But no more. Gerald hasn’t come to visit her, or called her. But what was she expecting? He told her that he wasn’t the one she wanted. She couldn’t dwell on this anymore. The last time she had her heartbroken, she stayed away from love for four years. Maybe that’s why this hurt so much, because this caught her in an unexpected place. It came as a surprise, and was taken away just as sudden.

Kim continued to plan her sister’s wedding, and put all her energy into that and work. She knew that she should probably forget about Gerald, but every time she did think about him, they were angry thoughts. It even frustrated her. Why should she be angry? There was no reason for her to be. It’s all in the past, and it can’t be changed.
So it was about a week until her sister’s wedding, and she became more excited. All her hard work was about to be worth it, and she couldn’t wait until she saw her sister walk down the aisle. The only thing left was a date. Since there weren’t any men in her life that she wanted to bring as her date, she settled on inviting Maja. That would’ve passed the time.

On the other side, Gerald wasn’t any less miserable. He did most of his work at home because he didn’t want to risk in running into her. He realized he was a little harsh in the confrontation, but it was a spur in the moment and he probably did regret saying some of those things. It was killing him inside he couldn’t be the person she wanted him to be, but he wasn’t a whole to be blamed for it. Kim was the one who chose to see what she wanted, and she chose to believe that men were perfect, so when she realized otherwise, she got hurt.

It was the end of the week, and he needed to go into the office to drop off the manuscript of the next novel to hit the shelves. He didn’t realize how cold it was outside and how the sun reflected brightly off of the left over snow on the ground. He put on his shades that he kept handy at all times and decided to take the long walk instead of the car.
The walk did end up pretty mind-clearing. The fresh air did him some good, until he bumped into the a woman who he used in order keep his mind cleared at home. He did not need this right now, all he wanted was to reach his office and then begin to make his way home. “Ge! I didn’t realize I’d see you outside that house of yours,” the strange woman said grabbing his arm.

He got out of her grip quickly, “Liz, just ignore me and get on with your day. I’m not in the mood.”

She laughed and grabbed his arm again, “You haven’t exactly been in the mood for anything the past two weeks except...well, you know.” She explained. “Look, I was about to go get something to eat, you wanna join me?”

“I liked it better when you weren’t talking, now leave me alone, Liz.” He said again.

She scoffed, “Fine, then don’t expect me to come back when you give me another one of your lame booty calls.” She turned around and walked away.

Gerald sighed. Even though he knew he hated this type of lifestyle, it was the only one he’s ever known and they say old habits die hard. This one just kept showing up alive more than ever. Just like the pain he felt when he spun around and saw the last person he wanted to see standing in front of him looking appalled.

He didn’t expect to see her, but then again it was about the time school ended and the high school was just two blocks away. She probably needed that fresh air he’s been craving.

Kim started on her way again, but since the weather was getting cool and the snow was melting, there was a lot of ice. When Kim was taking her steps, she slipped, and Gerald ran to her rescue, reaching her before she could fully fall on the ground.

Their faces were just inches away from each other, with his hand on the small of her back and his body angled against hers. Her heart began to race, but she realized what happened, and she pushed him off of her. They were still on the ice, so Gerald ended up falling on the ground and Kim held onto him for balance so she could get up.

She wiped off her tweed trousers and looked down at Gerald who was picking himself up. She scoffed, thinking he never changed. She started off on her way once again, but Gerald stopped her. He might as well talk to her now. He probably wouldn’t see her again. “Kim.”

Kim spun around and looked at his dishevelled face. He hadn’t shaven in the last couple of days. “What do you want to say?”

Gerald sighed at her resistance. “You know, you could at least thank me for what I did.”

“Thank you?” She nodded. “Okay...Thank you for lying to me. Thank you for making me look a fool to a complete stranger.” She sighed, “Thank you for scheduling my heartbreak and for making me believe that I could fall in love again. Thank you for making me fall in love with you...and thank you for hurting me.” She shrugged, “You’re right, Gerald. There was a lot of things I needed to thank you for.” When he didn’t say anything, she became impatient. “Is there anything else?”

“I’m sorry,” he finally said.

Kim nodded again, “Me too. I’m sorry for not being more entertaining. The laughs got cut short since Kevin and I only went out on five dates instead of the ten you wanted. So if there’s nothing else...I’ll just go.” He didn’t stop her from leaving.

THIS IS A REALLY SHORT CHAPTER...ANOTHER SAD ONE...BUT THE NEXT ONE WILL PROBABLY BE A LITTLE LONGER AND A LITTLE HAPPIER. STAY TUNED KIDS, AND FINALLY....OUR JR AND AUDREY ARE HAPPY, IN LOVE, MARRIED AND FOREVER!!!