Chapter Thirty Six
“what do you mean?” Nadine asked, following her in to the living room.
“sometimes I just think I’ve changed you know, not because I wanted to but because I had to, like this for instance…” she stopped and spread her hands out, indicating the flat around her. “I never wanted this, I didn’t want to come back to London but I did it for Cheryl, I didn’t want the intrusion from the paparazzi but I’m willing to do it...”
She stopped as she felt Nadine embracing her in to a hug and she let herself fall in to the girl’s shoulder, her words changing in to muffled sobs.
“I don’t even know what I’m crying for” she sobbed in to Nadine’s shoulder, feeling angry at herself that she was crying at all.
Nadine ushered her over to the couch and sat next to her, still holding the girl in her arms. “I think you’re wrong Kimberley, for what its worth” she said as she stroked the older girls hair.
“what do you mean?” Kimberley asked quizzically. She sat up on the couch and used her hand to wipe away the tears from her cheeks.
-
“You’re still the same Kimberley we all know and adore…you love her, that’s why you’re doing all of this. Just remember that when it gets hard” Nadine told her, wiping away a stray tear with her finger.
“I do love her” Kimberley agreed, not even trying to hide the smile that had crept on her face at the thought of Cheryl.
“she’s lucky, she knows how much you have sacrificed for her, I’m sure she does, But you need to take a step back, relax and enjoy yourself…you’ve waited long enough” Nadine laughed lightly and jabbed her jovially in the side.
“what would I do without you?” Kimberley pouted, her way of admitting defeat. She knew that Nadine was right, she had waited so long to find this kind of happiness with anyone, let alone Cheryl, and she knew she would have been a fool to do anything to jeopardize it.
“well you wouldn’t be shopping for a start” Nadine laughed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling.
“come on” the younger girl gestured, getting up off the couch. “I’ll create a diversion whilst you slip out the back” she added sarcastically.
-
Retail therapy was a wonderful thing, and for a whole hour and a half, it had completely escaped Kimberley’s mind that she probably had paparrazi going through her dust bin at home.
It was definitely the prospect of returning to the flat that was niggling away at her as she handed over her credit card to pay for the belt that she really didn’t need. Normally she was quite careful with money, Cheryl was the frivolous one, whereas she kept her eye on the purse strings, yet today she had made the exception, and she had to admit to herself quietly that it did feel rather good.
“is that a smile I see on your face” Nadine asked, coming up to the side of Kimberley who was stood at the counter.
“or a grimace..” she added jokingly as she took the receipt from the counter, had a quick look at the cost and then handed it to Kimberley.
“no, it’s a smile” Kimberley assured her before she thanked the assistant and headed out of the shop.
“you see, that’s a good sign Kimberley, normally you would be having a heart attack, shopping really does cure everything”
Kimberley was only vaguely listening to Nadine as they walked up the mall of the shopping centre, instead a few camera flashes had caught her attention. Normally people would take a few photo’s as she passed, but she had more than a suspicious feeling that the press were following them.
“I think we should go” Kimberley interjected, pointing in the general direction of the flashes of the camera’s.
-
The car sped down the motorway as the two girls headed towards Nadine’s home in London, it was more secure than the flat and she knew that Kimberley had always felt quite at home there.
“its never going to be like this again” Kimberley muttered, keeping her gaze fixed on the images that darted past the window.
“what?” Nadine asked with a frown.
“me and Cheryl, were never going to be able to just go out and do normal stuff are we?” Kimberley asked, making herself clearer. She turned around to look at Nadine after a few moments of silence, but the younger girls face said it all.
It was true
-
“we never could anyway” was Cheryl’s blunt response to Kimberley’s musings as they sat on the couch and flicked aimlessly through the TV channels.
“I suppose not” Kimberley shrugged, putting her feet across Cheryl’s legs. “its just going to be hard” she added a little quieter before taking the remote from Cheryl.
“I know what will make it easier” Cheryl smiled, that naughty glint somehow finding its way in to her eyes as she turned her head to Kimberley.
“shopping?” Kimberley guessed, playing dumb, although she knew exactly what was on Cheryl’s mind.
“sex Kimberley” Cheryl clarified before giving the girl a wide smile, one that she knew would be irresistible to refuse.
