The Wrong Husband 2 Page 8

  “Bye Sassi. I love you,” Polo said as he turned and walked away.

  I love you too, my heart said, but my mouth remained silent as I pressed my lips together.

  Well, here goes nothing!

  The next morning, the smell of bacon woke me up.

  I headed downstairs to find Eddie cooking breakfast with the boys.

  “Good morning.”

  I smiled and kissed the boys.

  Eddie got the boys together, fixed us both a plate and carried them to the living room as I followed him. I was sure that it wouldn’t be a good idea to mention that Polo had come by last night, but there was something that I had to get off of my chest.

  “Who is the third line on our phone account for?”

  Eddie looked at me before sipping his orange juice.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “There’s a third line on our phone plan. Who does it belong to? Who has that phone?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about Sassi.”

  That was always his answer these days but I was about to show him. I headed to grab my laptop and I sat close beside him so that he could see. I logged into our phone account and headed to the section to show him what I was talking about.

  What? Where is it?

  The account was now only showing two lines: Eddie’s and mine.

  But I was sure that it had been a third line there. I tried to search for it in past months and on previous statements just as I had only a few nights ago, but nothing was there.

  What? I know what I saw.

  “Wait a minute,” I said to Eddie and headed upstairs to get my phone.

  I found the number that belonged to the other phone line and I called it. See, I knew that it had been there.

  “The number you are trying to reach is invalid. Please check the number and try your call again. Message VZTV3.”

  What the hell?

  What was going on around here?

  I know damn well that I hadn't been dreaming that time and I didn’t understand why the number was now invalid and why it had completely vanished from Eddie’s account.

  I headed back downstairs.

  “What were you saying?” Eddie asked.

  I sat across from him and picked up my breakfast.

  “Nothing. Nothing at all,” I said.

  Either my mind was playing tricks on me or somebody was trying to make me think that I was crazy.

  And I had a feeling that somebody was Eddie.

  ~***~

  Time was flying by and for the most part, things were okay.

  I tried to sit all of my feelings aside and thing about the big picture, and with that being said, Eddie and I were dating…literally.

  We were taking things slow and actually dating each other again. And actually, honestly, I was kind of enjoying it. It seemed as though this time I was learning the real him and now that I was older and after all that we’d been through, the real him wasn’t all that bad. The real him was good enough for me. We seemed to get along better than ever and we seemed to be a lot more open with each other, though there were a few things that I was still keeping from him.

  I never mentioned to Eddie that I’d found out that he was responsible for having the drugs put in my purse. I hadn't mentioned it to him at all. Polo told me that he hadn't told him that I knew, so it was nothing more than a thing of the past.

  It was forgiven. Just like he had forgiven me.

  Speaking of Polo, he was gone. He had been gone for the past two months. From checking Eddie’s phone, he barely even called him. Maybe once a week, if that, so I figured that he felt that staying away really was for the best.

  Eddie never spoke about him to me and I was sure that even if we did work things out, things would never be the same. I’d ruined everything that we had over sex but what I discovered was that sex wasn’t everything.

  And sex will never be better than real, genuine love.

  Sex was good. Real good between Polo and I. But at the end of the day, I needed more than a good nut every day.

  Right now, I just needed love.

  The kids and Eddie had gone to take care of a few errands so I figured that I would head out to go do a few things for myself.

  “Whoa,” the officer said.

  He was about to knock.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi. Were you on your way out?”

  “I was but I wasn’t going anywhere important.”

  It had been a long while since I’d heard anything from the police about Patrice and the possibly murder case. Last I’d heard they were running tests on her to see if they could find a cause of death. She’d been gone for a while now, so they didn’t know if they would have any luck, but they’d wanted to try.

  I was more than curious about the outcome because if Patrice had been murdered than that meant that they were going to be on the hunt for her killer. And I wouldn’t get a wink of sleep until they found out who it was.

  “Well, we didn’t have any luck determining the cause of death. The things that they could test they did. But it wasn’t enough left of her to discover much. So much had been removed to get her ready for burial you know. And with time going by, it just made things a little more difficult. Especially not knowing what we were looking for. No strange prints or anything were found at her house. No forced entry. Nothing that would be enough to rule it as a homicide. I just stopped by to let you know.”

  I took a deep breath.

  I hated the fact that her father would never have the closure that he was looking for and that Patrice might have had her life taken from her a little too soon.

  I mean, sure, she was a bitch; all day. Every day.

  But she didn’t deserve to die and especially to be killed.

  And now we wouldn’t never know what really happened to her.

  “The only thing that we could be sure of was that there was no diagnosis or records of her having a tumor, so we can assure you that wasn’t the cause of death. Other than that, we will never know much else.

  “Thank you for letting me know.”

  The officer nodded and walked away. Just as he drove away, Micki pulled up and parked beside of me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I hadn't seen her in a little while since Eddie and I had been spending all of our time together. In a way she looked different.

