by Lauren Wood
“I said to leave!”
“I still don’t get why you had to be like this. I knew that you wouldn’t go with my story, that’s why I had to get them to get rid of you. If you would have just been someone that went with it, everything would have been easier on you.”
My foot moved down to stomp on his so I could close the door. I heard Joel coming up the stairs, asking if everything was okay and I was relieved that he was there to help me. I didn’t care if he lost his temper then. I wanted him to be the guy that had smashed Stephen’s face before. There was nothing else that could be done. He had already ruined my life completely with his lies.
“Stephen was just leaving.”
Stephen looked back at Joel and for a moment I thought he was going to say something, but I think that he had learned his lesson the first time around. Joel was not someone that was to be messed with and even though I knew that Joel was gentle to me, he wasn’t the same to everyone else.
“Yes I was just leaving. Think about what I said Cameron. I mean it.”
I nodded my head, but felt a big rush of relief when he was down the stairs and out of my sight.
“What was that about?”
I shrugged, not really sure how to answer that. I don’t even think that Stephen knew what it was about, but there was the same look of jealousy in his eyes from before. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not, but I was sure that he was feeling something for me.
“So he just came over to say hi?”
“No I think he was here to say he was sorry and get something from me. A date? I don’t know. Who knows with guys like him?”
“I don’t like him showing up here like that Cameron.”
The way he said it threw me off and it went back to that possession thing that he liked to do. “You know that we aren’t even dating right?”
“No, we aren’t dating, but you are mine. You realize that, don’t you?”
“Yours?”
“In all ways Cameron, you are mine. I don’t want you thinking that this was just a one-time thing with us. This is going to be much more than that.”
I could feel my face getting red and though I would have liked to stay and talk about that further, I had to leave for that interview. “I need to go for a bit. We can talk about this later, okay?”
He agreed, but I could tell that he was put off by my unwillingness to stay. Joel made sure that he kissed me before going downstairs and I wondered for a moment what he meant about me being his. I didn’t like the idea of being owned like I was some kind of property, but I liked the idea of him owning me. I really liked the idea of it being Joel.
As I was walking down the stairs to go out to the garage, Joel stuck his head out of his door and asked me to come by for dinner. I agreed to go, but I didn’t know what time I was going to be back. “I will just keep it warm if you are late. Just come by when you can. I will be home all night. I really want to see you.”
“Okay.”
It was all I could get out and even then it felt like it was stuck in my throat. I still hadn’t dealt with Joel and the more I thought about him, the weaker in the knees I got. The whole interview I was thinking about and I don’t even really know how I did. I did the tests that they wanted of me and before I could realize that it was over, the blonde haired older woman named Denise was telling me that she would get back to me soon.
Leaving the placement service, I was looking for my car when I saw a black sports car that seemed out of place. It wasn’t the type of car that would be unnoticed in that part of the city and the black-haired woman behind the wheel seemed to be staring at me. I was sure that it was all in my head, but it gave me a weird feeling and I was always one to go with my instinct.
Walking faster to my car, I didn’t feel better until I was away from the agency and I didn’t see the black town car behind me. Chiding myself for being such a dope, I paid attention to the road and tried to keep my thoughts from where they wanted to drift.
Getting back to the apartment, I was on edge for some reason. Maybe it was the strange woman and the strange car that I had seen when I got out of the agency or maybe it was the conversation that I had started with Joel. Either way, I was on edge and I still had to get ready for my date with the manager. I wanted to look nice and I wanted everything to be perfect, but it was hard to push aside the ill feelings that I was having. Something just wasn’t right.
I somehow got to my place without seeing Joel and with no uninvited surprises. To me, that was a good day and I went inside to get ready. What was I supposed to wear? I was pushing towards something short and slutty. There was no reason to pretend that I was going to be there for anything other than that.
With a little makeup and my hair pulled back from my face, I threw a coat on a very slinky dress and made my way downstairs to see him. There was no answer when I knocked on the door and I waited for quite some time before I went back upstairs, confused and a little hurt. Where was he?
Chapter 17
Joel
“What the hell are you doing here Lisa?”
My ex-wife didn’t like the question and like everything else, she was there for a reason. While I was sure that the reason was to drive me crazy, I knew that she wanted something from me or she wouldn’t be there at all. Lisa didn’t just pop up unless something was about to happen. She had a knack for that and it made me nervous. What was she doing here?
“I was in town and someone told me that you moved here. I didn’t believe it, but here you are. I thought you were never going to leave Chicago. I couldn’t even get you to travel out of the tri-state.”
“Well I did. I would like to say that it is a good time Lisa, but like usual, it’s not.”
She pouted a little bit and I remembered the look well. Everything was coming back to a memory that didn’t want to remember. The woman broke my heart into a million little pieces and the last thing that I wanted to do was give her the ability to do it again.
“When did you get so bitter Joel?”
