Chapter Fifty-Five

One Month

I own nothing except Melissa, Kate, and any other OC's that I mention.

These are the words some of you have been wondering when you're going to hear for a while: it's going to end soon! Probably by the end of next week if I work hard.

Oh, one last thing: The chapter kind of jumps days halfway though...thought I'd include it just in case. :D

Melissa searched the Tiffany website the moment she got home on Monday. She hugged one knee to chest and browsed the sight.

"I mean, I don't get it," Melissa said. "They're going to get engaged?"

"What there t' not believe?" Jack said, pulling up a chair and sitting behind her. "The lad's 'ead o'er 'eels fer 'er, the lass repented, they're right fer each other. Are ya jealous?"

"No! I've never liked Will, you know that!"

"No, that ye're not gettin' a sparkler like that." Jack pointed to the computer screen that showed a solitaire diamond ring.

"I just want to make sure she's not making the wrong decision."

"She's smart. She'll do what's right."

"She wouldn't want to break his heart. Again."

"And you think that she thinks the right decision is to tell him no?"

"Well...I don't know. She really loves Will, but she might think that they're moving too fast. Who knows, maybe he was just getting her a earring or something...maybe a promise ring. Maybe I'm wrong."

"Ye..." he kissed her neck, "are thinking too much of matters that do not concern ye. 'N' ye're too tense."

"I'm not tense."

"Ye're too tense t' enjoy our one month."

Melissa laughed. "And what, you bought the finest rum to unwind me?"

"No, but I did buy some. It's on the couch. If ya could be a darlin' and get it."

She sighed. "Fine."

Melissa stood up and got two containers of rum. Of course Melissa wasn't going to drink underage – especially not rum. She at least got one for Jack. When she returned, the chair had turned around. She looked questioningly at Jack, then handed him his rum bottle.

"Ah, thank ya, love." He drank some. "It's good. You should try your's. It's your anniversary gift."

"Oh, how kind of you," she said sarcastically.

"Sit down," Jack said, gesturing to the chair.

She sat back down on the chair, facing the back of the computer chair. Melissa closed out of Tiffany and logged onto a real estate site.

"Ya were wrong," Jack said. "On Saturday, you said that Sunday was our anniversary. Yesterday was the first day we met, not our anniversary. T'day's our anniversary."

"My mistake," she said. "Happy anniversary, Jack."

"Happy anniversary, love."

She felt his hands go onto her upper back. She felt her muscles relax as he started to gently massage her back.

"You're distracting me," she murmured. She folded her arms across the back of the computer chair, closing her eyes. "I'm looking for a home."

"It can wait," he whispered into her ear. Jack kissed her neck lightly, leaving just the slightest trace of his lips.

She let her mind wander back to their first kiss. It was in the kitchen right after breakfast. It had only lasted ten seconds, but they were the best ten seconds of her life. She hadn't thought about that kiss for a while.

Melissa sat up, Jack's hands leaving her back momentarily. She took off her blue shirt and set it on the floor. She relaxed into her chair again and closed her eyes. Jack started massaging her back again.

"Told ya that ye're too tense. Ya need this," Jack said.

"Are you sure that I'm the one that needs this?"

"Ya need t' loosen up," he said, softly.

Double meaning? She had already taken her shirt off for him, what more did he need to see? She hadn't done this for any other guy before – what was she doing?

"Oh, I do?" she asked.

She gently held his hands and guided them to the hooks of her bra. Wordlessly, she helped him unhook it. She took it off and put it down by her shirt, her back to him the entire time. For the third time, she relaxed into her chair.

Her heart started racing. She had never shown this much skin for a guy ever. What was happening with her? Why did Jack have this effect on women to just, well, loosen up around him?

"You know," she murmured to him, "my parents are out of town for this weekend. They're leaving Friday evening and coming back Sunday night. They're visiting my dad's great aunt in Iowa. It'll be just you and me this weekend."

"Ah." He kissed her shoulder. "It will now, will it?"

"Yes," Melissa said. "Just like it used to be."

"And perhaps will be very soon."

Melissa felt closer to any man than she had before. Something was changed between them now – something she liked.

Thursday evening was now here. Will was unable to sleep. As the week went by, he grew more nervous about proposing to Kate. Would she accept? Would she say that it was too soon, and that they should wait? Would she even break up with him?

