The Unexpected

Chapter 18

Jack was confused by his thoughts that Harry's suggestion conjured. "Well, that's just it, I don't kow how I feel about her."

"Do you want to know what I think?" Harry ventured.

"Yes." That was why he had sought out his friend at such an early hour, afterall.

"I think you're preventing yourself from knowing how you feel about her."

Jack didn't follow and his expression showed it. "What do you mean?"

"You like the idea that she's easy to keep at a distance, simply because she's not here. With her living in America you can do what you want but still open up to her about anything because she's not actually here to influence your life in any way. But what you don't realize is that she has influenced you anyway."

That made a lot of sense to him except for the last bit. "How has she influenced me?"

"She's managed to get you to trust someone again, just by talking to you and you having that distance as a safety net. If she ever made you uncomfortable, she would be easy enough to get rid of wouldn't she? Elle has made you think about things you haven't in a long time I'm betting; and deep down, that scares the hell out of you. So the real question isn't what happpened, it's what's going to happen?" Jack began to slow as Harry's words hit him and Harry turned to look at his mate as he jogged on the spot before he finished his thought. "Are you going to face the things she's making you consider, let her love you and continue to trust her, or are you going to let your fear of the past decide for you; maybe take advantage of that distance, and cut her out?"

Jack knew that Harry's long time friendship had been what had allowed him to simplify so perfectly the thoughts he'd been having but couldn't sort out. He nodded slowly, "That's it, isn't it? I've been fighting and trying to control what's been unfolding all along and she took a chance and just let it be."

"Pretty much." Harry agreed.

"Right." Jack said rather absent mindedly as he began to jog again as Harry fell in step with him. They finished the long run in silence as Jack allowed himself to finally contemplate the relationship that he had with Elle.

  .......................................................................................................................................

Elle wandered around her apartment doing odd little chores while she spoke to Tim on her bluetooth.

"Uh-huh, yah...I know." She conceded. "Well that's exactly my point, I've got no one to blame but myself. He told me the lifestyle he was living right from the start, and that he had no interest in pursuing a serious relationship ever again." She picked up  some dishes from the coffee table and walked into the kitchen to load them into the dishwasher as Tim asked her some questions. It was the first time she'd had a chance to talk to him about Jack since she'd returned from England.

"I don't know when I actually fell for him to tell you the truth. I think it was a while ago though, I just wouldn't admit it to myself. And I have no idea why I ever thought he might eventually get over his fears and maybe feel the same. I feel a bit of a fool actually." She cleared her throat in an effort to prevent the tears again. She was sick of crying over him. Elle laughed at Tim's suggestion that she had held out hope because she was a romantic at heart and those kinds of people always believe in a happy ending.

 "Well I don't know about that, but I do know that everyone else I've dated since I've met him doesn't hold a candle to him. He has set the bar and I highly doubt anyone else will ever come close." She felt a deep sadness at the idea that she had lost the one person in the world that she had trusted the most.