directly.
"Mr. Donovan is at the door" S.A.R.A.H announced.
"No, don't open it S.A.R.A.H." Jo told her staying in the kitchen preparing some food. Jo wore just a tank top and sort of boxers as she directly came from crying in her bad. She felt damn unsexy right now and her eyes were still red from crying so the last person she would like to face right now was Zane.
"Too late, Jo-Jo." A voice behind her said. S.A.R.A.H. opened the door for Zane before Jo could have reacted because of an advice Zoe gave her. She should let him in every time when he was on the door.
"Zane!"
"Yes. Nice look, Jo-Jo." Zane said with a smirk and tried to exhilarate the situation without success.
"I am sorry I am not able to laugh at your dumb joke and don't call me Jo-Jo." She answered without any mimic in her face.
"What's wrong?" Zane asked even though he already knew what was wrong with her after seeing that she really cried.
"What do you care about? And by the way shouldn't you celebrate with Zoe? She is not here."
"I know that she is not here. And I don't think I should be with her. I told her that this thing between us could never work."
"I don't care" Jo answered and prepared her food.
"Nice, can I help you?" Zane said, stepped over to her and gave her a helping hand.
"No Zane. Why don't you just leave?" Jo said getting unsure and angry.
"Look Jo." Zane tried to explain and calmed her down. "All I am trying to say is that … I am not with Zoe anymore and I care about you. Whatever had happened what you can't tell me I know that there were something between us and you can't deny it." Jo paused. She had no idea how to react.
"I mean, I would love to know everything that happened" Zane said "But I won't push you. If you'll tell me? Fine. If not, I am trying to handle it, but c'mon give me a chance to be the guy you once saw in me." Jo had no idea what to think. She was overstrained with this situation and looked away. If she would look him in his blue eyes she once fell in love with, she would be lost. She had to stay strong and looked away. "No, Zane!" Please go." She said with a calm voice.
"Jo, all I am asking for is a chance. I don't need any promise that it will work. Just a chance! I want you to have faith me. I am still the guy you once loved." He said turning her head so she had to face him. There it was. The point where she got lost. His eyes. His lips. She couldn't really think about anything but kissing him.
"I want you Jo-Jo. I would love to kiss you right now but I won't push you, so it's on you to decide whether I stay or not." Zane said looking in her big brown eyes. He could barely resist kissing her.
Jo could not move and just managed to say "I want you to."
Zane smiled and kissed her softly. When he felt Jo answering her kiss he deepened it. He nipped with her tongue on her upper lip begging for entrance which she allowed. It felt so good to both of them that they forgot the food Jo was preparing. Even though it started to smell awful Jo didn't recognized it. She was total lost in his kiss. Zane interrupted unintentionally.
"Maybe we should get the burned food from the cooker and order some pizza?" Zane mentioned.
"Yes, maybe we should." Jo said with a lovely smile on her face.
They put the supposed to be meal from the cooker, ordered a pizza and placed themselves on the couch. They didn't talk much. Just a smile. And another one back. A documentary was aired on TV but they didn't really watch it. All they could think of right now where themselves.
Zane hold Jo tight in her arms and never wanted to let her go again. Not even for pizza. It felt so right for him to hold and kiss her. They were both totally lost into each other when S.A.R.A.H. announced the entrance of Zoe. Both stood up quickly but Zoe already stood behind the couch starring at them.
"Zoe, let me explain:" Jo stuttered.
"No, the last person I want to listen to right now is you, Jo." Zoe said turned to the stairs to go to her room when she turned again "I thought we were friends. Nearly like sisters. You and me, Jo. You know what I felt for him. You came up to me telling me I could always talk to you about anything and anyone." Zoe yelled at her.
"Zoe." Zane tried to stop her but was interrupted by Jo.
"No, Zane. Please. Go. I'll call you." Jo begged. Zoe ran upstairs to her room. She didn't want to face them anymore.
"I need to talk to her. Alone. I shouldn't have done this without telling her. It is my fault." Jo said.
"No, Jo. It's not. I mean. Everything is clear between me and Zoe. We weren't together and I told her we never will be."
"But you didn't tell her that it is all because of me, did you?"
"No because there was no reason to tell her."
"That's the problem. Zane. She has a crush on you. She is a young girl in love and we – especially I- hurt her. For her it is like I grabbed her man, you know." Jo tried to explain Zane how Zoe felt right now. "Please, Zane. I will give you a call if everything is fine."
"And if not?"
"I will. I promise. It felt too good to let it go again."
Zane left with a last kiss and Jo went upstairs to face Zoe. How could she explain Zoe her feelings for Zane without telling her what had happen? For Zoe Jo and Zane hated each other. Always. She always threw his ass in jail for every kind or prank he did. Jo had no idea what to tell Zoe but she knew she had to talk with her.
"Zoe, it's me Jo. Please open the door and let me in. We need to talk." Jo knocked on her closed door.
"No, Jo go away. I'll never talk to you again." Zoe answered.
"Zoe! Please I am so sorry."
"GO AWAY" Zoe threw something against her door and Jo decided to step away. She decided to let her calm down and speak to her the next morning.
Carter didn't come home for the night. He spent it at Allison's and when Jo stood up and knocked on Zoe's door it opened slowly. The bed was made and no one was inside. There was a letter left on her bed which was addressed for Jack. Jo knew what had happened. Zoe left home. She hoped so much that Zoe went back to Harvard instead of anywhere else.
Her phone rang. She received a text message from Zane.
- Good morning, Jo-Jo. Is everything alright? I kind of miss you a bit. *joke* Hope to see you back soon, not just at work.-
Jo smiled and heard the door. Carter came home. She ran up and gave him the letter. They talked for hours about what had happened and how it should go on. After a long call she replied Zane.
-Hi, Zane. Things went bad. Zoe left home and went back to Harvard. Carter knows everything. Meet me at Café Diem. We need to talk. Jo.-
When Zane received this message he wasn't sure what he should think about that.