Out In The Open

*CHRIS*

I never imagined Mira discovering my infidelity with Keema. Initially, I wanted to end it after the first incident and forget about it. However, the longer I delayed, the further the chance of reconciliation became, at a time when I believed I was moving forward with our relationship.

Why did Keema suddenly come over? Why did I let her inside? I know all of this could have been avoided, but I was too cowardly to end things and confess my secret to the one I had claimed to love.

To be honest, I don’t deserve Jamira. I would also be foolish to let her go. So, when she walked in and heard what I thought I was protecting her from, my world crumbled.

I hadn’t seen her all weekend, so I assumed she would be gone for the entire week as well.

I hadn’t seen Keema since I had left the boys to go see her. She had been texting and calling nonstop ever since. Her sudden appearance didn’t surprise me. It was the argument that did. Sure, Keema had a nasty attitude that could make anyone want to punch her in the face. But with me, she was much more subdued. She didn’t resort to excessive hooting and hollering.

At the time, I was completely engrossed in a TV show about a powerful mafia boss who made all the wrong business moves while following the woman sent to kill him, only for her to fall in love with him. It sounded like a good story, and it was.

My phone buzzed with a message. I rolled my eyes because it was obviously Keema.

Are you avoiding me?

What are you talking about?

You haven’t been returning my calls or texts.

Read the room, Keema.

Huh?

I don’t want to talk to you.

We need to talk.

About what?

I’m coming over. We need to do this in person.

I didn’t respond because, as I said, I didn’t want to talk to her. It was nothing to say. If only she had felt that way and disappeared already.

A few minutes later, she showed up at the door, which told me she had already been on the way over here. She lives on the other side of town, which is about a 45-minute drive without traffic.

She rang the doorbell. Annoyed, I paused my show and went to answer it. I could sense her motive from the way she was dressed. She wore a crop top with the tightest, shortest shorts I’ve ever seen. They looked like they were chafing with every step. The sight of her annoyed me, and I rubbed my hands over my face.

“What?” I said, my voice laced with irritation.

“You’re seriously not going to let me in?”

I stepped aside to let her in. She tried to kiss me, but I pushed her away.

“Keema, stop! You know I’m not kissing you.”

“Why not? You’re my child’s father, after all.”

“Was, I was your child’s father. Did you forget that?”

“I might be pregnant again.”

Shock took over my body, and it must’ve shown on my face because she stood back and looked as if she’d said something wrong.

“Say what now?”

“I’ve been feeling funny lately, and I think that might be the reason.”

“Wait… how?”

“The last time we had sex, and you came inside me.”

“No, how, as in I used a condom and have been for the last few times. So if you are, it’s not mine.”

As if she’d been caught in a lie, she began to get angry and started yelling.

“When are you leaving her?!”

“Man, it’s not like that.”

“You said you were going to leave her a long time ago!”

In all honesty, she wasn’t lying. I’d been lying to her about leaving Jamira for a while now. I never had any plans to let her go. She meant everything to me. I know I just have a horrible way of showing it. At the beginning of our fling, I can’t lie, I did consider starting over with Keema. But after seeing how she started moving after getting pregnant, it only solidified my decision to stick it out with Mira.

“I never said that! I love her!”

I was acutely aware that if I could just make her doubt herself, she would abandon the entire situation. However, I felt a presence behind me, and that’s when I saw Jamira, on the verge of a heart attack, standing by the door. I wanted to rush to her aid, reassuring her that it wasn’t what it appeared to be and that Keema was simply jealous of her. But when I reached for her, she pushed me away as if I repulsed her.

As soon as she regained her composure, she lost her temper. She brandished a knife at us, slapped me into submission, and knocked the Mario coins out of Keema. We were both on the ground, stunned. In the three years we had been together, I had never witnessed her so enraged. The look she gave us sent shivers down my spine. I knew then that she was done.

But I was not.

*KEEMA*

“Yeah, that’s right, bitch, leave,” I thought as Jamira walked out the door. The look she had just given us was pure venom.

I knew I had no right to come over here, but if he had answered even a single call, I would have no reason to. I had never understood why he had suddenly become so cold to me. We were good, or so I thought.

I mean, damn, I’m grieving too, but all he seems to care about is her. What did she have on me? She’s just a teacher at some local elementary school, while I’m a nurse at one of the best hospitals in town. I have my own place and even have her man.

I can’t stand her because she’s been in the way of me and Chris having a family. When I got pregnant, I knew that was the key to getting her to leave because let’s face it, he never would.

Chris was my first love. We went to high school together and were together from ninth grade to eleventh grade. Then, in senior year, he decided he wanted to be single so he could do “him.” Whatever that meant. It broke my heart. It took years to recover from that.

I stalked his social media and even drove by his mother’s house a few times. Initially, I thought she liked me until she told me not to come around looking for Chris anymore. Now, I’m not sure if she was being rude or genuinely trying to help. Regardless, I had to respect her wishes.

It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I met Jamira. We were initially cool, and I didn’t always dislike her. However, things changed when she met Ayana and Simone. Whenever we all hung out, she would only talk to Ayana, forcing me and Simone to connect.

Later, I discovered that she had started seeing someone. When I realized it was Chris, my Chris, my disdain only grew. He was mine first, and now I had to watch her be with him as if our past didn’t matter. I still loved him for goodness’ sake.

I grew tired of losing people I cared about for others, so I started looking out for myself. That’s why I sent those messages to Chris the night at the club when his innocent little schoolgirl went and slept with another guy. I thought that would bring him closer to me.

It did for a moment. But as always, he circled back to her. I just wanted him to choose me. That’s why, when they were on bad terms, I was more than happy to satisfy his needs. I took what I could get. I know I was desperate.

But I could never have predicted what would happen that night. I just wanted to have an honest conversation with Chris about my feelings and our situation. I didn’t think she would walk in like that or even become so violent. Her temper flared that day.

I was so shocked when she hit me in the face that I couldn’t react in time to defend myself. I landed on the ground with a loud thud, my head pounding and my face swelling by the minute. I was helpless.

With my left eye nearly shut from the impact, Chris helped me off the floor.

I thought he would at least help me nurse my wounds. Instead, I found myself outside. Not only did I not get the reaction I wanted from either of them, but I also got my ass beat and now I’m being put out.

“Burn in hell, Chris,” I yelled as he slammed the door in my face.

The drive home was not only quiet and lonely, but it was also sad. My eyes welled with tears as I cried.