Page 13 of Devil's Betrayal
“What are you, his old lady or his whore!?”
His words feel like a physical blow which would’ve been less painful than his words. At the same time, ice replaces the heat in my blood and before I could stop myself, I push MoMa aside and slap Gideon so hard that my hand feels like it’s broken.
“Maybe you two should take this outside,” MoMa suggests as she looks around her restaurant noticing that everyone is watching. “I’ll go get some ice for that hand, Camille. And Eagle, I know you’re upset, but don’t you ever speak to me that way again, do I make myself clear?” She delivers her words in a tone that implies he’ll regret any further disrespect to her again and all he does is nod his head in response.
Gathering my phone and purse with my good hand, I lead the way as my son follows me towards the door. The embarrassmentcontinues as more people stare, and amid the various whispers, a man decides to stop Gideon and chastise him about disturbing everyone’s dinner. Unfortunately, the man fails to notice my son’s Kutte, making matters worse.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll mind your own damn business and stay the fuck out of mine or I will fuck you up in ways that you can’t imagine,” Gideon growls without breaking his stare. The man, seeing his life flash before his eyes, backs away slowly and apologizes.
“Was that necessary?” I ask as the man retreats, fear etched on his face. Gideon storms past me nearly taking the door off its hinges as he exits. Seeing my son in such distress is heartbreaking and a small part of me wants to tell him that I will stop seeing Micah if it makes him this upset. A very small part.
Before I make it out the door, MoMa is there with the bag of ice, pressing it against my hand. Wincing in pain, I assure MoMa that I’ll hold it while I talk to Gideon. She insists on accompanying me outside but I tell her I can handle this. Pushing through the door, I find Gideon pacing back and forth by his bike like a bull ready to charge. The air is thick with his anger as my heart sinks, knowing he won’t listen.
“Gideon, please allow me some time to explain. It’s not what you think and I know if you give me a chance, you can at least understand. You may not like it but I promise it will all make sense.”
“The only thing I want to hear is how you will never see him again, nothing more, nothing less!” He states as if he’s issuing an ultimatum, and a sense of sadness washes over me because I fear I may lose my son tonight.
“Gideon, your anger is justified but hear me and hear me good. You don’t get to tell me who I can and cannot have in my life. I’m your mother and I love you but after what I’ve been through, I can’t allow anyone to get in the way of me living mylife. Don’t you want me to be happy?” I inquire, needing clarity because it sounds like he wants me to live my life the way he wants me too.
“Of course I want you happy, just not with Micah,” he replies a little calmer than he was a moment ago.
“Son, you don’t get to dictate who or what makes me happy. That choice is entirely up to me and right now, I choose to explore this thing with Micah. The heart desires what it desires. I’m sorry if that hurts you but if you would only let me explain, I -”
“How about I let that traitorous bastard explain it to my face since he can’t seem to stay the fuck away from my family,” he interrupts, growling as he mounts his bike. “Why don’t you text that asshole back and warn him that I’m on my way to see him.”
Before I can speak another word, he vanishes, speeding off into the night like a demon on a mission. Retrieving my phone, I see there are several text messages from Micah who became worried after I didn’t respond to him. Despite the lingering pain in my right hand, I dial Micah’s number and rehash the entire encounter with Gideon, his intense anger, his disrespect towards me, and how he’s on his way to his house. Micah anticipated as much and prepared himself for the impending confrontation. He apologized for intruding on my dinner but explained he only wanted me to know that he missed me and couldn’t wait for us to be together again. With the way he was speeding, it’s only going to take Gideon about twenty minutes to reach Micah’s place. In the meantime, I’m going back inside MoMa’s for a stiff drink to help me weather this storm.
Following my conversation with Micah, I walk back into MoMa’s and make a beeline for the bar. Everyone stares my way, looking at me with pity, as I take a seat at the far end of the bar. With my face in my hands, I take a moment to breathe and center myself replaying everything in my mind. This didnot go as planned, but honestly, I find solace in the truth being revealed. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, Micah and I can move forward with our lives and possibly build something meaningful out of the pain. The murderous look in Gideon’s eyes should have me worried but Micah can hold his own against him. Although they share a history of rivalry, I believe it's time for my son to discover the genuine side of Micah and get to know the man who has always held a special place in my heart.
