“Don’t apologize. This is just as much my fault. It seems as if we can’t keep our hands off each other.”
“Camille, I love you, and I don’t want our friendship to be ruined because of this.”
I couldn’t even look at Trevor at that moment. “Like I said earlier, I’d rather have you as my friend than not in my life at all. I have to go back to work.”
As soon as I was about to go to the door, the doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?” Trevor asked as he went to the door.
I looked at him, wondering when he was going to realize he was in his boxers.
“Uh, Trevor…” I began to say.
He opened the door, revealing a stunned look on his face.
“Chelsea…”
Chapter 12
Trevor
A
fter talking to my parents, I realized that I was in love with two women. Although I tried to push any thoughts I had of Camille out of my mind, I couldn’t resist the urge to be around her—that’s why I avoided seeing or talking to her for the remainder of the weekend. I threw myself into working on my first campaign, which I had to present to a prominent client on Monday. Although the campaign I created was great, the execution was horrible as half of the product landed on my shirt.
When I arrived home to change, I didn’t expect Camille to show up. The urges I had when I saw her came back in a major way as she appeared in my doorway. I tried to dodge the questions she was asking, but I knew it wasn’t fair to her to not know what I was feeling. While my feelings for Camille were strong, I had invested part of my life with Chelsea; I made a commitment to her and our future, so I owed it to her to move forward with the wedding.
My heart literally stopped when I saw the hurt in Camille’s eyes. I wanted to erase the pain I’d caused her. Even though I wanted to be with Camille in the way we never experienced together, I knew she was right and we couldn’t continue.
The minute I opened the door and noticed Chelsea standing outside, I really wanted to slam the door and hide. How was I going to explain why I was in my boxers while Camille was in the living room? “Baby!” Chelsea exclaimed as she flung her arms around me and gave me a hug.
“Hey, Chels,” I said as I returned the hug, not sure what to do at this point.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she said as she began kissing me.
Once she began to kiss my neck, she noticed Camille standing by the couch, looking as uncomfortable as I was.
“Cam! What are you doing here?” Chelsea said as she gave me a look that read why was I just in my boxers.
“I was just leaving, actually. It’s good to see you, Chelsea.” Camille said as she pushed past the both of us and out the door.
“I’ll call you so we can start the preparations,” Chelsea said excitedly.
“Sure, Chels. I need to go,” Camille said as she went to her car.
Chelsea turned around and gave me an uneasy look.
“What’s wrong with Cam? And why did she have her shirt in her hand and why are you in your boxers?”
I gave Chelsea a goofy grin, not sure what else to do. I usually gave my goofy grin when I was in a tough situation.
“Remember the campaign I had to do? The presentation didn’t go well, so I had to come home and change. Camille accidently spilled some juice on her shirt, so I let her borrow one of my shirts.” I could tell Chelsea wasn’t buying my story. She smiled while giving me another hug.
“I’m just glad to see you.” she said softly.
“What are you doing here though? You weren’t supposed to come until Wednesday?”
“I fulfilled my two weeks on Friday, so I left early this morning. I wanted to tell you, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I called your job, but they told me you were at home.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m not staying long. I have to go to my parents’, but dinner tonight?”
“Of course,” I said as I kissed her lips.
Hopefully she doesn’t notice Camille’s scent on my lips.
“See you later,” Chelsea said as she hugged me again before going to the door.
When she walked out of the door, I watched until she got into her car and drove off. I closed the door and leaned against it.
What the hell am I going to do now?
z
Several days passed, and it was two days before the wedding. After work, I met up with Charles at Hank’s Emporium to get our tuxes. We had to see whether the alterations we requested a couple weeks ago were made and up to our satisfaction.
After what happened with Camille and Chelsea, I had to confide in someone regarding my transgressions. Although Charles understood, he did give me several I-told-you-so looks throughout the entire conversation.
While I was in the dressing room trying on my tux, Charles walked out of his and to the mirror to look at his tux.
“How is everything going between you and Chelsea?” Charles asked, while adjusting his bow tie.
“It’s going OK, actually. We fell back into being the perfect couple.”
“I’m sure. What about you and Camille?”
I sighed when I heard Camille’s name. After our little tryst, neither Camille nor I had reached out to each other to talk. Instead I pushed myself into the wedding and spending my time with Chelsea.
I miss Camille so much.
“To be honest, I don’t know how our relationship is. I really think I messed things up.”
“You told Camille how you felt; you can’t fault yourself for that.”
“I know, but I still feel guilty. Camille and I have been friends for seventeen years; I didn’t want something like this to tear us apart.”
“Let me ask you something; when you had these feelings for Camille, did you ever think about trying to figure out where it would go? Why didn’t you try to pursue something before you got too caught up with Chelsea?”
I walked out of the dressing room and toward the mirror. I looked at the black tux and sighed.
“That’s the question I’ve been asking myself too.”
The chime located on the door to the store whistled as the door opened. Ron walked into the store looking like he was ready for battle. He gave me a harsh look as he went up to the register to ask for his tux. Once the employee located his tux, he took it and walked toward us.
