Anise looked away from him with no comment.
“Do you know why?” he asked.
“What you need to do is talk to Charlotte.”
“But if you know something, I really need you to tell me.”
“Just talk to her. Ask her why Aaron did what he did.”
Curtis didn’t like what he was sensing because this was the first time since he’d arrived at Anise’s that she wasn’t giving him direct eye contact. She looked at him, but she kept looking away and then back at him, which definitely meant she knew something. She knew something he wasn’t going to be happy about.
Anise stood up quickly and went into the kitchen. “Can I get you something?”
“Some juice if you have it.”
Curtis watched her from the living room and saw her wiping her eyes. He could tell that she was crying, so he walked over to where she was and embraced her.
“Why did she do this to us?” Anise said, laying her head against Curtis’s chest.
“I don’t know why, but I do know how badly it hurts.”
“My heart is so broken. Especially since I’ve gone out of my way to be there for Charlotte ever since you guys moved here.”
“I know,” Curtis said, stroking her hair. “You’ve been there for both of us, and I’ve always been thankful for that. You’re a good woman, Anise, and a good friend. So don’t feel bad about anything. This is all about Charlotte and the way she manipulates people. Nothing else.”
“I’m sorry for breaking down like this,” she said, trying to pull away from him.
But Curtis kept her close and kissed her. They kissed intensely, and their passion was strong. Their chemistry was undeniable, and Curtis didn’t want to let her go. He needed someone to hold him until all the pain was gone. He needed someone to love him now when his life was falling apart.
“Oh God, Curtis, what are we doing?” she said.
“I don’t know. But it’s my fault and I apologize.”
Anise backed away from him, but he could tell she didn’t want to.
“We can’t do this,” she said. “We can’t let this thing with Charlotte make us do something we’re going to regret.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”
“We’re both guilty.”
“But I initiated it.”
“But I didn’t resist, and if you stay here any longer it’s going to mean trouble. We’re both too vulnerable right now, and we’re not thinking clearly.”
Curtis knew she was probably right, but he still wanted her. They were attracted to each other; it was now out in the open, and nothing was going to change that. And why should they care about betraying Charlotte anyway, because she certainly hadn’t cared about betraying them? She hadn’t even cared about the possibility of hurting her own son, the child she claimed she loved so much, and the thought of that enraged Curtis all over again.
“Hey,” he said when they arrived at the entry. “You’ve got my cell number, so call me if you need me.”
“I will. And you try to calm yourself down before you get home, okay? I know it’s going to be hard, but at least try to keep in mind that Matthew might really be yours.”
“I’ll try,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “Take care.”
He backed out to the street and saw Anise still standing in the doorway. As much as he loved Charlotte, he couldn’t help wondering why he couldn’t have married someone like Anise, someone who was mature, responsible, and compassionate. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Tanya had been all of the above. She had loved him and only him, and he’d lost her. He’d done a lot of dirt over the years to his wives and significant others, and maybe this situation with Charlotte was the ultimate payback. Still, he wondered why God would take his son when he’d been so faithful to Him and the ministry for more than two years. But for the first time in those two years, he wondered if being faithful to anything or anyone was really worth it.
He honestly didn’t know.
Chapter 19
CURTIS WALKED INSIDE THE HOUSE AND UP TO THE BEDROOM AND started in on Charlotte immediately. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.
“Why did you lie to me like this?”
“Because I really believe Matthew is yours,” she said. Her eyes were bloodshot, mascara was streaking her cheeks, and her hair was a mess. But Curtis didn’t care.
“But you don’t know for sure, so you lied. You lied to me and thought nothing of it.”
“And I’m sorry. I should have told you, but I just couldn’t.”
“Why? Because David used to be married to your cousin and you knew you couldn’t be with him? Is that why?”
“No, Curtis. I wanted to be with you because I love you. And it’s not like I was with David all the time.”
“Was it more than once?”
He could see her clamming up.
“Was it? Or were you screwing him every chance you got?”
“I slept with him maybe three times, but that was it.”
“Uh-huh. And when was the first?”
“It . . . was at Anise’s.”
“When?”
“Where did you go when you dropped me off?” she asked. “Don’t even think about trying to change the subject, and don’t you ever ask me again where I’ve been for as long as you live. Now, like I said, when were you with him?”
“We had a family reunion here one year and I stayed with them for a couple of days while it was going on. Anise went over to her mom’s that Sunday morning, I think to say goodbye to some out-of-town relatives, and when she left, it happened.”
“So you waited for your own cousin to leave, and then you slept with her husband like it was nothing.”
“No, it wasn’t like that. I mean, it happened, but I was young and dumb. And I would never have tried to hurt her. It was a stupid mistake, but David didn’t mean anything to me.”
“Then why were you with him two other times after that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you know anything?”
