Chapter 26
The following few weeks flew by, Kim was slowly returning to her old self.
The holiday she took with Grace had been a real turning point for Kim; it had allowed her to push Nick to the back of her mind. She had now accepted her fate with Nick and stopped chasing him, what they had was amazing, but it was obliviously not meant to be, so she decided to fix up and move on.
As she packed the last of her bags, her dad appeared in the doorway.
“Is that the last one?” His voice was heavy and husky.
“Yep, I don’t think I can pack anymore if I tried.” Kim smiled.
Her dad stepped further into the room then sat on the edge of the bed.
“Are you sure about this Kim? You don’t have to go you know Ash will understand.”
Kim smiled. “Its gunna be fine dad, I promise and beside everything else I feel I need to go so I can put it all behind me.”
“You’re a brave little solider you know and I’m very proud of you, not many people would be able to go back like you are.” Kim’s dad almost whispered.
Kim smiled at her father’s words.
“Although I gotta admit I kinda want you to stay just so I don’t have to deal with your mother’s constant worrying.” He joked.
Kim let out a little giggle and hugged her dad.
“OK then I’ll take the rest of your stuff down, you best come and have a cup of tea with your mom before you have to leave.”
Her dad picked her bag up and headed down stairs leaving Kim so scour the room with her eyes as if it was the last time she would be back there.
Downstairs Ash had arrived a little early to pick Kim up so he could spend a little time reassuring Kim’s mom that she would be safe this time.
Kim entered the kitchen to hear Ash repeating himself for the hundredth time.
"I promise, I promise, she will be safe, I will not take my eye's off her for even one minute OK."
They were not leaving for Tokyo until tomorrow evening but they had to travel down to London to catch their flight so they were leaving a day early to avoid a rush.
Kim sat down and began sipping her cup of tea, her mother instantly turned to her.
"Now you promise me you call every single day, don't worry about the cost we can sort it when you get home. Promise me Kim, non of this a call here or there or every other day after that." Desperation filled Kim's moms voice.
She looked over to see her dad leaning up the kitchen counter rolling his eyes, but still knowing it would be a losing battle to chip in.
Kim finished her drink as quickly as she could, the pain behind her mom’s eyes were becoming too much for her to watch anymore so she signalled to Ash that it was time to leave.
It took Kim a good half an hour to break free from her mother’s goodbye, she felt really bad for leaving them both to worry but she had to be selfish and leave otherwise she knew a heavy depression would set back in and she needed to feel free.
She said her final good byes and made her strict promises to keep in touch this time.
As soon as her and Ash hit the motorway Kim let out a huge sigh of relief, she was on her way now and even the impending doom of having to spend so much time in the air couldn’t knock her out of her happy mood.
Ash turned the radio up as loud as he could and the two of them sang their hearts out for most of the journey and joked about the pranks they could play on the new crewmembers.
The motorway was clear so the journey did not take as long as expected although Kim took over the driving halfway through as Ash kept getting cramp in his foot.
They pulled into the car park of a small hotel situated just behind the airport, it wasn’t much to look at compared to the last few Kim had stayed over in but they were only there for one night and they had paid a little extra for their direct flights knowing Kim struggled so much with being in the air.
It had taken them a little over 3 hours to arrive at the hotel and it was beginning to get dark now.
“How about we dump these bags then go get some dinner?” Ash enthusiastically asked as he tried frantically to shove his driving licence back into his wallet.
“Yeah sounds cool.” Kim answered even though she was not hungry.
Kim picked up her bag and followed Ash upstairs to their room. As he reached the door, Ash fumbled around to get the card in the lock then kicked the door open with his foot as it clicked open.
Kim followed him into the room, it was a basic room with two single beds, a small TV and coffee and Tea area and a tiny bathroom just off to the side of it.
Throwing her bag on the bed Kim headed over to the bathroom to wash her hands before they went down to the hotel’s restaurant for their dinner.
