Begin Again (H.S.)

Chapter 1

"Shall I count down the things I hate about you? Let's see, I hate that sometimes you can be an asshole. I hate how you always expect fresh food in the fridge. I know you're busy and I'm busy too. If you wanted your dinner fresh then you should've got yourself a maid instead of a wife. I also hate the fact that sometimes when I decline sex, you stomp around like a kid. God, you're childish sometimes. Can't you understand that I get tired from work. I hate your patterned shirts. Honestly? You look like shit in them. I hate how you turn on the engine of your car fifteen minutes before you even leave. I need my sleep for fcks sake. I could go on all day about you. Wanna give it a go?"

Isn't it funny though? How one moment, you love someone so much then within a blink of an eye you start to loathe them with every fiber of your being? That's how I felt when I saw them. I forgot every good thing he did throughout the past seven years that I've known him. Never mind that he tries to take me out at least thrice a month. Never mind that he's always the one to say sorry after a fight. Never mind the fact that he always puts the toilet seat back down after him. No! It was all ruined with his infidelity. His image as a good guy for me was ruined with one tiny (not) mistake.

Velda, our ever so enthusiastic marriage counselor was also no help. She just kept asking questions that would cause a rise between us. If anything, it only feels like she makes matters worse. The moment we start to calm down and not tear each other apart, she probably sees herself starving and getting evicted out of her house and thinks of a way to make us fight.

Harry was calm despite my shouting, which was annoying. He looks like he's done nothing wrong. He sighs, "Geez, woman! I said I'm sorry for about a million times now. I said I'd do anything you want. Isn't that enough?"

"Why did you do it then? You never told me," I snapped.

"Oh ho," he gives a comical laugh, "Trust me, if I did then we'd be in this fore saken place for another year."

You see, even after six sessions in this stupid counselling, he never told me the reason why. I crossed my arms across my chest, "Enlighten me then."

He stands up from his chair and started pacing around. He stops, letting a large huff of air out of his lungs. "It's because of you."

"Me?" I ask, slightly taken back.

"Chase, I've been giving so much effort in this marriage that... I simply got tired. You're the one who's always out, scouting places and finalizing floral arrangements while I make the effort of going home early, only for you to arrive when I'm sleeping already and waking with you still snoring away. You realize that sometimes we don't get to talk to each other unless we call. I just got tired of that."

"But—You don't understand, Harry. That's suppose to be that way when we both have jobs. I'm sorry if you feel that way, but why didn't you just told me instead doing it?" I asked him.

I remember the girl clearly in my head. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just kissing that they were doing. He confessed on the first session that he's been seeing her for almost four months. I slapped him harder than I slapped the girl. I wanted to gouge his eyes as well but what will be the point of this counseling if I accidentally killed him on our first session... Maybe I really should've just maimed him then. My life would be easier now.

"I already told you," he rolled his eyes, "I was tired. I couldn't take it any longer. I'm done with all the cold showers."

"Aha! So that's the bottom line of this, isn't it? That's just the main reason for everything," I said. It all makes so much sense to me now.

"What?"

I let out an amused laugh despite the situation, "Sex. It's all about sex, right? That's why you've been shagging another woman. Because the—"

"No, it's not," he says in defense. "Honestly, I explained it all to you and you just jump into conclusion that everything I did was just about sex."

"Well think about it! The last time we did it was..." When? I really can't remember, "A long time ago and since I couldn't give you what you want, you find yourself another—"

"Are you psychoanalyzing this? Don't! I told you—"

"You think I'm psychoanalyzing our situation? No! It's as clear as day. No need to do—"

"You are. That's the problem with you. You always psychoanalyze my actions, interpreting it to some men—"

"I'm not! I don't even know what you're talking about. And you're mental welfare is alright. This is all some midlife cri—

"Stop this!" Velda yells, finally saying something. "You both drive me nuts. God!" She pulls out a flask from a drawer in her desks and takes a few gulps.

"Velda, you know I really don't give a sht about you but I think that's illegal," I said.

"I know but you're both gonna drive me to an early grave at this pace. This sessions over. Try not to rip each other's head off and for the love of God, Chase, stop psychoanalyzing or whatever sht that is."

I scoff, "Easy for you to say all that huh, Velda. Being a marriage counsellor when you don't even have a husband to begin with. How'd you even land on this gig?"

Harry grabbed me by my arm and yanking it gently. I grabbed my handbag and stormed off the building, only waiting outside the car because he has the keys.

Harry scowled at me the moment we were inside the car, "Do you just have to pick up a fight with Velda?"

"No, but Velda is as helpful as that computer manual written in Russian. I could do better than her," I pointed out.

"Sure..." He said before muttering: "If people would want a marriage counselor who would scream at them."

I rolled my eyes before composing a message to Sophia saying that I couldn't join her for today. If Harry wants time, then I'm giving it to him. Just so he would stop being a namby-pamby and also because I know that deep down—really really deep down, I still love the idiot. Maybe that's why I agreed to seeing a stupid marriage counselor he saw online, even if it does nothing, just charging us two hundred dollars per session.

Okay, maybe it does a little somthing. I would never admit it out loud but I guess with all the fighting at Velda's, it's getting better. I can now manage to sit in a room with him without lashing out.

"Oh, what now?" Harry asks out of nowhere, his tone slightly panicked.

"Hmm?"

He kept changing gears whilst practically stomping on the brakes. "The car. I—I lost control,"

"What?!"

Then I saw it. There was a turn in about fifteen seconds and if we went straight there was a huge oak tree waiting for us. From here, I can already see that if we do hit the tree, our car will be smashed whilst the tree will be unscathed afterwards.

Basically, we were gonna die.

A few seconds before impact, Harry pinned me down to my seat with his one arm. Then everything went black.