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Chapter 20
“Yeah, well I’m gonna go, Ma…no, I don’t want to come over. No, not even Ms. Sway’s chocolate chip cookies got me out of this funk…but they helped a little bit. I’m fine, ma. I’m just miserable. Ma, don’t come over here. Ma, I mean it. Really. No, I don’t want you to send Josslyn over to her place to kick her ass. No one is going to lay a finger on my baby. Yeah, I’m sure. I’m sure. Tell pops hello. I love you too, ma. Bye,” Cameron replied as he settled back onto his couch. Three days before Valentine’s Day and Tavin still wasn’t talking to him.
He looked at the time. It was time for his evening message to Tavin. He turned on his stereo and Lost Without You played. This song was so right for this period in his life. This girl was making him feel lost and he was always so sure of where he had to go and what he had to do. As he picked up the phone, his doorbell rang. Cameron opened the door and looked down into the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. Tavin stared at Cameron and instantly missed him. He was so beautiful, not just the way he looked, but the way he loved her. How could she let a silly argument get in the way of that? Tavin walked through the door and Cameron closed it behind her. Tavin dropped her purse, her duffle bag and her coat on the floor and began to talk. Cameron just stared at her. Tavin was dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a long sleeved pink and blue vintage t-shirt. She looked so good, Cameron thought as he stared at her.
Damn, even unkept he looked good, Tavin thought, taking in the after five shadow, the baggy jeans and black t-shirt. His hair was not its usual spiked perfection, but he looked so good. Tavin took a few steps forward.
“Before you say anything, let me speak first. Cameron, I’m sorry. Ev…,” she replied but was cut off as two big hands framed her face and soft lips took her own passionately. Tavin wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into Cameron’s lips as he kissed her. He pulled away and looked down into her eyes as his thumbs caressed her cheeks.
“Are you really here, Lovely or am I just delusional due to all those damn chocolate chip cookies I’ve been eating?” Cameron asked.
Tavin shook her head in disagreement and chuckled.
“I don’t know about the cookies, but I’m really here and I’m sorry,” Tavin replied as her right hand caressed his jawline. Cameron turned his face and kissed the palm of her hand and sighed as they both just stared at each other. Tavin leaned up on tip toe and peppered Cameron’s face with kisses.
“Cameron…I was stupid…and I’m sorry…I’m so sorry,” Tavin whispered between kisses. Cameron’s lips moved away from her lips to her neck.
“Less talking, more kissing,” Cameron replied as he continued to feast on her lips and her neck. Tavin felt his lips rain kisses on her cheeks and she smiled as he started talking.
“I’m not apologizing for trying to protect you, Tav. I’m not taking anything that I said back because it was the truth,” he replied.
“I know it was,” Tavin said as she ran her hands in the silky, dark hair along the nape of his neck.
“I love you, baby. You have no idea how much I love you,” Cameron whispered as his fingers caressed her cheek as he looked over her face, touching her to make sure she was really there.
“I think I do,” Tavin whispered back.
“You got me walking around here looking like shit, feeling like shit, not combing my hair, not washing my ass. I’ve been listening to sad ass love songs and feeling depressed. Me, baby--depressed. I ain’t been jogging in 2 weeks! You know that ain’t me, baby. I don’t take advantage of my fineness…you know that,” Cameron replied.
Tavin smiled and shook her head. “I understand, Cam.”
“I do apologize for the way I said it, but not for what I said, okay?” Cameron replied as he ran his thumb along her bottom lip.
“I understand. Can you forgive me?” Tavin asked as Cameron grinned down at her, caressing her waist.
“Lovely, I forgave you when I left your house that night. I’ve missed these lips…and this face…what a pretty face,” Cameron whispered, as he continued to run his thumb along her bottom lip. Tavin stared into his eyes.
“You know, you had a part in this, too. You’re stubborn as hell,” Tavin replied.
“Says the pot calling the kettle black,” Cameron said as Tavin smiled.
