Chapter Text
“Jack.”
That was it, that was all it took for his world to come crashing down around him. He knew that tone, that was the tone that meant her father had done something. The tears hidden behind that one syllable word made his heart break. He’d been painting sets of Medda and then Katherine had walked in, completely silent. He’d acknowledged her, turning and giving her a gentle kiss before picking up his paintbrush again, but then she’d said that word. Said his name. And everything had gone wrong.
He set his paintbrush down again, turning on his heel to face her. “Ace.” He pushed a grin onto his face, trying his best to hide how much that word had affected him. He walked over to her, cupping her face in orange paint stained hands.
Katherine looked up at him, the paint on his hands transferring over onto her cheek as he ran his thumb over her cheekbone, and her eyes were full of barely contained tears. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, her heart in her throat and her hands shaking. Everything had started out so well with them. They’d managed to stay hidden, or as hidden as they could, from her father for the past seven months. And then he’d found out, and all hell had broken loose.
“Don’t. Ace, Katherine, please.” He whispered, taking her hands and pushing up her sleeves, pressing kisses all up her arm. He couldn’t do it if she left. He’d leave for Santa Fe, he knew it. She was the only thing keeping him here. Her smile, her eyes, her hair, her lips, everything. They were his Santa Fe, but if she left, he couldn’t.
She pulled back, stepping away from him, bits and pieces of her skin covered in orange paint. Shaking her sleeves down, she closed her eyes again, not wanting to look at his face. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, trying to catch the words that were swirling around her head.
“We’s done, ain’t we?” He asked, his voice shaking in disbelief. Everything he’d worked for, everything he’d been saving up for; a ring, a house, a wedding. It was all gone, the rug pulled out from under him.
“No! We can just go somewhere else, Santa Fe or somewhere. We aren’t done. We can’t be done.” She choked out, her tears finally hitting her cheeks. Her legs shook and she reached out for him, trying to steady herself.
“Katherine.” He pulled away from him, not wanting to touch her or he’d pull her close and not let her leave. If he touched her one last time he’d break down, keep her tucked against his chest and never let her go. He looked up at the ceiling, trying to blink back his tears. One of them had to stay strong throughout this, and it clearly wasn’t going to be Katherine.
“I can talk to my dad.”
“No, he’s made up his mind.” Jack said, turning his back on her and picking up the paintbrush again. “You’s goin’ to have a husband who loves you, and you’s goin’ to have forgotten ‘bout me. That’s what he wants for you.” Every word out his mouth was like a stab to the chest.
“But I don’t want to forget about you! I don’t want a husband, I want you!” She exclaimed, placing her hand on his shoulder. She needed him to look at her, she needed him to hold her and tell her they’d be ok. That they'd make it.
He hated it when she cried. He absolutely hated seeing her upset, it was the only thing that broke him. So he turned around and pulled her into his arms. “You’s going to have to.” He whispered, his cheek pressed against the top of her head, “Or he’ll hurt us both.”
Katherine didn’t say anything and cried against his chest. She was ruining her makeup, and his shirt of her sniffles were anything to go by, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. “Please don't leave me.” She sobbed out.
“You’s gonna be the one leavin’ me, Kath.” He said, trying to make a joke but it just made her cry harder against his chest. “We knew this wasn’t going to work out in the long run anyways. Girls like you don’t go for guys like me and we both know that. We was just too delusional to see it.”
“No we’re not delusional, please. Jack this is the first time I’ve been happy in months.” She begged, her face pressed against his shoulder. She would say anything, do anything so that he wouldn’t leave her. “I can just not go home, I can live with you.”
“Kath you know you can’t do that.” He pulled away, cupping her face again, and tipped his forehead to rest against hers. “I’ll miss you.” He whispered, his skin sparking as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Please.” Tears were streaming down her face and she was shaking ever so slightly. “Jack, I, I can’t. Not without you.” She begged, leaning up and trying to kiss him, hoping beyond hope that kissing him would make him stay. Would help him form a plan with her.
“Katherine, whatever happens your father ain’t gonna ever be happy with us. Even if we’s friends.” He paused, sucking in a deep breath. “What’s his name?”
“John somebody or other. I’m meeting him tomorrow.”
“So today’s goodbye?” Jack asked, his voice cracking and tears beginning to stream down his face. He couldn’t believe he was losing everything he’d worked so hard for. He was losing Katherine. He was losing his Ace.
“We can still see each other. We can still have lunch together and meet up in your penthouse.” She choked out, looking up at him with her beautiful brown eyes that were full of pain and sorrow.
“You know we can’t.” Jack said, letting go of her and sitting on an upturned paint can, his head buried in his hands. “Your husband ain’t gonna want you seein’ your old boyfriend, so today has to be goodbye.” He whispered, keeping his eyes trained on the floor.
