𝐊𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐉𝐀𝐇'𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 / 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐈𝐄 𝐁

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟒: 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐙.

"Oh," she said simply, resting her head against the side of her bed, "so, it'll be three of you on the song? That's cool. I didn't even know you made music like that."

"It's not something I take seriously. Just something for me to do. Kay thinks it's stupid and shit, so it's really just me."

"He's still writing though," Khadijah smiled.

"Yeah because I told him I'm not doing this without him," Arion clarified, shaking his head, "I'on see the point anymore. I like to write—I like to rap, but my shit barely gets views. Feels pointless, so I just took allat shit down."

"If you like it, keep doing it," Khadijah said to him, she watched him as he crossed out something on the page that she couldn't see with his pen.

"If I'm not getting money, then there's no point in doing it."

"Don't say that," Khadijah's smile slowly fell, "just because you don't make money from it, doesn't mean you should stop doing it. That sounds dumb. Like, Kevin loves listening to music—the nigga almost never stops—he don't make money from it, but he enjoys it, so he does it. Everybody has a hobby." Khadijah shrugged, peering up at Arion curiously. "If you like writing and making music, do it."

"You didn't even know I made music," Arion scoffed, closing the notebook, "imagine making a song and getting like a couple hundred views and that's it. Not worth it."

"So, I'll run up your songs," Khadijah declared, inclining her head, "I'll listen if no one else will. I'll get you to a thousand views or whatever. I'on care, I can do it."

"Jah, you don't even listen to drill," Arion sighed, finally cracking a small smile at her words.

"Okay then I'll start listening, you acting like people can't listen to more than one music genre, Arion," Khadijah nodded seriously. It wasn't rocket science, even though Khadijah lowkey doubted her own ability to listen to people yell and scream on a track. She'd do it for Arion.

He'd do it for her.

"Forreal?"

"Forreal."

"Bro, you—" Arion shook his head, still the smile was on his face and Khadijah just wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him.

"What?" She asked him innocently. "Say what you was gon' say."

"Nah, you got that, Jah," Arion said to her, he clipped the pen onto the front of the notebook. "Listen, bro, all that shit I said to you—everything I did—"

"Don't," Khadijah said sharply, inhaling as she held up her hand to stop him from speaking further, "don't apologize for that shit. That wasn't you. That wasn't my Arion. I would never hold that against you."

"Still—for what it's worth, I'm sorry." He stated. Arion leaned against the side of the bed with her, their head only a few inches apart. The eye contact was strong, and Khadijah felt her stomach flutter in a way that made her a little giddy and nervous at the same time. "I never wanted you to see that shit. On everything, that's the last thing I wanted to happen. I never ever wanted you to see that shit."