“No! Get your girlfriend!”
“Yeah, bitch. Remember who’s his girlfriend.” Camilla stalked closer and I positioned myself in front of Ava.
“You wanna tell her or should I, Xavier?” Ava had a mischievous glint in her brown eyes.
“Fuck. Ava don’t do this shit right now,” I pleaded.
“Don’t do what? Tell her I’m pregnant?” The words dropped from her lips like bombs.
“What?” Camilla laughed loudly. Too loudly. It froze me to my core. “She’s fucking pregnant?” I’d never seen so much hatred in her eyes before and it wasn’t even directed toward Ava. It was directed towards me.
“Yes, bitch.” Ava seethed and walked in Camilla’s direction. Before I could stop it from happening, Camilla had Ava’s neck in a vice-like grip. I don’t know how long it was before Emmanuel came barging in but I was glad to see him for once. It took both of us to pry Camilla’s little hand from Ava’s neck.
Ava scrambled away from Camilla with a terrified look on her red and bloated face. She sucked in air and sobbed on the floor. I rushed to Camilla and she screamed out at me before landing a barrage of punches to my shoulders and chest.
“Get the fuck away from me!” She shouted so loud my ears rang from the noise. She turned her face and buried it in Emmanuel’s chest. She called to him and scrambled further into his arms. It was like watching my worse fucking nightmare play out in front of me. I felt her slip right through my fingers.
ChapterEleven
Trevor
As much as I was pissed at Camilla for fucking Manny, I couldn’t stand to see her hurting. For days she cried, holed up in her room at my house. She wouldn’t come out for Laurel when it was time for her to go back to school, she wouldn’t come out for Manny when he tried to coax her, she would come out for me though.
Sometimes she fell asleep with her head in my lap after crying silently. I would play Bob Marley for her and stroke her hair without saying a word.
Xavier had fucked up.
He called me asking, begging if he could talk to me. Just us at the bar. The fatherly side of me wanted to bash his face in for hurting my baby girl but I obliged him.
Nick’s Bar & Grill was a hole in the wall place where both Xavier and I could blend in without being recognized. Xavier looked like hell. Scruff started to fill in along his jawline and he needed a haircut. “Trev, what’s up man?” He slapped his hand against mine and sat down.
“Xavier,” I nodded.
“I know you’re mad at me too, right? I understand.”
“You ever sit there and watch your daughter cry and you can’t do shit to make it better?” I asked him.
“No, can’t say that I have,” he avoided my gaze.
“Then you don’t understand,” I ordered us a couple of beers and waited for him to explain himself.
“I don’t know how Ava got pregnant. I always use condoms with her. I have an entire fucking drawer of condoms right in my office.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“Camilla knew I was fucking her though. She knew. Just like I knew about,” he paused and looked at me. I waited for his slip up, but it never happened. “The other guys she messes around with.” He said smoothly avoiding the fact that Manny was fucking her.
“But getting Ava pregnant is another story,” I told him. “Was she on birth control?”
“She said she was. Now I’m questioning everything Trev.” I listened to him speak and rubbed my hand over my beard.
“So, have you gone to the doctor with her?”
“What? Hell no. I haven’t even talked to her yet. She keeps blowing my phone up.” He showed me dozens of missed calls from Ava and even more texts.
“Offer to take her to the doctor. Play the role of the gentleman,” I told him.
“I don’t want her thinking I’m happy about this shit,” he grumbled. Xavier was a smart young man but he wasn’t hearing me at all. I exhaled and leaned forward trying to drive the point home to him.
“Xavier, hear me out. You said you used condoms every time you two had sex, right?” He knocked back his beer in one gulp and nodded his head. “You said she told you she was on birth control too, right?” He nodded again and then the realization set in and he straightened his posture.
“She might not even be pregnant!” He exclaimed.
“Bingo,” I snapped my fingers.
