“Wow, I didn’t know you would go home that quickly. Did you know that Avery is down the hall?”
“No, I didn’t. What happened? Is she all right?”
“Yes, she had the baby.”
“What? Is the baby okay?”
“Yes, she says the baby is fine, just a case of jaundice. I’m going to go see her when I leave you.”
Meesha laughed slightly. “Can you believe it? Me and Avery’s kids born minutes or hours apart. That’s cool.”
“Yeah, I think so, too. Makes it easier for birthday parties, huh?”
“You got that right. What did she have?” asked Meesha.
“A boy, just like she predicted. I’m happy for her.”
“I know she’s happy about that. She and Ryker wanted a son so badly. God is so good. And if the baby has jaundice, that shouldn’t be hard to clear up. He’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right, but Avery sounded upset when I talked to her. I could hear it in her voice.”
“Well, you and I both know that it doesn’t take much to upset Avery. She’s sensitive like that and she’s definitely a worrier. She stresses about the least of things. I’ll say a prayer for her and the baby.”
“That’s sweet of you, Meesha.”
“That’s what friends do.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I just can’t get over how beautiful she is, and she’s so tiny.”
“She’s going to be spoiled rotten. I already know,” Meesha said. “The boys wanted a sister. Carlton and I wanted a little girl, so you know we are going to treat little Miss Makena Grace like a true princess.”
“Makena Grace? Is that her name?” Eva asked.
“Yes. You like it?”
“Yes, I love it. It sounds so graceful and elegant. Like a real princess’ name.”
Meesha smiled. “Thanks. It’s a name I always said I would name my daughter if I ever had one, and now look at her, Eva. I have my very own little princess.”
Meesha’s baby began to release the cutest little cry as she stopped nursing.
“Is she all right?” asked Eva, looking at the little girl with curiosity and concern.
“Yes, she’s fine. She’s already vocal, telling me what she wants.” Meesha smiled and then whispered sweet words to the little girl, kissed her on top of her head, and then sat up farther in the bed so she could burp her.
Eva watched every move. Oh, God, why not me? Why not me?
Chapter 4
“A friend is not only someone who you can confide in, it is someone who can mirror the trust you have shown by confiding in you as well.” Ashley Young
Avery lay in the hospital room in tears. A gamut of emotions rushed through her mind. Her baby boy was born several weeks early, but the doctor reassured her that other than jaundice, the child appeared to be healthy. He was still in NICU for observation and Avery couldn’t wait to hold the baby she prayed was Carlton’s son, in her arms.
After visiting Meesha and her baby, Eva walked down the hall to see Avery and her baby. When she stepped inside the room, it was dark and eerily quiet. Unlike when she visited Meesha, she didn’t see Avery’s baby in the room. Eva walked over to Avery’s bed. Her head was turned toward the window and she appeared to be soundly sleeping.
Eva turned to leave but Avery called out in a low voice. “Eva, is that you?”
Eva stopped, turned, and looked around, “Yes, it’s me. I didn’t mean to wake you. Get your rest. I’ll come back later.”
“No, don’t leave. I want you to stay.”
Eva walked back over to her best friend out of all the housewives. She kissed her on the cheek and then reached down to squeeze her hand. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. I just wish my son was in here with me.”
“How long will it be before they bring him in? Has he even been in here yet?”
“No, he hasn’t. I hope they’ll bring him in later this evening. They said he’s doing well. He’s under that special light they use for babies with jaundice. Can you believe it, Eva? I have a son.” A smile filled Avery’s face and tears crested in the corner of her eyes.
“I’m happy for you, and I can’t imagine how proud Ryker must be.”
“Yes, he sure is. He went to check on Heather and Lexie. He’ll be back later on. That leaves us time to talk. I need someone I can talk to that I can trust.” Avery’s facial expression turned deftly serious. “And you’re my best friend. You’re the only one I feel I can confide in, and you don’t judge me. I love you for that, Eva.” Avery wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand before they fell.
