WriterFreak001:

Sorry for the radio silence. On top of being super busy in the real world, I've been having mega writer's block on EVERYTHING. :( Anyway, I hope you like this chapter because I really struggled with it.

The Scorpion

Written by WriterFreak001

Chapter 8:

Broken Heart

~ SCORPION ~

"Are you… in love with this girl?" Toby blinked at Walter as he chomped down on a loaf of bread, tearing a piece off with his teeth.

Walter shrugged and smiled as he thought about the kiss he shared with Paige last night. "I really like her, Toby. I know I just met her, but… I don't know…, I can't stop thinking about her. If there was one person I'd chose to spend the rest of my life with, it would be Paige. She's absolutely fascinating and intellectually engaging. I've never met such a fine woman."

"Sounds like love to me," Toby mumbled with food in his mouth.

Walter could hardly hide the grin coloring his lips and muttered, "I'm thinking about asking her to run away with me. Is that too… strange?"

Toby shook his head and chuckled. "After the way you came back last night, wearing her lipstick all over your face and neck, I don't think it's strange at all. She's clearly interested in you, too."

Walter frowned. "How would you know how I looked when I returned to our quarters last night? You were completely drunk and could barely form coherent phrases."

"I might have had a few drinks too many last night, but I'm still a very observant son of a bitch when drunk." Toby folded his arms and leaned backwards as he gave Walter a goofy grin. "By the way, you still have lipstick under your left ear."

Walter's eyes shot open as his hand flew to his jaw and touched the red, sticky residue, making Toby smirk grow increasingly wider. Walter then dipped a napkin into his glass of water and gently wiped his skin. "Is it gone?"

"Define 'gone'."

Walter glowered at his friend and hissed his name in annoyance.

"Fine, fine. Yes, yes. All evidence of last night's excursion with Miss Dineen has been eradicated." Toby sighed after sipping from his awful-tasting coffee. "Speaking of last night… how far did the two of you go?"

Walter looked around and then lowered his voice as he redirected his attention to Toby. "Not that it's any of your business, but nothing happened last night."

"The lipstick said otherwise."

Walter rolled his dramatically rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly through his nose, but the more Toby smirked, the harder it was for Walter to conceal his small grin. Toby wiggled his eyebrows, egging Walter to confess to anything, but the inventor slapped Toby's hat down over his eyes and pushed himself away from the table. "Like I said," Walter was now grinning like an idiot. "Nothing happened."

Before Toby could reply, Walter swiftly marched out of the social center and made his way to the stern, hoping Paige, if she wasn't already there and waiting for him, choose to see him again.

~ SCORPION ~

Toby pushed up his hat and rose to his feet to get back at Walter but frowned when he realized his friend was no longer in sight. "That putz," Toby uttered as he finished his breakfast and then shoved his hands into his pockets as he sauntered out of the social center. Just as he spotted Walter walking down a flight of steps towards a lower deck, a young, heavy-set man came whirling to the side of the boat. Toby grimaced as the passenger vomited, but as much as he wanted to spy on his friend, he couldn't ignore a person in need.

"Hey, big guy," Toby slowly approached the man, preparing himself for anything unpleasant. "Everything all right?"

"I hate boats! I hate water! I hate being here!" The young man exclaimed quickly before another onset of nausea washed over him. Toby, feeling sorry for him, gently rubbed the passenger's back to soothe him.

"That's it, let it all out. Just think happy thoughts, and it'll be over before you know it." Toby ignored the stares he was receiving by other passengers and added, "Focus on my voice, not on the water or the boat. Just my voice. Can you tell me your name?"

The man inhaled a short breath and swallowed carefully. "Sylvester."

"My name is Tobias Curtis, but call me Toby. I know I don't look like I fit the part, but I'm pretty knowledgeable in medicine. Just keep focusing on my voice, all right Sylvester? Sly? Can I call you Sly?"

Sylvester nodded vigorously as he released a breath of air.

"All right Sly, what's a nice-lookin' fella like you doin' down here?" Toby asked softly as Sylvester slowly pushed away from the side of the ship.

"M-My g-grandpa is the captain. He said 3rd class deck would be best suited for my sea sickness. Obviously he was wrong." Sylvester covered his mouth and turned to vomit again.

Toby immediately looked away. He could tolerate the smell and the sound of vomit, but he absolutely could not stand the sight of it. Nasty stuff. Nasty, nasty stuff.

