by Jade Jones
Jude wore a fitted black V-neck t-shirt that hugged his toned torso. A pair of dark denim Levis hung off his waist, and an OBEY hat was positioned on his head. His dreads were down instead of tied back like he usually wore them.
“Jude?” Cameron asked in disbelief. “I…thought…I—you…” she stuttered clearly confused and caught off guard.
“They released me early,” Jude explained.
“How did you know I would be here?” Cameron asked.
Jude exhaled deeply. “I followed you,” he wasn’t proud to admit it.
Cameron’s mouth closed and opened several times. She didn’t know what to say. She still couldn’t believe that she was looking at Jude in the flesh. It felt so surreal.
Jude’s eyes then wandered down to the little boy holding Cameron’s hand. “Is he mine, Cameron?” he asked in a low tone.
Cameron’s jaw muscle tensed. She didn’t respond immediately as she picked Justin up and placed him on her hip. “No,” she finally said. “He’s not your son…”
Jude felt a combination of disappointment and anger. His stomach churned as he allowed Cameron’s words to sink in. It hurt like hell to hear her say that. His cheeks flushed as he stared intensely at his ex-girlfriend. “So you aborted my baby…?” Jude’s voice cracked as he spoke. “You killed my kid and had some other nigga’s baby? That’s what you’re telling me…?”
“You gotta lot of nerve even showing up here,” Cameron said in a nasty tone. “If memory serves me correctly you turned your damn back on me,” she reminded him. “It wasn’t the other way around. I wrote you constantly, I came up to visit you…I tried to show you where my loyalty was…but you showed me you didn’t want that,” she said. “I’m only human…and I had to learn to move on…without you,” she added.
“Cameron…I…I fucked up by pushing you away,” Jude admitted. “My intentions were never to hurt you—”
“But you did,” Cameron cut him off. “And then you had the nerve to send me those bullshit ass Pre-paid cards,” she spat. “I didn’t need your damn money, Jude…I needed you.”
“I needed you too,” Jude said. “I still do…”
Cameron shook her head. “It’s too late for that now…”
Jude didn’t like the way that sounded. “I don’t know what kind of impression you got from me sending that money to you, but it wasn’t like that,” he explained. “I wanted you to know that I cared…but I just didn’t know how to say it,” Jude admitted. “Cameron, I was going through a lot.”
“And I wasn’t?” Cameron asked.
Jude nodded in agreement. “I fucked up…I’m sorry.”
There was an uncomfortable silence between the two.
“Can I ask what did you do with the money I sent you?” Jude asked.
Cameron shifted Justin from her left hip to her right. She stared into Jude’s dark eyes. As pissed as she was with him, she would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t love him.
“I put the money in our son’s account,” she told him. Marcus had no idea that she had even opened up a bank account for Justin, and she didn’t think he needed to know. Cameron had to do the right thing by investing in her son’s future, and she couldn’t risk Marcus wasting the money on his drug addiction.
Jude stood in silence for several seconds. A smile slowly crept across his face. He was relieved to hear that. “So this is my son…”
Cameron grimaced. Initially, it wasn’t in her intentions to tell Jude, but the fact of the matter was, he deserved to know. She couldn’t deprive him of that. She nodded her head.
Jude paused. “Can I hold him?” he asked timidly.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cameron quickly responded.
Jude looked disappointed. “But this is my son, Cameron…”
Cameron mulled over the decision for a second, and then slowly made her way towards Jude. She handed him Justin and a wide grin spread across Jude’s face as he took his son from her.
“Hey man,” Jude said.
Justin began playing with one of Jude’s dreads.
“Hey, man. You know who I am?” Jude asked him. “What his name?” he asked Cameron.
She folded her arms underneath her breasts. “Justin,” she answered.
Justin was so preoccupied with toying with Jude’s dreadlocks that nothing else mattered to him. Jude kissed his son’s forehead and hugged him tightly. Tears formed in his eyes as he held on to his child for the first time.
Jude then looked over at Cameron. “Thank you,” he said. He was so relieved and happy to know that she hadn’t gone through with the abortion. Jude then held his hand out for Cameron signaling for her to come closer.
