The Marriage Contest

Chapter 9: Toothbrush Irony.

Song for the chapter: "Give me love"- by Ed Sheeran.

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In all his twenty-eight years on earth, Jonah had never had a kiss that had left him as breathless as the one Vanessa had given him. Though the kiss had ended just as quickly as it had started, the feeling of Vanessa's lips on his was overwhelming enough and delicate enough to leave him panting and leaning in for more.

Jonah had been dreaming about kissing Vanessa ever since she'd walked down the aisle towards him almost a week earlier and, now that it'd finally happened, Jonah couldn't imagine ever not kissing Vanessa again.

There was just something about her that constantly grabbed at his attention, demanding he never take his eyes or mind away from her. She gripped at parts of him he wasn't even aware he had and it both liberated and terrified him to the core.

When Vanessa's soft lips had left his along with her small hands she had placed on his arms for balance as she stood on her toes to reach him, she took a large step away from him, shock vibrating out of her.

He should have seen this coming.

She gaped at him, her deep blue eyes expanding to a size he'd never seen before. Her hands shook in front of her as they rose carefully to her face. They rest on her lips, dusting the tip of her plump and slightly damp bottom lip as though surprised at where they had previously been.

Jonah frowned, hurt tightening his muscles. It upset him to know that though the kiss he shared with Vanessa was the best he'd ever had, it was one that had most likely pushed their relationship six steps behind instead of forward.

He had realized from their first meeting that Vanessa was wary of the marriage and; though he hadn't figured out why someone afraid to commit had done what Vanessa had, he knew that if he wanted their marriage to last that he had to be careful with how he acted. He thought he'd been good, well behaved on their honeymoon but Vanessa had now gone and possibly ruined things.

He wanted to scream in frustration and if it weren't for Eden standing next to him, he probably would have.

"Vanessa," he spoke softly, carefully so not to scare her away.

She shook her head, fear now filling her eyes and pushing her shock aside. She took a step back and he fisted his hands at his sides, hoping his grimace wasn't too obvious.

"Please don't do this," he pleaded, taking a step forward. She took a step back and he stopped in his tracks immediately. "Please don't freak out and ruin this. We were making progress, we were doing well. Don't tarnish our progress by running away. Let's talk like the adults we are."

Vanessa took a deep gulp of air into her mouth, her hands finally falling to her sides. She said nothing more and instead turned around and rushed into their bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

Jonah groaned aloud and walked towards the sofa Gina was sitting in front of on her own seat. He fell onto the sofa and immediately punched the cushion on his left. He groaned with every fist he pushed into the material, hoping his sudden frustration and anger would subside.

Jonah was never one to react with such anger and physical violence, even if he was only punching a sofa cushion. It was out of character for him and he couldn't understand why he was feeling the way he was. All he knew was that he was frustrated and upset.

He was at danger of falling for his wife, and her reaction to kissing him was driving a knife deep into his heart and it hurt. It hurt him so much that his emotions for the first time in ten years were all jumbled and uncontrollable. He couldn't decide if he wanted to scream, kick, punch or cry until something different happened.