Page 21 of Takedown

“No WiFi,” I remind him. “So, how can you afford this?” I hold the ring to his face and crane my neck up to look at him.

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” he tells me.

“Are you part of the Irish mafia?”

He opens one of the Tupperware containers, smells it, and puts it in the microwave.

“I’m a vice principal at a junior high. You already know this.”

“Exactly, which means there’s no way in hell you can afford this. If it’s real, it’s more than three carats, and you live like this.” I wave my hands around the apartment.

“Redecorate the damn place, Mel. Get rid of this shit and get new things. I don’t care.”

I scoff, cross my arms and say, “Am I supposed to pay to decorate your place for you? I can deal with this for a year.” I look around again, unsure if what I just said is true. He sighs loudly, walks to the bedroom, and returns with his wallet. He grabs my hand and drops an American Express card in it.

“Get whatever you want.” The microwave beeps, and he pulls out the container. When he grabs two plates, I hold up my hand.

“I don’t want that, and how is it you can afford this ring?” I put afford in air quotes. “And you don’t have decent furniture. And now you just handed me an American Express. You do know you have to pay the entire balance at once, right?” I lay the card down on the table.

“I’m aware of how to pay my own damn credit card. You hate my furniture, so buy new shit. Do we have to fight about every damn thing? I didn’t steal the ring. I bought it for you. And my apartment looks like this because I’m a guy who lived alone until yesterday. I don’t care, but you do, so get whatever you want. And if you don’t want this food, I’ll make you something else.”

I get up from the table and walk to Adam. He has his back turned to me. He goes completely still when I stand close to him. I can practically see the hairs standing on the back of his neck. Slowly, he turns around, and I hate the fact that he gets to look down at me.

“Did you just raise your voice at me?” I ask, taking a small step closer. I point a finger in his face.

He looks down at me, and his eyes darken. He grabs both of my hands and holds them together behind my back. He doesn’t exert himself, but the simple gesture is meant to show me how easily he can overpower me. “You don’t want to do that, Mel.” The words aren’t angry, but it’s a warning. “No fingers in my face, love. Not ever. I’m giving you what you want, and you still want to fight me.”

“You think this is what I want?” I ask, aghast.

He lets me go and grabs a plate from the cabinet above the sink. A quick look reveals none of his plates match. I close my eyes in search of patience. After plating his food, the smell reaches my nose, and my stomach growls loudly. He smirks and grabs another plate, this brown one uglier than the purple one he’s using.

“You said I do, didn’t you? And you’re here. Just sit down and eat, for fuck’s sake.” My stomach rumbles again, but instead of sitting down to eat the plate of food he’s prepared for me, I open the fridge and look through its contents. It’s bare. The only thing other than vegetables and bottled water is a pack of boneless skinless chicken breast.

“You don’t have any deli meat?”

“Nothing processed goes in this body.” He has the nerve to smile at me before he points to my plate of food again. “I can order you something, but it might take a while.” One quick look outside shows that the snow has not waned.

“Are you in debt?” I ask while pulling out the chair. Reluctantly, I eat the chicken my mother made. “I can help you with your finances. Help you set up a budget and figure out the best time to pay your bills. We can call the creditors and arrange payment plans for you.”

“All of my bills are paid on time. No debt.” When I raise my brows in disbelief, he says, “You can run my credit report when the WiFi comes back if you want, Mel.” Instead of sitting across from me, he sits right next to me. With no effort at all, he lifts me from my chair and places me on his lap, kissing me deeply before I can move away. The kiss is tender but rough enough to make me remember the passion we shared yesterday and today. I kiss him back just as intensely.

When he pulls away, he rests his forehead on mine while he catches his breath. “I didn’t steal your ring. I’m not in debt. You can redecorate this place however you want. Paint the walls purple or whatever girly color you want, just as long as you come back every day.” He kisses my temple, and for a moment, I forget myself and lay my head on his hard chest.

For the next ten minutes, we eat our first lunch together as husband and wife. He finishes his, and when I push my plate in front of him, he finishes that too.

12

“By the way, who keeps calling you from that New York number? They called twice.” She says it casually, but I can tell she’s fishing for information, and I can’t give her any.

“Must have been a wrong number,” I tell her.

She eyes me, but she doesn’t pursue it, and I let out a relieved breath. She leaves my lap and grabs our dishes. While she washes them, I do what I should have done months ago when they started calling. I block both numbers fully knowing that this is only a temporary solution, but I don’t want Mel asking questions.

While she cleans the kitchen, I straighten the living room, but with the sparse furniture, it doesn’t take long. I look around my home and see it for the first time. Mel’s right. It’s awful with the mismatched furniture and bare walls.

Once she’s done with the dishes, she digs around her laptop bag, pulls out a legal pad and pen, and walks around the apartment taking notes. I lie on the couch, doing my best to pay attention to the TV, but she’s distracting. She scribbles on the legal pad as if it’s something important. She even opens all the kitchen cabinets and drawers, all the while taking notes. When she disappears to the back of the apartment, I have the impulse to follow her and study everything she does. Every mannerism and expression of her face. I want to know it all, but I remind myself that she’s my wife now, and despite the one year limit we talked about, there is no way I’m going to let her go without one hell of a fight.

Just as I relax on the couch, there’s a knock on the door. A few seconds later, Alex and Addison walk in.

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