Page 19 of See A Highlander (A Highlander Across Time #10)

CHAPTER 19

A nnie hurried back to her room. She couldn’t get there fast enough. The tears flowed down her cheeks. The sight of seeing Bella kissing Tom was too much for her to handle. Although she knew that Bella was up to something the moment Maria told her that she hadn’t called for her, nothing prepared her for actually seeing it in action.

What hurt her even more was the fact that Tom didn’t push her away until Annie said something. His hands weren't on Bella's body at all, but they were at his side doing nothing. It all happened in an instant and Annie had run away not waiting to see anything else. She didn’t want to see Bella with a smug look on her face and listen to her cackling laugh making fun of Annie for once again taking a man from her. The deceit was painful.

Annie opened the door to her room and flung herself onto the bed. She cried hard and her emotions were all over the place, more so than usual.

There was a knock at the door. Annie was in no mood to hear Bella rub it in her face.

“Go away, Bella. I don't want to talk to you,” Annie shouted at the door.

“It's me, lass. Let me in,” Tom said.

“I don't want to talk to you either. Go away,” she said.

A part of her was glad that it was him and another part was absolutely raging mad at him.

“I’m not going away. I must speak with you right now,” he said.

“I don't care. Nothing you can say can change what I saw with my own eyes,” she shouted.

The door opened and Tom stormed in. Annie realized she had forgotten to lock it in her state of emotional distress. He walked in, slammed the door and came directly to the bed. He had a genuine look of sadness on his face, but she didn’t want to be tricked by any manipulative tactics. She had already been through that with Billy.

“I’m sorry to come in like this. But you must know that wasn’t my fault what you think you saw,” he said.

“My eyes don’t lie. I saw you and Bella kissing. You didn't even push her away. How easy it is for her to seduce you,” she said.

She watched as a dark look came over Tom's face. “I’m not easily manipulated, and I am not pathetic. What you saw was not me giving in to your cousin. It was nothing of the sort,” he said.

“Yeah right. Whatever you say. I don't believe you. Are you sleeping with her as well? Of course you are. It is so obvious now. Bella even warned me she was going to get you in bed and now she has. Good for you and being such a player,” Annie said standing up from her bed.

“I don't know what that means, but I can understand the meaning. But what you saw wasn’t what it looked like. In fact I'm angry that you don't trust me. After the time that we have spent together. You are the only one I want, Annie.”

“I don't believe you. Leave me alone. I never want to talk to you again,” she said, her heart aching with hurt.

"No I won't leave you until you understand that what you saw was simply your cousin pushing herself onto me and nothing more. I was merely trying to get around her, and she took advantage, surprising me.”

“And yet you didn’t push her away, not until you heard my voice. I've had enough of this. If you're not going to leave this room then I will,” she said, grabbing her cloak as she stormed out of the room. She didn’t want Tom to follow her and she didn’t know where she was going to go, but she couldn’t be near him or anywhere that Bella might find her. She needed to get out of the castle, and she needed to get away now.

Annie ran through the castle. She made her way out into the courtyard covering her head with her cloak hood. She didn’t want anyone to see the state that she was in. She made it out of the courtyard and onto the path that led down to the shore. Finally, she felt that she was in a good enough place where she could cry and let herself go. She walked and walked until she saw a familiar sight. It was the small fisherman village that she had visited before.

Before she knew it, the children were running out toward her excited to see her. She wiped the tears from her eyes and managed to put on a weak smile. She greeted them with enthusiasm, but there was still sadness in her voice. Jacob came over to her.

“Very good to see you, lass. Though you shouldn’t have come alone. Where is Tom? It is dangerous for you to be walking alone such ways,” he said.

“No, you’re right. I didn’t realize I had walked so far. My mind slipped away from me and I have just been walking and thinking,” she said.

“I see. Come then, lass. You must join us for supper. The night is fast approaching, and you will not make it back before then. It isn’t safe. We have a nice room for you, nice and warm. In the morning I will walk you back myself,” Jacob said.

Annie found this plan very appealing. She needed to be away from Tom and from Bella. She couldn’t stand to see either one of them until she had some time to process how she was going to get over being such a fool. To have such heartbreak so quickly after Billy was a lot to take in. Now here wasn't offering to be far away from that and get some rest.

“Thank you. I will take you up on that offer. You are very kind.”

“Marjorie, we have a guest joining us for supper and to stay the night,” Jacob shouted at his wife who came out from a cottage smiling from ear-to-ear.

“Oh hello, lovely. We are delighted. Plenty of food for you. Come, come. Sit by the fire with me.” Marjorie brought out a blanket and wrapped it around Annie’s shoulders.

The evening was a very simple one and Annie was glad for it. She didn’t want to speak about the witch of the castle or the stories about it because it reminded her too much up Tom and Bella. Instead Jacob told her other tall tales from his time on the fishing boats and she was very entertained.

Annie spent the night in a very small room of the cottage. It was a storage room that had a small bed in the corner usually meant for one of the children. She was happy to take it as it was considering that she was short anyway and very petite it made for a comfortable night.

The next morning as she woke, she felt something familiar, her stomach ached. A wave of nausea came over her and she didn’t have time to think. She stood up, ran out of the room, and out of the cottage all together, barely making it outside. The vomit came swiftly and in short amounts.

“Oh, lass. You alright?” Marjorie came out of the cottage to tend to her.

“I don’t know. I think so. I don’t know what is wrong with me,” Annie said.

“I will fetch you some water.” Marjorie went inside and returned with a cup of water.

Annie looked toward the fire. There was nothing cooking and there were no smells of food whatsoever. It was far too early for anyone to be making any sort of breakfast. The air was fresh and was a crisp ocean breeze. There was nothing that should be making her nauseous at all.

“Do you think it is from supper?” Marjorie asked. “Are you not used to eating fish?”

“I don't think that is what it is. I had the same spell of sickness after eating duck two nights before, so I do not think it is from the food. I think it is just anxiety and stress.”

“Or you are with a wee bairn?” Marjorie said. “It is how I was with all my children. It is as good a sign as any.”

Annie froze. She hadn’t thought about this. It was possible because she had spent the night with Tom and they didn’t use protection, but it had barely been a few days, so was that even possible for morning sickness to come on so quickly? Suddenly a chill ran through her body. There had been that strangeness to the air that night… was it possible Scathach somehow did something to make this happen? She was a witch after all, and a time traveling one at that! Was it possible she sped up the process? Or at least wanted Annie to somehow know that she’d conceived a child that night?

Annie was suddenly overwhelmed and needed to sit down. What was she going to do? Tom had proven unreliable in her mind, so she didn’t know if she even wanted a kid with him. But what choice would she have, being here?

Then another thought occurred. Could he have gotten Bella pregnant too?