Expected ("Unexpected" Book #2)- ON HOLD

Chapter Eleven: Marissa

Jake and I got on the road to New Jersey around 7:30 Thursday morning. We would be meeting up with a realtor as soon as we got there before we would check in to the hotel. I've never seen Jake so stressed. He wasn't even this stressed when I told him I was pregnant senior year. It's also our getaway weekend for our anniversary. 
  The drive to New Jersey is over a days trip from Colorado by car. We had no time to book a flight instead. Everything just happened so fast. I would be relieved once we get everything sorted out.
  The car ride was mostly filled with comfortable silence. I sat in the passenger seat, reading a book while Jake focused solely on the road. His right hand resting on my knee almost the whole way. With the windows rolled down and the faint sound of Jake's music playing through the aux cord, it was peaceful.
  "Blue punch buggy!" Jake suddenly yelled and lightly punched my shoulder. That was random. "Buggy from Illinois."
  I closed my book and slapped his arm with it causing him to laugh. "Thanks for the heart attack."
  He continued laughing and rubbed his hand on the back of my neck. "Sorry, babe, but you know how I get when Panic! at the Disco plays." I looked down at his phone to see that, of course, a Panic! At The Disco song was playing through the aux cord.
  I slapped him with my book again. "You are so weird." I settled back into my seat to resume reading my book.
  He quietly started singing to I Write Sins Not Tragedies causing me to look up again from my book. 
  "What a shame the poor groom's bride is a whore," he sang. I smacked his leg with the book.
  "That is not appropriate," I argued. "Too many memories."
  He chuckled and turned the volume up a notch, bringing the song back to the beginning. "Well imagine, as I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor," he continued singing. "What a beautiful wedding," he belched out with a wink. Now I was laughing and had to bookmark my page so all my attention was on him.
  He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as the chorus came. "I chime in with a haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door!" we sang loudly together.
  "I used to belt out this lyric to my mom when I was a kid when she left my room without closing the door behind her," Jake said through his laughter. "She got so annoyed with that."
  I lightly nudged his shoulder with the palm of my hand. "I used to do the same thing. I'm pretty sure most of the world did." I turned the volume down a tad to continue reading my book.
  Jake took a quick glance over at me before turning back to the road. "What are you reading anyway?"
  "The Notebook," I said without looking up from the pages.
  He tried to hide a laugh. "I never thought of you as someone who reads stuff like that."
  I chuckled and closed the book to look at him. "Yeah, maybe this weekend will do us some good."
  "Yeah? How so?"
  "You didn't know that I've been working my way through every Nicholas Sparks book for the past six months. We've been married for three years. And you probably don't even know what my favorite movie is."
  He thought for a moment. "It's The Breakfast Club, right?"
  "Sixteen Candles," I corrected him.
  "Both of which are John Hughes movies. You love his movies. I know that."
  I nodded. At least he knew that one small fact. "Let's watch Sixteen Candles when we get to the hotel tomorrow night."
  He scoffed and rubbed at his eyebrow. "Do you know how much it cost to rent a movie in a hotel?"
  I gave him a side smile and leaned into the backseat to grab my carrying bag. I unzipped it and pulled out my DVD copy of Sixteen Candles and my laptop. "No need. We can snuggle in bed and watch it on my laptop."
  He placed a hand on my knee and rubbed small circles on it with his thumb. "You are so full of surprises."
  I placed my hand on top of his. "Got to be prepared for anything."
  He laughed and brought my hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on my knuckles. "Will you ever watch Fight Club with me?"
  I shook my head. "Nope."
  "But I always watch your favorite movies. Why can't we watch something I like for a change?"
  I rolled my eyes at him. "You don't like Sixteen Candles?"
  "I like it plenty. I mean, that one scene where that girl is naked is pretty hot." I slapped his arm harshly. "But I'd rather see you in that position. Watching the same naked girl in the same scene over and over again gets boring."
  "That better not be a hint that you're getting tired of my body."
  He was quick to shake his head. "No. I love your body. I can never get tired of it."
  I looked down at my lap, imagining the stretch marks under my jeans. "So you're completely okay with my skin not being as smooth as it once was?"
  He nodded. "Why wouldn't I be? You're like a fucking cheetah, Mar. You make me wish I had some."
  "Trust me, they're the last things you'll ever want."
  He sighed and gave me a pat on the knee. "Don't bring yourself down like that. I'll do anything you ask if it gets you to finally realize how beautiful you are. Jesus, Mar. Those marks... they're a reminder of what we created together. So, don't you ever for one second feel insecure about them. Because I love them and so should you. What's a leopard without its stripes? What's a mother without her marks?"
  I brushed my fingertips under my shirt, outlining the stretch marks on my stomach. "I know. I know."
  "Then why won't you believe me? We all started out as a blank canvas but now look at you. You left your mark."
  "Okay, you like them. Are we done with this conversation?"
  He nodded and rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah. Just promise me one thing."
  "Okay."
  "Don't downgrade yourself like that. Don't pay attention to what the media thinks. They make stretchmarks come off as this flaw that you should be ashamed of because it ruins your body. Just think about me and remember I don't give two flying donkey shits about your insecurities. They're what make you beautiful."
  "You're too good for me," I mumbled.
  "That's because you're the one for me, Marissa Thomas-Murray. And nothing will ever change how I feel about you."
  I leaned my head against his arm. "I needed that."
  "Let's promise each other that we'll enjoy this trip. Other than the tours and meetings, let's make our anniversary weekend a great one."
  I nodded and closed my eyes. "Promise."

