“Do you have any Tylenol?” Laurel asked.
“What? You’re not gonna shove a pill down my throat?” I joked with her. She pushed me and laughed a little. “I’m just playing. The Tylenol is in the bathroom.” I sat up and squinted my eyes seeing if any of the swelling went down.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone rang for Face Time but I was relieved to see Xavier’s face fill the screen. “Hi babe!” I chirped at the phone. He smiled and I melted a little at his dimples.
“What’s up? You okay? You look like shit. Have you been crying?” He inspected me with his eyes. I laughed and shook my head at his candidness.
“Thanks so much, Xavier. Yes, I’ve been crying asshole.”
“What did Emmanuel do?” He growled. His face twisted in anger and I could feel the concern radiating from him.
“Nothing. We decided to stop seeing each other.” A hollow ache thrummed through me. Xavier blinked a few times letting my words soak in.
“So yall are taking a break?” He raised a thick brow at me.
“No. We’re done.”
“Oh shit,” he ran a hand over his face. “Wait, are you seeing Dr. Epps now?”
“I don’t know. According to him I need to heal by myself.” I huffed.
“Well, he has a point I guess. Damn. I know you’re hurting, I can see it in your eyes. You wanna come see my place? Get your mind off of some stuff?” I thought about it and nodded slowly. “Cool, I’ll wake Chloe up, feed her and get her dressed, you want me to make you something to eat?” He asked.
“No thanks. Me and Laurel will pick something up on the way.” I noticed his expression when I mentioned Laurel and I shook my head at him. “Xavier, stop it.” I laughed.
“What? I didn’t even say shit.” He was grinning and his eyes twinkled with dirty thoughts.
“You’re celibate,” I warned. Laurel walked in and laid beside me on the bed.
“Hey Xavier,” she smiled.
“What’s up Laurel?” His simple ass was still smiling.
“He’s being a creep,” I told her.
“Oh god. Are you still thinking about that threesome?” Laurel groaned. I nudged her arm and wiggled my brows at her. She giggled and looked into the phone at Xavier. “You wanna watch us kiss?” She asked him. His mouth gaped open and he just stared at us. I moved her hair back behind her shoulder and leaned into her. She pressed her lips to mine and we played with each other’s tongues.
“See, yall play too fucking much. Hey!” Xavier called. “Stop. You know goddamn well I can’t do shit and yall wanna torture me?” Laurel and I broke our kiss and fell over laughing.
“We’ll be over there soon.” I told him before ending the call.
Xavier's new place was beautiful. It had a view of the beach and even though it was an apartment it felt huge with its vaulted ceilings and open floor plan.
“Nice, Xavier.” Laurel turned the corners of her mouth down and nodded as she walked around. “Where’s my Chloe?”
“Oh, She’s still sleep,” he told her. “She looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake her.” Xavier had this dreamy look in his eyes and he just kept watching me wherever I went.
“Are you okay?” I laughed. He nodded his head and wrapped an arm around my waist.
“I realized how much I love you.” He kissed my forehead tenderly. What the hell had gotten into him? It was kinda weird with him Face Timing me early this morning but now he was definitely being more affectionate than usual. “Hey Laurel can I talk to Camilla alone?” She shrugged and went out on his balcony closing the door behind her. I walked over to his coffee table and hit my shin on the corner. I let out a howl and a string of curse words that woke Chloe up. I rushed back to find her room and then I picked her up and balanced her on my hip.
“Mommy! Hi!” She giggled.
“Hi Chlo. I missed you so much.” I nuzzled her and she grabbed a fistful of my hair and earring. “Is this really how you’re gonna show me how much you missed me baby?” I sighed. Chloe released my hair and pulled down a blue folder tucked under a pink C decoration in her room. A few papers spilled onto the floor and I bent to get them. My eyes grazed over the LabTech letterhead and I paused. I scanned the lines of text and felt my blood run hot.
The paper read:
MOTHER: CAMILLA NICOLE WHITE
CHILD: CHLOE ISABELLA SANDERS
ALLEGED FATHER: XAVIER LIAM SANDERS
The alleged father XAVIER SANDERS cannot be excluded as the biological father of the child CHLOE SANDERS since they share genetic markers.
