Chim - Turn To Stone

Chapter 37

Thirty - Seven

I opened my purse and took some money out. I left it on the table, knowing that there was more than enough to cover the bill, I just hoped the fantastic tip I had left them might make them think twice about going to the papers with anything they might have over heard. 

I didn’t look at anyone as I walked out of the restaurant, but I could feel a hundred eyes on me and knew we would be very lucky indeed if this wasn’t in the papers tomorrow morning. 

I scanned the car park quickly and breathed a sigh of relief as I saw Cheryl sat on the bonnet of our car, smoking a cigarette with her arms crossed defiantly. 

I wondered what she might have done if she had had the keys to the car instead of me. I got them out and pressed the button to disable the alarm which caught her by surprise. 

“f****** hell Kimberley, you scared us to death” she said, shooting me a look before hoping off the bonnet and putting her cigarette out. She got in the passengers seat and waited for me to cross the car park and get in the car. 

I took a deep breath before getting in to the drivers seat and adjusting it to my preference. I looked at her for a second before starting the car, but she was making quite a show of staring out of the window instead of looking at me. 

“we need to talk about this you know” I said to her as I made my way to our house. 

“all we do is talk about this” she sighed deeply.

“no, you talk, and I listen Cheryl. But the problem is, you aren’t telling me the things I want to hear” I said.

“what if its something you don’t want to hear?” she asked me defensively. She was raising her voice but I could tell that she was trying not too. 

What she said sent a chill through me. What could she possibly say that I wouldn’t want to hear? 

“I need to know Cheryl” I said to her, my voice almost pleading with her as I wiped away a tear that had fallen from my cheek. 

A stony silence fell upon us and for a while the only noise I heard was the swooshing of the other cars as they glided past us on the road. 

“it wasn’t five times” she said quietly, looking out of the window, probably so she didn’t have to look at me. 

“but it wasn’t once either was it?” I asked, steeling myself for the answer I knew was coming, but really didn’t want to hear. 

I glanced over to her just in time to see her looking down to her feet, the guilt had already spread across her face. 

I stopped at a set of traffic lights which gave me time to look at her. She looked back at me, and for just a second, I thought she was going to cry. She knew she had to say something, otherwise she would probably end up losing me for good. 

She sighed deeply, “I did it for you” she whispered before wiping away her tears.