by Thorn, Ava
“Wouldn’t it be dreamy to have a love story like the characters from the ‘Notebook’,” Corey said dreamily, putting matching brown pillows on the nook by the window.
“You do know the Notebook is about two fictional characters, I-”
“I-what?” Corey asked, he followed Kari’s line of sight to the Hank standing in the doorway.
“What the hell are you doing?” Hank questioned, looking at up her on the ladder.
Kari rolled her eyes and continued to drape the ceiling so it could flow onto the wall.
“Get down here now,” Hank said, walking over the 14 feet long metal ladder.
Kari looked over at Corey who was grinning like a loon. “Now he worries about me,” she said looking down at him. “I have done this plenty of times.”
“Technically Kari you always used one of the-” Corey stopped talking when Kari gave him the evil eyes that put fear in his heart.
“No, Kari. Call someone else to do that,” Hank started to complain. “Corey! Why didn’t you stop her?”
“Hank, I’m perfectly capable of climbing a ladder.” Kari said, trying to reassure her ex. “FYI you should be worrying about your wife and not me.”
“Damn,” Corey said, trying not to laugh.
“It doesn’t look safe, Kari, and seriously those leather riding boots have no grip,” Hank said, continuing to argue.
Kari looked at Hank in shock. “For the love of God! Don’t you have a freaking cow to milk?”
***
“Kari.” Hank could tell that she was having a hard time balancing her feet on the wobbly and squeaky ladder.
“You’re making me nervous.”
“No, you’re making me nervous,” Hank replied. He watched as Kari leaned forward with an electric drill in her hand.
Hank immediately sensed something bad was about to happen.
Squeak
“Kari.”
Squeaak
“Enough, Kari! Get down now,” he yelled.
“I’m almost have the first row of rods in…” Kari choose at that moment to step down and miss the step. Kari let out a blood curling scream. Hank caught Kari as she fell on top of him, sending them both to the ground. Kari laid on top of Hank, her head on his chest. Footsteps came running up the stairs.
“Shit, Kari! You could have killed yourself,” Hank said in anger, and started to move.
“Oh my god,” Corey said, kneeling down next to them. “Are you guys okay?”
“Please don’t move,” Kari moaned in pain.
When he heard her cry of pain, Hank heart nearly stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“Hank! Kari!” Austin said rushing into the room.
“I think she’s hurt,” Hank said. “Baby, tell me where it hurts.”
“We need to get her to the hospital,” Austin said.
“Maybe we should just call an ambulance, my boyfriend is a paramedic he always says don’t move someone who’s been hurt.”
“Aaah, shut up Corey!” Kari screamed as tears rolled down her face.
Hank lifted Kari’s face to his. “I’m going to change our position,” he said, rolling them over so Kari was lying on her back. Hank braced his weight on his arms, blood flowed from the side of her head where there was a large gash. “Corey can you get something so we can put pressure on it.”
“Kari, can you sit up?” Austin asked.
When she nodded her head. Hank helped her up in a sitting position.
“Let’s get you to the hospital, can you stand?” Hank asked, standing up. They both helped Kari stand up, but she fell back down on the ground crying.
“Take her to the hospital,” Austin said, looking at his cousin.
Within seconds Hank swept her up in his arms. Kari hesitantly put her arms around his neck, and put her face in the crook of his neck.
“Corey called the contractor and will have him come finish hanging up the drapes, finish setting up the room and video call me when you’re done,” Kari said as Hank carried her out the room.
***
After arriving at the emergency room, Kari sat on the uncomfortable exam room table waiting for the doctor. She told Hank ten times that he could leave but he wouldn’t budge, tapping her fingers impatiently on the plastic mattress.
“I should have listened to you,” she said, causing him to look at her again. “Thank you for catching me.”
“I will always catch you when you fall.” He looked down at his black cowboy hat in his hands. “Are you mad at me?”
“What type of question is that?” she asked. “Let’s move on from this there is no reason why we should have to keep reflecting on what happened.” Kari was becoming uncomfortable by the way he was staring at her.
Hank walked over to her, he lifted his hand and caressed the side of her cheek. She turned her head and planted a kiss on his hand. “I still love...” he was about to say something before a mid-aged Spanish guy walked into the room, wearing a lab coat.
“Ahem,” the doctor said. “Ms. Hayes?” he asked. “I’m Doctor Velez.”
“Yes!” Kari said a little too excitedly, she needed the distraction that the doctor caused.
“Let’s take a look at your foot.” Dr. Velez sat down on a stool and gingerly lifted Kari’s foot up. “Nice pedicure,” he said as he admired the ladybug toenails.
“How’s the foot, doctor?” Hank put a hand on Kari’s shoulder so the man could get the drift.
“Oh yeah,” he said clearing his throat, “I’ll have a nurse take you for an x-ray.” He left the room leaving Kari and Hank alone.
“Before you say something crazy,” she took a deep breath. There wasn’t one ounce of hatred in her nor did she wish him bad. Hank used to mean the world to her.
“I’m looking for my husband! I was told he was here.”
Kari blinkingly stared at Hank as the door to room was push open widely causing it to the hit the door with a bang.
