Short chapter but another one is coming soon!

Chapter 20

"Let me go!" I yelled, trying me best to free myself from his strong grip. My strength to do so was countered by the fact that I was beginning to believe I had seriously injured myself. Even something simple, like breathing, was causing me anguish I had never felt before. Yet even so I tried my best to get away.

"Stop struggling! When are you going to learn to do as you're told? You've been doing as you please since the day we've boarded and I'm tired of it!" he seized me by the shoulders forcing me to look right into his eyes. "Now you tell me where she is!"

"I said I didn't know!"

"You're lying!"

The pain had become too much for me and between the frustration, Jack and Rose, and him yelling at me I slumped down and began to cry.

"Oh shut up!" he shook me, forcing me to look at him. "Tell me where she is, this is the simple way. Trust me you'd better take it."

I shook my head, I may have been trapped but there was no way I was going to tell him anything.

"All right then, I'm sure your grandmother will love to hear every thing about the affair you've been carrying on with a certain officer."

I stopped my tears and looked at him with wide eyes.

Oh my god…

"Yes, looks like I seemed to have found your weakness. What would dear old Grandma say? I guess I would start with the very public kiss in the 2nd class library, or maybe the carousing down in third class, or shall I just jump to the part when last night, for many hours, you were in his cabin, alone.

I averted my gaze from him and he knew that he had me. It would kill my Grandmother to hear that, I couldn't stand the thought of hurting her, she had raised me. I loved Harry and didn't regret anything that had happened, but at the same time I didn't want her to find out about it. She would never let him near me again and that was something I was certain of.

From the corner of my eye I could see that evil smile spread across his face and I felt like throwing up.

"I would forgive you though, because if I have indeed lost Rose, just between you and me, I have every intention of making you my wife. Even now, when you look like complete trash, you are beautiful…and that's what I need."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was a nightmare. Hannah's warnings and even some lost thoughts of my own, came flooding back to me. I couldn't look at him, I couldn't, but I did and my confirmation of his wickedness was confirmed.

His smile towards me was causing more fear in me than the sinking of the ship itself. I glared at him, suddenly more livid and infuriated then I had ever been before in my life. Don't ask me where it came from, but I felt a sudden strength begin to flow through me and then suddenly I felt as if I had left my body and saw myself from the outside. Having an older brother had its advantages, he taught me how to defend myself…I lifted my knee and quickly, expertly thrust it into between Cal's legs, hard as I possibly could.

He fell to the ground in pain, releasing me. It was then that people turned and noticed me. I floated back into my own body and told myself to run. And I did.

Any moment now I knew either Cal, or Lovejoy, who had been mysteriously absent through the whole scene was going to be on my tail. Through the pain that was still pulsating through my body I kept running. It hurt so much, but I had to.

As I began to get farther and farther away I began to feel more at ease and eventually slowed down. I brought my hand up and touched the middle part of my torso where the suitcase had hit me. My ribs began to throb before I even laid a finger on them. Obviously, this wasn't a good thing.

I ignored it though, I needed to find Harry, not just because Rose had wanted me to, but I needed him. I just needed one hug, an embrace, for just simple reassurance. I felt all alone, and I wanted him near me.

A sudden crowd started to form near the edge of the ship and I realized another lifeboat was being loaded. I took a breath, hoping that Harry was over there, and slowly moved towards it. The crowd of people engulfed me and practically pushed me towards the front.

"Sarah!"

I looked towards the direction of the voice that called my name. But all I saw were other people trying to get to the front, pushing one another and screams and yells. Then I saw her, pushing her way through everyone towards me.

"Rose!"

I threw myself into her arms and hugged her tightly. I saw that Jack was right behind her and smiled at him.

"I was so worried." she pulled away from me, and looked me directly in the eyes. "What happened?"

I shook my head, now wasn't the time.

The crowd around us seemed to quiet down or maybe my ears were just getting used to the noise, all I know is that in the midst of all that I could make out a new sound. The roar of water. Looking down side the ship I could now see, for real, what was really happening. Water was now covering the windows of B Deck.

It made me shiver when I saw the lights were still visible, even under the water, giving the water an eerie glow. I looked back up; Rose and Jack were now looking towards the men who were loading the boat. I recognized only one.

Lightoller.

He glanced my way quickly, then turned back, his face full of surprise.

For a moment he just looked at me, then regained his composure and went back to what he was doing.

When the boat was ready, he announced for women and children only to board. Women were pushed past me, reluctantly, by their husbands where a seaman helped them onto the lifeboat. Their tears and cries, struck at my heart.

A man helped pick up his two daughters, who's tear stained faces were fearful as they were set into their mother's arms, who was already in the boat.

"Come on, you're next." Lightoller spoke to me.

I looked back at Rose before he reached for me and carefully picked me up and helped me climb into the boat. As I sat down I could see Jack telling Rose to do the same, she kept shaking her head.

Lightoller looked at me one final time before going to help others.

"He's on fourteen" he simply said.

I smiled at him.

Harry was safe.

Relief washed over me and I said a short prayer, thanking God.

More and more people began to board. A woman holding a screaming toddler in her arms, got into the boat her face smeared with tears, looking back at her husband on the ship, with a heartbroken expression. She caught my eye and I managed to give her a comforting smile before turning back towards Rose's direction. They weren't letting men on, period and her reluctance to leave Jack was understandable, I couldn't help but plead with her with my eyes, though.

Looking past her I could see Cal approach. He looked at me and glared, I glared back. People moved in front of me obstructing my view of the two of them, and the next thing I knew, Rose was being helped onto the lifeboat. She reached for Jack and he reached back their fingers only slightly brushing up against the others. She was pushed down into the seat next to me and that was it.

Lightoller looked back at me, his jaw more stiff than ever before, and began to signal the boat to be lowered. Rose and Jack's gazes never left one another and I watched the two of them stare at one another, their expression full of more emotion than I they seemed to know what to do with. She gripped my hand as a flare exploded from over head.

I looked up at Jack, who was standing on the edge, Cal right beside him. He just looked at her. Tiny tears forced their way out of my eyes. And out of my mouth the whispers began to fly.

"It isn't too late…you know it isn't."

God, this was so hard, but I would never forgive myself if I didn't say anything.

She broke her gaze with him and looked back at me and I nodded. Quickly she got up and pushed her way roughly past people in front of her and jump from the lifeboat to A Deck hanging from the rail. People in the boat are screaming, some in shock, others in horror, some both. Two men quickly helped her climb over the rail and onto the deck and she stopped for a moment, looked back at me and smiled. I smiled back and watched her run away, then I looked up I could see Jack looking horror stricken below him. Cal's angry face became more red and enraged as Jack ran down the deck. He looked at me with dark eyes, before he disappeared from my sight all together as the lifeboat sunk lower and lower, until we hit the water.