Chapter Twenty Four
“Kimba, say somethin’... you’re scarin’ us.” Cheryl stares at her friend - perched on the edge of her bed, totally away, her head in the clouds, gaze fixed on the wall in front of her.
“What do you want me to say, Cheryl?” the girl quietly mumbles, absentmindedly. “I just caught my mum cheating on my f*cking dad with one of his mates!”
“You don’t know that. Maybe she was just....”
“Just what!?” Kimberley cuts in. “Maybe she was just leading him round the side of the house, by the hand, to show him the pretty f*cking flowers!” And for the first time since she had witnessed the sight, she can no longer hold the tears back, the shock of the situation fading and being replaced with an overpowering sense of realisation; quite like a smack in the face.”Oh god! What am I going to do!? I must be the only one that knows! What am I going to tell my dad!?”
“Kimba,” Cheryl sighs. Getting up from her position on the sofa, she quickly makes her way over and kneels down in front of her, grasping fiercely at both her hands. “Babe, you can’t go sayin’ stuff if you’re not totally sure what you saw is what you think it is. I reckon you should confront your mam about it first, don’t you think? See what she has to say for herself.”
“I think I might just hit her if I see her!” Kimberley sobs, her entire body now beginning to shake uncontrollably. She closes her puffy eyes as the Geordie tenderly wipes the fresh stream of tears away.”This can’t be happening, it really can’t, Cheryl!”
“Shh...” Realising that the girl is in near hysterics, Cheryl gets up from her kneeling position infront and sits beside her on the bed, her arms immediately reaching out to pull her into a strong embrace. “Everythin’ will be ok, babe... I promise.”
“This is going to kill him, he loves her so much.”
Pulling her in even closer, she unconsciously begins to rock back and forth, a movement that strangely begins to sooth Kimberley, her heavy eyes closing as lets her head rest on the Geordie’s cheat, the sound of her racing heart thumping through and ringing in her ears.
“I can hear your heart,” she quietly lets out, her hand coming up and pressing against the skin shielding the organ.”I can feel it too.”
Cheryl, a little taken back by her actions, allows her own hand to softly tangle through her damp blonde locks, her fingertips lightly playing with a few loose strands. In all honesty, she confused as to why her heart is racing at the alarming speed it is. She’s sure it’s because she’s nervous and upset for her friend, but, at the same time, she’s still reeling from their encounter in the jacuzzi... and confused.
“What am I going to do, Cheryl?” Kimberley sighs, almost pleading for her to take it all away, to give her all the answers.
The petite brunette also lets out a sigh, her chin coming to rest on Kimberley’s head. She can feel herself close to tears, hurting because her friend is hurting. “I definitely think you should talk to your mam before you go throwing accusations around,” she voices, swallowing the lump forming in the throat. “You never know... maybe nothin’ is goin’ on at all.”
“I think that’s wishful thinking.” Sobbing, Kimberley gives up the urge to fight her emotions once more, a fresh set of tears spilling from her eyes and dripping onto Cheryl’s chest. “You saw what it looked like.”
Cheryl purses her lips together, the salty wetness tickling her exposed flesh. She knows it looked suspicious; she isn’t going to deny that. “I know, babe. All I am sayin’ is... you never know.”
