Something More Than Before
Chapter 17 – I Don't Hate You
Elizabeth cried all through the next day. No matter what she did, or what she thought of, the tears just kept on falling. Firstly, there were the tears for finding out she was having a baby with someone she didn't love, and then there were the tears over Will, that just seemed to never stop.
There was a quiet knock on her door as she lay in bed in the quiet of her room. She quickly wiped her eyes.
"Come in," she spluttered. She was surprised to see Will walk in and sit down in the chair next to her.
"Hi," Elizabeth smiled in shock.
"Hey," Will said quietly.
"Um...what are you doing here?" she asked, wiping another tear from her cheek.
"Well, I haven't seen you around in almost five days, so I was just wondering whether you were OK," Will said.
"I'm fine," Elizabeth lied. Unfortunately, Will could tell she was lying.
"Elizabeth, you've obviously been crying for...God knows how long," Will said, pointing to her sleeve, which was moist with tears.
"It's nothing, really," Elizabeth protested.
"Is it because of...us?" Will asked tentatively.
Elizabeth looked up at him with her red, puffy eyes. "Partly."
"So," Will went on, "what else is wrong?"
Elizabeth considered. Should I tell him? She sighed.
"I'll tell you," Elizabeth said slowly, "but you can't tell anyone, especially not Jack."
Will nodded. I suppose I won't tell anyone. Elizabeth looks like she has enough troubles as it is.
"I'm pregnant," Elizabeth said quickly. Will was gob smacked.
"You're...pregnant?" he repeated in shock. "With...Jack?"
Elizabeth bit her lip and nodded. "Please don't tell him...I want to tell him when I'm ready."
"Don't worry," Will reassured her, "I won't tell a soul."
"Thankyou," Elizabeth whispered. "I still love you, you know."
Will bowed his head for a moment, before getting up from the chair and heading to the door. "I'm afraid I can't say the same thing anymore." He left the room.
Elizabeth felt tears welling up once again, and she was starting to get a bit bored of them. She had to get over Will...and fast. It was over between them, and nothing she did could change that fact.
She wrapped her arms around her stomach and closed her eyes, letting the last of her tears over Will fall ever so slowly. She knew, and she hoped, that they would be the last tears for Will that she would ever cry again.
-----
Will avoided talking to anyone on deck for the rest of the day. If he did, he knew he would probably end up telling Elizabeth's secret. That wouldn't be good for anyone.
It had hurt him so much to leave Elizabeth's cabin after she had told him she still loved him. Deep down, he knew he still loved her too, but it was time for everyone to move on with their lives.
As he moved around and helped on deck during the day, he noticed a few times Jack went to Elizabeth's door and obviously considered knocking, but seemingly thought better of it and returned to his pirate duties.
Jack cared too much for his own good.
-----
Tia Dalma, too, had noticed Jack's behaviour, and she felt sorry for the man. The woman he loved was carrying his baby, and yet it looked as though she wanted nothing to do with him. It seemed as though love was not the right kind of life for a pirate.
She watched as he silently took to the wheel, occasionally looking over at Elizabeth's room. She still showed no signs of appearing soon.
This went on for another two days, and by that time, Elizabeth had stopped crying her tears, and had grown used to the fact that she was having a baby. She was also more comfortable with it. The time to tell Jack was approaching rapidly, a lot sooner than Elizabeth had suspected.
-----
Elizabeth put on her pirate's clothes and her hat, put a hand on her stomach momentarily, and stepped out into the cool evening breeze. It wasn't night time yet, but it was certainly drawing closer. She looked around, but saw that Jack was nowhere to be seen. She spotted a light on in the Captain's cabin, and hesitantly made for it. Eyes watched her as she passed, but she ignored everyone's questions about whether she was OK. Instead, she walked directly for Jack's door.
She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before knocking firmly. Jack was at the door within a minute, a relieved smile dawning on his face when he saw Elizabeth meekly standing in front of him.
"Elizabeth," he smiled, "come in." He moved aside, and she stepped past him.
Outside, Tia Dalma prayed that everything would be OK.
-----
Elizabeth stayed relatively close to the door as Jack returned, once again, to sitting behind his table. He gestured for her to sit down.
"No, thanks," Elizabeth said. "I just came here to tell you something."
"Of course," he said quietly.
She wasn't entirely prepared for this, how was she going to tell him?
"I'm over Will," she started. Jack nodded. "I know you said not to come crying to you when he broke up with me, but...here I am."
"You don't look like you're crying to me," Jack joked. "In fact, you look perfect."
"Oh, Jack," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes, "stop trying to make me fall in love with you! It's not going to work!"
Jack stood up. "I'm not!" he shouted back. "I'm just trying to make the woman I –"
He stopped abruptly.
"What?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes widening.
"Nothing," Jack said hastily. "I said nothing, I meant nothing, nothing!"
"You hate me!" Elizabeth cried, grabbing the wrong end of the stick entirely. "You absolutely despise me!"
"Why would I despise you?" Jack asked.
"Because I left you for Will!" Elizabeth screamed. "And now you hate me because you're alone again!"
"That is not true!" Jack protested angrily. He picked up a rum bottle and smashed it against the wall just behind Elizabeth, narrowly missing her.
"If it's not true, then why are you chucking stuff at me?!" Elizabeth cried, her eyes welling up from unexpected mood swings.
He watched as she stood and cried before him. "Jack, why were you so worried about me if you hate me?"
"I don't hate you!" Jack yelled, his frustration getting the better of him. "Why can't you understand that?!"
"Because I don't believe it!" Elizabeth bellowed back through tears.
"I told you not to come back to me when you and Will were finished!" Jack roared, "You lied to him, you slept with me behind his back, why should I believe anything you tell me anymore?!"
He threw another rum bottle, which again hit the wall behind a shaking, crying Elizabeth. Her hat had come off, and now lay pitifully on the floor beside her feet.
"Why should I even offer to take you back if you might do the same thing to me?" Jack asked, calming down amazingly, drawing deep and heavy breaths as he spoke.
Elizabeth paused, before confessing loudly through rivers of tears, "Because I'm having your baby."
OOOOOOOOOH, she told Jack! Well, next chapter's crunch time; how will Jack react? Will he be angry, upset, or happy? Stay tuned!
Review please!
QueenSerenity818 out.