Jack felt a bit out of place, fiddling with the hat on his head and feeling self-conscious. "I feel awkward," he admitted.

"Stop worrying!" Sarah reassured him for what seemed like the hundredth time, grabbing his hand and pulling it back to his side. "You look great."

Jack paused and grinned at her. "Why thank you," he said, placing a hand over his heart and giving a playful bow. "And you look absolutely stunning."

"Thanks." Her smile was as dazzling as the diamonds in her earrings. She looked radiant in her form-fitting red dress that accentuated her curves.

But Jack's excitement for the night wasn't just about how beautiful she looked. What filled him with the most joy was having her arm hooked in his, making them appear as a couple. He wanted to be seen with her like this, to have people assume things about them, even if it was only for one evening. If he could envision spending years by her side, he would consider himself not just lucky but truly blessed.

As they approached the entrance of the hall, Sarah expressed her worries to Jack. "I hope we can find Andrew and Mira in all of this," she said with concern, watching as others filed into the building. "I feel guilty for making us late."

"You and Gabriel had to take care of closing everything down," Jack reassured her. "You couldn't have left your staff hanging just for our sake." He could see the tension leave her body. "We'll track them down before the night is over, I'm certain of it. And if not, we'll just meet up at home. No big deal."

"Right," Sarah replied, her voice louder than intended as she tried to speak over the lively country music filling the room. "Let’s just enjoy ourselves."

"Yeah..." Jack turned his attention away from Sarah and took in the scene around them. He couldn't help but stop in awe. "Whoa!"

The hall was packed with people. There was enough space for everyone, but Jack now understood why Sarah was concerned about finding Andrew in such a large crowd. More and more people were streaming in through the entrance behind them, filling up the dance floor with their joyful movements. The music and chatter blended together perfectly. It was like being in a massive family gathering, filled with love and happiness.

Sarah asked, "Do you want a drink before we start dancing?"

Jack's mind was still trying to process everything when she spoke. "What?" he replied with confusion and then quickly understood her question. "Oh... Yes, of course."

As they walked towards the dance floor, Jack noticed a man standing in their way, staring at Sarah. His grin seemed flirtatious and it immediately made Jack dislike him.

"Hey there, Sarah," the man said, his voice dripping with seduction. Just hearing him say her name sent shivers down Jack's spine.

Sarah returned the smile with ease and familiarity as if she knew this man well. "Peter! It's great to see you here today. I didn't think you would be able to make it with everything going on. I heard about your patient passing away. I'm so sorry."

Peter's face fell briefly at the mention of his patient before he put on a brave front. "Yeah... It's been tough. But being here helps me clear my head. I really needed this." He gestured around the room.

For the greatest of all sins, Sarah disconnected her arm from Jack’s and leaned into Peter for a hug. They embraced each other closely. Jack stood there, wishing the ground would swallow him whole. Even as Sarah let go and looped her arm through Jack's again, Peter kept smiling at her without even acknowledging Jack's presence. Jack quietly seethed.

"Forgive my manners. Peter, meet Jack Harper. He is a writer from LA, a great one at that. Jack, this is Doctor Peter Morrison, easily one of the most respectable young men in our small town. I wonder why he has stayed with us so long."

Peter extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir," he said, smiling. Jack looked down at the hand in masked disgust but couldn’t ignore it with Sarah watching. He shook it briefly.

"Must have been wonderful being able to piece words together like that to form whole books," Peter said.

Jack smirked. "It's definitely rewarding. At least in my world, I don't need a prescription pad to fix things."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Peter looked lost for a moment but then laughed. "It is rough work, I know, but someone has to do it." He faced Sarah. "As for your rhetorical question, I stay because of the people. I have a deep affection for all of them. They bring joy to my life and make it worth living. If I were to leave, I might suffer a catastrophic emotional fall and die. That is the simple truth."

Sarah laughed loudly, a sound that felt very fake to Jack’s ears. Peter looked at her with eyes that seemed to melt into her.