“Jesus darling, I came a running when I heard the news are you okay?” Natalie asked checking Hank over.
Hank kept his eyes glued on Kari. “Yeah,” he snatched his arm away from Natalie. “Kari fell from the ladder.”
“Oh okay,” Natalie said, completely dismissing Kari. “Well, you’re not her husband, so you shouldn’t be here.”
“Natalie-”
“Don’t worry about it,” Kari said quickly, she didn’t need Natalie to tell Hank to leave. “Ya’ll can leave, I’m pretty sure this is nothing serious.”
Natalie was already pulling Hank towards the door. “You heard that Hank, obviously she’s okay and doesn’t need your help.”
He wasn’t budging from the spot in front of her. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Kari replied with her signature fake smile.
“I’ll check on you later,” Hank said, disappearing behind the door with his wife.
Kari thought she was over him, but after her latest debacle today and Hank coming to her rescue. “Shit,” she cursed under her breath, all those breakup exercises that she Googled online didn’t help, not one little bit.
All she gathered from today was how much she was still deeply in love with Hank. Kari admired his face, the body she used to hold and be held by, eyes that peered into hers. Today her soul and body was put back under that love spell that she wanted to snap out of.
***
On the drive back to the ranch, Hank kept peering over to Natalie, who sat there silent as a mouse. He could tell that she wanted to talk to him about Kari, she always wanted to talk about the woman who stole his heart. By them returning back to Nashville, they both awkwardly slipped back into their normal routine. He worked on around the ranch hard to keep his mind busy and off of Kari. There were plenty of nights where he left the house and went to Kari’s house and sat there trying to find the nerves to talk to her after the incident in Dallas.
Natalie came back home as if nothing had ever happen, as if she didn’t leave him for another man. She said that a
day without him made her realize what she was giving up. That daze that blinded him for months cleared away, like fog dissipating when the sun shines so brightly. He remembered the night Natalie returned, they’d stood in the middle of the living room talking and crying.
“You haven’t dumped her?” Natalie said, looking over at him with her arms folded.
“What?” he asked.
“You needed to break it off with Ms. Hayes, for good,” Natalie sneered. “I see the way ya’ll look at each other.”
Hank gripped the steering wheel harder. “It’s over between Kari and me.”
“It better be! I’m working my ass off to show you that I have changed.” She reached over and held his hand. “I just want us to move on from this, so we can continue on with our life.”
Hank didn’t respond. He pressed his foot on the gas pedal. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”
“You little girlfriend is always there! I think we should hire another decorator for the house. Every day when I step into the house I have to be reminded that she designed each room.”
Hank started to brake, he turned the truck into a parking lot. “Look here! Don’t start with me! I didn’t have a relationship with Kari until you left me! You on the other hand fucked another dude every chance you had. The lies you told! So, be freaking real when you talk about Kari.”
“Do not put this on me!” Natalie yelled. “If you would have been a better husband I wouldn’t have cheated.”
“How better can I get! Gave you everything you want including emotional, financial and physical support.
“Yeah I cheated! I made a huge terrible mistake and broke the trust our relationship was founded on,” Natalie yelled. “But you stop paying attention to me! The dreams we made for ourselves was somehow washed away.”
“Because you want me to become this big time recording artist, live the fast life in Los Angeles! You’d been cheating for months and you still won’t own up to that.” Hank had enough from Natalie, he needed to get away from her. He grabbed his wallet and phone, the car door opened and he hoped out. “Go home, I’ll be there later.”
Natalie scrambled to get out the truck. “Where are you going?”
They stood in the parking lot of a crowded grocery store in the cold, in the middle of the evening.
“Our marriage was never perfect on either end, but I always thought you were faithful,” he said, pushing his hands into his pocket. “But I never once doubted you until now. You lied and left me for another man, so excuse me if I can’t pretend with you. I’m not going to apologize for loving another woman.”
Natalie appeared shocked.
Hank saw the way Natalie was standing there shaking, in shock and not knowing what to say next.
“You love her?” she asked in a low voice that was almost like a whisper.
“Yes.” He wasn’t trying to hurt Natalie. That was never his goal when she came back into his life. “All the care and love I had for you…has been transformed into disdain and hate for a woman I don’t even know anymore.”
“You know why I cheated! It’s because you didn’t make me happy anymore and I found someone who did.”
Hank didn’t say anything; he took one last look at Natalie before he trekked down the busy road with no destination in mind.
***
With her foot in a soft cast, Kari was only able to stand clinging onto Corey’s boyfriend, Tony.
“Are you fine to stay the night by yourself?” Tony asked.
“Yeah,” Kari answered with a frown on her face, looking slightly unsure.
“Uh-Kari, if you fall out here I can’t pick up you,” Tony laughed.
“Don’t worry, I have no desire to fall down,” Kari whined. “Are you sure you can’t carry me because I thought you at least weighed 190 pounds.”
Tony stumble on the sidewalk causing Kari to shriek, “I’ll have you know girl, I weigh 170 pounds thank you very much.”