“Yes, but I don’t know why I did what I did. The same as I don’t know why I slept with you back then either. All I can say is that I didn’t know any better. I was only seventeen, and you know that.”
“You’re right. I’ll give you that, and I was definitely wrong for having sex with you, but that still doesn’t change the fact that you don’t know who Matthew’s father is.”
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear that, but I am.”
“When you slept with David those other two times, was that at their home, too?”
“No. David commuted to work from here to Chicago, and we met at a hotel near the company he works for.”
“And what about you sleeping with some guy the night before we got married, because you certainly weren’t seventeen then?”
“Aaron is lying about that. And he’s also lying about me sleeping with one of my professors.”
“But why would he lie, Charlotte? Or no, I have a better question. Why did he break this news to me the way he did? With you sitting right in the car?”
She was speechless again.
“Answer me,” he yelled. “Why did he do it?”
“Because . . .”
“Because what?”
“Because I’ve been sleeping with him.”
Curtis picked up a ceramic vase from the dresser and slammed it against the wall, only a foot from where Charlotte was standing.
She leaped out of the way, sobbing. “Curtis, please. I’m so sorry. You have to believe me.”
“You make me sick. You know that. And now, I can’t stand the sight of you.”
“But we’ve both made mistakes.”
“Don’t even try it. Because regardless of what I did in the past, I’ve done right by you since we got married. And you know it, Charlotte. You knew how much I loved you and Matthew and you’ve got the nerve to be sleeping with a friend of mine? A man I
called my best friend?”
“But I’m not sleeping with him anymore. I broke things off with him for good, and that’s when he started threatening me. That’s when he said he was going to tell you everything.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you stop sleeping with him?”
“Because I didn’t want to keep doing this to you, and I wanted us to get our marriage back on track.”
“No, you stopped sleeping with him because you know that I’m about to earn a lot more money than I have been.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is true. You’ve been all over me ever since you found out about my syndication offer. And ever since you heard about the book deal, you’ve been acting like you love my dirty underwear.”
“I stopped seeing Aaron because I love you. And that’s the only reason.”
“Girl, you’re going to make me hurt you if you keep lying to me like that,” Curtis said, wrinkling his forehead. She was pissing him off more and more by the second.
“Well, what do you want me to say?”
“I don’t want you to say anything else, but what I do want is for you to schedule a DNA test. And I want you to do it as soon as possible.”
“Curtis, I know you’re upset, but I really don’t think a test is necessary. Especially since Matthew is the spitting image of you. Everybody always says that, even you.”
“Look, either you schedule the test, or I’m calling your parents and telling them everything. Now, do you want that?”
“No, but what are we going to tell Matthew?”
“You’re a good liar, so tell him whatever you want to.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. Tell him anything except that I might not be his father. It will kill him just as much as it’s killing me, and he doesn’t deserve that.”
“I’m telling you, he’s your son.”
“I’m finished arguing with you about this. But all I know is that he had better be. You’d better pray like you’ve never prayed before that he is. Because with the way I’m feeling now, your life depends on it. You hear me?” Curtis said and left the bedroom.
He wanted to murder Aaron. Charlotte, too, for that matter.
Charlotte felt like she was in a time warp. It had been only two hours since Curtis had left the house again, but it seemed like a whole day had passed. She’d been jumping out of bed and dashing over to the window every time she heard a car go by, but he never showed. It was now one o’clock in the morning. She’d even tried to call him on his cell phone, but he wouldn’t answer it. She’d left multiple messages, begging him to call her back, but it hadn’t done any good. She’d tried not to think the worst, but she knew her husband. She knew what he was capable of when it came to women. Her affair with Aaron was all the ammunition he needed to do whatever he wanted. For the first time ever, Charlotte wished she’d never messed around with another woman’s husband. But most of all, she wished she hadn’t slept with David. She would give anything to take it all back and do the right thing, but it wasn’t possible.
She’d never seen Curtis as violently upset as he was tonight, and it was that very reason that she’d lied to him about David and the number of times she’d been with him, which was easily ten to twelve times. There were even days when she’d been with David in the afternoon and Curtis that same evening. But she would die before ever admitting any of that to Curtis or Anise. She would never admit that she’d slept with one of her college professors the way Aaron had said or the guy she’d been with the night before marrying Curtis. She would never admit a whole list of sins she’d committed because it wasn’t going to help her. It would never change the predicament she was in currently.
She debated whether she should call Anise and finally decided to go for it. But Anise wouldn’t answer. Charlotte knew she was home and just didn’t want to be bothered. Maybe she would try Anise again tomorrow. But she couldn’t help wondering if Anise would ever speak to her again. She wondered how much of the story Anise had told her mother. Chances were, she’d spilled everything. She probably hadn’t left out one sentence. Charlotte didn’t know how she would ever make this up to either of them.
