LOVE THAT NEVER FADES
Chapter Seventeen

Forgive and Forget?

Jack led Rose to an art gallery, a block away from the bar that they had been in earlier. They stood in front of the art gallery hand-in-hand. Jack looked up and smiled. It was Johnson’s Art Gallery. Jack used to always go into this art gallery, where he would sell his drawings and buy blank sheets of paper whenever he ran out. Jack looked at his wife and smiled. She smiled back at him as they entered the art gallery.

A bell sounded when they walked inside the gallery, and the man behind the counter looked up. A smile was on the man’s face, his eyes going wide. Rose looked at Jack and saw him smile as well. Rose looked back at the man and saw him walking towards them. He wore dark blue trousers with a white shirt. The man had black hair, combed back, with a few gray strands on each side of his head. His eyes were green, and his smile grew brighter.

"Well, if it isn’t good ol’ Jack Dawson!" the man said. "Where in God’s name have you been?"

"Ah…here and there," Jack said.

"I haven’t seen you in two long years, Jack. I had started to think that you were dead or something," the man said. "Well, who’s this pretty lady?" Jack smiled and looked at his wife.

"Well, Frank, this here is my beautiful wife, Rose Dawson," Jack said. "Rose, this is my good friend Frank Johnson. He owns this gallery." Rose smiled and held out her hand.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Johnson," Rose said, smiling. Frank took her hand and kissed her knuckles sweetly.

"The pleasure is all mine, milady. But do call me Frank. Mr. Johnson was my father," Frank said.

"As long as you call me Rose, Frank," Rose said, smiling.

"I don’t see any problem with that," Frank said, giving her a smile. Frank turned to Jack. "So, are you going to stand here all day, or are you gonna buy something?"

"Nah. I just wanted to introduce you to Rose," Jack said. "We’ve got lots of things to do later on." Jack looked at Rose and smiled.

"Ah…c’mon, Jack. Look around. Maybe you’ll reconsider," Frank said.

"I dunno, Frank…" Jack began.

"Jack, you know I don’t like that. Just look around, find something you like. I’ll give it to you at a low price. What do ya say?" Frank asked. Jack looked at Rose and saw that she was smiling up at him, nodding her head.

"Ah…okay, Frank. I’ll look around," Jack said.

"That’s the Jack I know," Frank said, patting him on the arm.

"Jack, I’m going to look around as well," Rose said. "I want to see if I can find something that would suit the apartment." Jack smiled at her.

"Okay. I’ll be over there if you need me," Jack said, pointing to the back of the gallery, where there were paintings hanging on the wall.

"Okay," Rose said. Jack gave her a loving kiss on the lips before heading towards the back. Rose tiptoed up, making sure Jack went to the back. Once she saw that he had, she went towards Frank. "Uh…Frank, do you have leather portfolios?" Rose looked back every few seconds to make sure that Jack hadn’t seen her.

"Of course I have leather portfolios. This is an art gallery, isn’t it?" Frank asked. Rose smiled.

"Would you mind if I ask you to set up a gift?" Rose asked.

"Why, certainly. It won’t be any problem at all. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll set it up for ya," Frank said.

"Great," Rose said, smiling.

"Follow me," Frank said. Rose followed him towards the counter. He went around the counter and took out a brown leather portfolio, similar to the one Jack had had on the Titanic, only it had two strings that could be tied together to prevent the papers from falling out. Rose smiled and ran her fingers over the portfolio.

"I’ll take it," Rose said, smiling.

"Anything else?" Frank asked. Rose turned her head, and saw that Jack was still looking at the paintings.

"Um…yes," Rose said. "I would like you to get a load of blank sheets of paper, along with a pouch that holds all the artist’s tools."

"No problem. Coming right up," Frank said, picking out the items that Rose wanted and placing them on the counter. Rose opened the pouch and found the same exact tools that Jack had used when he had drawn her. Rose smiled. "Uh…you know, you could have the portfolio embossed. Just write the message you want me to emboss onto the portfolio." Frank handed her a blank sheet of paper. Rose smiled and took the pen that he had handed her. Rose leaned over and began writing her message. Once she was done, she handed Frank the paper and the pen. Frank took it and read over what she had written. He smiled and nodded. He went to the back and began embossing.

