Them (BTS au)

Chapter 56

Marishka's POV

   Tom and I have been texting ever since he took me to lunch.

"Hi, Marishka."  Tom greets me as we hug.  "Hi, Tom."  We pull away and sit down at a table in a restaurant.

"Marishka, you look beautiful."  Tom says with a bright smile, a menu in his hand.

I pick up my menu.  "Oh, thank you.  I don't hear that a lot."  I smile.  Scanning through his menu, he replies.  "You should."

I scan my menu as well, ignoring his comment.  "So, Tom, what brings you to take me out to lunch?"

"I think we should get to know each other.  As a friend of your husband, I know things about you, but you don't know things about me.  Now that isn't fair, is it?"  He says, smiling with a brow raised at me.

"I suppose you're right,"  I smile.  "So, where are you from?"  "I'm from here, born and raised."  "What's your family life like?"

"I have two brothers and three sisters.  I keep in touch with all of them.  My parents and I keep in touch as well.  I'm pretty interactive with my family."

"No wife?  Kids?"  "Oh, no.  I have no kids, and I've never been married before."  "How old are you?"  "I'm thirty."

The waiter comes and we give him our orders.  He walks away.  "Do you ever want a wife and kids?"

"I want two children, preferably a boy and a girl, and as far as a wife goes, I want to marry someone that's kind, loving, and supportive.  Someone that will stick with me, and adore me as much as I adore them."

"Wow, great answer."  I smile.  "Thank you."  He smiles back.  "I want kids, but Ronald doesn't,"  I say, looking away, a sullen tone in my voice.  "It's not like that would ever happen anyway."  I say to myself.

"How come?"  I look back at him.  "I don't want to burden you with our marital problems."

"It's no burden to me, Marishka.  The only thing that bothers me is that something's bothering you."

I sigh.  "It's just that...Ronald doesn't even touch me anymore.  He hasn't for years.  Our sex life is completely dead.  I've tried to take initiative and get things going again, but he just brushes me off."

"A beautiful woman like you deserves to be touched, Marishka.  Don't you do everything for him?"

"Yes.  He doesn't even have to lift a finger at home.  I do everything for him.  The cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, helping him with his lesson plans."

"Then you definitely deserved to be touched if you do everything for him."  "I put so much effort into him and this marriage.  I just wish he'd do the same."

"Honestly, I feel like he doesn't deserve you.  He takes you for granted.  You do everything on your end, but get nothing good in return.  That isn't right, and it's not fair to you."

"I know.  It's such a struggle."  "You deserve happiness, Marishka.  Are you happy?"  "I love him..."  "But are you happy?"

My mind flashbacks to everything.  All the times I've cried over him.  All the nights I've spent alone.  All the times my own friends or family didn't want to be around because of him.  The emptiness I feel.  Most importantly, the girl he cheated on me with in the classroom.

I break down in tears.  "No, I'm not happy."  I say, my head down, my hands covering my cheeks and eyes as I cry.

I feel Tom's hand rubbing circles on my back.  "Does anyone know you're not happy?  Does he know you're not happy?"

"No.  Only you and me."  "If you're not happy, then why are you with him, Marishka?  I bet there's a guy out there that would treat you the way you deserve.  He neglects you."

"I love him, and I believe it could change, but Tom, I've been with him for so long....no one else will date me.  I wouldn't even know how to start over."

I feel him encasing me in a hug, his hand rubbing up and down my arm, comforting me.  "Oh, Marishka.  I know someone that would start over with you."

Tom sends me a text message, making me giggle.  "Why are you laughing?"  Ronald says, looking over at me with a not so pleased face.

"Nothing important."  I answer, a smile on my face as I look at my phone screen.  I reply back to Tom.

"Marishka, have you ironed my clothes yet?"  Reading Tom's response, I laugh.  "No, no, I didn't do it yet, but I will."  I say, the smile Tom caused still on my face.

Wow, Tom really makes me smile.

Mr. Reese's POV

"Well how about you get off of your phone, get your lazy ass up, and iron my clothes?  You know I like them ironed and laid out for the next day."  I say, extremely annoyed with her.

"I'm sorry, what?  I tuned out."  "Jesus fucking Christ, Marishka.  Do I have to do everything myself?"

Marishka's POV

He gets up and picks out some clothes.  He leaves the room with them.  I'm too engrossed in my phone to care.

Mr. Reese's POV

I can't fucking believe for the first time in eighteen years, my wife didn't do something she was supposed to do.

I make the money.  I pay the bills.  All she's supposed to do is keep up with the house, cook, do laundry, and iron my clothes.  How hard is that?