Trust

Chapter 5

    "I'm willing to spend however many nights that you need me to. I brought an overnight bag and everything with me. Auntie Kellie is here for the rescue, my dear." She smiled, touching my stomach through my ripped blue sweatshirt.

    I playfully rolled my eyes and pushed her hand away.

    "I'm like two seconds pregnant and you're already touching on my stomach." I joked, making her laugh.

    Just as I started to laugh right along with her, I stopped to the noise coming from the door. Looking towards the door, I laid my eyes on Charlie. It was at that moment that I'd wished that I hadn't.

    I let out a forced deep breath and shook my head, rolling my eyes.

    "I just came to pick up some of my things, if that's alright." He said, sounding as if he were exhausted. And he probably was. He'd been living in a co-worker's garage from what he'd told Kellie a couple days ago.

    Instead of him heading towards the back to the room that we once shared to get his things, he just stood there at the door with this anxious expression that filled the entire room. He wanted to talk and this was his way of expressing that to Kellie without him really having to say anything. I knew as much as she wanted to stay in the room to hear what he had to say, she also knew that I would fill her in so she didn't hesitate to stand up and take her exit out of the room and onto the inside patio where Charlie and Monice were caught.

    "I got the annulment papers." He spoke up once the patio door shut. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

    "Tuh..." I roll my eyes, looking away from him, gripping my cup of broth tight enough to bend the cup out of shape if it were plastic.

    "Look, I know I've hurt you and I want to really apologize to you from the bottom of my heart. I am very sorry for hurting you. Falling into the arms of Monice wasn't my intentions at all, Val, I swear. Things just happened and it all happened too fast." He tried to explain.

    I wasn't sure if this were his way of convincing me that he loved me so much and wanted to make things work or if he was trying to inform me that he was running off with Monice and I should accept it. It all just sounded so wrong, regardless. I just couldn't help but hate the fact that his apology didn't sound much like an apology but instead a heartless confession.

    "But just let me express to you that whatever I can do to fix this, babe, I want to do just that. I want to fix this. I want to fix us. I have to. It's very important to me that I do. I love you so much and I am in love with you, Valencia. I cannot say goodbye."

    "Well, you have to, Charleston." I speak up to my defense.

    "But, I –"

    "No buts, Charleston!" I shouted out of frustration. "It wasn't like you cheated on me with just some random chick at the bar. You actually had an entire affair with my little sister and for I don't even know how long!"

    He looked down as if he were desperate for a resolution.

    "This is my sister, Charlie! Monice! She's 18 years old!" I shouted. "She's my family and you do this to me knowing how much it would crush my heart, my soul, my spirit. And you didn't stop for one second to think about it. You didn't stop to sit and wonder if that entire affair was wrong. You just did it and kept doing it, coming up with lies to keep her where you wanted her. All for what? What? Because I'm not fun enough for you? Because I don't like to go out to clubs and party all of the time. What? Because, I don't make you feel younger? Because I'm 30? You're having a midlife crisis and so my 18 year old sister was your way to go, huh?" I cried.