Walking from work was normally sort of a Zen moment of each day for Kimberly. She took the time to push away all the terrible news and unartistic photography she'd done throughout the day and focused on centering herself and trying to calm her discomfort with the new job she'd taken. Eventually, she'd get used to it and photography was what she loved; if she wanted to get to National Geographic someday, she had to pay her dues. Today, though, she found her thoughts even more muddled and pained than they would've been while still at work.
Kimberly found herself remembering all the good times she'd had with Dano and then with Connor. She found herself comparing the two relationships and subsequent break ups. While she'd been able to remain good friends with Dano, she had barely the strength to think about Connor, most days. To be fair, Frankie and Shaina had been instrumental in her friendship with Dano after the breakup and that was fine. Here, there was no one pushing she and Connor to stay on good terms. He'd pushed her away in the beginning, insisting he wasn't ready to be hurt again and then he'd given in only to be the one who hurt her. Part of her wondered, if she'd ever told him that she loved him, whether he'd have been as quick to let her go, but it was too late, now. What was done was done.
Now, he wanted to see her. He said they needed to talk. Kimberly begged to differ. If she was honest, the very idea of meeting him in her local haunt both frustrated her and made her sick to her stomach with nerves. He'd ended it and all Kimberly could keep coming back to was...why wouldn't he let her heal her wounds? Connor hadn't seemed like the type to drag her through her pain; quite the contrary. Didn't he realize how much she didn't want to be doing this right now while everything was still so raw?
Somehow, Kimberly was pretty sure this would be her last pitstop to the sandwich shop for a while, as she walked in the door and spotted Connor right off.
"Kimmy...you know, it isn't even quarter til, yet," the teenage boy cleaning tables a little ways from Connor called out with a smirk. "They let you out of Hell a early today or what? The usual?"
Kimberly gave him a weak smile in return and shook her head to answer both questions at once. Normally she walked the long way around to get here, especially when the weather was nice. Today, she had business and she'd come straight there. "No thanks, Jay, I'm good," she replied quietly, her eyes meeting the kid's for a second before moving over to find Connor again. Her heart started to race and her stomach twisted again. She was glad for the fact that, as she approached, the kid seemed to take the hint and moved away from the counter, disappearing into the kitchen again with a passing glance over his shoulder at his regular and the newcomer that seemed to have knocked the wind out of her sails.
For a moment, she hovered awkwardly before deciding he'd just tell her to take a seat anyway and then Kimberly slid into the seat across from Connor. "Hey." Looking at him hurt. Her voice didn't sound the way it should. Was he happy? Was it still all about Jillian or had that been lost in translation along the way? Everything about this encounter felt uncomfortable and Kimberly's head swirled with related but still somehow unrelated thoughts. Had Stevie chewed through anything lately? Did he miss Zeus the way the St. Bernard seemed to miss him? Did Kon ever want to go out shooting with her still, but wouldn't ask because of some stupid bro code? How many boxes of Smores Pop Tarts was Connor down to, now?