The Lies We Tell for Love (The Love, Lies & Lust Series)

by Mz. Robinson

  “Yesterday, I felt like I was having a breakdown,” I said truthfully. “I was such a wreck, and then when I couldn’t get in contact with you, I thought something happened,” I rambled. “I mean, there was a time when you always answered or got right back with me whenever I called. You never…” I abruptly stopped and stared down at the floor.

  “Look at me,” he instructed.

  I lifted my eyes, turning to look at him.

  “I know I have been unavailable a lot lately, and I have an explanation for that—”

  “No, don’t explain,” I told him, placing my fingers gently on his lips to hush him. “Whatever it is or whatever it was, let’s leave it in the past.”

  Damon looked like he was about to protest.

  Raising my hand in the air, I shook my head slowly. “Please, Damon.” In a small way, I sounded as if I were begging him. The truth is, part of me was. I could not take any more unexpected news at that moment. “I just got some of the most shocking news ever yesterday. Today, let’s just be a family and focus on us and loving each other.”

  He stroked my cheek lightly with his thumb. “Of course,” he said.

  “There is one thing I do need you to do for me right now,” I advised him.

  “Name it.”

  “Can you get me some coffee?” I asked. “Please? Or else just knock the hell out of me, whichever comes first.”

  “Hmm. I think I’ll get the coffee,” he said, laughing lightly.

  Although my head was still hurting, it felt good to hear Damon’s laughter, and it felt damn good to hold his hand.

  “Are you hung over?” he asked, staring at me.

  “That’s putting it lightly,” I confessed.

  He lowered his eyes, a clear indication that he did not approve.

  I may have my drinks from time to time, and get a decent buzz going every now and then, but never have I ever been completely out of control. That horrible night was the first time, and the way I felt the morning after meant it would be my last. “I know,” I said, feeling ashamed. “I shouldn’t have.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” he scolded gently, “but I should have been here to take care of you.”

  “Yes, but you’re here now,” I said.

  “I got on the road as soon as I spoke with Kelly,” he said.

  The mere mention of Kelly’s name brought flashbacks of the night before. Oh shit, I thought. I felt a tingling sensation in my tongue and a burning in the back of my throat. “I’m sorry!” I grabbed my stomach with one hand and covered my mouth with the other before hurrying into the bathroom. I barely had the toilet lid lifted before I began to vomit.

  Chapter 32

  Damon

  After running Octavia a warm bath, I carried her back to bed, gave her a warm washcloth to cover her eyes to help with the swelling from all her crying the night before, turned off all the lights, and told her I was going to get some Aleve from the drugstore for her. I told her to stay in bed while I was gone. Downstairs, I slipped in the living room and found Contessa reading to Jasmine.

  “How is Octavia?” Contessa asked, looking completely concerned about my wife’s wellbeing.

  “She’ll be okay in a few hours,” I said, picking Jasmine up.

  My little girl wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a hug.

  “She just needs some rest.”

  “I’ll fix her something to eat a little later,” Contessa volunteered.

  “Thanks.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, Damon,” Contessa said. “I’ve never seen her like that, and it scared me.”

  I could only imagine how Octavia’s disposition was when she’d come home after everything she’d found out about Lena and her mother and the whole nine yards. If I’d have had the chance to do it all again, I would have let Lawrence handle Nadia and Gia and stayed my ass at home. “I’m glad you were here for her,” I told her. “Thank you.”

  “Well, I didn’t know what to do,” Contessa said, pushing her glasses up on her nose. “I called Kelly, and he came to the rescue.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, waiting on her explanation.

  “Well, when Charlene called and told me the news about her…well, her sickness,” Contessa said hesitantly, “she asked how Octavia was doing. I told her Octavia hadn’t made it home yet.” Contessa scratched her head. “I got worried at that point and called to see where Octavia was. It was raining really bad, and I knew she had the baby with her and was probably upset. I was worried that something bad had happened. I called Octavia, and she didn’t sound right.” She continued, “She told me she pulled over at a gas station. She was crying so hard, Damon. I didn’t think she should drive, so I told her to just wait there.”

