Chapter 22

Next day

Kimberly got out of classes pretty early Friday, around 11am. She came in and found the loft empty after dropping Aisha off to the apartment. She decided to take the puppies on a walk. . As she opened the door downstairs, the puppies on their chains trying to run out, Tyler stood at the intercom. Kim smiled and invited him on a walk. Tommy was in his room, when he heard laughing and talking. He came out to find Kimberly had returned, eating ice cream with Tyler.

"Hey!"

"Hey. Did you not get any of my calls?"

"Sorry, my cell is in the car." She kissed his cheek. "We were walking around soo much. I was showing Tyler the campus and our favorite restaurants. He claims so much as changed since he was here just 2 years ago."

"Aisha wanted to know if you were still thinking about joining her tonight."

"Oh, right. I was suppose to call her." Kimberly took the chains off the puppies and hung them up. "Tyler make yourself at home.

"Right." He went, calling for the puppies. Tommy rolled his eyes. Aisha wanted to have a girlie night and go partying after dinner to celebrate the engagement of the couple.

8:30 pm

Dinner at the restaurant was very interesting. Tommy spending most his time, watching Tyler and his fiancé, flirt, 90 Tyler toward Kimberly.

"So, how does this engagement really feel?"

"Good," Kimberly said curling Aisha's hair. Just in her white string bikini. Party was going to be the last pool bash since it was December 1st. Aisha sat in her white and yellow striped bikini. Neither having spoken to Jason since the fight. Tommy came into the room sighing. Party started at 8, neither girls close to being ready.

"Don't start," Kim said holding the curler out to him. "We are coming, just 5 more minutes."

"Yea, 5 more minutes, heard that about 20 minutes ago."

"OUT!" Tommy held up his hands and closed the door.

"It'll be about another 30 minutes."

"I heard that!" Kim yelled through the door. Kimberly put on her pink velour hoodie and drawstring shorts with purple suede sneakers. Aisha in a yellow suit, just the same as Kimberly's, just with pink suede sneakers. (THINK: J.LO in "I'm real" video :)

"Ta da!" Kimberly and Aisha said coming out the room. Tommy clapped.

"Only 10 minutes, close." Kim made a face at him. They went to the pool bash. Tyler joined th party with a call from Katherine. Somehow, someway, Tommy ended up getting into a fight with Kimberly. That was the quietest ride home ever. Tommy got his door slammed in his face. He opened it and found Kimberly pulling off her wet hoodie and shorts. Tommy quickly touched and grabbed her waist from behind. His face went into her neck, where he kissed several times before turning her around to face him. He held her face.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be." Her hands went to his wrists and pulled his hands away. "Dickhead." She went to walk away when Tommy grabbed her arm. He stopped her and took both her hands into his hands. He raised her hands and kissed each of them. Kim looked at him with those brown eyes and smiled. "But I love you. Always will."

"I know. I love you too." He kissed her forehead. They fell to the bed, kissing, fall asleep in each other's arms.

Next day
11 am

Tommy had to go drop off some paperwork for his uncle and would be gone all of Saturday, until late night. Kimberly sat on the counter, her guitar out, as she played. There was a buzz at the door. She sighed, stuck on a note. Kimberly put her guitar down and scratched out a line on a piece of paper. Kimberly pulled down her rainbow muscle tee and hopped down. She fixed her white skirt with rainbow waistband. She went to the door. Kimberly found it was Tyler.

"So, where did you disappear last night?"

"Uh, Tommy wasn't digging the party. We left early."

"Oh, what a shame. I missed my dance, there was some great music. Party didn't end until 4."

"Wow." Tyler saw her guitar out, sheet music around with a notebook.

"Nice guitar." Kimberly slipped into her navy flip flops.

"Thanks."

"You play?"

"Uh, yea. A little." He looked through the music.

"I'd say, more than a little." Tyler picked up her guitar and started playing.

"Wow. What was that?"

"You mean this." Tyler played again. "Just something I know." Tyler looked over her paper and started playing, adding a little bit more.

"Oh, I've working on a new line for nearly 20 minutes, thanks for the idea."

"No problem. Guitar has a great sound."

"Hey, I've got another one, want to play?"

"Sure, I would love to. I've been working on some music as well recently. Let's do it."

"Yea."

2 pm

Tyler watched Kimberly as they played together. They had been playing this sessions for nearly 3 hours. Kimberly was working on a new song.

