The Real Housewives of Adverse City 2

by Shelia E. Bell

  “Will you ask her to come up here, son?” Peyton said reluctantly.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “What are you still doing in the bed? I told you I was going to pick you up and you said you would be ready.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I changed my mind. I’m sorry that I didn’t call you. But I just can’t do it. Will you tell the girls that I’ll have to see them some other time, maybe when I get out of this chair,” Peyton said pitifully.

  “Peyton, staying up in this house can’t be good for you. It’s only going to keep you depressed. When was the last time you got out of the bed?”

  “I get out the bed every day. I haven’t gotten up today, other than to use the bathroom, because I just don’t feel up to it, Avery.”

  “Because you’re depressed. I’ve been there so I should know better than anyone.” Avery sat down next to Peyton on the side of her bed. “Please, Peyton. You’ve got to try. You’re shutting yourself off from me, Eva, and Meesha when you know we’re your friends. We want to be here for you, but you won’t let us.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel up to it. Give me another week or two. Okay?”

  “So what do you want me to tell Eva and Meesha?”

  “Just tell them I don’t feel well, and that will be the truth. And I don’t want to keep you girls from having fun. Trying to lug this wheelchair in and out of the trunk is not my idea of a good time.”

  “If the three of us can’t get a wheelchair in and out of a trunk, I say something is wrong with us, so don’t even try to use that as an excuse,” Avery chastised her friend.

  “I just want to be left alone.”

  “Well, I’m not going to do that. And since you won’t go out, then I’m calling Eva and Meesha and we’ll just have to have Ladies Day Out right up here in your bedroom.”

  “No, don’t do that. Don’t call them,” Peyton cried out, reaching for Avery’s hand to stop her from calling. “Please, Avery.”

  Avery ignored her plea and proceeded to call Eva. She told Eva what was going on and asked her to call Meesha. Avery still couldn’t completely act her normal self when she was around Meesha. She avoided calling or texting her. She hadn’t bothered Carlton and she believed that was in part due to the fact that she and Ryker were going to have a private marriage ceremony in the next few days. Her baby was growing in her belly and it showed. To know that she and Meesha were both pregnant with Carlton’s babies was still a hard pill for her to swallow, but what made it even more difficult was the fact that she would have to keep the knowledge of that to herself. Of course, Avery didn’t have proof that the baby inside of her was Carlton’s but if her calculations were on point, then this was Carlton’s kid.

  Ryker didn’t question her pregnancy because the last thing he would ever suspect or expect was for her to be unfaithful. And he was right because before Carlton entered her life, she would never ever have stepped out on Ryker, married or not. She loved him just that much, but Carlton had a way about himself and one too many counseling sessions led to the two of them engaging in a sizzling affair. She thought she loved him, but lately, the more she thought of how Carlton so easily dismissed her and the child she was carrying, the more she realized that he had done nothing but use her like the men who used her back during her call girl days. He was no more than an unpaid John. And she had behaved like a deranged woman. Whenever she thought about it, she was ashamed of her stupid behavior.

  The few times she’d seen Carlton since their meeting in the hotel parking lot, she could barely stand to look at him. He was the perfect definition of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Because of their breakup, she hadn’t attended church in several Sundays, but that was about to play out, because Ryker believed in being a dedicated church goer. Something else she knew she had to do was work on treating Meesha better. Meesha had always been there for each one of them, and for her to suddenly become less than anything but nice to her, had begun to affect Avery. But it was hard because after all was said and done, part of her still thought that she would have a new and better life with Carlton. Avery shook her head as if she was trying to shake the thoughts right out of her mind.

  Avery talked to both Eva and Meesha and the both of them agreed with Avery that they were going to help Peyton get out of the funk she was in.

  “So Eva is going to prepare lunch,” Avery told Peyton. “You know she loves to cook. And Meesha’s going to bring a movie for us to watch,” Avery laughed lightly. “So, there you have it. We’re having Ladies Day Out at Eva’s. And no need to rebel because going to Eva’s is not the same as going out in public.”

  “Ohhh, okay,” Peyton slowly agreed.

  “Now, let’s get you out of this bed and get you dressed.”

  Chapter 26

  “Pain will leave you, when you let go.” Jeremy Aldana

  Eva spent the first half of her morning with Marissa, making up tasty Bolivian and American dishes for Ladies Day Out. The housewives had all agreed to come over to her house and she was excited to be able to entertain. It would help offset the boredom she experienced from being alone in the huge house. Except for the times she spent in the kitchen with Marissa, her days were filled pampering her dogs and reading.

  Harper suggested that she enroll in culinary school because of her love for cooking, and the way her life was going, she thought that his suggestion might actually be a good idea. She had stopped volunteering at Perfecting Your Faith after Harper threw her out of the house. Her mind was far from desiring to help others when she was the one who needed help the most.

  When he asked her to come back home, she expected things to return to normal, and return to normal proved to be an understatement. She heard somewhere before to be careful what you wish for. She didn’t quite understand that American saying before, but now she understood fully well, because Harper’s routine hadn’t changed, except if being away from home now more than ever could constitute as change.

