Chapter 19
Kimberley stood staring at Ashley’s words on the screen in front of her, torn between reading the whole article and going upstairs to comfort Cheryl. She reasoned that Cheryl’s quick departure would mean she hadn’t read it all, so one of them may as well check the total damage. Besides, she had no idea what to say to Cheryl yet to make this better. How the hell was she going to fix this?
She put a hand onto the table and lowered herself onto a chair, still holding the phone in her other hand as she continued reading. Once she was sat down she brought her free arm round her own waist, subconsciously providing some comfort to herself, although she wasn’t the one most needing comfort.
Kimberley re-read some of the paragraphs again, almost as if she thought it might be different second time round – less hurtful. But it wasn’t. She really did wonder how Cheryl had ever fallen for Ashley in the first place, ever thought he was the “one” for her.
After a few moments she closed the internet window down and put the phone down, getting up slowly from the table and taking a deep breath. She walked to the foot of the stairs and started to make her way up them, pausing at the top to listen out for Cheryl. She heard a quiet cough sound in the bathroom and so made her way towards it, putting a hand on the open door and opening it further, immediately seeing Cheryl sat on the floor next to the toilet, facing away from her.
In that one moment Kimberley’s heart broke to see Cheryl so hurt, the sinking feeling in her chest totally taking over the anger she had been feeling until now.
“Have you been sick?” she asked simply, entering the room and quietly shutting the bathroom door behind her. They were alone in the house, but it was almost like a subconscious desire to shut the world out and protect Cheryl. She stood behind her, letting a hand gently rest on the younger girl’s head.
Cheryl shook her head without turning round to face Kimberley. “I think I still might though”.
Kimberley sighed, and without removing her hand from Cheryl’s hair she lowered the toilet lid with the other hand and moved round to sit on it. She tenderly lowered her hand to Cheryl’s face and saw tears spring to her eyes as the younger girl looked up at her.
“How could he?” asked Cheryl, lowering her gaze to the floor.
Kimberley said nothing, not removing her gaze from Cheryl’s face, ignoring the distant mumbled sound of Cheryl’s phone ringing downstairs.
Cheryl wiped a tear from her cheek before it rolled down onto her chin, and looked up at Kimberley. “I thought…” she looked down again and her voice turned into almost a whisper. “I thought I meant something to him once. I never thought he could be so cruel”.
Kimberley raised her other hand and took Cheryl’s face in both hands, a few more tears escaping out of Cheryl’s eyes and rolling over Kimberley’s hands.
“How can I face anyone?” Cheryl asked, staring at the floor. “Kimberley, how am I gonna face anyone after this? I feel so embarrassed…” Her tears flowed freer now and Kimberley tried aimlessly to wipe each of them away, stopping suddenly as Cheryl looked up and met her gaze.
“Kimberley?” she asked. “Say something”.
Kimberley bit her lip as she fought to stop her own tears from starting to flow. “I can’t bear to see you upset” she replied simply.
Cheryl stared at her girlfriend before getting up onto her knees and wrapping her arms around Kimberley’s waist, resting her head on Kimberley’s chest. Kimberley kissed her head before wrapping her arms round Cheryl’s neck and hugging her close.
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