Just Love Me

Chapter 17: Eight Weeks

"Can you grab me a Coke?" he asked, looking up quickly and then returning his attention to his finance textbook. I glared at him with my hands on my hips. Clearing my throat, I waited for at least a 'thank you.'

He glanced at me once more before taking a bite out of the sandwich I made him. Realizing, he wasn't going to use his manners, I sat down across from him. I had my own homework to focus on.

"Sweets," he complained. "You're closer to the refrigerator." Neither of us were far away in the tiny kitchen.

"You didn't say please or thank you."

Rick stood up from the table and got his own soda. I rolled my eyes at his pettiness. I opened a bag of cool ranch Doritos and dipped it in the jar of peanut, while reading for my organic chemistry class.

"Ew what are you eating?" Rick criticized, disturbing me. "You're gonna get Doritos pieces all in the peanut butter."

"It's good. Try it," I dragged a chip along the edge then held it out for Rick to try. He frowned in disgust and shook his head. I shrugged and ate it. Tasted good to me. "I wanted something salty and sweet and you ate all the trail mix this morning."

"I had to. You didn't make me breakfast."

"Sorry but it's not like we have any food."

"I gave you $50 for groceries two days ago," he nagged. "I'm tired of having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ramen for dinner every night."

"$50 doesn't go very far especially since I had to buy toilet paper, toothpaste and every other little thing for the apartment."

He reached into his pants pocket, pulling two crisp twenties out his wallet. "Order a pizza or Chinese. Anything other than this shit." I stared at the money on the table and burst into tears. I didn't mean to get so emotional but I was feeling overwhelmed from being a new wife, plus satisfying his hunger needs. "Woah damn. Sweets don't cry," Rick said, coming over to me. He kneeled in front of me and took my hands into his. I looked up expecting to be looking in his eyes but instead I caught him gazing at my boobs that were bra-less in a white tank top.

"You're a pig," I snapped, yanking my hands away.

Rick wrapped his arms around my waist laughing. I pursed my lips watching him lay his head on my chest.

"You distracted me with these." His hand squeezed my boob sending a shooting pain through my body. I smacked his shoulder.

"Ouch! That hurt." He laughed harder, slipping his hands up my tank. We were going to fight if he touched my boobs again.

"Let me make them feel better," he said. I giggled, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"We have homework to do." Rick stood up, grabbing my hand. "What if you get behind?"

"That's actually what I was planning." It took me a second to understand what he meant.

"I wasn't talking about that," I told him, blushing. He threw me over his shoulder and slapped my ass.

* * *

I rubbed at my stuffy nose. Another coughing fit crept up feeling like one of my lungs was about to come up.

Joe had to go back to work, making his rounds around the hospital. I lied in the hospital bed, frightened and alone, waiting for a doctor to come see about me. My phone buzzed on my lap. I picked it up seeing I had new iMessages.