Side Effects To Marriage May Include

Chapter 11: Keep It Minimal

< she resuscitates me,
she fucking hates me >

-Eminem

Nickolas's PoV:

While we were shopping this afternoon for groceries, my phone rang with a text.
It was from Andrè saying I need to go meet him ASAP.

We quickly finished our trip to the store and when we got back home, Aria suggested we have a movie night. I wanted to say yes, because like who in their right mind says no to movie night?

Despite how much I wanted to say yes, I couldn't. I've already texted Andrè saying I'll be at his place the soonest I can.

So after declining Aria's offer, I got out and drove a 45 minute drive to Andrè's place in town.

When I reached his front door, instead of knocking, I felt the door open and a drunk Andrè stumbles from side to side.
He must've had too many drinks in the past hour and fifteen minutes after he texted me.

"Hey, man. What happened?" I try extracting information out of him to understand what got him so worked up that he had to finish more than half a bottle of Hennessy.

"Sofia, sh-she dumped me" his words slur as he hiccups involuntarily, side effects of excessive drinking.

"What, did she even tell you why?" I ask trying to make sense of it. Why would his girlfriend of two and a half years dump him?

His head shakes vigorously "She didn't need to, when I went to her apartment yesterday after your reception was over as a surprise she was fucking cheating on me" his words evade sadness and agony and my heart softens for him.

No one should ever have to endure sleeping at night wondering why they weren't good enough.
No one deserved this.

I stay with him for a couple of hours till he sobers up a little bit, then tuck him into bed like a five year old.

By the time I get home, it's dark outside. Probably ten-ish or something.
I unlock the door and go inside. The only light from the house is coming from the living room.

Is Aria still watching movies?

I make my way slowly to the living room to find her snoring lightly with snacks scattered all over her, the table and the floor.
I chuckle and grab the remote control turning the tv off.
Then, I hook one arm under her thighs and the other under her back and carry her upstairs.
She stirs a bit in my hands and I stop momentarily, in fear of her suddenly waking up. After I made sure that she's still sound asleep, I continue my walk to our room.

She's still in her t shirt and jeans. Those are uncomfortable right?
Should I change her clothes or would she have me beheaded for it when she finds out?

I mean even if she gets mad at first, she'll thank me later for not letting her sleep in them.

You literally have to have some other type of sociopathy if you don't mind sleeping in jeans.

I didn't know what she would like to sleep in so I grabbed a grey sweatpants of mine and took off her current jeans.

After dressing her bottom half I decide that she probably wouldn't mind the shirt and kept it on.

I went straight into the bathroom and took a quick shower, fantasizing about her mango scent and climbed into bed with nothing but briefs on.

•••

The scent of mangoes sends my nostrils into over drive, and I can use the term deja vu to describe how it feels.
There are ants walking on my neck, certainly this isn't familiar.

With one move I open my eyes up to the same sight of yesterday.
Aria sprawled out on me, only the ants I've been feeling are in fact her lips on my neck.
She's mumbling while asleep?
I can't make out coherent words but she looks cute.

I grab my phone with hardship, since her arms are treating my shoulders like the last set of lifeguards in the sea.

I open the camera and snap some photos of her, and us.

She really made it hard for me to wake up without her being affected in some way.

Well, she continues sleeping while my arm plays with her hair.

It's so soft and smells really good.

Half an hour later she wakes up and the first thing she does is glare at me with piercing greens and points her index in my chest .
"You" she says with terrorizing intimidation that it makes me swallow hard, my Adam's apple bop.

"How did I get here? I was downstairs on the sofa last nigh-"
Then she takes a look at me in nothing but briefs and the sweatpants that she's in.

"Heyy, how did I even wear this? Where's my jeans? I'm telling you if you did anything I'd kill the living shit out of you "

"Calm down. I carried you here and changed your jeans because I thought this would be more comfortable. I swear I didn't do anything "
I tell her the truth. I even changed her in the dark so I wouldn't look.

Jeez, this girl terrifies the shit out of me when she's angry.

Mental note: Do not, and I repeat, do not get on her bad side!

•••

The rest of the day goes on normally except for the fact that she's been ignoring me since this morning.

Every question I asked, she would answer with yes, no, I don't know or with minimal vocabulary.

Is she still angry with me for the incident this morning?
I've already apologized for it like five times but she's still giving me the silent treatment.

Ugh. Women.

•••

Later in the evening I receive a call from my secretary reminding me of the annual party for the company we need to attend.

I contemplated whether I should tell her now about it, but figured tomorrow would be better. Hopefully.

•••

A/N:

Ummmmm, any ideas what will happen at the party??

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