Norrington's Darling

The Truth

POV: James Norrington

I woke the next morning to an empty bed. I frowned tiredly at the place where Zuri had been, the outline of her body still quite clearly imprinted on the bed. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and pushed myself up. A cool sea breeze fluttered across my bare chest. Blinking exhaustedly, I looked in its direction and found that it came from the open doors to the balcony, on which Zuri leaned.

I stood and joined her. Only after I'd draped an arm around her lower waist did I realize she was crying. Then I heard it.

"Zuri?" I asked, alarmed. "Are you alright?"

She whirled and flung her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest, her sobs coming harshly.

"Naut? What is it, darling?" I cooed.

She didn't answer. Her cries only grew worse.

"Is it about your brother?" I asked hesitantly.

That only made it worse.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I cried, panicked. "I didn't mean—!"

"I-I-It's n-not J-J-J-J-Jack," Zuri cried, her voice halting and hesitant.

"Is it me?" I asked. "Did I do something?"

"N-n-no," she said eventually. "It's me."

"What is it, my love? What happened? Come on, you can tell me," I said.

"You'll hate me," she warned, finally looking up at me, her eyes red and rubbed sore. "I promise you'll hate me for it."

"Oh, Naut," I cooed. "I could never hate you. Nothing you do could ever make me hate you."

"Your opinion will change once I tell you," she said miserably.

I pulled her back to bed. "Please tell me, Naut. I promise you I won't hate you."

"The other day...when you pulled my hips back on the couch...you noticed how I shuddered. You asked me what was wrong. You probably think I didn't tell you the answer, but I did...sort of."

"What?" I asked, bewildered.

"My answer was Beckett."

"To tell me he was in the room, right?"

"No," Zuri whispered, her voice shaking. She wrapped her arms around herself and drew her legs up to her chest. "Not just that."

"So you mean to say...?"

"What was wrong was Cutler Beckett."

"Walking in?"

"No," Zuri said. Her expression made me think of something horrible. My stomach rolled. "No, something else. You've guessed, haven't you?"

"He did something to you."

"You know what that something is," she said. It wasn't a question, but instead a statement.

"I think so," I whispered. I scooted closer to her. "Tell me what happened. Please." I kissed her cheek. "Please, Naut. Please tell me."

Zuri's wet, red eyes met mine. "The truth is a hard pill to swallow, James."

"I know," I said quietly.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"I do," I promised. I kissed her gently. "I want to know."

"Alright, then," Zuri said, swallowing harshly. "Let me tell you about my life before I met you."