Will didn't dare to look at the ring anymore. He was worrying himself to the point of no return. He was staying up late at night and looking at it, and he often caught himself thinking about the coming weekend. Even when a group of children came to see him, he got tongue-tied trying to explain what it was like to live the life of a blacksmith. There was at least one smart kid every day that said, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Will would then say, "What's a girlfriend?"

The teacher would then say, "The blacksmith does not know modern-day English. Ask him if he has a lover."

The child would then sigh and say, "Do you have a lover?"

"Yes, I do," Will would say

"Oh!" the group leader (usually a lady) would say, "Courting! How romantic!"

Soon, could he say that he had a fiancée?

Will could hear the television playing out in the living room. It was no doubt Kate who was watching it. He got up and put on a shirt and went out to the living room. Kate gasped when she saw him, then she laughed.

"Sorry," she said. "You scared me."

"I apologize," he said. "What are you doing up so late? It's near midnight."

She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. I'm too excited for this weekend."

I would expect you to be , he thought. You have nothing to worry about.

"May I sit down with you?"

"You don't need permission," she chuckled. "I kind of wanted to watch this one with someone."

"What are you watching?"

"Desperate Housewives." She laughed. "It's my favorite."

"Is it a...movie?"

"No, close, though. It's a show. It's sort of like a series of short movies. Well, you've seen Dr. Phil. That was a show. This is a scripted show, though, just like a play or a movie. Alright, you see that woman right there? The red head?" Kate paused the show. "Her name's Bree. She just lost her husband. He had a heart attack while having an affair with another woman and died."

"That's horrible," Will said.

"Yeah." Kate pushed play, and the show started gain.. "Are you excited for this weekend?"

"Oh, um...the trip! Yes, very, darling." He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"Mind telling me where we're going yet?"

"That's a surprise. I know that you love surprises."

"You know me too well," she said, nestling into him. "But how are we going to get there?"

"I printed off directions."

"So I'll be able to see them?"

"No, I crossed it out with marker."

Kate laughed. "You're smart."

"No, I just know how to keep secrets quite well."

"You do. Do you have everything packed?"

"Yes, it's inside the suitcase that I packed this afternoon. Two changes of clothes, something nice, and the necessities."

"Wonderful!" she said.

Silence.

"Will?"

"Yes?"

"It was really nice of you to do this. Take me to wherever it is you're taking me, I mean. I don't know many guys that would do this."

"It's my pleasure, Kate."

She closed her eyes. "Happy one month anniversary, Will."

How could he forget? It had been a month since she and Kate had been together. And he had nothing! How stupid of him! Would that ring be alright, even if it was a few days late?

"Happy anniversary, my love."

7/7/07. That was a perfect day for anyone even the slightest bit superstitious. And on that day, Melissa knew that she'd need all the luck that she could get.

It was also two days away.

All week, she had debated whether or not to do It this weekend since her parents would be out. She had sworn that she would not do anything like that outside of marriage, but she sort of broke that on Monday with the massage – she took her top and bra off! Now, Jack didn't see anything (he couldn't since her back was to him), but he was giving her a massage.

She closed her eyes and tried to find sleep, but she couldn't. It was because she couldn't stop thinking of Jack. Should she? He made it seem like it wasn't a big deal to have sex. Maybe she was just overthinking things. Couldn't she just loosen up? Did she have to be such a good girl?

And she loved Jack, too! Only he didn't say it back yet. Not that Melissa had said it, either. She would say it, though!

Melissa's Blog Entry

I've been thinking about this all week, and...I'm ready. I'm going to, you know, this weekend. Have sex. With Jack. Something on Monday really changed everything between us. I don't want to go back to the innocent relationship that we used to have last week, even. I want us to keep going forward to a very, um...loving relationship.

Love,

Melissa Rose

Kate's Blog Entry

I'm so excited for...well, today, technically! I can't stop thinking about it! It's going to be so fun! And I got to talk with Will tonight while I was rewatching Desperate Housewives. It's going to be great to get away from home just for a few days. I feel so blessed to have such a great of a guy as him. Really, I don't deserve him.

I have everything packed: two pairs of clothes, the dress, and health and beauty things. I've been packed since Tuesday...sad or what?

XOXO,

Kate