A/N: Again, I'm so so sorry for the last chapter! Thank you all for the kind and supportive comments! I hope this chapter makes up for the last one!

...

I woke early the next morning, before the sun was up. I threw some clothes into a suitcase, barely even paying attention to the items I was packing. When I checked my phone, the notifications were filled with voicemails and unread text messages. I left them unopened.

The sun was barely beginning to peek over the horizon when I loaded the suitcase into my car. I called Bronte out and quickly got her into the back seat.

I needed to leave soon, before I lost my nerve, before I talked myself out of it. Before anyone tried to stop me.

I sent Rosemary a text, letting her know that I had changed my mind and would be going out of town for Spring Break. I didn't give her any details as to where I was going. I didn't want her to tell him.

I drove all morning, only stopping once to eat a quick lunch and let Bronte stretch her legs. It was mid-afternoon when I finally pulled into the driveway.

My father's car was gone, so I knew that he was still at work. I had called my mother earlier in the day to let her know I was on my way. She pressed me for details, but I promised to talk more when I arrived.

Julie ran out to greet me. It was good to see her. I hadn't visited my family in a few months, since Christmas, but it was like nothing had changed.

She took my bag from me and walked ahead of me into the house. I let Bronte into the backyard before I went to find my mother. She was in the library, right where I expected her to be.

"Mom?"

She set her book down and rose to give me a hug. "Sweetheart, it's so good to see you."

"Thanks for letting me come, mom. I just needed to get away for a little while, and this was the first place that came to mind."

"You're always welcome here, Elizabeth. You know that." She sat down and motioned for me to do the same. "So, do you want to talk about why you just suddenly decided to come here?"

I fidgeted with the hem on my shirt. "Not really, but I know it'll come up eventually." I sighed. "We broke up."

"Oh, Elizabeth. I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"I still haven't worked out exactly what happened. I got scared and decided it was too much." I blinked away the tears that had begun to form. "Mom, can we talk more later? I have a bit of a headache, and I didn't sleep well last night. I just want to rest for a little while."

"Sure." She kissed my cheek. "There are fresh sheets on your bed and clean towels in your bathroom. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you, mom. When dad gets home, let him know I'll be down to see him later."

I ascended the stairs and entered my childhood bedroom. I smiled at the comfort and familiarity of the room. I climbed onto the bed, laying on top of the covers. I dozed off, only to be jolted awake a few minutes later by a knock on the door.

"Elizabeth?" It was Julie's voice on the other side of the door.

I groaned, knowing that she would let herself in even if I didn't give her permission.

"Come in."

She closed the door behind herself and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Okay, spill. Why did you decide to come here at the last minute?"

"I can't just make a spontaneous trip to see my family?"

"Elizabeth, you are the least spontaneous person I know. You plan out everything. You even have to mentally prepare yourself for small talk when you go to the dentist. 'Winging it' isn't in your vocabulary. There has to be some reason why you just loaded up and drove here with just a few hours' notice."

I sighed and leaned back on my pillow, pulling a blanket over my face.

"Does it have to do with Jack?"

Tears filled my eyes at the mention of his name. I sniffed.

Julie put her hand on my arm. "Did he break up with you?"

I peeked out from under the blanket and shook my head. "I broke up with him."

"What?! Why?! The last I heard from you, you were crazy about him."

"That was the problem. It freaked me out when I realized how much I really cared about him after such a short time."

"But why did that make you feel like you had to break up with him?"

I rolled onto my side. "I've never felt this way about someone before. Remember when I dated Charles, and I was never really sure how I felt about him?"

She nodded.

"Well, with Jack, there was never any doubt about my feelings. I know that I care deeply for him. And I know he cares deeply for me. He even sat with me for an entire day a few weeks ago when I was sick. I slept for most of the day, but he was there with me the whole time. Who does that after only knowing someone for a month?"

"Oh, Elizabeth. Why would that lead you to the conclusion that you needed to break up with him?"

I covered my face with my hands. "A few days ago, I saw on the news that there was a shooting, and I knew that he was there. I always knew in the back of my mind that his job could be dangerous, but that was the first time that I really thought about the risks he faces. He could've been killed that day. All I could think about was how much it would hurt if I lost him. I just decided that I didn't want to live my life worrying every day if he was going to come home or not, and that's easier to do if we aren't dating."

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth."

I smiled weakly. "I'll be okay."

"Well, we'll just have to keep you occupied all week to get your mind off of everything. We can go shopping, and we can visit the botanical gardens, and-"

"Thanks, Julie," I cut her off, knowing she would just keep listing activities if I didn't stop her. "You're my favorite little sister."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're my favorite big sister, but if you tell Viola I said that, I'll deny it."

...

"Elizabeth?" Julie knocked on my door again a few hours later. She cracked the door open and peeked in.

