17
Jack sighed, stepping out onto the porch. After that talk with Rose, he once again needed to clear his head. He couldn’t believe the mess he’s made of everything.
"Jack?" A tear-filled voice asked from the far corner of the porch. Jack looked to stare into Maria’s tear-stained eyes. He cursed as he felt the feelings return. Yes, this was very bad. He shouldn’t be feeling this way for anyone but Rose.
"Maria. What are you doing out here?" Jack approached her. He knelt next to her and wiped away a tear. "What’s wrong?"
Maria turned her eyes away, afraid that he’d see the truth behind her tears. That she loved him. So she made something up. Something that Jack was sure to believe. "I-I miss him Jack. Fabri wanted a life in America for the both of us. It’s not fair that I’m the only one that made it here. He should be here with me too."
Understanding her grief, Jack wrapped his arms around her shivering frame. His only intention was to comfort her the way Fabrizio would have if he was there. To take away her tears. "He’s with us in spirit Maria. He’s here in America with us."
"You think so?" Maria sniffed, looking up into Jack’s eyes, getting lost in them. She sighed. If only he was hers. Oh why Jack? Why did you have to get married? Why did I have to fall so deeply in love with you?
Jack was struck speechless by the warmth in her brown eyes and the fullness of her pink lips. He wondered if she knew just how lovely she really was. He closed his eyes at the whiff of jasmine perfume she wore. Oh what was she doing to him? "Maria…"
"I love you Jack," She confessed, not knowing what else to say but the truth.
He didn’t know how to respond to her confession. He knew that he should walk away. That he should tell her to leave and not to come back. But he couldn’t. So instead…he kissed her. He kissed her in a way that was almost identical to the way he kissed Rose. They were caught in their own a world. A world where Jack wasn’t married. A world full of freedom and light, fluffy feelings. But that world didn’t last for long. Reality soon came flooding back in the form of a startled, shocked gasp.
Jack pulled away to find Rose staring at them, her eyes full of tears of shock and betrayal. She didn’t even say anything. She just turned and ran back into the house, where George and Sam were descending the stairs.
"Rose! Rose wait!" Jack came in after her, wanting to explain himself, even though he couldn’t understand his kissing Maria either.
"What Jack? What? You lied to me! You said…you said that you didn’t have does type of feelings for Maria!" Rose backed away, tears falling from her eyes, her heart breaking in two. She just couldn’t believe that this was happening. Her and Jack had loved each other so much.
Maybe it was Karma. She had cheated on Cal with Jack and now it was coming back on her. Sighing, her anger faded away and was replaced by the pain of seeing her Jack in the arms of another woman. "I want an explanation Jack. Don’t you love me anymore?"
Tears were also in Jack’s eyes. This was his worst nightmare. Losing Rose. He sighed, wondering how he could be pulled in two directions like this. "Of course I love you Rose. I never stopped."
"Well then why were you kissing Maria, Jack?"
"What?" Sam gasped in shock. She had never expected such a thing from Jack. Not after all Jack and Rose had been through. "You kissed Maria?!"
"Shhh," George quieted.
"I…I guess…I…I love you both," Jack bowed his head, tears spilling from his eyes. He couldn’t believe the mess he was in now. Rose was going to leave him and take his heart with her. He can at least see that much happening.
Rose frowned. She wanted to understand, she really did. "How can you be in love with us both?"
"I don’t know."
Rose sighed. She didn’t want to lose her family, but she needed some space. Who knows, maybe that space will help Jack make up his mind. "Well…let me know when you make up your mind who you really want. Let me know. But right now, I need to get some space," She disappeared up the stairs, leaving George and Sam glaring at Jack in disappointment.