Chapter Three
"Molly, thank you so much for helping Rose out. I didn't know where else to go."
"You don't have to thank me Jack; any decent person would do this."
She smiled as she patted his back.
"If you want, you can stay here tonight. If you don't mind I'd like to get a few more hours of sleep before heading to Mass in the morning."
"Of course. But where will you sleep? I mean Rose..."
"Don't you worry about that, I'll take the big couch in the sitting room, I suppose it'll hold me."
Molly walked over to the sitting room door and looked once more at Jack leaning over Rose to pull the sheets even a bit higher to make sure she was warm enough.
"Young love," she whispered to herself, "I'd almost forgotten how beautiful it can be."
At that she stepped inside and left Jack alone with Rose.
Jack couldn't stop looking at Rose; she looked so gorgeous lying there, even with the bruises on her face and the little black circle under her eye.
Molly's words rang even louder in his ears now: 'She loves you.'
Now looking down on her he could hardly believe it.
Rose was sophisticated; she was first class for crying out loud.
And engaged too!
What did he have to offer her?
Apart from his heart?
Suddenly it struck Jack like lightening coming out of a clear sky.
Maybe that was what she wanted.
Just to be loved, not to be showered by gifts that didn't even come from the heart.
Those thoughts warmed him inside.
Maybe Molly was right, maybe he wasn't the only feeling the way he did.
"Come on Rose, don't give up. Please wake up. I still have so much to tell you."
Without really realizing it, his hand sought Rose's.
Even the slightest touch ran shivers down his spine.
"What about that trip to Santa Monica, the rollercoaster and the horseback ride? You haven't forgotten about that, have you?"
"Just show me that fire inside of you is still there. That fire that makes you so special. Prove that Cal has not beaten you."
And so he sat there, silently holding Rose's his hand as slumber started to take over him.
Before he knew, he drifted off into a light sleep, his head resting on the pillow next to Rose, hearing and feeling her breath.
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The next thing Jack felt was the warmth of an early sunbeam on his face.
As he slowly opened his eyes, he noticed that Rose had slipped closer to him until she was practically lying in his arms.
In fact he had even put his arm around her waist in his sleep.
God that felt good.
She was close enough for him to smell her hair, the little hint of lavender.
As he softly let go of her, she shifted a little and mumbled something.
He realized she was gonna wake up any minute.
He got up and splashed some water in his face, trying to wake up from the beautiful dream he had had.
Actually it hadn't even been much of a dream.
In his sleep every moment spend with Rose had rolled before his eyes.
When he heard her shuffle even more he stepped back over to the bed and sat down beside her, waiting for her eyes to flutter open.
A few minutes later they did.
He was staring in the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen.
"Good morning sleepyhead." He joked.
"Jack," she answered, her voice very weak, "what, how."
"Sh, it's alright."
"What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"All I remember is walking in my stateroom and seeing Cal there. All the rest is black."
She winced as she tried to sit up.
"Don't get up," Jack said, as he gently placed her back between the sheets.
"Last night you came to my cabin and fainted in my arms. I brought you to Molly's room and had the doctor look at you. You've been hit Rose. Don't you remember that?"
"No, I'm sorry. I don't remember anything."
"You have a couple of bruises and something which is becoming a black eye I fear. And worse, you have internal bleedings; you have to stay still as much as you can."
"Internal bleedings." she whispered.
"Don't worry, nothing terrible. You'll just have to be careful that's all."
For a moment Rose just stared in front of her trying to grasp what had happened.
Luckily Jack was there for her.
"Thank you Jack. For doing this I mean. I didn't wanna cause you any trouble."
"Rose you could never cause any trouble for me. You should know that, I thought we were friends."
'And I even wish we were something more.' he thought to himself but he didn't have the guts to say these words out loud.
Rose smiled one of her brilliant smiles again and he felt his knees get weak.
"How do you feel?" he asked to break the silence.
"I feel pretty good. No pain or anything."
"That's good."
"Jack, what will happen now? I can't go back to him, I just can't."
"We'll figure something out, don't you worry. I won't let you go back."
"Hold me Jack. I just need someone right now."
His eyes grew wide at her request but he knew he couldn't refuse it. He didn't even want to.
So Jack leaned in and felt Rose throw her arms around him, clinging on to him.
He could feel her tremble and noticed he was doing the same.