“So I need to get her ass to a doctor that I choose. I need to make sure before I do anything else,” he babbled excitedly. Finally, he sounded like the Xavier I was used to.
Energetic and ready to take on the world.
His eyes softened when he asked how Camilla was holding up. I tilted my head from one side to the other and shrugged. “She’s not really talking,” I told him. “I’m gonna try to take her out for lunch tomorrow. She came out of her room today so, that’s good.”
“Shit. I hate knowing I broke her heart.”
“She’s really down. I don’t know how to bring her back up. If she’s like her mother then she’s bipolar too,” I talked but Xavier cut me off quickly.
“Wait, Dana has bipolar disorder?”
“Yeah,” I shrugged. I figured anyone with eyes could see that shit.
“Shit. Is Camilla having headaches?”
“She has been,” I replied with a nod.
“Bad?” He quizzed.
“From what I can see,” I answered. “I don’t know how to get her out of her funk, she won’t talk.”
“Has she seen Manny?” His mind was working in a million different directions and I could see it all.
“No. The first night she stayed with me he tried to come see her but she wouldn’t come out of her room. He’s called to check on her daily.”
“Try to get her to him. He’ll help.” His voice was sad and quiet. I knew what he meant though, even while I feigned ignorance.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I looked down to read my text. Rashad had touched down and was on his way to my place. I had to cut my outing with Xavier short.
By the time I got home, I saw a taxi pulling off and Rashad walking to the door with a suitcase.
“Hey sir, you don’t live here,” I called with a smile.
“I know. I’m breaking in. Stealing all the good shit.” He grinned and we slapped hands.
“Where is my niece? She in here? She better not be sleeping.” He beamed as we walked in the house.
“She’s not doing too good right now, Rashad.” His cheery smile faded and he looked concerned.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“Broken heart,” I sighed and climbed the stairs to her room.
“Who’s jaw do I have to break?” He asked in Spanish. I shook my head and told him to let me handle it.
Camilla was still curled up in her bed, blankets covering her up to her shoulders and her phone gripped tight in her hand, scrolling through Facebook. “Hey, baby girl.” I sat on the side of her bed and she looked up at me. “I have someone here who wants to see you.”
She shuffled around and sat up straight in bed. She looked at Rashad and then looked at me with her eyes full of questions. Rashad stared at Camilla like she was the loveliest thing he’d ever seen. A smile spread across his face and he reached out to touch the top of her head, “Camilla.”
“Who are you?” She frowned.
“I’m your uncle Rashad.” Realization flooded her features and she smiled. She finally fucking smiled. The two embraced and I stood back relieved that she was happy even if for a moment.
“Seriously?” She laughed. “You’re here? I thought you were in the Dominican Republic.”
“I had to come see you when I heard Trevor finally got to you.”
“Wow” was all she could manage to say.
I let Rashad and Camilla talk while I called Manny. “Is Camilla okay?” He asked me in a very concerned tone. It caught me off guard how sincere he sounded.
“She’s okay. I just wanted to know if I could bring her by to s
ee you,” I said. It pained me to even utter those fucking words to him. Like he was some fucking doctor that had miraculous healing powers over my daughter.
“Yeah, Trev. Of course. I’ve been thinking about her non-stop. I miss her.” He spoke quietly into the phone and I felt my chest tighten.
He missed her?
I pinched the bridge of my nose and nodded against my phone. “Okay then. I’ll bring her by tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be busy. Can you bring her now?”
“She’s busy.” I snapped.
“Bring her when she’s done.” He told me before ending the call. I dropped my phone with a thud on the carpet. It was better than turning it into a projectile at least. Rashad and Camilla were still just staring at each other and occasionally chatting when I walked in. When I asked her if she wanted to see Manny her face brightened to its usual color for a moment. Her skin had been a far cry from the honey golden girl I’d come to know. It was pale and dry ever since she nosedived. “Rashad, when you’re done talking with Camilla let me know,” I told him. He looked like he never wanted to put her hand down though. He finally had his niece back and I had the feeling he wasn’t going to let her slip away again.
