Chapter Nine
Cheryl sat on the edge of the bed, she could hear the music thumping from down stairs, people laughed and joked in the distance, but it was just background noise because there was nothing to laugh about for her or Kimberley.
They still had their dresses on, their make up still expertly applied, to all intents and purposes, they could have walked straight out of the room and on to a photographers set, not that she wanted this moment to be captured for them to look back on in years to come... if there were any years to come.
“So basically you are telling me its America or you” Cheryl surmised, looking up at Kimberley who was leaning against the bedroom wall, her face tear stained but still beautiful.
“I never asked you to choose between me and your career Cheryl... I never thought I’d need to”
“I get it Kimberley... you would never ask me to choose, but we can’t move on from this unless I do can we?” Cheryl asked sadly, she never thought for one second that she would be choosing between her career and the love of her life.
“Do you know why I would never ask you to choose Cheryl?” Kimberley shouted, giving in to the anger that was rising inside her.
Cheryl didn’t give it much thought before she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.
“The reason I would never choose is because I’m scared that you wont choose me” she said. quieter this time, the weight of the words laying heavy in the silence.
The tears came quick, too quick for her to try to avoid them or fight them back, she had wanted to cry ever since Cheryl had told her about America, but hearing herself say that she wasn’t sure if Cheryl was going to choose her over her dream of breaking America had pushed her over the edge, they were words she thought she would never have to say.
“I don’t know what to do Kimberley” Cheryl sighed, she let her head fall in to her hands.
“Maybe you should ask Derek, he seems to have the heads up on our relationship” Kimberley retorted.
“Thats not fair Kimberley... this isn’t about Derek, I needed someone to go to for advice and he was there, am I not allowed to have any male friends now?” Cheryl shouted back, she didn’t want it to happen this way, she had hoped they could talk about it without any arguments.
“Forgive me for being just the least bit sceptical Cheryl, I mean you did leave me for Ashley remember”
She instantly regretted it as soon as it had been said, but there was no going back on her words.
Cheryl looked at her, her expression somewhere in between dissapointment and guilt.
“You are never going to let me forget that are you?” she asked quietly, this time it was her turn to fight back the tears.
“I gave up my life for you Cheryl, after you left Ashley and we got together, I gave everything up, I turned down work, I put aside my dreams and I spent all my time trying to build you back up to the woman you were before he ruined you... and then you went back to him” Kimberley said, her voice tinged with sadness, although she had controlled herself enough not to shout.
“What we had back then was nothing like what we have now... it was just a f...” she stopped herself but Kimberley was already reacting to what she was about to say.
“Just a fling” Kimberley finished off fo her.
“It wasn’t even a fling Kimberley... we slept together when I was at the lowest point in my life, I’d just left my husband and I needed you... then he promised me he would change and I gave him a second chance...”
