Jar of Hearts

by Molly Bryant

  “Sancho!” I smacked my hand on the bar. Ethan had his back turned talking to a family friend, his hand never leaving my back once.

  “Hello, Mrs. Montello. Congratulations,” he set a whiskey double and a beer for Ethan in front of me.

  “Thank you...” I smiled. “Edgar,” Yes, I knew Sancho's name.

  “Nice to see your smile as you are longer...” he thought his words through for a moment. “blocked? Is it?”

  “Ah, yes...” I laughed. “nope, not pussy blocked,”

  “By the way...” he smirked. “the name's Sancho,”

  “Who's pussy blocked?” Ethan asked, whispering in my ear he held me tight against his chest. “It definitely won't be you here in the next few hours,” I felt the heat pool in my core at his lust filled voices choice of words.

  “Maria,” I turn to see a smiling Marc. “Wow, a single woman by morning and a married woman by night,” he wrapped me in his arms and squeezed me tight against him. “Congratulations, gorgeous!”

  “Thanks, Marc,” I looked up at him. “Sorry I kind of ditched you today,”

  “Hey, I was not worried about it,” he smirked. “Besides, I met someone in the parking lot of the church,”

  “Shut up! Who?” I smacked his arm.

  “Her name is Jackie,” he beamed. “Do you know her?”

  Ethan turned around. “To each his own,” he gestured a cheer with his beer.

  Marc gave him a questioning look, I nudged him with my elbow. “I'm happy for you,”

  “Thank you,” he hugged me again. “Don't have too much fun tonight. I have to get going, I'm going to meet up with Jackie,”

  “Have a good date,”

  He shook Ethan's hand and took off through the back door. “I feel sorry for him,” I laughed.

  “You never know,” Ethan shrugged. “Maybe they are meant to be together? Fate's happened in stranger ways,”

  “Let's go dance,”

  “I'm sorry your mom isn't here,” Ethan gave me an apologetic look. “I had my mom try to track her down, but we couldn't get a hold of her,”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Ethan, I haven't talked to my mom in five years. She is more than likely out on some new conquest. She knows my number,”

  “Can we cut in?” Vanessa asked with Ben at her side.

  “Absolutely,” Ethan let go of me and I watched him dance with his sister.

  “Come on,” Ben twirled me in a circle. I roughly bumped into his chest.

  “I'm not a rag doll,” I wiped the hair from my eyes. “Jesus, Benjamin,”

  “I'm proud of you, Maria,” he smiled. “I knew everything would work out,”

  “I have never been this happy,” I watched Ethan spin Vanessa in circles, her head tipped back as she laughed.

  “You deserve to be happy,” he said lowly. “You and Vanessa both deserve it,”

  “We do,” I agreed. “Though I can't say for sure that I won't mess up. This is new to me,”

  “We all mess up at some point, Maria,” he spun me around, I slammed back into his chest. “But, what can you do besides learn from it,”

  “Try my hardest not to mess up,” I laughed aloud.

  “It's time for the cake,” Vanessa clapped her hands excitedly. “And Ethan? Do not smash it in her face, that is a two-thousand dollar Vera Wang she is wearing,”

  “Not making any promises,” Ethan winked at me. I shook my head with a smile knowing damn well what his intentions were. My pie hole will be turning into a cake hole.

  We cut the cake to not to my surprise, it was truly a red velvet.

  Vanessa gasped. “Benjamin!”

  “For you, Maria,” he smiled.

  “Oh yes...” I rubbed my hands together swiftly. Ethan looked between Ben and me totally confused. “Let me have it, honey!”

  “No,” Vanessa pointed in Ethan's face. “Don't you dare feed that to her. She will turn into a volatile gas machine,”

  Ethan looked at me and smirked. “What? Red velvet gives me gas,” I shrugged. Things like bodily functions by no means embarrass me, I take it as something funny. Because it is.

  “Oh really?” Ethan gave a hearty laugh, shoving it in my face. I happily accepted a mouthful. I turned to Vanessa and Ben giving the loudest moan I could muster with my mouth full

  “Ah, yeah,” Ethan shoved more into my mouth.

  “My dress!” Vanessa squealed.

  “Bite some cake, princess,” I grabbed a handful and shoved it in her face.

  She was laughing hysterically, trying to chew and not choke at the same time. “Oh, my God!” she laughed, wiping the cake from her eyes.

  Ben and Ethan were laughing, I turned around and looked at both of them. While reaching behind my back and grabbing more cake I asked, “What are you guys laughing at?”

  Ethan leaned forward to lick some frosting from the corner of my mouth when I stopped him by shoving a handful of red velvet in his face. Ben was laughing, I shoved some in his next. I heard Vanessa laugh, so Ben grabbed a handful and shoved it in her mouth. The cake war was in full swing.

  ~

  Ethan and me rode in the limo to a hotel that I was assuming would have been mine, but it wasn't. He had booked us a room at a fancy five-star honeymoon suit across Manhattan.

