WHAT DO THE STARS SAY?
Chapter Ten
Rose returned to her apartment.
When she opened the door, she found Rick and Ruth waiting for her. Rick saw
her, walked to her, and hugged her. It made her feel very uncomfortable. Now
that she had given herself to Jack, Rick’s touch felt wrong.
"We were so worried about
you, Rose! You have been acting so weird lately. Where were you?" he
asked.
"I just went for a walk and
I got distracted a few times. I’m sorry that I didn’t call and took so
long," she said.
"Well, don’t do that ever
again!" Ruth yelled.
Rose just looked at her without
really paying any attention to her.
"I’m going to go to sleep.
I’ll see you both tomorrow," Rose said, and left the room.
She went into her room and closed
the door. She lay on her bed and began thinking of Jack. She thought about how
funny it was that the morning she tried to take her life, she ended up making
love to Jack. She hugged her pillow, thinking about him.
Why are you always on my mind,
Jack? she thought,
smiling.
It was like someone had given her
life again. She didn’t feel that emptiness anymore. Jack completed her, but she
was afraid to tell him this. All her life, he had just been her friend, but now
he was her first. She didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t sure what to think.
All she could think about was his touch and his kisses, how she had enjoyed
those hours filled with pleasure.
I wonder what you are doing
right now, Jack. Are you thinking of me, like I’m thinking of you? she thought.
*****
The next day, Jack waited for
Rose to come out of her apartment. He saw Rick and Ruth leave. A few hours
later, Rose came out. He tapped her shoulder, and she turned around.
"Jack! What are you doing
here?" she asked, smiling. He was wearing a blue uniform that said Woody’s
Mechanics and a blue hat backwards.
"I just wanted to see you
again. I also wanted to…to…uh..."
"What, Jack?"
"I wanted to know if you
would like to take a walk with me?" he asked.
She smiled; it had been years
since someone had asked her that. "Of course I would. You don’t even have
to ask…Jackie," she said with a smile.
He smiled and led her to the
park. They walked for a while without saying a word. They looked at each other
a few times and smiled. They felt like a couple of teenagers on their first date.
"Jack, where do you
work?" she finally asked.
"I work at a mechanic shop,
and later I work delivering food to stores and parties," he said.
"Is that what you were doing
at the party?"
"Yeah. I was actually forced
to go into the place, but thank God I went in, because that is where I saw
you."
Rose smiled at him, and it made
his heart melt.
"Rose, I can’t stand it
anymore. I love you too much! I want to know if you love me, too," he
said.
"I already told you, Jack. I
don’t know!"
"But how can you not know,
Rose? Last night was the most amazing night of my life. I want every night to
be like that, Rose," he said, and she stopped walking. "I want every
night of my life to be like that. I want to make love to you at night and wake
up with you by my side. I want to know that you dream of me like I dream of
you. I want to have a reason not to go to sleep. I wouldn’t go to sleep if I
had you by my side. I would just look at you sleep and admire how beautiful you
look when you smile when you are asleep. I want to make little Jacks and Roses
with you. I want to grow old with you and fight over stupid things like old
couples do. Just give me a chance to prove to you how much I love you. Don’t
get married to Rick! Please!" he said.
Rose felt like crying. Jack
always found ways to make her smile inside. She felt like she wanted those
things, too, but she was also scared. They started to walk again.
"Why did you take so long to
tell me that you loved me, Jack?" she asked.
"I don’t know. I was scared.
I was an idiot, and I didn’t know how to tell you. I was afraid. But I’m not
scared anymore, Rose. I love you. I love you with all my heart," he said.
and kissed her. She kissed him back, but then pulled away and started to walk
again.
"I already told Rick I would
get married to him. He is a great guy. He doesn’t deserve for me to do this to
him," she said.
"Will you do what you want
for the first time?" he asked.
"I…" Rose was about to
speak when Jack stopped her.
"Look at me, Rose. Look into
my eyes and tell me you don’t love me. If you do, I will leave you alone for
the rest of your life."
Rose didn’t want him to leave
her, but she couldn’t say those three words. She didn’t say a word.
Some bells started to ring. It
was the school for the blind. Jack heard them and looked at her. "The
school for the blind, huh?" he asked, knowing it was.
"Yeah, the school for the
blind…" Rose stopped talking and realized what Jack was trying to do. She
looked down.
"Okay, Rose, I see it now. I
promise I won’t bother you again," he said, and started to walk away. Rose
realized that if he turned around, looked at her, and said her name, she would
run into his arms. But he didn’t. Rose saw his figure disappear into the crowd
of people in the park. She felt lost again.
*****
Rose was riding in a car with
Rick. He had bought the car and took Rose for a spin.
"Rose, where have you been
all day? I called ten times and nobody answered," he said.
"Do you have to know
everything, Rick?" she asked, sounding annoyed.
"Well, I’m sorry for
worrying about you! I am your fiancé, in case you forgot! I hate the way you
act!" he shouted, pushing the gas pedal harder and making the car go
faster.
"Well, if you are dying to
know, I was with Jack!" she yelled.
He looked at her like she was
crazy.
"What are you talking about,
Rose? Jack is dead!"
"No, he isn’t. I saw him at
that stupid party, and that is why I fainted. If you want me to prove it, just
drive to Woody’s Mechanics and ask, or should we go to the Robin Apartments?
That is where he lives!" she shouted.
Rick was in shock. "I can’t
believe this! That is why you have been acting the way you have. You lied to
me, Rose! How dare you? How dare you, and that gutter rat! He is really going
to die when I see him!" he shouted.
Rose had never seen him like
this. It scared her. Rick kept speeding up. He didn’t care how fast he was
going. Rose saw some lights coming straight at them.
"Rick!" she yelled.
Rick lost control of the car; the
car turned and hit the car coming towards them.
Rose saw Jack’s image smiling at
her. It was the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness.