Twisted Forever

by Danielle James

“Emmanuel you said you wouldn’t!” Camilla cried.

  “I lost it. He touched you.” I ran my thumb over the gash on her face and she flinched in pain. The area was hot to the touch and starting to swell. Cole opened the door to the triage room and poked his head out.

  “That shit was loud. Nobody is running in here to check it out?” He walked into the hall. “Excuse me! I think Dr. Epps is ready for extraction.” He called to anyone that was out there.

  “Cami, you need to get this looked at.” I told her, pulling her body into me.

  “I’m fine.” She whispered.

  “You’re not. This shit is all my fault. I should have told him right after I told you.”

  “Let’s get the hell out of here. I can’t be here right now. I can’t even think straight.” Camilla said, sucking in a breath. I didn’t want to, but I let her go back to my house with Cole so I could stay with Christina. In the morning we could go back home and I could start to sort things out.

  The next morning, I put in my paperwork for a three-week long vacation and left the deputy mayors in charge. I had shit to handle. I already knew Alexander wasn’t done. He wasn’t done being angry and he wasn’t done loving Camilla, he wasn’t done with anything. In fact, he was just getting started.

  I wanted to go home after being at my office, I wanted to see Camilla and check on Christina but instead I went to Trevor’s house. I sat in his driveway on the phone with Camilla only because I’d told her there would be no more lies between us.

  “Emmanuel please don’t,” she begged.

  “No, your father needs to know what’s going on. He needs to know what we’re dealing with and the monster that I’ve created. I don’t want you coming over here either. Get some damn rest,” I fussed. “Is Cole there?”

  “Yes, he’s still here. He’s knocked out.” She chuckled dryly.

  “Good, I’ll see you in a few okay?” I said in a softer voice.

  “Okay, I love you baby.” Her words gave me the power I needed to go in here and talk to Trevor.

  “I love you too, Cami.”

  Trevor opened the door with TJ in his arms laughing and giggling. I smiled at the baby and nodded to Trev. “What’s up, man?”

  “Hey, where’s Camilla?” He looked around me and then we locked gazes.

  “She’s at my house. I need to talk to you.” I stepped in and we went to sit on the couch.

  “Manny, what the hell is going on with Camilla?”

  “I’ve managed to screw shit up by trying to be a good guy for once.”

  “What did you do?” Trev grumbled suspiciously. He had every right to be suspicious of me. Hell, he had every right to hate me. I’d ruined his life and stole valuable moments he’d never get back.

  “When Camilla was pregnant with Mason I made her get a paternity test. You remember?” I asked him. Trevor nodded silently.

  “When I got the results back it turned out that Mason was mine. I had them switch the results though.” I chanced a look at Trev and he was stone-faced. After a few seconds his jaw started to tick up and down.

  “Mason is your son?” He asked in a voice that shook with anger. “My grandson is your son?”

  “Yes. I kept the truth from Camilla and Alexander so…”

  “So they could be happy without you.” He was chuckling but I could tell he found none of it funny. “Of course that’s what you did. Even when you’re trying to be magnanimous you fuck up everyone’s life.” He tossed his hands in the air for punctuation. TJ drifted off to sleep in Trevor’s lap and he stood to lay him down in his room.

  “Look, Manny I could tell the moment I looked at Camilla that she wasn’t happy. She won’t tell me anything but I know she’s not happy with Alexander.” He sat down and clasped his hands together thoughtfully. Trev’s long locs swung down over his shoulders making him look like a lion.

  “When I first met Alexander I felt confident about him. I liked him and I wanted Camilla to be with anyone but you, to be honest.” He regarded me with a hint of disgust.

  “Fair enough.” I shrugged.

  “But when he started leaving her alone so much when she was pregnant, I didn’t like that. When she went into labor early because she was stressed out, I wanted to kill Alexander. I haven’t liked him since the day Mason was born,” he confessed. “I could see he was doing my baby girl wrong. One day when I was visiting Mason and Chloe Camilla wasn’t there but Alexander was. I was in the living room with the kids and he was on the phone.

