Chapter 3

Theorisa sailed the ocean, its body one with the water. The waves push her towards their destination. The sound of complete calmness and peaceful night upon it. The moon shined brightly, and the stars watched over them.

Captain Jonathan's ship and men were all resting, everyone’s quiet and sleeping.

Joana looked over her crew once more, seeing them with their eyes closed. She knew they would be this tired because she suddenly hurried them and changed plans.

The wooden floor creaks whenever she steps on it. She stops temporarily before slowly continuing her steps, doing her best as to not make any sounds.

"Mr. Sailor!" She calls her sail master, raising her voice a little, making sure that the others won't be awakened.

It took a little while and the Captain waited a bit before her sailor peeped out of the crow's nest.

"Yes, me captain?"

"Is everything good in there?" She asks, didn't know how to start a conversation.

Mr. Gale Sailor nodded, "Yes me captain, all is well, and the waters are fine. I also can see no storms ahead. No ships either." He reported back.

She nods her head as she placed her hands behind her. "That's good..."

Mr. Gale was Joana’s butler since she was six. They both shared good memories. He was like her second father, the one who truly supports her whenever her father was on business trips.

Mr. Sailor was also her father's best friend, his most trustful friend.

Her father won't entrust Joana to anyone unless it's Mr. Sailor or Mr. William.

Mr. Sailor knew this and was still going on to put the two back together again. But it is too complicated for now even though 10 years have already passed.

"Are you tired, Mr. Sailor?" She asks suddenly, causing the man's eyes to widen.

"Me? Tired?" Mr. Sailor was surprised, chuckling a bit. "Please do not worry about me, Captain. I am alright, still jolly as a clown, Sir."

Joana smiled, "Well I guess those bags under your eyes clearly says otherwise, Mr. Gale." She chuckles between her words.

He laughed, "I won't deny that, Captain. But this will do with just a minute of rest, so do not worry." He looks down at her, smiling because he could see her as her father. They look very much alike.

"I do not worry about you, but instead I am worried about the security of my ship." She jokingly said, trying to force his crew to go down from the nest.

Her butler chuckles as he waved his head, "Then I shall not rest, my Captain."

"I also do not want that to happen, my uncle." She said very concernedly before walking towards the net going up the crow's nest. "That is why I want you to come down and exchange places with me for a while." She proposed. Joana knew that Mr. Gale turning old and needed some more rest than he needed than usual.

He just laughed it off, "No way that I am going to do that, Sir."

She narrows her eyes at him, "I order you to do so, Mr. Sailor." The authority in her voice made the hair on his skin stand out.

The sailor hesitated for a second but then realizes he must obey the captain's orders.

"Aye, captain. I will go down and rest." He found the situation very amusing, seeing the little one he used to teach was now a very mature man.

"Good lad." She complimented him as he made his way down from the crow's nest.

The sailor bowed at her before tilting his hat, "Have a good view up there with the stars, my lady." He whispered on a certain volume that no one could ever hear except her only.

Even so, Joana wanted to hear those words, she still warned her butler. "Hush, Mr. Gale." She whispered back, hiding the blush on her cheeks.

He gave her a very warm smile, she also did so.

"Good night, Captain." He bowed again.

She nodded, "Good night to you, too, Bob." She used to call him that nickname when they used to play in the park, or even made ruckus around the Slate household.

She watched her butler's back as he looked for a place to comfortably sleep, remembering the good memories they had when she was still a little girl.

Her favorite memory was placing a centipede on top of his father's bed that they both caught, but eventually, she got scolded. Mr. Gale also got scolded, and they just laughed it off after they left her dad's room.

Joana huffs out a chuckle, wishing that they could do that one more time.

The waves hit the ship making a sound. This alarmed her to wake up to reality. She looked up the crow's nest before making her way there.

It was just a piece of cake for her since her dad taught her how to climb a tree.

Once standing firm on the crow's nest, her hands gripped the edges of the nest before raising her chin to look at the broad shining ocean.

So beautiful. She thought, hoping that her father could see it with her.

Her eyes rolled up, seeing the crescent moon that was hanging on the sea of stars.

Joana always felt like she was in the same situation as the moon. Alone at night yet gathered around by a sea of sleeping men.

She laughs it off.

This is crazy.

"Captain." She hears a deep familiar voice coming from behind.

Surprised, she turned around to see who it was.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Quarter." She shortly greeted before turning her head back to look at the ocean once more.

William climbed up from below and was now stepping on the same crow's nest. "Mind if I join in, Sir?" He asks.

