She then felt someone sit down besides he, and looking up, her heart skipped a beat.
"Jack!" she said, gazing at the grinning pirate.
"'Evening, luv," he replied, settling down, "Am I bothering you?"
"No, not at all," she said, "I was just…looking at the stars."
"You know, luv," Jack began after a short pause, searching for the right words inside his head, "When I… that toast before…I really meant it. I need to thank you, Kayla."
"Oh no you don't, Jack," she said, noticing once again he didn't mind her calling him just Jack and not Captain, "After all, I merely showed you…"
"It's not because of the treasure, luv," said Jack softly but quickly, "Kayla…" he all but whispered, "Darling, I…I always used to feel so alone in this world, but…since I'm with you, I…I can't figure out what happened, it's just that I…I don't feel alone anymore. Savvy?" he added, smiling meekly.
"Oh, Jack," said Kayla, looking at him, before sighing and looking away, "Sometimes, it's just better to be alone. That way…nobody can hurt you."
Jack, who didn't understand what she meant, went closer to her. "Kayla," he said, confused, "What are you talking about? I would never, ever, do anything to hurt you, savvy?"
"And I would never want to hurt you, Jack, so let's just…"
She wasn't able to finish the sentence, for as she looked up, her eyes locked with Jack's, and although she was trying to control her feelings, she felt her heartbeat grow faster as, slowly but surely, Jack leaned in to cover up the small space between them.
The kiss they shared as their lips touched made something explode inside Kayla, and finally, surely, she understood: it was love. It was love, all the love she'd so desperately tried to hide from herself and from the others, all the love she couldn't deny any longer, all the love she felt for Jack. Only now did she realise how much she'd longed for that kiss, for Jack's touch…for Jack.
On his behalf, Jack, who had been surprised of himself for feeling so much for this girl, kissed her like he had never kissed anybody else: true, he was quite the ladies' man, but whenever he kissed a woman, it had always been for mere lust, never, in his life, had he actually felt anything else. But now, this was completely different: he didn't know how or why, but Kayla had done something to him, something no other woman had ever been capable of, something that he knew he could no longer bear to ignore.
Both of them allowed themselves to get lost in that kiss, Kayla's hands around Jack's neck and Jack's arms wrapped lovingly around her body, making her feel safe and warm. She loved how his body felt so welcoming and warm, how his hands trailed slowly across her back. They shifted to be more comfortable, until he was leaning with his back on the stairs' rail and Kayla was next to him, safe in his embrace. They stayed like that for a while, kissing sweetly or holding each other, looking at the stars, neither of them willing to end the magical moment.
"I am in so much trouble," thought Kayla, as they shared yet another kiss, "Yes," she heard another voice say inside her head, "But you're also in love."
After a few hours, Kayla opened her eyes: she and Jack had fallen asleep!
Startled at first to find herself in his arms, she calmed down as the memory of their long desired kiss crept up inside her head, and couldn't help smiling. He had been so sweet with her, and she had loved every single moment they had spent together. She had wished to stay like that forever, and was considering whether to return in his embrace and drift back off to sleep or wake him up and go into one of their cabins, when she heard wood creaking and looked up, gasping in front of a threatening black figure.
She got to her feet and backed away: Davy Jones towered in front of her, with a look of pure loathing and sheer anger that she had never seen him wear before. His very eyes seemed on fire.
"Oh, I'm so sorry dear, did I interrupt something?" he asked mockingly.