Camarih did a simple post of their hands with their wedding rings saying Forever Love and not a damn thing else. However, that all ended when Camarih finally shared a wedding photo of them kissing at the altar, well after the damn wedding, months after. I guess seeing actual evidence of the marriage was too much for me. My homegirl wanted to check public records for the certificate well before that photo appeared, but I was too afraid to do so, fearing the certificate would actually show up, proving the marriage to be valid.
Anyway, after peeping that picture, I had a full-on breakdown. I called Tony’s phone two hundred times, and he didn’t answer once. I sent him about the same amount of texts, and when they started turning green instead of the usual blue color, I knew he’d blocked me. That caused me to have a panic attack and hyperventilate to the point where I ended up hospitalized. After that, I knew I had to get some help, so fast forward, and here I was completing a sixty-day voluntary psychiatric treatment. It was nice for me because I had no phone or television, just books.
“Good. Today is your last day, so it’s nice that you feel like you’ve improved. Let’s do a couple quick tests before you leave.” Joanie cleared her throat.
“Sure.”
“How do you feel when I say the name Tony?”
Truthfully, it made my heart race in my chest, my skin get steamy hot, my hands clam up, and my pussy wet, but I wouldn’t admit that. Nope. I’d been holding up pretty well. And shit, maybe once I got some of that fresh Los Angeles air, I would feel different.
“I feel… nothing.”
“Perfect, perfect.” She checked something off. “The name Houston make a difference?”
“Nope. It’s just a city in Texas.” I joked, and Joanie nodded approvingly. “Camarih?”
“Nothing.”
“Wow, Joy, this is great. I remember when you first got here, we couldn’t say any of those names without you bursting into tears.”
“Don’t remind me.” I bit down on my lip, pushing the thoughts of Tony to the back of my mind so a tear wouldn’t fall and so my stomach would stop being queasy.
Joanie did a few more routine exercises with me, and then I was free to collect my things from the room I’d been staying in while here. After hugging and saying goodbye to everyone I’d gotten close with, including this girl named Klaude, I left out.
I spotted Carter climbing out of his Mercedes Benz to open the door for me. He looked fresh in his long-sleeved white shirt, blue jeans, and some simple Gucci sneakers. I could smell his cologne even from where I was standing, and I could also see he’d gotten a fresh line-up. His Rolex sparkled and shined as I moved near him, offering up a soft but seductive smile.
“Damn, you look amazing.” He took my duffel bag from me, placed it in his back seat, then hugged me.
I’d be lying if I said his embrace didn’t feel nice. I even closed my eyes to enjoy his cologne. Still, he wasn’t Houston Terranova.
“Thank you.” I pulled back to allow a gentle peck from him. Even though it’d been a little over a year since we’d been dating, kissing him was still awkward for me.
We got in his car, and he drove for a little bit, not saying a word and just glancing at me. There was music playing, some rap which I believed to be by Da Baby.
“You hungry? I can take you to eat. I was thinking maybe we could grub, shop, and then see a movie or something. It’s a lot of shit out.” Carter finally broke the silence.
“That sounds nice, actually, but I’d like to be able to have a nice hot bath first. It was only showers at the facility.”
“Yeah, of course. Whatever you want.” He reached for my hand and kissed the back of it. How were he and Tony related? Carter was such a gentleman and treated me like a queen, yet Tony saw me as nothing but a bed buddy. “What you over there thinking about?”
“Just the fact that you and Tony are so different. Like, I cannot believe you guys are first cousins. You’re so good to me, and he doesn’t even know the first thing about how to treat a woman.”
“I mean…” Carter made a face, not finishing his sentence.
“What’s that face for?”
“I wouldn’t say he doesn’t know; he makes Camarih pretty happy. And from what I’ve seen, he be doing some romantic shit for her.”
“A few expensive gifts? Please.” I threw my hand up.
There it was, my heart seemingly beating out of my chest at the thought of my love being in love with Camarih. What the fuck was wrong with me? I hadn’t touched this man or been alone with him in ages, yet my feelings for him hadn’t dwindled a bit.
“Yeah, gifts, but I’ve seen them together, and at the wedding, his vows were pretty legit.” Carter glanced my way. “Baby, I’m just saying that sometimes it takes a certain person to make a man or woman act right.”
“So what are you saying? I wasn’t right for him? I wasn’t as good as Camarih, so he dogged me out?”
If this man weren’t driving right now, I would have taken off on him.
“No, hell no, and you know damn well that’s not what I’m saying. If I thought you weren’t good enough, I wouldn’t be on you the way that I fucking am. He loves Camarih, so she sees a different side of him. Same way I have deep feelings for you, so you get a different side of me than women have in the past.”
“Whatever. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” I began searching the car with my eyes. “Where is my phone?”
“Oh, I ain’t bring it because—”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you bring my damn phone? I’ve been without it for two fucking months, and you didn’t think I’d want it as soon as I got out of there?”
“Nah, I wasn’t thinking about that shit, baby. All I was focused on was picking you up. Ain’t like I carry your phone with me at all times.”
“I cannot believe your stupid ass forgot my phone.” I huffed and puffed as my right leg bounced repeatedly.
