𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 | 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜

𝟸𝟽. 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗

"Your hands have bruises on them," Josephine frowned as she looked down at his wrists.

Her hands reached for his arms and she brought them into her lap, before running her finger over the purple marks on his pale skin. The frown only worsened when she remembered he still had those dreadful handcuffs on, and it felt like it was all her fault.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him "for everything."

"What?" Jack asked under his breath so only she could hear.

"This-" she gestured to his wrists "it's all my fault - and you almost dying was my fault as well. If you hadn't been so preoccupied with saving my life-"

"Stop that," he interrupted, one hand moving to cup her cheek "none of this was your fault. And don't you dare think otherwise - not even for a second. You saved my life, Josie, plain and simple."

Josephine nodded her head at him, a small smile coming onto her lips. She would never be able to understand how she had gotten so lucky. Because of him, she had gone from being stuck to being free - albeit there were major roadblocks that they had to overcome. But there was no way she would have thought that boarding the Titanic would have been something so defining in her life.

As she turned her head, she spotted a man walking around the lower class deck, accompanied by a pale-looking girl. Her brows furrowed as she realized their clothes indicated they were anything but steerage, and when they turned to her, Josephine widened her eyes.

After everything, it felt as though she was looking at ghosts when she met the eyes of Cal and Rose. Of course, Josephine had known her cousin was alive, and with the way Cal only looked out for himself, it had been her suspicion that he had survived as well - but she had never expected to see them again.

"There you are," Cal muttered out of disgust, having silently hoped the girl would be dead.

"Jo!" Rose cried out in relief, her arms opening wide as she walked towards Josephine.

Jack turned his head towards the scene as Josephine reluctantly released his hand and walked over to hug her cousin. His eyes met Cal as he stood behind both women, and Jack narrowed his eyes at the man, no longer disgusting his hatred for the man.

"Oh god," Rose spoke into Josephine's shoulder as she hugged her close, "I thought you had died! Cal said that-"

"Whatever he said, it is most likely a lie," Josephine whispered to her cousin before squeezing her closer.

She knew that there was no way she would ever go back to living with her family, not after what had happened - and that fact would not have changed if Jack had not survived. But still, being able to see Rose one last time was something Josephine had been secretly hoping for; she somewhat prayed that the redhead would heed her words once at for all to finally leave Cal behind.

"Jack and I were the last to be rescued," Josephine admitted to her cousin "we almost didn't make it."

"Well, I'm beyond glad you did Jo," Rose spoke with a smile and tearful eyes "I don't think losing you was something I would have gotten over."

Josephine smiled at the girl before she looked over her shoulder and at Cal. Her face turned from friendly and warm to a sneer as she stared the man down. There was no way to disguise the absolute dislike - and that was putting it lightly - that she felt for him.

"You worried us all sick," Cal tried to disguise with a fake smile.

"I'm sure I did," Josephine snapped ", especially you, isn't that right Cal?"