VANESSA
I landed in New York with more secrets than I left with. Secrets from him that I didn't want but happened to stumble upon. When it concerns his family he should know... Shouldn't he? Tom is having an affair... Jeremy should be the one to talk to him.
"Is everything okay?"I asked."You've been quiet all day."
"I'm fine, Gorgeous. It's been a long day and I'm tired."He kissed my hair and walked into the bathroom. I shook my head at his unwillingness to give up the truth, to get it off his chest and tell me what was bothering him.
The business is falling apart without him and his mother wants him home. His family needs him now and he's giving it all up for us... For me. If he's not willing to tell me, I have no choice but to tell him.
"I know, Jeremy. You don't have to pretend."I closed the zip of my suitcase, lay it on the floor and pushed it under the bed. I did this quickly because I know he can be picky about where things go.
For example, he likes to put the suitcase in the wardrobe where he has a designated space for it. I like to push it under our king-sized bed frame because there's lots of free space under there. If the wardrobe space is free, imagine how much space I have for shoes.
The joys of being married.
I listened to him brush his teeth for a couple of seconds more before he spit into the sink and replied."You know what?"
"About your conversation with your mother."
I heard his sigh of frustration from the bathroom."I told her not to tell you, but she went behind my back anyway just like she always does. I don't want you to worry about this, it isn't your problem."
"It is my problem... We're married, Jeremy. Your problems are my problems too. Your mother didn't tell me, I overheard your conversation. I'm glad that I did because I know you wouldn't have told me otherwise. Now I know how bad things are."
He walked out of the bathroom."Everything is fine."
"Your family business is worse than it's ever been, stop telling me that everything is fine. It's not working out... You being here and your work is there. You said so yourself."
"There's nothing we can do about that."He started to undress from the clothes that he'd been wearing all day and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for comfort.
I was a little fired up now. He knows what we have to do, he just doesn't want to make that an option. We're married... It should at least be discussed.
"We could move back to San Francisco. Your father needs you there, he can't keep running the business alone. I don't think it's good for his health, Jeremy."
"He's not running it alone. I'm here, Vanessa. I'm running the business from here... I'm doing what I can."He sat on the bed now clothed and exhaled in stress."Our life is here."
"Only because I made it that way. I didn't give you much of a choice back then and I'm sorry."I walked towards him and placed myself between his legs. I hugged his head against my chest and he moved his palms up and down my legs and my butt."I don't know how I feel about moving back to San Francisco, but I don't think we have a choice."
He lifted his head and looked at me."Yes, we do."
"But the business..."
"We'll manage as we are."He interrupted."If my father wants to hire someone else for the job then he can do so. I'm not changing our lives just because they demand it."He moved me aside, stood from the bed and walked towards the door.
