Chapter Twelve-Only Friends

During the first few months after Kim came back in my life we established a nice friendship. We went to movies together, sat at home and ate pizza. I babysat Jonny a few times. Nothing spectacular happened. We didn't discuss romance or sex, because we didn't see the need to. We were just friends and we were happy with that. It was during this time I learned about Julian Holland, Charles McBride, and Paul Richards.

Charles was the man Kim dated after me. He was five years older than us and he charmed her. He also put thoughts in her head while trying to win her over. He told her I was moving on with my life because we were talking less and less, he told her, after he learned about Kat, that I was probably interested in another girl, none of it was true, but since Kim was so far away from me for me to counter and reinforce my love for her, he was able to worm his way into her heart. After Kim broke up with me and started dating Julian. They dated for three months before they slept together and the day after he left her. Later I Jason told me that he punched the ass in his pretty face.

After the Maligore incident, Kim found the courage to date again and two months she found Charles. At first, their relationship was as perfect as perfect could get, He became abusive, not physically or Jason and Zack would have killed him. He abused her emotionally and psychologically. If took Paul to bring her back to herself.

Paul was an old childhood friend of Charles' who had reconnected with him after he moved to Florida. Charles, who had always been unfaithful to Kim, left them alone on several occasions to be with one of his many other "girlfriends". He had no idea that the two were getting closer. One day, Kim and Paul got as close as close could get and Charles had caught them. He was furious. He went to attack Kimberly and Paul intercepted with a solid punch in the face, breaking the jerks nose. And after some harsh words, Charles was out of both their lives and they were truly a couple. Kim was pregnant with Jonny. They were happy for four years, before Paul got caught in a boating accident. He was out with friends and they collided with another boat. They had not been drinking but the group on the other boat had. In total there were seven people, only three survived. Unfortunately Kim and Jonny, Paul wasn't one of them.

In turn I told her much shorter stories about my relationships with Kat and Hayley. I told her how I slowly began to like Kat as a friend. I told her about mine and Kat's short lived romance and I told her how it ended and why.

I spoke of how Hayley and I were never really in a romantic relationship, but in a friendship that was not meant to be anything more.

I kind of felt guilty. None of my relationships were ever as so dramatic or as tragic as hers. Well, the exception being the end of our relationship together.

One day, around the fourth month we were hanging out, Kim came over to my place for dinner. Jonny was spending the night with a new friend of his from school and Kim didn't want to be alone, so I asked her to stay over in my guest room. Of course she was hesitant at first, but I told her nothing was going to happen and even after so many years had passed, she still trusted me.

We were cleaning up after dinner when Kim gave a heavy sigh and looked up at me.

"What is it?" I asked leaning against my counter.

"It's nothing," Kim said with another sigh.

"No," I said crossing my arms. "Something is bothering you. What is it?"

"One of my co-worker's asked me out," she said. "But I'm not sure if I should say yes."

She shifted before taking a seat in one of the four chairs surrounding my kitchen table. She tucked on leg under her as she sat and brushed her hair out of her face as she bit her lip. She was nervous.

"He seems like a nice guy, but I don't know if I can put myself out there again."

I pushed off the counter to walk over to her. I sat in the chair next to her and took her hand in mine.

"Why not? Kim you are one of the most loving people I know," I said.

Kim pulled her hand away.

"So loving that I broke your heart for Julian, and he would never have slept with me then dumped me. I would have never met Charles and I would have never had cheated on him I with Paul, and then Paul died."

She couldn't look me in the eye.

"All of that doesn't mean you should give up on love," I said.

I leaned forward and place my hand on her shoulder.

"You made some mistakes and each lead you to Paul," I said gently. "If you never broke up with me, you never would have given Charles a chance, he never would have treated you so badly that you ended up in Paul's arms, you never would have four happy years with him, and you would never have had Jonny."

"I know," Kim said quietly.

"No, Kim," I argued softly. "Just say yes. It's only one date. You're going to have to start dating again sometime and if you continue to wait until it's the right time, you will never date."

Kim sighed and gave me a small smile.

"You're right." She said.

I smiled brightly at her and then went back to my chore. It wasn't until later that I realized that I gave Kim permission to date any man but me and it wasn't until even later that I realized how much I did not like the idea.

END TO CH. 12