I Heard It All Before

by Chenell Parker

  “I’m hungry as fuck after all that,” Cam said, reading exactly what was on her mind.

  “Let’s order room service,” Demi suggested in a weak little voice.

  “That shit be nasty girl. What do you feel like eating? I’ll go grab us something right quick,” Cam offered.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Demi replied.

  “Get up and come wash all that sex off you,” Cam said as he got out of the bed and walked to the bathroom.

  Demi wanted to follow him, but her legs felt like noodles. She couldn’t move even if she wanted to.

  “Cam!” Demi called out after a few minutes.

  “What’s up?” he asked when he came back into the room. His naked body was covered in soap, making Demi unconsciously lick her lips in appreciation.

  “I can’t move,” she admitted, making him laugh.

  “I got you,” Cam laughed as he walked over to the bed and picked her up.

  He and Demi talked while they showered together. She threw on a t-shirt and got back in bed, while Cam left to go get them something to eat. Demi couldn’t believe what had just taken place between the two of them. Guilt was eating her up as soon as Cam was no longer in her presence. She needed to talk to someone, so she grabbed the phone and called her sister, Isis. She made her call Imani on three-way, purposely leaving Savoy out of the equation.

  “Hey sisters!” Imani yelled when she answered the phone.

  “I’m going to hell with gasoline thongs on,” Demi said soon after.

  “Why? What did you do?” Isis asked.

  “I cheated y’all. I had sex with Cam and cheated on my husband,” Demi admitted.

  “Oh no, Demi,” Isis replied.

  “Was it good? That nigga look like he can break the pussy up and put it back together like a puzzle,” Imani said.

  “Really Imani?” Isis asked.

  “Really what? Now, I don’t condone cheating, but fuck Kamari,” Imani snapped.

  “No matter how you feel about him, he’s still my husband Imani. Our marriage is over, but I still should have respected my vows. God! What the hell am I doing?” Demi asked herself aloud.

  “Was it big Demi? That nigga look like he’s packing something serious,” Imani exclaimed.

  “Don’t answer her, Demi. She’s a heathen and I feel sorry for Steve. He’s marrying her stupid ass,” Isis commented.

  “And speaking of weddings, your soon to be ex-husband is out of mine. Ask Cam if he wants to take his place. It seems like he’s my new brother-in-law now anyway,” Imani replied.

  “What! No Demi, don’t ask him that. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Isis lectured.

  “Neither do I,” Demi agreed.

  “I don’t know why not. You’re about to be moving in with him. He’s obviously gonna be around for a while,” Imani pointed out.

  “I like Cam, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea anymore. I’m so confused,” Demi said as she buried her head in her hands.

  “You only live once Demi. Don’t live your life with regrets. Nike said it best, just do it,” Imani reasoned.

  “Don’t do it Demi. And promise me that you won’t sleep with him anymore either. Not until you’re divorced,” Isis replied.

  Demi felt like the cartoons where the characters had a devil and an angel on each shoulder. Both her sisters were telling her to do something different and she was more confused than ever.

  “Yes Isis, I promise,” Demi swore.

  She hated not to keep her word, but she broke that promise a few minutes after Cam returned to the room. He and Demi ate their food, and she was on top of him taking a ride a few minutes after. She always felt bad afterwards, but she knew that the feeling of guilt would go away eventually. That was the part that scared her the most.

  Chapter 18

  Asha looked down at her ringing phone and frowned when she saw Laila’s number again. That was Laila’s fourth time calling in less than an hour, but she never answered. Asha was sure that she was calling about Quincy, but her feelings would be hurt if she knew the whole truth. Quincy had gotten married the weekend before and he was on his honeymoon in Punta Cana. He and his wife, Kelly, were staying there for a week, before going on a cruise the week after. Laila was the furthest thing from her brother’s mind, just like always. Asha had enough on her plate already, with moving into her new condo with her new man. She didn’t have time to entertain Laila either.

