Chapter Five: Cam

I tried to avoid my mom’s questions, heading to the study room to do some work. After finishing up, I was about to go back to my room and talk to Miss Luper about staying as a cover for us—Stella and me—when someone pulled me into the next room. It was Stella clinging to me, burying her face in my chest as she led me towards the bed. I couldn’t help but notice the weird way she approached me, sniffing like some sort of territorial instinct whenever another woman was around. It was almost like she was marking her territory or something. Maybe she was just dealing with the jealousy—thinking that having Miss Luper around during her pregnancy might make things easier.

I knew she was in a fragile state, but I couldn’t deal with this right now. “Honey, we can’t do this now,” I told her firmly. “Everyone’s still up, and I need to make sure everyone’s asleep first.” But she was insistent, tugging at my pants, saying, “Baby, you know how I get when I see you with another woman. I can’t help myself. I need to do something now. It’s your anniversary; I have to give you a gift, right?” She looked at me with those big, pleading eyes, hair up in a ponytail. I felt uneasy, like I was doing something wrong, but she didn’t let up.

“I know she’s prettier than me,” Stella continued, pulling my boxer down, “but is she skilled?” Before I could respond, I picked her up, tossed her onto the bed, and climbed on top of her. “How can you say that? Don’t you know I love you so much? I never said she was pregnant—not you. So why are you being jealous?” She looked into my eyes, and just as she was about to kiss me, I heard my mother yelling my name loudly.

“Look, I told you we should do this after everyone’s gone to bed,” I said, hopping down and pulling on my trousers. Stella tried to keep me there, playing with her nipples with one hand and sliding her other hand down. “Baby, you know I can’t do it now.” She hummed in response, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to get out of there.

I rushed downstairs, only to find my mother hugging Miss Luper’s mom. “Why are you calling me Mom? I was busy,” I mumbled as I walked past them to sit on the sofa, trying to make sense of everything. It was late, and the driver had already gone home, so I called a friend to take her to the airport since her flight was in an hour. “Okay, I’ll drop you off; did you say goodbye to my wife?” My mother gave her another tight hug and said, “I think she’ll miss you,” as I gathered up her bags. “I’m just glad my daughter has a loving mother like you around. I was worried she might have given up on affection after college.” They hugged again, tears streaming down their faces. “Let’s go now,” I said, interrupting them, trying to put an end to the endless tears. It’s hard to tell just how close they are, and it’s starting to worry me

After dropping off my mother-in-law, I walked towards Stella’s room, where she was waiting for me in that seductive nightgown that always seemed to highlight her changing shape. “Honey, now that I’m back, let’s spend some time together,” she said softly, carefully untying the robe around her neck. She looked so vulnerable, so much like someone who needed reassurance. I couldn’t help but stare at her, feeling a mix of longing and frustration. “You’re going to get bigger soon,” I said, trying to keep things light, “so we should make the most of tonight.” My lips found hers as I began to kiss her, my hands moving to touch her, to hold her, but I couldn’t shake the thought that she was carrying someone else’s child.

“Did you touch yourself while I was away?” I asked, my voice low, a mix of teasing and concern. “Aah, baby, I told you I’d punish you if you touched yourself again, and yet you did,” she replied, her voice a soft, desperate murmur. It felt like she was trying to reclaim something—control, intimacy, me—despite everything that was happening. I slid one hand down her body, feeling the tension in her as she arched towards me. “I can’t take it any longer,” she gasped, her fingers tightening around my wrist. “I need you.”

I kissed her neck gently, trying to calm the storm that seemed to be brewing inside her. “Sweetie, slow down; everyone is going to hear you if you’re too loud,” I whispered. But she only pulled me closer, a little more desperate each time. “Oh, babe, yes, that’s the spot,” she moaned, her eyes shut tight. I knew I was part of something complicated here, a situation that had started long before I walked back into her life.

“Ooh, darling, you’re so good,” she gasped, her breath hitching. “I think you’re going to love what’s coming even more,” I replied, trying to inject a bit of humor into the moment to break the tension. I pushed her down gently, aligning myself with her. As I started to thrust, she moaned louder, the sound of it mixing with the echo of a door closing somewhere in the house. “You need to lower your voice, baby,” I murmured, trying to keep things private, just between us.

“You are the best,” Stella said, her fingers gripping my shoulders tightly, as though trying to keep me anchored to the present. I knew she was scared—of losing me, of what was happening to her body, of how everything was changing around us. “This is the best,” she kept repeating, as if trying to convince herself more than me. When I finally pulled her out of our embrace and suggested she take a shower, she looked up at me with those soft, vulnerable eyes, her voice almost pleading. “Honey, why don’t you bathe me today?” she asked, her tone one of genuine need.

I stared at her for a moment, feeling a rush of emotions—regret, sadness, longing. I reached out, lifting her gently into my arms and carrying her towards the bathroom. “Let’s go,” I said softly, trying to focus on the here and now, blocking out the bigger picture for just a little while longer. I carried her into the bathroom, adjusting the shower curtain around us, feeling the weight of everything around us as I started to thrust gently, trying to find some connection, some comfort, amidst the chaos.