A/N: Thank you guys for the kind comments! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Please don't be too upset with me for this chapter...

...

"Jack, what are you doing here?" I pulled the blanket tighter around me, knowing I must look awful.

"I couldn't just sit in my house knowing you were sick over here."

"How did you even know I was sick?" I turned my head to cough.

"I stopped by the café this morning, and Abigail told me."

"I'm fine, Jack. You should go back home so you don't get sick, too."

He stepped into the house and led me over to the couch. "Elizabeth, please just let me sit with you or something."

I didn't have the energy to protest. "Fine." I leaned back, resting my head on the arm of the sofa.

Jack brought me a fresh glass of water before moving toward the stairs.

"Jack, what are you doing? I thought you said you were going to sit with me."

"I'll be right back." He disappeared up the stairs without further explanation, leaving me to wonder what he could be doing.

He returned a few minutes later, carrying a pillow from my bed. I sat up slightly, and he slid the pillow beneath my head. "Thank you."

I dozed off to the sound of Jack rummaging through my kitchen.

When I woke, Jack was sitting on the other side of the couch, my legs laying across his lap. I stretched, feeling stiff from my nap.

"Hey." He reached out and pushed the hair from my face. "How are you feeling?"

"A little less tired, but still not great."

"I'm sorry." He touched his hand to my cheek. "Do you need anything? Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "No. I just want to lay here." I rolled onto my side. "Jack, you really don't have to stay. Abigail brought by some food earlier, so I'm all set."

"Elizabeth, there's nothing I'd rather be doing than sitting here with you all day."

I didn't really believe him. He had to be bored just sitting there while I laid around all day. I didn't even have the energy to carry on a full conversation with him.

In the afternoon, he heated up some of the soup Abigail had brought over earlier that day, insisting that I eat something.

He flipped through channels on the TV while I sipped the broth. He glanced over every few seconds, making sure that I was eating.

"Jack, I've been sick before. I know how to take care of myself."

"Sorry. I just hate that you aren't feeling well."

"I'll be fine." It seemed a little strange that I was reassuring him when I was the one who was sick. "I still think you should just go home. What if you end up getting sick because you've been sitting here in my cloud of germs?"

He shrugged. "Then I get sick." He reached over and touched my arm. "And Elizabeth, please stop telling me to go home. I'm not leaving you right now."

"Hey, Jack. When I'm done eating, can you help me to my room? If I keep falling asleep on this couch, I'm going to be sick and sore tomorrow."

"Sure."

Fifteen minutes later, Jack was following me up the stairs, one hand on my back. He sat on the edge of the bed until he was sure I was situated and comfortable.

"Do you need anything?" His hand brushed across my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"No." I pulled my blanket up to my chin.

"Okay." He kissed my forehead, butterflies rising in my stomach at the feeling of his lips on my skin.

"Wait." I stopped him before he left the room. "Actually, if you don't mind, could you take Bronte for a walk?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you. Her leash is by the door."

I fell asleep again before he was even out the front door.

...

I felt much better the next morning, but I still wasn't up to a hundred percent. I had finally convinced Jack to leave the night before. I was thankful he hadn't protested too much; I wasn't quite comfortable letting him stay overnight, even if he was going to be in another room.

He stopped by for a little while before he had to go to work. I reassured him that I was feeling much better after getting more rest. He still seemed reluctant to leave my side.

Though his concern for me really was sweet, I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by it, too. I never had someone in my life who was willing to drop everything and sit with me for an entire day while I was sick—especially someone I had only known for a month.

It honestly scared me a bit. Everything was moving so quickly, and my emotions hadn't gotten a chance to catch up. We had essentially gone straight from strangers to being in a relationship. And it wasn't just a casual relationship; it had gotten very serious very fast.

...

Over the next week, Jack and I struggled to find time to spend together. He was working late shifts, and I was balancing work and midterms in my graduate classes. We tried to talk on the phone as often as we could, but even then, it felt like we were having difficulty connecting. I couldn't quite figure out what exactly seemed to be getting between us.

I flipped through the channels while I waited for Jack to call, not really looking for any show in particular. I stopped when I saw familiar scenery appear on the local news station.

An armed robber had gone into a local store, looking for cash. I knew Jack was working late that day, so I was fairly certain he would have been called to the scene. My stomach dropped when I heard what the news reporter was saying.

Two people had been shot, both members of law enforcement. One was in critical condition, the other died on the scene. They weren't releasing the names of the victims at this time.

My head spun. That could be Jack. He could be hurt or… worse.

