The Fight Within (45 page)

“
Nothing
is funny about this, Treasure. Nothing at all!”

“I know you aren’t standing here trying to pretend to be the Moral Police. Who the hell sent you? Hypocrites Anonymous?” She pointed one French manicured nail in his face. He was certain he’d paid for that, too. “Get your nasty, trifling ass off my goddamn porch!” She transformed into an enraged, two-headed viper, one that Medusa herself would be proud of. The woman hissed between clenched teeth and turned her back on him—on
him!
—dismissing him like some child selling wolf tickets.

Bitch.

“I know aaaaallll about this Mister Sean Mahoney, Treasure! All about him!”

She stopped in her tracks. He could see her body quake under the thin material of her robe. He curved his lips in a placated grin at the realization that he’d shaken the woman up, made that faucet pouring between her legs plug the fuck up like a river dam, no doubt. She had no right to behave like some common slut simply because she was getting a bit older, needing a sexual fix.

But then she turned to face him, and her expression gave him pause, made his heart skip a beat or two. Deep wrinkles formed on her forehead, and the light left her eyes, leaving a haunting dullness—showing all her contempt for him, revealing its evil self to the world. And it left him cold and frozen.

Treasure is changing…

“You did a background check on my boyfriend?!” she asked in disbelief.

“Ya damn right I did!” He gathered control of himself, pushing past her expression, letting it all come out. “He’s been around my children several times, now. Playing card games with Asia, even attended one of her dance recitals! How
dare
you not tell me about this man!”

“I never had the chance!” She threw her hands in the air as if giving up on a long, hard fight. “And you would’ve seen him
too
, had you not been your usual selfish self and blew her off for the umpteenth time! She was expecting you, but in your typical fashion, you stood her up! You ain’t shit, you know that?!” she bellowed, loud enough he was certain Asia heard.

He looked over at his car. The windows were still rolled up and the faint roar of music continued to play from the confines of the vehicle.

“She didn’t hear me, you arrogant asshole…but it doesn’t matter. They both already
know
what type of man you are. I don’t have to say any
thing
.” Her hatred for him poured out like a volcanic rush of molten lava and throat clogging ash; he almost choked on the shit. “I
never
bad mouthed you to our children, Jackson. Your actions speak for their damn selves…”

He stumbled back a step or two, her voice slicing into him. The tone, the steely darkness in her eyes… Had Treasure lost her mind?

“I had to work! Let’s focus on what
he’s
been doing!” He quickly got a hold of himself, refusing to let her distract him again with another emotional outburst. “This man has been going out to dinner with you all… Even took Brian to some damn music studio belonging to one of his friends! And you let
him
!”

“You act like he is a convicted child molester! Of course I let him. He has spent
more
time with our children in these past few weeks than you have in the last
year
! Focus on
that
, Mr. Chambers, instead of whom I’ve taken up company with and uh,” turning, she gripped the front door knob and tossed him a supercilious, careless grin from over her chip-carrying shoulder, “
obviously
he came up squeaky clean, which only irked you more.” Her tone held a giggle in a damn basket and her words gamboled happily down the road.

He dared the bitch to skip.

“I did my homework too, Jackson.”

“If this homework of yours involves school fees and invoices, I’m sure I’ll get the bill.” He flung an angry laugh in her direction, but she didn’t take his invitation to argue, no, she stayed on her path, unswayed by his stab at her loose spending habits.

“I’d
never
bring a man around my children I didn’t get to know beforehand, first and foremost. In all of this he-say, she-say business and investigating of yours, better known as stalking, did you realize I’d been seeing this man for
months
before he ever stepped foot in my house? Hell, before they even knew his name?! I made sure I knew all about him, got to know him very well before I
ever
let that happen. Unlike
you
, for me,
their
needs come first.” Her nails dug into the fabric of her robe pockets, bringing her rich, mocha globes more into focus. “Now go do some parenting…or have you forgotten
how
?! If so, Google that shit.” She entered the dwelling, her head held high, slammed the door behind her and locked it. She was gone. The bitch had left him there, looking at nothing, but smelling her familiar perfume wafting in the fucking air.

I hate her sometimes! Goddamn it!

Taking several deep breaths, he fisted and unfisted his sweaty palms. The grit on his teeth from his multiple cups of coffee made him suddenly queasy. He slicked his tongue across them, the smoothness gone several mugs with extra sugar ago. Marching to his car like an insane wind-up toy, he swung the door open so fast, he was surprised it didn’t break off and have it land at his feet. Taking his seat, he closed it behind him, trying to gather his thoughts into some semblance of serenity and hope, sew something together he could hang a promising new smile upon and wear it proudly like a new jacket. But nothing came of it.

Treasure was happy. With another man.

