I didn’t know what I was going to do. I sat on the road edge, thinking about the absolutely beautiful girl who had been in my grasp only an hour before. Now she thought of me negatively. I never wanted that. But I knew Cal had something to do with this. There wasn’t any way around it.
“Jack?”
I nearly jumped into the air when I heard her voice break my thoughts. Peering up, I didn’t give her an answer to her question. Worry was in her eyes, though, as she squatted and sat down next to me, pulling her skirt over her knees.
“I’m sorry, Jack.”
I didn’t answer her. And I didn’t know why. I should have said something then, something to make it all better. But I didn’t. Instead, I did a somewhat crazy thing, like I usually did when my heart did the talking. I pulled her closer to me and kissed her on the lips. Much to my surprise, she did not resist. We melted into each other’s arms as she deepened the kiss and grasped my shoulders. If we hadn’t been in public, something told me it would have not stopped there. And when I finally broke the kiss, she giggled.
“I guess you forgive me.”
“I never needed to.” I looked at her. “Is he abusing you, Rose?”
She didn’t answer, but got a dark look in her eyes. She seemed to be contemplating how to answer, and then finally nodded. “Yeah. For some time now.”
“Why don’t you leave him?”
Rose slid her hands into her pockets and looked to the sky. “I don’t know. I want to. Trust me. I’m not happy with him, but you see, my mom lost her job a few years back and since then, we’ve been struggling. Cal gives my mom a thousand dollars every two weeks. It’s nice not having to worry.”
It made sense. It did. But I didn’t see how it was worth the torture and abuse and told her so.
She sighed. “I do what I need to for my mom and me.”
“I think you should leave him.”
She turned to me, looking me in the eyes with that blue one of her own. “I’d rather be with you, Jack. You’ve showed me fun tonight. I never thought I could get onto a roller coaster.”
Standing up, I motioned for her to follow me. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To the stars,” I teased, grinning slightly. “Just come on.”
She followed me to the docks not too far off from the fair. We took a seat near the water’s edge and sat there quietly. She didn’t say anything at all and I didn’t feel the need to for a while. Finally, I explained, however. “I come here when I need to think.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “It helps. It’s quiet and it’s beautiful.”
“It is.”
“Rose, you need to look out for you,” I muttered again. “I know I shouldn’t have any say in this, but you need to. I’ve seen you come into the diner for months now and you’ve never looked happy. I’m sure your mom and you will survive without him. It won’t be any help to your family if he lands you in the hospital one day.”
“Jack—”
Shaking my head, I silenced her. “Just think about it. Sometimes that’s all you need to do.”
I see the way you go and say you're right again
Say you're right again
Heed my lecture
Do you feel like a man?
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now?
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you, my friend
One day, this world's got to end
As your lies crumble down
A new life she has found
One day she will tell you that she has enough
It's coming round again
One day she will tell you that she has enough
He's coming round again.
*****
After that night, nearly a month passed before I saw Rose again. I didn’t see her boyfriend and I didn’t hear a thing from her. I worried constantly. Would the next time I see her be in the news? That couldn’t happen. I hoped she had considered what I said. What he was doing was illegal and he had no right to do that to her. If only she could see that.
Then, one day, he came in alone. The fear inside me intensified. “Will you be alone today, sir?”
He looked up, annoyed. “No. My girlfriend is coming.”
She came in seconds later, her arm in a cast. I drew in a sharp breath as we locked gazes. It was obvious, as well–she had been crying. Rose was smart; she began to avert her gaze. I sighed inwardly and led them to a table, not bothering to look at her. I was disappointed. For such a fiery girl, she was letting this take over her life. You would think she’d be able to overcome this.
When they went to leave, I heard Cal yelling.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, Rose. It’s like you’re in a funk or something. Snap out of it. We have an expensive dinner party to go to tonight.”
“I have my book club tonight, Cal.”
“I don’t give a fuck if you have your book club tonight.”
She sighed. “Cal—”
That’s when I heard the first slap. “You’re going, Rose.”
“No, I’m not.”
They went outside, but now I was watching. Rose had a look of pride on her face and she glanced at me. Cal was now violently shaking his arms, pointing his fingers in her face. She swatted them away and then…it happened. He kicked at her, throwing her against the glass wall, making a loud noise. I stood there for a moment as he stood over her, hand raised. But much to my surprise, she got back up and ignored him as she opened the diner door.
She came right up to me, her lip swollen and bleeding. “Can I use your phone?”
I blinked and nodded, grabbing it for her.
Rose took it from me and then looked over at Cal, who was fuming. “Hi,” she said after dialing. “I’d like to report my boyfriend for assault.”
Cal’s eyes narrowed. “Rose, what do you think you’re—?”
I smiled.
“Yes.”
“Rose—”
I leaned over the counter as Rose smiled at me, showing her strength. “She’s finally had enough of you,” I whispered to him. “Bye-bye.” I put my hands up as a child would and took the phone back from Rose when she was finished. She looked at Cal once, shrugged, and took a seat in one of the booths. He yelled for a while, swore she’d never get along without him, but finally gave up and left.
I took one look at her. “What was the final straw?”
“The fact that he did it in public. And…when I realized that saying it doesn’t hurt doesn’t change that it still does.”
I leaned back over the counter. “Good for you, Rose.”
“Take me out tonight.”
Blinking, I smiled. “What?”
“Show me how a true gentleman acts, Jack.”
“Rose—”
“I like you, Jack.”
“Rose—”
“And I’m not going away. So…deal?”
I had to grin. “Deal, Rose.”
Face down in the dirt
She said this doesn't hurt
She said I've finally had enough
Face down in the dirt
She said this doesn't hurt
She said I've finally had enough.
The End.