She stared at his outstretched hand for several seconds before finally unfolding her arms, and walking over towards him. Without a word, Cameron placed her hand in Jude’s and he slowly pulled her into his embrace.
Holding onto Cameron and Justin, Jude never wanted to let them ago as they stood in the parking lot of Justin’s daycare. The tender moment was suddenly interrupted when Cameron’s cellphone rang.
Cameron quickly pulled away from Jude in order to see who was calling. To her dismay, it was Marcus. “I’ve gotta go,” she said.
“Who is that? Yo’ nigga?” Jude wanted to know.
Cameron took Justin from him. “I’m sorry, Jude…” She quickly headed towards her car.
Jude followed after Cameron. There was a look of disappointment on his face. “I don’t wanna live my life without you and my son in it, Cameron…”
Cameron placed Justin inside of his car seat, closed the back door, and turned to face Jude. “I’m sorry…but I’m with someone else now—”
“Leave that nigga,” Jude said.
Cameron sighed in frustration. “It’s not that easy, Jude,” she explained. “Marcus has been there for me. He’s helped raise our son. I can’t just rip that away from him.”
Jude nodded his head in understanding. “I can respect that,” he said. “But can I ask you something, Cameron,” he began. “Are you happy?”
Cameron turned on her heel, and headed to the driver’s side of the truck. “Good bye, Jude,” she said.
“You can’t answer the question?” Jude asked.
Cameron climbed inside her truck, and slammed the door closed. Jude watched as she navigated out of the parking lot.
“Damn…”
22
Cameron watched as Marcus gathered a few of his dancing outfits and props, and tossed them into his black duffel bag. He was on his way to do a bachelorette party for some random soon-to-be-wife. Cameron wasn’t digging it at all. There was no telling what all Marcus would do behind closed doors just to earn some quick and convenient cash. However, she couldn’t sweat him about it too hard because she knew what his profession entailed before she even became romantically involved with him.
“What time is the party going to be over?” Cameron asked standing in the doorway of their bedroom.
“I’m not sure. Could last an hour, could last a few hours,” Marcus answered nonchalantly.
Cameron sighed and ran a hand through her brown shoulder length hair. “Marcus…you know you don’t have to do this shit anymore. I could help you try to find a job somewhere. Maybe you could take some classes—”
“Cameron, stop tryin’ to turn me into one of those white collar type of niggas. The fact that I’m gettin’ money should be enough for you to lay off,” he snapped. “Doesn’t matter what I’m doin’ to get it as long as it’s legal. Damn, you can be such a fuckin’ headache…”
Cameron folded her arms beneath her breasts. “I’m a headache because I want what’s best for you?”
“Nah. You want what’s best for ya damn self,” Marcus retorted. “I wonder did you give ya boy, Silk a hard ass time about him strippin’?” he asked. “Shit, ‘cuz if memory serves me right, I could’ve sworn ya ass was all up in the shows, cheesin’ and recordin’ his ass like you were so fuckin’ proud.”
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Cameron scoffed and shook her head in disbelief. “I was younger then,” she admitted. “I thought differently than I do now. Hell, you don’t see me climbing on the pole,” she said. “I’m not about that life anymore.”
Marcus zipped up his duffel bag. “Well, I am,” he said flatly. He pulled the duffel bag strap over his shoulder and walked over towards Cameron.
Marcus then leaned down in order to place a kiss on her lips, but she quickly turned her head away.
He immediately understood what her cool gesture meant. However, he was not about to kiss her ass. “Lock the door behind me,” he said.
Cameron followed behind Marcus as he made his way to the front door. He unlocked the door, but before he opened it, he turned around to face Cameron.
“You need to stop tryin’ to change a nigga, and just accept me for me,” Marcus said. “I’m not perfect…but I damn sure wasn’t when you met me.” With that said, he opened the front door and walked out.
