LIVES COLLIDE
Chapter Four
I’m so selfish, Rose thought, looking into the hotel
mirror. I’m not marrying Harry for him, because he’s been there for me. I
just need someone to be there with me. I’m not only hurting Jack, I’m hurting
Harry as well. I can’t do this. She opened the bathroom door. Harry was
reading the paper while sitting in an easy chair.
He folded the paper and looked up
at her. "Hi, honey. You didn’t get ready for bed?"
"No, Harry. I really need to
talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
"It’s about what happened to
me in 1912. I’ve never told anybody, and I think it’s about time someone
did."
*****
Jack was laying in the dark,
thinking about the hurtful things he had said. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so
harsh. He was so stupid for pushing her away entirely. He didn’t think he would
ever forgive himself for it. He still couldn’t believe that she was alive. She
was alive, and he had basically called her spoiled and selfish. It was over.
Rose was determined to marry Calvert and go on and become a perfect little wife.
There wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it, either.
Crack! Jack looked up just as
something hit the window again. Crack! He walked to the window, annoyed. He
opened it, about to yell down into the alley for whoever it was to stop it and
go to bed, and there was Rose, looking up at him.
"Jack!"
"Rose, what are you
doing?"
"Jack, let me come up."
Jack reached out and let the lock loose for the fire escape. She climbed up,
and Jack helped her through the window.
"What are you doing
here?"
"I couldn’t go through with
it. I can’t marry him. I’m being selfish."
"Rose, please don’t throw
everything away because I was jealous and stupid. You must care for Harry, and
you deserve to be cared for. I was wrong to be so cross with you."
"No, you weren’t. I was
starting to fall into the spoiled little brat I was before. I devoted my life
to not being her anymore, and there I was, being petted and fancied like a show
horse. It was what I was trying to get away from. I want to be with you, Jack.
I always have."
"You really mean that?"
"Yes, I mean it. Like I
meant it four years ago."
Jack smiled in the dark and
kissed her passionately.
"No going back now?"
"I’m not going back. Not
ever."