Three Is A Crowd

by Chenell Parker

  “Don’t act like you give a fuck about this baby. You wouldn’t be stressing me out like this if you did,” Mariah ranted.

  “Where are my kids?” Blake asked her.

  “Fuck your kids! They’re all that you seem to care about. What about me? What about the woman who gave birth to your kids? Where is the love for me?” Mariah yelled. She jumped when Blake rushed over and grabbed her by the front of her shirt.

  “Bitch, you must be losing the little mind that you have left. You better not ever fix your mouth to say something like that about my kids again. I’ll put your ass out in the streets and raise them by myself.” Blake threatened.

  “I don’t deserve this,” Mariah said as she dropped down to the floor and cried.

  She was a few months into her pregnancy and she was sure that stressing and crying all the time wasn’t healthy for her baby. She remembered how happy she was when she was pregnant with the twins. Blake catered to her and she never had to lift a finger. If he wasn’t at work, he was at home making sure that she was okay. Things had changed and she was sure that they would never be the same again.

  “I’m sure other people didn’t deserve the things that you did to them either,” Blake replied after a while.

  “You keep throwing that shit in my face like I did it all by myself. It takes two to cheat Blake. Yeah, I came on to you but you didn’t turn me down, did you?” Mariah fumed.

  “No but maybe I should have. This shit is draining and I’m sick of it,” Blake frowned as he turned and walked away.

  “I’m not giving you a divorce Blake. If that’s your goal, then you’re wasting your time,” Mariah noted as she followed behind him.

  “I never asked for one. Make no mistake about it, if I wanted this marriage to be over, nothing that you could say or do would change my mind or stop me,” Blake pointed out.

  “Just tell me what I’m doing wrong. What is she doing that I’m not?” Mariah asked.

  “It’s nothing like that Mariah. You’re not doing anything wrong. Jersi and I have history. I never stopped loving her and you know that. This entire situation is complicated and I don’t know how to fix it. I never wanted to love two women at the same time but that’s my life right now. I’m sorry,” Blake apologized.

  Mariah’s heart was broken beyond repair and she was tired of crying. As much as she tried to deny it, she had turned into a younger version of her mother. She lost herself in a man and she didn’t know how to come back from that. There was no her without Blake and she had come to realize that. She didn’t even know when it happened, but somehow, it did.

  “I need to get out of here for a while. The girls are in their room watching tv. I’ll be back after I get some fresh air,” Mariah said as she grabbed her purse and keys, heading for the door.

  Keeping everything to herself was starting to take it’s toll on her and she needed to vent. Maybe talking to her father or one of her friends would help her to feel better. When Mariah got outside, she stood there for a while just staring at her car. Blake swore that he didn’t have sex with Jersi in there but she wasn’t convinced. Mariah heard the moaning from both of them and she wasn’t crazy. The first thing she needed to do was have her car cleaned out or she wouldn’t even feel comfortable driving it. After just standing there for a while, Mariah finally got into her car. She sniffed the air around her, hoping that it didn’t smell like sex. When Mariah closed the door, she noticed that her seat was pushed all the way back since Blake was so tall. When she reached underneath to adjust it, her hand stumbled upon something else. When she picked it up, she gasped when she saw that it was a used condom with semen inside of it. Blake swore that he didn’t have sex with Jersi but that was just another one of his lies. Mariah felt like she was struggling to breathe as she grabbed a napkin to put his evidence in. She stormed into the house and found Blake in their bedroom playing with their daughters.

  “You fucking liar! You fucked her in my car!” Mariah screamed as she started wailing on her husband. Her girls started crying and huddled into the corner as she threw things from the dresser at their father. She was losing it and she didn’t care about trying to comfort her kids.

  “Mariah stop! What the hell is wrong with you?” Blake asked as he tried to hold her back.

  “This is what’s wrong with me. I found this nasty shit in my car,” she yelled while throwing the used condom on the floor near his feet. She didn’t miss the look of guilt that covered his face when he saw it.

  “I’m sorry about that but we didn’t have sex in your car,” Blake swore.

  He knew that what he said sounded unbelievable but it was true. Aside from a hand job and oral, nothing else took place. He remembered Jersi pulling the condom off of him but he didn’t know where she put it. Had he known that it was still in the car, he would have made sure to dispose of it.

  “Stop lying to me! How did your sperm get into the condom if you didn’t fuck her?” Mariah fumed as her daughters continued to cry.

  “Stop this Mariah. Look at what you’re doing to the girls. This is not the time or place to discuss this,” Blake pointed out.

  “Fuck you! This is the perfect time to discuss you fucking another bitch in my car,” Mariah fumed.

  “I didn’t fuck her. I went down on her and she gave me a hand job. Are you satisfied now? You wanted the truth and you got it,” Blake bellowed angrily.

  He hated having that kind of conversation in the presence of his kids but she forced his hand. Mariah wouldn’t let up, so he told her the truth.

  “You nasty bastard! How could you do this to me? You’re going down on other bitches like you don’t have a wife at home,” Mariah screeched and she started swinging on him again.

