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I picked up my phone, typed as fast as I could and hit SEND before I could chicken out.

If I agree to talk, it has to be somewhere neutral.

Jack responded a few seconds later.

Tell me where and when.

Are you available tomorrow night?

The coward in me wanted him to say no.

Yes.

I suggested Starbuck’s at four-thirty. It was the only place I could think of. I waited for him to make a joke about Mary killing him.

I’ll be there.

It felt like snakes were slithering the pit of my stomach. I had to face Jack tomorrow night, and I’d be a nervous wreck until it was over.

After work on Monday, I cleaned my apartment. I scrubbed the shower walls and behind the toilet, wiped down the cabinet doors and cleaned the grease filters above the stove. If I stayed busy, I wouldn’t have time to think about meeting Jack. It didn’t work.

I almost canceled a dozen times throughout the day, but controlled the impulse. I wanted to hear what he had to say, even if it wouldn’t change the outcome.

Jack sent a text at three-thirty to confirm. I lost my last chance to back out when I sent my confirmation.

I arrived early so I could buy us coffee. I knew he’d try to beat me to it, but I refused to let him. Jack arrived a few minutes after I sat down, holding a single white rose.He looks so tired. His usually neat beard was shaggy, and he had bags under his sad eyes. I fought back the urge to hug him.

“May I?” Jack asked before sitting.

I nodded and slid his coffee across the table.

Jack smiled, not his usual grin or a wide smile. It was the sad smile of a person remembering something that used to make them smile. “Thank you.”

Jack handed me the rose before picking up his coffee.

“Thank You.” I stammered, “I, uh-” Everything I wanted to say drained out of my head.

Jack spoke up. “Meg, I’m sorry. I let my ego get in the way, and I hurt you. I have no excuses for not talking to you about Sul-” Jack glanced around. “Everything.”

“Why?”

“Why didn’t I tell you?”

I nodded and sipped of coffee to hide my face, my tears. This was a lot harder than I thought.

“Because I thought I could fix everything, protect you, without you knowing. I thought it’d be easy. I’d find your stalker, scare him off. He’d go away, and you’d feel safe.” Jack paused, running his hair through his hair.

He sounded genuine, but I wasn’t ready to trust him. “But?” He tried to tell me all of this before, but I stormed out of the house, too pissed off to listen. Today I was calmer and willing to listen. I wanted to understand, needed to know, why he betrayed my trust.

“But while I was trying to figure out who he was, I noticed some things in your background didn’t fit.” He paused and glanced around the dining room again. “Are you sure you want to discuss this here? I want to be completely open, but I’m worried others will hear me.

“I don’t know where else we can go and not have the same issue.”

Jack was quiet for a minute as he thought about it. “We could go to my office. I know it’s not neutral, but it’s not personal either. I can shut my door so we have privacy.” After a brief pause, he added, “It’d also give you the opportunity to ask Jamie or my dad questions I can’t answer.”

I thought about it. It wasn’t ideal, but he was right. It’d be more private. Then I wondered what questions I could have that he couldn’t answer. “Alright, I’ll meet you there.” It was a better option than having strangers overhear my ugly secrets.

Jack sent me the address before walking me out. I felt the absence of his hand on my back, missed it, when held the door for me.

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