"Actually, your grandfather is right on money," Toby replied with a smile. "All of this vomiting… your reaction to being on this ship and being surrounded by water is all in your head, Sly. You're probably used to feeling sick once you register your surroundings, but lower you are on a ship as long as you are above the waterline, the less you feel the rockiness."

"That doesn't help the fact that we're surrounded by miles and miles and miles of water!" Sylvester snapped between waves of vomits, and Toby chuckled.

"No, no it doesn't, but you're less likely to topple over into the water if you're away from the side." Sylvester immediately jerked upward and pushed himself away from the railing, causing Toby to laugh even more. "What calms you, Sly?"

"Chess. I like playing Chess a lot." Sylvester pushed up his glasses, and Toby smirked.

"Well, then, Sly." Toby pointed behind him. "If no one is missing you upstairs, come with me to the social center, and you and I can play a mean game of chess. I happen to be pretty damn good at it. Next to gambling, Chess happens to be my second favorite hobby."

"I just so happen to be a Grand Master," Sylvester smiled.

Toby grinned wider. "Even better."

~ SCORPION ~

"Your maid informed me you were unwell," Ruth said the moment she walked into Paige's bedroom and sighed at the unpleasant sight of her daughter. "Even when crying in bed, Paige, you need to look more like a lady." Paige turned away from her mother and refused to speak. "Come now, it'll be much easier to rest without the dress and corset."

Paige stayed still for a moment but then knew her mother was right so she slowly climbed out of bed and faced the bed post, prompting her mother to unfasten her dress.

After a few minutes of silence and once Paige was out of her dress, her mother started loosening her corset, and said, "You are not allowed to see that young man again, do you understand me? I strictly forbid it!"

Paige frowned. "Must I receive a lecture from you, too, Mother? Drew already made it very clear he doesn't want me to see Walter again."

"So the rumors are true," her mother spat, and Paige rolled her eyes emotionlessly.

"Oh spare me, Mother. I think you and Drew are being absolutely ridiculous about this. Can't a girl have some fun every once in a while?"

"This is not a game, Paige!" her mother snapped, gripping the laces of Paige's corset. "Our situation is precarious! You know our money's gone!"

"Of course I know it's gone," Paige frowned as she turned towards her mother the moment her corset fell to the ground. "You remind me every day."

Ruth suppressed her anger and glowered at her daughter. "Your father left us nothing but a legacy of bad debts. Hidden by a good name. And that name is the only card we have to play." Ruth grabbed Paige's arm and squeezed it harder than necessary, causing Paige to wince. "I don't understand you. It is a fine match with Drew, and your marriage to him will insure our survival."

Paige, hurt and angry, ripped her arm out of her mother's grasp and stepped away from her. "How could you put all of this on my shoulders!? You know I don't like the man."

"You did once," her mother reminded her.

"That was before he found his new love. Money." Paige muttered under her breath, and Ruth resisted the urge to strike her for her disrespect.

"Do you want to see me working as a seamstress?!" Ruth was now crying, but Paige could tell her tears were forced. "Is that what you want?! Do you want to see our fine things sold at an auction, our memories scattered to the winds? My God, Paige, how can you be so selfish?!"

"It's so unfair," Paige's nose burned as she blinked back her tears, refusing to let her mother see her cry.

"Of course it's unfair!" Her mother laughed suddenly. "We're women. Our choices are never easy."

Paige sighed in defeat. "I… I don't love Drew, Mother."

"And what, you love this steerage boy?" Ruth let out another laugh, mocking her daughter. "Please, Paige. You barely know him."

"I don't care if I barely know him, Mother!" Paige yelled almost too loudly. "He's kind to me. He cares about me, and he makes me feel special. In just these few days, I know more about Walter than I know of Drew. Walter talks to me. He listens to me. Even if… Even if we just met, I feel like I've known him my entire lifetime."

"Stop this nonsense at once!" Ruth exclaimed. "I don't care if you've developed feelings for that godawful man from steerage. You are not to see him again! I want you to write him a letter and tell him to forget you. Break his heart and make him never want to see you again. Then have your maid give the letter to him."

"You can't make me do that, Mother!" Paige was horrified at the very thought. "Please don't make me do that to him."

"If you don't put an end to this horrible affair, I can't control what happens if Drew finds you with him again. If you want to protect this steerage boy from your fiancé, then do him a favor and cut your losses. The sooner, the better." Ruth tugged Paige to her vanity and forced her to sit down before placing a piece of paper and a ball point pen in front of her.

Paige didn't dare move.

