INTO THE SUNRISE
Chapter Four
It had been two months since Jack
and Rose had disembarked the ship of dreams. Finally, they had enough money to
leave New York, but they hated leaving Tommy and the place they had come to think
of as home. But they both knew that there wasn't any choice. Cal was still in
the city, still looking for his runaway bride. So, it was for the best that
they left as soon as possible.
It was Rose's last day at work
when Cal caught up with her. She had just gotten through serving another
customer when he entered. Spotting Rose, Cal decided to be direct and refuse to
take no for an answer. He wanted his bride back and no one was going to stop
him from getting what he wanted.
"There you are, Sweetpea. We've
been looking all over for you. Your mother is beside herself with worry."
Cal placed a hard hand on Rose's shoulder.
She stiffened at his touch,
closing her eyes and wishing that this was just a nightmare. That she'd wake up
safe and warm in Jack's arms, not here, facing off with her ex-fiancé.
"Cal." She turned
around, forcing herself to be brave and stand up to him. "What a surprise
to see you here."
"Oh, I bet it is. What did
you think, Rose? That I'd let you run off with your poor artist, leaving me to
look like a fool? I told you before, Rose. I will not be made a fool of. Now,
come on. Your mother is waiting. Thanks to your carelessness, we've had to
delay the wedding." Cal grabbed her arm roughly, trying to pull her away
from the counter.
"No, Cal! I'm not going
anywhere with you. I'm not marrying you. In fact, I never want to see you
again! Let me go!" She finally jerked her arm out of his tight grasp. She
winced as she noticed the reddening bruise on her arm. "It's over, Cal. I
don't love you…I could never love you. You're harsh, arrogant…I can never marry
anyone like that."
"So, you would rather be
with a gutter rat?" Cal looked at her as if she had grown a second head.
"Be his whore?"
"I'd rather be his whore
than your wife." Rose glared at Cal, hating him more and more with each
passing second. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?
"This is absurd. I've had
enough of this little game of yours. Come on. It's time to go home." Cal
grabbed her more tightly than before, wanting to make sure that she couldn't
escape.
"No!" The sound of
Rose's hand slapping Cal's face resounded throughout the restaurant, catching
the attention of everyone in the establishment. "I'm not going anywhere
with you!"
"What's going on over
here?" Mr. Knots, Rose's boss, made his way over to Cal and Rose.
"What kind of establishment
are you running here?" Cal turned his evil gaze on the confused man.
"I come in for a decent cup of coffee and the waitress here slaps me! Is
this the way you run all your businesses?"
"No, sir. Rose! What are you
doing, slapping a customer?" Mr. Knots frowned, confused by Rose's
behavior. She had always been polite and eager to please with the customers. In
fact, she was a favorite among the people who dined there.
"Sir, he's lying. Yes, I did
slap him, but he's not a customer. He's my ex-fiancé. He just came in here to
harass me! He didn't even order anything!"
Knots sighed regretfully. He
hated to fire Rose. He knew she needed the money and with her lack of
experience, jobs were hard to come by. But he couldn't keep a waitress who had
slapped a potential customer. "Rose…I'm sorry…but I have no choice but to
fire ya. I can't keep an employee who slapped a potential customer."
Rose sighed. She wasn't too upset
over losing her job. She was going to quit the next day anyway. But it hurt
that a man she admired for his strong work ethic and kind-hearted nature
believed Cal over her.
"I understand. I'm sorry for
any trouble this may have caused. Cal, I hope to never see you again. Follow me
or try to contact me again, and I'll call the police." That said, Rose
gave her former employer her apron and left the building, leaving Cal to glare
after her as she turned the corner.
"I'll get you back,
Rose," Cal grumbled to himself, oblivious to the man standing next to him.
"I swear it."
*****
Rose went home and stayed in her
room, shaken by her showdown with Cal. Sure, she had been brave and stood up to
him, but inside she was shaking like a leaf. She remembered all those times
that he had hit her, the times he had even knocked her unconscious. Finding
Jack had been the answer to her prayers. He'd never know what an angel he was
to her.
Now she was frightened that Cal
had followed her and might drag her back to her old life, a life of false
smiles and lame excuses, a life of pain and misery. No! She couldn't go back!