I sighed out loud and asked her again what she wanted. I wasn’t going to listen to her tear me down, not this time. I was in a good place and here I was making dinner for another woman. I wouldn’t say that I was bitter, except when it came to Lisa. With her I was bitter because of what she had done. It was something that I couldn’t forgive and I didn’t want to forgive her.
“You just caught me off guard. It isn’t every day I see you.” I had thought that I had moved far enough away to never see her again. Apparently that was wrong and the world was obviously too small.
“I just wanted to see you. I tried to call a couple of times but you turned your phone off, so I had to come down here and see you.”
“Or you could have just left me alone. I don’t know why you are here Lisa, but I have plans for the night that don’t include my ex-wife. I pushed the exe part to remind her of our divorce. The marriage might not have meant anything to her, but the divorce had meant a lot to me. I wasn’t going to pretend that she didn’t break my heart. That would be a waste of time. This woman took my heart and stomped it out on the sidewalk. I wasn’t going to let her do that again.
“I miss you. Isn’t that enough of a reason to see you?”
I shook my head that it wasn’t. I knew that I was being harsh, but I couldn’t help it. The way she left me was the worst I had ever been. I couldn’t just forget that and I couldn’t give her an opportunity to do it again because Lisa would. I could already feel my body responding like an idiot.
“You need to get to the point or leave. I don’t have time for this Lisa.”
She gave me this look that told me everything that I needed to know. Lisa still had some sort of hold on me and she wanted something from me. There was no telling with her what it was going to be. Whatever it was, I needed to get her out of my life before she came in like a steam roller and destroyed it all. It was only then that I thought about Cameron and the fact that she was going to be back any time. I wasn’t sure when, but
I knew that it wouldn’t be good if she passed by and we were out here talking.
Lisa insisted on coming in again and this time I let her think she had won. I didn’t want to tell her that it was just so that no one saw her here, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t care, as long as she thought she was getting her way.
“Come in Lisa. I don’t want you standing out here.”
She smiled at me and I could see a bit of triumph in her face. That look I had seen far too many times. There were many reasons that I had always given Lisa her own way, partially because it was just easier and partially because I wanted to make her happy. While the latter was no longer a reason, it was still easier to go along with her to stop a fight. Lisa liked to fight and she could have my head in a jumble in minutes. I had known for a long time that she enjoyed twisting me up, but not this time. I wasn’t with her anymore.
“So how did you find out I was here Lisa?”
Lisa shrugged and walked into the kitchen. She looked good, really good and my body was still under her spell. I assured myself that my mind was still intact, but I don’t know if it was. While I was in love with another, years of familiarity were hard to combat. My body missed being inside of her, thinking of her as mine for too long.
“Smells good in here, Joel. What are you cooking?”
The woman was already going to the stove and lifting the lid.
“Don’t do that Lisa. You know that I have always hated it.”
“You didn’t mind too much not so long ago Joel, or have you forgotten so quickly?”
“I haven’t forgotten.” God, I wish that I could forget. I wished more than once that I could just erase the years that I spent with this woman for good. It had turned into one of the worst decisions of my life. It wasn’t a mistake that I was willing to make again.
“Good, then let me have some of this rice stuff and we can have a real chat. I miss your cooking Joel. Even though you tried to teach me, I never was too good at it, was I?”
“No, you weren’t. You were the only person I knew that burnt boiled chicken.”
She made a face at me for the reminder and I turned away to hide the smile on my face. I forgot also how quickly Lisa pouted when she wasn’t getting her way. The reminder was almost worth the unexpected pop-in.
“Don’t make fun of me. I tried.”
I shook my head again, calling her out on her lie. “No, Lisa you didn’t try and that was why it didn’t work with us. Since you are here, I will take it as you aren’t working out with whoever it was you left me for. Is that why you are back or is it because you want something? There are only two options that I can think of with you. Tell me I am wrong.”
When she didn’t answer, I didn’t need one. Lisa had never been mysterious. She was too basic and it was easy to see through it all this time around. Now all I needed to know was what it was this time that she wanted. Then I would see if it was easier to give her what she wanted or send her on her way. Either way I needed to get her out of the apartment before Cameron came back. She would not be okay with it and I knew that.
“Why do you always see the worse in people Joel?”
“Not people Lisa, you. And let’s just call it from experience.”
The lip went out again and a long time ago it would have affected me. It still did in a way, but it was a source of anger and frustration now. I didn’t find it cute and it certainly didn’t make me want to give in. Everything had changed and the biggest change came from realizing that I could go on without her. I was in love with someone else and that just made it so much easier to fight the small attraction that lingered from our marriage.
“I don’t like when you are in this kind of mood. I know what it is that you want Joel. Just let me give it to you.”
Lisa was walking towards me and I was stepping backwards like she was a walking flame. I had already been burned from her once before and I was going to avoid a repeat of that at all cost. Call it what you will, but that woman’s touch was bound to leave a mark.
