Mr.Brightside

Chapter 58

Clara's Doubts

My mom's house felt different from how I remembered. The rooms were too quiet, and the smell of lavender from the air fresheners was almost overwhelming. As soon as I'd stepped through the door, I'd been hit with a strange sense of nostalgia and unease—like I was regressing, falling back into a version of myself I'd long outgrown.

I sat on the bed in my old room, my suitcase still half-packed on the floor. Posters from my teenage years stared down at me from the walls, and I felt a twinge of irony at how little had changed here while my life outside these walls felt like it was unraveling.

The bed was softer than the one I shared with Jack, but it felt empty. Hollow. I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing in a hundred different directions. I'd thought coming here would give me clarity, some space to figure out how to fix things with Jack, but now that I was here, all I felt was lost.

The words Jack and I had shared last night, the decision to take some time apart—it hadn't hit me until I was alone in this room. Was this really the right choice? Would stepping away give us the perspective we needed, or was it just an excuse to avoid confronting the deeper issues between us?

I hated that I didn't have an answer.

Memories of Us

I sat up, grabbed my phone from the nightstand, and scrolled through old photos of Jack and me. Our first vacation together at the beach, laughing under the sun. The weekend we spent hiking, dirty and tired but happy. Even just a few months ago, at a friend's wedding, where we'd danced until our feet hurt, feeling invincible.

When did that change? When did the laughter and the simple joy of being together fade into this tense, uncertain space?

I kept thinking back to that night at the gallery. Jack had been distant, withdrawn, and I hadn't known how to reach him. I had seen the way his eyes flicked around the room, how out of place he felt. And instead of helping him through it, I'd gotten lost in my own excitement, blinded by the idea that this new world was somehow our new normal.

But I should've known. Jack's world was different, and that was okay. I just hadn't figured out how to bring our worlds together in a way that didn't pull us apart.

And now, with this space between us, I didn't know if we could.

Mom's Advice

A soft knock on the door broke me out of my thoughts. My mom stepped in, carrying a tray with tea, her kind eyes searching my face.

"Thought you might want something warm," she said, setting the tray on the small table by the window.

"Thanks," I mumbled, offering her a weak smile.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping slightly under her weight. "I was wondering how long it would take before you wanted to talk about what's going on."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I don't even know where to start."

"Well," she said gently, "start with why you're here. Why isn't Jack with you?"

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "We... we needed some space. Things have been tense between us for a while now, and I think we're both just trying to figure out where we go from here."

Mom nodded, not looking surprised. "Relationships aren't easy, Clara. They never are. But sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to give yourself permission to grow. And sometimes, that means growing together. Other times, it means taking a step back to see where the cracks are forming."

"That's what we're doing, I think," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "But I'm scared. What if we can't fix it? What if we've just... grown too far apart?"

Mom took my hand, her fingers warm and steady. "I don't have the answer to that, sweetheart. But I do know that you and Jack have something special. You've always been able to lean on each other when things get tough. This space might feel scary, but it could also be what you need to find your way back to each other."

I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes but blinked them away. "I love him, Mom. I really do. But I'm not sure if love is enough anymore."

She sighed softly. "Love is the foundation, Clara. But it takes more than that to make a relationship work. Trust, communication, and sometimes... a willingness to meet each other halfway. Have you two really talked about what you need from each other?"

I shook my head. "We've tried, but it always feels like we're talking past each other. He doesn't understand the world I'm stepping into, and I don't know how to make him feel like he's part of it."

"That's because you're trying to force it," Mom said, squeezing my hand. "You don't need to make Jack fit into every aspect of your life. He can be his own person, just like you're becoming yours. The question is, can you still build a life together, even if your paths look different?"

Her words hit me hard, the weight of them sinking in. Could Jack and I still find a way to be together, even if we were growing in different directions? Or had we reached the point where compromise wasn't enough?

"I don't know," I whispered. "I don't know if we can."

Mom stood up, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "You won't know until you both really talk. Not just about what's going wrong, but about what you still love about each other. Why you want to make this work."

I nodded, the heaviness in my chest still there but lighter somehow. "Thanks, Mom."

She smiled, her eyes soft with understanding. "Take your time, Clara. But don't be afraid to fight for what you love."

The Call

After Mom left, I sat by the window, staring out at the street below. The weight of everything hung over me like a storm cloud, but her words echoed in my mind. Fight for what you love.

I picked up my phone, staring at Jack's name on the screen. Part of me wanted to call him right away, to hear his voice, to tell him that I wasn't giving up. But I wasn't sure if I was ready for that conversation yet.

Instead, I typed out a message: I miss you. I know we need time, but I just wanted you to know that.

I hesitated before hitting send, my heart thudding in my chest. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

The reply came quickly, and seeing Jack's name on the screen made my heart ache.

I miss you too, Clara. We'll figure this out. I promise.

I smiled faintly at the message, feeling a small flicker of hope. Maybe we weren't as lost as I thought.

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