10 years later
"Dad! There's a pretty envelope!" Kimberly walked into her father's kitchen where the man himself sat, newspaper in hand.
He placed his paper on the table and outstretched his hand for the envelope. By now Dale was getting old, his eyes beginning to sink in and even more wrinkles forming. The man was almost sixty. "I think I know who it's from."
It read, 'To celebrate the thirty year anniversary of Mitchell's L.T.D, Mr Mitchell invites you to his home to join him and other guests for a black-tie event.' Kimberly's heart dropped. Her mind flashed back to ten years earlier when she was so excited to go to such an event. Now she didn't know how to feel.
"It may be nice to see Robert again. We haven't seen him in such a long time." Dale smiled softly. After diadem went to prison, admittedly it took a few months for him to speak to Robert, but he knew Robert meant no harm. He was quick to forgive him.
There's a reason for that. Kim thought to herself. "Sure, let me let Cole know."
"Cole hasn't met Robert before has he? I'm sure he'll love him." Yeah right. Kim internally scoffed at her father's words.
Dale looked through the invitation. "Tomorrow night." He raised his brows. "That man never gave much notice." Dale had left the company by now. He had retired a few years back and took the time to relax. He found it hard to get back into society after being in prison for months.
"That's no problem. I better get home to start dinner. If you need me give me a call." Kim dropped her head to kiss her father's cheek before she gathered all of her things and headed out to her car.
Dale still had no idea hat went on between Robert and Kimberly while he was in prison, and Kim never intended on telling him. She wanted to forget. She really did. But sometimes she'd wake up from a nap, and her dream consisted of nothing but Robert's hold on her. Ten years later and she was still wrapped up in the thought of him. She knew seeing him wasn't a good idea.
Fuck.
—
"Jeez, it's huge in here!" Cole looked flabbergasted as he ogled the grand room. They were only just entering but it was clear quite a few people had been here for a half an hour already. "One day I'll give you a house like this." He spoke with a smirk, pulling her into his side.
"Oh yeah?" She giggled, rolling her eyes. Plenty of people had their gaze set on Kimberly. She wore a tight, floor length black dress with a slit up her left thigh. Quite the opposite of the flowing pink dress she wore when she first entered the Mitchell estate ten years prior.
Men watched as she laughed at something her husband had said. Her dirty blonde hair was up in a classy bun, a few strands fallen down over her face. She didn't pay attention to any of the stares. Only one. The one who stared at her back. She didn't need to look at him to know who was causing her heart beat to race.
Her father had already wondered off to say hello to a few of his old work friends, while her husband and a little someone stood in front of her. "Can you go get me a drink? I need to catch up with some people." She asked sweetly.
Cole smiled. "Of course." He leaned in for a quick kiss. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go get mummy a drink."
She turned to connect her eyes with a lingering gaze. Him. He was there. Although ten years had passed it was as if he hadn't aged a day. He didn't divert his gaze for a single second. As powerful as ever. The last time she had seen the man was seven years ago, and even then she hadn't said very much.
It was Florence's funeral. Kimberly was a mess, continuously crying after giving a speech on how she took her in as a daughter. Even after she left the Mitchell's hime Florence would visit Kimberly four times a week at her home. She never for a single second blamed Kimberly for her decision. She understood. Robert was double her age. However depressing it sounded, he would die long before her and then she'd be left all alone. It wasn't something you could expect someone to go through. She loved Florence for understanding. The woman always had.
She desperately wished she had the woman at her side now so she could coach her through speaking to the man. But she wasn't. She was alone.
Kim hadn't realised her legs began moving, they brought her towards the man's table. Just as gentlemanly as ever he stood to his feet, taking her hand in his and laying a kiss on her soft skin. "It's nice seeing you again, Kimberly."
His voice vibrated all through Kimberly's body. All the feelings he made her feel came rushing back. She felt like she was about to collapse, so she took a seat besides him at the round table. "Hi." She couldn't only muster up that one single word.
"I didn't think you'd come here, tonight." He spoke truthfully. "I'm glad you did. I'm glad I get to see you again. How have you been?" He stared down at the wedding ring that adorned her finger. He internally scoffed. Tat. She deserved the most expensive of rings. It looked as if he had gotten her engagement ring out of a toy vending machine.
Kimberly caught his gaze and placed her right hand over her left to hide her ring. "Well, you can clearly tell I'm married now. I have my own home and-"
"With a pool?" Be questioned, remembering that was what she wanted. Ironic since swimming scared her.
She sadly shook her head. "We couldn't afford it, but that doesn't matter."
"I've missed you." He couldn't contain it any longer. He had to tell her, even if it was the wrong thing to say to a married woman.
She could feel her heart melting under his gaze. "I've missed you." She looked down at her hands.
Robert's own hand placed itself over hers. "Does he treat you well?"
She nodded sadly. Someone shouldn't be so sad that they were loved, but she was. She wanted a reason to believe that Robert was the only one for her. That no one would ever be as kind to her as he was. But that simply wasn't the truth. "Amazing."
"Why did you come tonight?" He was full of questions, and he wanted them all to be answered. He didn't want her to leave the table until he had exhausted every last thought in his brain.
She thought of her answer, but the only one that popped into her head was one she felt was wrong to say. To see you. "I'm sorry for how we ended. I really am. I hope you can understand." She changed the topic.