END. OF. STORY.

Asia and Brian were quiet as mute mice, but their fixated eyes, shaped just like their mother’s, were upon him.

They probably take me for some kinda fool because of her! She’s turnin’ my kids against me, I just know she is. Brian acts worse than ever and now even Asia acts somewhat indifferent.

Treasure—polished, poised and protective Treasure—had cursed him out up one side and down the other with her notorious razor blade encrusted tongue. The woman could either make you feel like the luckiest son of a bitch alive, or lower than an earthworm digging into the moist Earth for days on end. Worse yet, he could tell by her swanky body language that this Mr. Sean Mahoney was putting it on his ex-wife
good
… He was shocked at his twisted jealousy that roped around his throat and strangled the good sense God had bestowed upon him. He had once scoffed at the notion of being afraid, but now, he lay covered in the tar-like covering of fear and he wasn’t aware of any way to clean the shit off him.

He started his car, cleared his throat, and slowly backed out the driveway… the one he used to share with the Queen of his heart. His thoughts lingered, but he wanted to stray from them, leave his temple of turmoil. Still, he kept returning to the memories of the woman that he once called his loving wife.

I never wanted the damn divorce…

He put the car in drive and continued down the road, feeling shit he hadn’t trudged up, in or through in months.

I never wanted my marriage to be over, but she insisted, said she couldn’t stay with a cheater.

All men cheat, not just me.

The men that have never run around on their wife are either lying or dead.

I loved Treasure, I still do! I fuck up one time, and she throws us away. How’s that for loyalty? Okay, it was more than once, but she only knew about the one time! Doesn’t matter…didn’t mean I didn’t love her!

He bit his lip and gripped the steering wheel with both hands, wishing he could rip the damn thing off, release some of the tension.

She hasn’t been serious about anyone, not like this. I checked. This man has been spending time with her for months, just like she said! For fucking months! I mean yeah, I figured she’d go out here and there… Treasure’s a good lookin’ woman, of course men would notice her. Plus, she’s outgoing. Didn’t expect her to stay single forever…but…shit! He has absolutely no criminal record. He’s younger though…but there isn’t a damn thing I can do from a legal standpoint! The bastard even coached Little League!

Who the hell is going to mess with a little league coach without good cause?! He’s only had one damn speeding ticket! Nothing else showed up, but he’s a garbage man, a damn trash collector!!! How could she humiliate me like this?! What will our friends say?! Treasure is dating a damn garbage man! He is pickin’ up the trash in the morning, and then fucking my ex-wife at night! And he’s white… a big, muscle-headed son of a bitch from Queens!!!

He gripped the steering wheel hard as hell now, hurting his own damn hands, almost ripping the leather covering off as his fantasy dictated.

“Dad, are you okay?” Asia broke into his mind as if it were a jail cell, demanding an explanation for his more than likely off-putting silence and bizarre facial expressions. He couldn’t stop the continuous swallowing and clearing of his throat as he paired the mess with nervous, spastic maneuvers.

“Yeah, yeah, baby, I’m fine.” He threw on a big, dazzling smile and patted his daughter’s thigh, trying to fit the role that not a damn thing was wrong, reassure her. It was more for him than for her.

…But things were wrong, things were terribly wrong…

Fact of the matter was, over the past few months, he had come to the conclusion he wanted the woman back, but he had no idea of how to approach her, get her to give him her ear. When he did try to speak to the lady, they’d argue like feral cats and stray dogs. She wouldn’t allow him to say his piece, set the stage for an intelligent, important conversation. She didn’t give him the chance to let her know that he was working so damn hard, not just for
himself,
but to give their kids everything they wanted, the shit he never had growing up. Besides, Jennifer, his girlfriend, was still living in his house; it would’ve been an awkward scenario, but it didn’t stop him from putting in the legwork, to make it all come true.

I gotta get my family back. I just have to…and I will. Treasure, you go ahead and have your little fun, baby. That’s all this is… a distraction from what we had. You want to make this tit for tat? Get even with me? Okay. But please bet and believe, this tryst with Mr. Mahoney will soon be over. I’m getting my woman back and he ain’t got NOTHING on me. We had REAL love, and anything that’s real can be had again…

‡

B
rooklyn Botanic Garden
was one of Asia’s most favorite places in the whole world. She stuffed another pickled cucumber sprinkled with black pepper into her mouth, then washed it down with the remainder of her Snapple lemonade. Pausing to tie her pink and white converse sneaker, she took notice, from an ant’s view, of the tiny rows of little red buds bursting forth from the Earth. Then she got to thinking… Over the past few months, she’d seen her mother smile a bit more, and that made her smile a bit more, too.

“Asia!” her mom called out. “What are you doing?”