The Loving Kind- Chim

Chapter Forty Four

Nicola's POV:

Silence washes over everyone as i hear Tre sigh down the phone.

"She didn't want to tell anybody, i promised her."

"How could she not tell us? Tell anyone?"

"She didn't grieve so much, she did a lot of song writing, made good use of her home studio. Sometimes i'd hear her crying in the bathroom or before she went to sleep but she'd never let me comfort her, if i tried to comfort her when she was writing, she'd get angry for disturbing her. She'd said it was silly to grieve, how could she miss or love something she barely even had."

"I don't understand..."

"Nic, i should go. I've got a dance class to teach. Let me know how she is soon though."

"Ok, i'll call you soon."

"Alright, bye."

"Tre?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for what happened."

"It's ok, i'll speak to you soon."

He hangs up and i look up too see the girls all looking very startled but Kimberley looks very pale.

"What. The. Hell." Nadine exclaims, shaking her head in disbelief.

"How could we not know?! How could she keep this from us?! If Tre would have told us this at the start, things may have been a lot easier!"

"He was scared though Sarah, he lost that baby too. He didn't want to betray Chez... you ok Kimberley?"

"Y- yeah. I- I just need a minute." With that, she races out the door.

"We should go check on her or tell the doctor."

"I'll go tell the doctor, you and Nadine go and see to Kimberley." Sarah says as she seems the least shocked one of us all.

----

"Kimbers? Kimberley?"

"Yeah, i'm here."

"You ok?"

"Just shocked, it's such a massive thing to keep from everyone."

"I know but Tre said she didn't grieve like you normally would."

"So many times though Nic, so many times she's come so close to having her own baby. That's all she ever wanted, her own family and every time she's found someone to have that with, it's been suddenly ripped away from her."

"Maybe we should go talk to her, talking always makes things better-"

"I- i can't. What would we say?!"

"Tell her we know, everything's ok, reassure her and make her feel better if we can. There's not much we can do Kimberley but sitting out here in shock isn't helping."

"I can't do it, i'm sorry, i can't. Things are already difficult between us and-"

"This isn't about your relationship anymore Kimberley, this is about Cheryl. She's getting worse and now this is being brought back up and dropped on her, she doesn't need her friends to give up on her now and if that's what you're doing then i don't know how you ever said you love her." Not giving her a chance to answer, i walk away, meeting Sarah inside and shouting Nadine to follow us up to Cheryl's room.

----

"Hey." We walk in where Cheryl's head is rested in Lily's lap, tears still falling.

"Hi girls, shall i leave you to talk Chez?" She shakes her head immediately, signalling she wants Lily to stop.

"Cheryl we need to talk, we've spoken with Tre. We know babe."

"Know what?" She suddenly sits up, her face full of fear.

"He's told us about the baby, he had no choice but-"

"No. No. No, he can't. He-"

"It's ok, babe it's ok." Her bottom lip starts trembling again and she's physically shaking.

"What's happened?" Lily asks, obviously knowing nothing. She gets up and i see Sarah whisper something to her.

"Don't panic babe, take a minute. Sit down-"

"No, no-"

"Babe, it's ok to be upset-"

"No-" She shakes her head and storms out of her room, the information becoming all too much.

"Cheryl, come back."

"Chez?!"

"Come sit down babe."

"Cheryl, where are you going?!"

We all shout after her but she ignores us, running out as we chase after her, not wanting to leave her alone.

She goes outside, her breaths becoming shorter and faster in a panic. There's a thin line of sweat coating her forehead as she comes to a stop, resting her hands on her knees.

"Cheryl, stop." Nadine shouts as she finally turns around and for a second, i'm almost certain she's gonna collapse as the colour leaves her face and she stumbles backwards but turns back around, ready to run away.

Suddenly she's stopped as she bumps into Kimberley. Her eyes meet Kimberley's and within seconds she's sobbing in Kimberley's arms, holding on to her as if her life depended on it.

"Sh, it's ok babe. I'm here, i love you and it's going to be ok."