Still Not Over

Rose said while she continued to look straight Jack in the eyes.

''Must you do this? Is there really no other way?''

Jack asked, his voice broken as he too kept many unshed tears in his eyes.

"I don't know if you knew or whether you heard just now, but I am from a military family, for me nothing is more important than my family Jack, nothing. From a young age, I was taught that first comes country, then family and then lastly me. This is the order Jack...always was and always will be, and Ivy is my family Jack, she is my sister and I can't...I just can't put myself...put our relationship before her.''

Rose finally stopped her tears as she bent down to pick up her purse from the seat and faced Jack for the last time.

"I wish you all the best for the many endeavours in your life Jack...all the best and may God bless you.''

"No!''

Jack yelled as he gripped Rose's arm as she was turning to leave,

"This is not over Rose! I know that you still love me so how can this be over?''

He asked as he breathed rapidly.

"I don't love you, Jack.''

Rose lied as she felt the tears that she was so desperately trying to hold him, slide down her cheeks. In order to hide her face, she looked down at the marble covered floor.

It tore her heart apart to lie that she did not love him anymore but she knew that it was necessary.

If she wanted him to move on then she had to hurt him, hurt him so much that he forgets her, forgets their relationship.

"You are lying."

Jack said, full of confidence.

"No, I am not."

Rose countered.

"Then show me your face, Rose.''

Jack said as his hands moved towards her face. His fingers softly brushed below her eyes as he held her cheeks and lifted her head up to meet his face. Seeing her face drenched with tears, he gave a soft and helpless smile as he asked.

"If you don't love me anymore, then why are you crying your heart out, Rose? If just the lie can hurt you this much, then have you ever thought how much it would hurt you if we did break up? How much it would hurt if I were to invite you to my wedding to some other girl?''

''I would be fine."

Rose stubbornly said,

"Yes...Yes, you would be fine Rose, but I would be the one who won't be.''

Jack said softly as he wiped her tears with his fingers gently.

"I love you Rose, and I know that you love me. Both of us met and fell in love without knowing each other's family background. For me, even if you were just Rose and Rose Cox, I would have loved you the same, and I know that this applies to you too.

You also loved me for me and not because I was Jack Shaw. So please let's just talk it out, alright?''

"What if it doesn't work out?''

Rose asked, her voice filled with worry.

"If it doesn't work out, then maybe it was not meant to be, but at least we won't hate ourselves twenty years down in the future, wishing that maybe we should not have given up too quickly.''

He told her.

''So please....let's try alright?''

He begged her.