AFTER TITNIC
Book One
Chapter Three
Rose woke up to a pair of blue eyes staring down at her. "Jack," she whispered happily.
"Hello sleepy head. It’s time to get up," Jack smiled.
"What time is it?"
"Noon. For someone who didn’t want to go to bed last night, you sure did sleep the day away," He bent down and kissed her forehead.
Rose sat up and stretched happily. She’s the happiest that she’s been since they’ve been rescued. Both herself and her beloved Jack were alive, warm and safe. Nothing will ever come between them again.
"The nurse said it was okay if we wanted to go outside and walk along the side of the ship if we wanted. She said the exercise will do us good," Jack smiled, taking her hand, now instead of being cool, his hand was nice and warm and the color in his cheeks have returned.
"That awful nurse," Rose winced, remembering how the woman had forced her to leave Jack’s side the night before.
"Come on Rose. She’s not awful at all. She was just doing her job last night. And besides, I wanted you to go to bed also. You don’t think I’m awful do you?"
"Oh Jack, of course not. You’re the love of my life. How could I ever think you were awful? I just didn’t want to let you out my sight even once, not after all we’ve been through," Rose throws herself into his arms once she’s upon her feet, holding on for dear life, as if she let go, he’d disappear.
"I felt the same way…I still do. That’s why I have to ask you something, once we’re outside and alone," Jack’s now very serious, pushing away from Rose in order to stare into her eyes.
"What Jack?" Rose asked, now curious. She had a feeling that she was going to like this question. "What do you want to ask me?"
"First let’s walk. I kind of want to see the ship," Jack pulls her to the door and out into the sunshine.
"Nice day. Even nicer than the first day the Tit…" Jack stops, remembering where he was and under what circumstances.
"It’s okay Jack. I remember it too. It’s something that won’t be easy to forget, but we will get over it. Someday…the pain of our losses will fade," Rose smiled trying to cheer him as well as herself up. "We still have each other anyway."
"Yes we do," Jack nodded in agreement. And we always will."
"Oh Jack!" Rose stops dead in her tracks as she spots Cal moving through the crowd. What in the world was he doing down here in steerage? "Looking for me of course," Rose sighed to herself. Even now he refused to let her go. "What are we going to do?" she looks at Jack, urgency in her eyes.
"In here," Jack pulls her into what looks to be a small office. "He won’t find us in here."
Rose holds her breath as she watches her ex-fiancée move among the crowd, searching every face he came up on. Oh how she hated him, hated him for every thing he did to her and Jack. She’ll never be able to forgive him. Not as long as she lived. Finally he slumps his shoulders in defeat and heads back up to first class.
"That was close,"Jack breathes a sigh of relief, leading Rose out of the office. "If he found us…I don’t know what would’ve happened."
"He would’ve tried to force me to marry him. But I’d run away again Jack, I swear I would. I rather die than become Caledon Hockley’s wife," Rose hugs herself against the suddenly chilled air.
"Don’t say that Rose. Killing yourself is never the answer. Do I have to remind you of how we met?" Jack’s face is serious as he grips Rose’s shoulders. He never wanted her to be that unhappy again. He was going to make sure that the rest of her days were filled with sunshine and love.
"No Jack, you don’t have to remind me. Besides, that’s not an option anymore now that I’m finally free of Cal and free to be with you," Rose laughed at the solemnness in his usually joyful face. "I’m fine."
Jack couldn’t resist. He laughed at his own seriousness. The question he had to ask her was laying to heavily on his mind. It’s best that he asked her now before their whole day was ruined.
"Rose…" Jack is
suddenly nervous. "Stop it Jack," he thought to
himself. "She loves you. There’s no reason in the world
for her to say no."
"Yes Jack?" Rose asks, her eyes lighting up in concern,
noticing how nervous Jack was growing. Whatever it was that he
wanted to tell her must be very important to get this nervous
about.
Jack looks around and finds a perfect spot against a railing. That’s the perfect place to purpose. "Come over here Rose." He takes her hand and leads her to the rail.
"Jack…what is this all about?"
"Rose, I love you. More than I loved another girl in my life. You are so special to me. I knew you were something special when I saw you on Titanic that day. Do you remember?" Jack asked. His voice hopeful. Please let her remember.
"Yes Jack. I remember," Rose thinks back to that that day when she had gotten irritated by Bruce Ismay and had gone out on the ship deck and looked across the ocean. That was when she first noticed the blond man with the intense blue eyes. "That was the day when I knew I couldn’t marry Cal."
"That was the day I knew I had found my soulmate. And when I took you that steerage party and you revealed your true spirit…that was when I knew that I loved you. I don’t know if I said it on the ship, but I’ve loved you ever since that night."
"Oh Jack…" Rose said, her heart swelling up in her chest. She knew what was coming and she immediately knew the answer. "I..."
"No, let me finish," Jack placed two fingers over her lips to silence her. "That was what was behind that talk in the gymnasium, and that night in the car…when we…well, that was when I absolutely knew for sure, beyond a doubt, that you was my soulmate, and that leaves only one thing for me to do," Jack takes a deep breath. "Ms. Rose Dewitt Bukater…will you do me the honor…of becoming my wife?"
There. He said it. Now was the moment of truth. Rose’s answer.
"Oh Jack…that was so beautiful. I love you too. And yes. I will become your wife. As soon as possible," Rose cried, tears of joy streaming down her face. This was a dream come true, to go from one unhappy engagement to a joyous one. Smiling she pulls Jack into a passionate kiss.. She loved him so much…much more than she could ever describe. Thank goodness he survived and didn’t die in those freezing waters. She’s sure that despite her promise, she wouldn’t be able to go on without her soulmate.
"Come on Rose, let’s get back inside. It’s starting to get cold out here and the last thing we need is to catch cold. Then that nurse really won’t let us back outside," Jack smiles, leading Rose back into the infirmary