Jack ran his hand through his blond hair as he walked along the Titanic's upper deck, knowing he wasn't technically breaking any rules because no one was yet out there. It was only five in the morning, the sun barely peeking above the sea's horizon. Jack could barely sleep because of the previous night's events, his mind never leaving the thought of his new friend and how horrible she had felt.
His eyes cast over to the lounge chairs that sat before the stairs that led down to the stern of the boat. There was a small figure with their back lying against one of the chairs' padded backs, legs curled underneath them as they stared out towards the splashing water beneath the boat.
It was Emily.
Jack slowly made his way over to the brunette woman he had become friends with so fast, his hands seeking warmth in the pockets of his trousers. "Hey there."
The chocolate eyed woman looked up to her friend with tear stains tracking down her cheeks. "Hi," she whispered.
"Can I?" he asked, gesturing to the chair she sat in.
Emily quickly nodded, giving a small sniffle before scooting over, letting him squish just beside her on the lounge chair. "What are you doing up so early?"
The blond looked to the crying woman, running his fingers over her damp cheeks. "I could ask you the same thing."
Emily gave a small shrug of her shoulders, elegantly covered with her father's favorite suit jacket to keep her warm. "I just needed to get some air." She looked up into her friend's crystal eyes. "Your turn."
Jack lay his back against the deck chair, smiling gently to the younger woman. "Couldn't sleep." He ran his fingers across her cheek once more, doing his best to rid her face of the tears that threatened to mask her beauty. "So what's this about? What happened?"
"Nothing," she promised. "It's not that big of a deal."
The blue eyed man shook his head, letting his shoulder bump against hers to lighten the mood. "Something small wouldn't make you cry. It has to be big enough."
Emily bit gently into her plump bottom lip, her eyes casting back out to the dark water they sailed on. "I had sex with Aaron," she whispered.
Jack felt his heart almost break in two at the tears he heard in his friend's voice, and he quickly reached down to take her delicate hand in his. "You did?" He watched as her head nodded vigorously. "Did you not want to?"
"No," she denied, "I wanted to." Her bottom lip found its way sucked into her mouth, between her teeth, as she tried to keep new tears at bay. "I really wanted to."
"Then what's the matter, Em?"
The brunette kept herself silent, her eyes almost dazed.
Jack ran his thumb over the back of his friend's hand. "Did it hurt? It's known to hurt the first time for the girl."
Emily let out a small laugh. "No, that's not it." Her head finally turned back around so her dark eyes could meet his. "Well it did hurt, but that's not why I came here."
"Then what is it? It can't be nothing," he nudged.
Dark eyes sparkled with tears, almost shining as the stars could on the darkest of nights. "You remember when I told you that Aaron could care for me? That he would be a good husband because he was sweet, and he could care for me."
Jack stiffly nodded his head. "I do remember that."
Emily stared into her friend's crystal blue eyes, her head shaking gently. "I know he would be good for me, but I just didn't feel anything." She let out a small breath. "When we were together last night, I just didn't feel anything that made me think we could be together forever, you know? Nothing that made me feel as if we could be married one day." A single tear fell from her eye, her pink lips quivering. "And that thought made me sad."
The older man quickly wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulders and brought her into a hug, letting her cry into the right lapel of his jacket. His free hand grasped onto hers and held tight. "I'm so sorry Emily."
Emily shook in his hold, feeling his warmth envelop her as the sun began to light up the sky. "I do like him, you know that."
Jack pressed a kiss to his younger friend's dark curls. "I know you do."
The brunette woman looked up from Jack's chest, her tear-filled eyes glancing up to the blonde's face. "What am I supposed to do?"
Jack felt his gut clench, knowing that he didn't want his friend with the brunette man who had promised he could care for her. He knew that he wasn't good for her and that the younger woman deserved better, the best there was, but it wasn't his decision to make. "I think that you have to think it over." He gave a small smile when Emily's brows knit. "This is a big decision to make, and we get to America in only a couple of days. I think that you need to run over it in your mind and find out which decision would be the best. To stay with him or to leave."
Emily sighed. "Just like that?"
"Just like that, Em."