Broken Things

Cami was just sure this time she’d catch him in the act. She knew the red haired hussy was too much temptation for him, that there was no way he wouldn’t take her somewhere private just to screw her brains out.. God knows Cami wasn’t getting any from her ‘workaholic’ husband herself.

Two months. The last time her husband had touched her was two months ago. That was only because she had accused him (yet again) of infidelity, to which he had felt the need to prove himself a man to her. The time before that, it was six months. It was obvious to Cami that he didn’t feel the same love towards her anymore, that he found his affections elsewhere now.

Cami pulled the car into an obscure parking lot, watching as the driver to Collin’s car opened the door for him and the prune. She had worn an overly tight skirt with a see through top yet again. Cami ducked down lower in the seat of her long time friends car, just in time to see Roger pull off and Collin putting a hand to the back of the hussy before guiding her inside the busy restaurant. Cami felt jealousy rage inside, from the pit her tummy, knowing that the last time he had put a hand on her was during their rare love making, and even then it was too fleeting to notice. The love making, and the touches.

She watched as they were escorted to a table by the window, where two men were already seated. Cami felt her phone buzz, so she looked to see if it was Lily. Her best friend and partner in crime, the one who let her borrow the car to not be seen, but last minute couldn’t join in on the stake out.

“Hello.” Cami whispered. Even though there was no way that Collin or the hussy could hear, she still felt it was a necessity. Lily had been her childhood best friend, they went to school together, had every class together in high school, and were roommates in college. Lily was her maid of honor when she got married, is still there to slap Cami when when she has unreasonable doubts about anything, and always down to help murder someone or comfort Cami when they were reasonable. Lily was the only person in the world that knew Cami and Collin were at a stalemate in their marriage, and Lily did all she could to help Cami get down to what was going on with her secretive husband.

“Sorry I just got to the house, Jeremy gave me a ride home. How is it going, did you find anything out?” Lily’s voice came through the phone, while Cami heard her munching on some sort of food. Cami sighed and sat up a little, feeling foolish.

“No, the hussy and Collin are in a restaurant with two men. I’m waiting to see what happens and where they go after.” Cami rubbed her eyes under her glasses. She knew collin would be too careful to do anything while he had a ring on his finger in front of company, or in public. He was too prideful, and acted as if he was too modest to do something like that.

Hell, Collin wouldn’t even kiss his wife in front of company or family, with the exception of the wedding ceremony when it was expected of them.

“Do you need to come pick me up for support? I can order pizza and we can eat while they do.” Lily suggested, again trying to support her best friend.

“Yeah, I’ll come by in a hurry. They just sat down so it should be an hour at least before they leave.” Cami said as she pulled away from the lot across from her husband, and towards her calm best friend.

When she pulled into Lily’s driveway, Lily came out decked in all black, with a black beanie but still had makeup on, her shiny blonde hair bouncing all over as she held the pizza box in one hand, while her other hand was shoving her sleek phone in her black jacket pocket. When she got closer to the car, Cami reached over and pulled the door open for her, and she slid into into the leather seat easily, shutting the door behind her and putting her seat belt on while the pizza box jostled in her lap.

“I had to tell Jeremy I couldn’t come to dinner tonight because I had a shit load of papers to grade.” Lily said with a grin and a giggle as Cami backed out of her drive. Jeremy is Lily’s boyfriend of six months. Cami reveled in the irony that Lily had a boyfriend of six months, when that was the span of time between her and her husbands sex life. Jeremy was a friend of Collins, and he had taken an instant liking to Lily. Lily, after graduating (unlike Cami) became a professor at the college they had gone to.

