“Such a lovely little Rose…”
“Why, thank you,” she said shining her pearly whites at me and clinging tightly to my arm. We were out that night atop her red Chevy, gazing and dazing at the sight of the stars, glistening on top of the sea.

She shivered, so I took my arm away and swung it around her waist. I led my other arm across her chest and squeezed her closer to me, my heart beating music in her ear.

She giggled, “I remember the first time you held me like this.” She looked up at me and I saw the stars and the night through her eyes like the reflection on top of the sea.

I could not suppress the pressure from my lips on her forehead. “Oh, really?” I said.

She smiled, “Yes. Your heart was beating faster, then. Now, it’s steady pacing.”

“Well, of course it is.”

She snuggled in closer.

“Why’s that?” she asked.

“Because I’m sure of what I’ve been feeling, now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“And what do you feel?”

“–That I love you…”

She shivered…

“Let me get your jacket,” I made a motion to stand.

She smiled, “No, it’s okay.” She snuggled in closer, “How much do you love me?”

My heart felt unsteady as I brought her in tighter. “If I walked to the trunk of your car, I’d be sad and missing you already.”

She shivered…

“Why would you go to the trunk?”

“To get your jacket…” I rose to leave.

She smiled and stopped me. She pulled me closer, “What if it’s not in there?”

“Then I’ll give you my shirt –”

“Because it’s not.”

“What? I put it in there yesterday.”

“Why?”

“In case you got cold.”

She shivered and I began to leave, but I saw her smile, so I pulled her closer. “I don’t think I could leave you anyway. Not to walk to the back of the car.”

“Why not?” she sounded sadder and looked back at me, droopy-eyed.

“Such a lovely little Rose…” I kissed her forehead. “It’s far too far. I’d miss you too much because –”
“– That’s how much you love me?”

“Yes, I love you that much.”

She touched me with her lips. I saw the night and the stars even as my eyes were closed. “I love you, too,” she said.

“How much?” I brought her closer.

“Feel my heart.” I felt it. “It’s still steady pacing,” whereas, when I confessed, my heart was slightly racing. Now I knew what was real and fake. She snuggled in closer.

“I love you so much,” I said. My heart didn’t falter.

“That’s better,” she smiled. “Now you can get my jacket.”

“Isn’t it –” but she put her finger on my lips.

“Do you love me?” she asked.

“Since fate and God are real.” Then I walked to the trunk, glancing back at her between each step. I didn’t want her to disappear. I didn’t blink. Her eyes were black as night and the stars were swimming in them.

I opened the trunk.
I closed the trunk.

That instant brought her right next to me, her eyes no longer held their disguise. The redness in them resembled the paint on the Chevy, the red in her hair like the red in her name of which I swallowed the thorns.

I opened the trunk.
I closed the trunk.

She remained calm, but my heart wasn’t steady.
My hand rested on the Chevy’s end. As she came around behind me, she wrapped her arms around my chest.

She opened the trunk.

My heart bet faster.

“Now do you love me?”

Her heart stayed steady.
She moved between me and the cargo, but I couldn’t speak.
“Do you love me!?” she desperately repeated.

“I –” I looked deep into her eyes. They were red. They must have been lies. ‘I love her. I need her. Then tell her. My heart’s unsteady. Stay steady! Heart… I want to love her. Stay steady!’ and I glanced at the face in the trunk. I didn’t recognize its humanity.

Her eyes began to water. Her cheeks and nose matched her name. ‘Don’t let her cry! Look at her eyes! You’ll lose her if she cries! Hold her tight! Close the trunk!’

My heart stopped. Time stopped. Love stopped.

The face in the trunk I saw to be mine. It turned to me, “You’ll love her no matter what she’s done because she’ll love you no matter what you’ll do…”

My mangled self, folded in the trunk, had his heart in his hand.

Mine began to beat again. Time continued. Love returned.

I held her close. I held her tight, but I left the trunk open. The face… unrecognizable.
My heart was steady.

“Yes,” I said calmly. “I was missing you until you came to me. Because –”
“–You love me that much.”

I smiled and let her breathe as a single stray tear dampened my chest. Her eyes were no longer red, but instead were where the night and the stars resided.

She shivered…
I moved the body aside and spotted her jacket. It looked like her name. I grabbed it. “You need a new jacket. Let’s go get you a new jacket.”

She smiled and snuggled in closer.
“No need. That’s its true color.”