*Linc*

I ended up taking Jess to a nearby park where we could have the privacy we needed. I put her on a bench and waited until she was ready to talk. Even though she was trying to hold it together, I could tell Jess was hurting.

After a few minutes she turned and gave me another unconvincing smile. “I really am fine, Linc,” she tried to tell me.

“Jess, you look the same way you did when I found you after that football game,” I pointed out.

She gave a small, ...