"A moment like this. Some people wait a lifetime, for a moment like this. Some people search forever, for that one special kiss...Some people wait a lifetime, for a moment, like this." Tyler reached forward quickly and kissed Kimberly. She was sitting on the coffee table across from him on the couch. Kimberly pulled back.

"Wha..why did you...did you..."

"I thought..."

"You were wrong." Kimberly quickly put the guitar on the table and stood up. She rubbed her forehead. "You need to go."

"NOW!"

"Yes." Kimberly quickly went to the door. She pushed Dash and Napoleon back with her foot. "Now."

"Kimberly, wait..I..." Tyler got up and went to her.

"You kissed me! Tommy and I are...I'm engaged! I love Tommy!" She held up her left hand to his face after opening the door. "I love..." Tyler grabbed her face and kissed her, much more deeper...

the end

just kidding :)

Kimberly's hands moved to Tyler's face. Then it snapped in her head, not Tommy, not Tommy! Kimberly pulled away after a good minute of kissing.

"No, No, no this...this can't be happening."

"Why not?"

"Please, go."

"Kim, I felt it. I know you feel it. Just try and let go of..." Flashes of Tommy came to Kim's mind.

"I-I love Tommy." That slight hesitation in her voice, Tyler felt it.

"Prove it." Tyler grabbed her face and kissed her again. Kimberly pulled away and shoved Tyler out the door. She slammed the door as she watched him try and get up quickly.

"Go away, Tyler." Kimberly yelled as he started pounding on the door. Her back to the door.

"Kim, don't do this! Let go of any fear, I like you, I know you like me, I can tell from just that kiss. You are surprised, yea, but you can't deny me. That kiss gave you something."

"I already have everything, Tyler. I love Tommy, I will always love Tommy, nothing you can say or do will ever change that. So, Please, just go."

"This is not over with, Kimberly."

"It was nothing to start with." Kimberly walked from the door.

"Hello?" Aisha was in the laundry mat when her cell phone went off.

"He kissed me."

"Hello? Kim? WHO?"

"Tyler, Sha."

"What?"

"We were playing music, and I don't know, he just kissed me!"

"Where are you?"

"The loft."

"Is he gone?"

"I shoved him out. Aisha, what am I going to do?"

"What do you think? You cannot tell Tommy! He'll kill Tyler!"

"I know, I know! But if I don't and he finds out..."

"He won't from me! And Tyler would be crazy to tell him."

"Aisha, I think I kissed him back."

"Wha...?"

"I said I think.."

"I heard you! I'm coming over!"

5pm

Kimberly was on bars, dressed in white sports bra, pink tights and navy sleeveless hoodie. After a long conversation with Aisha. She had to get out the loft, get away for a while to think. She went to the gym to work on her 4 new programs that she and Tommy designed together one late night a few days ago. She had arrived about 4 pm. Coach Thorne talking her through the routine, pointing out any errors. After about 40 minutes walking Coach Blair and Thorne through every aspect of her beam routine and doing 5 clean vaults, she moved to floor nearly another hour showing that new program. And finally on bars to end the evening.

8pm

Tommy sneaked into the shower stall with Kimberly. She had returned from the gym and went straight for the shower. She hadn't heard Tommy come in. Kim screamed and shoved Tommy off her.

"Wow, babe, sorry!"

"Don't do that!" Tommy grabbed her hips and pulled her back.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" Kim's head was down. "What's wrong, Beautiful."

"I'm fine." He lifted her head. "Just a little headache, long practice." She turned off the water. They both toweled off. Kimberly slipped into her pink tank, and Gizmo PJ pants.

"Did you get to show your programs to the Coaches?"

"Yea, all 3, even got 2 different vaults down for Thursday."

"That's great!"

"Beam was good, so was floor. Timing is a little off for bars, so I had to work, real, real hard. I hope Sunday and Monday will get any problems corrected, so Tuesday and Wednesday won't be so rough."

"You'll get it, trust me. So did you miss me."

"What?"

"Did you miss me?"

"Oh, right...yea."

"Wow, nice."

"Sorry, just hungry and tired, I guess."

"I'll go get you a Lean Cuisine and diet Dr. Pepper. Go lay down." Kim grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"What?" She hugged him. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I love you, only you."

"I love you too." He kissed her head and hugged her tightly.

Teaser: Kimberly gasped and sat up from a nightmare that night. She woke to kissing Tyler. Kimberly laid back down to her back, only to wake Tommy.
"Hey."
"Hey," she whispered back.
"Something wrong?"
"Nothing." She turned to him. She smiled, but it faded when a flash of Tyler's face replaced Tommy's face...