Three's Company

77

Jess

Deon: Look, they're gonna let me out. I just wanna know if you want me at the house or not. If you don't, I get it. I just need a heads up so I can make other arrangements.
Me: There was a phone in your suitcase right before this all went down. What was it?
Deon: You went through my stuff?
Me: That detective called me and I didn't know what the fuck to think, so yes. I went looking.
Deon: That was my old iPhone, J.
Me: You didn't mention an old phone to me.
Deon: It must've slipped my mind. My phone started tripping. I was out of town and Apple overnighted me a replacement to the hotel. I got it and put the messed up one in my suitcase so I could ship it back to them. That's what you saw.
Me: Why couldn't I get into it?
Deon: Didn't I just say it was fucked up?
Me: Do you know how hard this is for me?!
Deon: I'm in JAIL! You think it's not hard on me?
Me: But we're innocent and we're taking the hit for shit we didn't have shit to do with.
Deon: Jessica, I don't care what phone records, emails, transactions, I did not set up nobody to fuck no niggas. I didn't launder money through the agency. It wasn't me!
Me: Okay, Deon.
Deon: You really not the woman I thought you were.
Me: And you're the man I thought you were?!
Deon: Wow. Okay, you know what. I'm sorry I even called. I'll get a fucking hotel. You ain't gotta worry about me coming to the house. And if you don't love me no more. Just say that. Maybe that will hurt less.
Me: You know I love you!
Deon: It don't feel like it! You've doubted me since the beginning. You ain't came to see me, nothing. Do I even have a wife anymore?!
Me: I'm just looking at the facts presented. So I don't know. Do you?!
Deon: Nah. Clearly I don't.

I started to cry.

Deon: I'm sorry, Jess. I swear I never meant for any of this to happen. You have to know that I would never intentionally put you or Morgan in this position. I love you far too much for that.
Me: I've been fucking Garrett this whole time.

That came out. I didn't mean to say that. It just escaped.

Deon: What?

*silence*

Deon: For how long?!
Me: For months...maybe a year. I don't know. I'm sorry.
Deon: So that's why you acting like this.

"Your call will disconnect in one minute."

Deon: Hang up. I'm calling your ass back. You better fucking pick up!

It wasn't even ten seconds later and my phone was buzzing again. I pressed "1" to accept the call. I really blew it all up. Just like that. Word vomit.

The call connected. I didn't say anything. Tears streamed down my face. My heart felt like it would come straight through my chest cavity and hit the floor and shatter into a million pieces. But I made this bed. Now I have to lie in it.

Deon: Did you ever love me?
Me: ...I still love you.
Deon: I have never felt more unloved than this moment right now. When I married you, I thought this was for life. I thought we were gonna have kids and retire together. But this whole situation has shown me that you were never for me. So when I get out of here and they put this ankle monitor on, I'll have my lawyer draw up divorce papers. So you can be happy. Cuz clearly I don't do that for you.
Me: I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you.
Deon: It's too fucking late!

The inflection in his voice went from serious to anger to hurt in a matter of seconds. He choked up. "When you get a wife, she's supposed to believe in you and stick beside you. I'd do that for you!" He sniffled. "Ima just come get all my stuff. Whatever you want you can have. Just give me my last name back. You don't deserve to carry it."  That hit like a ton of bricks.

Me: I don't want anything from you.
Deon: CLEARLY! Not even me. You know the most fucked up thing about all this? What are we going to tell Morgan? I love that little girl like she's my own daughter. I've been there for her since birth. All that just goes down the drain huh?
Me: I'll still let you see her. I'd never take that away from you or her.
Deon: Garrett smiled in my face for YEARS knowing he was fucking my wife. All over my fucking house! FUCK!
Me: I'm sorry...
Deon: You muthafuckas are GRIMY! Gah damn!
Me: I gotta go.

I didn't give him a chance to say anything. I hung up. I threw my phone on the couch and buried my face in my lap. He wasn't wrong. About any of it. I didn't know what I wanted anymore but I knew I was broken. The tears came rushing to the surface like a dam that had just shattered. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Everybody could see me falling apart. Jayden tried to save me and I yelled at her. She wasn't wrong. Deon wasn't wrong. I fucked all this up. I still don't know if he's innocent. But it doesn't even matter anymore. I screamed out in frustration.