“Darlin, are you alright?” MoMa inquires filling a tumbler with two fingers of Bardot’s Finest. I should be proud to see my last name on a bottle of the world-renowned golden liquid but all I feel is shame. I can’t be certain that I wouldn’t have had a life full of grief if I had chosen Micah all those years ago but I’m positive it would be better than this shit show. How is this my life? My parents practically pushed me into Franklin’s arms when they found out he was attending the same college as me. They encouraged our relationship in a way that made me feel obligated to give him a chance. That coupled with the absence of Micah helped me make the decision to be with him. Now, here I am, sitting in a bar drowning my sorrows in a drink because my supposedly perfect life is the most toxic existence imaginable.
“I’ll have to get back to you on that after I have a few drinks, MoMa,” I reply as someone wraps me in a hug from behind. The soothing familiar scent of lavender envelopes me and I know it is none other than my best friend, Lena. The tears I battled to keep in check fall freely down my cheeks as she holds me in her arms without saying a word.
“I called her as soon as you went outside with Eagle,” MoMa shares patting my hand.
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry Gideon found out like this,” Lena sympathizes taking a seat beside me. MoMa places another tumbler on the bar and pours her a drink. Taking a generous sip of liquid courage I embrace the burn that replaces the heartacheof possibly losing my son. Despite everything that happened with Gideon, I’m not giving Micah up. Never again will I sacrifice our relationship for the sake of others’ happiness. If Micah and I don’t work out, it will be because of us and not because someone else dictates our lives. Those days are over.
“I’ve never seen Gideon this angry before. Do you think he’ll never speak to me again?” I’m surprised at the tremor in my voice so I quickly down the rest of my whiskey and motion to MoMa for a refill.
“Of course he will,” Lena assures me soothingly tracing circles on my back. “He’ll realize he needs you well before you need him. My advice? Live your life and pursue the happiness you deserve. He’s not a child where your life decisions have an impact on him. Alise will talk some sense into him and he knows how important it is for the kids to have you in their lives.”
“Do you think he’ll listen to Micah?”
“I believe so. Micah being an older man with his own son around Gideon’s age, knows how to handle him. He’ll make him calm down and listen. Gideon may see Micah as the enemy but he can’t overlook Micah’s wisdom and he’ll be able to answer Gideon’s questions about Franklin and Jake. It would be foolish of him not to listen.”
“You make it sound so simple Lena, but I have to consider how these are two men who have seen things that would turn your stomach, and their animosity is rooted in death and betrayal. They shouldn’t be in the same space with one another and I don’t see them having a civil conversation.” I counter, sipping from my refilled tumbler.
“One thing I know about Micah is his ability to get the most difficult person to see reason. Besides, Gideon is long overdue for an ass kicking. He may be your son, Camille, and he may have many of your qualities, but he was downright disrespectful towards you and I know Micah don’t take too kindly to that.”MoMa interjects, her words unsettling me instead of providing comfort.
“Maybe I should head over there to make sure they don’t kill each other,” I suggest as I stand to leave.
Lena immediately blocks my path and advises,
“If you intervene those two will never work out their differences. I believe you when you say that Micah isn’t a monster but it’s up to him to prove to Gideon that he’s a changed man and worthy of being in your life.”
“She’s right, Camille. Let those men have the conversation that is long overdue,” MoMa adds. “Micah told me long ago about Franklin and his ordering Jake’s demise. When he first walked into my bar, I grabbed my shotgun ready to put a hole straight through his heart for terrorizing Iron Forge all those years. Turns out, he not only apologized for taking money from my bar, but he also paid me back every penny. When I told Eagle about it, he shrugged it off. Gideon needs to see for himself that Micah is a changed man. So sit your tail down, have another drink, and I’ll make sure you get home safe and sound.”
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