Chapter Twelve
Camilla
Seeing my uncle was like a ray of sunshine in a storm. He was so handsome and he resembled Dana so much it was creepy. Uncle Rashad was covered in tattoos minus his face, he even had one on the back of his head but none of that scared me because he had the kindest eyes. They were soft when he smiled and made him look like a little kid. His Spanish accent was thick but his English was fluent and quite impeccable. I suppose working in a tourist spot you’d have to have great English skills though.
I could tell he didn’t want me to leave but when Dad mentioned Emmanuel, my heart skipped a beat. At first, I didn’t want to see even him but since a few days had gone by and reality was setting in that Xavier was going to have a child with Ava, I started to climb out of my depression it was a slow climb though.
Emmanuel was warm and familiar after the harsh bitterness that Xavier delivered to me. He kissed me all over my face until I let out a laugh from the pit of my stomach. He looked like he’d seen sunshine for the first time when he heard it. It didn’t last for long though because directly after the laughter I felt the deep yearning to cry.
It was a cry that wrecked my soul and made me tremble with each sob. Everything came rushing to the surface at once and I couldn’t handle it. Emmanuel just held me tight. When the sobs stopped, my eyes felt so puffy I didn’t know if they were open or closed. “Emmanuel, it hurts so bad,” I sniffled.
“Your head?” He asked me quietly.
“No, my heart.” I stifled another cry. “I didn’t know how much I loved him.”
“It’s okay.” He told me. “You’re gonna be okay, Camilla.”
“How could he get her pregnant?” I asked into the air. Emmanuel said nothing, just cradled me to his chest.
“Look, let me help you,” he said into my ear.
“How? I don’t feel like I’m ever going to be okay.”
“I’ll be right back.” He left and I felt like the sun walked away from me. I wanted him back beside me immediately. When he returned he put a pill in my hand. “Dana takes these for her episodes,” he told me.
“No. I’m not taking anything of hers.” I shook my head and folded my arms across my chest.
“Camilla, you need to take something!” His voice bounced off of the walls in the house. His strong hands squeezed my cheeks together until my lips puckered, then he put the pill in my mouth and handed me a bottle of water. I swallowed it.
Within minutes my body began to feel relaxed and the fog in my head began to clear. I hadn’t even realized my head was foggy before. Emmanuel sat beside me on a couch in the family room and I looked around clearly remembering my childhood. Playing with Christina, making my Barbies date each other. Laughing while watching cartoons. Waiting up for Emmanuel to come home just so I could get away from my mother. “You okay?” Emmanuel looked over at me and pulled me closer with his arm around my shoulders.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I feel so clear headed,” I blinked back tears.
“God, that’s so good to hear.” His coffee eyes looked so relieved.
“Thank you, Emmanuel,” I sniffled and rested my forehead against his and he smiled. He really smiled; It wasn’t devious or arrogant it was pure and genuine.
“Don’t thank me. I’m just glad you’re okay. When you wouldn’t talk to anyone it was scary.” His eyes closed and swallowed. I felt my stomach twist and I needed to feel him. His lips, his hands, his breath on me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “My heart was so broken.”
“I know,” Emmanuel’s finger swiped away a trickling tear from my face.
“I’m trying to grasp Xavier getting someone else pregnant but it’s hard.”
“Look, don’t worry about that shit. Xavier was being reckless with Ava but…something is off with all of that.”
“You think so?” Peering up at him made me remember how safe he’s always made me feel. It gripped me at my core. Emmanuel nodded his head and rubbed the back of my neck. I couldn’t stand it anymore, I had to feel him and he wasn’t trying to have sex with me, kiss me or anything. I leaned into him and he met me with a kiss. A slow, passionate kiss that burned so good from the inside out.
