Mistakes Were Made

Chapter 19: Makeup

Hank waited for Dakota to come home for days. He had tried to call the police department but they were loaded with missing people. Hank drove all over the Southside of Thorne Bush, looking everywhere for Dakota. He waited for her to return every night, to sneak into her window and think she had him fooled. But she never appeared. Hank felt incredibly lonely being by himself, wishing she could appear in just a blink of an eye. The guilt eventually took over his heart, half accepting that she may be gone forever. But he still searched for her at night. He went to the clubs were all the teens go to with a fake ID and her favorite spots on the Southside. Eventually, he was forced to start looking on the Northside of town. He drove around, half searching half hoping to find Dakota walking down the street with a smile on her face.
Hank screwed up, big time. He shouldn't of lied to her or even went to the bar. He should have been at the Police Station filing a report on Johnny. But he was too afraid of losing Dakota that he ended up losing her anyhow. Not knowing where she was or what she was doing drove Hank to the point of desperation. And he could barely live with the guilt.

By the following Friday, Hank was beat. Dakota had been gone for a whole week and he still couldn't find her. Maybe she ran out of town, found someplace to crash. Hank sits at the dinning room table, an uneaten pizza in front of him. He stares at each piece, hating how some pieces were more triangular than others. Suddenly, the door handle rattles. Hank turns around to see a woman with shorter hair walk into the house. A car horn honks outside.
"Hold on Hogg!" A familiar voice says, making Hank jump up out of his seat.
Dakota shuts the door, looking up to see Hank. Her face turns into a frown, her eyes narrowing. She quickly walks past him, to her room. Hank follows her, grabbing her arm.
"Let go of me!" She shouts, wincing.
"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN DAKOTA!?" Hank screams at her, shaking her.
"Everywhere." she shrugs "Nowhere. Can you please let go of my arm?"
Hank lets go of her, crossing his arms. Dakota takes her jacket off, throwing it on the bed. Hank can see the tattoo on the back of her bicep. It's two arrows. She pulls her top off and goes to her drawer.
"Dakota, we need to talk." He says in a lower tone, his eyes falling to the floor.
"What? That your a loser who goes to a Women's bar every Thursday night so you can bring home your Thursday whore?" She says sarcastically, "I've picked up on that."
"Baby-" Hank grabs
Dakota pulls away. "I'm not your baby. I'm Hogg's bitch."
"Hogg?" Hank says confused, hurt.
"Yeah, my boyfriend." She empties her backpack and loads it up again. "He's got the Rhode Island penis, but whatever. Unlike your California King."
"So that's where you've been?" Hank says angrily, "I've been walking up and down Throne Bush, and you've been out with a dick named Hogg?!"
"No, his dicks name is sausage." Dakota corrects him, "Hogg is his actual name."
Hank grabs the clothes from Dakota's hands and throws them down, grabbing her wrist. She flinches automatically, as if waiting for him to hit her. Hank wraps his arms around her, his eyes soft.
               Suddenly, Hank sees the bruised eye she has. He goes to touch it, she flinches and pulls away.
"Did he hit you?" Hank says gruffly, anger building up in his chest.
"I need to watch my mouth." Dakota doesn't look him in the eye, "I'm still learning the hard way."
Suddenly, somebody knocks hard on the front door. Dakota rushes past Hank and to the front door. Hank is on her heels.
"Don't follow me Hank, it'll get you no where." Dakota says over her shoulder.
Dakota opens the door, a man covered completely in tattoos and a pathetic excuse for a beard stands there. His green eyes are fiery. Angry.
"What did I tell you, bitch? I said get in there and no chatter." Hogg snorts, glaring at Hank. "Whose this pretty boy?"
"I'm Dakota's husband," Hank says annoyed "and she's not your bitch."
Hogg looks between Hank and Dakota. He smacks Dakota across the face, hard. She falls off of the concrete stairs. Hank throws a hard punch at Hogg, knocking the man down to the ground. He walks up and grabs Hogg by the collar, throwing an even harder punch in the man's face. He kicks him, pushing him towards the man's beat up truck. Hank lets go of him, letting the man runaway. Hank rushes over and helps Dakota up, tears fall down her face.
"Little slut, I treated you decent!" Hogg shouts out of his truck window as he pulls away, "Far better than you deserved."
Dakota starts to run after him but Hank stops her, pulling her into him. He shushes her as she cries. He throws her over his shoulders, walking into the house. Her fist beats on his back. When Hank gets to her bedroom, he sets Dakota down on the bed. She slaps him hard across the face. He pulls her into him, shushing her.
"Shh, it's okay." Hank kisses the top of her head, "You don't need to hang around people like him."
Dakota pushes Hank, tears falling down her face. "People like who, Hank? People like Johnny? People like you!"
"I know what I did was wrong, baby-" Hank starts to say.
"You did me dirty! Get the fuck away from me!" Dakota pushes him away, "I hate you! I hate you!"
Hank nods his head, looking down at the ground. He feels ashamed, guilt ridden.
"I'm so, so sorry." He says with tears in his eyes, "I can't undo what I did, but please, give me a chance-"
Dakota rushes past him, stomping. Hank pushes her onto the bed, pinning her down. She fights him, but he's stronger than she is. He digs his hands deeper into the mattress, making her squeal.
"Let go of me!" She exclaims.
"Never again." he says softly "Dakota, I made a mistake. I can't excuse that. I'm sorry can't fix it. But since you've been gone, I've realized a few things."
"That you're an asshole whose insensitive to others feelings?" Dakota says snappily.
"No," Hank says with sad eyes "I love you."
Dakota stares up at Hank, eyes narrowed.
"You're just saying that-" Hank kisses Dakota, slowly.
One hand holds her face while the other pulls her body close to his. Dakota fights him for a few minutes, but ends up giving up. She wraps her legs around his waist, sinking into the kiss. She begins whimpering as she feels a familiar warmth in her core. Hank deepens the kiss like never before, moving his lips slowler. Harder, rougher. Dakota's never been kissed like this before. Especially from Hank. He holds the side of her face, moving his hands down her body gently, finding themselves on her waist. He leans away, getting on his knees.
"I love you, Dakota. I cheated and it was a shitty thing to do, I fucked up our relationship for a one night stand. But you can't runaway every time something happens. Please forgive me, baby." Hank pleas, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Dakota stares at him in shock, confusion. She's never seen him cry before.
"I know I'm nothing and you deserve the world," Hank says through the tears, "but I can't handle you running off like that. I vowed I would take care of you and I will keep my promise."
"Why should I stay with a cheater? The beater just left me, no thanks to you." She growls at him, "I gave my all to you and you had the nerve to cheat anyway! You know, I was going to tell you that I wanted a relationship and shit, but then I walk in to see her and you lied about me to her! You could of at least said that your girlfriend was abusive!"
"I know, baby. I know." Hank kisses Dakota, his hands shaking. "I fucked up really bad."
"Hell yeah, you did!" She exclaims, "How can you love me then go sleep with someone else Hank!?"
"I was drunk and scared!" He raises his voice.
"Scared? Scared of what?" Dakota hisses at him.
"Of losing you." He sniffs, "If I go to court, Judd won't let me keep you."
"I've got two months to go, Hank." Dakota says annoyed.
"I don't want to lose you, I can't." He says, "Not again."