"If you care for him as much as you say you do, then spare him of the pain Drew might cause him," Ruth muttered, touching her daughter's shoulder.

Paige couldn't hold back her tears anymore as she shakily reached for the pen, suddenly feeling devoid of everything.

~ SCORPION ~

Megan carefully opened the door to Paige's bedchamber and clutched her heart when she found Paige, in bed, silently crying. Megan walked slowly towards her friend and cautiously touched Paige's arm, not preparing herself for the flinch that followed. "Sorry," she immediately retracted her hand and sat down at the bottom corner of the bed instead.

Paige inhaled and released a shaky breath as her lips painfully trembled but she said nothing.

"Your mother and Drew have left for church. I suspect they'll be gone for the next two hours," Megan said softly as she bravely touched Paige's arm again, relieved her friend didn't flinch a second time. Megan gently squeezed her forearm and quietly added, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Paige, without turning to look at Megan, inhaled another deep breath and quivered before handing Megan an envelope with Walter's name on it. Megan smiled sadly and nodded, understanding immediately. "I'll make sure he gets it."

Megan tucked Paige in comfortably and stroked the side of her face with the backs of her fingers. "Rest up. I'll come back in a while to check on you." Without another word, Megan hurried out of Paige's room and tucked the letter into her apron pocket before swiftly leaving to find Walter.

Paige, once alone again, cried louder and harder as her entire world shattered into pieces.

~ SCORPION ~

"I can't believe I agreed to do this," Happy grumbled as she rubbed her temples and marched towards the hallway where Paige Dineen was residing. "It should be illegal for everything to be so bright this early in the morning." Before she could approach the woman's quarters, a maid stormed out of the suite, almost knocking Happy down. "Watch it!"

"Sorry!" The maid lousily curtsied and whirled around towards the main hallway. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks and spun back around towards the mechanic. "Are you here to see Paige? She told me last night someone might be coming to steal her away for the morning."

"I'm here to bail her out of her duties for the morning so she can meet up with her secret boyfriend." Happy replied stoically and froze. "I don't think I was supposed to say that."

"It's okay," the maid laughed. "I know all about Walter. He's my brother."

"Oh… Oh." Happy blinked. "That's… That's ironic. Anyway, is Paige still inside, or am I too late?"

"She's resting. She won't be seeing Walter this morning."

"Well," Happy pursed her lips and scanned the hallway. "I guess I'll be on my way then. If I find O'Brien, I'll let him know."

"Don't worry about it. I'm on my way to talk to him. I'm Megan, by the way." Megan smiled, giving Happy a proper curtsy.

"Happy," Happy gave Megan a small grin. "I'll tag along if you don't mind. I was actually going to the third class social center to see Walter's friend, Toby, after dropping Paige off. It's sort of on the way to the stern of the ship, and since I don't have to steal Paige away, I can just go straight there."

"Sounds like a plan," Megan nodded before both woman headed for the third class deck.

~ SCORPION ~

Before Megan departed from Happy to talk to her brother, she felt strongly she needed to talk to Toby first and followed Happy into the social center. She spotted Toby playing a game of Chess with another man, one she'd seen only once while walking the halls of the First Class section. Happy took a seat next to Toby and blew air into his ear, causing him to lose focus immediately.

"Seriously?" Toby jerked away from Happy, and the mechanic laughed as Megan cleared her throat.

Megan waited a beat and then started her questioning as soon as Toby whirred around and gave her his undivided attention. "Have you spoken to Walter today?"

"Some," Toby nodded with a smirk. "He went to the stern of the ship to speak to his new lady friend."

"About that…," Megan frowned, remembering the pained look in Paige's eyes after Drew had left the parlor this morning. "Unfortunately, Paige will not be meeting Walter." Before Toby could respond or react, Megan continued. "Don't ask why, but… keep an eye out for Walter. Paige's… Paige's fiancé isn't the friendly type, and if he finds Walter, I fear for what he might do."

"Because of last night?"

Megan nodded. "Yes. Because of last night."

"Well, shit." Toby groaned. "That dumbass can't do anything without me, can he?!"

"Just look after him, okay?"

Toby nodded swiftly. "Of course."

"Thanks," Megan smiled sweetly and patted Toby's hat. "You're a good friend."

"And you and your brother have a hat fetish." Toby mumbled lowly, causing Megan and Happy to roll their eyes.

"Look who's talkin'," Happy murmured. Toby immediately shot her a glare, and she cracked a smile.

