Becoming Mrs. Bryant

𝐒𝐈𝐗

Nova

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

"Jason wants you to dog sit today," Aubrey said as I greeted her in the kitchen upon waking up. I quickly looked around for Hailey and didn't see her, so I assumed she was sleeping still.

"Wow," I answered, "No 'good morning'? Tough crowd." Aubrey continued to fry eggs, "I don't say good morning to people that lie to their wives and sneak around. I'd hope those kinds of people don't have a good morning." I sighed.

"You have every right to be mad at me babe," I replied, "every God-given right. But being mad won't make you feel better. I'm sorry, know that I am, but I can promise you, on me, my mother, and our marriage," Aubrey looked up as I said that last bit.

"... that nothing happened with Rico."

"Nova I know nothing happened with Rico, you texted Nick because you didn't want something to happen between you and Rico. I'm not upset because I think you cheated on me, I'm upset because you gave me the impression that you were done dealing with him, just to shut me up that night." I looked around the kitchen, arms folded.

"If I had listened to somebody's opinion of a certain someone," I said as I walked over to a chair, "I would've missed out on the greatest blessing I have ever received." Aubrey looked on but didn't look as though she was catching on. "Elaborate," she insisted. I nodded.

"Nick didn't want me talking to you. Maddie didn't want me talking to you. My mother didn't want me to talk to you. But I did, and because I took that chance, I got to know the real you. The Aubrey that wasn't obsessed with winning prom queen, being the prettiest girl in the room, or being known by everybody. The Aubrey that asked if you ate today, how your day went, how you were feeling-"

"Nova," Aubrey interrupted, "what's the point of this? What are you trying to get at?"

"Well," I started, a little surprised that Aubrey wasn't in awe of the nice things that I was saying about her. "I was thinking, isn't this whole you not wanting me to speak to Rico based off your own opinion thing a little... hypocritical?" Aubrey turned back towards the eggs that she was making for a split second.

"On who's part?" She questioned, turning off the stove and folding her arms as she turned back towards me. "Because yes, I wanted you to talk to me last year at Norwood, Nova, but I didn't force, or beg you to. So how is this hypocritical?"

"Define 'didn't force' Aubrey," I replied sarcastically, "does threatening to tell my then-boyfriend that I was secretly seeing you if I didn't hook up with you not count?" Aubrey stiffened her jaw.

"Oh yeah," she said after a moment of silence. "Use some minor, forgotten-about incident in which you may or may have not intentionally made a fool out of me from the very beginning of our senior year as an example." I huffed, "you made the conversation go there," I mumbled in a low tone as I looked down at my hands and began playing with them.

"You know Nova, actions speak louder than words," Aubrey said. "Earlier, you said I had every right to be upset with you. But yet, you seem to be finding every excuse to invalidate my feelings." I shook my head, "that's not true." Aubrey nodded, "it is, babe."

"I just- I just don't get it," I voiced, standing up and walking over to Aubrey. "I mean, I thought you would've been relieved that Rico didn't kill me or something. Instead you're mad that I lied to you."

"If a burglar were to attempt to rob somebody and was shot in the process, he'd be taken to the hospital and would get treated for it," Aubrey said, causing me to cock an eyebrow. "Okay," I replied, "I think I know that? That's common sense."