kmadrigalsoto

[kmadrigalsoto]

[kmadrigalsoto]

[kmadrigalsoto]

“And for the better.” concluded Kimberly with a knowing smile. She knew how serious Lincoln was when it came to those that he cared about. Therefore, the amount of time and effort he was putting into teaching Hazal to protect herself showed immensely and she was happy for the both of them as it looked like they were going strong. “Ugh, trust me once he gets into a mood there’s no going back.” Growing up with him and Peyton, she had gotten used to his demeanour and if anything, she tended to feed off of it just to get under his skin like a younger sister would. 

“Yeah…” she confidently replied with a bright smile. Kimberly was navigating her relationship with Benji the way she wanted to and with patience, love and care. In truth, she grew fond of him with each passing day that went by and with or without the incident, she would have stood by her strong feelings about him. As Hazal answered Kim’s inquiry about her relationship, the heiress nodded in understanding and supported her reasoning from the get-go. “That’s fair, so as long as you’re both happy, accepting and on the same page, then that’s all that matters. It’s both your relationships at the end of the day and your love trumps everything and everyone else.”

She let her lips curve into a smile at Kim's words. "The training changed everything for me," Hazal said, meaning every word. She thought about how different she felt now—stronger, more confident in her own skin. The self-defense training had given her something she didn't know she needed: control. And while she'd never admit it out loud, part of her loved knowing she could throw a proper punch if she had to. A laugh escaped her at the comment about Lincoln had a dramatic side. "God, you're right—he would have been impossible to handle." His face would scrunch up in that adorable way whenever something didn't go his way. It was funny how what used to drive her crazy now made her smile—his theatrics had become one of those quirks she secretly loved about him.

She observed Kim's expression soften while discussing Benji. It was clear the two had something special. "Taking it day by day makes perfect sense," she offered, the words coming easily. When Kim asked about her endgame with Lincoln, she felt color rise to her cheeks. "Right now, I'm trying to stay present with it all. We're in a good place." But privately, she wondered if she was being too cautious—if old habits were keeping her from embracing what could be. "I'm not trying to freak him out, you know?"

[kmadrigalsoto]

Kimberly’s face lit up as she couldn’t agree more with the other’s statement. “Right?...I know we have our own free will to do it, but unfortunately I can’t handle the judgments or weird stares.” she admitted with a sheepish smile. Once they agreed to have her hold the umbrella and flashlight, Kimberly held it up and waited for him to begin the process, “Mhm, 100% sure!...My name’s Kimberly by the way!”

matthew didn't like burdening people, especially not after his accident. he already felt like he was an inconvenience any time he had to ask someone to repeat themselves. "i think more people should still do that. play in the rain, i mean." but no one did. when you got older, people expected more from you. he pursed his lips and handed over his flashlight, "alright. if you're sure, you're on flashlight and umbrella duty while i teach you how to change a tire."

[kmadrigalsoto]

“Well to me it is an emergency, you’re always helping me and so I want to help you!” Listening attentively to Nikhil’s response, the heiress pressed her lips into a thin line as she processed what was said. “It sounds like you know what you’re doing.” she truthfully replied. “You’re being respectful, yet honest about the whole thing and the way I see it…The ball is technically in her court…Or should I say field in this case…You know…To make it cricket theme?” She then rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly before expressing a sheepish smile in the process as she could totally feel that it was a poor attempt at a joke.

She then patted his back while rolling her eyes as if she didn’t believe his lovestruck claims, “Right…Right…Whatever you say Nik.” However, her expression immediately changed as she quickly hugged him to congratulate on his divorce, “That is honestly great news!! You’re free!!” she exclaimed in excitement. "We have to celebrate! You're officially a true bachelor! We have to combine it with your birthday and the holidays, all at once!! When was the last time we got plastered?...God it feels like it's been years...Anyways! All I'm saying is that you need to have some fun now!"

