Tempting Fall

Shelby stood leaning up against a post leading into the trails that marked their way through Kinderman’s Woods. She was waiting for her best friend Taylor and her husband David. She wasn’t so fond of the idea of getting back in touch with nature while taking one of these 3 to 6 hour hikes up Ketter’s Mount, but Taylor had begged for so long, she was tired of saying no. She swore it to be beautiful and breathtaking and something that Shelby would not regret, so, here she was, and they were late. She stretched her legs up to her back once more then took another look at her watch. She tapped it then took a deep breath just as she spotted David’s Avalanche pull up. Hmmm….no Taylor. She better have a damn good reason for this, Shelby thought, but put on her best smile anyway. She walked toward where David parked. She watched his gorgeous form get out of the vehicle and reach back to lock the doors. She watched without his knowing, staring at his tall body, dark hair, muscular arms, decent tan, emerald green eyes. For a second she felt a twinge of jealousy.

“Hey there!” she called out to him. “You’re uh, one shy there, aren’t you?”
“Huh? Oh, Taylor. Yeah, they had an IT emergency at the college and she had to go and take care of that. She said she would try to meet us here later and we’d go out for drinks.” David replied.
Taylor was the president over the entire IT department at their local college and it wasn’t often that she missed.
“So, shall we?” David asked and held his hand out toward the trails?
“I’ve already bought us 3 bottles of water each and a couple granola bars in case we need the extra pick up”, Shelby offered. “They’re in my back pack.”
“Great, so, unless either of us needs to visit the restroom first, I’d say we’re ready to head out.” David replied.
“No, I think we’re good to go” Shelby said.

And so they began, the first step of a 2.5 mile hike up a very steep trail through the side of the mountains. The first little while was awkward. Not much talking. Shelby had been around David and she felt that they had become friends but she felt it would have been better if Taylor were there also. Slowly they begin to open up to one another. Though, David had to make the first move.
“So, how’ve you been since the divorce?” He asked. Not the best question to start with, but at least it did break the ice.
“AAhh, the dreaded ‘how’ve you been speech’, huh? Are we really going down that road?” Shelby said, attempting to avoid it.
“Taylor just seems worried about you. I think that’s why she wanted us to get together and do this stupid hike. To get you out in the open air and help clear your mind, was her words.”

Shelby laughed. “Clear my mind, huh? Yeah, tell her I have a gun at home sufficient enough to take care of that for me.” She said halfway laughing, only David wasn’t even smiling back at her. “Oh come on David, does she actually think that I would do something so stupid? I’m fine. I’ve just been taking time, reflecting back on our life together, good times, bad times, mistakes we made, things we should’ve changed, times we should’ve walked away. You know how when you go through closets and attics to get rid of stuff it takes awhile? Well, I’ve got 10 years of memories and crap to go through and think about. I’m not suicidal, I’d just rather be alone here lately till I can sort through all this mess in my head. But I’m fine, really.”

They had stopped for a moment against some rocks to stretch some more. David was watching her. “I guess you’re right” he said and threw his arm around her neck. “Just get through soon, we miss seeing you around the house, okay? He said and leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then he let her go and walked on ahead.

What was that? Shelby thought in her head? Close friends or not, he’d never been that, hmm, what was the word….daring?....unabashed? Maybe it was nothing. Anyway, they continued their long trek up the trails through the beautiful woods. The countryside was gorgeous, running right alongside a beautiful crystal clear brook. Wildlife in every direction. Squirrels, deer, rabbits. It truly was beautiful. At the end of this long trail up the mount, there was rumored to be an absolutely breathtaking waterfall. Very few people took this trail because it went straight up, but based on the rumors it was the one that Taylor said she had to see and planned. And now she wasn’t even here.

Shelby looked at her watch. They had been hiking for the most part quietly the last hour so they decided to take a break. Sitting on a rock by the trail overlooking the brook and mountainside, they begin talking again.
“Shelby, I just don’t understand. We didn’t see you a lot but every time we did, you guys seemed so happy, like the perfect couple.”

Shelby lowered her eyes and shook her head. “You know it’s amazing what you can get used to hiding when you know you have too. There was so much crap David you really wouldn’t want to know it all. We tried our best to put on a good front for the family, but that’s all it was. By the end, we were really just strangers. After he hit me that first time, I didn’t know who he was anymore.”
“Whoah whoah wait? He hit you?!?”
”Um yeah, where were you? I came to your house crying, I stayed with you and Taylor for 3 days.”
“Oh, that’s what that was. Taylor said Mark had the flu and that’s why you were staying with us. I guess I overlooked the bruise. Man. I’m sorry Shelby. I wish I would have known then. Not that it would have made a huge difference but I would’ve been there for you.”
“I know that, it’s okay. I was so embarrassed. I didn’t want anyone to know.”

