AN: Cal's mad from the last chapter and Rose realizes something.

Chapter 4

"Has Cal checked in on you yet dear?" Ruth asked, looking through her expensive dresses that she wouldn't have to sell anymore, thanks to Cal.
"No?" Came the brief answer.
"How strange. Oh well, have you finished your packing? You'd be bringing all your things with you to your new house. If I have to remind you, the wedding's in-"
"Yes, I know." Rose interrupted. "Two days."
"Two days." Ruth repeated.
"Mother, how is it you can live here all alone?"
Startled, Ruth looked at her daughter. "Whatever do you mean, Rose?"
"I'm getting married to Cal to secure our finances, for us to have this house, and that means me moving in with him. You're going to live in this big house all on your own?"
"Nonsense dear. We have the maids, the gardeners, and other servants."
"No mother, you treat them as slaves. You're telling me you're living in this big house on your own. I can't leave you!"
"Are you trying to worm out of your engagement with Mr. Hockley?"
Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh mother. I'm looking out for your safety. You want this arrangement so our things wouldn't have to be auctioned away. Why don't you just sell the house so we could afford to keep our things?"
"You want me to sell the house? This is your father's house. It belongs to us!"
"When the time comes this goes to me! I won't own it either way mother! I would be a Hockley by then!"
"So you want to sell this house? Sell all our memories?"
"That's not what I was saying."
"Your marriage to Cal is our only escape, I have to stay here and live in our house. Otherwise who will?"
"I will!"
"With who, Rose? With who? Don't tell me you're holding your life back because of that Dawson boy!"
Rose slouched back against the warm bed. Here she was with her future already arranged before her and no way out of any problem.
"Why not convert this place into an orphanage in our name? It's big enough for a lot of people. Would you want to convert this to an orphanage mother?"
"Before you get any more ideas, you better go over to Cal's and talk, he hasn't seen if you're alright has he? he must be busy right now so show him you care."
"Did you love my father?" She abruptly said.
Ruth glared at her daughter. "Of course I did. What kind of a silly question is that."
"You married him because you loved him. I don't love Cal. I don't."
Ruth's face wrinkled. Age was getting the best of her. "There is no choice dear. He's our only escape."
"What about me? My life? I'm just throwing it all away?"
"We've talked about this. Just go over to him now. Quickly."

-

Rose hurriedly went to the Hockley's company building. She had to admit, there was a part of her that wanted to know why Cal wasn't chasing after her. She knew it was a wrong thought of course, her heart still belonged to Jack. She knew she promised that to him but she couldn't help wonder. Reaching her fiancé's office, she pushed the door open.
"Yes miss?" A pretty lady of about 40's greeted her.
"Oh, I was looking for Mr. Hockley? Is he inside?"
"May I have your name?"
"Rose deWitt Bukater."
The lady blushed. "Oh! Miss Rose! Yes, his fiance! How could I forget?"
Rose smiled. "It's not a problem. Is he in?"
"Yes, he is."
Rose opened yet another door to her fiance's actual office. It was a large, spacious thing, bigger even than a room in the third-class quarters she guessed.
Cal didn't look up when she entered.
"What is it Sally?" Rose did not answer. "You're wasting my time!" He looked up. Surprised to see his soon-to-be wife instead of his secretary, he stood up from his chair. "Rose? What are you doing here?" He didn't seem pleased.
Rose cleared her throat. "I want to apologize when I suddenly left your house. Don't blame my mother, I told her you knew about this."
Cal nodded. "Mhmm. Is that all?"
Rose did not answer. Why was he so indifferent towards her and why did she care if he was.
"Is that all?" He repeated.
"Y-y-yes." She almost turned to leave but she turned around again. "About the marriage. I know it has to happen. And I'm telling you, I will be there."
"You don't have to." He said, not looking up from his papers.
"What do you mean?"
"You hate me? Why would you spend your life with someone you hate?"
"I don't understand." Cal pulled a piece of paper from his drawer. It was the official document of his marriage to her, to be signed on the same day as their wedding, yet above his name, his signature was already there.
"You hate me? Don't come to the wedding. Cancel it, I don't care." He ripped the paper into pieces. Rose looked at him, dumbfounded.
"I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. Just leave my office."
"Cal-"
"I said leave."
Her heart pounded. She was free from all the traps of society but what was she supposed to do even if she was. She suddenly realized what is it her mother was asking her to do, asking her to see. She had no other escape except for Cal. They would lose their fortune without Cal, they would lose everything. No one else would take a woman buried in debts to be his wife yet Cal would, she almost forgot he wanted to, he would take the risk for her.
"Wait, Cal!" He ignored her. "Cal, please. Look at me." He raised his head and focused his eyes on her blankly.
"Cal, I'm sorry for what I said but I'm asking to be married to you two days from now. Everything will still push through."
"And why should I do that?"
"We had an agreement! The invitations have been sent out!"
"Frankly, I don't care. You want to live your life as a peasant? Go live it then. I don't care. I won't even mind you, I won't even talk about you. That's what you want right? Well, you have it."
Rose trembled, more out of fear than humiliation. She didn't know what to do.
"Cal! No, I want to marry you!" She flushed. Her promise to Jack- was it just nothing? "I'm s-sorry for everything but I do. I want to marry you."
"You expect me to believe that? After everything you did? You think it would be that easy to get what you want?"
"I'm not doing this for myself! Just- just-" She stuttered, unsure of what to say. "I need this. My mother and I, we won't survive. We need this."
"So you come running to the enemy? I'm suddenly the answer?"
"Cal, no. Yes, there was a time I liked you. You're a good man. That's why I'm agreeing to this." She lied. Cal suppressed a smile. Truth be told, he still wanted to get married to Rose. It would be an embarrassment to just cancel the whole event. But he wanted assurance first. It doesn't matter anymore to him if she loved him or not, she would learn to. But she wouldn't learn if someone was still in her heart. "That's something new to hear." He grinned. "Sometimes do you wish Dawson could be me?"
"No." She answered, confused. It would be just wrong if Jack were Cal.
"Do you still love him Rose?"
"Why are you asking me this?"
"It's a simple question," This reminded her of a conversation she had with Jack on the ship.
"What would you want to hear then?"
"You know what I want but I'm asking for honesty here."
"Well, yes then. I do." Cal's fists tightened. "But I know he's gone. He's never coming back. And I was foolish to actually believe I could live with him." It hurt her to say those painful words but she knew she had to.
"Well." It was all Cal was able to muster.