18
Rose yawned and stretched luxeriously as the sunlight filtering through the curtain shined on her face. She sighed and reached out for the warm body that was supposed to be next to hers, just to find that side of the bed empty. Frowning, she woke up to find the room empty, and not only that disturbed her…the house felt empty as well. Jack’s warm presence was missing. She pushed down the misgivings that rose in her mind. Did he decide he didn’t love her after all? Did he decide she wasn’t pretty enough? That they were moving too fast? Or was she just a girl for him to have hot passionate sex with?
Rose shook her head at the last thought. Jack wasn’t like that. He would never use a woman like that. He was too kind and lovable. Maybe she was just jumping to conclusions. Maybe he had gone downstairs to make some breakfast. Slipping into a lavender dress she had hiddened in the closet, a color she loved, but her mother detested, she headed downstairs just to find it empty.
Rose frowned. Where could he have gone? Why did he leave? Well he had to be somewhere and Rose wasn’t going to rest until she found him. Grabbing her purse, Rose left the house, in search of the man she loved.
Jack sighed, just staring at the closed door. He wondered what had possessed him to come back here? Wasn’t one beating enough? Plus they wanted him to join the youths. What was worth giving up all he believed in. What was worth becoming like Tommy? Rose. Rose was worth it. After last night, he knew beyond a doubt that he loved her with everything he was. She was his silver lining.
Swallowing down his fear, Jack opened the door and stepped in to find his mother and her fiancee deep in conversation. They both turned at the sound of Jack closing the door.
"Jack!" Gretal exclaimed, throwing her arms around her son. "Where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you!"
"Do you know what trouble you caused!" Hansel glared at his fiancee’s son, clenching his fists in anger. This type of disobedience was not going to be allowed in his house and he was going to make sure Jack understood that. One way or another. "Go to your room and stay there until I come in."
"Hansel please…" Gretal touched her lover’s arm, but Hansel shook off her hand and grabbed Jack’s arm roughly when it looked like the young man wasn’t moving fast enough.
"I said get in there!" Hansel dragged Jack to his room and slammed the door shut after shoving Jack inside.
"Hansel…what are you going to do?" Gretal wringed her hands nervously. She didn’t like watching her son get hurt, but she knew that if Jack was ever going to thrive in today’s society, there was no other choice.
"Don’t worry about it Gretal. Just stay out here while I take care of everything. He will learn not to run away again," Hansel squeezed her shoulder before entering Jack’s room.
Rose had looked everywhere for her missing boyfriend. From the swing hall they hung out at to the bridge where she had tried to jump. She had even stopped at the DeRossi’s, but no one had seen Jack all day. Where could he be? Where could he have disappeared off to and why?
"You’ll find him Rose. Don’t worry," Fabrizio hugged his friend as Rose became visibly upset by Jack’s disappearance. "He probably needed time alone. He may be feeling responsible for everything and when Jack feels responsible for wrongs done, he tries to fix things…or at least prevent the wrong from happening again."
That was when the lightbulb came on inside Rose’s head. Jack had felt responsible for Fabri’s problems with the Nazi’s. He had said that Rose could get in trouble for helping him. Wanting to protect his friends, Jack must have gone back to his mother’s apartment. And if that was the case….
"Fabri, I have to go. I think I know where Jack is," Rose hugged her friend and started for the door.
"Where?" Fabri frowned. He wondered if he should accompany Rose or not. Jack would never forgive him if Fabrizio allowed Rose to go into danger by herself.
"I’ll call you when it’s safe," Rose waved as she ran out the door, disappearing down the alley that led to Jack’s apartment.
The first thing she heard when she reached the apartment was yelling. Loud, angry yelling. Rose knocked on the door, her hand shaking, fear for most in her mind. But it wasn’t fear for herself. It was fear for Jack. She had to get in there before he was hurt any worse then he already was.
It was Jack’s mother that opened the door. Her blue eyes, so much like Jack’s were watery and vacant.
"May I help you?"
"I’m looking for Jack," Rose swallowed, praying that the woman would let her in. She had to help Jack. She had to get him out of there somehow.
"He’s busy right now. Listen, it’s best that you don’t come around anymore. You’re one of the kids that’s from the swing hall aren’t you?"
"No," Rose lied. She had met at a swing hall, but she wasn’t allowed to go really and denying that she was ever there was a quicker way to get to Jack.
"Still…it’s not a good idea for Jack to associate with you anymore. Good day," Gretal tried to close the door, but Rose, her temper and determination flaring up stopped the door from closing by putting her foot against it.
"I need to see Jack. Now."
Another yell and this time a loud thump. Desparate Rose pushed past Jack’s mother and ran for the only closed door in the house, the room where all the noise was coming from.
Rose opened the door to see Hansel with what looked like a steel blade clinched in his hand, advancing on Jack who was pressed up against the opposite wall his eyes wide in fear.
"This will teach you to obey," Hansel growled, getting closer and closer to the teen, who couldn’t keep his eyes off his attacker. Scanning the room, Rose looked for a weapon to use. She looked at the table she was standing next to and noticed the glass vase that contained red roses, as red as her hair. She grabbed the vase before Mrs. Dawson could stop her and brought it down on hard on Hansel’s head, shattering the vase. Water and roses were everywhere and Jack’s trance was broken whil Hansel stumbled around, yelling in pain and Gretal tried to tend to him. Rose snorted. It was too bad that Mrs. Dawson didn’t have the same compassion towards her own son.
"Look what you did!" The older woman glared at Rose.
"Rose?" Jack looked at her as if noticing her for the first time.
Rose reached past Hansel and grabbed Jack’s hand.
"Let’s get out of here," Rose pulled his hand. Jack didn’t think twrice. Both Jack and Rose ran out of that apartment and disappeared down a alleyway, wanting to get to safety as soon as possible.