  Eva finished the last dish, then went upstairs to shower and change before the housewives arrived.

  An hour later she came back downstairs to relax a bit before the girls got there.

  “Won’t be home until late tonight. Don’t wait up,” the text from Harper read.

  Eva threw her phone to the side. This made at least two weeks in a row that Harper didn’t make it home until midnight. When he did come home, he took a shower and went to bed, sometimes even sleeping in one of the six other bedrooms

  rather than in the same bed with her. When she questioned him about his late nights and leaving her alone in their bed, he would tell her that he didn’t want to disturb her. Eva was growing more frustrated day by day.

  She picked up her phone and read the text again, making herself that much more upset.

  She called him and to her surprise, he answered. “What is it, Eva? It’s been a busy morning, so I don’t have much time to talk.”

  “I don’t understand why you have to be home late every night, Harper.”

  “I don’t have time for this, Eva. I’m a busy man. You know what I do. That hasn’t changed. So, will you get over your tantrum and do something useful with your life. Have you checked into culinary school like I suggested? Maybe then you wouldn’t be clinging on to me like a blood sucking leech,” he said, sounding irritated.

  “I thought things would be different when you asked me to come back home, but you’re away even more.”

  “You want to keep living the lifestyle you lead, then let me do my job. You know that I’m writing another book and I may be signing up to have another television show. So what I’m telling you is you’re going to see me even less than you do now. Now if you can’t handle that, then you might want to think about whether you’d rather go back to Bolivia with your family or you can do something useful with your life. I’m getting a little sick and tired of taking care of them anyway. Maybe if you finish school you can foot the bill for them instead of me.”

  Eva grew insanely angry. “Ar
e you threatening to cut my family’s money off? You promised me when you married me that you would always make sure they were well provided for.”

  “And I’ve kept my word. It’s you who chose to open your legs up for another man, so you should be glad I was willing to take you back and to keep supporting your family. I’ll even pay for you to go to school. I already give you the best of everything and you still aren’t satisfied. I’m trying to do what God wants me to do and that’s to keep this marriage together. But don’t expect me to walk around like I have a sweet, innocent wife when if truth be told, you’re a whore. Be glad I want you, Eva. Now, like I said, I’m busy.” She heard a dead silence and looked at her phone. Harper had hung up.

  The doorbell rang. “Obtendré la puerta (I’ll get the door),” Marissa said out loud to Eva as she came up the long hall.

  She opened the door. “Buenas dias, come in, por favor,” Marissa said to Avery, Meesha, and Peyton.

  “Good afternoon, Marissa,” the ladies said one by one.

  Meesha pushed Peyton inside the house. Marissa stepped up to assist.

  “Thank you, Marissa, but I can manage,” Meesha politely said.

  “Hi, there,” Eva said, appearing in the foyer. Marissa went outside to make sure everything was set for the luncheon

  “I thought we’d eat outside since it’s such a beautiful day.”

  “That’s fine,” Avery said and the ladies followed Eva to the beautifully landscaped backyard and outdoor kitchen and living space.

  The ladies sat down while Peyton maneuvered her wheelchair so that her back was against the sun.

  Marissa and Eva served non-alcoholic fruit drinks so as not to tempt Peyton. Peyton had done remarkably well with her in-home alcohol treatment program. She’d lost at least ten pounds, and taken a bold step and had her hair dyed black. She looked like a different Peyton.

  The women exchanged their usual banter until the conversations turned serious as each woman shared what was going on in their lives.

  “When are you going to be able to put weight on your legs?” Eva asked Peyton.

  “Last week made eight weeks that I’ve been trapped in this chair. I went to my doctor the day before yesterday and he told me I would have to stay off my legs another four weeks. I’m so pissed,” she spouted.

  “I’m so sorry,” said Eva.

  “Yeah, that’s terrible,” Avery said. “I know you were looking forward to being able to get up at least some of the time.”

  “It could be worse,” Meesha reminded Peyton and the others. “You could not be able to walk at all. You had some serious fractures, Peyton. And four weeks will pass in a flash.”

  “I guess you do have a point,” said Avery. “I can’t believe it’s been eight weeks already.”

  “Well, none of you are stuck in a chair either so it’s easy for y’all to say,” she remarked.

  “I still agree with Meesha, four weeks will come and go before you know it, and hopefully you’ll be up walking around, even if it’s a little.”

  “I wish I felt the same about this load I’m carrying,” Avery laughed, placing a hand around her basketball sized belly.

  Meesha laughed too, rubbing her own belly. “Tell me about it. It’s not easy being pregnant in the summer. The Florida heat can wear a pregnant woman out.”

  Eva stood up, and walked over to the outside kitchen area. Like clockwork, Marissa reappeared and helped her prepare the food to serve.

  After getting their food, they oohed and aahed over how good it was while they continued talking.

  “How are things going with you and Harper?”

  Eva stopped eating momentarily and reluctantly began to share the latest news about her and Harper.

  “You mean to tell me this dude threatened to stop helping your parents?”

