Tainted Tides

Chapter 37

*Dec's POV*

I rolled off of Ant, panting and sweating while he grinned with exhaustion before forcing himself out of bed. I closed my eyes until I felt a damp cloth gently clean my belly before Ant climbed back into bed and pulled me into his arms. I smiled but couldn't help but wonder...

"That was fun," Ant giggled.

"Hmm," I replied behind a soft smile, lost in my thoughts.

"Whats going on in that head of yours?" Ant asked.

I sighed before speaking, "just that I feel like you're hiding something about Lisa..."

"Dec-"

"hear me out... I'd rather clear the air now than let it stew. You said it was all one sided and she was bitter, but your behavior with her got us practically kicked out of Bonnie's lair. All I want is the truth Ant."

Ant tightened his grip around me and sighed. The air stilled with silence and I found my hand drifting up to rest on his bare ribs. My thumb stroked against his skin in effort to comfort and encourage his words. After what felt like eons, Ant spoke, "we were kids. We developed crushes on each other. It never went anywhere but it was definitely there for a while..." He paused again for a moment, his eyes focused in the distant corner of the room, on nothing. I continued stroking my thumb over his ribs while he began again, "I got over it eventually. Nothing had happened between us and I'd moved on. She didn't take too kindly to that. Lisa started to meddle in my everyday affairs. She started sabotaging my responsibilities on the ship. Things like knotting the anchor lines so i wouldn't be able to drop it at the right times, or loosening the ropes holding the sails."

I hugged Ant tighter, feeling how his jaw tightened, pulling on his muscles down his neck. "At first I tried to ignore it. I tried to just work harder, certain she'd give up eventually... But you know how I can get when someone I love is in endangered... She started messing with my sister -" he cut off his sentence and his breath quickened.

"It's okay, Ant," I said quickly,"you don't need to go into that..."

"Yeah... Anyway... I lost it with her and had her thrown off the ship. Last I heard was she was working at a brothel to make ends meet...I guess she got picked up by Anne Bonnie."

I turned my head to kiss his bare chest, feeling the goosebumps under his light chest hairs beneath my lips. "Thank you for telling me."

"Sorry I wasn't up front earlier... We were already so emotional, I couldn't handle remembering this. At the time..."

Resuming my thumb moving against his bare skin, I spoke, "I know... Thank you."

*****

I leaned against the railing of the forecastle deck, facing east as I watched the sunrise the following morning. My cheek rested flush against my arm on the railing, and the gentle sea breeze drifted through my light hair. I took a deep breath as the breeze momentarily strengthened, and held it for a moment before releasing slowly. After a few minutes of watching the horizon glow with a palette of warmth, I felt the floorboards bend behind me from footsteps. A short breeze carried my visitor's familiar scent and I closed my eyes with the familiarity ushering a smile onto my lips. Within moments, I felt Ant leaning against the railing beside me with his side brushing lightly against mine, and his hand gently sifting through my hair. I hummed in contentment as he leaned down to place a soft kiss on my head.

"Whatchu thinking, Decky?" Ant asked as he continued to play with my hair. I could feel his gentle gaze above me, covering my skin like it was a golden ichor.

"Hmm... I'm thinking about Phil," I replied quietly. Sadness filled the undertone of my words as I momentarily pause. "And Bonnie..." I continued and paused once again as I felt Ants fingers trace over my scalp in a more comforting manner. "I'm also thinking about how I'm going to manage to get all the supplies without Phil... They'll never take me seriously without him."