  I heard him saying ‘I love you’ and ‘I miss you’ and just assumed he was talking to Camilla but then she walked through the door and he was still on the phone.” He shut his green eyes and blew out a breath. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her. She was happy. For once she was happy. I thought Alexander needed to get it out of his system and fuck with a few women but I never thought this shit would just continue.

  She looked so sad when you two were over here last month. When I saw yall hugging and kissing…as pissed as I got, I was relieved. Because I knew that if you were with her that at least she’d be happy. Might be twisted as a motherfucker, but she would be happy and you’d never make her wonder if you were faithful.”

  Hearing Trev’s words and feeling the conflicted energy pour off of him hit me hard. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I Stood to my feet to pace the floor and let off my nervousness.

  “I can’t say I’m surprised that Mason is yours, Manny. He looks just like you and you’ve been there from the start for him. I still think you’re the fucking devil but you’re a devil I know. I’d trust you over Alexander any day.” He told me with a chuckle. It was awkward but Trev and I slapped hands and embraced each other in the midst of him hating me. He loved Camilla enough to try to move past it.

  “That actually means a hell of a lot to me, Trev. You have no idea.” I folded my arms and looked at him, “We have more issues though.”

  “What the fuck now, Manny? Jesus. I’m a fucking saint over here and you just keep throwing things at me.”

  “I know. I have a lot of untangling to do,” I admitted. “Alexander found out about Mason before I could tell him.”

  “How the fuck did he do that?” He asked puzzled.

  “I still don’t know. All I know is that he went looking for Camilla. Evidently he thought she’d known the entire time.”

  “If he hurt her, Manny. If he hurt my daughter…” Trevor was pacing now and his muscles were tight like he would spring into action at any given moment.

  “She’s okay,” I started. There was nothing like seeing a father’s rage over his child up close and personal. Trevor was already pissed at me but the way he looked now didn’t compare. “But he did hit her.” Before I could say anything else Trevor went to the back, said something to Laurel and started to put his shoes on.

  “Trev, she’s fine.”

  “Let’s go,” he said. I couldn’t argue with Camilla’s father. He wanted to see his daughter. If I found out someone hit Christina I’d be the same way. I wouldn’t give a fuck what the situation was.

  Palm trees zoomed by as I sped to my house, leading Trevor along the way. It seemed like we flew there, we were arrived so fast. Before I could throw the car in park, Trevor was out and waiting for me at the door. I pushed a few buttons and we walked in.

  The entire house smelled like breakfast and the image at the kitchen table brought an instant smile to my face. Christina and Camilla were eating together. I paused in my stride and just took it in. I didn’t know how long it would be before I saw anything like it again.

  When Camilla saw Trevor she jumped up and so did Christina. Trevor ignored the fact that Christina was standing there watching him like a schoolgirl with a crush, so he could look at Camilla’s face.

  “I’m going to fucking gut him,” Trevor growled.

  “Dad, he didn’t do all of it. Just this.” She gestured to the gash that was already trying to close. “Chris did the rest of it.” She glanced at her sister who lo
oked down at her feet guiltily.

  “She’s fine, Trevor,” I said again.

  “Where the fuck is Alexander? Why didn’t you call me Camilla?!”

  “I didn’t want to bother you!” She shouted back with conviction.

  “Where is he?”

  “He’s in the hospital.” I answered, pouring myself a cup of coffee. “Cole shot him.” I could see relief flood Trevor as his shoulders slumped a bit and he pulled Camilla in for a hug.

  “Did Cole kill him?” Trevor asked in a quiet voice.

  “I should have, but nah.” Cole swung around the corner looking down at his phone.

  “Cole, thank you man. Thank you for protecting Camilla.” Trevor said pulling Cole in. He was stiff in Trev’s embrace, but it was only because he hadn’t gotten close to Trevor yet.

  Cole wasn’t the type of person who was open with everyone and right then it was painfully evident. He nodded at Trevor and then walked back out without another word.

