Saving The Pirate (Book Two)

42. The Way Things Were

Christopher

Just three more weeks until he saw his mother. Three more weeks seemed like tomorrow to Christopher, and he was dreading it.

It was a constant reminder, the knot in his stomach tightening every time he thought about her eyes grazing over him and how he grew. He wondered if she'd be proud of how he turned out or if she regretted leaving him.

He hoped she did, and that angered him more. He didn't want to hate his mother. She was his favorite person in the world, now what was he supposed he do? Suddenly forgive her?

His mother seemed to think so.

Christopher paced his room that night, glancing at the papers scattered about his desk. Though his room was clean, Anne seemed to have left the letters.

He had forgotten that he still had them out for her to see before she cleaned his room. The thought of Anne, seeing his loss of words to his mother, made Christopher anxious.

He ran his hand through his hair, picturing her face reading them, the thoughts going through her mind.

Did she think him childlike? Weak? If there was anything that Christopher knew about himself, it was that he wasn't weak, and he wouldn't stand for it. But he couldn't help but wonder, and it only made him worry more. There was just too much on his plate right now!

Frantic, Christopher glanced at his private chest of liquor, and only one single thought ran through his head:

What's a little drink to take the edge off?

***

Anne

I was out on the deck, gazing at the stars when I was told that Captain needed to see me. A shiver coursed through my body, but I took a breath and slowly made my way to him in his room. There, he was sitting lazily in his desk chair, a bottle in hand, and staring at the floor.

He stood up when he heard the door shut. "Anne," he said, sounding surprised that I even came. As if I had an option.

He started toward me but stopped himself and held up his bottle. "Want some?" I shook my head, and he put down the bottle.

I stayed where I was at the door, watching him, nervous, embarrassed, and unsure how to act. Seeing that I wasn't going anywhere, Captain sat back down in his chair, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees.

"Anne, I asked you here because I want to apologize. I was drunk when you caught me in that moment with Ailsa, and what you saw was not me. I truly am sorry."

Captain waited to see if I would say anything, and when I didn't, he stood up again and crossed the room. He plated himself before me, his hand reaching up to touch my face. The only thing I could do was stand as still as a statue with my hands clenching themselves into fists at my sides as he cupped my cheek.

"Please forgive me, darling. What I did was wrong; I know that. I do, and I am sorry from the bottom of my heart. I just want to go back to the way things were. Please." His eyes were soft, and I couldn't help but look at them. "Tell me how I can fix this."

I felt my blood boil beneath my skin. I suddenly felt angry, angry because of what he did, that it took him this long to apologize, and that he just thought that it could all be alright.

I swatted his hand from my face. "You think I can just forgive you? That this can all go back to normal? Well, it can't, alright? You messed up, and I don't forgive you. I don't care if you were drunk; I don't care if it wasn't you who started it. If you cared for me you-"

He pointed a finger at me. "You know, I do!" He barked. "I know what you caught me doing, but I don't remember anything after you left, alright! All I know is that I woke up in the corridor in front of your door!"

"For Christ's sake! I know what you did; you know what you did, so why can't you just admit it? And you're supposed to be the one apologizing to me!"

He flew his arms up in the air. "Bloody hell, woman, what do you think I'm doing! I'm a standing apology! I was drunk, that was wrong of me, I know! I should have seen it coming, but I didn't, and that's on me, but for God's sake, Anne, maybe give me a bloody break here!"

"A break?" I gave a curt laugh. "You choose now to apologize to me! You hardly said a word to me over the last three weeks! And you choose now to say you're sorry? What? Had to have a drink or two first? You do understand that it's alcohol that got you into this, right?" 

Captain was silent, so I continued. "You say you're big and bad, but here you are hiding behind your whiskey bottles!"

"So sorry if I have a few drinks, but if you hadn't noticed, I have a few things going on right now! For one, the mother I thought was dead turns out to be walking around alive and well! And you're right. It's wrong of me to be apologizing right now when I should've done it sooner, but I couldn't because I knew it would only end in this! This, this right here, is how it was going to be! And I don't want it to be this way!"

He grabbed my face and backed me up against the door, then he said softly, "Please, darling. Please let us go back to the way things were. " I was in so much shock of what position I was in at that moment that I could hardly process the words being said. 

And after a second of not saying anything, Captain clashed his lips down onto mine, and I was suspended back in time, making tears run down my face. I was reminded of the good times I'd had with this man; the happy moments I had chosen to have locked away were all coming back. 

 For a moment, I truly believed that things could go back to the way things were, that we didn't have to have problems between us, and that we could be happy together again, but suddenly, that flooded anger came rushing back, scratching at the back of my head, and I felt myself come back into reality.

I raised my hand and slapped Captain's face, making him stumble backward, his hand flying up to his cheek as mine flew to my mouth, both of us surprised by what I've done. A second past and Captain slowly lowered his hand, clenching them into fists.

"You're right; things can't go back to the way they were! I was a fool to think so! I have too much to deal with than have a problem that I have no use in fixing! But listen here, Rachels!" He said my name like it was an insult. I lowered my hand from my mouth and narrowed my eyes. "You work for me! I am the captain of this ship, and whatever I say goes! Got it?"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" He marched to his whiskey bottle, grabbed its neck, and plopped down in his desk chair. "Now, leave me!"

"Gladly," I snapped and swung open the door, but just as I was about to walk out, I stopped myself and looked back at Captain, who was watching me go. I looked him dead in the eye and said cooly, "I know you have a lot going on," I said, "but I thought I knew you."

He didn't say anything, so I took that as my time to leave. "Goodnight, sir," I said and shut the door behind me. 

***

A/N

Hey, readers! So sorry it took so long to publish this! I had a hard time writing this chapter as I was trying to find the right words to describe the arousing feelings!

Well, as you read, things aren't getting any better with Topher and Anne... any predictions as to what might happen next? Do you agree with any of it? How do you feel about things? 

Let me know in the comments!

---Author