Nikhil simply nodded when she agreed that she did have a lot going on. He understood it though and that’s why he wasn’t too concerned with trying to grab her attention on this matter. But Kimmie was right…in a way. He wouldn’t go all out and call this a travesty but it was definitely a situation that needed her attention. “I mean—it’s not a huge ass emergency but yes your advice will be much appreciated,” he told her with a smile before hearing her questions and honestly not being sure of the answers. He hadn’t dealt with anything that well and he knew it. “I—feel like she has set some boundaries already you know? But as for me dealing with it—I’m just giving her the space she needs,” he told Kimberley with a shrug, “what else can I really do?” He continued walking with her before he expressed how he really felt and her words had him almost blushing while he waved away her words about being in love but it was certainly a truth he hadn’t quite admitted to yet. “I’m not a lovestruck puppy Kim, stop that,” he said with a laugh before looking back at her and giving her a wide smile when she brought up the marriage. He at least had some positive news where that was concerned. “Well—luckily she doesn’t have to deal with it anymore. Ruhika and I are officially separated and the divorce papers have already been filed,” he sighed with a grin. “It took awhile but luckily—asides from her family despising me—things are going well on that front.” 

[kmadrigalsoto]

Normally she would have heard a witty comment from her friend, but the silence was deafening at this point as she looked over at Ariya with half concern and half curiosity. “W-what?” she blurted out in disbelief. Although she heard of such illness, she didn’t know the severity of it and based on her friend’s demeanour, it looked and sounded serious. Frowning, she tried not to express any sort of pity as that was probably the last thing the other woman would have wanted. Although Kimberly felt sympathy of the sort, she also knew that her friend needed someone to simply listen. “I’m sorry to hear that Ariya…And I do understand why you would push everyone way. However…” As her voice trailed off, a gentle smile crept onto her lips as she lightly bumped shoulders with her and said, “It sounds like doing all that is hurting more than it should...It's not easy, no? Especially when it goes to show how people like Pearce, hell even myself would go the whole way with you. If you don't mind me asking, what good does it do to push people away?"

She flashed a half-smile at Kim's aquatic creature comment, but her mind was elsewhere. The truth wanted to spill out, and for once, her usual sharp comebacks failed her. Her friend's concern cut straight through her defenses, making her want to crawl into herself. She'd been carrying this burden alone, trying to protect everyone else from the mess that was her life. "I got sick again," Ari said. "Kawasaki Disease. It's back." The words hung between them, raw and real. "The doctors say it's rare for it to return, but here we are." She stared at the ocean, wishing she could disappear into its depths. "I've been pushing everyone away because of it. Especially Pearce. I thought if I made him leave first, it would hurt less." 

[kmadrigalsoto]

“I can’t help it!!!!” she whined before crossing her arms. However as Kian answered her question, the heiress nodded in understanding before replying with, “You don’t have to explain yourself further, it’s a lot and sometimes there’s just no words to even describe the feeling.” Most days she felt numb and on autopilot mode that sometimes she didn’t even realize until time had passed. Her gaze softened after hearing Kian’s experience and as she proceed to continue folding clothes, she simply nodded in understanding and said, “If it’s any consolation, you're doing what you can. It's okay if not everyday is all fine and dandy...So as long as you don’t quit on yourself and those around you.” Although she had heard about Kian's case, it wasn't going to change how she viewed him as she understood that he probably had his reasons.

"Don't do that, don't pout. It's not a good look, Kim." He teased, trying not to be a Debbie Downer, while ignoring the heaviness in his chest. The same old question about his wellbeing made him want to sigh—not because he was annoyed, but because he'd lost count of how many times he'd had to convince people he was managing. "I've got Armi, friends and my parents, yeah. But some days..." He paused, considering how much truth to share. "Some days I wake up and it takes me a minute to remember everything that happened. Then it hits all over again." He let out a short laugh, but it came out hollow. "The support helps, but you're right, it takes its toll. I'm just better at hiding it these days." The admission surprised him—he hadn't meant to be quite so honest. But something about them having gone through trauma—not the same one, but close enough—made it easier to drop the pretense.