***

 We drove straight to the apartment complex once we hit Princeton the following day where the realtor was waiting for us at the entrance of the building. We've e-mailed her and talked on the phone with her many times in the past few weeks. She's been very helpful for us. She wasn't even that much older than Jake and I. Probably about a five year age gap. 
  "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Murray," she greeted us and offered a handshake. She dressed so much like my mother. From the black blazer to the pins holding her hair out of her face. It was like looking at an old photograph.
  "We go by Thomas-Murray, Jen," I corrected politely.
  "My apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas-Murray," she corrected herself.
  "You can call us Jake and Marissa if that'd be easier," Jake offered.
  She nodded and handed us both a piece of paper with the apartments information laid out on it. "Okay, Jake and Marissa," she started, "the apartment building was built in 1957. It's popular with beginning families and college students not just because it's affordable for young adults, but also because it is five blocks away from the Princeton University campus. The reason it is popular with new families is due to the fact that everything is in close proximity. You can walk to the shopping centers and the mall is just a couple of streets away. Making it easy to get around." She opened the door to the apartment building and allowed us to go ahead of her. We were instantly met with an old wooden staircase next to a long hallway. The beige paint on the walls was peeling in clumps. The hardwood doors lining the walls basically falling apart. 
  "Yes, maintenance is slacking around here," Jen explained and led us up the wooden staircase to the third floor. "But, they will allow you to paint the walls of your apartment and they do have maintenance guys who you call if something breaks. The apartment has two bedrooms, just like you wanted, and everything is in order for a growing family." She stopped us at room 304 and unlocked the worn-down wooden door. It creaked loudly as she pushed it open. The first thing I noticed when we stepped into the apartment was that the rugs desperately needed to be vacuumed or replaced entirely, paint chips covered the floors, and there were water stains on the ceiling. "It needs some work but other than that, it is completely suitable for a family."
  "The paint chips concern me," I stated. "We have two young kids. What if they eat them or something?"
  "When do you plan to move?"
  "Sometime this summer."
  She nodded and we all walked into the center of the small living room. "The sooner you buy, the sooner you can work on remodeling. You can repaint whenever you want to."
  "Can we see the rest of the apartment before we make any decisions?" Jake asked.
  Jen nodded and led us the six feet into the kitchen that overlooked the living room. The kitchen was small. Probably could only hold two people in it at once. The only thing separating the kitchen and the living room was the stone island table. "The kitchen is workable and should be suitable for another few years. It was just fixed up a couple years ago and the landlords say this is one of the most well-managed apartments in the whole building." She walked us away from the kitchen and down the short hallway. Three doors and one closet covered the walls. All the doors were open to give us an inside view. Both bedrooms looked to be about the same size. The master bedroom might've been just a little larger and it had two closets in the walls. The other bedroom just had one small closet and a built-in bookshelf. That would end up being the kids' room if we decided to move in here. Peeking into the bathroom, it was also pretty small but do-able. 
  Jake turned and walked into the master bedroom, me following close behind. "So, if we decide to move here, this would be our room, I guess," he said, taking in every detail of the room, looking into the closets. "What do you think?"
  "I don't know. Do you think it will be safe for the kids?"
  He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. "I think the four of us will be fine here."
  I leaned back away from him. "So, you're okay with this place?"
  He shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Pretty big eyesore but it's affordable and is close to the university. It's only for two years. It's not like this place will be permanent."
  "So, we're getting it?"
  "We're getting it." Jake walked towards Jen who was watching us from the hallway, eavesdropping on our conversation. "I guess we'll take it."
  Jen smiled and pulled out some papers from her folder. "Great. Now, follow me into the kitchen and we'll fill out some paperwork."