Rose kept a watchful eye on Jack, making sure that he didn’t come towards her and ruin the surprise. This was going to be her wedding gift to Jack. She knew Jack loved to draw, and he hadn’t drawn anything since the fourteenth of April--the day the Titanic had struck the iceberg. Her eyes wandered towards a painting that looked familiar. Rose went over to it and examined it. A smile played upon her lips as she realized that it was Jack’s favorite artist--Monet. Rose picked up the painting and walked towards the counter with the other items she was going to purchase. Just as she made her way towards the counter, Frank returned from the back. Frank smiled and showed her the embossment. Rose read it and smiled.

"Thank you, Frank. You don’t know how much this means to me," Rose said, smiling at him.

"No problem, Rose. Anything for Jack Dawson’s wife," Frank said. He began adding up the prices.

"Would you mind gift wrapping these items?" Rose asked. "It would make me happy if you could."

"No problem. No trouble at all," Frank said, taking the items and going to the back again to wrap them. Rose slipped her hand into her pocket and took out a hundred dollar bill. She turned her head towards the back of the gallery and found Jack looking through more paintings. Minutes later, Frank came out of the back room with a wrapped package. "Okay, that’ll be forty-five dollars." Rose handed him the hundred dollar bill. Frank took it and examined it. "Well, I’ll be. I’ve never seen a hundred dollar bill in my entire life!" Rose smiled.

"Well, I guess you have now," Rose said. Frank smiled and gave her the change. She took out ten dollars and handed it to him. "Your tip. Just don’t tell Jack about anything I’ve bought. I want to surprise him."

"Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me," Frank said. "And thank you for the tip." Frank placed the money in the cash register.

"No problem," Rose said, taking the wrapped gift.

"Uh, would you like me to give you a bag?" Frank asked. "So Jack won’t notice as much, you know?"

"I’d like that. Thank you," Rose said, handing him the gift. Frank put it in a bag before handing it back to her. Rose took the bag by its handles and held it at her side. Frank smiled at her. Just then, Jack returned to Rose’s side.

"So, what have you two been up to?" Jack asked, eyeing Rose and Frank.

"Nothing, really," Rose said. "I just bought a few paintings for our apartment. And a few other things, but other than that, we’ve been up to nothing." Jack laughed at Rose’s nervousness.

"Why are you so nervous, Rose?" Jack asked. "You think that I’m gonna be mad at you if you bought a few paintings?"

"It’s not that. I’m just afraid that you won’t like them as much as I do," Rose said. Jack smiled and shook his head.

"Rose, whatever you bought, I’m sure I’ll like it. There’s no need for you to be nervous about anything, okay?" Jack asked, looking at her straight in the eye. Rose smiled and nodded her head. Jack kissed her on the top of her head and held her close. "Well, Frank, I guess we’d better go. I still have to show Rose the rest of Santa Monica. Well, at least the places I’ve been through."

"No problem, Jack. Be sure to visit more often!" Frank said.

"Don’t worry. We will." Jack smiled, waving to Frank before exiting the gallery with Rose.

Jack led Rose to the nearest restaurant, where they would have their lunch, since it was a little past noon. The restaurant they went into was Mario’s Italian Restaurant. Jack led Rose to a corner by a window and helped her sit down before he took a seat. Rose set the bag beside her, looking up at Jack and smiling. Jack smiled back and winked at her. Rose smiled and blushed. Jack took Rose’s hand from across the table and held it in his own. He looked into her emerald eyes, smiling lovingly at her.

"You’re beautiful," Jack whispered, causing Rose to blush even more. Just then, a waiter came with two menus.

"Buon giorno. What would you two like today?" the waiter asked. Jack and Rose looked up at the waiter as he handed them the menus. Jack and Rose opened the menus and skimmed though them, trying to find something that they would like to eat.

"Uh…I would like one big plate of spaghetti and meatballs with white wine," Jack ordered. Rose looked over at him and smiled.

"Are you planning to eat that all on your own?" Rose asked.

"Of course not. You’re gonna help me," Jack said, smiling. "You don’t mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Rose said, closing the menu. "I was about to order that as well." Rose smiled, placing the menu on the table.