  “And he wants to pounce up in here late at night whenever he wants. I don’t care what he says, it’s not that much going on at Adverse General that will keep him away from home until midnight every night,” Peyton complained.

  “I don’t understand why he doesn’t sleep with you in the same bed,” Avery told her.

  Eva looked around to make sure Marissa had left. She had. Tears formed in her eyes. “I’m beginning to regret moving back. Maybe I should have moved into one of those houses we were looking at, Peyton.”

  “I don’t know what to say. And you say he’s called you out of your name, too,” Meesha remarked.

  “Yes,” Eva said, crying and wiping her tears at the same time.

  “I think you should take his advice,” Peyton suddenly said.

  “What advice?” Avery asked and looked at Eva.

  “Are you talking about me enrolling in culinary school?” Eva said, wiping the last few tears from her eyes and recomposing herself.

  “Yes,” replied Peyton.

  “Yeah, that does sound like a good idea. It will get you out of the house and you’ll be doing something you love,” Meesha added.

  “After you’re done you can make him foot the bill for you to open your own restaurant, then dump his tail.” Peyton laughed.

  “If he’s going to get back into television and writing another book, that only means he’s going to be away from home that much more, if that’s even possible,” said Avery. “I feel so bad for you, Eva.”

  “I say look into going to culinary school. Get a life of your own,” Peyton retorted.

  “Maybe you all are right.” Eva cleared her eyes and sounded like she had regained some strength in just that short period of time after listening to her friends.

  “Let me know if I can help you in any way. We can start looking for the best culinary schools in Miami and Adverse City,” Avery offered.

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

  “How are you and Ryker?” Eva turned the questions to Avery.

  “I’ve never been happier. He seems like a different person. I finally believe that we’re going to be just fine,” she said, inwardly glowing and basking in the fact that in a few days she would officially become Mrs. Ryker Mitchelson. She didn’t divulge her secret to the housewives since they always believed that she and Ryker were already married. “I feel like God has given me a second chance. For a while, I had gotten somewhat off course. I was doing things I never thought I would do.”

  “Care to go into detail?” Meesha asked.

  Avery shook her head from side to side. “No, I don’t think so, but let’s just say that God opened my eyes before it was too late. I thank him every day for it, too.”

  “Good for you,” Meesha said, reaching over next to her and squeezing Avery’s hand.

  “Okay, what’s happening with you, Meesha?” Peyton spoke up next.

  “I guess I’m like Avery. Things are pretty much back to normal in the Porter household. As you know, Liam is not Carlton’s son. And, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but Peyton, I’m so glad that the DNA results were done and that it proved Liam is not Carlton’s kid.”

  “No need to apologize to me. I’m sorry that you had to go through the whole mess from the beginning. I just hate the way I did things and I also hate that my son will never know who his biological father is.”

  “Yes, but he has Derek, and we always say it, Derek is a good father,” Eva said.

  “Yeah,” Peyton said.

  “Now that all of that’s over with, I can’t wait until this little girl pops out, and as far as Carlton and me, I think we’re in a good place again. I can’t say that I fully trust him, but I’m getting there.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Peyton said, raising her hand and showing her palm. “Did you say little girl? How do you know it’s a girl? Speculating?”

  “Nope. This one is a girl.” Meesha laughed. “Me, Carlton, and the boys went together to find out a couple of weeks ago. I was waiting until we were all together to tell you. So, it’s a girl!”

  “Yayyyy,” said Eva.

  “Congratulations,” Avery said in a more cordial tone than she had recently.


  “That child is going to be rotten to the high heavens,” Peyton added and laughed. “She’s going to have Carlton and the boys wrapped around her little finger.”

  “Yeah, I think so,” said Meesha happily. “ So, how are you doing, Peyton, besides dealing with those fractured ankles?”

  “To be honest, I haven’t felt this good in a long time. At first I was against the Skype sessions with a psychologist, but now I look forward to them. The psychologist has helped me understand a lot about myself and why I drank, so that part is going great. She’s helping me learn how to better communicate with Liam, too. Our relationship is on the mend. She’s even had him sit in on some of the Skype sessions, along with Derek.”

  “So are you and Derek working through things too?” Eva asked with curiosity.

  Peyton paused then shook her head. “No, not really. We talked but I think he’s still leaning toward a divorce. He says our marriage is too damaged. But he hasn’t moved out, and as far as I know, he doesn’t plan to.”

  “He wants a divorce but he wants to remain in the house with his ex-wife. How do you feel about that?” Meesha asked.

  “Yeah, how do you feel?” asked Avery.

  “If we can reside in the same house without bickering then it’s cool with me. God knows the house is big enough for us to have our own separate spaces and not infringe on one another. I think it would be healthy for Liam to have both of us there. I don’t want him to have to face anymore separation of any kind. You know what I mean?”

  “I think I do,” said Avery. “He’s a teenage boy, and I don’t care what some people say, a boy needs his father in his life.”

  “Yea, I agree,” said Meesha.

  “Me too,” said Eva.

  “What about the court case? What’s the latest on that?” Meesha asked.