by Twyla T
“What were y’all two talking about?” Malcolm asked his mom.
“Oh, it was nothing important, for the moment. She seems like a really nice girl,” Bertha replied. Bertha had never met Charlotte or seen her before the day at Denny’s but she wished that she had. They said their goodbyes and walked out the door. Malcolm followed his mom to drop the rental car back off at the airport and then they hit the highway heading to Mississippi.
Chapter 13
After Cameron helped get her mom settled at home, she finally decided to go on home herself. She had called in to work for the day, but was planning to return the next day since her mom was out of the hospital and at home resting. Relaxing in a hot, much needed bubble bath with a glass of wine, Cameron started reflecting back on everything that happened. After telling Keith everything that had been going on once, he had her to repeat the story again because he couldn’t believe the exact details. He held her tight as she cried and poured her heart out to him. When she finished, Keith lifted her chin and kissed her soft and sensually. She broke the kiss because she started getting wet. The fire between her legs would need to be put out if they continued, and sex had been the last thing on her mind lately. Just being near him had done her heart so much justice. She had sent her girls text messages with updates, but had failed to reply to any of the messages, so that was on her agenda to do as soon as she got out of the tub.
When she got out and was lying across the bed comfortably in her robe, she grabbed her phone and started texting.
Cameron: I know I have been in and out, mostly out and that’s because it’s been CRAZY, but thanks for y’all prayers. My mom is out of the hospital and at home resting. This whole weekend seems like a movie, actually my whole life does…smh
Toya: No thanks needed girl! Thank God she’s OK!
Shay: I’m glad she’s doing better and you’re welcome!
Sonya: Yes, thank God she is better!
Cameron: As y’all can see, drama is always in the mix
Shay: Oh lord
Toya: Let me brace myself…lawd! I’m not sure how much more I can take!
Cameron: I don’t know where to start. First off, I saw Phebe at the hospital. She tried to get a reaction out of me, but my ass wasn’t on her. I was worried about my mom and making sure she was getting better and receiving the proper care.
Shay: What the hell did she say?
Cameron: She bumped into me and called me a bitch after she had apologized and realized it was me.
Sonya: Y’all didn’t cut up in the hospital did you? Please say no…please say no
Cameron: Nah, I walked away, but she tried it. If we would have been anywhere else under different circumstances tho….
Sonya: That was good. Don’t entertain all that foolishness
Toya: Yeah, you had to be really worried to walk away, but I’m glad you did. You’re growing up (smiley face)
Cameron: I’m trying! Check this out though, I have no idea who she was with, but I think it was Keith’s homeboy Luke. When he was beside me, Keith called Phebe, but she never answered. When he called Luke, Luke told Keith that he was at the hospital. Now, why would those two mysteriously be at a hospital at the same time? I even saw Luke’s car out front.
Toya: Wait a minute!! Keith was at the hospital? You think Phebe fucking Luke? Damn that’s fucked up.
Shay: Well damn. If that’s true, then she’s really one foul bitch.
Sonya: Did you tell Keith?
Cameron: I told him I saw her, but I didn’t share my thoughts. I was too busy telling him my drama, but I can tell he suspected something by a few comments he made.
Toya: Wait, wasn’t Luke at the chocolate party that night too?
Cameron: Yep, but check this out. Keith’s daddy showed up at the hospital and we really can’t figure out why.
Shay: What the hell?
Sonya: *confused face*
Toya: Oh, you know why? You remember that time you saw your mom with that man and thought it was Stanley? Think back…
Cameron: You think my mom having an affair with Stanley? Ain’t no way! He said he was checking on Keith though.
Shay: Lord lord lord!
Sonya: I’m laughing because I really don’t know what to say
Toya: Where is Malcolm?
Cameron: He hasn’t called since Saturday. I’m having some divorce papers drawn up this week. I can’t take this shit anymore
Shay: Have you talked to Charlotte?
Cameron: Nope. I don’t even know what to say to her really.