She narrows her eyes, not looking back at his quartermaster, "I am sure you can see that there will be no space for you— Woah!" She gasped as she was pushed by William to one side so that he could stand in the same place, too.

She gripped the edge tightly, making sure not to fall.

William sighed before looking down at Joana before smiling, "We both can fit in one crow's nest." He proudly said.

Joana wasn't pleased with all, "But it's crowded Mr. Quarter." She complains.

Hearing her call him Mr. Quarter has always made him sad, especially if it's just the two of them.

So, he sighed, looking at the ocean to clear his mind. Joana feels this and awkwardly looked back at the view also.

Silence crept between the two of the former lovers. That same feeling lingering inside them hesitated. The man surely wanted to confess his feelings for her again, but he was too scared to even say so.

"How are you, Captain?" He started awkwardly, trying to do his best to have eye contact with her.

This was the first time out of all the times they've been together alone. They were both always busy with ship duties and barely found time to even chat.

Joana found his question rather annoying, "How come you'd ask me that if you have always been with me. To remind you, my righthand man, as well." She avoids his eyes.

He somehow felt disappointed and hurt. William knots his brows, "You know well I am not asking about that, Joana."

Her eyes immediately narrowed, and her brows furrowed, turning her head to look at the man. "Stop calling me that, it's an order." She warned.

The man didn't look away, instead, he locked his eyes at her. "No one can hear us unless we raise our voices." He tells her.

She still shook her head, showing neglect, "Even so, Mr. Quarter... Even so."

"You know well that I do not like to be called Mr. Quarter when it's just the two of us." He wanted to talk to her properly, but nothing is going to break her wall.

"Says who?" She challengingly asked.

"I, Jo." He used to call her Jo when they were engaged, and this just made her a bit pissed off.

"Then I am selfish." She looks away.

William could do nothing. He loves her so dearly he couldn't start a fight. His hands clenched as he breathed in deeply, closing his eyes. "So... How are you?" He asks again.

Joana sways her head with her face crumpled, "Please, Mr. Quarter. I do not want to bring the past upon us. We're over." She reminded him

.

"But I still am not over with the past, Jo." William spoke as sweet as chocolate, knowing that this melts her heart. "You know that I still love you." He takes her hand, but she pulls it away gently.

She faced her back at him, "The plank is always open, William." The Captain looked far away.

Although this hurt him, he still smiled hearing her call him by his first name. He chuckled a bit, "I will only walk on the plank if you say that you still love me." He directly proposed.

Joana huffed a chuckle, "Then I guess the answer is already clear, Mr. Quarter." She looks over her shoulder, the beam of light coming from the moon perfectly highlights her face, "I will never, and I won't be sorry, rudely." A smirk stretched her lips.

Still, William couldn't let her go. "10 years, Jo... Ten. Long. Years. I've waited." He reminds her, counting the calendar. He wanted to hold her so badly, and the thought of just the two of them alone tempts him to embrace his arms.

But before he could move, Joana cut him off.

"I didn't tell you to wait." She backstabs him. "You made yourself suffer."

"Yet you first came to me when you needed someone to help you and support this pirate crew." He sipped in his tongue, found the perfect threat.

Joana narrowed her eyes before turning her heel to look at him.

William smiled handsomely as he bent down his head to look at his little ex-fiancé. He blushes by the look on her angry face. Thanked the darkness that it covered his blushed cheeks. "What I am to say, Joana is that I have a strong feeling that you still have a pinch of feelings for me right inside that heart of yours." He smiles, sneakily trying to catch her hand.

Once touched, she jerks away.

Joana felt the familiar butterfly feeling inside her stomach that has made her speechless for seconds. It was a long time since she once again had a pinch of feeling.

So, she sighed, clearing her throat before speaking. "This will be the last time I'll say this, William." She fierce her eyes, "Don't hope for me, because I will not come back to you. Our only reason to be together 10 years ago was because of my father. But now that he has left, I will not be loving any other men. Because the only man I only love and will only be loving is my father. My one and only father. So, get your brain to work and forget about me- especially, our past." Joana said casually like she was reading the latest news.

Feelings for someone wasn't important for her at all, now that her father's gone. He was all she had and will ever be.

William nodded, understanding her. "I do understand English, my lady. But I guess I must reject your rejection. Because there will also be one woman I love, and I will love forever."

Goosebumps rose from both of their skins, feeling the familiar scene.

Before William could stop himself, the words slipped off his lips, "I love you, Joana." His eyes sparkled, the ocean, and the moon reflecting through his big eyes that she couldn't get enough from looking at.

She hated to admit, but she still has that 1% love for him.

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