The Reunion

Chapter 9

Cherie had been quiet since they left the hotel for lunch. Her mind had been swirling around the conversation she had with Eddie, which centered around her fears of what's to come, what could happen and what did happen. She waited until they were seated and had placed their orders before she expressed her thoughts and fears.

"What ever happened between us? Why didn't you keep in touch with me or visit me back then?"

"I," She hesitated for a moment, "I don't know. I was being an idiot and like I said I thought we would have reconnected at some point but years past and I tried or wanted to connect with you but the timing was always bad."

"I guess we were both being idiots. I kept talking myself out of reasons why I should message you and never did. Eventually, I came off of social media so that made it impossible to reach out to you."

"Why are you off social media anyway?"

"It's annoying, it's a waste of time and I never felt compelled to put myself or my life out there."

"But some things still got out. That's how I found out about your marriage."

"Yeah, Sophia lived on social media." Cherie was reminded how she almost joined the social media sites again to get a view into her ex-wife's new life but she refrained and decided that sitting outside of her house was a better idea, which it wasn't. "Skylar, I'm nervous."

"Nervous of what?"

"This, you, us," Cherie took a deep breath, "all of it. I didn't realize it until I left this morning and actually thought it over."

"Talk to me." There was visible concern on Skylar's face. "Tell me how I can assure you."

"I don't think there's much you can do. I'm still processing my divorce from Sophia and all she put me through."

"And you think I will do that to you?" Cherie worried at her bottom lip and nodded. "I promise if we do this, I will be dedicated to you and only you. I also understand that words are just that, words and showing you is what matters but I can't show you if you don't give us a chance."

"What about men? You were married to a man."

"I experimented a lot in college and found out that I love women too. I also love you." She reached out and held Cherie's hand across the table. "I would never hurt you like that. I would never put you through that."

The trust she had developed in Skylar since high school was still there and she had no reason to distrust her. Skylar had been her protector, her confidant and had never consciously hurt her. She should trust her but she had also trusted Sophia. This new journey was something they would have to take one day at a time.

"What's going on here?" They both lifted their heads and focused on the intrusion, Jimmy.

It took everything in Cherie not to quickly remove her hand from under Skylar's. She had to remind herself she wasn't in high school anymore; she was an adult, she was out and she didn't have to hide any portion of herself to make others comfortable, plus it felt good that Jimmy would see her with Skylar like this.

"How are you, Jimmy?" Skylar spoke first and laced her fingers with Cherie's with no intention of letting go. "How was the rest of the reunion?"

"Where did you two run off to last night?"

"Just for a walk," Skylar answered, "we wanted to catch up on the last twenty years."

"And you couldn't do that at the reunion?" He questioned.

"No, we had too much to catch up on. We needed the right setting so we went back to my hotel room."

His eyes continued to drift back to their joined hands and Cherie could feel the heat from his stare. "Why are you two holding hands?"