Normani Kordei Hamilton.
"Uh Camila?" I ask, confused. "You live here?"
"Yeah." She yawns and leans against the door frame. "What are you doing here? Are you lost?"
"I think so." I scratch my head.
"Come on in." She offers. "I think that I can help."
I nod reluctantly and follow her into the house.
Everything is set up, there's furniture and paintings and appliances.
Definitely not Trey's place.
Maybe he sold it. But why wouldn't he tell me?
"You still there?" Camila asks as she sits down on the couch, offering for me to sit down next to her.
"I'm still here." I nod. "It's just... your place is pretty."
"Thanks." She yawns again. "I decorated it myself. Want some coffee?" She asks thoughtfully.
"Please." I agree and she nods, hopping off of the dark couch and into the kitchen.
I can't wrap my head around this. I've been in the same room for the past few weeks. Maybe three?
And we've gotten intimate in a few of the spots too. How we do that with out furniture is pretty mind blowing.
Yet here I am, in someone else's house. Fully furnished and beautiful.
How?
I must still be a bit tired but... damn.
"Here you go." Camila says with a warm smile, handing me a porcelain cup filled with the warm, dark beverage.
"Thanks." I reply and take a sip of the coffee. "This is good."
"Yeah I make good coffee." She smiles and sits down on the couch, patting the spot next to her.
I go over and sit down next to her, trying to focus on the delicious coffee instead of... well whatever the hell is going on around here.
"So... not that I don't like midnight visits." She giggles a bit. "But why are you wondering around town this late at night?"
"I'm not wondering around." I correct her. "I guess my mind is just a bit hazy. I- my boyfriend has or he had, bought a place around here. I guess I just got lost. It looked alot like this place."
"It does? Weird." She mumbles and takes a sip of her own coffee. "My husband and I have had this place for weeks."
"If you don't mind me asking." I pause to take a sip of the coffee. "Where is your husband?"
"Actually." She says as her phone beeps. She looks down and then back at me. "He's working late. He just recently got a new job."
"Oh." I reply. Seeing as I'm a bit gone, I might as well still speak to her. "Where does he work?"
"He's a new signed artist." She says, proudly.
"Really? Mine too." I beam. "He got signed to Young Money."
"Trey too." She says happily.
"Oh." I nod. "Wait Trey?"
"Yeah. Up and coming. He recently had a hit song." She says with a proud smile.
"Oh really?" I ask.
I don't like the pieces that are coming together.
"What was it called? Maybe I know it." I ask.
"Mr. Steal Your Girl." She replies absentmindedly.
Everything is slowly coming together. And I hate it.
"I have to go." I blurt out suddenly.
"Okay?" She says, confused. "I'll walk you out."
I nod and walk out with her following.
"I guess I'll see you soon?" She asks as I unlock my car.
"Hopefully not." I mumble. "Maybe." I tell her. "I'll see you soon Camila."
She nods and with that I drive off.
Once I get to a red light, I pull out my phone and dial Coco's number.
"Hello?"
"We need to talk."
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.
"Can I please have the documents that I asked you for ten minutes ago?" I ask Liv with a bit of an attitude.
"Chill your tits." She rolls her eyes. "I'm having some intern get them."
"Why would you send an intern when you can get them?" I ask, turning on my laptop.
"Okay woah." She gets up from her seat and strolls into my office, taking a seat across me. "What's up? Talk to me."
I sigh. "Trey."
"What about him?" She asks. "He didn't put it down right? If he has a small - "
"Stop right there." I stop her. "He's not small. He's definitely not small." I smirk.
"Then what's the problem?" Liv persists. "All that I can think of is the fact that he has a small dick."
My smirk drops and I remember why I'm angry. "He has a wife."
"So?" She asks, shrugging.
"So he's married Olivia." I whine. "He's got a wife. And they're only recently married. And she's so nice, I could cry. I would marry her if I was a guy. And this is on the perception that I got from talking to her yesterday."
"You need to calm down Mani." She sighs.
"Calm down?" I ask loudly, causing people to look at me through the transparent glass. "You want me to calm down?"
"Mani - "
"For a guy that I fell in love with, was about to move in with and give my life to is married to another woman Olivia." I cut her off. "I thought I was going to get married to him!"
"You guys were moving a little too fast." She shrugs and I nod.
"That's what my dad told me too. But no, stupid Normani never listens." I mock him. "I've had the worst time with relationships. I'm never going to find the one."
"Mani you're twenty five. You have a few more years to find the one." She says, a bit distracted by someone who's trying to get her attention. "And don't let this one guy ruin your chance of finding love." She says before getting up. "I'll be back."
I nod and type my password into my laptop. I connect to the WiFi and open Google.
I don't even know what to type. I can't work. I can't do anything. I'm devastated.
"Ms. Hamilton." Someone says and I look up to find one of the incompetent interns standing next to Olivia nervously.
I look at her expectantly. "Yes?"
"There's someone here to see you." She says. "A Ms. Cabello." She reads from the card.
I sigh and get up. "It's Cabeyo." I correct her. "Where is she?"