[kmadrigalsoto]

After hearing Alara’s clarification, Kimberly’s lips formed into an ‘O’ shape as she replied with, “Oh…” She then immediately shook her head and waved it off as if it wasn’t a big deal. “That totally doesn’t count then. It’s the cousin after all! Awww, she’s the bridesmaid!? A win is a win, you get business and you experienced a total meet-cute then!” To hear her best friend describe her crush was absolutely adorable as she could tell right off the bat that Alara's crush was in full force. "Well, Benji was a blind date and I had no info on him other than trusting whoever set us up...I mean first impressions right off the bat would be his appearance because that's the first thing I had seen. Total cutie, but soon after once we spoke and got to know each other I became more attracted to his personality and our genuine connection." Pausing, she then met Alara's gaze and flashed her an encouraging smile, "I'm sure once you two go through the getting to know each other stage, you'll begin to realize whether you're both a match, you know?"

alara didn't know what she did to meet someone as good to her as kimmie but she did know that she was by far one of the best friends she'd ever had and she appreciated the fact that she could lean on her for anything and everything. she laughed at the mention of her dating a client and shook her head, "her cousin was technically the client. plus, you should've seen the way she looked in the bridesmaid dress. i'd have to have been blind to not have found her beautiful." she spoke, an almost dreamy look coating her features. "is this how you felt when you met benji?"

[kmadrigalsoto]

A smile graced her lips as she accepted the kiss with no short of adoration. Benji knew the way to her heart and she believed every word he said as it showed greatly throughout their relationship. Humming softly against his lips, she then murmured, “Mmm…Waking up next to you doesn’t sound so bad at all. In fact, it might make me a morning person at this point.” She couldn’t help, but laugh as she patted his cheek gently and clarified with, “I know that silly, but it’s your personal space and I do want to respect it.” Nodding slowly, she understood what her boyfriend was asking for and she did a mini salute as confirmation. "Yes sir, sounds like a plan then. I'll pack my things and I can head over for tomorrow night?" She wanted to give him some space and time just in case he had some things to do prior to her moving in temporarily.

having her close to him after being separated as long as they were put an even wider smile on his face and his hands didn't hesitate to rest on the back of her thighs as she straddled his lap. "there's not anything that i wouldn't do for you, baby." he reassured and leaned forward to press a sweet kiss against her lips. as she went on about how the two of them managed to get caught in the crossfire of everything, he nodded. she was probably right. though, he just wished that he could have done something to prevent what happened. he knew there was no going back though so all they could do now was attempt to move forward. "i like the sound of that. you know, waking up next to you every day," he paused and traced circles against the outsides of her thighs with his thumbs. "you're not my maid. you're my girlfriend. make yourself at home but just clean up after yourself. that's all i really ask."

[kmadrigalsoto]

1elyse.

[kmadrigalsoto]

Kimberly was scrolling mindlessly through her phone until a voice interrupted her thoughts which led her to thinking of a response. "Aside from your typical franchised coffees, the Cozy Cup is the place to be. I'm a huge fan of their iced coffee." she confidently replied. "It's located in Midtown by the way." She then wore a warm smile and added, "Welcome!...If it's any consolation, I was in your shoes like two years ago. How new are you?"

—Open Starter (0/4)

Reyhan was still getting her footing in town. Her four years at Duke meant to she familiar with North Carolina in general, but it had been a few years, and each place had its own quirks. The first step of a successful campaign was to get to know the audience, and to do that Reyhan was going to have ingratiate herself with the locals.

