The Marriage Contest

Chapter 6: Let's talk about it.

Song for the chapter: "Evergreen" - by Westlife.

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Her interview with Gina hadn't lasted much longer after the stumping question and Vanessa was grateful. In the short time since meeting the bold therapist, Gina had somehow found a way into her head, examining all her inner thoughts and fears and it was bugging the socks off of Vanessa. The woman's intuition was annoying. It was worse that, despite all of Vanessa's efforts against it, the woman was spot on with figuring her out.

Shortly after Gina and the cameraman had packed up their equipment and thanked her for her time, the door to their room had opened allowing Eden and Jonah to enter, laughing. Vanessa glared at the sight and turned her back on them. Jealousy wasn't a new emotion to her, in fact it was an emotion so engraved in her that the burning and tightening of her muscles was as welcoming as a mothers' hug. What she was not used to however, was being jealous because of a man she barely knew and was certain she didn't even like.

"Thank you so much for your time Jonah. You're doing a great job with the interviews." Eden's sunny voice floated throughout the room despite Vanessa's attempt to ignore it by moving to the patio. Eden's voice was far lighter and friendlier than Vanessa's had ever been in Jonah's presence and she hated herself for allowing the green monster to pull on her old scars and insecurities.

"Vanessa." She jumped from her place against the patio fence. She blinked, noticing for the first time that she stood staring towards crystal clear waters. The color of the still water reminded her of her brothers' eyes and she was hit with a weight of homesickness. Her brother always knew how to comfort her when she felt down; he always knew what to say to pull her away from her self-deprecating thoughts.

Vanessa turned around slowly to find Jonah looking at her curiously from the doorway that lead out to the patio. "Are you alright?" It was the first real sentence he had said to her in hours and it surprised her at how happy just having his attention made her.

She looked over his shoulder to see that Eden and Gina were no longer in the room but that there was a cameraman standing with a camera faced in their direction. Jonah saw where her gaze had travelled to and scratched at his neck before saying, "They're leaving him here to film what we do today."

She nodded, "What are we doing today?"

He sighed and stepped out onto the patio with her. He walked until he was next to her, turning to face the sea view rather than her. "Well it's almost dinner time. Why don't we have dinner seaside?"

She beamed, loving the idea of eating amidst the calming crashes of the waves against the shore. "I would love that."

He turned and smiled at her. Vanessa's own smile dimmed slightly noticing that for the first time since she met her husband, his smile was not genuine. Something was still bothering him and perhaps it was the reason for his sudden change in mood earlier.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

He shrugged before turning back to look at the view. "When do you want to go?"

Vanessa sighed knowing she wasn't going to get an answer from him anytime soon. Perhaps she should take Gina's advice seriously and try having a conversation with her husband at dinner. Perhaps then she might get an insight into his confusing mind.

"Let me get changed and then we can go."

He looked at her, frowning as his eyes travelled down and then up her body. "Why are you changing, you look fine."

She sighed, "We're going out to dinner and I can't go dressed in a pair of shorts and a cotton shirt."

"Why not? This is a holiday resort; it isn't as though we're going to a five start restaurant that is black tie only."