Katherine dropped to her knees in front of him, prying his hands away from his face. The both of them were covered in the orange paint he’d been using when she’d walked in and turned both their worlds upside down. “One last date, please? We can go to Jacobi’s or the theatre.” She begged, trying to stem her tears.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I can’t deal with our last meeting being this.” She paused, closing her eyes as he came to run his hands through her hair. “Please Jack, please.”
He sighed, letting go of her hair and running his hand over his face. “Meet me outside the Lodging House tonight.” He said, grunting as she wrapped her arms tightly around him and cried into his neck. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, squeezing her tightly. He could use the money he’d saved for their future for a ticket to Santa Fe, he supposed. Then she wouldn’t find him, or, more accurately, her husband probably wouldn’t let her try to find him.
“Thank you.” She whispered into his neck before they fell into a semi awkward silence again, the both of them thinking about their past seven months together. They’d been so happy.
****
“Are you ready to go?” Jack asked, his voice sharp and tight as he held his arm out for Katherine. By the looks of it she’s been crying, the skin around her eyes red and puffy despite the makeup she’d piled around it.
“Yes.” She laced their fingers together, or at least tried to, as he stiffened and pulled away from her slightly. “Jack, I’m sorry.” She whispered, dropping his hand and silently begging him to go back to how he was yesterday.
“Don’t be. Ain’t your fault your father’s an ass.” He snapped, beginning to drag her to Jacobi’s. Being horrible to her would make tonight easier, making her hate him seemed like a much better idea than have her pining after him when she was married, and he was away.
As soon as he’d gotten back to the Lodging House he’d collected all his money, and bought a ticket to Santa Fe, one way no return. Hopefully he still had enough for an apartment. He should have, the ticket hadn’t cost much.
“You don’t have to take your anger out on me.” Katherine said, her voice shaking and her heart breaking even more than it already had. She didn’t think she could deal with tonight being horrible. She needed him to stay with her, she didn’t think she could marry a man she just met.
“It’s easier for you to hate me. It’ll make tomorrow easier.” Jack said, wrapping his arm around her waist and helping her into Jacobi’s. He gestured for her to sit and went to sit in the seat opposite, looking anywhere but her. “I ain’t payin’.”
“What?”
“You’s got money, right? I spent all of mine on a ticket to get away from here.” He said, picking up the menu, one they both knew he’d memorised. It was just something to do, something to distract himself with before he broke down in front of her- and that was something he promised himself he wouldn’t do.
Katherine gaped, she knew he wouldn’t be happy about the marriage situation but this? Leaving her alone? She never thought he’d do that. And what about her promise to him? Wherever you go I’m there, right by your side. She’d promised she’d stay with him, she’d promised him that if he was leaving, she’d leave too. And now he was leaving without her, leaving for Santa Fe where he’d find a new girl to be with, and he’d be the one to forget about her. And she’d be still stuck in New York, with a husband she’d never met, her only thoughts of him memories. “You’re leaving?” She just about managed to choke out without bursting into tears.
“Thought that was obvious. I ain’t stayin’ if I ain’t gonna be able to see you everyday.” He explained, cool as a cucumber on the outside but on the inside, god he was a mess. Everything was aching and it was taking all his strength not to curl up and cry into her chest.
“But you can, we can still have lunch together. Please, Jack I can’t do this if you’re not with me.” She begged, reaching over the table and grasping his hands. They were warm in her cold ones, he was always warm. Was that what John would be like? Or would he be cold like her? Would he like the fact her hands were always cold? Jack did. He loved it when she’d tuck herself against him, pressing both her hands into his in a way to keep herself warm.
“Katherine, do you have any idea how marriage works?”
“No! Of course I don’t! I’m nineteen Jack, that’s way too young to be getting married.” She exclaimed, jerking her hands away from his and running them through her tangled mess of hair. That was a habitat she’d formed soon after the strike, a way to keep herself calm whenever Jack threw himself in harm’s way. Which happened a lot. Would anyone be in Santa Fe to help him after these fights, she wondered. She wondered a lot of things, especially how quickly he would find someone to replace her. She knew she’d never be able to replace him, no matter what he or her father said.
“He ain’t gonna like the fact you’s hangin’ out with an old boyfriend. He ain’t gonna allow it and Kath as much as you say you’s independent he ain’t gonna want you keepin’ your job and runnin’ around with a bunch of scruffy, unclean newsboys who are are clearly not the people you should be associatin’ with.”
“I’m not quitting my job.” She snapped, picking up the menu again and reading through it.
“Then you’ll get fired.” Jack said simply, looking down at the menu in his hands before waving Jacobi over so they could order.
The atmosphere between them was tense, extremely tense and even Jacobi could tell. “What’s the matter between the two of you?” He asked after he’d taken their orders, looking between the couple with concern.
“Last date before Katherine’s swept off by her father to marry some rich sod.” Jack explained, his tone leaving no room for discussion.
