Rose POV
One Year Later
I hurried down the streets of Paris, clutching a sheet of paper in my hand. I had left New York City a few days earlier, tired of the city and the way memories of Jack would pop up, reminding me of all of the promises he had made, never to fulfill them. So I left. Why I chose to come to Paris, I didn't know. Maybe it was the fact that Jack had once walked these streets, a folder full of artist's paper clutched in his left hand.
It was April 14, 1913, exactly a year since…
I shook my head, pushing the thought out of my head. I spotted a young man standing outside of a crumbling building, old and unused. The gates were locked shut, and a sign announced it as the "Moulin Rouge". There was a windmill, covered in cobwebs, and an elephant just inside the gates. I wondered why the man was standing outside this derelict building, and, furthermore, why he had a thick stack of paper in his hands.
"Excuse me, sir? I'm trying to find my new apartment building, and it seems I've gotten lost…" The man started, turning slowly to face me. He was good-looking, I noted absently, taking in his wavy dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. I saw then what I hadn't seen before: he was crying.
"Sir? Are you alright?" I ventured cautiously. The man bit his lip and shook his head, seemingly unable to reply. "What's wrong?"
The man didn't reply, his only response to clutch his stack of paper closer to his chest.
"Right… Well, my name is Rose… Rose Dawson. I'd like to have yours, if you'd be kind enough to give it to me."
The man hesitated, and for a second, I though he would refuse to give his name. "Christian… My name is Christian Chambers. Please excuse me for being so distracted… It's just that… one year ago today…" His voice faltered and died. I wondered what had happened one year ago that could affect him so strongly.
"You're upset…" I murmured. I bit my lip and looked up at him. "Can you show me where this apartment is, and then I'll leave you be?"
Christian nodded, taking the sheet of paper with the address on it from my hand. "You're in my apartment building. It's right there." He pointed to a small building with L'Amour etched in red letters across the top floor. I nodded my thanks, and then left for the building, glancing over my shoulder only once to see that Christian had vanished inside the gates of the Moulin Rouge.
Christian POV
I watched Rose disappear, absentmindedly tracing her form with my eyes. She was young, probably no older than eighteen, with fiery red hair that gleamed golden in the sun. She looked guarded, her eyes holding all the grief of the world. Had she lost someone close to her, as I had? I could only wonder. With a sigh, I tore my eyes away from her and headed inside the Moulin Rouge, towards Satine's elephant.
Once inside the elephant, now stripped of anything of value, I set the typed manuscript of our story on the ground.
"It's finished, Satine. I finished our story. Now…now we'll always be together." I whispered, my voice hoarse. Finally, after a year of typing and crumpling up paper, our story was complete. I would get it published, but I had to give it to Satine first.
I sank to my knees, overcome with images of Satine. I could still feel her small body in my arms, gasping for breath, her skin paler than usual and icy cold to the touch. Eyes glittering with unshed tears and endless love. Lips that trembled with word she needed to speak, lips that were painted red with her blood.
I could hold the tears back no longer. With an anguished sob, I let them fall free.
A/N: I'm so so sorry that this took so long to get up! I needed to get my summer reading done… School starts soon for me, but I'll try to get another chapter up by next weekend! Reviews equal love, so please review! It would encourage me to get a chapter up sooner. :D