I grabbed my phone and dialed his number, barely able to see the screen through the tears filling my eyes. I prayed that he would pick up, but I was sent to his voicemail.

I called again two more times with the same result, eventually giving up.

I looked out the window towards his house. His driveway was empty.

I felt so useless. I hated not knowing if he was okay. Thoughts swirled in my mind. I knew he was a sheriff; I had known that since before I even met him. I knew his job could be dangerous. Apparently, I had been able to ignore the risks he faced.

I kept glancing at my phone, hoping to see his name come up on the screen. He'll call as soon as he gets a chance, I kept telling myself. He had to call. He had to be okay.

I stayed up until well past midnight, still waiting to hear from Jack. I ran to the window every time I thought I heard a car outside, hoping to see him pulling into his driveway.

When I eventually decided to try to sleep, I kept the phone by my pillow with the ringer turned up.

In my dreams, he was gone. I saw the funeral, everyone in town dressed in black. I saw the house next door sit empty. I saw myself grieving.

When I awoke, my throat was tight, as if I had been crying. It took a few moments for me to reorient myself and realize that it was just a dream. Jack was okay—probably. I still hadn't heard anything from him.

I checked my phone. There were no missed calls or unread text messages. Why haven't I heard from him?

I tried to push the worry from my mind. I made myself a mug of tea and sat on the front porch, watching the birds flit through the tree branches. It was a beautiful morning; the promise of spring was evident in the cool morning air.

I heard a car turn down the street, and I broke into a sprint when I recognized it as Jack's.

I expected that all the worry I had been feeling over the past twelve hours would come bursting out as soon as I confronted him. What I didn't expect was to feel so angry.

"Jack Thornton! You can't do that to me!" I was practically yelling at him.

From the look on his face, it was obvious that he had no idea what I was talking about. "What did I do?"

"You let me worry about you all night! I saw on the news that there was a robbery, and some people got shot. I assume you were there?"

He just nodded.

"I called you so many times last night, but you didn't answer. You didn't even call me back. Why didn't you call me back? I thought you were hurt! I thought something bad happened to you!"

"Elizabeth." His voice was calm; he was clearly trying to keep me from getting even more heated. "I didn't know you saw anything about the robbery. Had I known, I would've found a way to contact you."

"But you should've figured that I saw the news story when you had a thousand missed calls from me! Or you should've at least figured that something was going on."

"My phone died when I was out on the scene. There was no way for me to charge it." He rubbed his hands up and down my arms as he spoke, still attempting to calm me down.

"What about when you got back to the office? You could've charged it then."

"I was so busy that I forgot about it. I still haven't had a chance to charge it. I honestly hadn't thought about it until now. I'm really sorry, Elizabeth. I never meant for you to worry about me."

"So you're okay?"

"I'm fine." He pulled me into his arms, holding me close as I finally allowed myself to cry.

My anger had turned into anxiety, which was quickly turning into relief. We didn't move for a long time, even after my tears had stopped. I was afraid to let him go, and it seemed that he was feeling the same way about me.

...

I tossed and turned all night. A thought had been stuck in my mind all week, ever since I saw the news story about the robbery. I'd tried to ignore it, but it kept coming back. I knew I had to face it.

I lay in bed, a weak stream of moonlight shining through the gap in my curtains. The thought pulsed in my mind. I finally decided what I needed to do, though the thought of it left my stomach in knots and brought tears to my eyes.

I prayed that my students couldn't tell how awful I felt. All I could think about was what would happen when I got home.

I sat on the front porch after work, waiting for Jack's car to turn down the street. He saw me when he pulled in his driveway, and he immediately came over.

I stood up to meet him. My heart was pounding as I thought about what I was about to do, what I had to do.

"Jack…" I took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

His eyes immediately filled with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"I can't do this, Jack."

"What are you talking about, Elizabeth?" He put his hands on my arms.

"This. Us. I can't do it anymore." I pushed away from him. "I'm sorry. It's just too much for me." Tears stung my eyes.

"Elizabeth, no. You can't be doing this." He stepped toward me.

"Jack, please. I just need some space. I can't. Goodbye." I moved back, closing the door between us.

He continued to knock on the door, calling my name. I slid to the floor, tears streaming down my face.

...

A/N I'm so so so sorry for ending the chapter like this. I hated writing it (I even cried a little while writing it, if we're being honest). But, there are some things that Elizabeth needs to work through, and this is how it had to be done. Please trust me when I say that things will work out! Just stick with it a little while longer!

I'll try to get the next chapter up later this week so you aren't suffering too long!