  She seemed to be glowing or something.

  “He was just filling me in on Patrice. They said that more than like she was murdered.

  “Oh yeah. They told me that too,” she said.

  “Didn’t you go to the doctors with her a few times? And what about her not wanting to stay at the hospital right before she died? The day that you took Mama there for her to apologize to her? They said that there was no hospital records for her. How is that possible?”

  “Yes. All I know is what she told me. I did go to the doctor office with her, once or twice, but I always sat in the car. She’d said that she needed me to drive her when it was over, and she would go in and an hour or so later, she would come out. If they have no records, just as I told them, I don’t understand. I know for a fact that she went to the doctor’s office.”

  Hmm…

  Then why wouldn’t they have any record of her visit?

  “And even when going to the hospital, before she died, she was already there. She was outside in her car when I got there and said that she refused to stay. That’s when she asked me to call your mother so that she could apologize. All her papers and medicine was for a tumor.”

  Hmmm…

  “It was all fake. The papers. The medicine. The doctors that prescribed it. It was all fake. Patrice more than likely did not die from any kind of tumor. They said there were no hospital or doctor visits from her, for months.”

  I really wondered what it was that Patrice had been involved in. Maybe she was planning to fake her death and something happened before she could go through with her plan.

  Why she would wa
nt to do it?

  I didn’t know. I was just coming up with possibilities since things just didn’t make sense.

  “Well, I don’t know Sassi. I really don’t know.”

  And neither did I.

  “Well not to change the subject but…I’m getting married. And I was hoping that you would be my maid of honor.”

  Hearing her break the news automatically made me think about Patrice’s will. I hadn't thought about it much lately but time was ticking and I wasn’t sure if Eddie and I were going to make the deadline.

  “Really? Congratulations. To who?”

  “Your brother,” Micki said.

  Really?

  Of course my brother was the father of one of Micki’s kids but I was surprised. They hated each other. He was the definition of a dead beat daddy, and for years Micki gave him hell about taking care of his responsibilities and then finally she just gave up.

  But they were getting married? It had to be for the money.

  And why was I the last to know?

  “For love or money?”

  “Is doing it for both such a bad thing?”

  “Nope. Not at all my sista’. Not at all,” I said.

  We chatted for a little while longer and then we headed in separate directions.

  I was supposed to go get my hair done, but I decided to go do a little shopping instead. I could barely fit any of my clothes. I seemed to be getting bigger, but I was barely eating so I was mad that my body was doing the opposite of what I’d hoped it would do. Humph, but I was still sexy.

  The gentleman held the door for me as I entered the store.

  “Thank you,” I smiled.

  “No problem.”

  He went one way, and I went in another direction.

  I kept looking up and catching him looking up at me.

  Finally, he walked over to me.

  “I just couldn’t help but notice how beautiful you are,” he said.

  “Thanks. And I can’t help but notice that you’re in a ladies department store. So, that must mean that you have a wife, or a girlfriend,” I said to him.

  “Or a teenaged daughter,” he nodded at the young girl a few racks from us. She waved in smiled.

  “Oops. Sorry,” I laughed.

  “No problem. So, I don’t see a ring on your finger. Does that mean that you’re single? I sure hope so.”

  He was coming on to me.

  Was it bad that I was just a little bit flattered?

  “Well, my ex-husband and I are giving it a try, one more time, so, I guess that means that I’m somewhat taken,” I answered.

  “Man. That’s too bad. I mean. Not bad that you are trying it again. I’ve been there, done that. Just too bad that you’re not available,” he said with a smile.

  And what an amazing smile it was. His pearly white teeth made me want to lick him.

  “Is it too serious to where you wouldn’t consider giving me your number?”

  “Yeah. I believe it is.”

  “Well, in another lifetime, be on the lookout for me. Because I’ll definitely keep an eye out for you,” he said.

  “Likewise,” and just as he turned around, the sound of a gun went off.

  Everyone screamed but me.

  I was in shock, and I couldn’t seem to force my feet to move. I looked up to see that it was Carmen, the woman with the HIV, holding the gun.

  “Hey Sassi with an “I”. I just saved your life girlie. You’re welcome,” she said and she walked out of the store as though she hadn't done a thing.

  The next hour or so, I was questioned and had to give statement after statement.

  “How did you know the deceased?”

  “I didn’t. He approached me in the store.”

  “How did you know the suspect?”

  “I don’t know her. I met her once at the hospital. She’d said that she’d just saved my life.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning he was probably trying to charm her out of her panties so that he could give her a share of his disease too. Lucky for you. You didn’t get to join the club,” a woman said behind me.

  “Hi. I’m his wife,” she said to the police and they told me that it was okay for me to leave.

  I committed about fifty traffic violations, trying to get home. Carmen had killed the man that had made her sick. I wondered where she’d come from and whether or not she’d been watching him or intended to kill him. She must have thought that I was going to fall for him or something.