“You’re my best friend, too. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you. I left everything when I came to the States. My friends, my family, all so I could be with Harper and give my family a better life. I don’t have anyone in the States that I’m closer to than you. Meeting you has been such a blessing. Always know that I’m here for you, Avery. Tell me, what is it? You know you can talk to me about anything.”
“I don’t know where to start,” Avery mumbled.
“Start from the beginning, the end, the middle, wherever you want to start. Just start. You look troubled and I have a feeling that something isn’t right. Are you and Ryker having problems again?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. We couldn’t be better, but depending on the decision I make all that could change in a New York minute.”
“Huh, a New York minute? I don’t follow,” Eva said, as her eyebrows furrowed.
“That means things could change in a second. Anyway, for now it’s not Ryker. Our marriage is stable. It’s someone else.”
“What do you mean, it’s someone else? Is it the kids? Your family? What is it? Tell me, Avery. You’re scaring me.”
“It’s…it’s Carlton.”
“Huh, Carlton? Carlton, who?”
How many Carltons do you know, Eva? Pastor Carlton Porter.”
“What about him? Has he done something to Meesha?”
“Not directly, but then again, maybe. You see,” Avery spoke slowly and cautiously, “my baby might be Carlton’s son.”
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me. There’s a possibility that Ryker is not my baby’s father. It might be Carlton’s child.”
Eva reeled and had to steady herself by grabbing hold of the food table at the end of Avery’s bed. She used one hand to grab her head like she was trying to keep from fainting.
“Are you okay?” Avery asked. “Go over there and sit down.” She pointed to the chair near the window and on the other side of the bed.
Eva walked slowly around and over to the chair and sat in it. “How? I mean, when? I’m so confused. I don’t understand.”
“Please, you can’t say a word to anyone. If this gets out, it could ruin everything for me and any future I might have with Carlton…or Ryker.”
“You know I wouldn’t say anything. Just tell me what this is all about.” Eva wiped her forehead as if she was sweating; when actually she was developing a headache that she knew had to be nothing more than from stress. So much had been going on in her own life. There was so much that she was facing that she hadn’t told Avery, her family, or anyone about. Yet, here Avery was confiding in her that she had slept with Carlton Porter? This pushed her stress level to the max, but she had to keep it together for her best friend’s sake.
“Do you want to hear what happened?”
Eva nodded. “Yes. Of…course.” She spoke slow and deliberate as her head began to pound like it had a heartbeat of its own.
“Okay. Here goes. Carlton and I began an affair shortly after my suicide attempt. You remember when I went into counseling with him?”
Eva nodded, unable to speak. It was if her tongue was tied.
“You know back then Ryker and I were having our share of problems. I was still hurt about him cheating on me with my cousin. I felt inadequate, lower than low. Added to that, he didn’t act like he lo
ved me. I thought he couldn’t put behind my past life as a call girl. It was just everything mounting up and I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted out. I thought the girls, my family, and Ryker, would be better off without me, but I even botched that up. I felt absolutely horrible. Being my pastor, Carlton came to the hospital to visit. He prayed with me, talked to me, and coupled with seeing a therapist, I began to feel somewhat better, but I was still a mess. He suggested that I make an appointment for one-on-one counseling if I felt like I needed to talk to someone after I was discharged from the hospital. When I mentioned it to Ryker, he agreed that it might be a good thing to talk to Carlton from a spiritual standpoint. I reluctantly agreed. When I went to talk to him, I found Carlton was really easy to talk to, and he’s a great listener, too. I began to look forward to our sessions. One day, I broke down. I couldn’t stop crying after expressing my thoughts and feelings to him about my life and all of the mistakes I’d made.”
“Don’t tell me. I know the scenario. One thing led to another.” Eva shook her head from side to side and slightly rolled her eyes.
“I guess I was wrong when I said you wouldn’t judge me. Looks like you are doing just that,” Avery said.
“I’m not judging you, Avery. I’m thinking about Carlton Porter. He is a man who you should have been able to trust.”