"Okay, then. Your order will be ready in ten minutes," the waiter said. The waiter took the menus and walked away, leaving Jack and Rose in peace. Jack and Rose just stared at each other, smiles on their faces. Just as they were about to lean across the table for a kiss, they heard someone walking towards their table. They stopped what they were doing and looked up. Jack got up from the chair and stood in front of the one enemy that he had. The one person who had always tried to ruin his and Rose’s lives. That enemy was none other than Caledon Hockley.

"What are you doing here, Cal?" Jack asked angrily.

"Relax, Dawson," Cal said, holding his hands up in defense. "I just came here to have a word with Rose."

"For what reason?" Jack asked. "You know she’s married to me, so you back off!" Cal chuckled, running his fingers through his dark hair.

"Listen, Dawson, you can say whatever you want, but nothing is going to stop me from speaking with Rose. Now, if you’ll excuse me," Cal said, pushing Jack away from him as he took a seat across from Rose. "I have to speak with Rose privately." Cal glared at Jack, challenging him to talk back. Jack sighed and walked over to the bar stools at the front of the restaurant. He sat on one of the stools and turned, keeping a watchful eye on Cal and Rose, making sure that Cal didn’t do anything to hurt Rose.

Rose stiffened when she saw Cal smile at her. Her breathing began to quicken as she toyed with her engagement ring, as well as her wedding ring, reminding herself that she was married to Jack, the man she loved, not to her enemy, who sat in front of her. For a brief moment, Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath before reopening them, only to look into dark, hopeful eyes. Something she had never seen in Cal before. But Rose wasn’t fooled. She knew how Cal could be at times like this. He would just pretend that he was hopeful or trustworthy, but he was never those things. At least, not with Rose.

"Rose," Cal said, looking straight into her eyes. "I’m really sorry for what I did the last time you saw me."

"Cal, I--" Rose began, but was interrupted by Cal.

"Rose, listen. I was just jealous. I was jealous that Jack had you and I didn’t. I was just jealous that you loved Jack, but not me," Cal said. "Rose, you’re beautiful. You always were to me."

"Cal, please, you--" Rose began.

"Just listen to what I have to say, please," Cal said, looking at her with soft but stern eyes, which made Rose close her mouth and listen to what Cal had to say. "I know I have been terrible to you over the past year, and I apologize for that. I didn’t realize what I was doing, until I lost you a week ago. Rose, trust me on this. I know I hurt you, both physically and emotionally, and I wish I could go back in time and change that, but I can’t. I know I can’t. Then you met Dawson, and I--I just got furious, knowing that you were engaged to me and having an affair with another man. Not just a man, a gutter rat."

"Cal, he’s not a gutter rat. Please understand that," Rose said. "You have to get to know him first. Don’t judge him before you know him." Rose tucked a red curl behind her ear and looked at him. "And do address him by his name. He’s not garbage, you know. He’s a human being, just like you are. Sure, he’s not as rich as you, but he is a gentleman, true to his word, and has a caring heart. That’s the reason I fell in love with him." Her eyes filled with tears, and Rose closed them, trying her best not to let them overflow. "Cal, I love him. I love him with all my heart, and if you hurt him, you are hurting me, too. Cal, I’m not sure if I’ll find the strength or courage to forgive you yet, but if you promise me that you won’t hurt Jack, and that you’ll address him by his name, and treat him as a gentleman, maybe I’ll forgive you for all the wrongdoing you’ve done. Also, you must promise me that you won’t try to break us apart, no matter how much you love me. You have to try to realize that Jack and I are a married couple, and we love each other with all our hearts, and if you try to ruin this for us, you’re going to break my heart." Rose felt a single tear slide down her porcelain cheek. Rose quickly wiped it away. She looked back at him and continued. "I could be friends with you, I’ll give you that, but if you’re only going to make our lives miserable, then I don’t have any other choice but to throw you out of my life." Rose saw Cal look down with hurt eyes. "Cal, if you only promise to not do anything wrong to Jack and myself, and to accept that we’re married, then I could accept you. If you don’t, then I don’t know how I could be your friend."