"Hey, sorry — cool if I pick your brain for a minute?" she asked a passing stranger, not giving enough time to answer before plowing on. It was her proverbial 'get as much as possible through the door before it shuts' type deal, and it generally served her well. "I'm new to town, and I'm dying for a halfway decent cup of coffee. Any suggestions? And, y'know, a freebee for your troubles..." She wasn't above bribery, and if they took her up on it, she'd be able to expense it.

[kmadrigalsoto]

Making some memories of her own, Kimberly had her phone out to take photos of the scenery around them. She then took a few shots of Benji being a complete gentleman carrying the pumpkins to the register. “Awww how cute!” she exclaimed when Benji confirmed they’re a perfect pair like themselves. It was a good find and she couldn’t wait to see the outcome of them carving it out as well as their impromptu photoshoot. At the compliment, Kimmie rolled her eyes playfully before walking over and lightly bumping hips with him before taking some carving utensils and markers to help with their little project. “You should be humbling me babe, not boosting my ego.” she teased. Her gaze softened as she enjoyed learning more about Benji and as he spoke about his childhood, it did warm her heart to know that he had fond memories of his favourite holiday. "Awww babe, little you was probably adorable in that costume. Although I will say that's hilarious and honestly on brand for the both of you to pull a stunt like that." She couldn't really relate as her childhood more so revolved around the day after Halloween with All Souls and Saints Day, but she had grown into the holiday as she got older, especially when she was indulging in the nightlife scene.

benji hauled the first pumpkin toward the register before jogging back to grab the other one. if he was one thing, it was a gentleman and he did whatever he could in order to take care of kimberly in any way possible. once he lifted the other up, he led his girlfriend toward the check out and smiled in response. "i think you're probably right about that. they're just like us, the perfect pair." he grinned at the woman next to him. he cared a lot about the girl and he could see the two of them lasting for a while, especially since they'd been through so much together. "come on, you look good no matter what and i'm not just saying that because you're my girlfriend." he reassured and set the pumpkin down next to the other he'd previously brought over. once he paid for them, his attention went back on her. "i pressed up like scooby doo as a kid and i remember my girl cousin dressing up like a ghost and chasing me around. as scary as it was then, it's hilarious now."

[kmadrigalsoto]

“Hella.” agreed Kimmie as she dusted off her dress pants and crossed her legs. “If they don’t end up getting married or becoming end game, then he should take a leave of absence at that point.” She then shook her head in disbelief and said, “Oh babe, she’s down bad. I’m jealous, you’re getting pure content and front row seats to her new boo. Meanwhile I get grandma Bernadette over here asking me how to save a PDF…” Observing Feyza from where she sat, Kimberly couldn’t help but smile as she found it absolutely adorable that her best friend’s crush seemed to have the same interest in her. “And would that cute shop be called Enchanted Gowns?” she mused with a cheeky smile. “Alara is my best friend.” Kimmie admitted at first before happily clapping as she couldn’t contain her excitement. “She is super sweet and I am so so so happy for the both of you cuties!!!” Hearing a shush nearby, the heiress looked over and wore an apologetic smile before awkwardly waving and confirming she’ll tone it down as the meeting went on. “Anyways…" She then leaned in and softly said, "I can see how much you're glowing and content and so I'm supporting and rooting for the both of you all the way! I truly believe you two will end off on a high note. Have fun with it, you’re both amazing women inside and out! Falling in love is a beautiful thing, especially when you find your person."

"For real though, who knew Jack had such a smart mom? Total game changer." Her eyes lit up as she sipped her drink. "The 5 AM FaceTime thing is wild. Like, that's some next-level dedication." Feyza snorted at the mention of Sheryl's flirting attempts. "I swear, every time he says anything, she does this whole giggle-and-flip combo. Classic crushing behavior." Her face grew warm at Kimberly's question about her love life. Alara floated through her mind - with her infectious smile and the way she always gave personalized style tips. "Well, there's this girl who owns this cute shop in town…" she said. "She's super sweet and we're dating. You don't understand, I haven't been this happy before. I think she could be the one." She had played it safe for so long, dated casually, kept her walls up … but with Alara, those walls crumbled like sandcastles at high tide. Maybe this was what real love felt like - scary and wonderful all at once.

