They kissed frantically. Jack's hands were on Rose's waist. Rose held him by the shoulders. He slowly pulled her closer, giving her time to stop him. He must have been moving too slowly, because she groaned and pushed him onto his back, bringing herself down on top of him. I can't believe this is happening, he thought as her weight settled on him. Rose was thinking the same thing.
You can't really be doing this, she told herself. You've declared your love for this man and now you've literally thrown yourself at him. Do have any idea what you look like right now? She did. And she didn't care. She loved Jack—and she wanted him. Before her dream she would never have dared do anything like what she was doing right then, but her dream had changed things. She knew it hadn't been real, though she still believed it very well could have become real. And that was enough. The things she'd done in her dream felt real enough, even now. She had looked her feelings in the face and acted on them then. And she was going to now.
"Rose," he murmured, pulling his mouth away from hers. She moved her head slightly and reclaimed it.
Jack was torn. Did he stop her now before she made what might turn out to be a mistake—to her—or did he let things continue as they were? He tried to slide out from under her, but her hand on his leg stopped him. She isn't...he shuddered. She was.
He was saved from any further internal struggle by a knock at the door. "Jack!" Rose pulled away from him. They both stared at the door. "Jack! Are you in there?"
"Tommy?"
"Yeah—what're you doing down here in the middle of the day?"
"I'm just...napping," he answered lamely. Rose giggled. He shushed her quietly. "Want me to tell him?" She shook her head, still smiling. There was a part of her that wanted him to, though fortunately it wasn't the part in control. She didn't understand where this new part of herself had come from, but she liked it. It was frightening. It was unfamiliar. It was everything she knew she was never, ever supposed to be. And she liked it.
"Um...all right...you coming to lunch?"
Jack looked at Rose. "I haven't eaten yet today..."
"Neither have I."
"Yeah, I'm coming. I'll meet you there!" he called.
"All right!" Tommy called back. He stared at the door for a second before walking away, confused by the conversation he'd just had. Jack sounded...strange, he thought as he headed to the third class dining hall. He's probably still hung up on that girl.
Suddenly, Rose was all too aware of her position. "Oh…I'm sorry," she said, quickly climbing to her feet. She smoothed her dress, feeling Jack's eyes on her as she did so. She knew he was about to say something about what they'd just been doing—just been about to do—and she didn't want to talk about it. Not yet, at least. "Are you coming?" she asked brightly, moving toward the door.
Jack was puzzled by her sudden change in behavior, but he chose not to question it. It was obvious what she was avoiding. He moved to stand up. And abandoned the effort before he had even lifted his body more than a few inches off the bed.
"Jack?" Rose took a step toward him. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," he said. "Just had a little trouble standing up is all." He didn't move.
"Are you sure you're all right?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine..." He was staring at the ceiling. Rose looked up and tried to see what was holding his attention. "Okay," he said a few moments later. He jumped to his feet. "So, we were going to lunch?"
"Are you sure you're really all right?" Rose asked as they made their way to the dining hall.
"I'm sure." He flashed her his customary grin and squeezed her hand. "Trust me, I'm fine."
Rose's eyes widened as the dining hall came into sight. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was a big, open room with row after row of rectangular tables in the middle. Against the walls were lines of people waiting their turn to get food. Jack noticed her stunned expression. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He knew Rose wasn't a snob, but that didn't mean she was ready to be plunged into something so different from what she was used to.
"Jack, come on!" she said eagerly, tugging at his hand.
Or not, he thought, following her into the dining hall.
Watching her interact with his friends during lunch, Jack couldn't believe he'd ever doubted her. She fit in as though she'd lived among them her entire life. Tommy had raised an eyebrow and shot Jack a questioning look when the two of them had sat down across from him and Fabrizio. Jack had replied with a grin. He knew what Tommy was thinking, and he didn't care. Fabrizio didn't seem to notice the exchange. He was too busy staring at Rose. He'd seen the way Jack had looked at her that afternoon out on the deck, but he'd never imagined this would happen. But if anyone could do it, he thought. If anyone of us could get someone like her. He'd spent a year traveling across Europe with Jack, and in that time there wasn't a lot he'd seen that Jack couldn't do if he put his mind to it.
"What are you two planning to do?" he asked. He and Jack had never talked about what would happen when they reached America. There had never been a reason to. Until now.
Jack gulped down some water. "Do?"
"Do," he repeated. "In America."
Jack looked at Rose. What were they planning to do? "We're getting married," Rose said.
Jack couldn't believe his ears. "We are?" he asked, sounding more overjoyed than anything else.
You weren't supposed to say that out loud! "If you still want to," she said, trying to make it sound to the others as though Jack had already asked her.
"Of course I want to!" he cried, throwing his arms around her. He smiled into her hair. "I've never wanted anything so much in my entire life."
Rose could feel people staring at them, but she didn't care. She tilted her head up and kissed him. "Me, either."