Karen's P.O.V.

A few months later...

I woke up the same way I fell asleep. With Phillip's arms wrapped around me. Even with his arms around me, I didn't feel quite as safe as I did with Jimi, still safe but not as much. It still felt okay and I could easily relax in them. I move over slightly and see Phillip awake and smiling. He pecks my shoulder with multiple kisses. "Good morning."

"Good morning." I said and rolled over to face him.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good. You?"

"That's good, and I slept wonderfully." I smile and lay there.

"What time is it?" Phillip lifts his arm and looks at his watch.

"It's 9:30."

"In the morning?"

"Yup, why?"

"Cause we fell asleep just after noon... I didn't realize we slept that long."

"Well, we didn't... You did. I fell asleep around nine or ten last night and woke up a little while ago. But you also needed to catch up on your rest. You needed it."

"I'm sorry, I feel like an ass for just falling asleep on you"

"Its okay. I understand."

"Believe it or not... But I still feel dead tired."

"Wow... Really?"

"Mhmm..."

"You're also just lazy too..."

"Am not!" I hit his arm playfully.

"Are too. I'm actually surprised you fell asleep when you did and just woke up."

"You're surprised because I slept a while?"

"Well... I thought for sure you were goin into hibernation."

"Shut up"

"Its true"

"Whatever." I rolled on my back and yawned and Phillip noticed and he straddled me and held my arms down. "Don't you even think about it Phillip."

"Think about what...?"

"You know exactly what."

"Oh... You mean this..?" He starts tickling my sides and I laugh. He continues to do that for a few minutes until I turn red and it became hard to breathe. He let's my hands go but continues to straddle me.

"We should go eat something. I'm hungry."

"Karen... You're always hungry."

"Yeah well... Not my fault. I skipped dinner last night and now I want breakfast."

"Alright. Alright. I suppose we can get some."

"Mhmm. Thought so." Phillip moves off and we get up and I change into new clothes and so does Phillip."

"Ready?"

"Ready." He smiles and we walk down stairs.

We ate and then Phillip went to shower. I went back upstairs to make the bed but I sat on his bed. The bed was always quite comfy and it was amazing, So I laid on it. I closed my eyes and tuned everything out. Its like I was in a light sleep. I felt something on my collarbone, it was something that tingled and tickled and it is enjoyable. I come out of my sleepy state but keep my eyes closed and smile. Phillip keep kissing my collarbone and I keep smiling and put a hand on the back of his head, and he climbs on top of me.

"Well, hello to you too." He just keeps kissing and he slid his hand up under my shirt. As he does all this the only thing I can think of is 'I remember when Jimi used to do this. I used to enjoy it way more then now. Phillip isn't Jimi. He would never be Jimi.' I kept thinking and Phillip noticed when I didn't move or do anything for a while.

"You okay Kare?" He shook me and got me out of my thinking state.

"Huh..? Oh yeah... I'm fine."

"Okay. You were a little zoned out there."

"Sorry... Was just thinking too much."

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Karen, it's something otherwise you would be that focused on it." I needed an excuse. If Phillip knew I was thinking of Jimi while he was kissing me, I'll never hear the end of it.

"When you do that it reminds me of Mark. He used to do that before he would... Ya know..."

"Karen... I'm so sorry... I didn't know..." He gets off me.

"Phillip... I like it... But..."

"I get it Karen, you're not ready. I understand."

"I lied..."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry... I knew what you would do if I told you the truth. But I can't lie."

"Lie about what Karen?"

"I Still love Jimi."

"Yeah... I figured."

"You did..?"

"Of course I did. I see the way you look at him. I know you have feelings for him. And to be honest... I kinda met someone too. And I feel like I could really be happy with her."

"That's great Phillip. I'm glad you found somebody else. I really am."

"Thank you" I smile and sit there.

"You can go if you want too. You don't have to stay. Go get your man." I smile and get up and kiss Phillip's cheek.