I waved her in. "I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now."

"That's not why I'm here. I figured you probably wouldn't want dinner, but I brought you something anyway." She pulled a container from behind her back.

"You brought me Ted Drewes?"

She shrugged. "There's no better way to get over a breakup than by drowning your sorrows in ice cream. Believe me, I would know."

I knew she was referring to the whole slew of boyfriends she had gone through the past couple of years. Julie and I looked related, but that was pretty much where our similarities ended. I always wondered why she would put herself through all that heartbreak over and over. After this situation with Jack, I honestly didn't know if I was willing to risk going through something like that again. It hurt too much.

While we shared the ice cream, she talked about her college classes and what had been going on at home lately. She mentioned that they had been able to video chat with Viola recently, and we discussed our predictions about our new little niece or nephew. I was glad that she didn't press me any more about Jack.

Once we finished the ice cream, I went downstairs for a little while to say hi to my dad and to bring Bronte back up to my room with me.

I thought I would feel better since I had talked some things through with Julie and my mom, but I still tossed and turned all night.

My week back home passed too quickly. I wished I could stay longer, but I needed to get back for work.

Julie had kept her word and planned out so many different activities to fill our days. We visited the botanical gardens and the art museum. We went to a show at the Fox Theatre one evening with our parents. We even spent a day at the zoo, something I hadn't done in years.

Before I left, I promised to come back to visit soon. I just hoped my next visit would be under better circumstances.

...

Jack was sitting on my front porch when I pulled into the driveway. My heart dropped when I saw the sadness in his face. Bronte ran over and jumped on him as soon as I let her out of the car. I left my bag in the car and sat beside him, leaving plenty of space between us.

"Why did you leave?" His voice was tight.

"I just couldn't be here." I sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack. I owe you an explanation."

He kept his gaze aimed at the ground in front of him. "Yes, you do."

I took a deep breath and went straight into the speech I had rehearsed in my head on my drive home. "I never meant to hurt you, but it scared me, Jack. All of it scared me. We dated for a month, and you were already willing to sit with me for an entire day while I was sick. No one has ever done that for me before. Ever. It scared me knowing that you cared that much about me. And then right after, there was the night I sat in my house for twelve hours, not knowing if you were okay, not knowing if you were even alive. I can't go through that again. I had a dream that same night that you had died, and I realized that I couldn't handle that. I can't live my life wondering if today is the day that you'll be hurt, or worse. I can't spend my days wondering if you're going to come home. I can't let myself care that much, because I can't handle all the other emotions that come with that. It's just too much for me."

He sighed, meeting my eyes for the first time since I had sat down. "So, if I'm hearing you correctly, you ended things between us because you're afraid that something will happen to me, and you don't think you could deal with that emotionally?"

"Yes."

"I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why you felt that breaking up was the best way to deal with that."

I let out a breath. "I can't really explain it, Jack. It just felt like what I needed to do for me."

"Can I just say one thing?"

I nodded.

"My dad was in law enforcement. He was killed on the job. Even before he died, my mom worried about him every single day. She struggled with the same fears you're dealing with right now. But facing her fears was worth it because she loved him."

"Jack…"

"Are we not worth it, Elizabeth?" There were tears in his eyes.

"I don't know, Jack. I don't know if I can get past that fear. When I thought that there was even a chance that something bad had happened to you, I didn't know what to do." My voice was almost a whisper. "It scared me that I could care so much about someone—about you." That I could love you.

"Elizabeth…" He stood and held out his hand to help me up. "Please, tell me that we're worth it. Please give us another chance. I love you."

I raised my eyes to meet his. "What?"

He put his hands on my arms, flicking his gaze between my eyes and my mouth. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I figured out what he was thinking. He leaned forward, gently placing his lips on mine.

My breath caught in my throat, and my entire body grew warm. He pulled back slightly, gauging my reaction. My eyes were immediately drawn to his lips, and I was the one to lean in this time.

We separated slightly, our foreheads still touching. He wrapped his arms around my waist. "I love you, Elizabeth Thatcher. So much."

I smiled and pressed my lips to his again. "I love you, too."

"This isn't really what I expected when this conversation started."

I laughed softly. "Me neither."

"Elizabeth, please promise me that, next time, you'll talk with me about how you're feeling."

I nodded. "Of course. No more running."

"Okay, good." He kissed me again. "And I promise that I will try my hardest not to leave you worrying about me for twelve hours ever again."

"Do you want to come in for some coffee or a snack or something? My mom sent some gooey butter cake with me."

"Well, I can't say no to that."

We spent the rest of the evening talking and eating, catching up after our week apart. It was late when we finally said good night and Jack went home. I knew I would be exhausted at work the next day, but it was worth it. Jack was worth it.