Cal looked at Rose and looked deep into her eyes, finding that she was serious. Nervously, he ran his fingers through his dark hair and sighed heavily, thinking it over. Should he promise to treat Jack as a gentleman instead of treating him like trash as he always had? Should he promise to accept that Jack and Rose were a married couple, deeply in love with each other? Should he risk becoming Rose’s friend instead of her lover? Cal knew the answer from the moment she finished. Cal set his hands down on the table and began tapping his fingers on it, trying to find the courage to give Rose his answer. He looked over his shoulder and saw Jack taking a sip from a mug of beer. Jack’s eyes were on him, as if keeping a watchful eye on his doings. Quickly, Cal looked back at Rose and sat up straight. He thought it over, and only hoped that this would make Rose happy. He sighed, and finally found the courage to tell her.

"I--I promise, Rose," Cal said, with meaning. "I promise that I’ll treat Jack as a gentleman and accept that you two are a married couple."

Rose heard the tone of his voice and knew that he was telling the truth. She looked up at him and gave him a weak smile, but was still a little uncomfortable with the fact that Cal had finally accepted that Jack was her husband, and that she loved Jack and Jack only. Rose looked into his dark eyes, and for the first time, saw light and hope for her to be able to forgive him for what he had done to her life in the past year. Rose looked down at her left hand and smiled, seeing the diamond sparkle in the light. She straightened her back and looked Cal in the eye.

"All right, Cal," Rose said. "I forgive you." Rose looked at Cal and saw that he was smiling.

"Oh, Rose, you don’t know how much this means to me," Cal said, his eyes shining with tears. Rose smiled back and just nodded her head. Rose looked over Cal’s shoulder and saw Jack staring at her, perplexed. Rose just motioned for him to come over, and he did, with his mug of beer. Rose got up and stood beside him, smiling at her husband.

"Jack, Cal has something to tell you," Rose said, staring down at Cal. Cal nodded and got up.

"Jack, I apologize for all I’ve done since we first met. I had no right to treat you like that, and I hope you can forgive me," Cal said.

"No," Jack said.

"What?" Cal asked, perplexed. Rose, too, looked at him in confusion, wondering why Jack had refused Cal’s apology.

"You heard me," Jack said. "I’m not gonna be fooled by you again, Cal."

"Jack, what’s wrong with you?" Rose asked, looking at him, upset that Jack was acting this way.

"What?" Jack asked, looking at Rose. "You’re actually believing this worthless crap?"

"Jack, we just had a talk," Rose said. "He promised me that he’d treat you like a gentleman, and accept the fact that we’re a married couple. Why can’t you accept his apology?"

"Rose, c’mon. Don’t act like this," Jack said. "You know what he did to us onboard the ship. How can you forgive him now?"

"Because…because he promised me, that’s why. He promised me that he wouldn’t tear us apart, and that he’d accept that we’re married," Rose said, looking at him with tear-filled eyes, disappointed that Jack was acting this way. "Jack, why can’t you just give him a chance?"

"Why should I?" Jack asked. "And why are you on his side? You’re married to me, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you support your husband?"

"Why are you acting like this?" Rose asked, her voice choked up from her upcoming tears.

"Why am I acting like this?" Jack asked, his eyes wide and a confused expression on his face. "You should be the one talking."

Rose looked at him with wide eyes. Had she heard Jack right? Was this her husband? Was this the same Jack that she had met almost nine days ago? She didn’t understand why Jack was acting this way. Why hadn’t he forgiven Cal? Most of all, why hadn’t he accepted Cal’s apology? Couldn’t he see that he had changed? And that he was willing to leave Jack and Rose to their marriage? She just stood there, looking at her husband, wondering why he was being so stubborn.

"What’s gotten into you?" Rose asked, looking at him, her eyes shining with hurt tears. Jack looked at her.

"I just don’t understand why you’re on his side," Jack said, pointing to Cal with his half empty mug of beer.

"I’m not on his side. I’m just trying to get you to understand that Cal has changed," Rose said.

"Rose, people like Cal don’t change," Jack said.

"If you give him a chance, maybe he will," Rose said, walking away from Cal and going towards her seat to retrieve the bag with Jack’s gift. "As for now, don’t expect me to sleep in the same bed as you." With that, Rose stormed out of the restaurant and back to their hotel room, where she put her gift away and fell on the bed, crying.

Chapter Eighteen
Stories