"Molly, thank you so much for helping Rose out. I didn't know where else to go."
"You don't have to thank me Jack; any decent person would do this."
She smiled as she patted his back.
"If you want, you can stay here tonight. If you don't mind I'd like to get a few more hours of sleep before heading to Mass in the morning."
"Of course. But where will you sleep? I mean Rose..."
"Don't you worry about that, I'll take the big couch in the sitting room, I suppose it'll hold me."
Molly walked over to the sitting room door and looked once more at Jack leaning over Rose to pull the sheets even a bit higher to make sure she was warm enough.
"Young love," she whispered to herself, "I'd almost forgotten how beautiful it can be."
At that she stepped inside and left Jack alone with Rose.
Jack couldn't stop looking at Rose; she looked so gorgeous lying there, even with the bruises on her face and the little black circle under her eye.
Molly's words rang even louder in his ears now: 'She loves you.'
Now looking down on her he could hardly believe it.
Rose was sophisticated; she was first class for crying out loud.
And engaged too!
What did he have to offer her?
Apart from his heart?
Suddenly it struck Jack like lightening coming out of a clear sky.
Maybe that was what she wanted.
Just to be loved, not to be showered by gifts that didn't even come from the heart.
Those thoughts warmed him inside.
Maybe Molly was right, maybe he wasn't the only feeling the way he did.
"Come on Rose, don't give up. Please wake up. I still have so much to tell you."
Without really realizing it, his hand sought Rose's.
Even the slightest touch ran shivers down his spine.
"What about that trip to Santa Monica, the rollercoaster and the horseback ride? You haven't forgotten about that, have you?"
"Just show me that fire inside of you is still there. That fire that makes you so special. Prove that Cal has not beaten you."
And so he sat there, silently holding Rose's his hand as slumber started to take over him.
Before he knew, he drifted off into a light sleep, his head resting on the pillow next to Rose, hearing and feeling her breath.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The next thing Jack felt was the warmth of an early sunbeam on his face.
As he slowly opened his eyes, he noticed that Rose had slipped closer to him until she was practically lying in his arms.
In fact he had even put his arm around her waist in his sleep.
God that felt good.
She was close enough for him to smell her hair, the little hint of lavender.
As he softly let go of her, she shifted a little and mumbled something.
He realized she was gonna wake up any minute.
He got up and splashed some water in his face, trying to wake up from the beautiful dream he had had.
Actually it hadn't even been much of a dream.
In his sleep every moment spend with Rose had rolled before his eyes.
When he heard her shuffle even more he stepped back over to the bed and sat down beside her, waiting for her eyes to flutter open.
A few minutes later they did.
He was staring in the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen.
"Good morning sleepyhead." He joked.
"Jack," she answered, her voice very weak, "what, how."
"Sh, it's alright."
"What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"All I remember is walking in my stateroom and seeing Cal there. All the rest is black."
She winced as she tried to sit up.
"Don't get up," Jack said, as he gently placed her back between the sheets.
"Last night you came to my cabin and fainted in my arms. I brought you to Molly's room and had the doctor look at you. You've been hit Rose. Don't you remember that?"
"No, I'm sorry. I don't remember anything."
"You have a couple of bruises and something which is becoming a black eye I fear. And worse, you have internal bleedings; you have to stay still as much as you can."
"Internal bleedings." she whispered.
"Don't worry, nothing terrible. You'll just have to be careful that's all."
For a moment Rose just stared in front of her trying to grasp what had happened.
Luckily Jack was there for her.
"Thank you Jack. For doing this I mean. I didn't wanna cause you any trouble."
"Rose you could never cause any trouble for me. You should know that, I thought we were friends."
'And I even wish we were something more.' he thought to himself but he didn't have the guts to say these words out loud.
Rose smiled one of her brilliant smiles again and he felt his knees get weak.
"How do you feel?" he asked to break the silence.
"I feel pretty good. No pain or anything."
"That's good."
"Jack, what will happen now? I can't go back to him, I just can't."
"We'll figure something out, don't you worry. I won't let you go back."
"Hold me Jack. I just need someone right now."
His eyes grew wide at her request but he knew he couldn't refuse it. He didn't even want to.
So Jack leaned in and felt Rose throw her arms around him, clinging on to him.
He could feel her tremble and noticed he was doing the same.