“Well, I’m sure you both can work somethin’ out. You’ve been through so much just to give up now.” Jacobi said, patting Katherine on the head with the menu he’d taken from her and giving Jack a smile. He looked at them for a second, the pain and hurt mingling in both their eyes, before walking away.
“See? Even Jacobi said we can work something out. Please Jack.”
“You said nineteen is too young to get married.” Jack began, taking his cap off and setting it on the table. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Would you have married me, if I’d asked?” He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.
“You want to marry me?” She asked in disbelief. If it wasn’t for her father she could be married to him? She could have his ring resting on her left hand?
“Wanted. Kath I wanted to marry you.” Why was she making this so much harder than it had to be?
“So let’s get married.” She whispered, taking his hands again. “I can’t get married to John if we’re already together.” She begged, getting up from her seat and going to sit next to him. She rested her head against his shoulder, hoping he’d take the initiative to wrap himself around her and never let her go.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Jack wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “Katherine, this is the last time we’s goin’ to see each other.” He whispered into her hair, hearing her begin to cry against his chest. “Sweetheart let’s not make it sad, ok? Let’s just pretend it’s a normal Saturday night, please.”
Katherine said nothing, just dug herself closer against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to stem her tears. She hated crying in front of him, it made her seem weak. Eventually she nodded and pulled back, wiping her eyes and giving him a smile. “How do I look?”
Jack chuckled, kissing her forehead gently. “Not good. Stay still.” He whispered, grabbing one of the napkins from the centre of the table and wiping her eyes with it. He managed to get most of the mascara streaks off, so much so that it didn’t look like she’d been punched a few hundred times. “Better.”
“Thank you.”
****
“I don’t want to go.” Katherine whispered as they neared the street outside her house. She wrapped her arms around his neck, begging him to whisk her away to Santa Fe.
“I know but you have to go. And so do I.” Jack said, wrapping his arms around her waist. He rested his head in her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume. She smelled like orange blossoms, always had and always will. “Tonight was nice, thank you for dinner.”
Katherine laughed, the sound heavy, weighted down by tears. She looked up at him, taking his face in her hands. “What are you going to do in Santa Fe?” She asked, resting her forehead against his.
“I’ll find a job somewhere, illustratin’ and what not.”
“What about your job here?” She asked, “At The World?”
“I quit, your father never liked me. He’ll be happy I’m out of your life.” He untangled himself from her and led her towards her house. The massive white bricked house on the corner of the road, somewhere he’d never be able to afford no matter how much he worked.
“I don’t want you out of mine.” She stopped him in front of her house. Daring a glance up at the window she saw her father standing there, arms crossed in annoyance. Tears slowly began creeping down her face, something she wished she could control.
“I don’t want you out of mine either. But this is how it has to go.” He whispered, cupping her face and wiping her eyes. “I’ll miss you. I’m going to miss you so much.”
“Promise me you’ll write. That you’ll tell me about your day and I’ll write back. Please sweetheart, please.” She begged, placing her hands atop his.
“I’ll try.” He promised before bending down and kissing her. It was the first time he’d kissed her since she told him about the marriage and it was extremely bittersweet. “Come on, don’t cry.” He whispered as he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.
“I love you.” She sniffed, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. “I love you so much.”
“I know Kath.” He looked up at the window where Pulitzer was standing, his silhouette illuminated by the fire blazer in the grate behind him. He pulled away fully, stepping right out of her space with his hands limp at his side. “Your dad’s waitin’.”
Katherine shook her head rapidly, “I can’t meet him. Please Jack, just stay in New York. I can deal with this if you stay here.” She begged, reaching for his hands and squeezing them tightly.
“I ain’t gonna ever be able to be happy here if I know you’s married to someone else.” He paused, stepping into her space again and hugging her tightly. “I wanted to marry you Kath. That’s what I was savin’ up for, marriage and a home for the both of us. Somewhere we could raise our children, if we ever had any. And I can’t stay here and watch you get that with others. Ace it would break me.”
“And you think I want to? You think I want to watch myself have the life I want with you?!” She shouted, shoving at his chest. She was angry at him, for not helping her, for giving up on them so easily. “Jackie I want you. I want you. I want you.” She whispered before descending into sobs, her entire body shaking as she tried to hold herself together.
Jack’s heart cracked clean in two, his eyes filling with tears no matter the pace at which he tried to blink them back. He pulled her back into his arms, cupping the back of her head and whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
When he felt her calming, he pulled back and wiped he’d eyes before kissing her forehead. “I love you.” He whispered before walking away from her. He heard her shouting and crying in the street, her makeup and dress ruined, but he didn’t turn back.
He heard the door to the Pulitzer house open and slam shut, signalling Katherine had gone inside. He held it together till he got to the Lodging House but as soon as he’d slammed the door shut behind him he sank down against the wall and cried.