Her best friend was the opposite in every way from Cami. Cami saw marriage in every guy she had dated. Some sort of possible future. Lily wanted a career, and to focus on that for a set amount of time before there were any thoughts of even becoming serious with a man. Cami did things without much thought, and she always used to be spontaneous. Lily thought every little detail out before acting on something, and even then, she had to think it over more before she actually did it. That didn't mean she wasn’t a spit fire though, or that she wasn’t fun. She loved fun.. They were twenty four, for heavens sake, and they lived opposite lives. Lily refused to tell a man she loved him unless he met certain requirements, and they were together for a certain amount of time, which usually was a year. Cami threw caution to the wind and had gotten engaged at 18, with six months of dating, and had gotten married in eight months all together. She had ended up just barely getting her AND and RN, before she let it all go. but Lily never judged Cami, just like Cami never judged Lily, they always knew they were opposites, and that’s what made them fit so well together.

“I bet he was understanding. Why are you wearing all black and dressed up like you’re going to rob a store, but still want to look good for the cameras when they find you?” Cami asked with a small smile, while she headed back in the direction of her sure to be cheating husband. Lily snorted as she looked over Cami, noticing that she was just in regular jeans with a plain shirt, hair up messily, and her glasses on with no makeup.

“Because once we catch him in the act we have to confront him. Duh. And you can’t be showing up facing off his mistress looking like that, Camilla Grace. What has gotten into you? You used to make even lazy day a mascara and hair done at least day.” Lily said while taking notice that her best friend was starting lose more weight, so her clothes didn’t even fit her properly anymore.

Lily was sure that if she could, she’d give Collin Jackson a piece of her mind. Lily heard vaguely of the things Collin put her through, though Cami didn’t want to disclose too much of her personal life to others, or make Collin out to be the bad guy. Cami was embarrassed to be having such big problems in a marriage, with a man that made her out to be insane in private.

“I don’t care what I look like. I have too much to do during the day, and no one to impress. I’m passed the ‘look good all the time’ phase anyways.” Cami shrugged, not wanting to tell Lily that Collin was the reasoning behind it. Cami knew he never meant to, but he used to always get upset when she had “gunk” on her face. Then it was that she looked too good in her glasses. He had always told her he preferred her without makeup, and with her thick glasses on. When Cami felt that Collin had stopped caring about how she looked, and stopped treating her like she was an important part of his life, she slowly let go of her looks. When he eventually stopped looking at her body, or even fully taking off clothes when they were intimate, she let go of herself completely. He never once commented on it, he just went on about his own business.

“Well you need a break this weakened. What do you say we go to the spa?” Lily asked, and Cami sent her a look when she parked across from the restaurant again. She automatically could spot her husband and the twenty year old who was giggling at something he had said.

“I don’t know, I’m not sure I should be spending a weekend away at a time like this.” Cami said hesitantly as Lily opened the box of pizza, grabbing two slices. She quickly stacked one on top of the other and handed the makeshift piece of pizza to her friend.

Cami grabbed the two in one piece of pizza, rolled its sides up slightly and took a huge bite. “I think you need to get away. You’ve been off and on following him for a week now, and killing yourself with all of the daily chores in your household, dealing with both yours and Collins parents, and siblings daily. I think you need a weekend to remember that looking good is feeling good.” Lily tried to compel Cami and as she was still unsure, she saw all four bodies stand.

Cami pointed it out to Lily while she hurriedly ate the rest of her pizza, giving enough time to watch the two couples shaking each other’s hands, then make their way to pay for the bill. Cami shoved the last of the pieces in her mouth and brushed her oily fingers on her jeans as she watched everyone walk out of the restaurant.

Once again Collin had his hand to the hussy’s back, just above her bosom.

“I think he’s touching her way too much for my comfort.” Lily said as she finished off her pizza, leaning forward and trying to get a better look at the scene before them. The two unknown men got inside of a black town car, leaving the red head and Cami’s husband alone on the sidewalk.

Cami watched with her frantic beating heart tucked away behind her rib cage at the giggling couple. They obviously seemed close.