Toya: Well, you be careful. Malcolm is a nutcase. Not trying to scare you, but watch your back at all times and be careful with Keith. All of this shit sounds messy and I would hate for it to get any uglier.
Cameron: I’m glad to have Keith as a friend, but sex hasn’t been on my mind, but I’ll be careful. I just hope that Malcolm will go away peacefully.
Sonya: Are you working tomorrow?
Cameron: Yep, I’ll be there. I’m preparing myself now. I’ll talk to y’all later.
The next day, Cameron decided to fix herself up on the outside, with hopes that she would begin to feel better on the inside. She hadn’t applied any makeup in quite some time, so she got up in time to beat her face and she smiled at her work when she finished. Picking out a peach colored sleeveless Jessica Simpson blouse, some white slacks, and nude Jessica Simpson heels, she started feeling better already. The new jewelry she put on set the entire outfit off and made her look like a million bucks. Leaving in time to stop by and check on her mom, she headed out the door. Kingston stayed with her parents last night, so she didn’t have to get him dressed. Kingston asked her a lot of questions and even told her he saw granny number two at McDonald’s. I’m gonna have to have a good talk with his little grown ass, Cameron had thought to herself. Satisfied that her mom was doing fine, she left and headed to work.
Making it to work, Cameron had documents piled up to the max, just like she figured it would be. She had seriously been thinking about taking a leave of absence, but sitting at home every day would only drive her crazy, so she pushed the thought out of her mind. It would be a lie if she said she wasn’t worried about Malcolm because he was just too quiet and that wasn’t like him. Three days had passed since she heard from him. Yesterday, she called the hospital to see if he was still there, but since Bertha was listed as his primary emergency contact, they wouldn’t give her any information. Shit, I wasn’t even thinking that far in advance, Cameron thought to herself, somewhat frustrated because she couldn’t get the info she so desperately needed.
The end of the day came and Cameron hadn’t taken a lunch. It was worth it because she had caught up on everything in just one day. At ten minutes after five, Sonya peeked her head in the door and asked her if she was planning on spending the night at the office. “Girl, time really flies when you’re swamped with work. Aren’t you mighty pretty today,” Cameron said while smiling when she finally looked up at Sonya. She was wearing a cream colored blazer and pencil skirt with a brown cami she had ordered from House of Marbury.
“Thank you, honey; you look pretty yourself,” Sonya said as she noticed Cameron’s outfit while she was getting up. They walked out together and Cameron started expressing some of her feelings of worry to Sonya. Being very attentive and speaking when Cameron was finished, Sonya told Cameron that her feelings were normal and she understood them. Then, Sonya shared a story with her about a stalker she had in the past. They chatted and once they made it to Cameron’s car, there was a note on her windshield. Noticing Cameron’s shock, Sonya decided to pick up the note and read it. I MISS YOU is what the note said. They both figured it was from Malcolm, but Sonya tried to deescalate the situation by saying, “maybe it’s from Keith.” It didn’t work because they both knew that was a bunch of bull.
“Dammit, I knew it has been too quiet. This is some bullshit,” Cameron said while looking around, trying to check the surroundings. “I’m gonna have to figure out a plan.
I’m not about to live my life in fear,” she continued. Sonya tried her best to give Cameron some encouraging words, but nothing really helped. Sonya told her to please call or text later on, and they finally left the parking lot.
After Cameron stopped by her parents’ house and checked on her mom, ate, and got Kingston, they headed on home. In the morning, Kingston would be dropped back off there since he was still out of school for the summer, but Cameron didn’t want to be home alone at night. “Mommy, where is daddy?” Kingston asked before they got out of the car.
“I don’t know baby,” she replied. When they made it to the front door, a piece of paper was inside of the screen door and an uneasy feeling came over Cameron. She began fidgeting and looking around. Once she finally grabbed the note, opened the door, and went inside, Cameron immediately went from room to room, looking to make sure no one was in there. “What’s wrong mommy?” Kingston asked while following her from room to room. Satisfied that they were alone, she went back and locked the front door and picked the note up off of the couch.