"Downstairs." She says, and I nod, grabbing my jacket and putting it on.
I look at her and she scurries off, but Olivia stays behind me as I walk into the elevator.
As soon as the doors close, she turns to me. "Who's Ms. Cabeyo?"
"His wife." I mumble and mentally prepare myself to talk to her.
"Wow Mani. You're going to take her on in public?" She asks. "That's an all new low. Even for you."
"What?" I ask, turning to her. "I'm not gonna fight her. I'm simply going to apologize."
"Apologize for? Dating her husband without knowing that he was her husband?" She asks sarcastically.
"I didn't know." I agree. "But it doesn't help the fact that I still feel bad."
She shakes her head. "You're like your Mama. Stern but with a heart of gold."
My lips turn up a bit at this comment. I love my mother, she's a pain in he rear end, but Liv just made my shitty day. Only in a dream, would I be compared to my mother.
As soon as the doors open, I fix my face and spot the beautiful brunette standing near the door.
"Whats the story Rob?" I ask the large man.
"She wanted to see you. Said she knew you." He nods over at her.
"I do." I nod and walk over to Camila.
"Hi." I give her a small smile.
She doesn't return it.
"Camila - "
"Are you sleeping with my husband?" She asks sternly in a voice that I wouldn't have expected to come from such a tiny person.
I look down in shame.
She gasps slightly. "You are, aren't you?"
"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" I ask, looking around.
She purses her lips but she nods.
"Hey Rob." I call the man. He looks over at me. "I'll be back in an hour or two." I tell him and he nods.
Thats if she doesn't kill me.
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.
"Go ahead." Camila nods at me as she rests her elbows on the unstable table. "Tell me your side of the story."
I sigh. "I didn't know that he was married. Or your husband for that matter." I defend myself. "I promise you Camila, I don't do married men. This is my first time I - "
"Normani stop." She says and I immediately shut my mouth. "I believe you."
"You do?" I ask, a bit surprised.
Women, not from my knowledge of course, always take the men's side. So...
"I do." She nods. "When I moved here a few days ago, people in my neighbourhood had nothing but good things to say about you. You're the talk of the town Normani. I know that I'm not supposed to base my opinion of you on other people's judgement but know that I've met you... you're perfect. I could see why Trey would want you." She says sadly.
"Camila - "
She holds her hand up to stop me and I once again obey her and keep quiet.
"I had a feeling he was cheating." She says, her eyes trained on the metal table. "I - "
"Here's your coffee ladies." The large woman says, putting down two steaming cups of coffee on the table before us.
"Thanks." Camila smiles and the friendly woman gives her a smile back before disappearing.
"You were saying?"
"I was saying... I had a feeling he was cheating. I just never knew it would be with someone who - "
"Is of colour?" I ask offended.
"No. I mean, someone as perfect as you." She says, making me smile. "It makes me feel like trash."
"Camila." I reach out and rub her arm. "You're beautiful. Okay?"
She nods but I can see that she's not convinced. "I didn't act on it because my parents warned me against him." She explains.
I snort. "My dad warned me against people like him, and he hasn't even met my dad yet."
Camila gives me a sad smile.
"Whats wrong?" I ask her.
"Back in Cuba." She explains. "I was a veterinarian." She says.
It explains alot. She looks like the type to look after animals.
"So I got a job here and lived with a friend who lived nearby the animal hospital I was working." She explains. "And one day, Trey walked in with his sick dog."
"I didn't know he had a dog." I say honestly.
"The dog is dead." She explains.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay." She replies. "So I fell for him and he, well I thought he did, he fell for me. We were in love and he proposed and we got married and then... then he got this job." She says. "At Young Money."
I nod to show that I'm still listening.
"He wanted to be a proper husband and since thats how it is in Cuba, I had to quit my job and be a stay at home wife." She says sadly. "I loved those animals Normani."
"I'm sure you did." I reply, feeling a bit awkward.
"He's cheated once before with a beautiful woman. I met her once, she was a friend's wife." She says. "I would have left him then but he persuaded me to stay with him. He promised he wouldn't do it again."
"And he did." I mutter under my breath.
"He did." She agrees. "And then he said to me that if he ever cheats again, we can get a divorce."
"So why don't you?" I ask. "I mean, you clearly aren't happy."
"But without him, I'm broke. I know nothing about divorce settlements." She admits. "What if we get divorced and then i end up with no money. Sure my friend will take me back in but that's not the point."
"What is?"
"Women, in my country, they're not very independent." She says. "I was going to change that but..."
"I understand." I say, reaching over to hold her hand. "And I think that I can help."
"You can?" She asks, her demeanour changing instantly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean." I sigh. "I can help you with the divorce. You can't tell Tremaine though. This stays between us. Okay?"
"Okay."
With that, we both go on our separate paths. Her home to the bastard and me to my home.
I don't know how I'm going to get through this.
I then see an incoming call from Trey.
I sigh before putting it down and when the call ends, I put my phone on silent.
I don't need him thinking anything.
I don't even have the strength to go back to work at this point. So I send Coco a text.
Me (14:51) : Coco, I might have just dug myself into a huge ass hole.