“Man if that’s what it means to be a secretary, I’d be able to keep my job for two years to. Look at them cuddling up, it’s obvious their intimate.” Lily murmured with malice in her tone. Cami swallowed hard as she saw Roger pull up with the car. Collin opened the door for the busty red head, and followed in after her.

Cami turned on the ignition, pulling forward until there was an appropriate amount of space and vehicles in between the two cars. “What if I do catch him, Lil? I have no job, I have savings and an allowance.” Cami tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Yes, Collin gave her an ′allowance’ every two weeks. He didn’t love Cami seeing the bank balance, so they had set up a separate account for him to transfer money into before she ever even said 'I Do'. Just another cost when it came to paying bills in his book.

“You’ll come live with me, divorce the bastard and take all of his money.” Lily said easily, though it didn’t sound like she was joking one bit. She wasn’t joking. Lily tried multiple times to get Cami to stay with her when she started saying she thought Collin was cheating. That was over a year ago. To this day, Collin doesn’t take it seriously when Cami tries to bring the indiscretion up.

“I could never take all of his money. You have to remember, I do still love him. Even if he is cheating. Maybe I should start looking for jobs anyways.” Cami mumbles as she takes a right, following behind at just the right pace.

“If he’s cheating, he deserves to have everything taken from him for putting you through this. I mean, you’ve been unhappy for two years. Maybe you should get on hot outfits, and tell him you won’t know when you’ll be back, and give no indication of what you’re doing, then come home at two in the morning. I mean jesus, Cam, he’s started sleeping in a different room.” Lily sounded exasperated, but Cami was used to it at this point.

She thought about what it would be like, but would Collin really care when she was at the house and when she wasn’t? Would he even notice? She could be the one cheating, and he’d never notice, Cami was sure of it.

“It would be no use, it’s not like he’d ever notice it. He’s gone too often to see any difference. As long as I make sure his suits are pressed exactly how he likes, the house is tip top, and I’m involved with our families just enough to satiate them, he doesn’t care.” Cami repeated what was going through her head. Collin didn't even know she volunteered at the pet house three times a week just to get out of her own silent house, or that she spent some of her ′allowance′ on groceries so she could take hot dinners to the homeless shelter, enough to last a few days before she did it again. Cami never told anyone what she did. She didn't want to seem like a trophy wife that was just doing it because it made her look good. She did it because she wanted others to know that someone, anyone, cared about them.

“Maybe you should make him notice.” Lily says quietly, knowing she was losing an already lost battle. When Collin’s car comes to a stop in front of his office building, the two girls watch in silence as Collin and Jessica exit the car before Roger drives off again. Instead of going inside the office, Collin follows the young girl to a silver Ford focus, and she turns around just before she gets in to talk to him again. Cami’s palms start to become clammy as she sees Collin look happier than he has in the company of his own wife for the last two years.

The hussy reaches up and kisses his cheek, her own turning a bright ruby red before she turns to the silver car and gets in, driving away. Collin stares at the leaving car, putting his hands in his suit pants pocket before turning to head inside of the building he calls his own.

“She kissed his god damn cheek! How inappropriate is that?!” Lily fumes for Cami, as Cami just feels her heart in her chest pound like it might be it’s last time.

Cami doesnt say anything to her furious companion as she pulls onto the road, heading back to Lily’s house.

“How much is it going to take for you to leave his sorry ass, Cam!? Do you have to catch him with his pants down specifically?” Lily fumes even more, as Cami winces at Lily’s hard truths. It would be nearly impossible to catch him literally with his pants down, or them ever kissing. Collin only kissed Cami’s cheek in front of people, and only let her do the same, while behind doors when there was nothing but reassuring safety from prying eyes, he turned on his full charm. That had been six years ago, but Cami still remembered the small thrill she felt in her stomach when he kissed her cheek in public. She always felt it had been a silent admission to what he’d do to her behind closed doors.