[kmadrigalsoto]

Kimberly sighed as she took a good look at the bartender, “Honestly, he’s paying no mind to the patrons and seems to be doing his job…But you never know with some people, looks can be deceiving.” As she stood up, she took the napkin and then walked up to the bar to order a cosmo. While she waited for it to be made, the heiress chatted up a few patrons next to her while observing the bartender and once he slid over her glass, she did a quick hand off of the napkin before walking back to Zuri as if nothing happened. “...Did he react? Did he take the bait? I didn’t want to turn back to make it obvious.”

Hearing her other suggestion, her eyes widened as she nodded in agreement, “Oh wait that’s actually genius. I couldn’t see! We have to try that.” This was probably the most fun she had on a night out like this in a while and so, she was glad to have befriended Zuri in these circumstances. “I’ve done my fair share of outings and this takes the cake. I feel like we're on some top secret mission which is so much fun and on top of that I also feel like we’re doing a good deed of the day. For what it’s worth, it’s better to be safe than sorry and your friend totally owes you for going to such great lengths at this point."

These texts were giving Zuri major high school vibes. She cringed at how basic they were. She'd seen enough fake people in her life to spot the red flags, and this guy was waving the green one like it was a parade. "That would've been way more interesting than these basic texts," she said, taking another sip of her drink. "I'm living for this lipstick plan," she said, watching Kim work her magic with the compact mirror. The fake number was genius - exactly the kind of sneaky move they needed right now. "And yes, let's level this up. I'll do the drink spill near him while you check for any rings." She grinned at her new friend, surprised by how much fun this ridiculous spy mission had become. "Real talk though? This is wild. Like, here I am on a Thursday night playing detective at a bar. But you know what? I'm not even mad about it."

[kmadrigalsoto]

“Siempre.” confirmed Kimberly as she narrowed her gaze at Reyna after noticing the look she gave her. They shared time together when she was an heiress and it was evident that Kimberly had changed or at least was trying to. She preferred to move in silence, now that she had strayed away from the Soto spotlight. “You know me, the last thing I want is pity.” she deadpanned as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. “So no hard feelings there.”

When Reyna asked for more information on what was permitted from her old life, Kimberly appreciated her consideration and said, “Just anything to deal with Soto Industries and my past. I only told a select few about it and so I don’t want it all out in the open, especially since I work for the mayor…I’m taking a break from the night life after what happened to me, but I think I’ll slowly acclimate…I’ve been itching to DJ again.” Pulling out her vape, she was now becoming a bit antsy with everything that’s been going on and was just about to hit, but realized she got too comfortable and asked, “This okay or should I do it outside?” She then offered it to her and added, “Sharing is caring as we always say.” 

She always viewed Reyna as family or basically the little sister she never had. Being from the same background and culture, it was like she had a part of home in Wilmington. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, but in future if you do—don’t forget me.” When she answered her question about her time at A2, she was shocked to hear about her work gossip as she was aware of the parties she had brought up. “That’s fucked up.” she blurted out. “Okay but like you two were besties though? Talk about scandalous…I feel so bad for the secret boyfriend though…Kawawa naman siya, someone needs to ruin that wedding real quick. Him and Monty lack chemistry and if anything I feel like she’d eat him alive.” 

*Siempre: Of course *Kawawa naman siya: Poor him

Tamed. This version of Kimberly seemed tamer and from the way Reyna saw things, her friend traded one cage for another, but now wasn’t the time to talk about that. “Ah, simple.” She repeated with some skepticism. Kidnappings had a way of complicating things, especially when someone came from wealth. “Apologies. That was uncouth of me.” She sincerely placed her hand over her heart and gently patted her chest. 

