Three Is A Crowd

by Chenell Parker

  “You seem to be the one who needs help. This house is a mess and so are you. There is no way in hell I’m letting my granddaughters come back to this,” Eva replied as she looked around in disgust.

  “Good, you can have them,” Mariah spat angrily.

  Having his kids didn’t seem to make Blake happy anymore so what was the use. She was pregnant with baby number three and had yet to even tell him. With the way his attitude had been towards her lately, he probably wouldn’t have cared anyway. Mariah wasn’t even happy when her doctor confirmed it two weeks before. It seemed to depress her more if anything.

  “Excuse me! Are you losing your mind Mariah? You haven’t seen your kids in almost a week,” Eva yelled.

  “Neither has your son but I bet you don’t have anything to say about that,” Mariah retorted.

  “Who do you think they’re with right now? At least he wants to spend time with them. I don’t know what’s going on with you,” Eva said.

  “He better not have my kids around that bitch!” Mariah fumed.

  “They had gymnastics class today and you didn’t answer your phone when I tried to call you. And what bitch are you referring to?” Eva questioned.

  “That bitch Jersi that’s who. Don’t act like you don’t know that he’s been fucking her,” Mariah barked.

  “Watch your mouth and respect me in my son’s house. And what makes you think that Blake is anything but a friend to Jersi. They broke up years ago and you made sure of that,” Eva noted.

  “I know because he told me,” Mariah replied as she ran her hand through her matted hair.

  “Well, maybe if you fixed yourself up and got this house in order, he wouldn’t have to look elsewhere,” Eva replied.

  “Are you serious right now? I did everything that a wife is supposed to do and more and he still strayed. This is not on me. Your kids are not as perfect as you want everybody to believe. This has been going on since he lied to me to be with Jersi on Christmas night and it hasn’t stopped,” Mariah pointed out.

  “Well, they have history Mariah. What did you expect? Besides, men cheat all the time. You should know since he cheated on Jersi with you,” Eva said waving her off.

  “Why do you insist on blaming your son’s affair on me?” Mariah asked.

  “Look, I’m not here to play the blame game. Get up and get yourself together. I’ll help you clean the house and fix something to eat for when your family gets home. No wonder your husband is out there cheating. You’re not giving him a reason to stay home,” Eva replied as tears poured from Mariah’s eyes.

  She felt like she was losing herself and she didn’t know what to do. She remembered her mother telling her to never be weak for a man but Mariah had failed that mission. Mariah had made Blake her world and now, it was crashing down around her. She had no money, education and no place to stay without him. She knew that her girls could get child support but that was about it. She had foolishly signed a prenup, ensuring that she walked away with the same thing that she came in with. Knowing Eva, she would probably see to it that he got the kids too. Mariah was stuck and she was terrified. She would rather die than to see Jersi and Blake get back together. Her heart or her sanity just couldn’t take it.

  Jersi waved at the guard that was posted outside of the gate before she drove in. After spending a boring, uneventful night with Blake, she was just getting back home. Spending her Saturday night with him wasn’t a part of her plan but it was better then spending it at home crying over Memphis. Jersi wasn’t surprised that Miracle told him that she was messing with Carter as if she gave a fuck. Miracle was only assuming because she didn’t have any solid proof. Still, the fact that Blake had tried to question her about it had her heated. After she cursed him out, she spent her night catching up on some of her favorite shows that she had been missing. Blake was begging her for sex but Jersi wasn’t having it. She didn’t even want his mouth on her and she made that clear. After spending thousands of dollars at the mall, she was sure that he was expecting something at the end of the day. She had a truck full of stuff and didn’t do anything to get it. Blake repulsed her and it was getting harder for her to pretend. Had Memphis not been a lying dog, she would have been spending her weekend with him instead. Knowing that Mariah spent another night alone was satisfaction enough for her.

  “The hell,” Jersi mumbled when she pulled up to her house.

  Memphis was parked in one of the guest spots that was next to hers. Jersi was sorry that she gave him the code to get in. She wasn’t in the mood to hear a bunch of lame ass excuses or apologies. She hated that she fell in love with his ass because the process to get over it was the worst. As soon as Jersi got out of her car, Memphis did the same. He was dressed down in a t-shirt and some sweats but he looked good as fuck. Jersi tried to walk past him but he wasn’t having it.

  “Stop being childish man,” Memphis fussed as he grabbed her arm.

  “Don’t touch me. Go home to your wife and son,” Jersi snapped angrily.

  “Come take a ride with me,” Memphis requested while pulling her towards his truck. It was his third time going to her house and he was happy that he decided to wait.

  “I wish the fuck I would,” Jersi snapped angrily.

  “Jersi, please, just do this for me. If you don’t want to fuck with a nigga after today then I’ll respect your wishes,” Memphis swore even though it was a lie.

