Chim - Pieces of People We Love

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Kimberley’s POV

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How could I have been so stupid? I should have just been content with how things were and not put my own selfish needs ahead of my friendship with Cheryl. At least we’d still have a friendship, not this big mess of emotions and shattered feelings.

I let out the breath I had been holding in, my eyes were stinging in the cool breeze, seemingly no longer able to shed any tears. Looking out on the park, I marvelled at its beauty; it had been my favourite place to visit ever since Cheryl and I had stumbled upon it that day all those months ago.

A gust of wind blew past, causing me to sniffle; my cold nose on the verge of running. Turning sideways to face my bag, I began rummaging through it in search of a tissue, when something, no someone, caught my eye.

“Cheryl.” I gasped; shocked that she had found me at the park, our park. I went to speak, “What are you...” But she didn’t let me finish. 

“Kimba, babe, you have to listen to me,” she almost begged as she rounded the bench and stood in front of me.

“I fooked it up back there at the house; you need to listen to us now so I can make things right between us,” she finished as she sat down on the bench next to me. 

She searched my eyes, seemingly for permission to reach out and hold my hand. 

This isn’t how I wanted it to be, I never wanted Cheryl to feel as though she couldn’t touch me, be tactile with me without it having to mean something or be awkward between us.

Unable to handle her pleading eyes boring into mine, I looked down to the ground. 

“Kimberley, please. You got it all wrong back at the house.” She said as she finally held my hands in hers before continuing.

“When I said I was sorry, I didn’t mean I was sorry that you said you had feelings for us. I meant I was sorry for making you doubt that you could talk to me, sorry that you had to deal with your feelings all on your own.” She squeezed my hand for reassurance, “Sorry for not telling you sooner how I felt about you; how I feel about you.”

Her words were entering my ears but I couldn’t make sense of what she was saying. Finally I looked up and searched her eyes for an answer, for some sort of clue as to what she was getting at. She stared back at me intently, her gorgeous brown eyes glistening, on the brink of tears.

“Kimberley, babe. What I’m trying to say is...What I really want to say...What I’ve been dying to say is that...” she squeezed my hands one final time, “I love you. I’m in love with you.”

I was speechless; those five simple words filled my head, sending me over the edge. This couldn’t be happening, could it? Before another thought or doubt could enter my mind, Cheryl was reaching up to cup my cheek as she dipped her head towards mine. Just before our lips met, I closed my eyes. 

The kiss was soft at first, almost timid. Cheryl’s delicate lips, slightly parted, were caressing mine as she gently took in my bottom lip. After a moment I pulled away and looked into her eyes, to check for indecision, regret, fear - but all I saw was the want and love I felt reflected back at me. 

This time I reached up to cup Cheryl’s face. The small movement, guiding Cheryl in the right direction, enough to bring our lips back together. 

After what felt like hours of slow, passionate kissing, we eventually both pulled back slowly, regaining our composure as our foreheads gently connected; the feeling of Cheryl’s warm breath still on my lips. 

Not wanting to come back down to reality, I kept my eyes shut as Cheryl breathed out: “I want this Kimberley, just as much as you do.” 

With that I opened my eyes and stared into Cheryl’s, “I want you.  I want all of you,” she finished.