They were both out of breath when the kiss finally ended. Rose's legs were shaking so hard she could barely hold herself up. Jack's hands were tingling as he gently stroked the soft skin of her face. "You okay?" he whispered.
She nodded. "I've never felt this way before."
He smiled and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Me, neither." For a moment, they just gazed at each other, both too overwhelmed to do anything else.
"I can't believe this is happening," Jack said. He tried to stop grinning, but couldn't. "I just…this is crazy."
Rose returned his grin, her emerald eyes shining. "I know," she said happily. "It doesn't make any sense, but that's why I trust it." Before he could reply, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into another kiss.
His legs were shaking even more than hers by the time she released him. "What do we do now?" he gasped.
Her face fell as the reality of their situation came back to her. "I should have been back downstairs a long time ago. They're probably going to come looking for me any second now." Without realizing it, she pressed herself closer to him.
Jack wrapped an arm protectively around her waist. "You don't have to go if you don't want to," he said. Oh, really? And what are you planning to do if he comes up here, demanding to know what she's been doing? His jaw tightened. "I'll take care of you." Maybe you can hold him off, but there's a whole lot of other people down there.
"I have to go back," she said sadly. "I can't just stay up here forever."
Come with me. But he couldn't say that. Where would he take her? You've been sleeping on park benches since you got here, and that ten bucks is now five. He couldn't just carry her off into the night—at least not until he had a place to carry her off to. But I can't just leave her.
As if she were reading his mind, she said softly, "You have to go, Jack." Take me with you, she added silently.
He gently cupped her bruised cheek. "I can't just leave you here. Rose, I can't go unless you're coming with me."
She laid her hand on top of his. "I am. Just not now."
And so they worked out a plan.
"Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Jack asked. "I can stay up here until after he leaves."
Rose shook her head. "You really can't. If he found you here..." She pushed the thought away. "I'll be fine," she said with more confidence than she felt. "The party's almost over, and he won't stay very long after it ends."
Jack pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'll be outside," he said into her neck. "I'll be watching until I know it's okay to stop."
She pressed her face against his chest. There was something so comforting about being in his arms. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist anymore. Her nerves began to settle as she breathed in his scent. "Don't let anyone see you," she whispered. "Jack, please be careful."
"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be all right."
*****
Rose felt Cal's eyes on her the second she walked back into the ballroom. He continued on as though nothing had happened, but she could see the anger lurking beneath his smile. There was a chance she could diffuse it, though—if she acted quickly.
"Darling!"
Cal turned from the small group of people he was impressing with a story about himself. Surprise filled his dark eyes. He couldn't remember the last time Rose had sought him out. She smiled radiantly and laid her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry I disappeared like that," she said. "I hope you didn't worry."
He was too overcome by her gesture to care where she'd gone or what she'd done there. Seems to have done her good, he thought. "Only a little," he said pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you back though, Sweetpea."
Rose's smile wavered for a moment as the hated term settled in her ears. Could he have picked a worse thing to call me? But he didn't notice.
The rest of the night was a blur. All the faces and voices eventually started blending together. Rose could think of nothing but Jack. Every time she came near a window, she wondered if that was the one he was watching her through. She didn't dare look out for fear of attracting attention to herself. Someone might notice and start asking if she saw something. Despite her distraction, Rose played her part better that night than she ever had before. She didn't know if it was the knowledge that she would never have to be led around a dull party on Cal's arm again that did it, or if it was her increasing fear that Cal would begin asking where she'd been for so long. It was actually a combination of the two.
Cal didn't know what to make of the sudden change in her. He knew he liked it, though. She's finally decided to stop sulking after that trash, he thought triumphantly. So his actions, though perhaps a bit extreme, had had their intended effect after all.
True to his word, Jack crouched beneath one of the ballroom windows until the party ended, never once taking his eyes off Rose. He clenched his fists each time Cal touched her. Bastard. But at least he didn't seem angry. Of course, Jack had no way of knowing what might happen once everyone else left. That's why I'm not going anywhere until he does.
Eventually, the guests began to trickle outside. Jack watched as they made their way to a line of waiting cars. Finally, there was no one left but Rose, her mother, and Cal. He held his breath as Ruth disappeared upstairs. The urge to burst through the window and scoop Rose into his arms and carry her away was almost unbearable. Calm down. She's fine. You're taking her away tomorrow, remember? Suddenly, tomorrow seemed years away.
"Where are they going?" he muttered as Cal began following Rose upstairs. He gritted his teeth and hurried over to her window. A moment later, a light went on in her room. A knot formed in his stomach. She had closed the window, but not the curtains. He could see some of what was going on, but he couldn't hear it.
Cal watched Rose remove the Heart of the Ocean, a small smile on his face. She carefully placed the large diamond back in its case. "You seemed to have a good time tonight," he said.
She nodded. "I did." Because of Jack. She sucked in her breath as Cal moved toward her and stiffened when his hands landed on her shoulder. On the ground, Jack was screaming silently for him to get the hell away from her.
Cal noticed her reaction, but it didn't bother him. It never occurred to him that repulsion was the driving force behind it. It had been months since she accepted his proposal, yet he was still pursuing her. She baffled and infuriated him by spurning all of his physical advances. But things appeared to be changing. Or at least he hoped they were.