The date on the paper was marked for yesterday.
“Camilla,” I heard Xavier’s voice call to me from the doorway and I looked up with tears in my eyes. I couldn’t tell if they were tears of betrayal or anger. “Look, don’t be mad baby.,” he pleaded.
“You took our daughter to get another fucking DNA test? Really?” I fumed and stalked around the room. Chloe looked up at me curiously while Xavier grabbed my shoulders. I had to fight the urge to slap the fuck out of him since Chloe was sitting at our feet. “Are you happy now, Xavier? You know I wasn’t lying to you.” How the hell could he really think Chloe wasn’t his even after getting a DNA test? Just looking at her dimples and smile should have been enough.
“I wasn’t worried about you. I was worried about Manny,” he huffed. My anger deflated some but not completely. “He knew everyone at the hospital. I just got uneasy and once that doubt set in I got paranoid. I thought maybe she was his and he made it look like she was mine so he could avoid a scandal.” Listening to him made my head throb. I was so fucking tired of all the drama that came along with him.
“Xavier, I don’t care what your reasoning was, this was stupid. If you had doubts you should have come to me. Taking Chloe without me knowing tells me that you also didn’t trust me to tell you the truth. I handled the paternity test before Chloe was even born. I set it all up and made the appointment. Emmanuel had nothing to do with it.” I paused to take a few deep breaths because I felt a familiar pulsing between my thighs. I hated that feeling when I was angry. It made me feel like I was failing at handling my emotions. Like I hadn’t come very far at all. My head was screaming at me and it was so hard for me to focus but I kept breathing.
“Camilla, are you okay?” Xavier asked. He moved closer to me but I pushed him away. Chloe stood up and pulled at the bottom of my shirt anxiously. “Camilla, calm down okay? I’m sorry. I know I should have trusted you.” His words were falling on deaf ears. I shook my head not so much at Xavier but at the swirling colors of Chloe’s room. Why the fuck was this happening right now? I’d been taking the stupid pills religiously and now I have an episode?
I tried to find Alexander’s voice in my head as Xavier and now Laurel, surrounded me and tried to bring me back to reality. ‘Let the emotions roll over you.’ I could hear him say. ‘You can get through this Camilla.’ I sucked in air like my life depended on it and told myself it was okay to feel betrayed, it was okay to feel hurt and angry.
I felt Xavier and Laurel moving me into a bedroom and laying me on a bed. I felt tears spilling into the hollows of my ears but I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t want to this time. I just let myself cry. I felt the left side of the bed sag and opened my eyes to see Xavier sitting beside me his brows knitting together.
“Are you okay?” He asked me quietly.
“No.” I answered truthfully, letting myself experience the betrayal and anger. “I can’t stand you,” I growled. Xavier’s eyes glanced at the floor and he looked like he would cry any minute at my sharp tone.
“I’m sorry,” he said for the millionth time.
“I thought you were done betraying me and maybe we could move forward and repair things but here you are betraying me even when you do keep your dick in your pants.” I scanned the bedroom making sure Chloe was with Laurel. “You know I actually thought about you when I told Emmanuel we were done? I thought; how can I be true to Xavier if I keep running b
ack to Emmanuel? I didn’t want us to keep building on top of betrayal. Then you go and pull this stupid shit?” I swung my legs around the side of the bed and let my feet rest on the smooth hardwood. I didn’t want to stand up too fast and get dizzy. “How could you do something like this behind my back Xavier?”
“I don’t know. I was stupid. You’re right. Just don’t say there’s no more hope for us.” His eyes were so full of regret that I wanted to forgive him but I was too upset. He took our daughter somewhere to be tested without my knowledge all because he was paranoid and stupid. I couldn’t get over that. I needed lots of time.
“I can’t see why I’d want to be with you right now. You can’t keep promises, you’ve fucked half of Miami, and you don’t believe anything I say, evidently.” I sighed heavily and then tested my balance out by standing up. I felt clear-headed and in control for the first time.
