Can't Live My Life in Yesterday

Jasper walked down the main stretch of road, muttering angrily to himself before ducking into another pub. He downed a few more mugs of ale, brooding over the words of the captain’s daughter. She was right, of course, he thought bitterly. Everyone who walked the Island knew Ezra’s name, and if they didn’t, they found out pretty quickly. Even when Jasper was a sailor in the royal navy he knew the name and the reputation that went along with it. He scoffed as he recalled his time in the navy.

He’d been young when he decided to join the navy; he longed for a life of travel and adventure, but what he got was nothing but sickness and misery. The navy was strict and miserable, filled with long days and shitty food. He encountered pirates many times as a sailor, and each time his lust for their freedom grew until he finally jumped ship one night. It had taken Ezra a while to trust a sailor from the navy, but he pulled his weight and worked hard to earn his rank of first mate. Even though he was first mate, he had a sneaking suspicion that Ezra never liked him much, but he did what he could to stay on his good side so that he could learn all he could. However, he was absolutely fascinated by Emeline.

Though she, like her father, appeared to have adverseness toward him, he always found Emeline interesting. She looked like a goddess with her blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but she never took shit from anyone. She was fairly independent for a woman, not to mention she was a pretty good shot. She was different from any girl he had met, pirate or otherwise.

“Well?” a gruff voice brought Jasper back to reality. He looked up into the suspicious eyes of his captain. He was intimidating, even when you got used to him. Jasper frowned, his mind fuzzy after he’d begun to lose track of how many mugs of ale he’d consumed in the last half hour. Ezra’s frown deepened. “I thought I told ye to keep an eye on them,” Ezra growled lowly, sitting across the small wooden table. Jasper rolled his eyes as he realized what Ezra was talking about.

“They’re down the street with Darian, getting drunk,” Jasper spat before emptying what was left of his mug of ale. Ezra scoffed, sitting back and casting a disapproving gaze over Jasper, who was hunched bitterly over his empty mug. “What?” Jasper asked, eyeing the scantily clad woman who slid into Ezra’s lap with distaste.

“I gave ye the simplest job. Ye just had to follow my daughter and make sure that English fuck didn’t give her any trouble. Yet here ye are, drunk and down the street.” Ezra let out a harsh laugh, sneering at the younger man. “Ye aren’t fit to be my first mate if ye can’t follow simple orders.” Jasper stared at the man before him with wide eyes, but Ezra was preoccupied with the woman in his lap. Jasper stood, throwing some coins on the bar and stumbling to the front door. “Firth,” Ezra called, stopping Jasper in his tracks. “Don’t disappoint me again.”

Jasper stumbled back onto the street. The sun had risen to maybe midday, and there was bustling activity out on the street, many of who were stumbling drunk like him. He worked his way back to the pub at the end of the street and pushed his way in. The pub was now quite lively, but not packed full. He scanned the crowd until he caught sight of Emeline’s hair glowing in the light. She and Benjamin were still sitting in their exact same place at the bar, but there were others around them now. Jasper sat in a corner where he had a clear view of the pair, but did not approach them. Darian wandered over to him with a coy smile on her face.

“Hey there stranger,” she said in a sweet voice. Jasper rolled his eyes, not in the mood for her banter. “What can I do for ya?” Darian frowned a little, noticing the strong smell of alcohol about him and the glaze over his eyes.

“Ale.” It was a statement, not a question, which made her frown even more.

“You sure that’s what you want?” She asked, concerned by the unsettled expression on his face. His eyes flickered angrily to hers, and she immediately left to fetch what he wanted. He seethed as he watched the pair drinking merrily at the bar. There was something about that guy that he just couldn’t stand. Darian came back by, dropping off the mug of ale and bustling on before he could say anything. He frowned a little as he watched her walk away. He didn’t mean to take his anger out on her. He took a long swig out of his mug, and when he put it down on the table, his gaze met a pair of brilliant blue eyes staring disapprovingly at him. He nearly choked on the ale in his mouth.

