Take Over || (n.j.) || Sequel to Closer

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen--
"Why?! Why did you do it Nick?! Huh??" I shout to my husband, standing up from the chair I was sitting in at the kitchen counter, my ring sitting there. We've argued about this for a couple of days now, and every time I put my wedding ring on the table or counter, and remind him of what he's throwing away. I know it's cruel, but right now, I think he deserves it.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't know, okay. I don't." He growls at me through gritted teeth. Eliza was in the other room, but that didn't matter right now. She's a three year old, how much will she remember anyway?

"I can name a few reasons. She's prettier then me, she's got no responsibilities of being a parent. Isn't caught up in any kind of job. Better in bed....I could keep doing this all day Nick." I sneer at him, leaning on the counter. He's on the other side, his hand on the fridge and he's leaning on it, his legs crossed at his ankles. He doesn't look happy, but looks as though he's trying hard to contain it.

"Can you just stop?! D*mnit Marni just stop! I f*ck*d up, I get it!" There's his breaking point. Whenever I mention things like that, he gets so mad. I almost like to see that I'm in a way 'winning' this argument. Of course, I don't want to divorce him, but I don't deserve to be cheated on. Hell, I don't even deserve Nicholas Jerry Jonas. He's too perfect for me. And I'm anything but. We stand in silence for a couple of minutes. Nick paced back and forth, running his hand through his hair multiple times. I keep my eyes on the clock on the wall, watching the seconds tick by. Finally, I choose to speak up.

"Eliza needs to go to bed. I'll be back." I whisper, walking out of the kitchen, the only noise is my shoes hitting the hardwood floor. I pick up my daughter from the living room as she's watching Sesame Street, and get her up to her room and into bed. When I get her all tucked in, I go back to the kitchen to see my husband sitting at the counter and staring at my wedding ring and his own. I go on the other side, putting my back on the refrigerator and leaning on it.

"You're so perfect Nick. Too perfect for someone as broken as I am." I speak in a hushed tone, feeling tears well up in my throat as I say every word. But, this is how I really did feel.

"Perfect? Marni, I'm far from it." Nick says with a snort at me.

"You are Nicholas. In my eyes, you truly are. And I don't deserve you." With that, I walk to the spare room we have in the house and crawl in the bed. I feel emptiness inside, stretching out on the bed. Without realizing it until a bit after, I find myself crying. I pick up my head and see a small puddle of tears by where I was laying just a second ago.

"Why? That's the million dollar question." I whisper to myself. I ball up all of my anger and throw my face in the pillow, screaming until my throat is raw. I sob and sob until I fall asleep....

I jolt awake and my cheeks feel damp. I must've actually been crying. That fight between Nick and I was two years ago, and yet I remember it like it was just yesterday. I look at my boyfriend in bed beside me, his naked chest rising and falling slowly with every breath he takes. I gaze down at him in admiration.

"You're still too d*mn perfect for me Nicholas." I whisper in the darkness, pale moonlight flooding the room. I kiss the side of his head, snuggling next to him so I can get rid of that nightmare I just had. His eyes open slightly, but he shuts them again, and rolls over so he's fully facing me and his arm is draped over me. He fell right back asleep quickly, and so I just laid there and faced the other side of the room where Sammy and Elvis were sleeping. I still couldn't get that out of my head, and it was bothering me. I tried my best to go back to sleep.

"When I asked you, I hadn't been more sure about anything in my life but that moment. I knew it was you." He told me as we're arguing in our bedroom. This was one of our many fights.

"I still think we went too fast. Obviously, you weren't ready. If you were going off with some other girl right when all of our responsibilities came up. Great job." I clap slowly, and sarcastically.

"You know what, maybe we weren't ready. And I understand what I did was wrong, okay, I get that." I had had enough of him saying that for the past hour.

"I'm done. Have fun with your little booty-call and I'll just start packing and be on my way." Of course, that was a lie. I knew that is was almost evil, but I just wanted to see if he'd actually care enough to make me stay. I started to go to my dresser and pack some clothes in one of my suitcases.

"Mar, don't leave." His voice is soft and he crouches next me as I'm sitting on the floor. He made me weak. Every little thing about him did. From his looks, to the way he talks, to the way he even smells. He also knew that this was the way to get me to stay. He wasn't dumb. I froze in my spot as he kissed the back of my neck softly, and trailed to my jaw. I turned around, and that's when I stayed for another few days. Nicholas knew how to get me every single time....

This time, I wake up and my eyes flutter open to see Nick on the other side of the bed. I must've moved away from him when I was sleeping. He's rolled on his stomach and his head is turned so I see the back of it. I look past him and out the window, and see it snowing again. I scooch over and rub his back softly in circles.

"Hey....wake up..." I say softly in my boyfriend's ear. He groans and rolls over onto his back. Nick opens one eye and just looks at me. I smirk at him and lay my head on his chest.

"We have to get Eliza from your mom soon." I tell him. He sighs and then opens both eyes, playing with my hair.

"She's dropping her off. Remember?" His morning voice is deep and a bit raspy.

"Oh, yeah..." I yawn and stretch out on the bed, purposely putting my hand in Nick's face to slap him.

"Hey!" He laughs and then I roll over, my chin now on his chest and I'm looking up into his deep, chocolate eyes. He kisses my forehead and then I kiss him back on the lips.

"Let's just stay in bed all day." Nick says to me, sounding like he's not kidding.

"It's Christmas Eve silly. Eliza is going to want to do something."

"Well, I never had her for Christmas Eve when we were divorced. I was usually busy, but this year I'm not."

"Yeah, having a five year old isn't easy." I tell him in an almost sarcastic tone. She turned five years old in November, and Nick and I just had her have a little party here at home. Nothing too big. Of course, his parents and Joe came, but that was it. Oh, and Kristen came as well.

"She's five....wow..." He says, blown away by the sound of it.

"Yup. On Christmas Eve, her and I watched all sorts of Christmas movies. Of course, they were all little kid ones, but I watched them with her anyway." I shrugged and sat up, leaning my head on the headboard of the bed.

"I'm hungry." He whines, looking at me. I roll my eyes and kiss his cheek before replying.

"What do you want for breakfast oh sweet and perfect Nicholas?" I bat my eyelashes and fold my hands.

"Hmm......"

"Pancakes it is!" I interrupt him and start to get off the bed.

"Don't leave though." Nick whines at me, grabbing my waist before I have a chance to get off.

"You can come with me. Duh." I stick my tongue out at him and grab his arm to pull him with me. We walk down the stairs and into the kitchen, Elvis and Sammy following behind. I get stuff out to make pancakes, and when I close the cabinet, my boyfriend is standing there.

"Can I help you?" I cock an eyebrow and put my hand on my hip, a smirk on my face.

"Hmm....maybe." With that, his lips crash on mine and he lifts me up on the counter, my legs around his torso. He kisses my neck and goes to my collarbone, leaving me breathless. I grab onto his shirt, digging my nails into the fabric. He pulls away from me, but I bring him right back to me.

"Merry Christmas Eve baby." He whispers in my ear before kissing me more.