“Camilla, you and Chloe mean everything to me. I just had to make sure that something so perfect could be real. Whatever I have to do to make it up to you, I’ll do it. Just tell me what you need from me.” He held my hand in his and my stomach flip-flopped.
Even though he was a stupid asshole, I still loved him so much it hurt. He was the father of my child, and the first man I’d ever been brave enough to love. I was scared of how much I’d miss him once my anger subsided.
“I don’t need anything from you right now Xavier. Just be a good father to Chloe. There’s nothing left between us.” I said, trying not to look into his sad eyes. He threaded our fingers together and hovered his mouth over mine. I turned my head away from him, but he moved it back and closed the gap between our lips. I pushed him off of me but he grabbed me back up. “Xavier,” I cried. “Don’t do this. You’re making shit confusing for me.” He shushed me with his finger and started to kiss my neck.
“I love you so much, Camilla. I’m sorry, you have to believe me.” My eyes fluttered closed at the sensation he was conjuring. I thought I was immune to him especially since Alexander came into play but I was wrong. My heart thumped loudly in my chest and reverberated through out all of my limbs right down to my fingers and toes.
“Tell me you love me too, baby.” He said in between his lips and tongue moving across my skin. I tried to fight against the lust being evoked from between my thighs but it was so hard. Xavier’s strong arm was wrapped around me like a band of steel. I pushed against his shoulders and he tightened his grip. His kisses moved down to my collarbone and his hand inched up my shirt. I heard a moan escape my mouth but it was purely involuntary.
“Camilla, tell me you love me.” He said again with more force.
“I love you, Xavier,” I whispered. He dug his hard dick into my stomach and I whimpered.
“I love you too.” He spoke against my lips and then slipped his tongue in my mouth and I met him hungrily. “I’m sorry, baby.” He said quietly as he unsnapped my bra.
“Xavier we can’t do this,” I said weakly. “Where’s Chlo?”
“She’s in the lobby with Laurel.” He said before tugging on my earlobe with his teeth. Once my breasts were free he pushed my shirt up and skimmed his tongue over my erect nipples. I gasped loudly and tried to scramble backwards, I tripped and fell back onto the bed though. Fuck. I hated not knowing the layout of his stupid apartment. Xavier climbed on top of me and we locked eyes for a moment. I saw all the remorse in the world seeping out of them. I still tried to scoot away though.
“Camilla, please don’t leave me, okay?” He pinned me under his weight and another moan slipped out of me. I hated how he made me react involuntarily. I was so torn because on one hand I wanted him to fuck the shit out of me and on the other hand I wanted to get far away from him.
Xavier kissed me again and I felt like I was reconnecting to a plug after a long hiatus. Our bodies knew one another and meshed together so perfectly. I heard him unzip his jeans and I bit my bottom lip in anticipation. He lifted my skirt around my hips and pulled my panties down, tossing them in a corner somewhere.
“Promise me you won’t ever give up on us. You can have all the time you need but don’t ever just give up on us.” His dick was pressed up against my pussy lips and I instinctively grinded against it. “You belong to me, Camilla. You’re mine.” He sank his thick dick inside of me and I gasped. It had been so long since I fucked him I forgot how good he felt. I forgot how much he filled me up inside. He peppered me with kisses while he crashed inside of me over and over.
“Fuck I missed you so much.” He panted in my ear.
“I missed you too,” I moaned.
“You know who you belong with, right?” His dick was so deep inside of me I couldn’t even think straight.
“Yes!”
“Tell me.” The bed beneath us screamed in tune with me it seemed.
“You! I belong with you Xavier!” He leaned in and bit my neck causing such sweet pleasure and pain that I felt myself getting ready to cum. His full lips sucked and nipped at my shoulders making my legs shake.
“I want you to wet my dick up with your cum, Camilla.” He growled. I could feel him swelling even more inside of me and I couldn’t hold on. My pussy started to throb and pulsate, setting him off immediately. I squealed when I felt him emptying inside of me. “Shit, I love you so much.” He groaned.
