This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"I Don't Even Know You"

(Part 5)

Trina held on to Cam as if for dear life. While they embraced, Cam and Joss exchanged awkward glances at one another. Although Trina could have stayed there with Cam for hours, he managed to break away from her gently.

"Cam, I'm so glad to see you. You can't imagine how much I needed to see you. And, right on cue, here you are!" Trina beamed.

"Well, when I heard that you needed me, I had to come," Cam replied. "But, as I look at you now, it seems like you're doing just fine. Hi, Joss," Cam replied, as he officially acknowledged his ex. Joss gave him a quick, "Hi."

"Come, sit," Trina encouraged Cam, as she walked with him, leading him towards her bed to take a seat. "How did you find out that I needed you?"

"Well, I got a call from a friend yesterday-911- that you needed me and luckily, that friend and I were able to make that happen," Cam responded.

"Oh. A friend? And would that friend happen to be named Josslyn Jacks?" Trina asked, as she gave Joss a smile.

"Actually, it was your boyfriend, Spencer," Cam replied, as he watched Trina's face for her reaction. What he saw was her smile quickly fade to a frown.

"Oh," was all that Trina could manage at the moment.

"Oh? Trina when he called me he was out of his mind with worry. He didn't even give me a chance to refuse him. His number one priority was getting you what you thought you needed. Me," Cam responded. The look on Trina's face remained unchanged.

"Trina, you mean the world to Spencer. Joss and I have had front row seats to Spencer's love for you. It was almost instant. And ever since you all made it official, he's been on cloud nine," Cam replied, trying to break through to Trina.

With that, Trina got up and retrieved the make-shift photo album that still lay on the floor. She walked back over to Cam and showed him the photo of Spencer, Ace, and Esme.

"So, is she on cloud nine with him?" Trina asked curtly, almost as if she was...jealous.

"Where did you get this, Trina?" Cam asked, frowning as well, once he saw it.

"Joss was showing these photos of Spencer and me," Trina replied. After she said "Spencer and me", Trina paused. "Why did that come so easily for me to say? I don't know him and after seeing that photo, I'm glad I don't. But, there is just something that..." Trina's inner thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Cam's voice.

"Trina. Trina, is something wrong?" Cam asked.

As if trying to come out of a trance, Trina shook her head and said, "No, I'm fine."

"Where'd you go?" a concerned Joss asked.

"No place, really," Trina lied.

"I'm sure that there is an explanation for this," Cam said, referring to the photograph. "There's no way that Spencer would have included this in anything meant for you. I'm positive of that."

"Oh, I'm positive, too. This has Esme's name written all over it," Joss interjected.

"Sneaking this in as a way to get to Trina? I wish I could say that I don't believe it, but OG Esme would definitely pull something like this," Cam responded.

"Ok. Wait a minute. Pause," Trina chimed in. "Who is this Esme? And why does she have the alias of OG Esme? Do I know her? People, remember I don't know a thing, so I need you to fill in all of these missing blanks."

Cam and Joss looked at each other for permission to fill Trina in on her connection to Esme. "It's your call, Joss. I'm just visiting," Cam said.

Trina pouted. "Well, I hope that it can be a long visit," she said, as she looked at Cam.

Joss, hoping to reign Trina's focus back in, responded with a "Ok. Let's do this."

For the next several minutes, Joss and Cam recollected Trina's time with Spencer and Esme over the last two years. For much of the time, Trina's emotions and expressions alternated between smiles, laughs, frowns, anger, hurt, confusion, and ultimately happiness. Once they were finished, Joss and Cam waited for Trina to respond. After a few moments, she did.

"So, supposedly, I am the love of Spencer's life. He had feelings for me from the very start, and he even went to prison to help me. Have I got that right?" Trina asked. Joss and Cam nodded. "Ok, then. So, help me to understand why I would be ok with him living with the person who tried to ruin my life? Better yet, why would he do that to me? To us?"

It was happening again. As soon as she said "us", Trina was triggered. If someone had asked her by what or why, she would not have been able to tell them. But there was something pulling on her, and it had everything to do with...Spencer.

Again, Trina had to be snapped back to the conversation with her friends. "Where'd you go, Trina?" Did you remember something?" a hopeful Joss asked.

Not sure what she was feeling or experiencing, Trina kept mum about the pull that she was feeling. Only if it became more, would she open up about it.

"No, I'm just wondering why he would live with her. I mean, I understand that he wants to be there for his brother. But, if he really loves me, I mean who he thinks I am, why wouldn't he have found another way- a way that would not force me to see someone who had hurt me so badly? Is that how you love someone in 2023? If it is, I think I'll stay right here in 2020," Trina replied sadly, as she tried to control the tears that she felt welling up in her eyes.