Karen's P.O.V.

The Next Day...

I was starring out the passenger window of Jimi's truck and he drove us to his place. I was released from the hospital this morning under Jimi's care. I wanted to go home where he didn't have too look after me and where I couldn't be a burden. We arrived at his house, as he got out I unbuckled and open the door and started to get out. He sped up to help me "Careful Karen, you gotta take it easy"

"I'm okay, you really could have taken me home."

"You were hospitalized from your injuries and the doctor specifically said you needed to be cared for. I don't mind taking care of you."

"I do, I'm not yours to look after. I am a grown woman and can take care of myself."

"If the doctor thought you could take care of yourself he would have said."

"Well he ain't very smart."

"He was smart enough to stop the bleeding and stitch your cuts."

"I could have done that. I just fainted before I had the chance too." Jimi gives me the a look and helps me walk up the front porch steps and into the house and helps me sit on the couch.

"I'll be right back." He went back out to the truck to get the package of bandages and medical tape to change my bandages when they needed to be changed. I sat there and looked around his place. There was two empty beer bottles on the coffee table. Did he drink them himself or did her have a friend over? He hasn't left my side in two days, why would he wanna call me if he had a friend over? As I was thinking Jimi came back inside and stood in front of me, but I didn't notice as I was thinking. "Hello? Earth to Karen!" He wove his hand in front of my face.

"Huh?" I looked at him

"You okay? I said your name like 4 times."

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking." He sat down beside me

"What were you thinking about?"

"Those beer bottles. Where you having drinks with a friend before you called me?"

"I was just relaxing and watching TV. I called you cause I wanted to see if you were okay. You left here in a rush a few days ago." I nod and look at Jimi, he smiles. "You need anything?"

"Nope, I'm good."

"Okay, I'm goin to go cook us some dinner"

"Can we order instead? Get a pizza maybe? I'll pay."

"We can. And I'll pay."

"You're taking care of me, the least I can do is pay for a pizza."

"Half and half then." He says with slight sternness.

"Alright." He smiles and gets his phone and calls and orders us a pizza the way I like it. "You could have gotten the type of pizza you liked."

"Its fine. I'll eat anything really, but you don't like onions so I got it the way you like."

"You really pay attention to what I like and dislike?"

"Yes. I know you like singing, listening to Phillip and I when we play guitars. You like being in or near water, walking along sandy beaches and being happy. And you love kids. I know that you don't like being alone, being hurt by loved ones, seeing children hurt, or your friends and you don't like onions." I starred at him in aw as he named off the things I like and dislike.

"You really pay attention to those this..?"

"Of course I do, I told you I love you. I know these things." I look at him then I look at the wedding band on my finger. You're married. To Mark, not Jimi. Jimi is wonderful and amazing. But Mark is my husband. I'm getting divorced. Will Jimi want me when I'm divorced? Would he want to be with a worthless, divorced, ugly woman like me?

I push all my thoughts to the side, and took off my wedding band and set it on the coffee table. "Can we pretend. Just while I'm here. That I'm not married? That I'm free and single? Please?"

"Karen, if you were single I'd ask you out. But you're married."

"I'm not while I'm here. I don't wanna be married. Not anymore. And when I get divorced, I will be single, and I will accept your offer to go out."

"You would..?"

"Yes. I would. I had feeling for you too, I just tried to ignore them and push them aside because I was with Mark. I never told anyone about my feelings towards you, not even Kim."

"I'd love to pretend your not married while your here. You can be free. But you won't be single." I look at Jimi confused.

"I'm not married... Wouldn't I be single..?"

"Nope. You'll be with me." And before I know it he kissed me. I was shocked, but then started to kiss back. It was amazing kiss, there is passion and love and everything that Mark never gave me. He moved his hands you my face and I put mine on his sided. I never wanted to stop kissing Jimi. As soon as I thought that, there was a knock at the door and we pulled apart. "That's probably the pizza. I'll be right back." He got up and answered the door taking the pizza and paying the man. He came back and set the pizza down. We started to eat and watch some TV. After we were done eating we watched TV for a while and we started talking about our up coming tour. "It's gonna be great to go back on tour, but it's also gonna suck."

"Why would it suck?"

"Because on tour we can't do the 'Let's Pretend you're not married and that we're a couple.' So that means I couldn't do this all the time." He leaned in and kissed me, I kissed back and was enjoying the kiss for a while, we even started using tongue.

But we eventually ran out if breathe and pulled apart. He looked me dead in the eye and without a second thought he said "I love you."

I was so caught up in the moment. I was speechless at first, but as he kept looking in my eyes I felt what live was truly like and I said it back.

"I love you too"

He smiled which made me smile and before I knew it we were kissing again. Things started advance. He put his hand on my side which had a cut on it under my shirt and it made me wince. He pulled back.

"I'm sorry"

"It's okay. I'm fine."

"No your not, you're hurt, and I should be more careful."

"You are careful, you've been careful with me since we left the hospital. I'm fine."

"You're the strongest person I've ever met."

"I doubt that. Your dad was pretty strong in your eyes."

"You and my father are the strongest people I've ever met." I laughed and it turned into a yawn. "Tired?"

"Little bit."

"Let's get you to bed. The doctor said you need rest and shouldn't be walking and active that much until your more healed." I nod and stand up with Jimi's help. He walks me down the hallway and starts taking me to the guest bedroom and I stop him.

"If we are still pretending then a girlfriend should sleep in the same bed as her boyfriend." He smiles and takes me to his room. "I have no clothes here."

"You can wear an old shirt of mine?"

"Alright" He goes and get me a shirt and I start undressing wincing a little as I do. He comes back and sees me wincing so he helps me undress. He puts his shirt on me that's baggy and falls so it just hides my ass. "Thank you."

"Always." He helps me in bed and he undresses so that he's in his boxers and lays next to me. I move so that I'm cuddling him carefully. He smiles. "I like this " Let's pretend" thing."

"Me too." I smile and close my eyes and drift off to sleep in Jimi's arms.