***
Jude knew he was behaving impulsively as he eased his car into the cul de sac where Cameron resided. Then again, he had no other way of getting in contact with her. He wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully if he didn’t get another opportunity to talk to her that day. When Jude had seen Cameron earlier, there were so many thoughts running through his mind, and so many emotions he were experiencing, that he wasn’t able to convey how he truly felt.
Aside from that, Jude couldn’t sit back and accept the fact that Cameron was allowing some nigga to raise his son. Shit was different when he was behind bars. There wasn’t much he could do for her then—or for himself for that matter. Cameron and Jude had history, and now that he was out he was ready to rekindle what they once had. Damn whatever dude she was booed up with now. His ass was irrelevant in Jude’s eyes.
Cameron had told Jude that her love and loyalty would forever remain with him, but he wondered if she truly meant that. He was prepared to put her statement to the ultimate test.
Jude killed the engine to his car, but before he could even step out he watched as Cameron’s front door opened. Marcus walked out with a duffel bag hanging off his shoulder, and headed towards his truck.
Jude sucked his teeth. “This nigga,” he mumbled. He recognized Marcus immediately, and it took everything in him not to jump out of his car, run over towards him, and steal own his ass while he least expected it.
Marcus opened the back door of his Cadillac Escalade, tossed the duffel bag into the backseat, and climbed inside the truck. Jude watched as Marcus slowly backed out of his driveway and pulled off.
Jude shook his head. “Nigga, I hope you kissed ya girl goodbye,” he said to himself.
***
Cameron had just put Justin to sleep, and was about to take a hot shower when there was a knock at her front door. Marcus had left no less than three minutes ago, but she assumed maybe he had forgotten something and come back.
Cameron padded barefoot to the front door, and peered through the peephole. Her breath instantly caught in her chest! She quickly opened the front door. “Jude—how—what—how did you—”
Cameron’s words were immediately cut off after Jude gently grabbed her by the face, and eagerly crushed his lips against hers. With everything that Cameron had said earlier in the parking lot, Jude was surprised that she didn’t even fight his kiss in the slightest. She immediately gave in to him, and it was then that he knew she felt the exact same way about him as he felt about her.
Jude stepped inside Cameron’s home, and kicked the door closed with his foot. Not once did they break their kiss. Cameron wrapped her arms around Jude’s neck as they indulged a wild, passionate kissing session. In the midst of their rampant kissing and groping, Jude backed Cameron against the foyer accent table. The table shook slightly, and a framed picture of Cameron and Marcus fell onto the hardwood floor before shattering.
Neither Jude nor Cameron seemed to notice or care. Jude lifted Cameron’s right leg up, and gave her ass a mannish squeeze. He was usually never that aggressive, but nearly two years without any pussy had him behaving barbarically.
“Wait…wait…” Cameron whispered pulling away from Jude.
“What’s wrong?” Jude asked with a concerned expression.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said. “You know I’m with someone…”
Jude stared into Cameron’s eyes unblinkingly. “Look me in the eyes, and tell me you don’t want this, and then I’ll leave,” he said. “But I can’t promise I won’t come back,” he smiled.
Cameron bit her bottom lip seductively, before pressing her lips against his. Jude quickly picked her up bridal style, and headed in the direction of where he thought her bedroom was.
“No, that’s the baby’s bedroom,” Cameron giggled.
Jude entered the bedroom on the opposite side of the hallway which was actually a guest bedroom. He carefully lay down on the queen size bed. They hurriedly undressed simultaneously, and before they were able to think twice about their actions or the possible consequences they were rolling around in the sheets.
Jude positioned himself in between Cameron’s thighs. He then lifted her left leg over his shoulder, and slid deep inside her wetness.
“Oooh,” Cameron whimpered. “Jude…damn…”
Jude pushed his dreads out his way so that he could see Cameron’s beautiful sex expressions as he sped up his pace.
“Mmmm,” Cameron moaned. “Slow down a little…,” she begged.
Jude wasn’t trying to hear that. He purposely wanted to beat her pussy up to the point where she would be too sore to have sex with Marcus.
Jude flipped Cameron over onto her stomach, and lifted her round ass up, and slowly slipped inside of her. The sound of the wetness between her thighs was music to his ears.