  “You feeling better baby?” Asha’s man asked when he walked into their bedroom.

  Asha had the flu or something and she’d been feeling like shit the entire day. She didn’t feel like being bothered with anyone, including the man that she’d recently moved in with.

  “Not really, but I’m hungry. You need to go get me something to eat, since you never went grocery shopping,” she replied.

  “Okay, what do you want?” he asked, never bothering to check her about her attitude like Cam always did.

  “Surprise me,” she replied with a victorious smile. Asha had hit the jackpot. Her man had leased the condo that she wanted and let her furnish the entire place to her liking. He paid all the bills, took her shopping, and still put money in her pockets. He did it all with a smile and his only reward was having her on his arm. She was all he wanted and he had her, just as long as he kept doing what he was doing.

  “Okay baby, I’ll be back in a little while,” he promised, right before he left.

  Cam would have never let her have her way like that and that was exactly why Asha had left him. She couldn’t even lie; she still loved him, but she had to do what was best for her. Love didn’t keep money in her pockets or a lavish roof over her head. Asha had just turned over on her side to get comfortable when her phone started ringing again. This time, she answered, ready to curse Laila out for being so disgusting. Asha and her boo had their own place now, so she didn’t need to use Laila’s anymore. She still met Lo over there when she needed to because she didn’t want him to know where she lived. She didn’t care if she hurt her feelings or not. Laila was too damn disgusting.

  “What Laila? Why the hell do you keep calling my damn phone?” Asha snapped when she answered for her.

  “Damn, bitch. What’s wrong with you?” Laila questioned.

  “I was about to take a nap and you keep blowing my phone up like you’re crazy. What do you want?” Asha asked again.

  “Oh, well, don’t worry about it then. I had some tea to spill about Cam, but I guess I’ll talk to you later,” Laila said, offended by the way that Asha was handling her.

  Asha was always snippy, but things had been getting out of hand lately. She was starting to take things a little too far. “I’m up now, so spill it,” Asha replied.

  “No, just call me after you get some rest. I need you to be in a better mood,” Laila said.

  “My bad girl, you know I haven’t been feeling my best lately,” Asha pointed out.

  Laila had her interest piqued when she mentioned Cam’s name. Maybe he had stopped being scary and hollered at Lo. Maybe he was going through Laila to try and get her back. Either way, Laila had her undivided attention and she needed her to finish what she had started.

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot that you were sick,” Laila replied.

  “It’s okay girl. What’s up?” Asha asked impatiently.

  “Bitch, I just left from my mama’s house and she was on the phone with my auntie, Nora. Apparently, Cam’s dad wasn’t as much of a deadbeat as we thought he was,” Laila exclaimed.

  “Why do you say that?” Asha questioned

  “Girl, I don’t know all the details, but my mama said that Cam’s dad supposedly left him a big house in English Turn and a lot of money,” Laila announced.

  “When? I’ve only been gone for a few weeks and his bank statement that came the day before I left said something different,” Asha noted as she sat up in her bed.

  “Well, my mama said that my auntie went with him to talk to his father’s lawyer or something and that�
�s when he found out. The wife tried to stop it some kind of way and that’s what took them so long to let him know about it. You know she’s a lawyer and shit. But, bitch, I think he found out the same day that you left his ass,” Laila said as she fell out laughing.

  Asha didn’t find anything funny. If what Laila said was true, then the joke was on her. Cam was too calm about her leaving, and that was probably why. Some of the things that Asha said during her departure played over in her head and she wanted to kick her own ass.

  “I don’t believe that shit. Did Lacey tell you anything about it? If Cam came into some money, her, Randy, and Kobe would be the first ones to know.” Asha replied

  “No, but you know that Lacey is team Cam all day. Or maybe he didn’t tell anybody yet,” Laila assumed.