Kari gave him a stern look that said yeah right. Tony McKay was the ying to Corey’s yang. She gripped Tony’s tan hand, beads of sweat trickled down the side of his head. Kari couldn’t help but laughed at Tony.
“May I be of assistance?”
Kari stilled at the sound of Hank’s voice. Turning around slowly, she stared into his grey eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you got home safely,” Hank said, taking a step closer to Kari.
“Don’t need your help-”
“Child! Speak for yourself, we will be here all night trying to get your ass up these stairs.” Tony smiled brightly at Hank. “I’ll go unlock the front door.”
“Tony,” Kari said through clench teeth, but it was too late. Tony was already walking up the stairs. “Son of a bitch,” she mumbled under her breath.
“Looks like it me and you,” Hank smirked, scooping Kari up in one smooth swing.
“Where is your wife?” she said, holding on to Hank’s neck. Her face was so close to the rancher, she could smell his Polo cologne.
“I don’t know,” he grumbled, carrying her gingerly up the stairs into the house.
***
Hank sat Kari down on the sofa in the living room. He watched the Hispanic guy name Tony in the kitchen looking through the refrigerator.
“Kari you don’t have a lick of food in this place,” Tony said with his hand on his hips. “I’m going to run out and buy something for dinner.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Kari started to say; her words were waved off by Tony.
“Nonsense, you have Hank here and I’m pretty sure he is capable of helping you get situated until Corey or I return.” Tony grabbed his keys off the countertop and walked out the room.
“Shit.”
Hank silently watched Kari as she avoided all eye contact with him. He stood against the wall and watched as she struggled to get up from the sofa. Once she accomplished standing up, he nearly laughed as Kari hopped on one foot to the staircase. “Why don’t you just ask me for help?”
“I don’t need your help, Jackson,” Kari snapped. “Why don’t you just leave?”
Hank couldn’t stand watching her struggling with walking; he strode over to her, picking her up. “Now, was that so hard?” Hank questioned, and started walking up the stairs.
Kari ignored him. “Thank you,” she said, when he laid her on the bed without looking at him. “You can leave now.”
You can leave, his mind repeated as he gazed over at Kari laying in the bed. His life and marriage had a question mark by it. Hank knew he should delete her number, stop calling, stop driving by her place and waiting to catch a glimpse of her. But he couldn’t erase her name or memory. He was acting selfish; he should be removing himself from her life completely. There is a tiny voice in the back of his head that say ‘move on,’ so that she could.
Every night he closed his eyes, he sees her face. Those full lips that could make any man weak in the knees, touching her soft brown skin and how she rested her head on his chest before they fell asleep at night. Every day, he tried to forget how she smell like a field of daisies or how those desirable kisses tasted like honey.
It was hard to forget that this woman loved and trusted him. He willed himself to forget how she screamed his name during their lovemaking. It was hard for him to forget how sexy and cute she looked in his shirts. He didn’t want to picture her with another man, but he did even when it pained him. Hank knew that Kari deserved someone better than him, but right now as he stood there in her bedroom the decision of relinquishing her was harder.
“I can’t leave,” he said, sitting down on the bed next to her. “It’s not fair to you that I don’t know what I want.”
“It’s all or nothing; two people like us cannot be just friends…especially after we have been intimate,” she said softly.
Hank touched her hand into his. “I’m still trying to figure this all out; it would be selfish if I asked you to wait for me.”
Kari pulled her han
d away from Hanks. “I’m not this option you keep open! I have feelings and needs like the next woman. I will not, and I repeat, I will not be a toy that you play with every now and then.”
“I-I didn’t mean it like that,” Hank stuttered.
“When you leave here Hank, don’t come back,” Kari said, standing up gingerly on her sprained ankle. “You’re taking me for granted and thinking that I will be there at the end of the day. No! I love myself and my happiness, even if you don’t.”
“Kari, sit down and just hear me out,” he pleaded.
“No! It hurt to know that you’d rather be with someone who’s less interesting, less thoughtful or who isn’t loyal to you.” Kari pounded her chest. “I love you and have been loyal to you.”
“I’m terrified that I will make the wrong decision.”
“This is our finality, Hank; in all honesty I wish you and your wife the best.”
Hank sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, this wasn’t what he expected when he ventured over to Kari’s house. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“It’s about accepting and letting go, you will always be a part of me; it’s time for us to turn the page-to start a new chapter in our lives.” She stepped towards him staring him in the eyes, reaching up she caressed the side of his face before kissing him. “Goodbye, Hank Jackson.”
Hank watch as Kari hobbled to the bathroom and closed the door. He stood there a minute before walking out the bedroom and out the house. He was terrified to let her go, and afraid that she would find someone that wasn’t good enough for her.
“Look what the cat dragged in.” Corey gave Hank a disapproving look. “Kari is not a placeholder in you love life, she is not a fall back option. If you want something with her than you have to end your current relationship.”
“Don’t you think I know that!” he shouted. “I could never cheat on Kari or Natalie. I would never want them to experience that level of pain or break of trust I have experienced.”
“No! Instead your ‘Brokeback Mountain’ pretended to love Kari and threw her away like discarded trash.”