A part of her could relate to Kim. While she hated admitting it, Reyna sometimes fantasized about leaving everything behind and taking a new identity. She wondered how different her world could be if she were someone else entirely. “Freedom is good, but do tell what isn’t allowed in your new life. The last thing I want to do is bring too much attention to you.” At that moment, she decided that playing along with the lie would work best to maintain their friendship. 

“Okay, okay, I won’t start a manhunt.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hand, dismissing the thought. Reyna was trying to distance herself from A2 and their unethical ways. “You know, Santi?” She used to work with him and he was one of her closest friends. “He’s going through with the arranged marriage to Aramonta Xia Wei even though he has a secret boyfriend. Man’s an east coaster and some sort of chef, I think. As far as I know, his boyfriend isn’t invited, but I wouldn’t know, I got uninvited when A2 and I broke up.”

[kmadrigalsoto]

Hearing his decline, Kimberly pouted slightly and understood that he was being considerate and not wanting to put the burden on her. However, she was stubborn and still wanted to help. Suddenly, she dropped the umbrella and said, “Oops.” Before glancing up at the sky and taking in the droplets as it hit her skin. “Back home, a lot of us used to play in the rain when we were kids...So I find this totally normal." She then unhooked a portable flashlight from her keychains and turned it on before readjusting the umbrella underneath the both of them. "Plus this is a great opportunity for me to learn how to change a tire without having to call someone up to do it. The way I see it, a win is a win."

while matthew appreciated the offer, he didn't want a lady out in this rain. if he was anything, it was a gentleman and he was alright with doing whatever he had to do without bringing her into it. "oh, no. that's okay," he reassured and offered her a smile, his fingers pushing his soaked hair back off of his forehead, "you really shouldn't be out in this anyways. after all, i'm already soaked. you don't have to join me." he finished with a light chuckle.

[kmadrigalsoto]

“I do.” she admitted with a heavy sigh. “However, life doesn’t stop for no one and so does this friendship. Nik, this is clearly a huge ass emergency...I initially wanted to talk about your birthday, but this is more of a travesty!” Now Kimberly was being absolutely dramatic, but she really wanted the best for Nikhil, especially after everything they had gone through. She might also be a tiny bit overprotective of him and so seeing him lovestruck and bummed out fueled the need for her to help him out. “Fine, that’s a fair compromise.” she agreed after hearing his side of things. “I just feel like, what if she sets boundaries? How are you going to deal with your true feelings about her?” She was worried that it might affect him greatly and she also wondered if this would affect his ability to play now that his agent was incorporated into the sport that he loves. “Oh my goodness, you are sooo in love!!!!!!” she exclaimed before gesturing a nonchalant wave. "Okay focus, I do agree that it's worth giving a try. I mean come on I feel like with how much of a lovestruck puppy you are Layla would have definitely gotten the hint...What are you going to do with your official marriage though? I feel like that's too messy for her to deal with, no?"

“I mean—it wouldn’t keep you away of course but I figured you have other things going through your mind right now,” he mused before chuckling at her words because in all honesty—he had missed Kim way more than he could admit. She was such a permanent fixture in his life that losing out on not seeing her all the time didn’t sit well with him. Still she was one of the few people in the world who would be fully honest with him and that much was clear from her reaction even now. He nodded along with her before letting out a sigh, “I’m okay with doing that Kim, so long as she’s willing to give it a try. Otherwise I’m not going to lose the little contact I have with her, you know?” Meetings with Layla were the few things he had to look forward to right now—losing that would be hard for him to cope with. Still as they continued walking, he heard Kimmie’s words and gave her a grin, at least she knew his feelings were earnest and not just fleeting. “I know Kim, I appreciate that—but I think it’s worth giving it a try right? I have other agents if I have to find someone new but these feelings—I haven’t felt this way before and losing it without even trying—it doesn’t fit well with me.”