  Asha jumped up from the bed and started to get dressed. She needed to know if anything that Laila said was true. She knew that Cam had taken some time off from work, so maybe it was. He couldn’t afford to miss any days but, if he’d come into some money, he probably didn’t care. Asha had left some of her shoes and a few other personal items at his house, and now was as good a time as ever to try to retrieve them. She still had her key, so she didn’t care if he was home or not. She was going to let herself in and wait until he got there. She couldn’t let her boo know what was up though. He was insecure when it came to Cam and he had every reason to be. He knew that he was a rebound and her heart was still with her ex. She had to hurry up and leave before he came back and started asking questions. Asha didn’t care if she had to suck Cam’s dick until her jaws locked; she was gonna get her man back and live the life that she deserved to live. And she was gonna live it with the man who she wanted to be with.

  “I gotta go Laila, I’ll call you a little later,” Asha said after holding the phone for a while.

  “Wait!” Laila yelled, stopping her before she could hang up. “Have you talked to Quincy? I think he’s mad at me.”

  “No, but I’ll tell him to call you when I do,” Asha lied before she hung up the phone.

  After slipping on a pair of leggings and a tank top, Asha slipped her feet in her Gucci slides and grabbed her matching purse. Her hair was freshly done the day before, so she fluffed out her curls and added some gloss to her lips. Once she locked up the house, she got in her car and headed over to the place that she once called home.

  ***

  “That shit got my stomach fucked up. I don’t know why I let you talk me into that mess,” Cam said over the phone to Demi.

  She begged him to try the spiked iced coffee that she’d fallen in love with and, like a fool, he did. While she went to the salon to get her hair done, Cam spent most of his morning in the bathroom. Demi was next to be styled, so she called Cam while she waited.

  “It was good though, huh?” Demi asked.

  “Did you just hear what I said Demi? That shit was like a laxative. I’ll never do that again,” Cam swore.

  “I tried that nasty ass omelet that you told me about, so we’re even,” Demi laughed.

  “Did you get with Lacey yet?” Cam asked her.

  “Yeah, we’re supposed to hook up tomorrow. She has a lot of good ideas. I’m okay with decorating, but she seems to have a natural talent,” Demi replied.

  “Yeah, she lives for that kind of stuff. I need to go talk to Randy soon too. I feel like a snake for doing all this shit without telling him first. I plan to start promoting and be in my own shop by next week. I’m gonna still help him out until he can hire somebody else though,” Cam noted.

  “It’s not like it was intentional Cam. Everything happened so fast, but you didn’t know what was going on. I’m just so happy for you. You really deserve this,” Demi replied.

  “I really deserve you too,” Cam flirted.

  “Stop making me blush Camden. It’s not gonna work anymore. I told you that we can’t go there again until I’m divorced,” Demi said

  “Yeah, you told me after we went there the first, second, and third time. I get it now,” Cam laughed.

  “It wouldn’t have happened at all if you would stop looking at me like you do,” Demi noted.

  “How do I look at you, Demi?” Cam questioned.

  “You know how you look at me, Cam. That’s exactly why I don’t think us being roommates is a good idea. I think I need to just stay with my mama for a while. We’re rushing things and you know we are.”

  “You always say shit like that over the phone, but you be scared as hell when we’re face to face,” Cam pointed out.

  “That’s because you be looking at me in that way. I lose my train of thought sometimes,” Demi admitted.

  “Come spend the night with me,” Can requested.

  “No, Camden. I told you that I don’t feel comfortable coming to the house that you shared with your ex.”

  “And I told you that you have nothing to worry about. I had the locks changed and the code that was used to get in the front gate. You don’t even have to sleep in the same room that she slept in. The other two rooms are fully furnished. I won’t bother you. I won’t even look at you,” Cam snickered.

  “I gotta go Cam. It’s my turn to get my hair curled,” Demi informed him.

  “Call me as soon as you’re done,” Cam ordered.

  “Okay, I will,” Demi promised.