I was advised by my therapist to spend some time with myself and work on my anger and I will try do that, but I have NO plans on living the rest of my life without you. Don’t do anything to make me act crazy; I’m trying to put my crazy ways behind me. You might not see me, but I will always see you, so BE GOOD!
There was no name on the letter, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it was Malcolm. Feeling defeated, Cameron plopped down onto the couch and started crying. “How did he get out so fast?” Cameron asked herself.
“What’s wrong mommy? Don’t cry!” Kingston said, crawling onto her lap and wiping her tears away. Cameron tried to gather herself, so she started tickling Kingston and he laughed uncontrollably. After five minutes of laughing, Cameron sat up straight and told Kingston that she loved, him no matter what, always and forever. “I love you too mommy! Always and forever!” he replied. “Now, can I have some ice cream?” he continued, while smiling.
“Sure, go get you some,” she replied while grabbing her phone. She took a picture of the note that was on the door when she got home and sent them to the group chat.
Toya: Damn, he’s out already?
Sonya: So, he left two notes in one day. OMG!
Shay: Two? What did the other one say?
Cameron: There was a note on my windshield when we walked out to the parking lot after work earlier. It said I MISS YOU!
Toya: You need to take those notes to the police to start a paper trail. We can’t put anything past that fool and this needs to be documented. Something can be done.
Sonya: I agree with Toya. File a restraining order and if you’re serious about getting a divorce, go ahead and get the paperwork started. The sooner the better. Since you finally admitted that it was him who ran you off the road, it should help with keeping him away from you.
Cameron: I will do all of that, but y’all…in the meantime, I need to be coming up with a plan. I refuse to keep living like this. I can’t text what I’m thinking. I know y’all think I’m crazy and love drama, but this life I live is hard. I’m gonna get it together; I just don’t wanna die trying. Is everyone free tomorrow for lunch? I can explain my thoughts better in person.
Toya: Yeah, I can adjust my schedule. It won’t be a problem. What time you thinking?
Shay: I’m free, tomorrow is a paperwork day for me, so I can leave whenever.
Sonya: I’m available. I have a meeting at nine, but it shouldn’t last more than ninety minutes or so. It’s a follow-up to a case that I should win with ease.
Cameron: Well, let’s meet at Oby’s at 11:30. I’ll get the booth that’s all the way in the back.
Toya: Do we need to wear all black? LOL
Cameron: Not tomorrow. Maybe another day.
Shay: Well damn!
Toya: You know I’m down for whatever! I gotcha back boo!
Sonya: It’s going to be OK Cam, try to get you some rest tonight.
Cameron stopped texting when a call came through from Keith. He became irate when she told him about the notes. He offered to come over, but she assured him that they were fine for the night. In her mind, she was tired of the back and forth and didn’t want to have Kingston in the middle of anymore drama. She was really planning to divorce Malcolm, but it was not to be with Keith. A peace of mind was her ultimate goal.
Keith shocked Cameron after revealing that he suspected Phebe was cheating on him. He didn’t go into detail about who he thought Phebe was seeing. However, Keith made it known that if it was who he thought it was, it was some grimy shit. He expressed his frustrations about feeling like someone was out to get him too and told Cameron that the situation she was in only made things worse. Cameron wanted to share her thoughts with him about his situation, but decided that it was best not to upset him anymore than he already was. They talked for a little while longer, then Cameron got herself and Kingston ready for bed. He had become a big boy, but she bribed him into sleeping with her.
Chapter 14
On the ride back to Mississippi a couple of days ago, reality of all of the things that Malcolm had done started to sink in. Bertha wanted to confront him, but she didn’t want to trigger his anger in any type of way. It was eating her up that her son had caused so many problems and, deep down, Bertha knew that she didn’t know everything. She reflected to a conversation she had with him on the way back. “So Malcolm, what kind of relationship do you and Charlotte have?” she asked him.