“Hey, Charles. Trevor.”
“How’s it going, Ron?” Charles asked.
Charles noticed the exchange between Ron and me and went toward his dressing room.
“I didn’t think you would show up,” I said as I adjusted my tie.
“Why wouldn’t I? This is for my sister.”
“Listen Ron...”
“No, you listen. Stacy told me what she saw at Perry’s. Why would you do that?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“So Stacy didn’t see you putting your hand up Camille’s dress?”
“Ron…” “Save it, Trevor. I always knew something was going on between you two, but I never told Chelsea because she’s in love with you. If you want to be with Camille, just do it and save my sister the heartache before it’s too late.”
I didn’t know what to say after Ron’s statement. I couldn’t say anything because what he was saying was true. I should end my relationship with Chelsea, because part of my heart belonged to another woman.
“Do you love my sister?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then what are you planning to do after you’re married? Are you going to be with Chelsea but string Camille along?”
“You don’t know the whole situation.”
“Enlighten me then. Tell me what the hell is going on.”
“That’s between Camille and me.”
Ron started to laugh as he shook his head at me.
“You better be glad we’re in a public place, because I would have knocked you out the moment I walked in here.”
Charles walked out of
his dressing room with his tux over his arm. He looked at the both of us wondering if he should run interference.
“Is everything OK?”
Ron gave me another look as he put his tux over his arm. “Everything’s fine.”
He walked by me, giving me a hard shove, before heading to the door.
Charles blew out a long breath before looking at me.
“He was pissed. You better hope he doesn’t tell Chelsea.”
I turned back to the mirror wondering who the person was staring back at me.
“At this point, I don’t even care.”
Chapter 13
Camille
A
fter a draining day at work, I had to endure another painful event by helping Chelsea with the bridesmaid dresses. I asked Tia to come along with me for moral support. She gladly obliged, only to see if a fight would occur.
Some friend, I thought as I pulled up to Tia’s driveway.
To make matters worse, Chelsea’s parents decided to announce her and Trevor’s wedding in the society section of today’s Houston Chronicle. Of course everyone at work saw the page and wondered why Trevor was marrying someone else when he was clearly in love with me. I had to encounter every look today, from sad to sympathetic. Vicky was having a field day with the news, wondering if I paid Trevor to be my date for the dinner party. Before I had the impulse to slap her senseless, I decided to call it a day and go home.
While I waited for Tia to come outside, I stared at the beautiful blue sky, wondering how things got to this point. How did the one person I considered my very best friend suddenly become a distant memory? I began to wipe away the tears that suddenly landed on my cheek. Since last seeing Trevor this week, all I had done was cry. Now I was tired of crying.
“Hey,” Tia said as she got inside the car.
“Hey,” I said as I quickly wiped away another tear.
“Aww, come here,” Tia said as she put her arm around me.
I softly cried into her shoulder, trying to relieve any type of emotion I had before seeing Chelsea.
“I know this is hard for you. You sure you want to go through with this?”
“I’m fine. Trevor and Chelsea are both my friends, so I have to get through this.”
Tia nodded her head as I threw the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway.
Twenty minutes later and we were at Sam’s Bridal looking at the bridesmaid dresses Chelsea ordered online. Since the wedding color scheme was cream and white, all the bridesmaid dresses were cream-colored. While Chelsea’s other bridesmaids were trying on their dresses, Chelsea, Tia, and I were sitting down near the store mirrors, going over the details for the combined bachelor/bachelorette party.
“OK, I booked the DJ and the caterer; is there anything else you would like?” I asked while going through the list on my tablet.
“Well, since the party is going to be held at the lake house, I was wondering if we could get a decorator to come out and spruce up the place,” Chelsea said.
“Don’t you think that’s kind of last minute? The party is tomorrow.”
“I know, but I just want it to be special. This is all so exciting, and the fact that this is the last time I’m getting married, I want everything to be extra perfect.”
A forced smile spread across my lips as I looked at Chelsea; Chelsea looked at me with the same smile. I wondered if she was being excited about the whole thing or actually trying to rub it in that she was marrying Trevor.
Does she know that I have feelings for Trevor?
“If you want, I can call in a few favors to see if someone can come out,” I said as I explored my tablet for a list of party decorators.
“Thank you, Camille. In fact, thank you for everything. I know this is hard for you.”
I looked up at Chelsea wondering what the hell she was implying.
“Why would it be hard for me?”
“Come on, Cam, I’m not stupid. I know what’s going on.”
Tia looked at the both of us wondering if a fight was about to escalate.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh please, Camille, I’ve seen the way you look at Trevor from the time we were roommates to now. Even when I saw you at his place Monday, I knew what was going on. Him in his boxers and you wearing his shirt; it’s obvious.”
“I think you need to stop making assumptions. I wouldn’t be here helping you plan your wedding if I had feelings for Trevor.”
