Chapter 25 edited

As Alex and Kimberly strolled along the dimly lit streets, a sense of tension hung in the air, punctuated by Kimberly's probing question, "So Ninjas, huh?"

Alex's footsteps faltered momentarily before he responded, his voice barely a whisper against the night's silence. "Yeah, it was a secretive thing, known only to my family."

Their breath mingled in the chilly air as they exchanged a knowing glance, a silent acknowledgment of the new world Alex inhabited. "I understand," Kimberly murmured, her tone laced with a hint of admiration. "It's kind of cool to have a ninja boyfriend."

A fleeting smile danced across their lips, but it quickly faded as Kimberly's expression turned grave. "I'm the reason we can't morph. I haven't been honest," she confessed, her voice laden with guilt.

Alex opened his mouth to interject, but Kimberly raised a hand, her eyes pleading for him to listen. "Just listen," she implored, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I punched Ty Fleming because he called me the meanest person he'd ever met. And he wasn't wrong."

Sorrow etched lines on Alex's face as he sought to comfort her. "That's not true. You were just going through a rough patch," he insisted, his words tinged with empathy.

But Kimberly remained unmoved, her fingers scrolling through the digital memories on her phone until she found the damning evidence. With a heavy heart, she turned the screen towards Alex, who recoiled at the sight. "You took that picture?" he gasped, a mix of shock and disbelief coloring his voice.

"No," Kimberly said, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze fixed on the ground. "Amanda took that picture of herself. But she shared it with me, privately. She trusted me."

Alex's jaw tightened in realization, his mind racing to comprehend the gravity of Kimberly's confession. "You sent that pic to Ty?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

She nodded, her eyes welling with unshed tears and said, "With a text that said is this the girl that you want bring to your mom."

"And he sent it to... someone who sent it to someone..." Alex's voice trailed off, the weight of Kimberly's actions sinking in.

"Until it got back to her," Kimberly finished, her voice trembling with remorse. "I didn't realize how mean it was until I saw her face."

Alex's heart clenched with empathy as he reached out to comfort her. "Kim, there are literally thousands of photos circulating at school," he reasoned, his words falling flat in the face of Kimberly's anguish.

But Kimberly shook her head, her voice breaking as she spoke. "I don't care about them. I care about this," she confessed, her tears now flowing freely. "I had to sit in Mr. Detmer's office with Amanda's father and watch as they showed him that photo of his daughter. He's known me my whole life. Like, I literally grew up in his house. He looked at that picture, and for the first time, in his eyes, I could see who I'd become."

A heavy silence hung between them as Alex struggled to find the right words, his heart aching for Kimberly's pain. "So I lied," she continued, her voice barely a whisper. "I blamed everyone else for it. I wanted to die."

Okay, listen," Alex said, his voice gentle yet firm, his eyes meeting Kimberly's with unwavering compassion. "You were going on a downward spiral after I left."

Kimberly's breath caught in her throat as his words hung in the air, the weight of their truth settling over her like a heavy shroud. She knew he was right, but hearing it spoken aloud made it all too real.

A tremor ran through her as she struggled to find her voice, the memories of her darkest moments flooding back with overwhelming clarity. "I didn't know how to cope," she confessed, her words barely a whisper against the night's silence. "I felt lost without you."

Alex reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek in a gesture of comfort. "I should've kept in contact more," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "I should've been there for you."

Kimberly shook her head, her gaze locked with his in silent understanding. "It wasn't your fault," she murmured, her heart heavy with the weight of their shared pain.

Their eyes met in a silent exchange of forgiveness, a mutual acknowledgment "Okay," Alex said softly. "Let's start over. Delete those images."

Kimberly sighed, her shoulders sagging with the weight of her guilt. "Alex, it can't be erased," she admitted, her voice barely audible above the distant hum of the city.

Alex nodded in understanding, his gaze softening as he reached out to take her hand. "Sometimes you mess up in life, you just have to live with it," he murmured, his words a balm to Kimberly's wounded soul. "You did an awful thing. It doesn't make you an awful person."

Kimberly's lips quivered with emotion as she searched his face for solace. "Okay. Any more wisdom for me?" she asked, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Just..." Alex paused, his voice tender yet resolute. "Be the person you want to be."

A surge of courage swept through Kimberly as she leaned forward, her lips brushing against his in a tender kiss. "Honestly," she whispered against his mouth, her voice barely a whisper, "I kind of want to be the girl who kisses you right now. Cheesy, right?"

Alex's heart skipped a beat as he returned her kiss, his arms wrapping around her in a warm embrace. "Well... yeah that seems really good too." he murmured.

Their lips met once more, the world around them fading into insignificance as they surrendered to the moment. But just as they lost themselves in each other's embrace, Alex's phone buzzed with an urgent message from Trini calling for help.