  It was something about the way he was talking that had Jersi perplexed. He seemed kind of down and she didn’t see that same excitement in his eyes that was usually there. She didn’t know what was wrong but she had a feeling that wherever he wanted her to go would explain it. Jersi decided to stop fighting him and got into his truck. Memphis didn’t say anything before pulling off and driving away. They rode in silence for about five minutes before Jersi decided to speak up.

  “Where are we going Memphis?” Jersi asked as she looked over at him.

  “To my house,” he replied.

  “Nah nigga, you can turn around and bring me back home. You got me fucked up if you think I’m about to be a sister wife to you and your bitch,” Jersi said making him look at her and frown.

  “Just shut up before you piss me off Jersi,” Memphis warned sternly.

  Jersi wanted to snap on him but she kept her mouth closed. Her right leg bounced nervously as Memphis drove her to an unknown destination. He reached his hand over and stopped her leg from shaking right as he pulled up into a nice subdivision. Jersi was no stranger to the finer things in life but she had to admit that the homes in the area were beautiful. When Memphis pulled into the driveway of a huge one story home, Jersi was impressed. He obviously made a decent income with his car washes to be able to afford a house so nice. It was the biggest house on the block from what she could see. There was a white BMW in the driveway and he pulled his car in right behind it. A baby on board sign hung from the back window and Jersi’s blood was boiling when she saw it. Niggas really weren’t shit and Memphis was proving that. She was no better because she went along for the ride.

  “Why are we here Memphis?” Jersi asked.

  “Just get out of the car and I’ll explain everything to you,” he replied.

  “Lila already did that. She told me all about your wife and son,” Jersi noted.

  “Man, fuck Lila. Get out and come inside,” Memphis frowned as he got out of his truck.

  Jersi followed him as she looked around the seemingly quiet neighborhood. The lawns were neatly maintained and expensive cars sat in every driveway. Memphis had a huge wrap around porch that Jersi instantly fell in love with. As much as she loved to read, it would have been the perfect spot to do so. When he opened the door, Jersi just stood there until Memphis pulled her inside. She trusted him and that was the only reason why she followed his lead. Once inside, Jersi immediately began to look around for any signs of a woman living there. There was barley any furniture and the walls were bare. Memphis must have had a sad ass wife to have her husband living like that. T
he black leather sofa and a tv were the only things that was in the living room. The place smelled great but it was drab looking. Jersi couldn’t recall seeing a one story house that was so spacious. Memphis must have had at least six or seven bedrooms but that was just a wild guess. Jersi wanted to open doors and peek inside the rooms but she just stood where she was.

  “Go ahead and look around. I know you want to,” Memphis smirked as he seemingly read her mind.

  When she didn’t move, Memphis grabbed her hand and showed her around. The house was even bigger than it looked from the outside. His living room was huge and they passed by two other empty rooms that could probably be used as dining areas. All the doors were closed but Memphis opened them to show her what was inside. Just like she assumed, there were six bedrooms and a study. He had three full bathrooms and one half. The chef’s kitchen looked like something out of a magazine. It was black and granite with skylights and expensive appliances. Most of the bedrooms were empty but Jersi noticed that he bypassed the first two without saying anything or opening the doors. He even showed her the huge back yard with the covered patio and built in grill. It was a great area for entertaining but Memphis didn’t look like he had much company. Once the tour was over, Jersi called him out on his bullshit.

  “You showed me every part of the house except the first two rooms that we passed. What are you trying to hide?” Jersi asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

  “I need you to understand something Jersi. This right here,” he said as he pointed between the two them, “this is new to me.”

  “What’s new to you? Bringing another woman home to meet your wife?” Jersi asked.

  “I don’t bring women to my house…ever,” Memphis noted.

  “Why would you when you have a wife?” Jersi countered.

  Memphis sighed in frustration. He was tired of the back and forth but he needed to clear the air between them. He’d never cared enough about another woman to even go so far. It was something about Jersi that had him moving differently though. She had him wide open and he didn’t try to deny it. Memphis had only been in love once but Jersi made those old feelings resurface. He didn’t want her to think that he was playing games, so he had to keep it real. Memphis opened the door to the huge master bedroom and pulled her inside. He could see that Jersi wasn’t too happy and the frown on her face showed it. The partially opened closet half full of women’s clothes was probably what did it. The furry PINK slides and matching robe that was on the floor was a dead giveaway too. Even the perfume tray that set on the dresser was all the evidence that Jersi needed to see. Memphis was living foul.

  “Wow. You really got me in another woman’s house like it’s cool. Get me the fuck out of here before your wife comes home and kills us both,” Jersi fumed.

  “She’s dead Jersi,” Memphis said sadly.

  “What?” Jersi whispered as she looked over at him.

  “My wife died three years ago on Valentine’s Day,” Memphis replied.

  Now it was time for Jersi to feel like shit. There she was dragging his name through the mud with Ariel because he didn’t celebrate the lover’s day. It never occurred to her that he had a valid reason why. Tears welled up in Jersi’s eyes as she looked around the room. The only thing that she could think to do was wrap her arms around Memphis and apologize.

