Give It to Me.

I woke up tangled in my bed sheets, sweaty and groggy. I tried to push all my hair up into a bun before slipping my feet into my slippers and dragging myself out of bed. My parents were in South Carolina until tomorrow morning, compliments of travel arrangements Kennedy and I had made for our first planned wedding date.

I scratched behind my neck before pulling my robe tightly around my body and tying the strings in a bow. I brushed my teeth thoroughly and made my way downstairs pulling out some cereal and milk.

I flicked the TV on and listened to the Saturday cartoons that were playing, none of them I actually knew but the silence left me with my thoughts.

I washed my bowl and pulled out my phone, plopping down on the sofa. I couldn't help my mind from wondering if Kennedy was alright, even when I couldn't stand the thought of being in his presence physically, I was worried.

I scrolled through my phone and called Tessa.

"Hey Tess," I said softly as she answered warmly.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright, how is he?"
"Won't talk to either of us, won't leave the bedroom or eat," She said sadly.
"I can't stand this."
"He won't be this difficult forever, his pride is hurt. And think about it, he hasn't been able to so what he loves for months now Mace," She tried to convince me.
"I can't put in the effort for both of us," I said exasperated.
"I know, which is why I can understand you leaving. But don't make it permanent, you guys are supposed to be getting married in three weeks," She reminded me.
"Don't hold your breath," I said almost inaudibly.
"Can you please just do us one favor, and get him to eat and drink something?"
"I'll come over soon," I said, mostly against my will.

I showered and threw some workout clothes on, deciding I'd run over there and hopefully let off some steam and aggression before arriving. It was a couple miles but running used to be something Kennedy and I shared and gave us time to relay our busy lives to one another.

I was breathing hard as I took the stairs two at a time, before walking into the apartment. Jared's smile was contagious seeing me walk into the living room.

"Hey M&M," He hugged me.
"Hey Jare," I said softly, hugging him tightly.
"Tessa said you were coming over for a little bit," He looked at me hopefully.
"Just going to slap some sense into him then I'm going back to Mom and Dad's," I shrugged and walked toward the bedroom.

I knocked on the closed door, hearing no response I opened the door slowly. Kennedy was laying in bed, his hair matted and greasy after not even a full 48 hours. I cleared my throat, trying to grab his attention.

He didn't budge. I walked around the other side of the bed, looking at him with cold eyes. He looked at me, he had given up completely. That fire in his eyes completely burnt out.

"Not eating isn't going to bring me home or help you start walking again," I said solemnly.

He said nothing but stared passed me and out of the window.

"You have to eat and drink some fluids," I looked at him.

I walked out of the bedroom and began to make him a sandwich, something I knew he always liked when I made. He was pretty simple when it came to culinary creations. I made him a glass of hand squeezed lemonade and took it into the room.

I set it down and stuck my arms under his back and legs, pulling him into a sitting position. He ate quietly, still saying nothing to me.

"I'm so blown away that you're mad at me," I took a deep breath, "this is what you wanted. You wanted me to leave you alone and stop bitching at you. You didn't want me to bother you anymore about not giving up, you didn't want me to push you anymore."
"You're my wife, I wanted nothing more than for you to ride this out with me," He said quietly.
"You didn't even give me a chance to be your wife!" I felt my voice raising.
"We had 3 weeks left," He finished his glass of lemonade.
"Don't turn this around on me Kennedy, I can't give my fifty percent and yours."

He said nothing. I wanted to slap him across the face. He had really made himself believe this was all my fault. Like he had had no part in the crumbling of our relationship. I knew he had no control over the accident happening, and the depression that followed, but that didn't mean he could just mistreat everyone and completely give up on everything we had built.

"Fucking talk to me," I growled.
"I fucking love you! All I want is you here with me night and day, quit that stupid fucking job and let me take care of you. Help me get out of this stupid fucking rut of depression I'm stuck in because I'm handicapped 3 weeks before I'm supposed to finally walk you down the aisle," His voice boomed.

I was stunned. I was dazed hearing this revelation escape his mouth. My job was something I worked hard to get. I stuck by his side until I had no sanity left. And he made walking me down the aisle sound more like a chore than a personal decision.