The Jackdaw

Chapter 13: Missing You

For months you found yourself looking out of the window towards the harbor. Ships came and went and coin began flowing onto the island. The townspeople were becoming like your own family. The Great Inagua slowly turned into a stopping point for most ships and many farmers were beginning to take pride in the crops that they grew. But after months of waiting, there was no sign of the Jackdaw and a part of you worried that you'd never see it again.

After spending most of the day hauling crates for the general store merchant, you were pleased to finally rest in bed with a glass of wine and a book that had been among one of the cluttered shelves. There was a storm raging outside hence why you'd been so helpful that morning. You'd hate for good merchandise to be stolen by strong winds and high waters.

Something slammed hard into the house, jolting you out of bed and onto your feet. You snapped up your breeches and slipped into them. You heard banging again and realized it was knocking rather than the storm ripping the house apart. You clumsily grabbed the candle and carried it through the room into the main dining area. You lifted it up towards the glass doors and pushed the thin curtains out of the way to catch a better view of whoever was knocking.

His head was bowed over, pressed into the door as he clattered a few more hapless knocks, but you knew exactly who it was. Those familiar clothes and that drenched blonde hair it had to be Edward.

You sat the candle down and unlocked the doors, opening them in a rush to the cold night air. "Edward, it's pouring out there. You're soaking wet."

He didn't reply, only sauntered into the house with his soaked boots slushing. Water clung to every inch of him, rivulets streaming and droplets pelting onto the hardwood floors. A puddle was already forming at his feet after only a few mere seconds of being inside.

"What were you thinking?" You closed the door, keeping out the heavy rains, and focused on the task at hand. You would have to help him get undressed in order to keep him from getting sick. You stepped in front of him and began to loosen the jacket's buckles. "This is no time to be running around in a storm." You lifted your gaze to his expression when he made no efforts to speak, his silence nerve-wracking.

Edward was analyzing you, letting his eyes sweep over each of your features until finally resting on your eyes. There was something empty in his expression, something broken and battle-worn. He took down a few steadying breaths and lowered his attention to the various belts, his jacket already hanging open.

"Finish getting undressed. I'll go grab a blanket." You set off into the sitting room and searched through one of the trunks for the quilts you'd found earlier that week. You bundled one into your arms and hurried back into the main room.

Edward was leaning back against the table as he worked on the belt at his waist. His jacket and shirt were thrown recklessly at his feet and you could see them clearly now, thin streaks of red from scabbed wounds.

You clenched the blanket tighter before stepping over to him. "You should have stayed in the tavern or the Jackdaw..." You awkwardly lifted the blanket and draped it over both of his shoulders, holding it together at his chest. "You're wounded. Let me go grab some--"

Edward snatched up both of your hands, freezing you into place. His voice was so harsh and soft that it quickened your heart, "I need nothing else."

You swallowed your pulse, choking on air and heartache. The tone in his voice and the way he dismissed you... It was agonizing. "We need to get the rest of those clothes off of you or you'll catch pneumonia. I can get the fireplace started--"

Edward didn't let go of your hands. He straightened his stance, turning both of you until he could shove your back against the table, pinning you there with his weight. "I don't need anything else." He loomed over you a moment longer, his grasp on your hands firm but not painful. For the longest second, you thought he was either going to lean in and kiss you or growl with fury. But Edward took a step away and grasped the quilt around his shoulders. He looked away, eyes lowering like a kicked puppy.