“Hold on, who you calling stupid?”
“You! It’s like you can’t do anything right! I try and try to get over Tony and be with you, but you never quite cut it!” I ran off and felt horrible right after spilling my true feelings. Carter was dead silent as he sped down the street, nearing my place. “Carter, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
“Nah, you did.”
“I didn’t. I swear I’m just—”
“Actions speak louder than words, Joy, and your actions have been showing me constantly that the only nigga you want is my no-good ass cousin; well, no good when it comes to you.
“When the fuck are you gonna get it through your head that he don’t fuck with you, huh?” Carter’s lids lowered, and I could see the anger flowing through his supple brown face. “He don’t wanna be with you, no matter how long you sit around waiting for his ass. No matter how many panic attacks or how many times you try to off yourself, he ain’t never gon’ have a place in his heart for you.”
“That’s not true. You know nothing of our relationship.”
Chuckling, Carter replied, “You think he’d have Camarih getting her womb scraped out every five months? You think he’d be telling his homies to try Camarih’s head game out? That nigga wouldn’t even let me get Camarih out of a burning building, yet he don’t give a fuck about me hanging around you. Nigga even supports me dating you.”
Carter’s rude comments had caused the tears sitting in my eyes to fall. I didn’t want to admit that what he was saying was true. But shit, he could be wrong. Yes, Tony may have treated me a certain way in front of them, but they didn’t know what it was like when we were alone.
“Fuck you. Don’t ever talk to me again.”
“Joy—”
“Bye, asshole!” I shot out of the car, got my bag from the back seat, and then slammed both of his doors before switching off into my humble abode.
Hell, Carter had done me a damn favor. I didn’t want his ass anyway. I knew sooner or later he would want sex, and I wasn’t trying to give it to him. Because once we crossed that lin
e, I would for real have to kiss any type of relationship with Tony goodbye, and I just wasn’t ready for that.
Married or not, he was destined to be mine. I was a woman of God and lived my life right, so I was 100 percent sure God hadn’t brought Tony into my life just for him to ride off into the sunset with Goldilocks.
Getting into my condo, I slammed the door and stormed to my room to throw down my bags. I quickly fished my phone from my nightstand, shaking my head at dumb ass Carter, and then put it on the charger. Lying down since I was too exhausted for a bath now, I began to sob.
No, I didn’t love Carter, but the thought of whatever it was we had, being over, did make me sad.
Me: I’m sorry, can you come back over so we can talk and spend the day together?
Carter: I’m straight. Have a good life Joy.
Just two days later…
Since I’d been holed up in that facility, I wanted to get out and exercise. Before I got super depressed over Tony and Camarih’s relationship, I used to always go to hot yoga.
I attended the 9 a.m. class, and afterwards went to the vegan smoothie place next door for a little pick me up. I didn’t want to go home, so once I got it, I took a seat at one of the cute orange tables outside to enjoy it and the beautiful LA weather.
“Hey, I think I know you.” A dark-skinned girl with curly blond hair stopped by my table. She too looked familiar.
“You do?” I frowned since looking up at her gave the sun the opportunity to blind me.
“Yeah, your name is umm… Joy.” She sat down across from me, grinning.
“How exactly do you know me? I’m not famous or anything so…”
“You’re famous on social media, kind of.”
“Mmm, yeah, I guess, but it’s more of a local thing. What’s your name?”
“Angel.” She set her Prada bag next to my Chanel and put a spoonful of her açaí bowl into her mouth. “You date Tony Wacko, don’t you?”
“Are you trying to be funny? I don’t play games,” I let her ass know right away. I may have been on a new wave, sort of, but I was still the same Joy that would beat a bitch’s ass. I’d only lost one fight in my life, and that was only because I’d underestimated Camarih’s bitch ass.
“No, no!” She giggled. “That’s just pretty much how I know you, no offense. I know he has a woman, but I always felt like you were who he really wanted.”
Her comment shocked and flattered me at the same time.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
“Well whenever I hear someone discussing him, they say the same thing. He just likes Camarih because he can walk all over her.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I lied. After that ass whooping I got in the parking lot from Camarih, I knew damn well Tony wasn’t walking all over anything. “And because she trapped him.”
“That too. I bet her little fake sweet ass was so happy to be having his baby.” Angel rolled her eyes.
“Yeah.” I stared her down for a few. “Well it was nice talking to you.” I started to get up.
I despised Camarih, but I had to admit that bashing her with some random felt weird and hater-ish. One thing I wasn’t was a hater; I just didn’t like the bitch.
When she met Tony, I was obviously his woman. Hell, I was right there by his side, but her hoe ass had hood stars in her eyes and fucked him anyway. That was what hoes did, slept with a man no matter what he had going on. Then she fucked him raw at that and got pregnant, just like the whore she was. I laughed when she tried to play that sweet, peaceful role, because deep down, she’s a home wrecking hoe.
“Wait! I wanted to talk to you about something more serious.”
“Serious?” I adjusted my purse on my shoulder.
“Yes. I know how I can help you. We can break them up easy, and he will be right back with you.”