"We should go dance, Sarah," Jack said, unable to take Peter’s presence anymore. "They are playing 'Islands in the Stream'—one of your favorites." He saw Peter shift on his feet, his happiness dimming, and Jack was glad.

"It truly is one of my favorites," Sarah concurred. "It was nice running across you here, Peter."

"Same," Peter said, already retreating, looking downcast.

Yeah... Be gone, man! Jack thought.

"I will see you on Monday, right?" Peter called.

"Sure," Sarah replied, stepping backward without checking for obstacles.

"Same time. Goodbye, Mr. Harper," Peter added with a wave.

Jack simply guided Sarah to the left, leading her toward a quieter spot on the dance floor where the crowd thinned.

"He was waving at you," she remarked as Jack lifted her hand, their movements slow and steady as they swayed to the music.

"I don’t care," Jack answered truthfully, twirling her around to mask the sting of his words. "I don’t bloody care."

His tone was sharper than he intended, and he caught the confusion in her eyes.

"Why? He was just being nice," she asked, her expression questioning.

Jack held the truth back, knowing it was easier to keep it hidden.

"What?" she pressed, a scowl forming, but even that couldn’t take away from her beauty. For a moment, Jack wanted to forget the dance entirely and just watch her, every expression she made. But her question lingered. "What’s going on?"

"He’s a good actor, Sarah. Both of you read your scripts well and delivered them perfectly to everyone in the town, obviously. How long has this production been going on?"

She stopped swaying and stared at him. "What the hell are you talking about, Jack? Your vibes have been off since he came to say hello... And now you’re speaking in parables? What are you saying?"

"It is obvious that you two are putting on a show for me and the rest of the town. Every time you see each other, there's this intense connection. I would love to be wrong but it is clear that there's more going on between you two.”

"There is nothing going on between Peter and me!" She looked exasperated.

"Yeah, right!" Jack gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "You both had your eyes all over each other, Sarah. I knew there was nothing I could give you of myself that was worthy and pure enough for you, and he was clearly the handsome 'man of the people'. You didn't need to deceive me in order to protect me. Truth matters."

"Truth? What are you talking about?" The rage in her tone was unlike anything Jack had ever heard from her. "I have always been honest with you. Always! But I can't say the same for you!"

Jack’s anger flared. "What the hell does that even mean? Every day, I’ve shown you pieces of myself. Every day, I’ve tried to bring you into my life, make you a part of me. But clearly, I wasn’t good enough to make that happen. Every damned day, you’ve seen parts of me!"

"And yet, there are still parts you keep locked away, aren’t there?" she shot back, stepping closer, her face just inches from his. Her voice was sharp, her eyes fierce. "We walked through those meadows together, night after night. You stared at me, worked so hard to please me, but you kept the important things hidden. You talk about truth and deception, but you move like a shadow—keeping secrets, like you were plotting something for tomorrow."

"I’ve never lied to you, Sarah! Everything was true. Everything you asked me..."

"And what about the things I didn’t ask?" she cut in, her glare piercing through him. "What about the questions others asked, and I had to cover for you—lying because you couldn’t bring yourself to tell the truth? Did you think I didn’t notice? You thought I was blind to your hesitations, your self-doubt, and the way you always put everyone else on a pedestal while tearing yourself down? You thought I was the friend who didn’t care enough to see all of that? Did you?"

"No," Jack said calmly, looking away from her. They were the only ones not dancing in the midst of the upbeat song that was playing.

"What are you hiding then, Jack?" Her voice was calmer too. "What are those things within you that you won't talk about... Or the things that stop you from talking?"

Her words made Jack look at her, wondering if she knew...if she had known all this while and there actually had been a deception. He wondered if she had been so nice to him, giving him the preciousness of her time, because she knew he was damaged. She was a nice person; the type that liked to be there for everyone. Maybe that was what it all was—sympathy. All this had been a facade, and it was nothing but mercy she had been showing him.

It was why she wouldn't see his feelings for her. It was why they would be nothing but rubbish to her if she even saw them at all. It was why he was nothing but the biggest fool on earth, in addition to all his other problems.