Chapter 8: Words Just Break & Melt

Sarah Davies opened her eyes and briefly felt a sense of panic when she realized she wasn't in her bed. She could hear Jareth King's breathing beside her, and felt a rush of happiness that came from being so close, but then came the realization that she was going to end her engagement soon.

Checking her phone, she saw three missed phone calls from Jack. He didn't text her. He didn't even leave a voice mail. For a few seconds she wondered if he noticed her dancing with Jareth the night before. She could feel the tension building already, as if her phone sensed the anger from him. It was 7:23 in the morning.

Exhaling loudly, Sarah began to get up when she heard Jareth speak.

"I suppose breakfast won't be on the agenda for today. Hmmm, I think it's going to rain today."

Sarah turned over to look at him. He was so beautiful, and he was nothing but a gentleman.

"I'd love to, but I know I wouldn't be able to eat anything."

"You're stronger than you think." Jareth said, rubbing circles along her middle back, knowing what lie in store for her.

"I wish I believed that."

"I can't tell you how to approach such a thing Sarah. My relationship with Penelope wasn't so hard to walk away from."

"I was hoping that you'd give me a better pep talk." Sarah said.

"I've never been particularly good at those kind of things."

"I thought it would feel like I'm walking towards the executioner, but strangely, it doesn't."

"Because you know it's the right thing to do. I think it will a huge relief to tell him the truth."

"About everything? Even Sarah Williams?"

"I wish I knew what to tell you. I think you should go with your gut."

"Did you tell Penelope about the whole reincarnation thing?"

"No, because I knew she wouldn't believe me."

"I don't think Jack will either. He doesn't believe in that kind of stuff."

"I'm sure he's worried about you." Jareth said reassuringly.

"Yeah right. He's probably getting in a few hours at the office, and he was calling to tell me that he was going in." Sarah said bitterly.

"Still, he deserves to know."

"Honesty is the best policy, right?" Sarah asked.

"I think you'll know whenever you get there."

"I really appreciate it you know."

"What?" Jareth asked.

"You being so good, so gentle. I was almost expecting..."

"What?" Jareth asked again.

"Most others would quickly want to move towards..."

"Sex?" Jareth laughed slightly. "This is all so new to me too Sarah. I feel so much to a point where it's almost suffocating, and it's not right to throw sex into things too quickly."

"Who are you?" Sarah asked, smiling at the man next to her.

"A former king and now business owner who understands just how much his life is going to change." Jareth asked, grabbing Sarah's hand.

Close to an hour later, Sarah walked into the apartment, expecting Jack not to be there. She was surprised when she saw him sitting on the sofa; the articles on Sarah Williams were spread out on the coffee table. Clearly Jack took it upon himself to dig through her book bag, but Sarah didn't have the energy to be offended with his snooping. He was justified in doing such a thing. Sarah had on the pencil skirt and shoes she wore the night before, but the top consisted of a button down that Jareth loaned her.

"Did you spend the night with Jareth King?" Jack bluntly asked.

"Yes." Sarah whispered.

"Well isn't that great?" Jack said, doing everything he could to avoid Sarah's face.

"I didn't have sex with him if that's what you're thinking. I've never done that." Sarah said.

"Wow! That's supposed to make me feel better? We go through a rough patch, and Jareth King swoops in to steal you out from under me?"

"He never stole me!" Sarah said a little louder than she wanted before adding, "You think I'm that weak-minded and vulnerable?"

"You know Sarah, I never wanted to be that boyfriend. You know, the one who doesn't like his fiance hanging out with other guys. The one who's insecure about stupid bullshit like that. I should have known though! The moment you two met for the first time - there was something there; I could sense it, but I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to be THAT GUY. Look at where it got me!" Jack said.

"I never wanted to hurt you." Sarah said.

"Yeah, and here you are, wearing, what I presume is his shirt." Jack said before continuing,

"I don't even know what to think anymore Sarah. Last night we were having a lovely time. You disappeared for a while, Jareth King shows up, you two dance as if you're at some Victorian era style ball, and you disappear again! Then one of my co-workers who showed up late tells me that he saw you run off with Penelope Lancaster's ex outside of the museum. Oh yeah, he also saw your little make out session too. How exactly am I supposed to interpret that? Now there's all of this which I can't even begin to explain!" Jack said, pointing towards the information on Sarah Williams.