  Cam shook his head and chuckled when they disconnected. Demi was the most confused person that he’d ever met. She was so unsure about everything. One minute, she wanted to try to work on them being together and, then, she complained about them moving too fast the next. One day, she wanted to be his roommate and the next day, she wanted to stay with her mother. Even the sex, that she always initiated, was met with uncertainty. She was always saying that she was cheating, since she wasn’t divorced yet. Cam learned early on to pay her no mind because she was too indecisive.

  “The fuck she want,” Cam mumbled out loud when his phone rang a few minutes later.

  When Asha’s number appeared, he wasted no time ignoring her call. Asha was always persistent, so he wasn’t surprised when she called two more times soon after. Cam didn’t know what she wanted, but he picked up the phone to find out.

  “What Asha?” Cam said when he answered for her.

  “Did you change the access code? I’m at the gate and can’t get in,” Asha replied.

  “I changed the code and the locks too. You no longer live here, so you don’t need access,” Cam pointed out.

  “I need to get my stuff that I left there. Can you buzz me in with your phone?” Asha questioned.

  “Man, I’ll pack that shit up and bring it to your mama’s house later,” Cam answered.

  “No, I want my stuff now. I’m already here Cam. Why can’t I get it right now?” Asha questioned.

  “That shit has been here for weeks Asha. A few more hours won’t kill you. I have to leave out tonight, so I’ll bring it to you later,” Cam replied before he hung up the phone.

  Asha was not the one for him to play with and she was not leaving so easily. She waited patiently until she saw someone leaving out of the gate a few minutes later and sped into the complex before it closed. Cam wasn’t even surprised when his doorbell rang a short time after he talked to Asha. She wasn’t the type to leave without a fight, but he didn’t have time for her drama. That was exactly what he didn’t want to happen if Demi ever came to visit. He was trying to get his business up and running first, but he couldn’t wait to decorate and move into his house.

  “Open the door Camden!” Asha yelled as she knocked and continued to ring the bell.

  Cam jumped up from the sofa and grabbed a garbage bag. He put the shoe boxes, purses, and other items that Asha had left inside. He left her outside as he double checked each bedroom and bathroom to make sure she didn’t leave anything else. He didn’t want her to have any reason to show up again.

  “Really Camden?” Asha frowned when he finally opened the door for her. She had been standing outside his door for at least fifteen minutes, and he h
ad just decided to open it.

  “Here, this is everything that you left. I checked all the rooms and bathrooms, just to be sure,” Cam said while shoving the garbage bag in her hand.

  “This shit is heavy. Can’t you help me bring it to the car?” Asha asked.

  Cam wanted to choke slam her stupid ass, but he would do anything to get her to leave. He took the bag from her and followed her to her car in the parking lot.

  “The fuck you standing there for Asha? Open your trunk,” Cam snapped impatiently.

  “Why are you talking to me like that?” Asha asked as she stood near her trunk and stared at him.

  “I’m about to leave you and this heavy ass bag standing right here. Try me if you want to,” Cam warned.

  “Can we talk Cam?” Asha inquired.

  “Yeah, we can talk about you opening this damn trunk,” Cam replied.

  “I’m serious Cam. I think I made a big mistake. I miss you. I miss us,” Asha said as she stood there with her hands clasped behind her back.

  “You can miss me with this dumb shit. You didn’t make a mistake. You did what was best for you, and I can’t do nothing but respect that.” Cam shrugged.

  “But, leaving wasn’t what was best for me. I love you baby and I’m sorry,” Asha said as she ran her hand up and down the zipper of his jeans.

  “Keep your hands to yourself Asha. You wanted this shit to be over and it is. This ain’t no make-up test. Ain’t no do overs. Now, open your trunk or pick this shit up yourself,” Cam argued.

  “You’re saying one thing, but the bulge in your pants is saying something different.” Asha licked her lips and smiled.