But she wished everyone would consider the fact that these were grown men having sex with a minor, because that’s exactly what David and Curtis had done. She’d brought that particular truth to Curtis’s attention many times before, but it didn’t seem to matter to him. All he cared about was what she’d done and what she’d better correct. And how was she going to tell her son that he needed to have blood drawn? What reason would she give him? She was shocked that Curtis would actually put Matthew through all this, especially when she was sure that Curtis was his father. She couldn’t prove it, but deep down she knew that he was.
Charlotte tossed and turned until two o’clock and dialed her husband again. Still he didn’t answer. She did the same at three, four, and five and decided to give up. But then the phone rang. She grabbed it without checking the caller ID screen.
“Curtis?”
“No, baby, this isn’t, Curtis,” Aaron said.
“Why are you calling here?”
“Because I know you’re alone. I saw the preacher man leave hours ago. He must really be pissed off at you, huh?”
“Why did you do it, Aaron?”
“Because I told you to ask Curtis for a divorce. But instead of listening, you tried to play me for a knucklehead. And this is what it got you.”
“I’m hanging up, and if you ever dial this number again, I’m calling the police.”
“Talk to you tomorrow. I love you, Charlotte.”
What a sicko. The man desperately needed help, and she was starting to wonder if he would ever leave her alone. She’d been so sure that she’d never hear from him, now that he’d ruined her life with Curtis. But here he was still calling and tormenting her. And watching the house, checking to see when Curtis was coming and going. There was no telling what he was planning to do next.
She glanced over at the security system keypad to make sure it was on. She was sometimes lax when it came to setting it, but she would never be again. She couldn’t afford to, not with the likes of Aaron on the loose. She had to start being a lot more aware of her surroundings than she had been.
What an outrageous life she was living.
Chapter 20
CURTIS WALKED INTO THE BEDROOM, REMOVED HIS CLOTHING, AND headed straight for the shower. Charlotte was lying in bed, staring at him, but he’d purposely ignored her. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t even exist. Not until that DNA test was administered and the results were in. He knew she’d been agonizing over where he’d been all night, and it served her right. Actually, the whole reason he’d stayed out was just so he could mess with her. He’d wanted her to wake up every hour on the hour, looking for him—even better, he hoped she hadn’t slept at all. He wanted her to feel the pain he was feeling and then some. Before it was over, she would wish she had never met him. She would never sleep around like a whore, not again. Not on him or any other man. When he was finished treating her the way he planned on treating her, she would be the perfect wife to her next husband. She would think twice before betraying any one person she knew.
When he finished drying his body, he went into his closet and removed a cotton pullover and a pair of khaki shorts. After slipping them on, he searched for his sandals and walked toward the bed where Charlotte was still watching him.
“Where were you?”
“Out.”
“Out where?”
“Didn’t I tell you last night not to ever ask me that again?”
“But it’s eight o’clock in the morning, Curtis.”
He smoothed his hair down in the mirror, pretending not to hear her.
“And you know the church picnic is today,” she said.
“Yep. And that’s where I’m on my way to.”
“So what am I supposed to do, drive separately?”
/>
“Exactly. Or do whatever you want for that matter, because I really don’t care.”
“We need to talk, Curtis. We have to work this out.”
“No, the only thing we have to do is find out whether I have a son or not. But other than that, I don’t want anything to do with you.”
“So, are you saying that this is it for us? Our marriage is over just like that?”
“Don’t talk to me anymore, okay? Because I’m really not in the mood,” he said and walked out of the room.
Then he went downstairs, got in his car, and left. He headed toward the park where they were holding the picnic and called Matthew while he was in transit.
“Hello?” Charlotte’s mother said.
“Hey, how are you?” he asked.
“I’m fine, Curtis. Did you and my baby have a good time last night?”
“The restaurant was as elegant as always, and the food was the best I’ve had in a long time.”
“Well, I’m glad.”
“I’m on my way to the church picnic to help with the meat and figured I’d holler at Matthew for a few minutes.”
“Okay, hold on a second. Matthew,” she called.
“Hello?” he said.
“Good morning, son.”
“Hi, Dad. What are you doing?”
“On my way to the church picnic.”
“Aw man, I forgot about that.”
“Remember, we told you that you were going to miss the picnic if you went to Chicago this week.”
“I know. Maybe you could come get me and bring me back when it’s over.”
Curtis laughed. “Do you realize how far away you are? It would take three hours round-trip. You know?”
“Okay,” he said, sounding disappointed. “Where’s Mom?”
“She’s at home.”
“Is she going to the picnic?”
“Yeah, she’ll be there in a little while.”
“Oh.”
“Have you been watching TV this morning?”
“Yep. I’m watching it now.”
“Figures,” Curtis said, laughing. “Well, I’d better let you go, but I just wanted to check in with you.”
The Best-Kept Secret Page 15