  “And you sent Kelly?” I concluded.

  “Yes. Kelly followed her and the baby home.”

  I had a gut feeling that the story didn’t end there. “Was Octavia drunk when she got here?” I questioned.

  “Oh, no that didn’t happen until later.” Contessa sighed. “I told you she wasn’t herself.”

  “You did,” I said, practically hanging on Contessa’s every word.

  “Well, she was sitting out in the garden in the rain, drinking away, shot after shot,” she said, shaking her head. “I went out and put a jacket on her and tried to talk to her, but I couldn’t get through to her. She just wouldn’t come inside or put the bottle down. Kelly told me he would take care of her, so I went back upstairs to check on Jasmine and then went to my room. Well, I must have dozed off, because Kelly woke me up later and asked me to check in on her every once in a while.”

  “Where was Octavia then?” I questioned.

  “Upstairs in your bed,” she said, “naked as the day she was born.”

  That didn’t really surprise me, as Octavia sleeps in the nude 70 percent of the time. There were several blanks in Contessa’s story that needed filling in, but it was obvious that Contessa didn’t have the answers. “Again, thanks for your help,” I said, placing Jasmine down on the sofa. “I’m going to run out for a second. Do you need anything?”

  “No. I’m fine, sweetie. Just glad to have you home.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, kissing the top of my daughter’s head. “I won’t be leaving anytime soon, and if I do, I’ll make sure my family is with me.”

  ***

  I grabbed my keys off the table in the foyer and exited out the patio doors toward the five-car garage. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Kelly exiting the guesthouse. Why the hell is he still here? I decided to wait for him to find out.

  “Glad to see you made it home, man,” he said, stopping in front of me.

  “Thanks, for calling.”

  “No problem,” he said.

  “So you stayed here last night?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I didn‘t want to leave Octavia in the condition she was in,” he said, “I mean, someone had to be here.”

  His response got under my skin slightly, but I decided to let him slide. “Contessa told me how you came to my wife’s rescue,” I said pleasantly. “Thank you.”

  “It was my pleasure.” He gave me a cocky smile—a smile that indicated there was something else he wanted to say. It was a smile that made me want to beat the breath out of him.

  “Well, Daddy’s home,” I said. “Your services are no longer needed.”

  “No problem, man.” He laughed, rubbing his hands together. “I think my job here is done. I’d better get going.” He walked toward the patio doors. “I need to get some rest. I was up all night, just in case your family needed me. Now I’ve got to get my mojo back, I’ve got a date with a special lady tonight.”

  I followed behind him. “I’ll let you out,” I said, ignoring his comment about his plans for the evening.

  The two of us walked through my home in silence. The tension was thick and hot enough to fuel a war. Outside in the driveway, I watched as Kelly climbed into Contessa’s Toyota Camry. I hadn’t noticed the car parked in the drive
way when I’d arrived home that morning due to the lights on the front side of our property being off. I wondered why, if Kelly was in the guesthouse, he hadn’t heard me pull in. If he was so concerned about my family’s wellbeing and “being there,” why the hell didn’t he come out to see who was pulling up on the place? Then again, maybe he did know it was me and didn’t want to speak to me. But why in the hell didn’t he just leave? “Hey, by the way…” I said, standing outside of the car door.

  “What’s up?”

  “How did you know to call me at my parents’ home?” I questioned nonchalantly.

  “Octavia gave me the number,” he explained. “She figured you were there since she couldn’t reach you at your office.”

  “I see,” was my only response.

  “Well, take care, man,” Kelly stated, cranking up the car. “Tell Octavia I’ll drop off a check next week to reimburse her for the deposit on my apartment.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I told him. “Consider us even.”

