Page 106 of I Heard It All Before

“I need to tell you something Courtney. I know you’re gonna be upset, but this shit has been bothering me for a minute,” Alton admitted.

“What’s wrong?” Courtney asked.

Alton didn’t answer, but he grabbed his phone to show her the video that he’d made while he was in line at the bank that day. He explained to her exactly what he saw as she watched it all unfold before her very eyes. The quality of the video was perfect, but Courtney didn’t know who the person was in it.

“Oh, my God, Alton! We have to go show this to Nora. Cam wasn’t lying. Somebody really did set him up!” Courtney yelled.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help. I’m sorry baby. I should have said something a long time ago, but I was being a jackass. I was so worried about keeping him away from you and he was the one trying to keep us together,” Alton replied.

“You’re a lifesaver Alton. Nora is gonna be so happy to see this. Cam’s grandfather can use this to get him out. Let’s go baby,” Courtney said as she grabbed his hand and rushed out of their house.

***

“Calm down Demi. You’re gonna make yourself sick with all this crying,” Isis said as she rubbed her sister’s back.

Cam had been in jail for seven weeks and Demi hadn’t been the same since then. She hated being in that big house all by herself, so she always wanted somebody to sleep there with her. Cam’s mother was there with her most of the time and his cousin, Lacey, always kept her company. Demi even got her nieces over there a few times, just to have some companionship.

“I just can’t believe that this is happening. Why now?” Demi questioned as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

They were in a semi-crowded restaurant, but no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Imani invited them to New Orleans Food and Sprits for lunch, and Demi had been crying since they got there.

“Stop crying Demi. You and Cam are gonna be alright, but you need to stop comparing that man to Kamari’s punk ass. I don’t blame him for not being bothered with you right now. He needed you and you gave him your ass to kiss,” Imani fussed.

“I told him that I was sorry, but he didn’t want to hear it,” Demi said as she broke down and cried harder.

“Imani!” Isis yelled. “You’re making shit worse.”

“I’m sorry, but I love her too much not to keep it real,” Imani replied, right as a group of people walked into the restaurant.

“Ugh, we just had to see his ass,” Isis said when she spotted Kamari walking in with his friend Lawrence and two other women.

Demi hurriedly dabbed her eyes and tried to get herself together. She didn’t want to give her ex-husband the satisfaction of seeing her crying, but it was too late.

“Fucking with lames with have you crying every time,” Kamari smirked when he walked by their table and dropped a napkin on the table in front of Demi.

He hadn’t seen Demi since he went to her that job that time and he wasn’t trying to. Kamari had been occupied with his own problems and Demi wasn’t one of them. He’d heard that Cam was in jail and that served her right. She left and divorced him for a nigga who couldn’t even keep his freedom for very long. Kamari was still fighting his own case and he didn’t have time to worry about anyone else’s. He was out on bond, but his charges weren’t dropped. His time had been spent looking for Asha and trying to get his money right. He couldn’t do much on his own since he was fighting an open charge, so Lawrence was handling everything for him. Kamari still had money, but not nearly as much as he had before. He regretted turning Demi away with the money that she offered for the sale of their house, but he would never go back and beg her for a dime. His pride wouldn’t allow him to. He hated that he still loved her trifling ass, but he couldn’t help it. If he thought he could beat the charges that he was fighting, he would have begged her for another chance. If he got off like he was being promised to, he was getting his wife back, no questions asked.

“His punk ass makes me sick. I hope that’s not his new woman because she looks like she got a dick,” Imani said, making Demi and Isis laugh.

“You’re a jackass, but at least you made Demi smile,” Isis chuckled.

“She sure did and, now, I’m ready to eat,” Demi replied.

“Our food better be on the way out. We ordered twenty minutes ago,” Imani said.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the waitress came over and started sitting their plates on the table. They wasted no time digging into their food and all three women were stuffed in no time. Demi forgot all about Kamari being there but, when she looked to her side, his eyes were right on her. He chuckled when she gave him her middle finger and turned his attention back to his female companion.

“Stupid bitch,” Demi fumed as she rolled her eyes.

“Yes honey, my bitch is back. Ain’t no more tears boo,” Imani clapped as she took in Demi’s tearless facial expression.

“Let’s go y’all. We don’t need to be in here fighting,” Isis said while waving their waitress over.

Since it was Imani’s treat, she settled the bill and met her sisters out front by her car. She drove, while Isis parked her car at Demi’s house. As soon as they drove away from the restaurant, Demi’s phone rang, displaying Nora’s phone number.

“Hey Ms. Nora,” Demi said when she answered the phone.

“Demi!” Nora yelled, “I need you to get over here as soon as you can!”

“Okay. Is everything alright?” Demi asked.

“Yes! Courtney and her husband are here and Carrington is on his way over. My baby is coming home!” Nora yelled excitedly before she hung up the phone.

That was all that Demi needed to hear. She yelled for Imani to head over to Nora’s house to see exactly what she was talking about.

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