Muted Anguish

CHAPTER 19: "ROT IN HELL, MOTHERFUCKER!"

I could feel the fingernails digging into my palms starting to draw blood. Everywhere had suddenly gone silent, people were waiting to see if things were going to further escalate.
"What is going on here?" Harvey's voice boomed out
My head snapped around to see him and Keisha coming our way
"Oh my gosh, Cameron..." she walked straight to me, her small hands framing my face "Honey, you're bleeding. Bethany told me everything, I had to call Harvey"
Gently, I touched her hands and moved them away from my face, falling a step behind "N-not now babe"
She understood my reasons for doing that
"Hey... hey" she whispered, closing the gap between us and cupping my face in her hands again "Just like we practised remember? Look at me...look at me" She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly "Just like that...yeah?"

I repeated the action, glancing at Julian in the process.
"No. No. No. Look over here" she pointed at herself "Just keep looking at me and doing that okay?"I felt my body start to relax. That was the thing about Keisha. She has this soothing effect on me. She made me feel like I could overcome anything. With her around, I felt unusually calm.
I didn't just want her in my life I needed her.
I needed her to function.
She rummaged in her purse and brought out my drugs "Here, baby, use them" then she handed me a bottle of water I hadn't noticed she had been holding.
Lifting the bottle to my lips, I gulped a large portion after swallowing my drugs.
"What's up with Julian?"
I breathed out through my mouth "He's crazy. I'm starting to think he's obsessed with you"
She made a funny sound with her mouth and waved off the statement "Pfft. He's just being a baby"
"If you hadn't shown up with Harvey I-I don't think I could've resisted..."
"Shhh..." she said soothingly "You're stuttering again, just calm down. You did well" Then turning, she started in Julian's direction whose path had been blocked by Harvey.
"What the fuck, Julian?!"

All that tough guy bravado seemed to wither up and die the very second he saw her.
"Keisha" he called, his voice full of yearning
"Why are you doing this? Gosh, look at your face and you're still not gonna stop?"
He bowed his head like a guilty three-year-old kid caught stealing candy. So, the fool had suddenly lost his voice?
"Say something! Don't just stand there like some dumb fucking freak!"
And Keisha! Keisha was like his mother scolding him.
"You shouldn't be with him" he muttered
Keisha lost her reserve, her hands flailing in the air "Oh my gawd, Julian!" she stared at him disbelievingly "This again? Move on, bro. Move the fuck on!"
His voice broke "That's just it... I can't"
"It's because you have so much hate inside of you!" her voice rose "You cannot move on because you don't want to let go of the hate you feel towards him" she pointed at me "I love him, Julian. He makes me happy. For gawd's sake if you really do love me you should be happy for me. You should be happy I'm happy" then her voice and facial expression softened "I know you're hurt but..." she held his hand, an action I visibly frowned against "...you need to let me go"
"You're going to get hurt"
She dropped his hand angrily "You don't know that!"
"He hurt you before, he can do it again"
She sighed exasperatedly, held his gaze for some seconds then shook her head "I'm done with you and I don't want to ever see you again"
"Keisha!" He was alarmed
"Bye," she said firmly "Come on Harvey, come on Beth" then she walked back to me and grabbed my hand "Cameron, let's go"
I followed her obediently, flicking Julian the middle finger.
"Rot in hell, motherfucker!"

APRIL'S POV

"Have you lost your mind?" I didn't wait for a reply before flashing a video of him fighting Cameron on my phone at him "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing" he replied coolly with a shrug, walking to the fridge and pulling out a can of soda "I was having a bit of a..." he paused "...breakdown"
"So, you thought hitting him was gonna solve that?" I gave a disapproving look
He brought the can to his lips, downing the contents
My frown deepened "This is about Keisha"
Julian set the can of soda on the table and sauntered towards me with an easy smile, sliding a hand around my waist and pulling me to himself "You look so sexy today" he said evasively, his finger tracing my jawline.

I stepped away from him and folded my arms across my chest. He studied me for a moment and tilted his head, his dark eyes shining "This is supposed to be a no-strings-attached thing. Why do you sound jealous, mi querida?"
"I'm not jealous you fool" I snapped "Cameron's my friend. I don't want you picking on him"
His eyes narrowed "Okay, tiger. Relax. I'm done anyway. Keisha already..." he stopped. Glanced at me then cleared his throat before dropping to a settee "Come to me, baby or do you want to do this some other time?"

I tossed my bag to a velvet couch and shed off my denim jacket, leaving on an armless clingy blouse. I heard him mutter a curse in Spanish.
"You need to leave Cameron alone," I said sultrily, sitting on his legs and wrapping my hands around his neck. I squeezed tightly, earning a moan from him.
"You're so hot when you get all bossy"
I squeezed again, a little tighter than the first time "I'm serious, Julian"
"Fine"
"Promise me"
"I promise"
"That's a good boy"