*Lola's P.O.V*

I know I thought James was acting strange before but he's really getting me worried now. Lately he's been kind of like a carousel, going in circles, and it's making me dizzy. One day he'll be really clingy and the next he'll stay as far away from me as possible. One day he'll brood for hours on end and the next he'll be downright friendly. It's been going on for months and I'm getting scared. it's been making my head hurt trying to keep up with him and his moods.

"Lola?! Where'd you go?" He was currently really clingy. We were stopped in Kingston and I had to escape the constant coddling before I went insane. I love James I really do but his mood swings are making me want to swing him into a tree.

"You gonna be okay back there lass?" I was hidden behind the bar of the Old Avery tavern waiting for James to walk outside so I could escape. The barmaid was really being nice in letting me hide. I think her name was Anne Bonny. She's a really pretty redhead and if I wasn't already well endowed in the chest I would feel extremely inferior. I think she's friends with James but I'm not sure. I'm actually kind of curious why James wants me with a bombshell like her around.

"Sí. Gracías Anne. I don't know what I would do without you." I said, genuinely grateful.

"What's going on with James? He seems off." She was on the other side of the bar so I couldn't see her.

"I don't know. He's been like this for a few months now." I responded.

"Anne!" James called out to her before she could respond to me.

"Aye lad?" She responded.

"Have you seen Lola?" I tensed in my spot.

"Who?"

"The lass I told ye about. She's short. She has long curly brown hair. Olive skin. Brown eyes. She's kind of curvy for her age. She's absolutely beautiful." He began to go off into a daze as he spoke.

"The girl that was with you earlier? I haven't seen her for a while. What happened? Did you get into a fight?" Anne asked cooly.

"No. I went to get a drink and she just disappeared. I thought she went to the bathroom or something but she's been gone for over ten minutes." He mused to himself.

"Maybe she just wanted to be alone. A girl needs a little space every once in a while." Anne responded.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been all over her James. You only moved from her side once in the entire time you've been here and you've been here for about three hours. Maybe she just needed space." Anne said hesitantly. James grunted in poorly hidden anger but eventually sighed in defeat.

"I know. I just-. I've been feeling really off lately. I only feel balanced when she's around." I was internally swooning at this point.

"It must be nice to be with her all the time, even at sea."

"It is. When someone's pissed me off for the day it's good to know that she'll be there to calm me down."

"I must admit I envy her. Being out on the sea with the person she loves. It sounds like a dream." Anne sighed and stretched over the counter to send me a look when James turned his head.

"It doesn't need to be." James responded.

"What do you mean?" Anne asked. I wondered to it because it was sounding like a proposition or confession to me.

"Come with me the next time I set sail." I almost jumped up and slapped him. It sounded like he basically just confessed his love for her. But I was sure he wouldn't do that to me.

"I don't know Jim. I haven't the faintest idea how to pilot a ship. That ain't work a woman does." Anne said, hesitantly and I could just tell she was glancing at where I was.

"Tosh. I've seen a score of ladies who can reef a sail and spin a capstan." James responded with a scoff.

"And would you teach me to fight with a cutlass like and maybe handle a pistol?" Anne asked with a bit of excitement.

"All that and more but you have to want it and work for it. There's no stumbling into true success." I was honestly starting to get a bit jealous and how close they were wasn't helping.

"Ey, Lad! That's my lass you're making love to. You lay off or I cut ya." The voice of, the forever drunk, Calico Jack called out to James.

"Up your ass Rackham! Lad's the last thing you should be calling me." I paused in confusion. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Is that right is it? Lad!" Rackham said. I could hear him getting closer.

"That's right! You bloody drunk! If you must know you don't have a thing to worry about from me because I'm a damn woman." I heard everything freeze and I shakily, slowly, stood from my hiding place.

"Lola..." Anne said softly as I took in the sight before me. James had taken off his bandana and let down his hair. He had frozen upon hearing Anne utter my name.

"James?" I called and he tensed up before slowly turning to look at me. My eyes widened and I gasped, taking a step back. Before me was a woman with bloody red lips. But her features were still that of James. His beautiful brown eyes, brown hair, plump lips, and the distinguishing scar across his left eye. She began to approach me but I only backed away.

"Lola... I-" I ran off in tears before he- I mean she could touch me.

"Shit! Lola! Stop!" I heard Anne say but I kept moving. I ran through the town until I reached the tree line. I turned back and saw James or whatever the woman's name is still running after me. I dashed through the trees before eventually climbing one and silently doubling back. I could hear her calling out my name but I didn't want to talk to her so I kept going. Once I reached the edge of the trees I made my way to the docks. I figured that she would be looking for me for a few hours before heading back. I just didn't know what to think. We've been together for over a year how could they lie to me for so long.

*Mary's P.O.V*

"Damn it! Please Lola! Just let me explain!" I called out as I chased her into the trees. When I finally exhausted myself I stood hunched over with my back against a tree panting. I'm such a fucking idiot. I waited so fucking long to tell her. Knowing her she'll probably start jumping to conclusions if I don't find her soon. I stood up straight and took a deep breath. Where would she go? I thought it over for a few minutes before realizing what she did. I backtracked and head back to town. I ran past everything and went straight to the docks. I stopped a few feet away from her. I hesitantly moved closer to her and ended up sitting next to her. Her face was expressionless. There were tear tracks on her checks and her hair looked like she had been running her fingers through it for hours.

"Why?" I looked at her, unsure of how to answer.

"I don't know. I guess I was afraid to tell you."

"So you led me on!" She whipped around and glared at me.

"No I-" She cut me off.

"Oh come off it! We were together for over a year! You had more than enough time to tell me!" She sprang up and started to walk away from me. I got up and followed her.

"What was I supposed to do? Just come out and say "Hey Lola, funny story, I've been meaning to tell you that I'm a woman.""

"Yes! I mean you had no problem with letting everyone in the tavern know. You can drop the whole scared excuse." She had a good point.

"I was drunk! It's hard to be afraid when you've had so many pints of rum!" I really wasn't helping my case.

"If you really wanted to tell me then you could have done the same exact thing. Get drunk and then say it! I mean supposedly you can't be afraid when you're drunk right?" I'm getting desperate now.

"No! It's not the same!"

"But I found out that way anyway! So why not?!"

"That's because I was planning to tell you tonight!" I admitted.

"LIAR!" At this point we had made it onto the ship.

"No it's true. That's why I kept you by me all day. I was planning to take you back to the ship tonight while everyone else was in the tavern so I could tell you alone. I was just so stressed about telling you that I lost count of how much I drank and then Rackham pissed me off and I didn't think things through so I ended up telling everyone."

"I can't believe you! You're seriously making this crap up aren't you?! You know what I'm done! I want you to take me back..." She quieted down towards the end and I was afraid of what this meant for us.

"Back where?" Please don't say what I think you're going to say.

"Back to Tulum. I want to go back and once I'm there I never want to speak to you again." She had been reduced to tears again. My heart skipped a beat when she said she didn't want to speak to me ever again.

"Lola. No. Please don't do this." I can't lose her.

"Please just leave me alone." She said and ran into our cabin and locked the door. I ran after her and banged on the door in panic.

"LOLA! PLEASE? LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT THIS! I can't lose you..." I fell to knees and tried hard to hold back my tears. This can't be happening. I know I messed up but she can't just leave me because of this. I'm already attached so to her. I've been in love with her for too long to lose her now. I won't let this happen. I will make her forgive me no matter how long it takes and nothing will get in my way.