Ocean of Memories

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After tea, I went back to my stateroom with Cal and changed in the dressing room. When I exited, he was holding Jack's locket in his hand. "What's this?" He asked in a cold voice. I grabbed the locket and slipped it on proudly. "A gift," I replied cooly. "Right," he snapped back. Narrowing my eyes at him, I snatched my hairbrush up and dragged it through my hair. Cal yanked it out of my hands. "Who you seeing, Rose? Huh?? Who?"

"Cal, stop it, you're being ridiculous," I tried to pin my hair back, but Cal grabbed my hand and pinned it to the wall. "Answer me, Rose!" He was shouting. I was starting to get frightened. "Who is it?"

"You don't need to know!" I screamed back, and he slapped me. I fell down to the ground with a thud and scraped my wrist on the corner of the bed stand. It didn't leave much of a mark, but enough for someone to question how it got there.

Trudy entered at that precise moment, and I sighed in relief. Cal angrily stomped out of the room, but before slamming the door shut, he turned and snapped, "This isn't over."

Trudy helped me up and finished my hair. We had sat a few moments in silence before Trudy asked softly, "What's his name?"

I studied her in the mirror. Normally we wouldn't have spoken. Yet Jack made me realize one more thing about my life. We were all people, servant or not. First class or third. Softly I responded, "Jack."

She smiled and bit her lip. "Where does he work?"

I laughed brightly. "I don't even know!" I twirled a piece of hair around my finger. "I'm too in love to notice."

She handed me my purse and nodded. "He's probably waiting for you." I looked into her eyes. "Y-you won't tell?"

She laughed and smiled. "Of course not."

I went to go, then turned around and gave her a quick hug. "Tell him he should take care o' ye," Trudy whispered as I slipped out the door and into the light.

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JACKS POV

I liked the way Rose fit neatly into my side. It was as if the whole world stopped for a while to just wait while we talked. And I liked that.

"So, tell me more about yourself, Jack," she said. I could see the locket, proudly displayed on her little chest. I really couldn't believe I had given that to her. We'd probably get to New York, go our separate ways, and never see one another again.

"Well..." I started at the beginning and worked my way throughout my life, starting with the fire and the deaths of my parents, and ending with how I'd won the tickets to Titanic.

"You know..." Rose started. "I wish I could be like you, Jack. Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it."

I nudged her playfully. "What, you wanna become a lonely artist too?"

She looked deeply into my eyes. "No. I wouldn't be lonely. I would have you."

My heart stopped for a few moments. "This is crazy," I whispered. She laughed. "I know! This doesn't make any sense."

She cocked her head and smoothed back a piece of hair off her forehead. "That's why I trust it."

As she did so, I caught sight of a little scrape on her wrist. "What's that?" I asked, while jerking my head towards the mark.

Her eyes widened like a deer in headlights. "U-uh, nothing," she remarked and tried to switch the conversation over. "The weath-"

"Rose," I grabbed her shoulder. "What happened?"

She turned around to face me. She was practically only inches away from my face. She smelled like soap and perfume. "I-it was Cal," she whispered, and I moaned. "He slapped me, and I fell, and... Well."

"So he hurts you?"

She looked into my eyes. I could tell people had asked her this question before. I could tell that she had lied and said no. But she felt the same way about me that

I did about her. She couldn't lie, not to me. "Y-yes. All the time."

I lifted her wrist to my mouth and kissed it softly. She bit her lip, but I could tell she liked it. Smirking a bit, I watched as she rubbed her forehead. "It's just... As long as I play the part of a porcelain doll, it's all right. But God forbid I should be unhappy in my shining, gleaming world. No one cares about me. Or my thoughts."

I reached over and fingered the locket. "I promise I'll never laugh at any of your thoughts." She studied my eyes. "Ever."

She smiled. "Why are you being my friend?"

"We all need friends," I responded. I tossed my head and swung my shank of hair out of my face.

"You can't save me from everything, Jack," she responded in a cool tone. Her green eyes stared into mine with a depth that I didn't know existed.

"I can try."