Chapter Three: Trust and Anger

On the Road 8:30PM

Tamera's Cadillac Crossover was vicious. Ted loved how she'd designed her car, tinted windows, sunroof, and high def sound system mega bass. His Audi was nice but his father wouldn't allow him to get the sound system he wanted. He had considered it a distraction and extreme noise pollution. Tamera drove like pro and was very alert even though the music blared in her ears. She sang along to the old school Jay-Z track 99 Problems and bobbed her head. Teddy snickered at her lame attempts to rap but she didn't care. She was in her zone; she loved the freedom of the highway and the thrill of driving fast. It was a step away from flying. They rode with peace of the music until Ted's phone began to go off. He turned the music down and answered quickly.

"Hey mom what's wrong?" Tam shot him a glance of concern, Ted shrugged his shoulders indicating he didn't know what his mom wanted. "Yeah, no ... oh no mom, mom no ... yeah I understand. Well, wait I'm like twenty minutes away I could actually come through. Yeah seeya then."

"Sooo we're making a detour?" Tamera asked and Ted nodded Tam took the second exit to the Grey Manor. She hadn't been there since she was fourteen. She was surprised she still knew the way.

"Do you know what she wants?" Tam asked and Ted shrugged.

"Something about a party thing, she was asking a bunch of questions and I really wasn't following her." Ted hopped out first and then circled the car and open Tam's door.

"A party? Is it a fundraiser event? Your family throws the best fundraisers." Tamera said as they walked up the stairs and to the massive front double doors.

"No not exactly," Ted murmured before the doors opened and Mrs. Taylor greeted them.

"Master Grey and Miss Black! Oh my goodness I haven't seen you little Tammy since you were all tiny with glasses! I didn't know you were coming home today."

Ted gave Gail a small side hug and then entered foyer. "It was extremely impromptu. Where's mom?"

"She's in study I believe," Mrs. Taylor looked at both children and was elated by the surprise of seeing both children. She was surprised that Tamera was now back in their home, to date she was the only female that Ted brought home, so it wasn't so much of surprise to see her with him, she was more surprise at the way they looked together. They were very ... united.

Ted walked into the living room and was set to cross the room to get to the study but his father sat in his chair reading something on his iPad. He was frowning so it was probably an email or something related to work. Christian looked up and he was slightly alarmed by his son's presence. He put his table down and stood and embraced his son. "You didn't tell me you were coming? We would've waited to eat dinner. Have you eaten?"

"We just ate but I could always eat again." Teddy smirked and Christian just shook his head. Sometimes when Christian looked at Theodore he felt like he was staring into a mirror. The boy was almost an exact replica except for his blue eyes.

"I'll let Gail know you're hungry."

"He's always hungry," Tamera murmured inadvertedly bringing attention to herself. Both men looked toward her; she stood on the outskirts of the room trying to be respectful of the Grey's mini brief family reunion.

"Miss Black," Christian motioned for her to come in and inched her way into their little circle. "It's a pleasure to see you again. It's been years, Elliot and I were just doing business with your father. I saw a picture of you and my son on his desk." Tamera smiled politely; she didn't really know what to say. Teddy was always crashing her photos. She decided to talk shop, it wasn't something she really liked but it was something that she knew well.

"Really, what kind of business?" She wondered what business they could be completing together, Elliot and her dad were generally rivals instead of partners.

"Yeah, it's a project to build some homes for the less fortunate. We figured the more resources the better together we should be able to assist in building approximately 5,000 starter homes. It's a little project that has been two years in the making." Tamera and Ted were both impressed with the cause and magnitude of lives they'd be able to touch.

"That's great!" Tamera exclaimed. "I'm glad my name is attached to something like that, way to go dad." She chuckled and made a mental note to give her dad a call.

She really tried to limit her conversations with her parents since the divorce. She didn't like feeling like she was in the middle. They tried not to make her feel that way but in some cases it was inevitable.

"Yeah dad that's really cool, when is the launch date of that project?"

"Summer sometime in June, I can recall the exact date." Christian shrugged and decided to change the subject. "So what brings you home?"

"Mom called about some party and we were in the area so we swung by." Ted explained.

"I swung … you just rode." Tamera explained.

"If you'd let me drive your car," Ted started and Tam placed her hand up.

"We've had this conversation before Grey. I'm a better driver than you … it's not going to happen." Ted rolled his eyes.

"You have the spare key to my Audi! I've let you drive my Audi!" Ted snapped.

"Finish the statement Ted, because I'm a better driver and you're a tad lazy." She smirked and he frowned. "And you have my spare key for emergencies." Teddy was still frowning and Tamera was mildly amused. "There's no bend or wiggle room on this Grey, don't pout."

"You don't trust me!" He snapped, his face turned red he wanted her to trust him as much as he trusted her.

"Whoa Grey, take it down a notch … can we table this?" Tamera glanced at Ted's dad out of the corner of her eye. Christian tried not to find Ted's outburst comical, he felt bad that Ted had inherited his hot headed nature.

"It will be revisited," Ted murmured. Tamera really knew how to make his blood boil.

"Great," Tam said dryly and now she was pouting. She didn't get why he was so obsessed with driving her car. She didn't see how could begin to think she didn't trust him. He was the only person she'd confided in during her parents split, but driving her car was apparently the determining factor of trust. She scoffed and shook her head in disbelief. Ted looked to his friend and was filled with regret; he hated making Tamera mad because she held onto her rage. She was the exact opposite of him; he got mad often but let it go quickly. Tamera was easy going but watch out what she gets mad. She analyzed her anger, dwelled on it, and if you're lucky she would speak to you again.

"Go find your mother so we can leave!" She snapped and crossed her arms over her chest. Ted huffed and knew he was going to have to do something really stupid to change her mood. He rubbed her upper arms and gave her a goofy grin. Tamera frowned harder in an attempt not to laugh. "You can come willingly or …"

"You're not lifting me dammit! Gosh, I'm not even allowed to mad at you for five minutes. I swear you drive me insane Teddy!" She stormed off in front of him. Ted snickered as he watched his friend mini tantrum. Christian was in a small state of shock. He wondered if his son knew … he wondered if Tamera knew what they looked like. Teddy looked back at his father with a slightly apologetic look on his face and shrugged.

"The woman's psycho," Teddy murmured before following behind her.

Author's Note: I hope you are still enjoying the story! Please read, review, and no flames!