“She’s just my sister-in-law. I stopped by her house because I was passing through the area and was tired,” Malcolm said.
“What all happened on Friday? What all have you done?” she asked.
“Mom, I really don’t want to talk about it, so drop it, please,” Malcolm replied, becoming slightly irritated, and she dropped the conversation. In her mind, Bertha knew that she had to still protect him, no matter what, and that would include keeping him away from everyone in the Miller family.
Malcolm had been watching Cameron since he made it back to Mississippi. He lied to his mom constantly about where he was going and what he was doing. He was ready to get his wife back and get his life back to normal. A plan had been formulating in his head, and Malcolm was almost ready to put it into action. Living without Cameron never crossed his mind. He was only trying his best to make his mom feel like he was over her. I can make my wife happy. I can’t take back the things I did, but as long as she doesn’t find out the last thing, she will forgive me, Malcolm thought to himself.
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Things with Phebe and Luke had stepped up a notch after she had cared for him so well the day he was sick. Ready to take things to the next level, Luke had been looking for rings to replace the ring she currently had on her finger that he referred to as a Cracker Jack ring. He was ready to remove Keith from the equation and take what he felt should have been his from the jump. I was the one who really saved Phebe anyway. I cleaned up the mess and made everything and everyone disappear. He don’t love her like she need to be loved anyway. I’m gonna treat her like she deserves to be treated, Luke had thought to himself.
Phebe was wrecking her brain trying to figure out a way to make Keith take the job she had got for him. The offer was back on the table and she needed him to take it now more than ever. Phebe had been taking money from his stash in small increments that she knew he wouldn’t miss because she knew shit would hit the fan soon. Still not on board with Luke’s plan, she tried hard to get Keith to take the job and go legit, so he wouldn’t be killed. Figuring that it was time to stop playing games, she walked into the living room where Keith was watching TV to talk to him.
“Have you considered taking the job yet? We have more than enough money to live comfortably,” Phebe said while sitting across from him.
She must really think I’m a damn fool, Keith thought to himself before replying, getting ready to fuck with her head. “Yeah, I’ma gon on and take it,” h
e said and Phebe began to smile from ear to ear. “I mean, the stash gon be gone in just a min if you keep taking from it, so I need all kinda ways to keep it right, don’t I?” he continued.
Phebe’s smile quickly faded when she heard his last remark. “What are you talking about? All the money I got, you know about,” she said. He would have believed her if he didn’t know for sure; she was just that convincing.
“Whatever Phebe,” Keith replied while tuning her out again. It would be a lie if he said his head wasn’t fucked up, but Keith knew that he was the one to blame for a lot of things. Never in a million years did he think things would be the way they were today though. Strategizing twenty-four seven was at an all-time high now. Life depended on it.
Chapter 15
Two Weeks Later
On Saturday, Cameron decided to ride with Keith to Memphis for an overnight trip. They had been communicating over the phone and had seen each other a few times since reconnecting, but they both felt it was best not to have sex. Both Keith and Cameron were stressed to the max and knew that it would be hard to hold up to their no sex policy if they slept in the room together, but they tried.
Cameron started thinking about everything that had taken place within the last two weeks. After meeting with her girls for lunch earlier in the week, she was still pretty much at a standstill about what to do concerning her dilemma. Her initial plan was to let Malcolm come back home and play nice so that she could take him out, but everyone agreed that would be playing with fire and said it wasn’t safe. Cameron was still trying to formulate a plan and was frustrated because nothing was coming together. True to her word, she hired a lawyer to draw up her divorce papers and have them delivered by certified mail to Bertha’s house at any day now.
Not trying to involve Keith, Cameron kept everything to herself. She had no idea that he was trying to figure out exactly how to take someone out before they took him out. Texting only Toya, she checked on Kingston, since she agreed to keep him overnight. She had taken Kingston’s phone a long time ago because she felt like he was too young for it, but at times like these, it would have been good to call him.