Saving Grace

POV: Cameron

As if all of her lying and manipulating weren’t enough, she wants her stuff back. I should just burn it all and get it over with. Not seeing her face ever again is my only wish.

To make it worse she was bringing that piece of a shit brother of hers. I wish Adrian would have laid him out two weeks ago. I would have loved to take a swing for the shit his buddies did to me.

I could feel the testosterone raging through my vines. The thought of his hands on Leah made my blood boil. He was a part of the plan to kidnap her, and he still managed to manipulate his way into her pants.

Adrian left his bodyguard here to work with my mom, so he says. I know the real reason is to keep tabs on me. He may be larger than me, but I had a meaningful connection with Leah.

It was odd that the three of us agreed to her terms, yet I could tell that each of us secretly despised it. If I was working on a plan to take her away, then I needed to assume they were doing the same. I got her into this mess by dating that psycho, I needed to get her out.

I have been going through my room all morning trying to piece together everything that belonged to Monica. She had come here to visit a few times when my mom left with uncle Coop. We mainly stayed in my room, only leaving to get food.

The relationship was purely sexual. She never confided in me for anything. Hell, I didn’t even know uncle Coop was her dad until Adrian blurted it out.

Sure, she had an explanation for that. If there is one thing I learned about Monica… she always had an explanation. She had a clever tongue and I had never seen her caught in a lie. That is until now when Adrian and my mom dropped the bomb.

It was also odd that I had a brother I never knew about. Even more peculiar is that we have been sleeping with the same woman. Not once, but twice now and in a row. Good taste must run in the family.

*Chime Chime*

I heard the doorbell, so I went to go check on it. Mom had relieved most of the staff while Hendrix has been here. And they were too cooped up in the office to check on anything.

“What a surprise.”, I opened the door.

“Move.”, Monica was quick to dismiss my humor.

“Whoa whoa whoa.”, I placed my hand across the doorway.

“You can come in, but he isn’t welcome.”, nodding at Graham.

“He’s with me to protect me from this house of crazies.”, she pushed my arm out of the way and walked in.

He walked in behind her casually and seemed to be void of any real emotion.

“I started packing your stuff, it’s in a box on my bed.”, I shouted in front of me.

She knew her way around the house, so I didn’t have to lead her. Her personality was self-righteous and entitled. It was one of the reasons that I leaned toward breaking up with her.

Maintaining her happiness seemed like an impossible task. She was always searching for something better to come along. It surprised me to hear about her humble upbringing.

Her personality was the main reason that I was initially attracted to Leah. She radiated happiness and I saw her act selflessly when she would help others. Those were qualities that were hard to come by and she quickly became my safe space.

“Here is your box.”, I handed her the box of things I collected, and she scoffed.

Then proceeded to hand it off to Graham like he was just here to hold her stuff. She searched every inch of my room, finding things that I didn’t even know were hidden. Good riddance to all of her shit, I didn’t need Leah finding any of it.

Our relationship lacked any real foundation. Monica was out for revenge and that only prevented her from really opening herself up to anyone. I may be young, but I have been ready to settle down and create a life with someone. A humble life.

“All done?”, I asked as she stood in the center of my room looking in every direction.

“Just about.”, she walked to the door Graham just exited.

She paused in the door frame and turned around. Then walked over to a painting on my wall. Tilting her head as she stared at it.

“Pretty painting.”, she commented.

“Sure.”, I wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

She seemed to be stalling. There was no way in hell she was getting any from me, ever again.

“I wonder what it’s worth?”, she suggestively asked.

“Just under a million, I think. It’s been a while since my mom had it appraised.”, she started to confuse me.

“Perfect.”, she took it off of the wall and held it in front of her.

“Wait! You can’t take that!”, I shouted.

“Sure, I can. Your family owes me, and I’ll have the funds to leave this shitty town when I pawn it.”, she put it under her arm and headed for the door.

“Hey! My uncle Donny gave that to me for my 18th birthday. It’s priceless to me.”, I pleaded.

She slowly turned around and walked up to me.

“Your family owes me; besides you just became a multi-millionaire. Uncle Donny never gave me anything and I am his own daughter.”, she paused.

Tapping her lips with one finger and then held it in the air like she had an idea.

“Actually, he gave you something even more priceless than this.”, she patted the painting under her arm.

“What?”, I questioned.

She walked away only speaking three words before she closed the door, “A new mother.”.

Pacing my room back and forth, I didn’t care to see them out. Her words pierced me like a sharp knife. My family was full of lies, but this was a hard pill to swallow.

My anger rose with each passing moment. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together in my head. I didn’t look like her or Adrian and I always felt out of place as a child.

“Fuck!”, I screamed as I pulled my hair and punched my bed with as much downward force as I could muster.

I stormed out of my room and down the hall to the office. It was locked, so I opened the passcode door and punched in the code. My birthday.

Opening the door with force startled Hendrix, but he seemed to be expecting me. He drew his weapon to match my clenched fists. She stood up and began walking toward me.

“What’s wrong Cammy?”, before she could come any closer, he pulled her behind him.

“I never thought I would have to ask this.”, I huffed.

“What is it sweetheart?”, she pleaded over his shoulder.

“Who is my mother?”, my question surprised her, and she froze.

“I am Cammy, why would you ask that?”, she replied.

“Don’t fucking lie to me, who’s my real mother? Monica told me you were lying to me.”, I spat.

After a few moments; she broke the silence, “I didn’t want you to find out this way.”.

That was all the confirmation I needed to know my life was a lie. I turned around and headed for my room. Rushing into my room, I went straight to my closet to grab a duffle bag.

I needed to get out of this house, so I called Leah. She hadn’t been answering any of my calls, so I sent her a text message. It wasn’t delivering.

She was my safe place, I needed her. I did the only other thing I knew. Messaging Jared to find out where she was.

My door opened and she stood in the frame.

“Go away Valerie.”, I had never called her that before.

“Cammy please hear me out.”, she pleaded again.

“Don’t fucking call me that. This house is full of lies and I am leaving.”, I protested.

“Cameron, your mother was my best friend.”, her statement caught me off guard.

I stopped to stare at her.

She continued, “Your birth mother was murdered by your father, and uncle Donny helped get us away from him.”.

Shaking my head side to side violently. Hearing this only pissed me off more. My life was built on a lie and con.

“I have got to get out of this fucking place.”, I yelled as I grabbed my duffel.

Valerie tried to step in front of me, so I shoved her against the wall. Walking out of the door without acknowledging another word from her. I couldn’t trust her.

Almost to the front door, I could hear her running toward me yelling my name, “Cameron, Cameron, Cameron!”.

I held the door open with one foot out.

She was panting as I stood there, “Cameron… where is… where is the painting?”.

I laughed.

“I am leaving and you only care about your valuables.”, I scoffed.

“Where is it, Cameron?”, she asked again.

“Monica took it to the pawn shop. She wants out of this crazy family and now I see why.”, I slammed the door in her face.

Instead of coming after me, she yelled for Hendrix. What a surprise. Leaving was the right thing to do.

My phone buzzed as I started my car.

It was Jared, “Hey man, you didn’t hear? Leah’s pregnant.”.

His text sent chills throughout my body.

“Is it mine?”, I replied.

“Not sure man. She’s been ignoring everyone.”, he responded.

“I’m on my way.”, I said, but I think he knew what the news would make me do.

This was my baby, and I knew it. It was the perfect reason to go to Leah and take her away from all of this. The trio of friends-with-benefits bullshit was officially over.

In a life full of lies, this was my saving grace. She was my saving grace. My baby was my saving grace.

-To be continued-