  When she stopped and dropped down to the floor, Blake got concerned. She was holding her stomach like she was in pain.

  “What’s wrong Mariah?” Blake asked as he kneeled down right next to her.

  “It hurts,” she yelled out in pain.

  “Shit. Okay baby, just relax. I’m calling an ambulance,” Blake said as he jumped up to grab his phone.

  “Please God. Don’t take my baby,” Mariah cried as she curled up into a fetal position.

  She was having mixed feelings about being pregnant again but she needed something to possibly save her failing marriage. When she felt something warm in between her legs, she looked down to see that her tan colored leggings were saturated in blood.

  “She’s bleeding! Please, send some help right away,” Blake begged as he kneeled down by her again.

  Mariah looked at her girls and they looked scared to death. She was sure that her face mirrored theirs but there was nothing that she could do to comfort them. She was stressed out and possibly miscarrying her third child. It was a hard pill to swallow but her husband and his mistress were the reasons why.

  M emphis felt like a fish out of water as he flopped around in his bed all night. It had been two weeks since he and Jersi broke up and he was sick behind it. Although he felt that it had to be done, he was still fucked up over it. Before Jersi came into his life, he hadn’t been in love since his wife died. He’d lost count of how many times he wanted to pick up the phone and call her. Even when he saw that she was calling him, he had to stop himself from answering. The text messages that she sent broke his heart but he never responded. It was crazy because he couldn’t even bring himself to block her number. Knowing that she still cared enough to call gave him a little comfort. He was trying to move on and talk to other people but it wasn’t working. He went on a date the night before and he couldn’t even force himself to have a good time.

  “Fuck,” Memphis hissed as he got up from the bed.

  He grabbed his blanket and pillow and headed to the front room. The huge bed that was in his room felt too empty without Jersi being in it. She picked the bedroom set out and it reminded him of her too much. It was because of her that he was even sleeping in his room again. Now that she wasn’t there, he didn’t see the point. After tossin
g and turning for a little while longer, Memphis finally drifted off to sleep. It felt like he had just got into a deep slumber when he heard his mother’s voice. He was happy that he didn’t have to work that day because he wouldn’t have made it.

  “I fixed you some breakfast baby. Get up while it’s still hot,” Valerie said as she gently shook his arm.

  “What are you doing here ma?” Memphis groggily asked.

  “Stop asking stupid questions. I’m here to clean, just like always,” Valerie replied.

  He was kicking himself for not getting the locks changed like he was supposed to. He didn’t care that Jersi wasn’t there anymore. His mother still needed to respect his privacy. He was sure that she’d been informed of his and Jersi’s breakup because she refused to step foot in the house as long as the other woman was there.

  “The house is not dirty,” he said while opening his eyes. It was only a little after nine that morning and he had just gone to bed around five.

  “I don’t know why you let her come in here changing everything around. I don’t like nothing that she picked out,” Valerie fussed as she moved around the house.

  Memphis didn’t have on any clothes, so he wrapped the blanket around himself and stood up. Once he threw on some sweats and a shirt, he completed his morning hygiene before joining his mother in the kitchen. He was happy to see that she was alone and Lila wasn’t with her.

  “Listen, I appreciate you wanting to clean and cook for me, but it’s not necessary,” Memphis noted.

  “Lila told me about what that lil girl did. It was bad enough that she cheated on you, but she ain’t have no business putting her hands on Lila like she did. I’m happy that you got rid of her. She was nothing but trouble anyway,” Valerie said.

  “Lila needs to get a life outside of mine. I bet she didn’t tell you about the part that she played in everything. Whatever happened between me and Jersi ain’t nobody’s business,” Memphis ranted.

  “I see that she left some of her stuff here. I’m gonna pack it up so you can bring it to her,” Valerie said, ignoring his comments.

  “I don’t need you to do that ma. Thanks for the breakfast, but I can clean up my own house. There’s really nothing to clean,” Memphis pointed out.

  Besides the living room and his bedroom, the house was basically empty. Jersi was helping him furnish it before everything went left. With the way he had been feeling lately, he wasn’t sure how much longer their breakup would last. He was miserable without her and he was hoping that she felt the same way. He didn’t want Valerie to touch anything that belonged to Jersi. As crazy as it might have sounded, he really wanted her to come back.

  “I’m just happy that you got rid of her. I knew there was something about her that I didn’t like,” Valerie fussed once she finished cleaning the kitchen.

  “You can’t dislike somebody that you’ve never met,” Memphis noted.

  “Let’s not forget how I met her,” Valerie frowned as she thought back to what she’d walked in on a while ago.

  “Alright ma. Thanks for breakfast but I got some moves to make,” Memphis said as he walked her to the door. He was trying to be respectful but she was making it too hard.

  “Have you been sleeping baby? You look worn out,” Valerie said while looking at him.

  “I’ll be okay,” Memphis replied as he saw her out.

