The next morning, Hannah was highly regretting let Lance buy her a drink last night. Not only had he bought her a drink at the lounge, but he had talked and talked until he had practically shared his whole life story with her.

        Not that she minded that, however. It was just the way he talked, the way he smiled. It seemed that every moment Hannah spent with him, she found out something else she liked about him.

        It was crazy to even imagine Hannah falling for this guy. But she knew it was happening. Very slowly. And she knew there was nothing she could do about it, though she wished she could.

        This isn’t healthy, she told herself.

        Lance had even put his jacket around her shoulders when they took a short walk on the Poop Deck shortly after finishing their drinks.

        And though he didn’t say much when they were outside in the cold air and the gusty wind, Hannah could tell what he was thinking. She knew he had wanted to say something, but for some reason he never said it. There was always this far off look in his eyes. Hannah just convinced herself that he was worried about Janine being on the ship.

        Maybe that was what on his mind later in the evening, why shouldn’t it? To Hannah it seemed like this woman just appeared out of nowhere because she wanted Lance back. Not because she was travelling to New York to buy a house, as she had told Hannah earlier when the two had talked privately.

        Now that the night was over and it was a brand new morning, Hannah decided to take an early morning stroll on the boat deck since it was only five in the morning and barely anyone would be out.

        This way, no one would catch her. Her, a third class passenger trespassing onto a part of the ship that only first and second class passengers were allowed access to.

        Hannah leaned against the railings and watched the sun rise and the effect it had on the water. The ship was moving slowly now, as they neared more dangerous places that had deeper waters and rougher winds.

        And she had heard earlier about icebergs warnings. But it seemed the captain was ignoring those warnings from other ships. He did know what he was doing, she knew because she had read about how Captain Smith was an expert about the sea and that this would be his final voyage.

        “So, did you find that ring you were looking for last night?” a voice asked from behind her, starling Hannah and pulling her out from what she considered a daydream. Hannah once again was thinking about Lance. She hated how he invaded her head all the damn time.

        Hannah turned and faced the person that was talking to her. She hadn’t expected anyone to be up so early, especially this person. This person she didn’t even know.

        “No,” she told Janine, who was standing there in a short white skirt and matching blouse.

        Janine smiled smugly and tucked a strap of brown hair behind her ear. “It was sweet of Lance to offer to help you find it,” she said.

        Hannah just shrugged. “That’s just the kind of guy he is.”

        Janine looked over Hannah’s clothes and made a noise that sounded like a snort. She didn’t look impressed with the baggy clothes that Hannah was sporting, thanks to the shortage of money that Hannah was supplied.

        “You from second class?” Janine asked her, because she knew Lance would never hang out with the likes of someone in third class. No, no. Not her Lance.

        “No.” Hannah looked down at her shoes and sighed. No, she would never be good enough. Even this woman, who she didn’t even know was unimpressed and didn’t want her around by the tone of her voice.

        “He’s just feeling sorry for you, you know,” Janine said with a shrug and made her way around Hannah to study the rest of the girl’s wardrobe. By the look on her face, Janine wasn’t the least bit impressed by the looks of Hannah’s pants or jacket.

        Hannah just shook her head, because she knew he wasn’t just feeling sorry for her anymore. She knew that now. It didn’t matter what this girl was telling her.

        Janine snickered. “Right now, he’s probably talking really sweet to you. But honey, face it. What do you have to offer him? Anyway, he’ll dump you and move on to his next conquest. That’s the way Lance is. That’s what he lives on.”

        “You think you know what you’re talking about, but I’m not so sure you do.”

        Hannah had to take a deep breath and tell herself that Janine didn’t understand Lance like she thought she did, that he wasn’t really like that. Was he?

        “Oh, I know.” Janine grinned and whipped out a cigarette from the pocket of her jean jacket that she was carrying in one of her hands. When she lit it up, she closed her eyes, as if to think of what to say next.

        “Why does it matter to you? It’s not like I’m going to see him after this ship docks.”

        “That’s right, you’re not.” Janine took another puff and shot Hannah a glare over the smoke. “He’s mine. Do you got that, honey?”

        The smoke in her face was starting to both Hannah, but she held it in. Well, she tried to. A few seconds past and soon she was coughing. “Must you smoke? You know it’s bad for your health.”

        Janine raised a brow in daring Hannah to say more, but Hannah remained quiet, trying to get the coughing under control.

        “He loves me,” Janine stated with confidence. “We love each other.”

