VIOLENT TIDES (gxg - editing)

34

Ainsley woke up to warmth. Warmth and dim sunlight that poured in through an open porthole somewhere. The sound of waves murmuring against the wooden hull filled her ears.The pain she felt was no more than a dull, faraway ache, for a single, blissful moment.

She sighed, nestling deeper into the covers, the wounds making themself known as soon as she moved. She let out a soft groan, cracking her eyes open. Next to the bed, someone shifted.

"Ainsley?"

Through the fog of sleep that clouded her vision, Ainsley could see Gael. Her cheeks were flushed and her lashes were damp with tears in the low light. When she reached for Ainsley, hands finding hers among the covers, her grip was warm and firm.

"Gael?" Ainsley whispered. Memories surged just beyond her eyelids, memories she didn't want to see, memories that couldn't be allowed to surface. Not right now.

"It's alright. You're okay."

Ainsley's hands tightened inside Gael's, half of her wanting to jerk away before her touch inevitably started to burn, inevitably changed to painful. But it never did.

Hot tears blurred her vision and she blinked, feeling the torn skin on her face stretch painfully. There wasn't an inch of her body that didn't hurt, and her bones felt heavy, like they had been replaced by stone. The worst of the pain was in her ribcage, however, a hollow, choking weight in her chest that was tearing her apart. Suddenly, she wished she hadn't woken up.

The tears spilled down her cheeks, catching on her lashes and drawing deep, trembling breaths from her lungs. Gael knelt down next to the bed, holding Ainsley's hand between two of her own and placing a soft kiss on the battered knuckles. Ainsley looked away, unable to bear the matching tear stains on Gael's cheeks. She shouldn't have let Gael care so much.

There were so many things she wanted to ask—like how long she had been asleep, or what they were doing next—but right then, she couldn't form any of the right words.

"You should go back to sleep," Gael said at last, standing but not letting go of Ainsley's limp hand. "You need rest."

Ainsley clutched at Gael's wrist with her other hand, suddenly frantic, blood-stained nails scrabbling at her shirtsleeve.

"Don't leave me. Please. I—I don't want to sleep—" the panic began to set in, overwhelming waves of irrational fear. Gael sat down on the edge of the bed, the old mattress shifting on her weight. Her hand found Ainsley's forehead, brushing aside the locks of hair that stuck, plastered to Ainsley's skin with sweat.

"Alright, Princess. I'm not going anywhere."

"Swear it."

"On my life. You don't ever have to be alone anymore if you don't want to."

Ainsley's heart beat unnaturally in her chest, a blip in the emptiness. She suddenly found she couldn't breathe. She tried to swallow past the choking lump in her throat.Gael edged closer, shifting her full weight onto the bed. Then she settled in next to Ainsley, tucking the covers close around the princess' shoulders, and resting her head next to hers.

"We'll talk about it all tomorrow. Just rest."

As if obeying her request, Ainsley's eyes began to burn again, this time with weariness along with the tears that still stuck to her lashes. She shifted closer to Gael, breathing in her warmth and the smell of saltwater that always seemed to linger. Gael wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pulling her close until she could rest her cheek against the top of Ainsley's head. Ainsley's eyes fluttered shut, breaths brushing against the pirate's collarbone.