Downstairs was quiet not many people were about but Kim sat and watched as a steady stream of business men and holiday makers poured in through the main doors, then just as quickly disappeared up to their rooms.
The waiter was quick to arrive at their table to take their orders. Ash being as hungry as he was, ordered the biggest steak dinner he could, followed by a pint of larger, Kim followed suit with the larger but just ordered a small chicken salad to keep Ash off her back about not eating enough.
They both continued to people watch as they waited for their food, making up the most outrageous stories that they could think off as to where and why these people could be going to a different place. Some they decided where secret lovers off for a dirty weekend, others were on the run from the mafia and some where even aliens who had infiltrated the governments and were now posing as secret agents gathering evidence, ready to extract vengeance on the world.
The time pasted quickly in the restaurant, they had spent a long time in there just chatting away and enjoying a few too many beers. Before they knew it they had gone into the early hours of the morning, feeling quiet tired Ash decided to call it a night as there was no way he would be able to manage the long flight with a hangover. Kim quickly finished her drink and followed him over to the elevator.
They silently made their way up to the room but Kim knew Ash well enough to know when something was playing on his mind.
“Come on then, tell me what’s bothering you.” Kim sighed as the door opened.
Ash looked at her a little puzzled.
“I know when you’re thinking about something or plotting something. You can’t hide from me so spit it out.” Kim pressed.
Ash just shook his head; she was right though, he was troubled about something but was not sure of the reaction it would cause if he brought it up.
How could he tell her that he worried that after what she went through with Andy then Nick not contacting her, he feared as soon as she saw Nick she’d just forget everything and go running back to him only to let it happen again?
How could he tell her what a dick he thought Nick was for treating her that way?
How could he try to prepare her for how difficult this leg of the tour would be with those memories fresh in her mind?
How could he tell her how amazing he thought she was and how she deserved a man who truly knew how much she was worth?
He finally felt like he had the old Kim back and feared bringing up his concerns may cause her to back track.
Kim raised her eyebrow as she waited impatiently for Ash to confess.
“It’s nothing.” Ash lied.
“I guess I’m just tired and trying to prepare myself for the next leg of this insane tour.”
“I don’t buy it.” Kim eyed Ash again looking for clues.
Ash just shook his head “That’s all it is.”
Trying desperately to think of a way he could change the subject he did the only thing he knew how to do well and pushed her then ran off.
Kim laughed at his childish antics, she knew he was holding something back and one way or another she would get it out of him, but for now that extra beer she had was not sitting to well in her stomach so she needed to go sleep it off.
The next day they both woke early afternoon with hazy heads. They only had a few hours to kill before check in so they freshened up and got their stuff together ready to depart after they had tried to eat something to line their stomachs.
The airport was hectic when they arrived.
“Thank God we opted for a direct flight.” Ash said as he perched outside the airport and puffed away on a cigarette.
“I know its pandemonium. How’s your head now?”
“Not too bad that sausage egg and chips cleared it right up.” Ash joked.
Kim felt her stomach churn. “Ergh I dunno how you can eat that shit for breakfast.”
Ash laughed as he patted his satisfied stomach.
“Come on then chicken; let’s get you to Tokyo where you can finally get down to some hard work!”
Kim churned her face sarcastically as she followed him into the warm airport.
The flight over was straightforward other than a small amount of turbulence.
Ash watched on as Kim quickly sunk one alcoholic beverage after the other.
The alcohol soon made her tired so she shuffled down into her seat and quickly fell asleep.
She is obliviously not coping as well as I thought she was.
Ash thought to himself as he watched over her.
Ash spent most of the flight just watching over Kim, he tried hard to concentrate on whatever movies were playing, but he had a bad feeling about how the next few weeks would pan out once the Backstreet Boys arrived.
It played heavy on his heart that Kim would be swept back up in the ever-growing hurricane of devastation that was Nick Carter.
Chapter End Notes:
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