“I could trust him and I did trust him. He consoled me that day, and I don’t care what you think about it, one thing really did lead to another. He told me how beautiful I was, how much I had going for me. He told me the mistakes of the past couldn’t erase the fact that I was a wonderful person who deserved love. He convinced me God had forgiven me for all of my sins and all of the terrible mistakes I’d made. When he kissed me on the cheek and hugged me, neither of us expected or meant for anything more to happen—but it did. That kiss on the cheek led to us kissing one another. There was an attraction that neither of us could deny. It felt right. For the first time in a long time, I felt desired, Eva. I felt that someone truly wanted me. Ryker and I only slept together when he was horny and even then, he didn’t put his all into it. I felt so used by him, but with Carlton, things felt, well, it felt different. That’s the only way I can explain it.”
“What about Meesha, Avery? Meesha is your friend, and you of all people know how it feels to be cheated on. Look at how it almost destroyed you and your marriage. Look at what happened with Harper and me.”
“I know all that, and I hear what you’re saying, but Meesha didn’t deserve to be with Carlton. I still feel that way. I know I should have thought about her, but I didn’t; I couldn’t. All I could think about was being held in Carlton’s arms. All I thought about was the next time I would see him.”
“You made love in his office? Please tell me that he at least respected you enough to take you to a hotel.”
“The first time we were in his office. After that, we met at a hotel. It doesn’t matter where we met. What matters is I fell in love with him and he fell in love with me. Then all of that mess about Liam came up and that caused a huge distraction in our relationship. He was going to divorce Meesha and I was going to leave Ryker. We were going to be together, but everything unraveled. It all fell apart because of the Liam situation. Carlton told me that we had to call things off, and then Meesha went and got herself pregnant.” Anger began to surface in Avery’s voice. Her eyes tightened, her brows wrinkled, and her lips turned downward as she spoke with force.
“I almost hated her when I found out she was pregnant.”
“That’s why you’ve been treating her so cold?”
Avery nodded. “I guess. It’s just that she always pretends like she’s Miss Perfect when really all she’s good for is making babies. Carlton felt he was trapped, too. He told me so. He said he stopped loving Meesha a long time ago, but because of the kids and because of his position in the church, he felt he had to stay in the marriage…until he and I got together.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Eva said, looking intensely at Avery. “Sounds like he was more than a good listener and counselor. He sounds like a cheating, smooth talking, trickster.”
“Don’t make fun of the situation, Eva. Please. You of all people should know what loneliness can do. Ryker wasn’t exactly a model husband at the time. Learning that he slept with my cousin almost destroyed my life. I know I was partially the blame for offering him a ménage a trois, but still, I didn’t expect him to happily run off and screw my own cousin. Anyway, Carlton and I fell in love and then I got pregnant. I…I…”
“Fell in love? Are you serious? Does he even know that this could be his child?”
Avery nodded. “Yes, of course, he does.”
“What did he say? I mean are you going to tell Ryker? Is Carlton going to tell Meesha? Are you going to have a DNA test?”
“He says he doesn’t think the baby is his and maybe he’s right. He barely says a thing to me now. He won’t answer my texts or return my calls—and it’s all because of Meesha. Why did she have to go and get pregnant? She should have stayed away and never came back to Adverse City.”
“Stayed away? What are you talking about?” Eva frowned.
“You know when she left him and went to visit her sister. She was planning to leave him and not come back. I know it, but then she had to waltz her skinny behind back to town and it ruined every chance of us being together.”
“You just said it was Liam and the possibility that he was Carlton’s kid that messed things up between you two.” Eva was beginning to feel sorry for Avery. Avery wasn’t thinking right. She needed real counseling, someone who could help her get her emotions and her mind stable again. Avery was such a kind and wonderful person. Eva hated to see her confused like she was. And Carlton? How could he do this? He was supposed to be a leader, a confidante, but he was nothing more than a lobo vestido con ropa de oveja, a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing, she thought.
“Why does she always have to win?”