  “Ethan!” I gasped, as the limo parked in front of tower. “Why did you do this?”

  “Anything for you, beautiful,” he kissed my sticky cheek which I was sure I had cake all over my face still. His lips stuck for a second as he pulled back.

  “I need a bath,” I laughed.

  “That we do,” he kissed my cheek again.

  We reached the lavish penthouse suite, and Ethan couldn't take his hands off of me. He picked me up off of my feet and kissed me through the threshold. We were both out of breath thanks to our heated make out session from the lobby, all during our elevator ride, and down the hall to our room. Sadly, I didn't get to see any of it as my lips were stuck to Ethan's and I had my eyes closed.

  “God, I love you,” he mumbled against my lips as he set me to my feet in the master bedroom. I took my first look around, the bedroom was bigger than Vanessa's house. Everything was white: white flowers, white carpet, white linens.

  “It's beautiful,” I whispered, looking back at Ethan. “Thank you,”

  “My pleasure,” he kissed me again, increasing the intensity of our kiss.

  I pulled away. “Before we get too comfortable, will you run us a bath?”

  “If I get to wash you,” he bit my lower lip making me laugh.

  “As long as you agree to wash me everyday. First, send me on my way?” I turned around, flashing him my backside. He smiled widely with his tongue sticking out as he smacked my ass.

  “Everyday.” his voice was full of promise, and I knew he would. He suddenly frowned. “Where are you going?”

  I chuckled at his insecurity of me leaving. “Nowhere far. I need to go take my pill, I didn't this morning because things were crazy and I don't want to forget,”

  He nodded. “Okay, I will start the bath water,” he smiled. I love how much he smiles, it makes my heart leap from my chest every time.

  I quickly padded my way across the white carpet to the my purse that was dropped by the front door. I bent down to pick it up and set it on the marbled kitchen counter top. I dug around my purse and found the circular green case holding the birth control pills. I went to pop one in my mouth when Ethan came out of nowhere and scares the ever living Jesus out of me.

  “Maria, wait,” he rushed behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

  “You scared me,” I laughed, closing my eyes and placing my hand on my chest. “Wait what, handsome?” I turned in his arms.

  “Don't take it,” he shook his head, staring into my eyes.

  “What?” I stared at him dumbfounded.

  “I don't want you to take it,” he said softly. “I mean, you can take it, but I don't want you to,” he placed his forehead to mine.

 
; “You want to have a baby?” I felt my throat constrict at the word baby coming from my mouth.

  “We jumped feet first into getting married and it was the best decision I have ever made,” he squeezed me tighter to him. “I want to jump head first into starting our family. I love you and yes, I want to have a baby. I don't want to wait,” he shook his head.

  I nodded. Thinking about having a baby in the past has put me into damn near cardiac arrest. I had only thought I was pregnant one time, and I swear I had died. The thought of having a baby with Ethan though made me excited, nervous, and eager. “Okay,”

  “Okay as in you are understanding my answer, or okay as in you won't take the pill?” he backed away so he could see my face.

  I smiled at him, tossing the pill over my shoulder. “Let's make us a baby!” I jumped, wrapping my legs around his waist.

  “I love you, I love you, I love you,” he kissed me all over my sticky face, carrying me wrapped around him like an octopus to the bathroom. I giggled the entire way.

  Ethan washed my back as we talked about the things in life that we want together. We have more in common than I thought. My heart was pounding wildly like I had just ran a mile the entire time we were in the whirl tub. When I wrinkled like a prune, we got out of the tub and Ethan carried me to the plush bed and gently laid me down. Our bodies slid, we were still wet which made it that much more sexy.

  “I am so in love with you,” I whispered, running my hands through his wet hair. “Make love to me,”

  Ethan kissed me gently, I moaned against his lips with so much want and need. Just a few days without him near me, is far too long. I felt the fire his touch left upon my taut breasts course it's way down between my legs as he rubbed my heat between my swollen folds.

  “I love how wet you always are for me,” he whispered against my lips.

  “Mmm,” I moaned, his thumb drawing circles around my clit.

  He pulled his hand from my sex and pressed himself between my legs. I gasped at the feel of him pressing at my entrance. My core aching and throbbing for contact, I spread my legs wider and bucked my hips. He filled me completely.

  “Maria,” he whispered, picking up his speed in a steady rhythm. I couldn't help my cries, and pleas for him to ravish me. No one, and I say no one could ever make me feel the way Ethan does. He sends me into pure ecstasy with the intense, uncontrollable urge to squirm and claw my way across the bed.

  He stared into my eyes while he plunged himself deeper into me. “I love you,” he bucked his hips faster sending me into an eye rolling, lip biting frenzy as my body jerked beneath his beautiful sculpted body. I closed my eyes and smiled at the warmth he pulsated into me. I welcomed it openly knowing that soon, it would be something that Ethan and I did together. Something huge, and something from our love... a baby.

