JACK AND ROSE: PRESENT TIME
Chapter
Fifty-Nine
Rose gasped as she
looked into her mother's eyes. "How can you be making me back to
Paris?"
It was a beautiful
summer morning. But, Rose felt awful from what happened the other night. Why
did her mother want to ruin her life? Why didn't she want Rose to be happy?
"You're better
off there, Rose," Ruth replied. "With your Aunt Molly and Grandma
Betty."
"I hate
Grandma Betty," Rose said.
"How dare you
speak that way about my mother?" Ruth said. She looked at Rose with
hatred.
"Easy,"
Rose replied. "She's just like you."
Ruth took a deep
breath, not wanting to explode. "Then you can stay with my sister."
Rose sighed. She
had nothing against her aunt, Molly Brown, but she couldn't leave Santa Monica.
"Why are you
doing this to me?" Rose asked with tears in her eyes. Ruth looked at her
daughter with the same sad eyes.
"Because I
love you."
Rose laughed. That
was a good one. Her mother loved her so she wants to ruin her life. That made a
lot of sense. Rose still couldn't believe that this was actually happening.
"The plane
leaves tonight," Ruth said. "I suppose you'd like to spend today with
Jack."
All Rose did was
get up out of her chair and slam it into the table. She walked out of the back
door, onto the patio where Jack was waiting. She went right into his loving
arms.
"Why is she
doing this?"
"I'm sorry
Rose," Jack said, smelling her scent. "It's my fault. I shouldn't
have made you do that..."
"Jack,"
Rose said with a smile. "I wanted to do it. It's my fault."
Jack wiped away her
tears. "Let's go to the pier."
That's where they
often went when they needed to talk. It was their place. That's where they
belonged. It was a usual, sunny day in Santa Monica. The sunlight shined on
Jack and Rose as they walked down the beach.
"Jack,"
Rose said. "I can't leave you."
Jack sighed. He
knew he couldn't let her go. When you love somebody this much, it's impossible
to say good bye.
"I can't let
you leave," Jack said. "We need to be together."
Rose just shuddered
at the thought of her life without Jack. And what about her friends? She loved
them, too.
Rose tried to stop
her tears as she huddled closer to Jack. But, she couldn't stop her crying.
Jack sat Rose down
on a bench and wrapped his arms around her. He tried to comfort her, but it was
hard. He knew he could never be happy without Rose in his life. Rose was
everything to him.
"I wish we
were eighteen," Rose said. "Then I wouldn't have to go. We could do
what we want."
Jack wished that
were true. He couldn't let Rose go. "We'll both leave," Jack said,
looking into Rose's eyes. "How about we just get in my car, right now and
leave."
Rose looked at
Jack. "You know we can't do that."
Jack's smile faded.
"Why not? Then we can be together."
"Jack,"
Rose started. "You know I don't want to leave. But, if we run away, you
know they will find us."
"We don't know
that for sure..."
"Jack,"
Rose said as more tears came falling down her face. "We both know I have
to go."
Jack too, started
to cry as realization sunk in. His Rosey would have to go. Jack didn't try not
to cry. He just held Rose as they cried together. How were they going to live
without each other?
"I love you,
Jack," Rose said. "More than anything."
"I love you,
Rosey."