Chapter 5
Kimberley’s POV
I’m so not ready for this. As I step into a taxi with Nadine, my nerves are out of control. Thankfully, Nadine knows me well and stays quiet while holding my hand throughout the ride.
What was I to do? Cancel on my best friend’s birthday because of my own selfish reasons? I can do this… for Nicola. I can be social and fun with my friends, even if it is in the presence of the woman I’m in love with and haven’t spoken to in 2 weeks.
To be honest, I can’t wait to see her again. Every morning I wake up, thinking for a second that I’ll open my eyes to see her looking at me. Every night I go to bed, wishing she was in my arms. Throughout the day, I hear voices and accents similar to hers and turn around in the street, only to be disappointed by a stranger’s face. Of course, on many occasions it actually is her voice, on TV or the radio, which just makes it worse because I know the rest of the world can see and hear it too. Note to self: never fall in love with the most loved person in Britain and then break up.
We arrive at the club and I realise how glad I am Nicola refrained from organizing a dinner. That would’ve been awkward!
“Happy birthdayyyyy!” Nadine and I group hug Nicola and pull out to see Cheryl getting up from the couch. Nadine steps in to hug her and whisper something in her ear, after which she takes Nicola by the hand. They start chatting away and Cheryl and I are left facing each other uncomfortably.
“Hi” she breathes out with an uneasy smile.
“Hey...” She moves her body forward a little and it looks like she’s going in for a hug, except I notice too late and she’s already backed away again, leaving me awkwardly leaning forward and having to back out again too.
“How have you been?” She asks with genuine interest. Of course, I can’t answer honestly.
“Good… yeah. You look… ehh… good”. Nice vocabulary there Kimberley… just great!
God she does look good though. She’s wearing a short, dark purple dress, hugging her figure in all the right places, reminding me exactly of what I’m missing. I try to focus my attention elsewhere, anywhere but her body, and am happy to see Sarah walk in.
After all the hello’s and happy birthday’s, we sit down at our table, which is already supplied with drinks. After the initial awkwardness, the conversation soon starts rolling as we discuss more comfortable matters like Nicola’s birthday presents and new music artists that we love or hate and Sarah’s new hairdo and Nadine’s annoyance with the press. Anything, as long as it doesn’t focus on Cheryl or me, or Cheryl AND I.
After a while, everybody’s a bit tipsy and we decide to go dancing. NOT a good idea I realise quickly. Not looking at Cheryl gets increasingly more difficult when she’s dancing. Our eyes lock and it’s as if time stands still around us. Her eyes are so intense that I get lost in them and don’t even hear the music anymore. That is, until somebody rudely bumps into me and breaks our connection. I look back with an annoyed look on my face to see who it is.
“Justin!”