“I don’t want to make you do anything you’re not ready for yet, Camilla.” I’d never heard such words from Emmanuel. Here we were intertwined in a kiss and he was concerned about how I felt.
“Emmanuel, I want you,” I said with a clear head.
No more words.
We meshed together warm and familiar with soft lips and wandering tongues. Emmanuel laid me back on the couch so gently I had to choke back tears. I was so ready for him my body trembled before he even entered me. I braced myself for his strong thrust but it never came. Instead, his dick pushed against my opening almost asking permission. I wiggled myself against him and we connected.
I was so wet that he slipped straight into the deepest parts of me. His kisses were soft and tender against my skin and I moaned out his name. My legs tightened around his waist and he pushed harder, so much harder. It wasn’t anger though it was passion. I brought his lips to mine and sucked on them while he slipped in and out of me to a rhythm only we could feel. I usually crave an orgasm but right then, I just wanted more of this feeling Emmanuel was pumping into me. It was going straight into my veins and I was hungry for it. He seemed to have a hunger for it as well.
Even though I wanted to live in that moment, my body had other plans. The friction between us was too intense and we both felt it building up quickly. “You’re getting ready to cum for me,” he told me instead of asking because he knew how I felt from the inside out.
“Yes!” I cried out. I dug my nails into his brown skin and he let out a loud groan. Emmanuel poured into me and I shut my eyes tight, burying my face in his neck.
I was crying.
A feeling of warmth built up in my stomach, spilling over my entire body until I couldn’t conceal my tears any longer. I shivered with them and Emmanuel looked at me with wonder. He knew I wasn’t hurt. He knew why I was crying.
I expected him to lash out at me and tell me to get out but he just exhaled and shook his head.
I didn’t mean to.
I didn’t want to.
But I think I just fell in love with Emmanuel.
“Me too,” he sighed against me, reading my thoughts. “Me too, Cami.” I laid on his chest and he smoothed my hair away from my face. “What the fuck did we just get ourselves into?” He asked into the air.
“I don’t know,” I swallowed.
“We’ll be okay,” He assured me. I believed him too.
Being back at New Grace for the first time since the whole Ava fiasco was proving to be more difficult than I’d imagined but seeing Xavier is what really sent me over the edge.
My head started to throb and I wanted to cry out in pain but I had to keep it together. Mary looked at me with concern painted on her sepia face. “Camilla, are you okay?” She asked. I nodded my head in response but before long all I saw was darkness.
“Camilla,” I wanted it to be Emmanuel’s voice but instead it was Xavier’s. I was awake but I kept my eyes closed to keep from seeing his face. “I know you’re awake,” He sighed. He kissed my hand and I snatched it away from him. I didn’t want his lips on me. It hurt too badly. “Fine. You want me to leave?”
“Yes,” I said slowly.
“I’ll leave but can you just hear me out first?” I opened my eyes and looked at him.
“What?” I snapped.
“We have an open relationship. There’s always a possibility that another woman could get pregnant.”
“We had,” I corrected him. I looked around and noticed I was in his office, on his couch. I couldn’t believe Emmanuel wasn’t around. “Where is Emmanuel?” I frowned.
“He’s doing something.” Xavier’s eyes flashed anger.
“What do you mean we had?” He asked.
“Clearly we don’t need to be together anymore Xavier.” He shook his head like my words didn’t make sense. It hurt deeply to see his confusion. It hurt to even tell him we shouldn’t be together. How the fuck could my heart split in two directions like this?
“No. That’s bullshit and you know it!” He replied, pain dripping from his words. he knelt down so he was face-to-face with me and pled with his eyes. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I tried to avoid his gaze. “Camilla, I love you. I don’t love Ava or any other woman I fuck. I love you.” His voice shook with conviction. “This situation is something we both agreed to. Don’t play the victim right now.” He was right and it burned a hole through me. A hole he seemed to peer right into. “You’re mad and hurt, I get it. So am I.”
Twisted Revenge Page 8