  He gave me a cocky grin. “I figured you would say that.”

  I watched as he pulled off, zooming around then down the circular driveway. I could feel someone watching me, and I looked up and saw Octavia standing at our bedroom window. I watched as she ran her fingers through her hair and turned and walked away. I knew in my heart that something had transpired between Kelly and my wife; I just didn’t know what it was, and a small part of me was wondering if I would be able to handle it when I figured it out.

  ***

  I was pulling out of the parking lot of CVS, engulfed in my thoughts of Kelly and what may have taken place between him and my wife, when the sound of my Blackberry ringing interrupted my thoughts. I slid my device out of the console and glanced at the caller ID: an unknown caller. “This is Damon,” I answered.

  “It’s me. Can you talk?” Lena sounded completely on edge.

  “Yes,” I said, “for a minute.”

  “Damon, I had no idea that Octavia was coming to see me,” she began to explain. “She scheduled an appointment under a false name.”

  “It’s cool,” I said reassuringly. “Octavia told me everything.”

  “So you’re not upset?” she asked. Lena sounded like the burden of the world had been lifted off her shoulders.

  “No,” I said. “I’m glad she knows. She handled the information a lot better than I expected.”

  “So the two of you are okay?” she asked, sounding like she was smiling on the other end of the phone.

  For the moment, I thought, pondering how it was going to go down when Octavia finds out about Donovan and Nadia’s sneaky, trifling ass.

  “Well, Janai can’t wait to see her Uncle Damon again,” Lena said happily. “When will you be back to visit?”

  I thought about my conversation with Octavia, and her words echoed in my ears: “She has feelings for you, Damon, and it’s not just friendship. She loves you in a completely different way.” Lena never gave me any indication that she wanted to be more than friends. Unlike Nadia, she never threw herself at me or treated me like anything other than a brother. However, as a man I know it’s sometimes impossible for some women and men to be friends without one of the parties catching feelings. I wasn’t willing to take any chances. “I’m sorry, Lena, but I won’t be back to visit,” I said, slowly breaking the news to her.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think, considering the circumstances and our previous history, that it’s best if we—”

  “History? Damon, we were just kids!” She laughed lightly. “That was so long ago.”

  “I know,” I said, “but I promised Octavia that we will put distance in our friendship.”

  “Distance? We live how many miles apart?” she joked. “I’m on the other side of the country. How much farther apart can we get?” She laughed.

  I laughed a little myself, but I needed to stand my ground. “I know,” I said gently, “but you know what I mean. You’re doing great for yourself, and my townhouse is now yours,” I reminded her. “If you have any problems or complications at the shop, like repairs and such, all you have to do is call the property manager, Julian.”

  “Wow.” She exhaled. “I wish I had known the last time I saw you was going to be the last time.”

  “Hey, we never know when our paths might cross,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “You’re right,” she agreed. “You know, I’ll be doing some hair shows in and around the South, so you and Octavia will definitely have to come.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind,” I said, but in my mind, I could only think, Hell no!

  “And just for the record, Damon,” Lena said abruptly, “I wasn’t the one who sent Octavia the gift basket.” There was a certain amount of sincerity in Lena’s voice that made me believe her.

  “I know you didn’t,” I said, “but I’m sure I know who did.” I was thinking of Nadia. “Anyway, it’s over now. What’s done is done. I better go,” I told her, wrapping up our phone call.

  “Okay,” she said happily. “I love you, Damon.”

  “Take care, Lena,” I told her before hanging up.

  ***

  Drunk or sober, I felt Octavia was one of the most beautiful women in the world, but I was thanking God that she looked 200 percent better when I returned home. Her hair was combed and pulled back in a thick afro puff. The bags under her eyes were gone, and she had a smile on her face. All of these things were a big plus. She was sitting up in bed wearing one of my button-down dress shirts. I look good in my clothes, but Octavia looks a whole lot better in them—and out of them, for that matter. “How you doing?” I asked, laying the CVS bag on the nightstand next to the bed.

