Secrets of Love

Not Personal

"My brother has a rare form of cancer. My mom quit her job to take care of him." Trent told me sitting on the couch at his apartment.

"Trent, I'm sorry. I had no idea." I put my hand on top of his as he nodded his head.

"She wasn't even going to say anything about the house. She was so prideful. We're the black sheep of the family on both sides so no one was helping her. I just so happened to be home and I saw the papers. She was losing the house. I couldn't let them be homeless. I got connected with TK, I was selling for him. I wanted out, but he wasn't happy with that. He told me that I was 'playing with his money'. I didn't show for a meeting and the next thing I know he's threatening my brother's life."

"Trent, why didn't you say anything?"I asked as he blew and ran his hand down his face.

"We're both broke college students. What were you going to do?"

"I don't know. I could've helped you find some resources or something." I pulled my feet under me.

"I messed up. I didn't know he was going to kill her."

"Who was she?"

"His mistress. She spent the money he gave her for an abortion on baby clothes. She was told get rid of it and I knew if she didn't he'd get rid of her."

"We can go to the police. What about her family, Trent?"

"He has the police on his payroll. She's ashes. Didn't you see the house go up in flames?"

"I'm just saying. If he killed her because she didn't have an abortion then why did he have you take the baby?"

"One of his supplier's wife had a breakdown because she can't have kids. One he found out she didn't abort the baby TK promised him a baby for a shipment and 1.5 mil."

"Come again? He sold his baby? That's heartless."

"The only reason I know the price is because he told me when I was refusing to do it. I'm sorry, Mimi."

I nodded my head and but my lip. "Trent, it's going to take a long time to get this out of my head."

"I know."

"What was in those duffel bags you put in the car?"

"Blood money. How much do you want?" He asked pulling one of the bags over to the couch.

"Here." He pulled out stacks and placed them on the table. "That's twenty five thousand. I'm going to keep the same amount and give my mom the rest."

"We can't ever talk about this." I said looking into his eyes.

"This stays between us." He said and I nodded my head. "No, say it. 'This stays between us.'"

"This stays between us."

It had been a few months since that night and shockingly I had pushed it out of my mind and didn't have a hard time not thinking about it. It was after three in the morning when I heard knocking on my door. When I got to the door I was shocked to see that it was Trenton. He pushed his way into the apartment and started pacing. I hadn't seen him like that in a while and I wasn't sure what was going on.

"Trent, what's going on?" I asked with my back against the door.

"I can't sleep. I keep having nightmares. Coach has been on my ass because I'm always tired." He sat on the couch and I could see the tiredness written on his face.

"Trent, you have a game tomorrow. You need some rest." I walked over and sat on the couch.

He automatically put his head in my lap and started talking.

"I can't close my eyes without seeing her bleeding out and delivering that baby. I really did gut her like a fish and left her there to be burned up." He put his arm over his eyes.

"It doesn't help to keep thinking about it. Let's talk about something else." I ran my fingers across his waves.

"It doesn't matter if I don't--"

"So how many points are you scoring in this game? Probably not as many as my boo, David. He's my baby daddy and don't even know it."

"Shut up." He mumbled. "I'm getting at least twenty points." He looked up and winked at me.

"If coach even lets you play." I laughed as he smacked his lips.

"Oh, Trenton Clark is playing in that game. I kind of am a big deal."

"That attitude is why you didn't start for two games and didn't play until fourth quarter in one."

"Don't worry about me. Just sing me a song. As a matter of fact hit me with some Luther."

"What song?"

"So Amazing."

"You know I don't-"

"And this is about me and not you. Sing the song."

Before I could finish the first line he was sleep. I sat there for a minute before I made him get up and get in the bed. I was going to let him have the bed, but he woke up before I could close the door.

"Where you going? Stay."

I got back in the bed and he laid on my chest immediately going back to sleep. It went on like that for weeks. That was the only way that he could sleep. We never did anything, not even kiss. It was so bad that we practically lived together at my place because I didn't have a roommate. We didn't talk about that night the only exception was if he had a nightmare. That stayed between us, Bre didn't even know about it.

"So we never slept together. We were just trying to keep the past the past. We weren't going to say anything, but I think it'll help Mimi cope with losing Aniya." Trent said looking from Lexi to Bran.

It was so tense in that room that we'd need an ax to cut the tension. I didn't know what was about to happen, but Pandora's box had been opened and there was no closing it. My heart was beating out of my chest waiting to see how they were going to react to what we just told them.

"You didn't kill her, but you might as well had slit her throat yourself. How could you just watch someone die and then take her baby?" Lexi said shaking her leg.

"It wasn't like that, Lex." I said. "He had no choice. TK was going to kill his brother."

"You know what, Camille? I can't deal with this. What else are you hiding? There's always something." Bran looked at me frustrated.

"Bran, that's it I promise." I started to cry because I just knew he was about to blow up.

"Look, B, I didn't even know the lady. I was just doing a job and Camille unfortunately got pulled into it. It wasn't anything personal, it was business. No to sound heartless. I didn't even know her name she went by Lucky." Trent said and Lexi let out a dry laugh. Like something was just confirmed for her.

"TK, huh? Dirty bastard." Lexi said and walked back and forth mumbling. "'Just business.'" She walked to the door.

"Lexi, calm down." I said and she snapped her head towards me and if looks could kill I would've been dead twice.

"I can't calm down because this is personal." She said and I noticed tears running down her face. She angrily wiped her face and opened the door. "Just so you know her name was Alexandria Monique Russell. She was my sister."

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Hey loves! I didn't jump ship. This new job has taken over my life tho. I'm working on updating more for us. I miss this and yall. Anyhoo...the secret is all out and who thought it was going to hit home like that? Lol. Don't forget to let me know what you're thinking.

Random SN: it's hard being a woman working in a correctional facility. It gets crazy and I'm not talking about the inmates either. Lol.