And truthfully, he did. Robert took the time to think of all the things she had said and she was a million percent right. No matter how much it saddened him to admit. Kimberly was twenty-six while Robert was over fifty at that point. Their relationship was fun, passionate and something out of a movie, but it wasn't the kind of relationship you can keep forever. They knew that now. "I do. Thank you for making me realise it. But I don't regrets a single second of it."
"I thought I would have. But I don't. I'm grateful for what we had." She let out a shaken breath. She was about to ask a question that she didn't know if she wanted the answer to. "Have you met anyone?"
He shook his head. "No."
"No?"
"I haven't. And I don't intend to." It wasn't the answer Kimberly was expecting, and truthfully she felt bad. "I'm content with you being the last love I ever experienced. I want you to be the last love I ever had. No one else deserves that place. No one else will make me as happy as you did."
It ripped Kim apart, but she knew what he was talking about. While she loved Cole, it was different to Robert. Cole was safe, easy and the life everyone was expected to live. But Robert, well he was like fire. You shouldn't want to go near it, you know you'd get burnt under it's touch, but you did anyway. It filled you with excitement. It was full of passion, lusting, and truthfully, no one could work her body the way Robert had. But she couldn't tell him that.
"I still love you, Kimberly." Robert spoke, scooting his chair ever so slightly closer.
She closed her eyes, lips parting with a sigh. Robert watched with an aching heart. She's as gorgeous as she was the first day I met her. "You know I can't say it back."
"Is that because you wouldn't mean it, or because you'd be betraying him?" Robert didn't mean for the word to leave his mouth like poison, but he did, he was a jealous man. She stared at him without replying, giving him his answer.
"Mummy!" A little girl shouted over the loud music. Suddenly a little blonde girl appeared by the side of her seat causing Kim to rip her hands from under Robert's. She lifted the girl into her lap, looking around for her husband. "Where's Papa?"
"He's with grampy." She smiled. She then turned her head to the man that sat besides Kimberly. "Who's this?"
Kimberly looked to Robert once again, but his eyes wasn't on Kimberly this time, he was watching the little girl on her lap. "This is Mr. Mitchell, Grampy's old boss."
The girl smiled and waved causing a smile to appear on Robert's lips. "She looks exactly like you." It was true, she had the exact same features, she barely looked like her father, just Kimberly. "I could have given you this." He whispered.
Kim sucked in a breath. "We've been through this, it's not what you wanted." Robert's heart sank. He knew. She was right, and he hated it. Her eyes casted back down to her daughter who was playing with a bow that was stitched to her dress. "Can you go with your paps for a little please, sweet? I need to speak to Mr. Mitchell."
"Okay!" She smacked a kiss on her mother's cheek before hopping down and running off.
Kim watched as her daughter ran over to her father. Robert spoke again catching her attention. "What's her name?"
She hesitated. "Rosabelle."
Robert's lips parted in shock. "Did you..."
She nodded. "Yes." She did name her daughter after Robert, no matter how selfish that was to her husband. "You weren't only my lover, you took care of me when I had nobody. I left you and you never said a bad word about me. You helped my father pay for his home so he could retire after the whole prison ordeal. Robert you're a wonderful man that I had the pleasure to meet. God know where I'd be if I never met you."
"Please," He spoke in desperation. "Promise me that if you need anything you'll phone me. If he hurts or upsets you, you'll phone me. I'll always be here for you Kimberly, even as a friend."
"I know." She nodded.
He reached for her hands once again, bringing them up to his lips and kissing each and every one of her knuckles. "I wish you a wonderful life."
"And you." She spoke breathlessly. "Thank you, for everything."
"Anything for you, bunny."
And after that night, the two never saw one another again. It was the closure they both needed after all that time. They had come to terms with how it had to be. Not every relationship is built to last, but that one was one she would never regret in her life. It made her who she was, and Kimberly was forever grateful.
Robert learnt to smile, allow people to see a soft side of him again, while Kimberly learned that she deserved to be confidence. She deserved to let her voice be heard.
Although she couldn't say it, she loved Robert. But some things are only meant to last a moment, even if the memories stick with you for the rest if your life. And truthfully, life is like a piano, the white keys are happiness while the black keys are sadness, we need both to play music.
Life goes on, it did for both Kimberly and Robert, though sometimes it's hard to turn the page when you know someone won't be in the next chapter. But they were there once, they stain the paper with memories that make you who you are today. And that's all that mattered to them both.
Maybe one day, in another life, in another universe the two would get their happily ever after.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay okay, hear me out. IM SORRY. But I wanted to write a book to showcase other types of love. Robert and Kimberly parting ways isn't a bad thing, not every relationship is built to last. Like they say, it's better to love and have lost than to never have loved at all.
But this is indeed the end. Thank you so so much for reading. Truly, I appreciate it so much.
That last line was a hint to my other books where Robert and Kimberly DO get their happily ever after incase you haven't read any of my other books. I write books with the same characters, just in an alternate universe. Robert and Kimberly are my favourite characters to write, I've really grown to love them over the last thre years, and I have many more books to come.
Seriously, you should see my ideas list.
So, on that note, look out for my next book to come...
Online.
A couple who shared the life on social media, what could go wrong?
Everything apparently.
After getting tormented for her regressor lifestyle, Kimberly found herself in a downwards spiral of harassment.
But who was causing it?
"Do I have a stalker now?"
"I hate to break it to you babe, but I think you do."
Once again, thank you all so much, I would kiss you all if I could.
-k