  “I’m so sorry Memphis. I didn’t know,” Jersi said as tears fell from her eyes.

  “I know you didn’t baby but it’s cool,” Memphis replied.

  “What happened to her? I understand if you don’t want to talk about it,” Jersi said.

  “No, it’s cool, just not in here,” Memphis replied as he pulled her out of the room and closed the door.

  “What about your son?” Jersi asked as she and Memphis took a seat on the sofa.

  “Layla was seven months pregnant with my son when she got killed,” Memphis said making her heart drop.

  “Oh my God,” Jersi said as he put her hands up to her mouth.

  “She planned a quiet evening at home for us on Valentine’s Day. I was at work when she called and told me that she forgot to get me something to drink. I told her not to worry about it but she didn’t listen. She went to a gas station on her way home to get beer and never made it out alive. Three men went in there to rob the place and the manager got into a gun battle with them. She caught a bullet to the head. Her and the manager died at the scene and another customer died on the way to the hospital. It took too long for help to arrive and my son lost too much oxygen. It was too late for them to save him,” Memphis replied.

  When he was done telling the story, Jersi’s face was wet with tears. Her heart went out to him and she felt like shit for saying some of the things that she said. Memphis didn’t cry but she could see that he was hurting.

  “I left the room the exact same way that it was when she died three years ago. I’ve never slept in our bed again. I don’t even let nobody go into our room or my son’s room. Besides my mama and Lila, you’re the first woman that has ever been in here,” Memphis admitted.

  “And that bitch Lila knew what she was doing. I’m sure she knew that your wife was dead,” Jersi argued.

  “Of course she did Jersi. Layla was her sister,” Memphis said dropping yet another bomb.

  “What!” Jersi screeched.

  “Lila and Layla were the kids of my mama’s best friend. I’ve known them all my life. They lived with us for years when their mother died. Me and Layla didn’t really start dating until we graduated high school though.”

  “That’s a nasty bitch. I know she likes you and it’s more than just her being the sister of your deceased wife. That hoe is on some fucking shit,” Jersi noted.

  “She’s been on some fucking shit since they lived with us. She wanted me and I wanted her sister. When me and Layla got married, she started fucking with my cousin Juan. When her sister died, she was back on her bullshit. I would take my last breath before I even entertain her like that though,” Memphis swore. Now Jersi understood why he always said that.

  “I feel so bad about everything that I said,” Jersi sighed.

  “You don’t have nothing to feel bad about Jersi. You didn’t know. Truthfully, I probably wouldn’t have told you so soon if you didn’t force my hand. This is not something that’s easy for me to talk about but I’m happy that you know now. I don’t want nothing to stand in the way of us being together. I want to be able to spend time with you at your house and mine. This is a big step for me but I’m ready to take it,” Memphis said.

  “I wanna fight Lila,” Jersi said out of the blue.

  “What? Where did that even come from?” Memphis laughed.

  “That bitch played me and I took the bait like a dummy,” Jersi fumed.

  “You’re not the first woman that she did that to. Thing is, I never cared enough about anybody else to explain myself,” Memphis admitted.

  “Aww, you care about me Memphis?” Jersi cooed as she pulled him in for a kiss.

  “I love you,” he confessed as he looked deep into her eyes.

  “I love you too,” Jersi said as she looked back at him.

  Blake didn’t know it but it was a wrap for him. As much as Jersi wanted to continue her little game with him and Mariah, she was over it. Memphis made her happy and she didn’t want to jeopardize what they had just to satisfy her need for revenge. She’d probably done enough damage to get her point across anyway.

  “I think it’s time for a change,” Memphis said after they were quiet for a while.

  “What do you mean?” Jersi asked.

  “We had just moved into this house three months before Layla died. After that, I never really did do anything with it. I sleep on the sofa and I’m barely here. I’m ready to fix it up and really enjoy it,” Memphis replied as he stood up.

  Jersi stood up too and followed behind him. Her heart broke when Memphis opened the door to the beautifully decorated nursery. His son definitely had everything that a baby would ever need a
nd more.

  “I can help you decorate if you want to,” Jersi offered.

  “Yeah, I think I’m ready. Maybe I can donate all this stuff to somebody who really needs it. I feel selfish as fuck for holding on to it for so long,” Memphis said.

  “Don’t feel like that Memphis. You went through something that most people have only heard about. You lost two of the most important people in your life. There was nothing selfish about that,” Jersi replied.

  “I guess I have to sell her car too,” Memphis noted, speaking of the car that she saw in the driveway.

  “You don’t have to do anything. Don’t rush it Memphis. Take your time and do what you feel is best. If you want to keep it all, then do it,” Jersi said.

  “That’s not helping me though Jersi. I’ll never forget them but I feel like I’m hurting myself more by holding on to it. It’s been three years and I haven’t made a move to get rid of anything yet,” Memphis replied.