A Pirate's Rose- Henry Turner

Chapter 11

Bella snuggled up next to a shirtless Henry with his arm wrapped around her frame as they enjoyed each other's warmth.

"When do plan on leaving with Jack?" Henry asks Bella.

"Maybe in a week or two. I want to spend the time I have with you." Bella says, rubbing her nose gently against his. Henry kissed her on her neck a little groan escaping her. He began to play with her hair as they both stared up at the ceiling.

"I'd never thought I get this." Bella whispered, on the brink of sleep.

"Get what, Love?" Henry asked.

"This. A father, a best friend, the love of my life, the greatest adventure of all time." Bella breathed out.

"I agree, this has been a journey I will never forget." Henry whispered to her.

"I just don't want it to end." Bella says, shifting so her head laid right on top of Henry's shoulders.

"Neither do I." Henry admits. They sat in dead silence looking at the patterns on the ceiling.

"Remember when we were on the bell tower, and you said you could never shut me up?" Bella says. Henry hums in response.

"Well, I think you just did." Bella says. Henry smiles and then gets up off the bed. He puts on his shirt and reaches his hand out to Bella.

"Were are we going?" Bella asks.

"Following our stars." Henry says, Bella taking his hand. Bella smiled and walked out with Henry. On the beach, Henry pushed out a rowboat out into the water, helping Bella inside.

Henry began to push the rowboat out onto sea, rowing a little further towards where the Pearl made port.

"It's so beautiful." Bella breathed looking up at the night sky, instantly reminding herself of Carina, who left to sail with her newly found Father. She pulled out her journal and began to trace some stars, Henry watching the young, new astronomer at work.

"You want to be an astronomer?" Henry asks her. She smiles and nods, looking back up at the sky.

"I would love to. Maybe it will help me become my own Captain of my own ship one day." Bella said, laying down on the boat, with her legs on the seat. Henry did the same, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I do miss her." Bella says truthfully.

"I know, me too." Henry admits.

"You see there," Bella says, pointing to a small dot on Orion's belt. "Is Betelgeuse. And there," Bella says, pointing to a star like planet. "Is Venus."

"The love planet?" Henry says, smirking at her. She glares playfully at him before a small blush forms on her cheeks. The laughed a little, Bella moving closer to him.

"I love you." Bella whispered.

"I love you more." Henry says.

"I love you the most." Bella says, slowing falling asleep.

...

Bella woke up trying to feel around for Henry's hand to wake up that he is not there. Only a pool of blood and it was also smeared across the rowboat.

"Henry?" Bella asks, looking around, panic arising around in her voice.  "Henry?!" Bella shouts. She gets up and looks over the side. She catches a glimpse of a dead man sinking below the ocean. "Henry!!!" Bella shouts, unbuttoning her corset. She jumps in the water and swims down, desperate to save Henry. When she reaches him, he is dead. Bella is then suddenly grabbed by tentacles and she is dragged under. She tries to fight back, but slowly, she lost her air and the tentacles wrap around her throat, slowly and silently drowning her.

...

Bella shot up, still on the rowboat, with tears in her eyes. She turns around to find a sleeping Henry still there. At least it was a dream. Bella thought to herself. She wiped away her tears and stared back up at the stars. Her nightmare, made her realize that one day, she will lose him. She had to spend the most time with him as possible. The tears once again burned in her eyes as she places her head in her hands and quietly cried. Henry woke up to see her crying and then sat up next to her.

"Love? What's the matter?" He asks her.

"Doesn't matter now. Can you promise me something?" Bella asks him through her watery eyes.

"Always." Henry says, grasping her hand.

"I want you to never leave my side, because I need you. And I don't think I could ever live without you. You mean the world to me, and I can't have that taken away from me." Bella chokes through her sobbing in between. Henry embraces her, realizing that she probably had a dream about them being separated. He pulls back and cups her face with his hands.

"I will never, in the name of God, ever leave you." Henry promises. He kisses her, Bella feeling her tears run down her face. She lets go and presses her head to his chest, wrapping her arms around his back, finally falling asleep.

That dream low key was sad. Tell me what you think! -Anaya