“I love him. I just.. I dont know.” Cami couldn’t form articulated words. She wanted to be able to defend Collin, say there’s no possible way that he’d ever cheat on her, that a kiss to the cheek was nothing. But Cami had been on the end of those kisses in public. Collin thought it was trashy to kiss on the lips in front of any sort of company. It was weird, because no one else she’d ever met had had that problem, but it was cute to her. That even just kissing on the lips was intimate enough for him to do behind closed doors.

Cami numbly pulled into Lily’s driveway, pressing on her garage door opener, and swung the car inside.

“I’m just saying.. I don't want you going any deeper into this and coming out permanently scarred, or worse.” Lily tried one last time, and this time Cami nodded.

“I’ll come to the spa this weekend with you.” Was her only reply, but Lily saw it as a huge leap forward. It didn't take much for her to notice that it had been a really long time since Cami had done anything for herself.

“Okay. I’ll make the appointments tomorrow. Pack a full weekend bag, and I want dresses in there. Like sexy dresses. And makeup, Cami.” Lily listed off, and Cami smiled, but she still felt dull.

“Okay, I’ll start the packing tonight.” Cami assures the woman, before they both get out of the car, and she heads to her own car with Lily following, still telling her what she can and can’t bring.

When she finally gets into her own car, she tries not to slump down in her seat. She starts the car, and drives the way to her own house.

When she arrives at her two story house, Cami closes her eyes for a moment, before gathering the courage to act like nothings wrong in her life. She tidies up, fluffing pillows in the living room, wiping a smudge off the creme colored wall in the kitchen, and washing the windows. When she finally feels that it’s perfect, she heads upstairs to her room, takes a quick shower then pulls on her sweats and T-Shirt, not bothering to try and look good for someone she knows isn’t coming to her bed.

She turns off the lights, throws the covers back before she gets in to the too big, too empty mattress and falls asleep, still refusing to cry.

Cami cracks her eyes open, unsure of what’s waking her up.

She hears it again, and she’s positive it’s someone knocking on the door. She sits up in bed, rubbing her face from sleep, and then gets up when she hears yet another knock, though louder this time. Tonight she had locked her door, a sign that she doesn’t care to be disturbed. Collin obviously didn't care if he disturbed her or not though.

She unlocked the door, her hand coming up to shield the light from the hallway as her husband had his hand up as if he was about to knock again. His body was leaned against the doorway, head lulled forward slightly. Cami immediately recognized what was going on.

It was his drunk stance.

“Do you need something?” Cami tries to clear the sleepiness from her throat, as Collin leans forward even more.

“You wanna, yah know?” He asks, and Cami can hear the strain, he’s trying to not slur. It only makes her feel more crappy about herself.

‘Does he really need to be inebriated before he wants to jump in bed with me?’ Was her first thought as she looked over her husbands face. Even when he’s hammered, he still looked handsome in her eyes. Blonde hair that was now disheveled, blue eyes, and dimples in his cheeks that you could barely see when his stubble covered it. Twenty-nine, and he never looked a day over twenty.

“What?” Cami asks, trying to play innocent so she doesn't have to tell him ‘no’ to his face.

“Yah know, you wanna do it?” This time he manages to slur a little, and Cami closes her eyes.

“No. I don’t think we should while you’re drunk.” Cami tried to reply softly, and Collin only snorted.

“Yah wanna know a secret? The little girl, Jess *hiccup*ca? She wouldn’t care if I was sober or not.” This time he full on out slurred every bit as he tried to take his full height. Cami felt like her heart had just taken a brutal beating.

“Go to bed, Collin. You have work in the morning.” Cami choked out, trying to not let what he said get to her. He just laughed, and walked down the hallway before slumping into his own room as Cami closed the door. When she locked it this time, she let herself slide down the door as she put her head in her hands.

She couldn’t hold back the tears this time, and she felt a full emotional release as her body wracked with sobs. When Cami finally stumbled over to her bed, it felt to have been hours later. This time she went to sleep wondering if she’d ever be able to be happy again.