David could tell she didn’t really want to talk about it so he didn’t push the issue.
Shelby reached into her pack and pulled out a granola bar and nibbled on it uninterested. She surveyed the territory around them, watching the leaves shudder in the breeze, and the birds flitting from limb to limb. She slapped at a stinging sensation on her shoulder and looked down to see the remnants of a mosquito.
“Damn bugs” she muttered as she reached into her backpack for bug spray.
“This is the only thing I hate about the outdoors, the freaking bugs.” She followed up.

David just snickered at her as he watched her vigorously spraying the appalling bug repellant all over her bare skin.
“I don’t think they bother us as much while we’re moving. Shall we?” she asked.
He didn’t answer, he simply got up from his place on the rocks and stretched his arms over his head and twisted his torso back and forth. Shelby put her water, bug spray and remains of her granola bar back into her back pack and joined him.
They walked in silence for a few moments before David began talking again.
“I know this is hard for you Shelby. But, can I ask you something and please don’t take it wrong.”
“Okay” she answered.
“What happened? I mean, why’d he hit you?”

She took a deep breath in and widened her eyes for a second. He could see the contemplation of his question on her face.
“Specifically” she began, “a terrible fight that just got out of hand. I flew off the handle saying things I shouldn’t have said about ‘if he was any kind of man this and that’. But in general, he just had a bad temper he couldn’t control anymore. I didn’t realize how bad until then.”
Again, David could see she was putting a lot of thought into the conversation at hand and wondered if he should change the subject. But he was curious. He just couldn’t understand how a man could mistreat a woman like her.
“I was never afraid of him until that night. It was awful. You’re not supposed to feel that kind of fear for some one you love.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on any of that while you were there. I must’ve been blind.” David pondered.
“No, I hid it well. It was worse than what I even let on to Taylor.”
Shelby confessed.

She didn’t know why she was telling all this to David. She was sure he wasn’t interested in hearing it. But he seemed genuinely concerned and never interrupted her. He just let her talk on and on and listened intently. Occasionally he held out his hand and helped her to step across some rocks or roots that grew across the path.
“What do you mean?” he inquired.
She took another deep breath, but this time she hesitated longer.
“We don’t have to talk about this anymore if you don’t want to.”
“No it’s okay. I suppose I should talk to some one about it. Seeing as how I never have. I just never thought it’d be you.” She laughed nervously and began again. “Well, he raped me that night.” She said and hesitated once again. “You know what’s stupid? I never thought you could be…raped…by your own spouse. I would’ve never thought that things could … get to that level between a husband and wife, you know? There was just so much anger in his eyes, so much violence. He might as well have been a stranger. After that night he really was.

When it was all over and he had calmed down and realized what he had done, he was very apologetic, crying, the works. But I just couldn’t get past it. I didn’t know him anymore. Anyway, I never even told Taylor that. I don’t know why, I just couldn’t bring myself to say the words then.” She finished.
Shelby could tell that David wasn’t breathing. He seemed to be holding his breath until he could find something to say, almost disgusted. She hoped it wasn’t directed toward her.
“What…why…what…I just don’t get it.” He stumbled over his own words.
“Well, I knew that I wouldn’t bring charges against him. It was too shameful, and how do you press charges against your own husband for that anyway? So, I just kept it to myself.”

David had slowed considerably behind her, staring at the ground, seeming to concentrate too hard on every step he took till he finally stopped altogether.
“Shelby” he called her name. She turned to look at him, puzzled by the tone in his voice, which seemed heartbroken almost.
“My God. I am so, so sorry. I wish I had known. I…I…well I don’t know what I could’ve done, but I just wish…” he stepped toward her and hugged her up in his arms again, “I’m sorry. You deserved so much better.” He finally choked out.
“What the hell?” she asked laughing. “I’m not used to a man having so much sensitivity.”

David let her go and looked into her face. He rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand.
“I’m okay now, really” she said reaching up to place her hand on top of his.

Damn, was she really trying to comfort him? And he was married! And to her best friend no less!
They had walked and talked for so long, they hadn’t paid attention to how far they had come. They were right at the top of the trail. They could hear the waterfalls now. It was a very rare occasion that anyone came this high up. That was sad too because it really was beautiful and breathtaking, just like Taylor had promised.

They stopped talking for the moment taking in the scenery around them. They walked in silence to where the waterfalls fell into a gloriously blue pool of water. The sun glinting off the water threw prisms of light and rainbows in every direction. It was gorgeous. The rocks in the pool were smooth as years and years of being manipulated by moving water had changed their forms. It was hot and humid after the long hike up the mountain. Shelby slipped her backpack off and kicked her shoes off by the shallowest side of the pool. David sat down on a log and leaned back against a tree. He seemed content just to rest for a minute. He closed his eyes and just listened to the melody of the violent falls. Shelby was already up to her thighs in the cool water, some of it splashing up and soaking her spandex Under Armor shorts. David had raised his head up and was watching her.