  “I don’t know what Alexander is going to do next but I feel him getting ready to do something fucking stupid.” My voice rumbled low in my chest.

  It was true too. I felt every sense in me prickling to attention. I’m sure to everyone, things seemed to have reached their fever pitch already with Alexander finding out about Mason but something was lurking in the very air around Alexander, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Whatever it was put me on high alert though.

  Alexander never unnerved me. Ever. I knew I could ruin him. I could kill him with my bare hands and not blink and probably not even get a scratch on me. So this feeling was new. It was as if he had tapped into some new power source that I wasn’t privy to.

  “What could he possibly do? He doesn’t have any legal footing. Other than being emotionally wounded he has nothing,” Camilla shrugged.

  “You’re right Cami but there’s something.” I told her as the hot coffee splashed on my tongue. I picked up my phone and tapped at the screen until I pulled up my realtor’s information. I shot her an email right then and scheduled to have Camilla’s house put on the market immediately.

  “You’re not staying at your house anymore.” I told her once I put my phone to sleep.

  “Okay, so I’m just gonna move in here?” She asked slowly.

  “Yes. Your house should be on the market by the end of the week.”

  “What the fuck, Daddy!” Christina squeaked. “What is going on? Why did Alexander hit you, Cami?” Christina frowned once she realized she didn’t put the gash on her sister’s face.

  Camilla pushed her long hair back behind her ear and groaned. “I don’t want to deal with the outburst you’re getting ready to have.”

  “Why would I have an outburst?” Christina asked. We all exchanged glances and I rubbed the back of my neck. Once Christina found out about the sticky and twisted web of her nephew also being her brother she was going to lose her shit.

  “Somebody needs to start talking!” She shouted, slamming her hand on the kitchen table. Her and Camilla’s plates jumped and the food rearranges itself. Cole walked back in at the sound of it all and looked around at everyone.

  “Mason is your brother too. There. It’s done. Yall can stop bitching.” He let out a yawn and frowned. “Now, I’m going back to bed. Call me if someone needs to be shot.”

  “Wait, what? Mason is my brother too?” She half laughed. “That means…” She looked at Camilla and narrowed her eyes.

  “Goddammit,” I sighed. “I knew I should have taken a picture of you two having breakfast when I walked in.”

  “You had a baby with my father?” She almost whispered. “You had a fucking baby with my father!” Christina shoved Camilla backwards until she backed up against a wall then she let a torrent of slaps loose on her face.

  I knew just by looking at Camilla that she was letting Christina hit her. She wasn’t fighting back. She didn’t want to risk blacking out on her again. Camilla only covered her face, which had taken too much of a beating in the past twenty-four hours.

  Trevor and I pulled Christina away from Camilla and I hauled her upstairs while Trev tended to Camilla.

  “Daddy, how could you?” Chris cried. “How could you get her pregnant? I feel like I’m on a twisted ass reality show.”

  “I’m not going to apologize for Mason. He wasn’t planned but he wasn’t some mistake I need to cower for. Camilla and I were fucking. When you fuck you have a chance of getting pregnant. It happens.” I was tired of trying to defend and explain everything away. I knew Chris needed lots of time to come to grips with all of this but right then I was spread too thin.

  “I don’t even want to be associated with this family anymore. My father is in love with my sister and now they have a baby. Wonderful.” She laughed.

  “Okay, Christina. You don’t want to be a part of this family anymore? That’s your choice. I’m through with all this shit right now.”

  “Of course you’re through with it. You’re always through with it when it’s time for me to have feelings about something, Daddy!” I turned to look at her. I thought I would see tears but instead it was anger.

  “Chris, all I do is try to make things better for you! I’ve answered every question you threw at me. I’ve let you talk all kinds of ways to me that you should have never thought was okay. I try to be close to you and to be there for you! I understand that this is not something easy to swallow but right now, yes! I’m fucking over it.”