Megan smirked at the exchange and then glanced at the other man sitting across from Toby. "Hi."

The man froze and struggled to respond, bringing a wider smile to Megan's lips. Eventually, he said, "Y-you're really, really, really pretty." He gulped loudly. "But you probably already know that. And that really wasn't what I was going to say at first, but I got really, really, really nervous and couldn't think of a proper response so I said the first thing that popped out of my mouth which was that you're really, really, really pretty, and oh my gosh, I'm still talking. I should stop talking. I should really, really, really stop talking…," He paused, "That was a lot of reallys…, I'm really, really sorry."

Megan giggled, and Toby turned towards the man across from him. "Breathe Sylvester. Breathe."

"I am breathing!" Sylvester snapped as he placed a hand over his heart to calm himself. "I just get really nervous around beautiful women."

Megan flushed as her eyes met Sylvester's. "I'm Megan."

"S-Sylvester."

"Nice to meet you, Sylvester." Megan grinned, and Sylvester smiled in response. "Anyway," she returned her attention to Toby. "I'm off." Before she could hear her friends respond, she swiftly walked out of the social center, needing to talk to her brother as soon as possible.

~ SCORPION ~

Walter had been waiting for almost fifteen minutes, wondering where Paige could be. He knew it would have been a difficult feat to steal her away for the morning, but that was why he begged Happy, late last night, to help her leave without her mother and fiancé expecting anything. As the minutes dragged on with no sight of Paige, he was losing his confidence. Perhaps she had second thoughts. Perhaps she didn't feel what he felt last night when they kissed in the darkness. Perhaps, dare he ever to consider it, he was only an outlet for her…. She told him how her fiancé was… how he cared more for money than for her so… was it possible Paige was using him to some degree?

He shook his head violently, refusing to believe last night was a lie.

"Walter."

Instantly, he turned around and found his sister standing a few feet in front of him, holding out a sealed envelope.

"Megan?"

Megan's expression softened and she gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry, but… Paige… She won't be seeing you today. She… she can't."

Walter suddenly frowned. "Why not?"

"She just… Listen, it's not my place to tell you, but I always tell you the truth so please trust me, Wally. She can't see you… no matter how much she may want to." Megan touched Walter's arm and handed him the letter. "She wanted me to give this to you. Read it in secret. Perhaps it'll explain everything you want to know."

As Megan folded Walter's fingers around the letter, she stepped up and kissed his cheek before turning to leave. "Megan?"

Megan instantly spun around. "Yes?"

Suddenly, he shook his head and forced a small smile. "N-never mind."

Megan gave Walter a small grin and stepped forward to kiss his cheek again. "If you need anything, I'll be with Paige. If you don't know where the Dineen suite is, ask Happy. She's in the social center; she should be able to tell you where it is if not lead you there."

"Okay," Walter nodded slowly, and then Megan turned on her heels and sauntered away, leaving the inventor alone to read Paige's letter. He eagerly opened it and staggered towards one of the benches. After sitting down, he leaned forward, propping his elbows on top of his knees before sweeping his eyes over the fancy calligraphy. He noticed tear stains almost immediately and frowned, unsure he wanted what she had to say, but despite his doubts, he couldn't stop himself.

Dear Walter,

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for everything you have done for me these past few days. You gave me a reason to live when I was sure I had nothing else to live for. You made me feel important and beautiful and reminded me of what it was like to be happy again. For that, thank you.

I will never forget last night nor ever meeting you, but… but I can't see you again.

Please don't come looking for me.

With all my heart,

Paige Dineen

"No. NO!" Walter suddenly crumpled the letter and ran to the edge of the ship before tossing it overboard. His head was swimming. How could she not see him again? Last night's kiss was too powerful for her to never want to see him again, and even though he knew she was promised to another man, she didn't seem fazed last night. She didn't seem to care so why did she suddenly care now. Why did she send him a letter instead of telling him to his face that she wasn't interested in being with him? WHY THE HELL WOULD SHE LEAD HIM ON IF SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE HER FIANCÉ?!

Suddenly he froze.

Both Megan and Paige had said the word "can't."

Not "won't" or "refuses to," but "can't."

He frowned and clenched his fists. Something didn't seem right about any of this.

…

He had to see Paige.

~ SCORPION ~

WriterFreak001:

I was actually going to make this a longer chapter, but I felt like this was a good place to leave you wanting more, muahahahaha.

Please let me know what you think. I struggled with some pieces in this chapter.