“I don’t want anything from you.”
“I beg to differ, Joel. Look down.”
I did and I cursed. “It is not my fault that my dick is an idiot. I know better.”
She tsked me and I stopped. “You need to go Lisa. I am not playing this game with you again. You are a rollercoaster that I got off of a long time ago and I don’t want to get back on. Tell me what it is that you want so we can be done here.”
“You really want me to leave?”
Lisa had stopped and she had a look of shock on her face, like she couldn’t believe that I really rejected her.
“I never want to see you again Lisa. It is that simple. We are divorced and that makes you dead to me.”
“How can you be like this? We were together a long time.”
“Too long Lisa. Either tell me what it is that you want or leave. I don’t have time for this tonight.”
It was then that we both heard the knock on the door. I knew immediately who it was and the dread inside of me multiplied rapidly. There was no way that I wanted to have to explain why Lisa was here. Cameron wasn’t going to understand. I wouldn’t understand if she had an ex in the house with her. It didn’t look good.
“Who is that Joel? Did you have company coming over? Is that why you want me to leave?”
I didn’t want to answer her, but she started to walk towards the door and I had to say something to stop her. “I will help you Lisa. Just tell me what it is you want and get away from the door.”
The smile on her face increased and I knew that I was in trouble. “I just need a place to stay while I am here. Two days, tops.”
My head was hurting from trying to figure that out, but it was the small olive branch that I needed to make sure that it all worked out, as long as Cameron didn’t find out about it. The knocking had stopped, but I was still trying to refrain from talking very loud. I was more worried about what was going on with Cameron. I heard the footsteps retreat up the stairs and I could breathe again.
“Thank you Lisa.”
“Don’t thank me. Just let me stay here a couple of days while I am in town and we will call it even. I was going to repay you with a way that I knew you would enjoy, but I am okay with this arrangement. You are looking good Joel and the offer still stands if you change your mind.”
I shook my head and just went back to the pan on the stove. It had the slight smell of burnt rice and I knew that I had let it go too long. Frustrated that I wasn’t going to see Cameron tonight, I dumped the food in the garbage and went back into the living room with a few blankets and pillows.
“Here Lisa. You can sleep on the couch this time. You sent me to sleep on one more times than I can count.”
“Yeah, we did have some crazy times.”
She was talking like that was a good thing and I couldn’t help but shake my head. I never would understand her and at this point in my life, I wasn’t willing to try anymore. She was my past and I was ready to move on with my future. Cameron was my future.
Chapter 18
Cameron
I tried to call him again, but again Joel didn’t answer. I was more than a little irked, but I waited at home for him. Maybe something had happened and he was somewhere in the building fixing something. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but it was clear that our date wasn’t going to happen anymore.
Bedtime was fitful and my ears strained, trying to hear the door downstairs open or close. It was like he didn’t even come home at all because it was well into the morning before I went to bed and there was still no sign of him.
Waking up, I swear that it was the door downstairs closing and some yelling that was barely audible that woke me up. I could have sworn that it was Joel’s voice I heard, than replied to by a female voice. I didn’t like the idea of it at all and my first instinct was to go downstairs and see what was going on.
I looked down at the silk shorts and tank top that I was wearing. I wanted to change, but I didn’t want to m
iss it. Something in me told me that I needed to see what was downstairs, what was going on. Somehow it was going to be pertinent to the future. I didn’t know how or why I knew that just that it was.
“Joel, you told me that I could stay another day or so!”
“Not when you are trying that crap. Leave Lisa. It is what you should have done last night.”
The words hit me in the gut like a punch. Whoever the woman was that he was talking to had stayed the night. I didn’t know who Lisa was. I didn’t want to know, but my feet propelled me down a few stairs till I could see both of them. Lisa was a gorgeous being that any woman would have been jealous of. I was no exception.
They both saw me at the same time and I froze on the top of the stairs. “Sorry, I uh…” Backing up, I turned to go back to my apartment when I heard Joel’s voice.
“Cameron wait, this is not what it looks like.”
Chapter 19
Joel
“That is who you left me for? You could have done better.”
I just wanted her to shut up and I told her so. It didn’t help though. Nothing ever helped with Lisa and she went on as I went up the stairs, leaving her in front of my door. What she yelled towards me was a bunch of lies and I hoped that Cameron didn’t hear them. Lisa had to say something about being my wife. She loved to cause problems and this time was no different.
Knocking on the door, I waited only a few moments before I used the keys that I told Cameron I wouldn’t use again. I just had to talk to her before she started thinking the wrong thing. I didn’t even want her mind going there. Not for a moment.
“Cameron I am opening this door.”
I was already in when she came out of the bedroom and told me that I better not. She was standing there looking at me and I could see that her face was red and blotchy. Cameron had been crying and that was the very last thing that I wanted to see. “It really isn’t how it looks.”