“Okay, you got me. Cameron, I’m not a stupid woman,” Tavin said.
“Baby, I know that,” Cameron replied.
“Well, it seems like you forgot. You have to remember that I’m no chicken head. You need to trust me, Cameron,” Tavin said.
“I do trust you, Lovely. It’s just that Dulet has done some bad stuff….,”
“I know, Cameron. But, you have to remember who I am. I’m no pushover. I never got a good feeling from the guy, but I was only doing my job. I also told my boss that I would like to be taken off of the account. I told him how uncomfortable Jared made me and he assigned his account to someone else,” Tavin replied as she held his shirt in her hands as she traced a letter on his t-shirt.
Cameron smiled. “You really did that?”
“Yeah. I mean, I got tired of him asking me about our relationship when I was trying to straighten out his books. It was nerve wracking. Besides, something about him always rubbed me the wrong way. So, yeah, it was no big deal,” Tavin stated as she grinned slightly.
“Dulet is not going to be a happy camper,” Cameron replied, hugging her by the waist with a smile on his face.
“And I could give a shit,” Tavin replied.
“Aw yeah. That’s my girl,” Cameron stated.
“I sure am. You know, your friend Nyla is a nosy little something,” Tavin whispered as Cameron laughed.
“No, she’s not, but I’m glad she was this time,” Cameron whispered, staring down into her brown eyes with a green eyed gaze.
“I’m glad that she shared what happened with Dulet with me. She didn’t have to and I understand why you didn’t tell me,” Tavin said.
“Dulet did a number on her and Trey, but Nyla became this shell of a person afterward. She was a good person, you know, a really sweet, happy girl, but after he raped her, she didn’t come outside, she stayed away from people, she let herself go. She broke up with Trey, left and never came back. But I was glad I ran into her months ago. Trey’s a lot happier now and so is she. So it worked out for the best,” Cameron replied as his hands stroked the small of her back.
Tavin grinned at Cameron. “Everytime I think I know you, I learn something else. You were really a good friend to her, Cameron. She told me. You are something else, you know that?” Tavin asked with a grin.
“I’ve been trying to tell you that I was the shit for years…finally, you see. Better late than never,” Cameron replied as Tavin leaned up on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the lips.
“Conceited bastard,” Tavin whispered.
“And you know this,” Cameron whispered back as she shook her head. Cameron put his finger on her lips and motioned for her to wait. Robin Thicke’s Lost Without You wafted from the speakers. Cameron pulled her by the tips of her fingers and wrapped his arms around her waist. Tavin wrapped her arms around his neck, and they danced. Cameron whispered some of the words to her, “Baby you’re the perfect shape, baby you’re the perfect weight…Lost without you, can’t help myself, how does it feel to know that I love you baby”. Tavin smiled and whispered, “I love you too,” as she looked into those beautiful green eyes as they danced. Another song came on and Cameron grabbed her closer.
“So, can I stay?” Tavin asked as Cameron picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked over to his oversized chair and sat with her straddling him.
“I don’t know. I mean, you did have me stuck on stupid for a while. My ego has been crushed and bruised,” Cameron whispered as Tavin sighed loudly with her hands on her hips.
“You are so full of it. Make up your mind because I don’t beg. Can I stay or not?” Tavin asked.
“Under one condition,” Cameron asked.
“Name it,” Tavin said.
“That you make me some jambalaya and that you tell me that you love me over and over, that you do a striptease for me and you never make me go through that insane shit again,” Cameron whispered as his hands cupped her behind.
“Boy, you really can’t count. That was four things,” Tavin stated with a grin. Cameron kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips and smiled.
“See? I need you to keep things straight. Don’t do that to me again, Tavin. I was going crazy,” he whispered as his forehead lowered to her forehead.
“So was I. Now, why don’t you keep rubbing my butt just like that because it feels really good and bring those sexy lips back to mine,” Tavin stated as she grinned at Cameron’s lips coming closer to hers.