“I love you too.” I told him softly. He sucked on my lips and teased my tongue until his dick stopped throbbing. I shut my eyes and laid my head on his chest. Right on top of his Chloe tattoo.
“You know you fucked up my whole celibacy streak right?”
“I didn’t do shit. That was you, using sex as a fucking weapon. Asshole.” I sat up and searched around for my panties.
“You don’t need them.” Xavier smirked. I glared at him over my shoulder and pulled my skirt down. I hated that he wiggled his way into my good graces using sex. He had to have been scared I’d walk out and not look back for him to break celibacy.
“Everything okay in here?” Laurel called from the living room.
“It is now.” Xavier said, pulling his pants up.
“I’m still pissed at you. We’re still not together. I’m still fucking Alexander.” I stated in muted tones. He looked a little defeated but not much. I’m sure getting some pussy just solidified for him that I wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t tell if it was true or not, but I did know that I felt guilty for fucking Xavier. I felt the need to talk to Alexander immediately. I felt like if I didn’t talk to him I would combust.
**
Chapter Twenty-Six
Alexander
It took me a minute to realize Camilla was upset because I was just focused on how beautiful she looked with her hair curled and falling around her face and shoulders. But when I zeroed in on her eyes, I noticed a slew of emotions fighting to get to the surface.
“What’s wrong, Camilla?” I asked as I took Chloe from her and tickled her tummy.
“I did something horrible.” She stammered. “I made a mistake, Alexander.”
“Hey Alexander.” Laurel smiled big and I gave her a short wave. My concern was on Camilla and the way her green eyes seemed to ache with regret. “Come on Chlo-Chlo. Let’s go get a toy!” Laurel plucked Chloe from me and swung her around, causing squeaks and laughter.
“Toy, pwease!” She grinned at me and I gave her thumbs up.
“Good girl,” I chuckled.
“Come on.” Laurel looked from me to Camilla, and then rested on my eyes. I gave her a sincere smile and I hoped she knew I’d take care of Camilla and not hurt her.
“Okay, tell me what’s wrong?” I asked again once the door closed behind Laurel. Camilla sat on my couch and wrung her hands until her knuckles were white. I put my large hands over hers and she looked up at me.
“I had sex with someone else.” She blurted tearfully. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me much more than I’d anticipated. I knew how Camilla operated though, so I let the initial blow go right through me.
“Who?” I asked in an ev
en tone.
“Xavier.” I shut my eyes for a moment and just thanked God it wasn’t Emmanuel. I knew she loved them both but the passion between her and Manny was way too intense for me to logically contend with on a regular basis. She connected with Xavier on an emotional level especially since having Chloe, but he’d fucked up so much that she was unsure if she wanted to go back to him. He didn’t pose a threat to me at all. In the same breath, I have no idea why I was sizing up possible threats.
We were never an established couple. She was her own woman and I wasn’t out to take over her unless we were in the bedroom. When we were having sex, I wanted her mind, body, and soul. Judging by the way she’s confessing and crying to me, I have that even outside of the bedroom. She may as well have told me she cheated on me.
I grabbed her up into a hug and held her until she stopped crying. “It’s okay Camilla. Calm down. Tell me what happened.” I ran a hand up and down her back and she started to calm and unwind.
“I went to see his new place and I ended up waking Chloe up so I went to get her and she was grabbing at this folder. She knocked it down and when I went to pick it up I noticed it was lab results. He took Chloe to get another paternity test without my knowledge.” She continued to tell me about how she lost it and told him that she didn’t want anything to do with him anymore and about her impending episode.
It all made perfect sense to me once she said that. Xavier had taken advantage of Camilla coming down from a swing and fucked forgiveness into her. It was a dick move on his part but I’m sure he was playing the last trump card he had.
“You didn’t do anything horrible, okay?” I told her, making sure she locked eyes with me. “You were having an episode and yours are fueled by an urgency for sex. Even though you were coming down, the urgency was still there.”
“You think Xavier knew that?” She quizzed. A flash of anger sparked in her eyes.
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