Laughing, I sat back down and said, “I would love to hear this.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“No, I don’t. Tony is not the normal nigga that you can just play, and Camarih is so up his ass, it’s gonna take a lot.”
“Well no matter how slick a nigga is or how in love his wife is, it’s rarely strong enough to survive an outside baby.”
“Outside baby? Tony has a baby on the way?” This was bittersweet. It was sweet because I knew for sure Camarih’s crazy ass would leave him, but bitter because this would be yet another baby with another bitch that wasn’t me. Shit, I was just barely over the fact that Tony Wacko had one child.
“He could have a baby on the way.” Angel smirked, shoving more food into her mouth.
“Girl, if you don’t go somewhere—”
“No, listen. All we have to do is spread the rumor. It will get to Camarih eventually, and then we will let her handle the rest.”
I pondered for a second. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. Word of mouth was very strong, and if enough people said the same thing, then others would start to believe it; that was just human nature.
“Okay, but we need a name. We can’t just say a baby is on the way with no mama. I’m not saying me because Tony will hurt me. How about you? He doesn’t know you.”
“Eh, he kind of does.” Angel frowned.
“How?”
“From the business; I sing.”
“Oh—”
“Hmm, and I don’t have many friends, at least not ones I could trust not to spill the beans and get us fucked up. Do you have someone that Tony doesn’t know?”
“No. I fucked with him for like five years. He knows everyone I kn—” Suddenly, a person came to mind… Klaude. She and I had become pretty cool; plus, she was naive and checking herself out in a couple weeks. Her body was crazy nice, but her face could use some work, especially her top row of teeth. It didn’t matter what she looked like though; we just needed a dummy for this plan. “Actually, I do know someone who would be perfect.”
“Oh good!” Angel clapped.
“Wait, what the hell are you getting out of all this?”
“Let’s just say I don’t like either one of them, and I’d love for you to take him from her.”
“Good enough for me.” Hell, I just wanted my boo back, and yes, I would settle for the old relationship we had, as long as Camarih was history.
“Cool. Put your number in my phone. We’ll need to communicate frequently.”
Smiling as I typed in my number, I felt deep down in my soul that this would work. Camarih would crack like an egg if she thought Tony had a baby on the way. And I’d be right there to let him know I’d never leave him, no matter what.
4
Rahim Cambridge
The very next day…
“How’s your food?” I asked Dallas as she sat across from me at Ocean Prime. Even after being together for a year and some change, I still found the way she kept herself up sexy.
“It’s so good, but everything here is good.” She drank some of her wine. “You in a rush?” she asked, I guess because I checked the time on my watch.
“Oh nah, not really, but I have to go pick my daughter up after this. I don’t want it to be too late, because she’ll be asleep, and I’ll have to disturb her.”
Now that I was making a whole lot of money and shit, Amara let me move her out here to Los Angeles, but only after she found a law firm that would give her the same position but higher pay. I let her choose whatever house she wanted, just because she agreed to live out here, then gave her a car on top of that, just as an extra thank you. She left the shit parked and hadn’t touched it since the day I brought it over, but I didn’t care.
“Tonight? It isn’t your weekend though.” Dallas’s brows furrowed out of confusion.
“Yeah, but Amara’s birthday is this Saturday, so she’s leaving day after tomorrow to Madrid.”
“Oh wow, that sounds so nice! I know she’s so excited. What made her choose Spain?”
“She’s always wanted to visit, so I got her and her friends a private plane and hotel room s
ince her birthday was coming.”
Dallas choked on her wine a little bit then replied, “You paid for this trip? Why are you paying for her birthday trips?”
“What you mean, why?” I felt my lip flip up. “That’s my child’s mother, I love her, and it’s her birthday.”
“Oh, you love her, huh?”
“You know what the hell I mean, Dallas. I love her as Ahmira’s mom, not like what you thinking.” I lied my ass off.
I definitely still loved Amara. No matter how much I tried not to think about her or tell myself that I wasn’t in love with her, the truth of the matter was that if she asked me to be her husband again, I would. No way in hell I would be buying her a crib, a car, and this expensive ass luxury trip to Europe if I wasn’t in love. However, I couldn’t say any of this to Dallas for obvious reasons.
I loved Dallas, but at the end of the day, she wasn’t Amara, and there wasn’t a single minute that went by where I didn’t regret ruining a marriage I was perfectly happy in. But Amara was through with my ass and had no problems reiterating that any time I needed reminding.
“Whatever.” Dallas rolled her eyes at my explanation. “And she makes good money. Why does she need you to pay for her travels?”
“She doesn’t need it; it was a gift. She didn’t even want to take the trip, but I convinced her. It’s just a birthday vacation, baby. You act like I’m going with her.”
Sighing, Dallas looked off before focusing back on me and sipping more of her red wine.
“I’m sorry. It’s just ever since I caught you in the bathroom on the phone with her, I just feel like there is still something between you two.”
Touching her hand, I said, “There isn’t, and that shit happened years ago. I love her in a platonic way, and like you even told me, she held me down until I got to where I needed to be. Don’t you think she deserves this? She don’t ask me for nothing and never has.”
She Gave Her All to the Hood's Finest 5 Page 4
