Hidden Love: A Newsies Fanfiction

Chapter 31

I run as fast as I could, calling Jack the whole way there. "Jack! Jack!" My hope was that he would hear me before he got to the refuge. But, in the back of my mind, I knew that wouldn't happen.

"Jack!" I yell, bursting through the refuge doors. I can hear muffled voices coming from down the hall. After finding the source of the voices, I through open the door. I'm greeted with Jack holding a pretty badly beat Oscar by the collar, surrounded by several other newsies.

"Stop it!" I scream, causing all of them to stop what they were doing. My brother turns towards me, dropping Oscar to the ground in the process.

"Liv," Jack says. "Listen to me for a-"

"No! You listen to me for once." I walk over to Oscar, crouching down next to him. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Liv." Oscar smiles.

I kiss his forehead before standing up, facing Jack. "I love him. You may not like it or agree with it, but it's true."

"Liv just-"

"I don't care if he has a bad reputation or whatever. I've seen who he really is."

"He's a monster!" Jack yells.

"No he isn't! He's kind and sweet and loving! He has saved me so many times! All of the stuff he has done in the past isn't who he is!"

"Liv, he killed Riki. You remember don't you?"

"I remember," I say, walking up to Jack. "But I also remember Riki telling me that someday I would find the perfect guy. She told me that when I did, I shouldn't ever let him go."

"He isn't the perfect guy."

"Don't you remember how Riki was told the same thing by her parents? They didn't approve of you and she didn't just leave you."

"At least I'm not a killer."

"Oscar never wanted to kill Riki!" I yell. "Morris and Snyder made him! He told me himself."

Jack stuffs his hand in his pockets. "I don't want to talk about her. Come on, let's just go home."

"If you walk out now, you'll never see me again."

"What?"

"Unless you can except the fact that I love Oscar, I don't want to see you anymore. I'll move out of the lodging house and in with Oscar."

"Liv, you're being ridiculous. Y-you're all I have left."

"And would you really want to give that up? Do you hate Oscar so much that you would loose me?"

He bites his lip. "Can we talk outside for a second, please?" I nod and follow him outside. "Liv, I don't want to loose you because of a guy."

"So you'll let me date him?"

"But, I don't want to loose you because I made the mistake of trusting him. Liv, you're all I have left. I-I always knew you would find someone and I knew that it would be just as hard to let you go then. But, the fact that it is Oscar, someone I already don't trust, makes it harder. I mean, he got you pregnant! With mom dead and dad...wherever, I'm left in charge of you."

By this time, tears are steaming down his face. "And I failed. I wasn't over protective because I thought you couldn't protect yourself. I was over protective because that is the only way i knew I could keep you safe. And...it didn't work. I blew it." He sits on the steps with his face on his hands. "Mom would be so disappointed in me."

"Jack, you know that's not true," I say, sitting down next to him. "She would be proud of you. I mean, raising a kid while you're still young yourself, that's not easy." I sigh. "We've both made some mistakes, but mom wouldn't be disappointed in us. I guarantee she would be proud."

Jack looks at me. "I'm sorry, Liv. I didn't mean for all of this to happen. All I want is for you to be safe and happy."

"I know," I say, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Jack, I know you don't like or trust Oscar, but I really love him. When I'm around him, it makes me happy. I feel something that, until I started dating him, I'd never felt before."

"That's how I felt about Riki." He smiles. "She made me feel like I was the only guy in the world. My heart would skip a beat whenever I saw her. It was like I was in a whole new world." Jack sighs and looks at me. "That's the way you feel about Oscar isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"You deserve to be around the person that makes you feel that way."

I smile. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"If you think I'm saying that you should date Oscar, than you are."

I wrap Jack in a hug. "Oh thank you! Thank you! I love you so much!"

He hugs me back. "I love you too, Liv. If you're happy with Oscar, than I'm happy."

"Can I go tell him?"

"Go ahead."

I smile before standing up and running inside. "Oscar!" I run up to him and tackle him to the ground, kissing him. "Jack said 'yes'."

"What?"

"He said I can date you!" I yell before kissing him again.

"I said you can date him, not make out with him right in front of me," Jack laughs from the doorway.

I stand up, helping Oscar up in the process. "Sorry."

"Jack, you won't regret this. I promise, I'll protect your sister with my life," Oscar says.

"You better," my brother says, walking up to us and putting a hand on my shoulder. "She means the world to me. And if you hurt her I swear I will-"

"Jack!" I yell.

He smiles. "Sorry. I'm still getting used to this. Anyways, I'll meet you at home Liv. Don't stay out to late ok?" He ruffles my hair before walking out, followed by the other newsies.

"Wait a second," I say, turning to Oscar. "What about Morris?"

"He'll find out soon enough and, when he does, I'll deal with it. But until then, I just want to be with you." He smiles, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Well, we do have a hidden love," I smile before kissing him.

The End

(AN: And this is the end of the story. Thank you guys so, so much for reading this. It means so much to me. This story was a blast to write and I'm glad I get to share it with you guys. If you want to read my next book, it is titled "Unsinkable: a Racetrack Higgins fanfiction". If not, then thank you once again for reading and keep being awesome. 💖theatergirlmgm🦄)