Chapter 3

God dammit, I hate it when she gives me that look.

I simply can't resist.

"Aria, baby," I start off, clutching both her hands in mine.

"You're being ridiculous.

I'll just be back in a couple of minutes.

Just close your eyes and pretend that you're not on the plane.

That'll work."

She still isn't buying it.

"I don't know..."

"You're strong, Aria.

You can do this."

She shakes her head again.

"Can you just not gonow?

I'll ask for a flight attendant to get their first aid kit and we'll fix you up.

You don't have to go now."

I heave a long sigh.

"Fine," I say.

"But later, I'm going to pee."

* * *

Aria didn't let me pee.

We're already four hours into the flight and my bladder is about to fucking explode.

I don't think I've ever held my pee for this long before.

I constantly shift in my seat, legs crossing then uncrossing, butt clenching and unclenching.

It hurts.

It physically hurts to hold this much pee in and the worse thing is knowing that the washroom is only a couple of feet away agonizes me to the core.

I turn my head and watch as Aria sleeps soundly beside me, her head against my shoulder and her arm looped over mine.

I don't know how she's managed to sleep, but I'm very thankful that she is.

There's only so much of her complaining that I can take.

I need to get out of here.

If I'm not on that damn toilet in the next couple of minutes, I'm going to burst, right here in my seat.

And I don't think the kids to our right will keep quiet about it.

Making sure that I won't wake Aria up, I shift her body over to her side, letting her head fall against the surface beside the window.

But the tricky part is the arms.

Beads of sweat trickle down the side of my face as I attempt to free myself from her grasp.

Prying her fingers from my arm slowly, I take her hand and bring it under my arm—

"What are you doing?"

I jump out of my seat as my wife's sharp and pointed eyes narrow on me.

Her glare is as cold as death.

Shit, shit, shit, shit—

Ah, there's no point lying anyway.

She'll see right through me; she always has.

So, I'm fucked either way.

"I really need to pee," I say.

She opens her mouth to protest but I interrupt her again, "and there's nowayin hell I'm doing it in a paper bag.

I have more fucking pride than that."

She sighs, taking her hand away from my arm.

"Fine," she says, gesturing to the washroom.

"Go."

Relief floods through me.

"Thanks—"

"But I'm coming with you."

What?

"Like I said, I can't be alone here.

I'll go crazy thinking about things," she says, beginning to unbuckle her seat belt.

"You're the only one that can make those bad things go away."

I groan.

I can't believe this is happening.

"You're waiting outside."

"Come on," she whines.

"Why can't I go in with you?"

"Because!" I try to reason with her but I can't put my thoughts into words.

"It's...embarrassing!"

"I've seen your dick before." She shrugs nonchalantly.

"It's no big deal."

I sigh.

"It's not that.

I've never..." I feel a blush creeping onto my cheeks,"peed in front ofanyonebefore."

"You think it'll creep me out?" Aria chokes on a laugh.

"Derek, you're being ridiculous.

I'm yourwife.

I've seen much weirder things from you.

And you from me.

It's not like I'm going to divorce you because I saw you peeing—mind you, an act that every single human being has to do."

I shift uncomfortable.

"Still..."

"Oh, come on.

Don't be such ababy!"

I snort.

"This coming from the person who can't sit alone in a flight."

Aria pauses.

"Okay yeah.

You have a point," she says, giving in. She blows out a steady breath and murmurs.

"I'll go in with you.

But I won't look, I promise.

I'll turn around and close my eyes if it makes you feel better."

Fuck, if she's this determined to be in that damn cubicle with me, I guess I'll have to take that.

There's no backing down with Aria.

I've learnt over the past hundred fights that've ever occurred between the both of us that the best way to solve anything is through compromise.

"Fine," I say, taking her hand and guiding her to the bathroom.

"We better make it quick.

People might think we're having sex in there."

She smiles.

"I think I'd rather they think we're actually doing that than the actual truth of the situation."

* * *

After I've cleared all liquid from my bladder, I quickly zip up and wash my hands.

"Okay," I say to my wife.

"You can look again."

"Thank god," she breathes, spinning around and facing me.

Her tawny eyes meet mine, amusement dancing across her pupils.

"Well, that was fun listening to you pee."

"Fun?" I huff out.

"That was the mosttraumatizingthing I've ever had to do."

"Oh come on." She bats her eyelashes at me.

"It's not that big of a deal.

So I heard you pee."

"Would you like me to hearyoupee?"

She snorts.

"No thanks."

"Hypocrite."

"I know." She winks at me.

"You're unbelievable," I say as I scoot over to the wash my hands in the wash basin.

There's not much room in the cubicle so Aria is practically pressed against tightly the doors.

My leg brushes against her thigh as I clean my hands, but I can't help but think this is dangerous.Realdangerous.

For the both of us.

Damn this small space.

I can hardly move away from her, nor do I want to.

Her legs are pressed up against mine in a way that makes my little tool downstairs a tad bit excited.

I continue rubbing my hands as the water rains down, swallowing hard, praying that she doesn't see how much of an effect she's already made on me—

"Seriously?" A bubbly laugh tears out of her when she eyes the bulge in my pants.

"Already?"

"It's the air up here, you know," The lie comes out of my mouth so easily.

"More oxygen, more blood circulation—"

"You don't know jack shit about science so don't try to bullshit your way through this," she says, folding her arms across her chest.

Damn, I forgot how big her boobs are in that T-shirt of hers.

She catches me staring at them and narrows a glance at me.

"I know you failed science in high school."

"I'm sorry.

But is it so wrong to be so turned on by my wife?" I slide a hand behind her waist to pull her closer to me.

She makes a small, squeaky sound when my head lowers to kiss the spot at the back of her ear—just how she always likes it.

"Especially when the place is so tiny and she's pressed up against me so tight that it makes it so much harder to breathe?"

"You think you're so smooth, are you?" she breathes as I take the opportunity to nibble on her earlobe.

"You said you didn't want the rest of the passengers to think we're having sex in here."

"Who the fuck cares anymore.

Let them think what they want to think," I whisper, my breath hot against her ear.

"I have the most beautiful girl on this flight in here with me during Christmas.

If anything, they'll all be jealous Santa didn't give them any gift that's as good as you."

She laughs against my neck.

Damn, her laugh isgorgeous.

I thank the universe everyday that I get to hear that laugh whenever I want.

"You're crazy, Kensington."

"And you're so fucking delicious, sweetheart."

"I guess," she rasps, her voice barely audible, "that if we're going to be here, we should make the most of our time.

Give them something to think about."

"I like how you think," I grin sillily at her.

"We got," I force a glance at my watch, "Three more hours left until we land."

She loops her arms around my neck and leans forward, her lips touching mine.

"Then, let's make it count."

[ E L I O T ]

"I'm sorry, Eliot."

Three words.

Three words that I've been so accustomed to hearing my whole life now that I've become desensitized to it.

Three words that hold so little meaning to me.

I heave a long sigh.

Why do I keep letting them do this to me?

You would have thought that I'd figured it out by now and keep my distance.

But like a fool, I believe them.

Like a fool, I've continued to hold up hope that this time, they'll really let us in.

"It was your dad's decision," my mother tells me over the phone.

Rage coils inside of me, burning at the core.

I'm so angry that all I want to do right now is to put a fucking fist through my wall.

Angry at at them, but rather, myself.

For letting them swindle me of my pride yet again.