  I told you.

  That woman was my guardian angel or something. Though I was pretty sure angels weren’t killing anyone. Still in shock that I’d seen someone killed right in front of me, I smiled at the sight of Eddie and the boys and I ran into his arms.

  “What? What is it?”

  “Nothing.”

  This world and the people in it were crazy and I was lucky to have a man that loved me enough to want me and only me. And never, ever, would I take the love that Eddie had for me for granted again.

  Ever!

  ~***~

  The music was heavenly.

  I was smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt. I was looking ahead but I didn’t really see anyone. All I could see was the back of him. He was waiting for me. He was waiting to make me his wife. Today was the happiest day of my life and this time I was happy. I was genuinely happy. The music stopped and finally I reached the altar as he reached for my hand. He looked at me with love and his eyes and all I managed to see was forever.

  Forever with my king. Forever with my love.

  Forever with…

  Polo.

  I opened my eyes.

  Yikes!

  Thank goodness that was only a dream. I looked next to me to see that Eddie was sleeping beside of me. Just the way that I liked it. Just the way that it was supposed to be.

  I tapped him, and he turned over.

  “Were you asleep?”

  “No. I was just laying here think of how bad I want to make love to you,” Eddie said.

  I was surprised to hear him say it since he was the one that insisted on us taking things turtle-slow. He wouldn’t even stay over every night and most of the time when he did, he slept with the boys. He’d only slept in bed with me this time because we had been watching a movie, and both fell asleep.

  Though he tried to act like he had, I wasn’t sure that he had completely forgiven me just yet. He was trying to but there were some days where he looked at me like he just wanted to punch me in the face. Especially on nights that he would be leaving to go home to his parents and the boys would ask him why he couldn’t stay. He always gave me that look as if to say that I’d ruined our lives. I had. But we were working on it.

  I never even told him about the man at the store and the woman Carmen who had shot him. I’d watched the news to see if they ever caught her, but they were saying it was as though she’d just vanished. Either way, I was thankful for the words that she’d given me and I was trying my best to apply them to my situation with Eddie. And from the looks of it, I was making some progress.

  “Well, if I give you some of this, just so you know, we go together,” I laughed.

  Surprisingly, Eddie did too.

  “I’m okay with that,” he said and he kissed me.

  He kissed me hard, forcefully. To be honest, he kissed me like Polo. It almost creeped me out but after a while, I started to enjoy it.

  “I love you Eddie. I really do.”

  “Do you really?”

  “More than anything in the world.”

  “Prove it,” was all that he said and I stood up to remove my sleep wear.

  Briefly I wondered if he was going to be able to hang. I was almost nervous because I didn’t want anything to change my mind about wanting us to work.

  “Lay on your back,” Eddie instructed me.

  He was about to put that golden tongue of his on me and my insides got all excited and stuff. If I didn’t miss anything else, sexually, I definitely missed
that and it didn’t take long for Eddie to remind me.

  In just a matter of seconds, my eyes started to flutter and wished that I could cut his tongue off and keep it in my back pocket, to use whenever I wanted to.

  “Tell me you love me,” Eddie said in between licks and I told him that I loved him over and over again.

  My body started to heat up, but for the first time ever, I didn’t want to come from his mouth. I wanted to see if his wood could do the job.

  “Make love to me Eddie,” I said, giving him a hint that I wanted to feel him inside of me.

  Eddie entered me and I looked him in the eyes.

  “I love you,” he said and I bit my bottom lip.

  Stop talking and show me what you got!

  And boy did he show me. It wasn’t the best sex that we’d ever had, but it was good. And I do mean real good.

  Eddie and I cuddled, out of breath and we both managed to fall back asleep.

  I was happy. I was satisfied.

  Then why was I now dreaming about Polo…again?

  ~***~

  “Hello?”

  “It’s me.”

  The number was private but I automatically I knew who it was.

  Polo.

  Honestly, that’s the reason I’d answered it. At this point it was almost four months, and he hadn't been seen and barely heard from.

  Eddie was washing my car, so I got up and made my way inside. I stood in the window so that I could see him ahead of time whenever he decided to come in.

  “How is he?”

  “Why didn’t you just call and ask him yourself?”

  “I do call. But we don’t talk about his emotions.”

  “He’s fine. We’re fine.”

  I guess I could ask about him. Nothing was wrong with asking about him.

  “And how are you Polo?”

  “Well, I miss home. I miss Eddie. And I miss you.”

  “You don’t miss me.”

  “Yes, I do. But I know this was the right thing to do. I don’t want to come back until you guys are headed back down the aisle, again, or standing in the courthouse, smiling from ear to ear. I owe him happiness. I owe him everything. He’s done a lot for me for years. But well, you know.”

  Yes. I did. I’ve always hated how Eddie ran to Polo’s rescue but no matter what time of day it was, no matter where Polo was at, if Polo was in trouble, Eddie went running.