“Avery, listen to me. This is not Meesha’s fault.” Eva rose from the chair and walked over and stood next to the bed. “Listen to yourself. You’re talking about another woman’s husband. He can’t be yours. He doesn’t belong to you. It’s not right. You know that. You wouldn’t want to hurt Meesha like that. It’s not the kind of person you are. Meesha has done nothing to you. She doesn’t deserve a scumbag like Carlton and neither do you.”
“You’re only saying this because you don’t understand what Carlton and I shared, Eva. It’s Meesha’s fault. All of this is Meesha’s fault. As for a DNA test, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Ryker and I are in such a good place. There’s more that I haven’t told you.”
“How much more could there be?” Eva was stunned at hearing Avery tell her about having an affair with Carlton. All this time she had looked up to the man and highly respected him. Did Meesha know he had been cheating on her? Is that why she left Carlton? Avery says it was the reason Carlton asked Meesha for a divorce over a year ago. Then he changed his mind and wanted his marriage to work. Everything was so crazy. None of it made sense. Avery kept talking, this time Eva felt like she would pass out.
“Ryker and I were never married. I was living a lie all of this time, that is until lately.”
Eva took a step backwards, away from the side of Avery’s bed, and sat back down. “What?”
“What I’m telling you is that Ryker and I were only legally married a few months ago. It was grand. He flew me to Las Vegas and we had the most beautiful private ceremony a girl could ask for.” Avery smiled like she had forgotten all about what she’d just told Eva about her and Carlton.
“You and Ryker were never married?”
“Nope. But we are now, and that’s why I’m so confused. I don’t know what to do. I want my marriage to work for the sake of the children but part of me is still in love with Carlton.”
Eva rose from the chair again and stood next to Avery’s bed.
“Listen, Avery. Think about this. You can’t give up
your marriage and your children for Carlton. And you know the last thing he’ll do is leave Meesha. He’s proven that to you. They just got back together.”
“They only got back together because she told him she was pregnant! Don’t you understand that? Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said? That hussy knew exactly what she was doing. She knew the only thing that would make him stay with her would be to have another kid. Carlton loves me. He wants us to be together.” Avery began to get upset all over again. She had just given birth to a child that she sincerely believed belonged to Carlton and yet here she was trying to defend him for staying with Meesha. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.
“Avery, listen to yourself. For God’s sake, you and Meesha just gave birth a few hours ago. You can’t expect or even think that a man like Carlton Porter would leave his ministry, his family, his wife, for…for—”
“For what, Eva? For some mixed up chick like me?”
“No, that’s not what I was going to say. I mean the same thing goes for you. You can’t jeopardize what you have with Ryker because of some fling you had with Carlton. Think about it. Ryker could take the kids from you. He’s a powerful, well-respected attorney. You would lose everything. And if you two have just gotten married then why would you want that to end? None of this makes sense, Avery.”
“It may not make sense, but it’s all true.” Avery began crying. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve messed up my life over and over again. Now I’ve brought another innocent child in this world but this time, it may not even be my husband’s baby. And Carlton, I thought he loved me. He said he was going to divorce Meesha and we would be together, but then when I told him I was pregnant, he dumped me faster than a hot potato. Oh, Eva, please tell me what to do.”
Eva leaned in and hugged her friend. How could she tell her what to do when her own life was in shambles? “Look, why don’t you try to get some rest before they bring the baby in here. You’re going to need it. Don’t worry or think about that louse, Carlton Porter. He doesn’t deserve your time. He doesn’t deserve a wonderful person like you, Avery.” Eva began to tear up. “You’re my best friend. I hate to see you hurting like this. You deserve so much better. You’re an amazing woman, a great mother, and the best friend a girl could have. Don’t waste your love on someone like Carlton. Think about Meesha, Avery. Think how this would destroy her if she ever found out about you and Carlton. It would tear her apart, and she doesn’t deserve that. Neither of you deserve to be hurt by that man.”
The Real Housewives of Adverse city 3 Page 3
