When Stars Intertwine

Chapter 23

Anna couldn't sleep that night, she had hoped the feelings she had for Harry would vanish, but each time she spent with him made it harder for her to resist him and now she kissed him.... She 'kissed him!' ....And she liked it.

'Does he like me?... Of course not, why would he like me, he's just trying to use me, what was I thinking.... what was I thinking kissing him?' she sighed, her chest felt heavy with disappointment.

'What if he continues, what if he tries to sleep with me?'....Can I trust myself to resist the temptation?'

She burred her face in her hands and muffled a growl.

'This is wrong Anna, this is wrong, you can't allow yourself to feel this way about him. He's a predator preying on your weakness!'

She let her mind stray to her past encounters with men. Harry treated her better than all of them, '..... or am I just making excuses to bed an enemy?' she thought.

'I cant believe I'm even thinking about it, and even considering to sleep with him... she rubbed her face.

'I should really be ashamed of my self for even thinking about a white man this way...and kissing him' She felt tingles at the thought of kissing him.

"Oh, stop it!" she said and threw a blanket over her head.

She wished she could talk to Christine about her situation. She needed to talk to someone, but no one would understand her if she did.

                                                                                                   
                                          ****

Following morning, Anna was at church at a neighboring plantation where Harry had told Christine and old fella to be going since he didn't know of any other slave church near them. She sat next to Christine, two rows from the back seat. It was a new built church after the old one caught fire.

Rumor was that, some anti Christian slaves burnt it down. The new church was only a month old and still smelled of fresh wood. Christine had talked about how relived she was to have a new built church after six months of worshipping from outside. She no longer had to leave her cabin early to secure a spot under the one tree that saved as shelter from the southern heat.

On her left side column, a young girl smiled at her uneasily and looked away quickly before Anna could even smile back. There was something about her, she kept darting her eyes in all directions rather nervously. She was a pretty olive-skinned girl of no more than sixteen. She had two curly braids that were a mix of a dirty blond and dark brown color. Her eyes weren't particularly brown, they were a color that Anna couldn't figure from where she sat.

She was definitely a planter's illegitimate child or descendant. She wore too much clothing for a hot day.

"Give her a break." A woman startled Anna, appearing suddenly on her side, blocking the strange girls view.

She was tall dark and skinny with frizzy short hair. She could have passed for a boy had she not worn a dress. She waved her hand asking Anna to move so she could sit next to her. Anna slid left toward Christine causing a chain of movement that left enough room for three people on the bench.

"Poor Caroline is nervous enough to have you staring at her like a mad child." The young woman added as she sat down next to Anna.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was staring too much."

"Don't worry, you are not the only one."

Anna looked about. There was a lot of whispers and surreptitious glances toward the girl.