Resist - A Continuation
Parts 32-33
For once, Danny and I are both too exhausted mentally and physically to make love again. We take a long bath together before retiring to my bedroom. We’re lying on our sides, facing each other. There’s still so much to be said; explained; explored.
“Michelle, I’m sorry I was a little too rough earlier. You do know I would never hurt you the way he did.”
“Yes I know. You’re not Nino.”
“No I am not.” There’s silence.
Now that its out in the open; our loving one another; there’s this new tension between us. I can’t explain it. I don’t know what to say to Danny. But I know we need to discuss where we go from here.
Danny must be feeling the same. He lets out a strangled laugh and says “So, I guess this is new territory for us?”
I smile and kiss him on the lips. “Yeah, you’re right. I have a question.”
“What’s that?”
“When you came here this evening, did you know what you were going to say or do?”
“Well, I was going to be my normally asinine self. You know; torture you and then get you in bed. The usual.” We both laugh.
“What changed your mind?”
“Our son.”
“Oh?” I’m propped on one elbow now. Danny’s piqued my curiosity.
He plays with my hair as he continues. “I love your hair. I love your body. I love your smile. I love your selflessness. I love you. And Andrew broke my heart tonight. He...uh...was telling me how excited you were about your date and how pretty you looked. In that moment, I knew I screwed up. I was just hoping that the good doctor wouldn't take one look at you and change his mind about our deal. Plus, I was scared you might like him.”
“How cute. So you really were jealous?”
“Yep. It took the little guy to make me see what was right in front of me all along. I love you so much and probably have from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”
“That’s like the twentieth time you’ve said that tonight. I do believe you, you know?”
“I’m glad because I have no idea what else I would’ve done to make you believe me. Especially since my tears had no effect on you.”
“Oh they had an effect alright. It’s just that I didn't know how to handle your admission of missing me. And then Colin called...”
“Will you ever forgive me for being such a jerk?”
“I already have. Speaking of Colin...I can’t believe he went along with your scheme. What did you do? Pay him? Threaten him?”
He laughs. “Actually, I just told him the truth.”
“What?! You mean he knows...everything?”
“Uh huh.” He’s grinning now. “Well not everything. Just the juicy parts.”
I pinch his nose and he squeals, “Ouch!” Then he starts to tickle me. We are actually having fun.
Between laughing, I manage to continue my interrogation. “Danny...stop...why did you tell him anything at all? Why not just pay him?”
“He’s my old roommate from college.”
“Are you serious? Boy, you’re lucky. I thought he was hot.”
“Hotter than me?”
“No one’s hotter than you. No one.”
“So does that mean I’m yours? Do you still want me? I mean you haven't said you love me and if you don’t anymore, I just want the chance to win your love again."
"Danny, I love you, but I'm still moving."
He looks at me totally devastated.
____________________________________________
I start laughing again so hard my stomach starts to hurt. Danny looks at me, totally confused.
“What’s so funny?”
I sit up and pull him up with me. I kiss his forehead, his nose, his chin.
“Danny, what’s funny is this...this softer, jealous, vulnerable side of you. You must admit, it’s a far cry from ice cold Danny that could never admit his feelings.”
“So that makes you laugh? I finally open up to you and it’s a joke? Look Michelle, I know I’ve been a jerk, but can’t you give me another chance?"
I start laughing again, unable to absorb this new side of my husband.
“And you can laugh at my begging, too. I don’t care. I want you.”
Danny starts to get up, but I pull him to me in a long, lingering kiss. “I want you, too.”
“But you just said you were moving?”
“To your bedroom when we get home, silly.”
He just stares at me again. Then, that wicked grin plasters his face. “You will pay for torturing me like that.”
I see the fire, desire and laughter in his eyes and quickly hop out of the bed, running from him.
“Only if you can catch me,” I shout as I run to the kitchen.
He’s right behind and catches me before I make it to the kitchen and he starts tickling me again. We slide and fall in a heap on the floor, both laughing uncontrollably.
Finally, our laughing subsides. Danny kisses me gently on the lips then pulls me up holding me to him with his arms wrapped around my waist. “Are you thirsty?”
“Yes and tired and in love,” I reply as I kiss his chin.
He lets me go and pats me on my bottom, then continues to the kitchen. “Go on back to bed. I’ll bring us some water and crackers. You do have some crackers?”
“Uh huh.”
Before I know it. Danny is back. We eat some crackers and drink our water before cutting off the lights and snuggling against one another in bed. My back is to him and he’s got one arm over my waist. We're both still too exhausted to make love. I sense that it will be days before we make love again.
“Michelle, I will make this work.”
“No Danny. We will make it work.”
"Right. And I'm going to keep my hands off of you until we get back to Springfield and get you moved in. I want our first night truly together to be special. How does that sound."
"Marvelous. I was just thinking that we should probably wait to make love again. I'm so excited Danny. Does that sound corny?"
"No, sweetie. It's how you're supposed to feel. I feel it, too. I was always thrilled to have Andrew in my life, but now...maybe all along...to have both of you...I mean really have you, Michelle...well...you know what I'm trying to say."
I smile at Danny's attempt to put his feelings into words. We've come a long way since Nino. "Danny, I think you always knew what you wanted. Do you remember the first night Andrew had a nightmare at the mansion."
"Yeah."
"Do you remember what you said to him?"
"No, not exactly. But I'm guessing that you do."
I roll over to face him, searching for his eyes in the dark. There's a little light coming in through the bedroom window from outside.
"You said it scared you that one day Andrew and me would leave...that you didn't know what you would do without the both of us. That made me feel so good."
He strokes my face and says, "You're right. I probably did know. I was just scared. I was afraid to open my heart to you and then have you leave once you remembered how I left you. You would always remember that night. And you always will."
"Danny, I don't remember it as a bad thing. Granted, you did hurt me by just leaving like that. But who was I, to you, that you should stay? You killed my husband. And I couldn't possibly be seen with you or any other man after being widowed so soon after my marriage. No one would have ever believed that Nino was going to kill me. No the way things happened was the way it was supposed to be. Plus, we have Andrew."
"You are such a strong, positive woman. And for the 999th time, I love you. Now, speaking of Andrew, we'd better get some sleep. He probably already has plans for his parents, tomorrow."
I laugh as I agree and we both fall asleep.