  Epilogue

  Ethan

  Four months later...

  Married life with Maria is nothing I expected it to be... it is much better than my mind could have ever fathomed. We laugh, talk until all hours of the night, we like the same foods, drinks, movies, opinions on certain things and she never ceases to amaze me in the the ways she shows me she cares. It's the simple things like when she goes to the store and picks out the things she knows I like to eat and won't buy myself, always making sure my wallet and phone are next to my ironed suit for work the next day. We couldn't be happier together.

  I am still working at Glow, but I haven't forgotten my dream of owning my own firm. Right now, I am making enough money still modeling ridiculous attire that Maria doesn't even have to work if she doesn't want to, but she insists that it's good for her to be around Vanessa. We bought a loft not too far from Vanessa and Ben, it was the girls decision. Maria decorated in earth tones which is the way I would have decorated it too.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I kissed her on the cheek as she stirred the spaghetti sauce. Did I mention that she can cook?

  “Hi, baby,” she turned her head toward me and kissed me on the lips. “How was your bath?” she turned, taking the garlic bread out of the oven.

  “Good, though I wish you would have joined me. Washing you in the shower isn't the same,” I pressed her hips into my growing erection. Sex with Maria is better than ever, two to three times a day and if we are busy, we do it whenever we have the chance.

  “Me too,” she frowned. “But the doctor said that until the second trimester I shouldn't and then it can't be warm enough to keep me from freezing,”

  “At least I get you in the shower,” I moved her hair out of the way and kissed her neck gently. I felt her skin rise into tiny goosebumps beneath my lips.

  I brought my hands around her flat tummy where our baby will make itself known in the next few months. That is why we are having dinner with Vanessa and Ben to tell them the news.

  I gripped the end of Maria's dress and brought it up to her thighs. She moaned, bringing her head back against my shoulder. “Ethan, they should be here any second,” I went to put my hand between her legs, Ding dong... “Told ya',” she winked at me then placed a quick kiss on my cheek and walked away adjusting her dress to let them in.

  I grabbed two beers from the fridge and set them on the counter for me and Ben. I could hear the chit chatter getting closer to the kitchen.

  “It smells amazing in here,” Vanessa gushed. “What are you making?”

  “Spaghetti,” I popped the top of my beer open. “And she makes the sauce from scratch,”

  Vanessa gasped. “No way!”

  “The entire time you stayed with us, you never said shit about you being able to cook,” Ben's tone was playful. I handed him a beer. “Thanks,”

  I nodded. “Didn't you buy wine for Nessy?”

  “Oh, yeah! Do you want some wine, Vanessa?” she put the lid back on the sauce and walked toward the wine cabinet.

  “Oh, no,” she waved her hand. “My stomach is kind of, ah!” she waved her hands crazily in front of her stomach.

  “Okay,” Maria smiled. “Help me set the table?”

  “Absolutely,” Vanessa helped Maria grab the plates and silverware from the counter top and they disappeared into the dining room to the left of the left of the kitchen.

  “So everything is good?” Ben asked, hopping up and taking a seat on the counter.

  “Everything is perfect,” I smiled. “She is the best thing that has happened to me,”

  “I can say that same about your sister,” he took a drink of his beer. “So what's this news?”

  “Nope,” Maria came into the kitchen shaking her head. “Do not say a word, Ethan,”

  “And you stop bugging him,” Vanessa pointed at him.

  “I wasn't bugging him,” he hopped off the counter.

  “Yes you were,” Vanessa eyed him. “Don't think I haven't heard you asking him for the last five days what this dinner is about because I have,”

  “Fine,” Ben rolled his eyes. “I was bugging him so what? I want to know, it's killing me,”

  “You're as bad as a Gossip Girl, Benjamin,” Vanessa rolled her eyes grabbing the basket of garlic bread.

  “That's a good show,” he nodded, taking another drink of his beer.

  “Dinner time,” Maria said excitedly bringing the dish of spaghetti with her to the table.

  We chatted about work, and everything in between when Maria nudged my knee with hers under the table. “So, we have some news,”

  “Yay!” Vanessa squealed. “I have been waiting for this because we have some news too,”

  “We're-” Vanessa and Maria said in unison. They laughed.

  “You go first,” Vanessa insisted.

  Maria shook her head. “No way, I want to know your news first,”

  “You go,”

  “No, you!”

  “Okay, we're pregnant,” they said at the same time again. They both gaped. Then out of nowhere, they both screamed and bounced out of their chairs touching each others stomachs. Ben and I just watched the scene unfold.

&n
bsp; “How far along are you?” Maria asked my sister.

  “Six weeks,” she beamed. “You?”

  “Six weeks,” they screamed again.

  “Imagine that,” Ben smiled shaking his head. “We get married at the same time, and we are popping them out at the same time,”

  “Well, I know what we were doing at midnight a few weeks ago,” I took a drink of my beer still staring at the girls.