Note: Hey y'all! Hope you've been enjoying the story so far! This chapter is a really short one; a teaser if you will. School is making it hard to post, but I'll do my best! (The next few chapters will contain facts and literature and even a few pieces of music that I just made up. It's called fanFICTION for a reason! ;) )
She was hanging her feet over the railing when he stumbled back on to the Pearl. She hadn't been able to sleep for some time, so she contented herself to watching the waves till the wee hours of the morning. Her body cried for sleep, but she could not, for her mind filled her slumber with nightmares each time she tried. She relived the scene over and over in her mind; the man's hands pinning her against the wall, his lips sucking the skin on her neck, making it feel raw and vulnerable.
Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore, and had taken a clean part of her shirt and rubbed it over the spot where the man had marked. She scrubbed until the pain was unbearable. She couldn't manage to feel clean. She was on the verge of tears when Jack approached.
"It's a bit late for a lass like yerself ta be up," he swaggered towards her, his mildly drunken state obvious. "S'not safe."
"I just-I couldn't sleep," Annabelle sighed. "I thought some air would help."
"Yeh might wanna refrain from breathin' this air here," he said, making a flamboyant gesture with his arms toward the island. " 'Tis the rancid air of miscreants and sinners."
"You really know just what to say to make me feel better," sarcasm dripped through Annabelle's voice. "I'm just going to try to get some sleep before dawn."
She tried to walk away, but Jack caught her wrist and turned her around mid stride.
"S'matter, luv?" he asked, surprising Annabelle with the sincerity of his voice. "Is somethin' wrong?"
"No, no of course not," she said quickly. "I'm just tired."
"Wha's that on your neck?" he asked, pulling her closer to examine the mark the man had made, which had been made worse with her scrubbing.
"Nothing." she said, trying to cover up the mark with her free hand.
"That looks like….looks like a hickey!" Jack's eyes widened in surprise. He pulled her hand away from her neck and proceeded to touch it gingerly.
Annabelle jerked away from him, the feeling of his fingers setting her on edge. Jack eyed her with what seemed to be genuine concerned.
"Did somethin' happen, Anna?" he edged closer to her. "Is tha' why yeh weren't with the group tonight?"
Annabelle just shook her head, she couldn't bear to voice what had happened. It could have been much worse, she knew, but the feeling of helplessness was enough to damage her inside. Jack strode towards her, taking her pale hands in his calloused tan ones.
"Look a' me luv," he said gently. "Anna, look a' me."
She grudgingly looked up, and tried her hardest to hold back tears. Jack's deep brown eyes locked with her blue ones.
"I may be a pirate, but I assure yeh, jus' this once, yeh can trust me. Did someone hurt yeh?"
A tear rolled down Annabelle's cheek as she nodded slowly.
"Did they-" Jack faltered for a moment. "Did they steal your-erm-?"
Annabelle shook her head quickly, knowing what he was asking her. She looked down at the deck between their feet, feeling awkward and ashamed.
Jack took her chin between his thumb and ringed first finger, gently pushing her face up so that their eyes met again.
"Tis just a bruise, luv," he said softly. "It wasn' your fault. An' guess what?" a smile edged on the corner of his lips. "Bruises heal." he leaned down and brushed his lips gently across the mark before turning and heading toward his cabin.
Tears rolled freely down Annabelle's cheeks as she heard the latch close on the cabin door.