Chapter Twenty-One
Finally it was ringing.
I picked the ringing device up and toyed with it for a moment before taking a deep breath and pressing the answer button, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything,
“Kimberley? Is that you?” She asked desperately down the phone. It must of been strange after me not answering these past nights to suddenly deciding to. “Please talk if that’s you, I’m so sorry,”
I cleared my throat, yet my speech still came out croaky and quiet, “Yeah it’s me.”
“Hi,” she said simply, “Look, Kimberley, please can we talk again, properly this time not like last time, I -,”
“Okay,” I cut in,
“Okay?” She repeated, like she couldn’t believe I had agreed.
“Yeah, can I come to yours? We can’t do this over the phone,” I answered bluntly, trying in vain to let no emotion show, I didn’t want to let her back in.
“Of course. Are you sure though because it’s getting dark and it’s raining and really windy so I’ll wal-,”
I interrupted her again, “Cheryl it’s fine, I’ll come to yours, I’m leaving in a minute,”
“Okay,” she replied softly, “I’ll see you in a bit then,”
“Yeah, see you in a bit.” I replied, before ending the call.
*
“Kimberley!” Joan smiled as she let me in the door, “I haven’t seen you for a few days, I do hope you can sort Cheryl out, she’s been in a bad mood since the weekend,” Joan sighed,
I smiled politely, and approached the stairs, “get Cheryl to lend you something to wear, you look soaked!” Joan called as I ascended the stairs.
Her door was already slightly ajar and I walked in to find her stuffing some clothes into her chest of drawers, the bed was un made and if anything, it all looked exactly how it looked when I first walked in Cheryl’s room, all those months ago.
I cleared my throat to let her know I was there, she immediately spun around her dark eyes finding mine but quickly looking away again, instead they scanned my body.
“It’s raining,” I shrugged, as her eyes scanned my soaked through top,
She smiled weakly, “I know, do you want a top?”
“Please,” I said, taking up her offer as she threw me one of her night shirts. There was a slightly awkward moment between us as I toyed with the top, she got the hint and turned around again, distracting herself with the window whilst I changed.
“You know,” she started, still peering out her window, “I was surprised you wanted to talk to me,”
I smiled ironically, “Believe me so was I,”
“So what changed your mind?” She asked, as I perched on her bed,
“You,” I started, I wasn’t going to bring Sarah in to it, she turned around with a sad smile on her face, “You and other things. I want you to have you say I suppose,” I sighed, “but can I just say something?” I asked, as she pulled up a chair. She nodded although she looked extremely nervous,
“I know we weren’t like together together, like properly, but I really thought we were getting somewhere you know, that’s why it hurt, hurts so much.” I watched as she held her head in shame, “I think I need to hear you talk because right from the start of whatever we’ve had going, I’ve never known how you were feeling, not properly, I need you to tell me,” I said, trying to hold her gaze, which was difficult.