“How many of these have you had?” Emeline asked, pulling the mug toward her and out of Jaspers reach. He scowled at her, and frowned even harder when he noticed Benjamin standing behind her with his arms crossed as if he was her protector. His eyes narrowed as they jumped back to her angelic face.

“Lost track,” Jasper grumbled, reaching unsuccessfully for the mug. She shook her head.

“I don’t think you need this,” she shook her head.

“Well I won’t have it go to waste!” he slurred angrily, making another snatch at it. Emeline smirked.

“Fine,” she handed the mug to Ben, who finished the ale in one swing and slammed the mug down on the table in front of Jasper. He had definitely been practicing in the last couple hours. Jasper shouted angrily, jumping to his feet.

“I’m not going to pay for that shit!” Jasper growled, slamming his hands down on the table and glaring at Ben, who didn’t even flinch. Darian walked over, a concerned look on her face. Emeline handed her some money to cover the drink and then some.

“Sorry for the trouble,” she muttered, grabbing Jasper’s arm and dragging him out the door and down the street.

“What the hell was that for?” Jasper asked, following Emeline’s brisk walk down the street. He grabbed her arm, stopping her abruptly and pulling her so he could look at her as he spoke. She snatched her arm away just as angrily, glaring him.

“Seriously?” she asked incredulously, Ben at her side. “You’re disgustingly drunk! It’s embarrassing!” She motioned to him, seething. “I don’t know what your fucking problem is, but if you’re gonna act like a dick then go back to the fucking boat!” By the end, she was practically shouting. She turned away from him, trying to calm down. As she turned back to say something else, his hand came down toward her, but was suddenly halted in mid air. Emeline’s eyes widened as she realized what had just almost happened. Benjamin’s hand was wrapped tightly around Jasper’s wrist as he stood between the two. His green eyes were on fire as he glared into Jasper’s confused eyes.

“How dare you,” Ben growled in a low voice, his body trembling with anger. “How dare you even fucking try to lay a hand on her.” Emeline was a bit in shock as she stared at the two. Ben tightened his grip, and Jasper winced in pain.

“Let me go,” Jasper ordered, his voice strained as he unsuccessfully tried to pull his arm away from Ben’s death grip.

“Ben,” Emeline murmured softy, resting her hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, and she was taken aback by the ferocity of the fire burning in his green eyes. “It’s okay.” Her words seemed to have the opposite effect she had intended.

“No, it’s not okay,” he seethed, turning back to Jasper, who was drunkenly trying to free himself.

“Ben, it’s not worth it,” Emeline pleaded quietly, squeezing his shoulder. Ben growled, grabbing Jaspers shirt and pulling him closer so his glazed blue eyes focused on the angry man’s face.

“If I ever hear that you have struck a woman, especially Emeline, I will not hesitate to make you regret it,” Ben growled in a low tone before throwing Jasper to the ground and walking away. “Piece of scum,” he muttered so quietly that Emeline could barely hear. She ran to catch up to him, not even stopping to glance at Jasper.

“Ben!” she called, but he kept walking. She finally caught up to him and grabbed his arm to stop him. He whipped around, the fire still burning in his eyes. She almost decided to hold her tongue, but couldn’t help herself. “What was that about?”

“He has no right to lay a hand on you. No man does!” Ben huffed angrily. Emeline stared up at him, stunned. Her hand dropped to her side, confusion plastered on her face. His expression softened and he touched her face. She frowned, more confused than ever. His eyes saddened and he looked down at the ground. “I lost my best friend and my mother to men who beat them,” he mumbled softly. Emeline’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

“Ben, I…” Emeline couldn’t find the words to say. Ben shot her a sad smile, and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry.” He squeezed her tightly before she pulled away.

“It’s okay,” he shrugged, pushing his feelings away. He glanced sideways at her, green eyes clouded with an emotion Emeline couldn’t quite pin. It was the kind of gaze that made her feel like he could see right through her. “We all have our skeletons.”