“Cameron…,” Tavin whispered before his lips fell on hers once more.
“I know, baby. You can’t help yourself, can you?” He asked.
“Nope, I can’t,” Tavin whispered as she kissed her man.
“And I ain’t doing no striptease…no matter how good your hands feel…and your lips,” Tavin stated sucking on his bottom lip as he grinned.
“Hey…it was worth a shot. I tried. Maybe for my birthday,” Cameron replied.
“Don’t hold your breath. Would you just shut up and kiss me? We have a lot of making up to do,” Tavin said as they kissed. After a minute, Cameron spoke.
“Tav, you really are slick. You just changed the subject without me realizing it,” Cameron said.
“Yep. Just another reason why I love you. You are so easily distracted,” Tavin replied as Cameron picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to his bedroom, kissing her the entire way.
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“So, what’s going on you guys?” Nicholas asked as he walked into the pool hall to meet Trey, Donovan and Cameron. They weren’t playing pool at the time. They were sitting in a booth with serious looks on their faces.
“Dulet is what’s going on,” Donovan replied.
“We have to get that asshole out of here, some kind of way. If he finds out that Nyla’s back and we’re together, he’s going to start some shit,” Trey replied looking at Cameron.
“Yeah, and he’s already started some shit with Tavin. I didn’t get to give him the beat down he deserves, but I know he’s not going to let this ride. I talked to Tavin and told her what happened and what to expect from this dick,” Cameron said.
“He’s going to do something. Maybe have a girl slip something in your drink at a restaurant or a club then take pictures of you guys fucking and send them to your girl. Hey, don’t look at me like that. He did some foul shit to me, you guys know that,” Trey replied as they all nodded.
“Slipping drugs into drinks is his specialty,” Donovan replied.
“So what are we going to do?” Nicholas asked.
“I hired a Private Investigator by the name of Mitchell Summers, a guy that Logan is good friends with. He used to work for the CIA, so you know he’s good. He’s watching that bastard’s every move and investigating our good friend Jared Dulet,” Cameron stated.
“That’s good to know. We still have to figure out a way to get rid of him,” Nicholas replied as Donovan grinned.
“Leave that to me. Cam, you remember my cousin Christopher Nichetti?” Donovan asked.
“Yeah. D, you really want to get that down and dirty with him?” Cameron asked.
“Hell yeah. Look, Nichelle and Tavin are like sisters, Tav’s your girl, and my friend. If anything happened to Tavin, Nichelle would be crushed, you would be destroyed and I would pissed. It would be my pleasure to dispose of that piece of shit, once and for all. If we can find out something, anything, and get my cousin and his crew to put the fear of God into him, it would just be another good deed done. Besides, we owe him. That ass whooping that Trey gave him years back apparently wasn’t enough. He’s gotten away with shit for too long. But I have to let you know, I have no control over my cousin. Whatever he decides to do after I tell him about Dulet has to be up to him. That’s the only way he works. So are you sure you all are down for this?” Donovan asked as Trey, Nicholas and Cameron looked at each other.
Cameron spoke up first. “Oh, no doubt…I’m down. Your cousin can do whatever the hell he wants to him.”
“You know what my answer is. Fuck that bastard up,” Trey replied. Nicholas just nodded in agreement.
“Alright then. I’ll call him tomorrow. In the meantime Cam, keep your PI on the job. But right now, I have to go and meet Nichelle,” Donovan said as Trey grinned.
“Me too. Felicia just got off. We have reservations for 8:00pm,” Nicholas replied.
“Yeah, I’m out too. Nyla’s waiting for me at my crib,” Trey stated.
“Got damn Valentine’s Day. I’ve been sending that woman flowers every hour on the hour today and I gotta scoop her up in an hour. You know we’re just a bunch of pussy whipped punks, right?” Cameron asked as they all stood up and smiled.
“Yep,” Nicholas replied.
“Hey, it could be worse. We could not be getting any pussy,” Trey replied. They all looked at each other and said, “Naw”.