Jude quickly sped his pace up, and grabbed onto Cameron’s shoulders as his pelvis slapped against her ass. Cameron held onto the headboard for support as Jude pounded into her. She bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming, and waking up their son.
Jude bent down and trailed his tongue along Cameron’s back. He then worked his way towards her neck before nibbling on her earlobe. He reached his hand underneath her and fondled her moist clit.
“You still love me?” Jude whispered in Cameron’s ear. His rapid pace quickly turned into slow, even strokes.
“Yes! Yes!” Cameron cried out.
Jude smiled confidently. “Good. That’s all I need to know,” he said.
He pulled out of Cameron and rolled over onto his back before positioning her on top of him. She slid down onto his pole and bounced up and down.
Jude palmed her round breasts. “Fuck me like you love me, Cam,” he moaned.
“Oooohh,” Cameron whimpered. “I’m about to cum!”
Jude grabbed Cameron’s waist, and thrust his hips forward. Seconds later, they came together simultaneously. Cameron dropped limply onto the bed beside Jude. They panted and attempted to regain their normal breathing.
“You know I’m not gon’ let this nigga have you, right?” Jude asked Cameron as he stared up at the ceiling.
Cameron turned onto her side, propped her elbow up, and rested her head on her hand. “We would’ve never been in this predicament if you hadn’t pushed me away,” she said in a low tone.
“I know baby,” Jude agreed. “I know you may have thought I was just bein’ selfish, but I wasn’t. It’s about you…it’s always been about you. But after Jerrell died I just couldn’t think straight—”
“Jerrell died?” Cameron asked in disbelief. “I’m sorry…I had no idea…” Suddenly, Jude’s actions were beginning to make sense. “I’m really sorry to hear that…” It was because of Jerrell that Jude and Cameron even met in the first place.
Jude turned to face Cameron and stared into her eyes. “Tell me what I gotta do to make us a family,” he said.
Cameron leaned closer to Jude and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “You can start by never pushing me away again,”
she said. “I’m always going to be there for you.” She reached over and ran her fingers through his dreadlocks. “You know that.”
Jude took Cameron’s hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back it. “I know that now babe,” he said. “I’ma always be there for you too,” he promised. “I’m not the same nigga you met a couple years ago with all that money and stuntin’ and shit, but I still have the same heart. And I still feel the same way about you now as I felt then.”
Cameron smiled. “The money doesn’t matter to me. You’ll always be the same guy that I fell in love with. The same guy who was giving me a hard time over a lap dance,” she laughed.
Jude chuckled as he reflected back to the night he met Cameron.
“You’d better go before Marcus gets back,” she said.
Jude scoffed. “I want that nigga to come back,” he said in a confrontational tone. “That way I can beat his ass and steal you from him.”
Cameron smirked and shook her head.
Jude leaned over and kissed Cameron on the forehead. “Think about what I said, aight?”
Cameron nodded her head.
“I’m waitin’ on you to hopefully make the right choice,” Jude said.
23
The following afternoon Ki Ki and Cameron strolled through Aurora Farms Outlet to do some much-needed shopping while having a little girl time. Initially, Cameron decided against telling a soul about Jude returning into her life, but she needed to talk to someone about it and hopefully get some advice about the situation.
“So what are you going to do about Marcus?” Ki Ki asked as they walked past the Tommy Hilfiger store.
“I don’t know,” Cameron answered. “I really don’t know.”
“You sound like you pretty much got your mind made up about who you want to be with,” Ki Ki noted.
Cameron looked over at Ki Ki. “I do have my mind made up,” she admitted. “But then there’s a part of me that feels like I’m obligated to Marcus. Like I owe him for everything’s he done for me,” she said. “When I first met him I was struggling with school, and with paying the mortgage on the house, and on top of that I was pregnant.” Cameron shook her head. “There’s not a lot of guys who would’ve done what Marcus did for me. He supported me all throughout my pregnancy, and as you can see, he treats Justin like he’s his own flesh and blood.”