  “Better,” she said. “Contessa made me some tea, and it knocked the life right back in me.”

  “What kind of tea?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “She said it’s some old home remedy, guaranteed to cure a hangover.”

  “It looks like it worked.” I laughed.

  “Definitely.” She sighed. “And I’m glad it did. For a minute, I was catching it. Felt like shit,” she added. “And looked like shit.”

  “You looked nothing like yourself,” I commented, “but even on your worst days, you still look better than shit.”

  She flashed me her beautiful smile. “You really know how to make a woman feel good about herself,” she said.

  “That wasn’t flattery,” I told her. “It was the truth.” I watched as she stretched out across the bed so that her head was resting on my lap.

  “I love you, Mr. Whitmore.”

  “I love you, Mrs. Whitmore,” I said, rubbing her back slowly.

  “Did you happen to see a stray diamond earring lying around?” she asked.

  “No, why?”

  “I lost one of mine,” she said.

  “So we’ll buy you some new ones,” I told her, stroking her hair.

  “You’re the best.”

  “So are you.”

  “I was thinking,” she said, rolling over so to face me, “we could give our trip to Paris to Mama and Daddy.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “I think it’ll be a nice getaway for the two of them after Mama recovers from her surgery.” Octavia explained that her mother was scheduled for a mastectomy in two weeks.

  “I tell you what,” I said. “Why don’t we keep our tickets and buy a second pair for the two of them?”

  She sat up and stared at me in disbelief. “Really?” she asked, staring me in the eyes.

  “Yes, really,” I said, pulling her into my arms.

  “You’re the best.”

  “But you’re better,” I replied before pressing my lips to hers. She responded eagerly, and we kissed slowly until she finally pulled away.

  “That reminds me,” she said, snapping her fingers. “Ilene called while you were out.”

  I had forgotten all about owing Mama a phone call. “Damn.
I forgot I told her I would call her,” I said. “I was over at the house with her when Kelly called me yesterday.”

  “How’d he get Mama Ilene’s number?” Octavia asked.

  “I thought he got it from you,” I said, but I decided not to tell her that Kelly himself had told me that.

  Octavia frowned, shaking her head. “There are some things from last night that I can’t remember detail for detail, but I’m positive I didn’t give the number to him.”

  “You sure?” I asked. “You were uh…a little tipsy last night.”

  “Tipsy? Hon’, I was straight drunk off my ass!” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m woman enough to admit that, but I’m positive, bay, that Kelly didn’t get the number from me.”

  “Well, maybe he saw it on the caller ID or something,” I suggested, but my instincts were telling me yet again that I should have heeded Lawrence’s warning that there was possibly more to Kelly, right from day one.

  “Maybe,” she said, sounding a bit suspicious herself.

  “So what can you remember from last night?” I asked casually.

  “Well, I got super wasted.” She shook her head.

  “How’d you get in bed?” I questioned. Part of me wanted to come straight out and ask, “Did you screw Kelly?” but I would not allow that part of me to dictate my conversation with Octavia. I repeated what Contessa told me and then asked again, “How’d you make it to bed, boo?” I asked lovingly. I was being cool and calm with my questions, but I was anxiously anticipating her answers.

  “Let’s just say I gave ‘crawl into bed’ a new meaning last night.”

  “One that you never want to repeat again?” I asked.

  “You know it,” she agreed with me.

  “Did anything happen between you and Kelly?” I finally blurted out.

  Octavia sat up straight and stared at me. Her honey-brown eyes locked with mine. “What? Why would you think that?” she asked.

  “Well, this morning when I got into bed with you, you called his name.”

  Octavia’s eyebrows went up slightly. “Baby, I’m sorry,” she said lowly. “I remember talking to Kelly a lot about Mama and how his daughter Ciara died. Maybe I was having a dream about the conversation or something.”