Sanctuary [h.s.]

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I'm gonna stay right here by your side,

Do my best to keep you satisfied

Nothin' in the world could drive me away"

***

I made the decision to reach out to Jack, to finally put an official end to whatever the situation was that we had between us. He didn't deserve to be caught in this limbo, pulled back and forth by my own indecision and the insecurities that had me wasting his time. It wasn't fair, to him or to me. And as selfish as it felt, I needed to do this for myself too-to lighten the guilt that had already taken residence on my shoulders, weighing me down with every passing day. It was long overdue.

I also wanted to do it for Harry. If he and I were going to be serious, if his desire to take things further between us was something I meant to honour, then I needed to prove it-to show him that I didn't take this lightly. Jack and I needed closure, and Harry needed to see that I was truly committed.

So we arranged to meet at a small coffee shop in the city, somewhere neutral but public. Doing it in person felt like the right thing-Jack deserved at least that much, a face-to-face conversation. No impersonal texts or abrupt phone calls.

The air outside felt heavy as I arrived at the coffee shop, the afternoon sun casting a warm glow through the windows, which flickered over tables and countertops like liquid gold. I pushed open the door, the soft chime of a bell ringing above me, announcing my arrival to the scattered patrons. As I scanned the room, my eyes quickly found him-Jack was already at the counter, speaking to the barista, ordering something with his usual calm demeanour.

I hesitated for a moment, my heart fluttering in a mix of nerves and guilt, but then I walked over, my footsteps quiet on the polished floor. As he finished paying, I gently tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, a confused frown creasing his features, but as soon as his eyes met mine, the expression softened. A small, familiar smile tugged at his lips, warm and gentle, and I felt that pang of guilt again-deeper this time.

I swallowed hard, bracing myself for what was to come. This was going to hurt, but it had to be done.

"Eleanor," Jack greeted warmly, his voice soft as he opened his arms for a hug.

"Jack, hey," I smiled back, accepting his embrace, though I kept it quick, feeling the weight of what I was about to say.

As he pulled away, his eyes searched mine for a brief moment before he asked, "Did you want to order something?"

"Yeah, I got it," I said with a grin, stepping forward to give my order to the barista. The quick exchange felt like a way to delay the inevitable. After I paid, we moved to the side of the counter, standing in that awkward limbo, waiting for our drinks to arrive, a quiet tension settling between us.

"How have you been? It's been a while," Jack said, his tone casual but curious.

"Yeah, it has," I nodded, offering a vague smile. "I've been okay. Dealing with some personal stuff." The words felt hollow, a gloss over the storm inside me.

He gave a small nod, as though he understood more than I said. "I'm good. Just working a lot, you know how it is," he replied, but there was an undercurrent in his voice-like he was holding back, like maybe he could feel what was coming. Or maybe that was just my guilt talking.

Before we could dive into anything further, the barista slid our drinks onto the counter with a soft clatter. I thanked her quietly and grabbed my iced coffee, the cold condensation wet against my palm, grounding me in the moment. We walked over to a small table by the large windows, sunlight spilling in, bright and warm.