FROM NOW UNTIL ETERNITY
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rose buried her face in her hands
as she became overcome with sobs of despair. The day had gone from looking
bright and optimistic to rather bleak. She had no idea how to stop Irene from
taking Jack away from her. She felt so hopeless. She sat up and faced away from
Jack, unable to look at him. Not able to bear the thought of losing him.
"Rose?" The voice was
weak and uncertain, but it was there, and so was the light touch of his hand on
her back. So familiar and comforting.
Quickly, she wiped away her tears,
not wanting his first view of her being of her once again in tears. She turned
around, a genuine smile hiding the uncertainty and pain that she felt.
"You’re awake!" she
gasped, taking his cool hand in hers. She couldn’t take her eyes away from his.
So perfect and blue. A sight for her sore eyes to feast upon.
"You were crying." Jack
spotted the stain of her tears upon her pale cheeks. Plus, he noticed the way
her shoulders had been shaking with sobs when he woke up. Why was she crying?
Was it about him being hurt? Was there a bad prognosis? "Rose…what’s
wrong? Where’s Butch? Where are we, anyway?"
"We were rescued, Jack.
There was a roadblock. The police officer recognized our faces from a flyer
your grandmother had sent out. He arrested Butch and called you an
ambulance."
"Am I okay?" Jack
asked, tightening his hold on her hand, preparing himself for the worst. Was he
dying? Did he need some sort of transplant of some rare organ or blood type?
What had filled his Rose with tears of despair?
"You’re fine. You were in a
coma for over a month, but other than that, you’re fine."
"Well, then, why were you
crying? What’s wrong?"
Rose looked at Jack, her smile
dimming. Of course he knew she was crying. She was foolish for thinking that
she could hide it from him. But could she really tell him about her
conversation with his grandmother? He had just woken up, and it would only
upset him.
"Rose, whatever it is, I can
handle it. Just tell me. What’s the matter?"
"Jack…it’s nothing.
Really." Rose tried to drop the subject. "It’s nothing you have to be
concerned about."
Jack frowned. She was trying to
protect him. He couldn’t let her do that. Somehow he knew it had something to
do with them both. It was in her eyes. It was something for both of them to
deal with.
"Rose…please. Just tell me.
I’m going to find out anyway. Besides, if it’s about us, we have to deal with
it together. Not separately."
Rose sighed. He was right. They
had to deal with Irene’s plan to have their marriage annulled as a couple. She
couldn’t fight her by herself. That was obvious. But maybe, with Jack by her
side…there was a chance.
"Your grandmother is going
to force an annulment, and since we’re minors….there’s no way to stop
her." Rose gave in, looking away from Jack as tears once again began to
fall. "I tried thinking of ways to stop her, but it’s hopeless." She
began to sob again. Hopeless despair once again taking her over.
Jack touched Rose’s hand, trying
to get her to look at him. "Rose…listen to me. I’m going to talk with her.
Make her see that she can’t split us up. That we won’t allow it. I won’t allow
it. She may be able to annul the marriage legally, but in all ways that matter,
she can’t touch it. She can’t destroy our love. No matter what she does."
Jack squeezed her hand.
"But…"
"No buts, Rose. My
grandmother cannot break us up if we don’t let her. We’re strong together,
Rose. Me and you."
"Me and you." Rose
smiled, hugging him, drowning in their love for each other, the sense of doom
leaving her.
Little did either of them know
that Irene was outside the room, frowning at what she had just heard. She now
knew just how serious her grandson’s feelings for Rose were. Feelings that he
was much too young to have. She had no choice but to make sure that the
DeWitt-Bukater girl saw the light of reason.
*****
Rose had gone down to the
cafeteria to grab a sandwich. She had spent most of the morning with Jack, just
enjoying the sound of his voice, the sparkle of his eyes, and most of all, the
feel of his lips responding to hers. Yes, it was a wonderful morning. She even
felt better about the situation with Irene. With Jack newly awake and by her
side, she could face anything…or so she thought.
Irene was just outside the
cafeteria door, waiting for Rose to exit. She had waited all day to talk to the
girl, but it hadn’t seemed that she was going to get that chance. Rose had
spent the whole morning with her grandson. But finally the girl was alone. Away
from her grandson, and so Irene was hoping she’d stay.
"Rose." Irene stepped
in her path. "We need to talk. About your relationship with Jack."
Rose’s stomach sank. She knew
that it was too much to hope for. That Irene would just leave her alone…for the
day, at least. The day Jack woke up. "Yes?"
Irene looked around, making sure
that they were alone. The last thing she needed was for someone to witness her
throwing her weight around.
"I have an offer for you,
Rose. Break up with Jack and I’ll get your mother a new job, placing you both
in the lap of luxury, and I’ll pay four years tuition to the college of your
choice. All you have to do is to agree never to see my grandson again."
Rose looked at Irene in
disbelief, unable to believe that the woman was actually trying to blackmail
her. That she thought it would work! No money in the world could make Rose
leave Jack!
"Mrs. Devereau, I appreciate
the offer, but I have to refuse. I love Jack, and he loves me. Yes, you may be
able to get our marriage annulled, but you can’t destroy the way we feel about
one another."
"So you’re saying no to my
offer?"
Rose took a deep breath, knowing
that her mother would kill her for turning down the offer. But Jack was too
important to her. Besides, her mother was doing just fine at the job she had,
and Rose had already applied for financial aid for school. They’d be just fine.
"Yes, I am, ma’am."
"Well, then, that’s too
bad." Irene sighed regretfully, ready to use a method that had always
worked in the past. "Because if you don’t end this relationship with Jack,
I will have your mother fired from her current job and make sure that no one
else will hire her…not even McDonalds."
"Y-you can’t do that."
"I can and I will, if you
don’t do as I ask. The choice is yours, Rose." Irene turned away to return
to Jack’s room, leaving Rose to think about what she was going to do.