She wouldn't! She'd kill Cal before ever going back to him.
"Rose?" Jack stuck his
head into the room, his blue eyes dark with worry. Tommy had told him how Rose
had come home early from work and locked herself away in their room.
"She didn't even greet us
like she normally does. Jack, something's seriously wrong with the lass,"
Tommy informed him as he came through the door.
"Hey, Tommy said that you
came home early and seemed upset about something. Do you want to talk about
it?" He wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders, surprised when her arms
came around him in a tight embrace. "Rose?"
"Cal showed up at the
restaurant. He tried to force me to go back with him, and I slapped him. He
complained to my boss and he fired me." Rose sighed, pulling out of Jack's
embrace. "I took off right after that."
"Are you okay? Did he hurt
you?" Jack asked, checking her for any bruises Cal might have inflicted.
If Hockley had harmed her in any way…
"I'm fine." Rose cut
into his thoughts. "I slapped him good, though. Jack…I'm beginning to get
scared. Cal won't give up. Who knows when he'll show up again…or with
who?"
Jack nodded, also feeling antsy about
Cal's intentions. If Hockley decided to kidnap Rose, it'd be next to impossible
to get her back…not that he wouldn't try. "I think it's time to leave New
York for good. First thing tomorrow. I'll go get the tickets now. Where do you
want to go?"
"Anywhere away from Cal.
But, Jack…we barely have enough money for train tickets. Where are we going to
stay?" Rose frowned. Everything had seemed so perfect and clear a few
weeks ago. Now uncertainty was creeping back into their lives.
“Chippewa Falls. The house is
still standing, so we can stay there." Jack laughed at the way Rose's eyes
lit up at the prospect of going to his hometown. She looked forward to learning
about Jack's childhood adventures.
"That is a wonderful
idea." Rose smiled, hugging him once again.
"Great. I'll go get the
tickets now." Jack grinned happily, kissing her one last time before
heading to the station to buy their tickets.
*****
Fabrizio and Tommy were on the
stairs of the building, playing poker, when Jack returned. Fabrizio was the first
to notice the train tickets in Jack's hand.
"You going somewhere?"
Fabrizio frowned. If Jack was planning to leave New York, there was a good
chance that he was expecting Fabrizio to go with him. But Fabrizio didn't
really want to leave New York. He loved it there. Plus, he was so close to the
Statue of Liberty. He could see it anytime he wanted.
"Chippewa Falls." Jack
grinned in excitement. He couldn't wait to show the people closest to him
around his hometown. "I thought that you and Rose would like to see where
I grew up." Jack sat on the bottom step, oblivious to his friend's inner
turmoil. "You'll like it there, Fabri."
Fabrizio sighed. He was going to
have to tell Jack that their days of traveling together were over. Their lives
were now taking a different path. Besides, Jack had Rose now. Fabrizio didn't
want to be a third wheel.
"Jack…I not go to Chippewa
Falls with you. I am staying here in New York with Tommy. Make a life for
myself here," Fabrizio explained, hoping that his friend would understand.
It had been a long, fun journey with Jack. Now it was time to settle down. He
knew it, and in a way, so did Jack.
Jack looked at his friend in
surprise. He hadn't been expecting Fabrizio to stay in New York. But he didn't
blame him. New York was really the heart of America. It was definitely more
interesting then old Chippewa Falls. "Are you sure about this?" Jack
asked.
Fabrizio nodded. He wanted to
live in New York City, stop wandering and start preparing himself for a wife
and family.
Jack smiled sadly, already
missing his traveling companion. Their friendship had certainly been an
adventure. "I must say that I'm going to miss you, Fabri. You, too, Tommy.
I couldn't have asked for better friends."
"You just take good care of
Rose." Tommy smiled, also sad to see the couple go. Jack and Rose had
renewed Tommy's faith in true love.
"I will." Jack laughed,
already missing the two men who were his best friends. "Well…our train
leaves first thing in the morning. I'd better go up and tell Rose."
As Jack disappeared into the
building, Fabrizio and Tommy shared their sadness at seeing the couple leave.