        “Do you actually think I care?” Hannah asked. “You two could get married and have a family for all I care. Lance and I are just friends.”

        Though her heart was telling her otherwise, Hannah’s face was able to come up with a look that made it clear that she wasn’t the least bit hurt or upset by Janine’s words.

        Did Lance still really love Janine? Hannah doubted it, considering Lance had told her last night that he didn’t know why Janine was here, on the ship. The tone of his voice had told her all she needed to know.

        Not just his tone, but the words he had said. Who could forgive someone anyway for cheating on them? Hannah couldn’t imagine even being able to look into the eyes of someone she loved if they had done something as unimaginable as that.

        “Stay away from him,” Janine warned her. “Or else you’ll pay the price. You got it?”

        Hannah stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket as the wind picked up. “Don’t try and tell me who I can be friends with. You don’t know me. And I don’t think Lance would appreciate it either telling him who he can and can’t be friends with.”

        “Oh yeah?”

        “Yeah.”

        Janine moved a step closer to Hannah, almost in her face. “Go back down to steerage you belong. If I ever see you around Lance again, or if I ever see you up here again, you’re going to get it.”

        “Fuck you.” Though it had been a long time since she had used vulgar language like that, it made Hannah feel good. The girl had it coming, she thought.

        And as she walked away, back down to her state room to think about what she had gotten herself into, Hannah started to wonder what would happen if she and Lance didn’t stop hanging around each other.

        How far would Janine go to keep Lance away from her?

        Hannah didn’t want to imagine them not being friends. After last night, she felt extremely close to him. Closer than she’d ever been to anyone. Lance was the first person she’d gotten close to since her parent’s death.

        How could she lose him now?

        But how much more would she lose if she were to continue being around him?

*****

        He was trying to avoid her. She’d been continuously sending messages through stewards and it was really starting to piss him off.

        Couldn’t the woman get a clue?

        Since when did, “I never want to see you again” mean that he wanted her around?

        Getting rid of Janine wasn’t Lance’s only problem. He’d been walking around the boat deck the last hour and a half trying to find Hannah, but there was no sign of her.

        She had told him before he dropped her off last night that she would meet him for eight by the stairs that led to the Forecastle Deck. But Hannah was nowhere to be found, and no one else had seen her.

        He was about to head inside to go down to the café and get some breakfast when a pair of arms wrapped around him.

        “Miss me?” the voice whispered into his ear, making Lance cringe.

        “Get the fuck off me,” he muttered, shrugging his way out of her embrace. He wiped off his jacket and straightened it. “What did I tell you? Stay the hell away from me.”

        “No,” Janine said. “Not ever again.”

        “Did you not hear me?” His voice got louder and more stern. But now he was pointing his finger at her, his face showing the anger he was feeling. “I said stay the fuck away from me!”

        She frowned. “What’s going on with you? I told you how sorry I was for hurting you. What can I do to show you that?”

        “You can’t! It’s over. I don’t want to get back together with you. Ever!”

        “This is because of them. Those stupid friends of your that managed to convince you that I haven’t changed, that I could never change. That’s why you are unwilling to give me a second chance!”

        As much as Lance wanted to hit her, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He would never hit a girl. Even if it was this girl. Who he disliked more then anyone else in the world.

        “You don’t deserve a second chance,” he said.

        “Everybody deserves one,” she said softly. “Even me.” Somehow, Janine managed to get her arms around his neck. “Even me,” she repeated, this time softer. This time her lips managed to attack the skin on his neck that was not covered by his green turtleneck.

        “Fuck!” He grabbed the hankerchief out of his pocket and wiped the side of his neck that she had placed kisses on.

        “Don’t you know how much I love you?” She ran her finger over his cheekbones. “Don’t you know how much I need you?” Then she ran her finger down his jaw line. “Don’t you see that I can’t live without you?”

        He ripped himself away from her and ran a hand through his streaks. “You should have thought about that before you cheated on me.”

        “Stop reminding me,” Janine said. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Believe me, baby. I loved you then, I love you now.”

        He hated when she called him “baby.” She always did when she wanted something from him. And this seemed like this time wasn’t any different.

        “What do you want?” Lance demanded.

        “You,” she whispered, before pressing her lips to his.

        Hannah stopped in her tracks and turned around, walking back down to the lift. She knew what she saw, her heart breaking slowly piece by piece once again.

        No. He wasn’t different. He was just like the rest of them.

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