  “You’re never there for me.” She said with venom dripping from each syllable. I stalked closer to her so she could hear every word getting ready to come from my mouth.

  “I’m sorry you think that way. I’ve always been there for you though. I was there when you wanted to pack up and leave me to stay with your mother; I was there when you got expelled. I made sure you still got your diploma that they didn’t want to give you. I made sure your expulsion got overlooked when you started college. I was there last night when you were in the hospital. I sat there all night with you. I left Camilla here so I could be with you. You said the most abhorrent shit out of your mouth to Cole and I snapped on him for defending himself. Don’t you dare say I’m never there for you little girl!”

  Christina didn’t say another word she just stormed into her room and closed the door with a thud. I could hear Camilla and Trevor talking downstairs and I decided to leave them be for a while. He needed to talk to his daughter. I needed to talk to mine too. My limbs felt heavy. Like I hadn’t slept in days. What I really wanted to do was fall face first into my bed next to Camilla so I could recharge.

  “Christina, open up.” I knocked and leaned against the doorframe. The door creaked open a sliver. I pushed in and looked around her room, lingering on a picture of Dana she had sitting on her dresser. Nothing in me regretted the fact that she was dead.

  “What, Daddy?” She sniffled.

  “I’m not trying to brush your feelings off baby girl. Your father has been through a lot in a short amount of time though. I’ve also put people through a lot. This shit with Mason is fucking everyone up and I’m having to accept it all because I caused it.”

  “Why did you lie?” She asked me point blank. I stared at her for a while before answering.

  “Because for once I loved a woman more than I loved my own pride. I wanted Camilla to have what she wanted. She wanted Alexander and she thought Mason was his. He’d proposed and everything and…I just wanted her to be happy. That’s all.” My tongue was tired of explaining this shit but it was for Christina so I continued. I told her that there were no malicious intents behind what I did and the only reason I came clean was because Camilla was on the verge of leaving Alexander and he was talking crazy about taking Mason.

  Christina flitted her eyes across my face, reading my expression, and then she sighed with defeat. “You’re really in love with Camilla.”

  “Yes. More than I’ve ever loved a woman before in my life.”

  “More than…mom?” She asked, pain painting her voice
.

  “Yes,” I said quietly. “Christina, your mother and I were married more so for image than anything else. I did love her at one point but it was never what I have now. This this is an all consuming kind of love.”

  “Can I ask you something Daddy?” Christina locked eyes with me.

  “What is it?”

  “There’s a black box that’s been in your room since last year. The one on your dresser.” My mind flashed to the small velvet box sitting on the back of my dresser and I nodded. “What’s in it?”

  I smiled and touched the top of her head. She was definitely her father’s child, observant in every way. I didn’t answer her question I only told her that she already knew what was in the box.

  “Trust me, after all the dust settles the box will be gone. So to answer that question you asked me yesterday in the hospital that I never got to answer,” I paused, “Yes. I hope you’ll still be a part of the family.” I kissed her cheek.

  “I guess,” she grumbled. It wasn’t perfect but it was a start. I couldn’t complain about that.

  **

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Camilla

  When I told Xavier to come to Emmanuel’s house to drop the kids off he hesitated but agreed. I was so happy to see my little munchkins that I barely let them go. I squeezed and hugged them like I’d never see them again. I sent them with Emmanuel once Xavier started staring at me, flexing his jaw angrily.

  “I’m gonna take them to get some ice cream.” Emmanuel told me after he hoisted Chloe up on his shoulders. I nodded and waited until they were out of the driveway before I dared to look at Xavier. He looked like steam would shoot from his ears any minute.

  “Camilla what the fuck happened to your face!” He exploded once we were alone.

  “I got into it with Chris.”

  “Oh, Jesus. For that shit with me and her?”

  “Yes, partially.”

  “Did she throw your ass into a fucking wall? Look at this cut on your face.” He tilted my face towards him and sighed before pulling me into a long hug. His embrace made me break down in tears. I knew I had to tell him about Mason and Alexander and all that shit because he’d find out anyway.