"You deserve an explanation."

"I don't even think 'explanation' is the appropriate word to use." Jack said.

"I don't even know where to begin."

"I think I can begin for you. Jareth King has somehow convinced you that you are this Sarah Williams girl. Is all of this why we're in the state that we're in? If I would have known that my work would have led to this exact moment happening…"

"Jack…"

"I mean, I read the damn book. I couldn't sleep so I read the damn book."

"Jareth King didn't do anything. I randomly met a woman on the subway who thought I was her. It was my curiosity, all mine."

"How long has this been going on?"

"I met her the night of the Pollock exhibit."

"You don't honestly believe that you're the reincarnation of Sarah Williams, do you?"

"I don't know." Sarah whispered.

"The thing is, I knew! I knew the moment the two of you were in the same room that something was happening, but I refused to believed it." Jack said, shaking his head.

"I know." Sarah said, moving to sit across from Jack.

"You never trusted me to understand. You never trusted me to believe that maybe I would believe you."

"How was I supposed to explain that I think I might be the reincarnation of Sarah Williams? How was I supposed to explain that Jareth King is somehow connected to all of this?"

"What? You think Sarah Williams and Jareth King were involved in a past life? Sarah, I don't even know where to begin with this."

"How do you think I feel?"

"This is madness! You can't be serious?" Jack said.

"I think it's more than that. At least, now I do."

"I don't understand. She's dead. She died…" The realization hitting Jack. "…she died around the time that you were born. Surely you don't think that you're her."

"I don't know. I have these random memories; I've always had them, and I couldn't really place them. That day after our fight over the social, I went to Haverstock with him and it all came together."

"Did he did put this into your head?"

"NO! Don't you see, he was connected to Sarah Williams. He died too around the time of her death."

"Sarah, I'm trying to understand, but what you're talking about is practically…"

"Impossible, right?"

"I can't help but wonder if it's an excuse."

"Jack, for as long as you've known me, I've never been one buy into such things. That wouldn't change on a whim. I didn't believe it myself, and when the pieces began to make sense, I still didn't want to believe it. I'm not even 100% sure about being Sarah Williams, but... I am sure that I can't become your wife. Not now."

"I thought as much."

"I know you say that you'd give up the partnership if it's offered, but you and I both know that would be a temporary fix." Sarah said.

Jack exhaled loudly as he sternly rubbed his thighs. Sarah knew that was something he did when he didn't know what to make of something.

"Sarah, I don't want you to just settle for me. You're right, this doesn't entirely make sense, but I don't want to be someone that you just settle for because you were afraid to explore what you believe may be your destiny. Maybe it's quote unquote fate, but maybe it's all bullshit."

"You think I'm making this for some easy escape?"

"No, but for as long as I've known you, you never put any stock into any of this sort of stuff. For crying out loud, I for sure thought you were an atheist, an agnostic at least."

"I barely understand what is happening. I probably never will, but I can't continue to live such a lie with you." Sarah said as her eyes began to well up.

"So that's it? We move on with our lives?"

"What else can we do?"

"How abut fght for what we have." Jack said before adding, "But somehow I feel like we will only be prolonging the torture. I love you Sarah Davies, but I also love you enough to let you go if you aren't happy."

He was a man who realized that he just lost the war. There was no fight left in him, and it broke Sarah's heart. She felt that he too knew deep down that they weren't supposed to spend the rest of their lives together.

Sarah took the engagement ring out of her handbag and gently placed it on the coffee table between them.

"You might as well keep it." Jack said, refusing to look at her.

"It never really belonged to me." Sarah whispered before leaving their, no, his apartment.

A little while later Sarah walked towards Apothecary King, unsure about whether or not she just made the hugest mistake in her life. It had started to drizzle a little bit, but then she saw Jareth sitting on the steps of the shop wearing his parka. It was Sunday, so there were no business hours, but he seemed to be waiting for her.

Sitting next to him, Sarah smiled as he removed the parka and placed it over her shoulders before he grabbed her hand and softly ran his fingers over it. The drizzle continued to fall on them. Sarah placed her head on his shoulder, feeling an immediate comfort with the knowledge that she now felt like she made the right decision. If Jareth King was her destiny, then she was ready to forge ahead.

"It's raining." Sarah noted.

"I know." Jareth said.

The two sat in the light rain for a while.