Neither Lady nor Pirate (Complete)

Chapter Twenty Nine

So I really, really like this chapter. It's so raw with emotion, and complicated and messy like real life... At least, it felt like it to me as I wrote it...

I hope you like it too!

XOXO

sophie9630

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TWENTY-NINE

Only a month remained until Abbie would be in England again.

One month.

The Iron Lady had landed in Morocco two days ago, and for the first time since Abbie had been aboard the ship, they actually stopped at a dock. Slim explained to her that that particular port was pirate friendly, so they had no fear to do so.

Finn had given the crew permission to explore the area and every man had jumped at the chance to stretch his sea-weary legs. Their captain, however, opted to remain aboard.

As Abbie had suspected, losing his uncle had become his undoing, and the sudden transition from first mate to captain following it only added to his stress.

Though they'd taken off from Cuba three months ago, Finn had hardly shown signs of emotional recovery. He almost always wore hard frown lines on his face, and laugher was seldom heard from the newest captain of The Iron Lady unless he had gotten himself drunk in his hammock.

The weight of his untimely leadership was wearing him down, and Abbie so desired to alleviate his pain. But she had no idea how to approach him since he'd ended their relationship.

He seemed so certain that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore, and that notion alone was enough to tear Abbie's heart to bits. But to think that he was so willing to let her get away... That he was the one sending her away...

Abbie felt like an utter fool for fretting over such a short relationship. It hadn't even been a proper courtship, so had it even counted as a real relationship? Most likely not, as it seemed to Finn that it hadn't.

The burn of rejection coursed its way bitterly through Abbie's veins.

Even with a disheartened mood looming over the whole crew, the ninety-day trip to Morocco had slid by rather quickly. Abbie could hardly believe that her time with The Iron Lady was almost over.

She easily recalled how eager she'd been to leave the wooden confines of the ship after first being kidnapped from France. The two-week journey had felt like years, trapped aboard a stinky ship with pirates.

If only then she had known just how much that ship would come to mean to her in the coming months.

Despite being more than ready to have her feet touch land again, Abbie knew that unlike the other men, these would be some of her last days on The Iron Lady. It was rather silly, but she wanted to spend as much time as possible with the ship before going home for good.

Home.

What a strange word. Almost a year ago, all Abbie had wanted was to return to England, convinced that the house she'd grown up in was all the home she'd ever need.

But recently, the only feelings stirred when she thought of returning were sadness and regret.

Each and every person aboard The Iron Lady had become like family to her.

Like home.

Port had been her grandfather, Slim and Barnabas her crazy uncles; Pete and Peter and Tom and Joe and all the others her wily brothers. Maliyah had become her sister and very best friend.