“I think you would because you want Trevor to be happy. You want to be the good best friend and still stay in his good graces. Well, I have news for you. Once Trevor and I say ‘I do,’ you can bet that you will no longer be in his life. Not after I’m done with you.”
I looked at Chelsea, ready to punch the crap out of her.
Tia noticed the look I was giving Chelsea. She put a hand on my shoulder and jerked me from my chair.
“Excuse us for a moment, Chelsea,” Tia said as she took me toward the back of the store.
Once we got out of earshot from Chelsea, Tia began to laugh.
“What the hell was that?”
“I don’t see anything funny. The witch knew all along.”
“Now I see why she wanted you to be her maid of honor. I knew something was up with her; she was way too nice.”
“Why didn’t I see this coming? She knew on the day she met Trevor, she knew something was going on.”
“This alone should give you the ammunition you need to get your man.”
I pondered the thought of telling Trevor about Chelsea. I started to shake my head to get rid of the thought.
“No, I’m not going to do that.”
“Why not? She made it perfectly clear that she knows and will use it against you to keep Trevor. If she wants to play dirty, then you should too.”
I sighed as Tia gave me an assuring smile and went back to the front of the store.
When we arrived back to the bridal party, Chelsea had a dress in her hand, which I was assuming was my maid of honor dress.
“Here’s your dress, Camille. I hope it’s to your liking.”
She handed it to me with a huge grin plastered on her face. I stared at it as if she lost her mind. Tia tried hard not to laugh at the dress in front of her. Although the dress was cream-colored like the other bridesmaid dresses, the cut and style were completely different and it was very unflattering to my body type. In other words, the dress was heinous.
“What the hell is this?”
Chelsea came up to me with a smug glance.
“You think I was going to give you something for Trevor to gawk at? I don’t think so.”
While she walked away in self-satisfaction, I nodded my head knowing what my next move would be. Tia gave me a smile as she knew all too well the expression I had on my face.
“What are you thinking, Cam?”
“I think you know. If she wants a fight, she’s got one.”
Tia smiled as she gave me a high five.
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
I smiled as I looked at Chelsea. Game on.
z
After the verbal beat down between Chelsea and me, I decided to go home, head straight to my bed and remain there until the next day. Now I was at The Corinthian for Trevor and Chelsea’s wedding rehearsal, wondering if I could go back home and repeat the entire process. I wanted Tia to come with me, but she opted not to, telling me she would meet me at the bachelor/bachelorette party later.
I assumed Chelsea chose the venue for its beautiful ballroom and historic scenery. Although the place was breathtaking, it was fine for Chelsea, but I would have preferred an outdoor wedding.
Like the one Trevor mentioned.
As I watched Trevor and Chelsea talking to her parents, I got the sense that Trevor didn’t want to be here as much as I didn’t. He seemed sad as he began to stare at the vaulted ceiling.
Charles walked up to me and gave me a hug. “How you doing?”
<
br /> “I’m good, just wishing this thing would start already.”
“You’re telling me. I’m ready for the party to start.”
“I’m sure. Hopefully you don’t have any plans up your sleeve. I have everything already squared away as far as the preparations.”
“Don’t worry, Cam. I’m not going to ruin the party. Are you?”
I looked at Charles’s golden brown complexion and gave him a sideways glance. “I’m not, Charles. Tre made his choice and I support him.” “Do you really? Just to let you know, Tre is pretty miserable too. He thinks the friendship is ruined.”
“I told him it’s not. It’s just going to take some time to process the fact that we crossed the line. Something we shouldn’t have done in the first place.”
Charles put a hand on my back. “It’s going to be OK.”
Trevor looked over to where Charles and I were standing. Our eyes locked, giving each other the same expression. Chelsea noticed the exchange between us. She rolled her eyes as she took Trevor’s hand and walked him over to the minister.
Once the three exchanged pleasantries, the minister stepped over to the center to make an announcement.
“We will go ahead and begin the rehearsal. Everyone should get into their positions.”
“You ready?” Charles asked as he began to walk to the ballroom.
I sighed as I began to follow. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The wedding rehearsal wasn’t entirely awful, as we practiced the routine of the wedding and the positions everyone would be in tomorrow. The two decided not to recite their vows, as they wanted to say them in front of their guests at the wedding. While Chelsea laid on the charm very thick, Trevor was the complete opposite, acting as if he was going to his funeral instead of his wedding. I didn’t know if anyone else noticed his behavior, but I could definitely see that what happened between us was tearing him apart.
Before everyone headed to Chelsea’s parents’ lake house for the party, Chelsea’s parents held the rehearsal dinner in a private room at Maggiano’s Little Italy, located near Galleria Houston. I remembered Trevor telling me this was one of the couple’s favorite restaurants, so it was only fitting that they would have their rehearsal dinner here.
While I was sitting down eating lasagna, I noticed Chelsea walking in with a huge smile on her face. Just the sight of her being all gooey-eyed made me want to puke. She headed straight to my table and took a seat beside me.
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