"Thank you." He smiles and gives me a hug. I smile and grab my purse and keys and leave.

I drive to Kimberley's first and stop in. I knock on the door and she answers about ten seconds later. "Hey Karen"

"Hey!"

"Why are you so happy?"

"Me and Phillip broke up"

"And you're happy?!"

"Partially. He know we are friend and we broke up cause there wasn't love and we love other people."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. But I had to tell you first."

"Okay. But now what?"

"I still love Jimi."

"Karen. We've been down this road before. He was an ass to you."

"Besides that. He was amazing when we were together."

"But you even said the truth comes out when he's drunk."

"Maybe it did. But I forgive him."

"Karen. It don't work like that. He hurt you and you hurt him."

"I hurt him?!" She nods. "How in the hell?!"

"When he came here after y'all split he found out you and Phillip were a thing. He cried for hours straight. The love of his life was with his best friend because he was stupid."

"He cried..?"

"Yeah, a lot. More then I ever seen men cry."

"I have to go to him." Kimberly's phone starts to ring in the house.

"Wait. I'll come with you so you're not alone. But let me answer that..." She leaves the door open and goes in the house cause we were still talking on the porch. I follow her inside and shut the door as she answered her phone. "Hello?.... What?!.... I'll be there!" Kimberley way bawling her eyes out before she even hung up the phone.

"Kim?! What's wrong?"

"I...I...Steve.." She was crying and panicking.

"Kim take deep breathes. What happened?"

"S..Steven... He had a heart attack and is at the hospital! We gotta go!" She was crying more.

"Okay. Go get in my car. I'm driving." I grabbed Kim's purse and follows her out to the truck in a hurry. I make sure she's in and I get in and drive to the hospital.

We arrive and we were told to wait in the waiting room. I called Phillip and Jimi and told them what was happening and they wanted to come. We sat there for about ten minutes before Phillip showed up. He sat on the other side of Kim and held her while she cried. About five minutes after that Jimi arrived. I looked at him and he was hand in hand with a blond chick. He walked over when he seen us. "What happened?" I knew Kim couldn't answer that and Phillip couldn't really answer that. So that only left me. I was crying with Kim, I didn't know how to fix this. I look at Jimi with glossy eyes.

"Steven had a heart attack and was rushed here. We don't know nothing else" Jimi nodded and sat down with his 'to be assumed girlfriend' on the other side of Phillip.

A doctor came out and called for Kim. She looked at me and I nodded as if she asked me to go with her. We both stood and walked over. The doctor had a sympathetic look, I knew it wasn't good. "Kimberley Roads?" All she did was nod and she grabbed my hand trying to hold in tears. "We did everything we could." Don't say that... Every scenario starting like that ends horribly. "I'm sorry to tell you that your husband didn't make it." Kim couldn't even stand. She fell to the ground crying. I held on to her and went down with her. I held her and cried with her and nodded to the doctor. He nodded sympathetically and walked away. I held Kim in the middle of the waiting room floor. I didn't care who could see. I didn't care what they thought. Me and Kim were crying and I glanced at Phillip, Jimi and his friend. They knew. They were crying also. I closed my eyes and held Kim. I held her for a while. Then I needed to be strong for her. I take a deep shaky breathe and pull back a little.

"C'mon Kim... We should go home." She cried but nodded weakly. I get up carefully and help Kim up as well. Jimi and Phillip sat there watching. I hold Kim in my arms and walk her outside and to my car. Phillip and Jimi followed. With a deep breath I say in a shaky voice.

"I'm taking her home. You're free to join us." With that I get in the car and drive away.

I get to Kimberley's house and get out. I help her out and take her inside and help her sit on the couch. I sat with her and held her. I started to cry again. Not long after we arrived Phillip arrived, and Jimi was behind him. They came and sat down. Us just being there with Kim let her know she wasn't alone. Hopefully it is enough for her. Hopefully it was enough for all of us.