  He hadn’t been getting the proper rest but she didn’t need to know that. If she knew that Jersi was the reason, she would have been going off about something else. Once she was gone, Memphis showered and got dressed for the day. It was a little after noon when he left the house and headed over to the car wash that Vance managed. He needed to sign off on a few things then he was going to his friend Phil’s house. Phil was grilling and he’d invited a few friends over. He was sure that he wanted to talk to him about Jersi since he knew what was going on. Memphis knew that Cat probably got in his ear but it was all good.

  “What’s up bro?” Vance asked when Memphis walked into his office.

  “Nothing much. Where are the papers that I need to sign?” Memphis asked.

  He sat in the chair next to his brother’s desk as he read over each document carefully. Once he signed them all, he stood up and prepared to leave.

  “You alright bro?” Vance asked him.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Why do you ask?” Memphis inquired.

  “You just look down. Is something bothering you? You know you can talk to me about anything,” Vance said.

  “I’m good man. This breakup with Jersi is just fucking with me. I’ll get over the shit eventually though,” Memphis shrugged.

  “It’s obvious that you still love her. Why deny yourself of being with her? Who are you trying to prove a point to?” Vance questioned.

  “I don’t have to prove nothing to nobody. She fucked over me and I’m done with her. I do still love her but that don’t mean that I have to be with her,” Memphis frowned as he made his way out the door.

  He was battling with himself enough. He didn’t need his brother trying to give him advice and confusing him even more. He was still hurt but he was also upset. He was upset with Jersi for ruining what they had and he was upset with himself for wanting her back.

  “I’m happy that God doesn’t deal with us the same way that man does. He’s a forgiving God and we should all be thankful for that,” Vance said to his brother’s departing back.

  Vance was always coming at him with the bible but Memphis wasn’t in the mood for it. He needed a drink and something good to smoke. His appetite was fucked up and he was losing sleep. His mood hadn’t been the best lately and he didn’t have time for the bullshit. After leaving his brother, Memphis headed straight to Phil’s house. He saw a few cars that belonged to his frat brothers parked out front and he was happy to have a temporary distractions.

  “What’s up boy?” Phil greeted when Memphis walked into the yard. He handed Memphis a beer and continued cooking up whatever was on the grill.

  “Ain’t shit. What’s up with y’all?” Memphis spoke to his other frat brothers who were gathered around on the deck. Max was amongst the crew and Memphis took a seat right next to him.

  “They got some food cooked already. Help yourself to whatever,” Phil offered.

  “Nah, I’m good with just this,” Memphis replied while holding up his Heineken.

  “Cat told me about you and Jersi breaking up. I’m sorry to hear that. She seems like one of the good ones,” Phil said solemnly.

  “I’m good bruh. I really don’t wanna get into all that right now,” Memphis replied.

  “Don’t give up on her bruh. She’s really fucked up about whatever happened between y’all. I heard it for myself. This ain’t nothing that nobody else is telling me,” Phil said.

  He was at Cat’s house one day when she was on the phone with Jersi. Phil’s heart went out to the other woman and he could tell that she was really torn up. She loved his boy and he was hoping that they could work it out. Jersi almost had him and Cat in tears as she cried on the phone.

  “Later Phil. I’m not trying to discuss that right now,” Memphis sighed.

  “Fuck all that bruh. You’re a young, black, educated man with money. You don’t have to put up with nothing from nobody. If ole girl ain’t acting right, drop her ass and be on to the next one,” Max spoke up.

  “Don’t listen to this nigga bro. Nobody is perfect and no relationship is flawless. Shit, I hooked up with Cat while she was still married and I didn’t give a fuck what nobody had to say about it. Do whatever is best for you,” Phil spoke up as a few others nodded in agreement.

  “Maybe breaking up was best for him,” Max replied.

  “I just got here. How did I become the topic of conversation?” Memphis laughed.

  “Look, I don’t know what happened and I really don’t care. What I do know is that Jersi made you happy. I haven’t seen you smile so much since you and Layla got married,” Phil pointed out.

  “She couldn’t ha
ve made him too happy if they broke up,” Max said.

  “You got a problem with Jersi or something?” Memphis asked as he looked over at Max.

  “Why would I have a problem with her? I don’t even know her,” Max replied.

  “You sure about that?” Memphis asked as Max shifted nervously.

  “I’m just saying bruh. I’ve never known you to give second chances. Nobody holds a grudge quite like you do. Shit, you still don’t fuck with your own pops,” Max chuckled.

  “The situation with my father has nothing to do with what we’re discussing right now. Whatever I decide to do is my business. What I eat don’t make you shit so you shouldn’t worry so much about it,” Memphis replied.

  Max raised his hands in surrender and decided to let it go. Truthfully, he didn’t want Memphis and Jersi to be together. It was too close to home for him. He was still dealing with Dray occasionally and he didn’t want his secret to be revealed. Max worked hard to keep his lifestyle private. He didn’t need one of his frat brothers dating the sister of his fling. Leaving Dray alone would be too hard because of the feelings that he had developed for him.