Hustla (BOOK ONE)

Chapter 62

Later that night, D. Patt walked into his apartment and turned the lights on and saw Aaliyah sitting on his couch.

"You are a very hard man to find", Aaliyah said.

"How did you get into my apartment?", he asked.

"I have my resources", Aaliyah said as she stood up.

"You been around Dre too much or are y'all even still fooling around?"

Aaliyah rolls her eyes. "I'm not here to ask you questions. I'm here for your help, can you do that for me?", she asked flirtatiously.

D. Patt looked her up and down. "If I do whatever this favor is, what's in it for me?", D. Patt asked as he bit his bottom lip.

Aaliyah makes a face.

"Shit, it gotta be a reason Dre was going crazy over yo ass", D. Patt said as he rubbed his hands together.

"You know what, never mind", Aaliyah said. "I'm leaving"

"Oh, come on", D. Patt said.

Aaliyah walked out the apartment and put her hood on and walked down the stairs to her car. Once she got in her car she sat there for a moment to think to herself. She thought about her mom laying in her own blood, she told about the time Dre got shot trying to protect her, she thought about the look on Keyanna's face as she took her last breath, she thought about her dad's corny jokes and how she would never hear that again.

She began to cry but wiped her tears trying to hold them back. She goes into her purse and grabs a bag of weed. As she did that, she saw a incoming call from Dre. She hesitated to answer it at first because she knew that him and her wasn't supposed to be contacting each other because of the whole situation but she knew that Dre wouldn't jeopardize her safety so she answered it and she began to roll her blunt.

"Hello?", she said trying to hide that fact that she was sad inside.

"What you doing?", he asked.

"...nothing", Aaliyah replied.

"Mmm", he said.

Aaliyah knew what that meant. It meant she said the wrong thing and he already know what's up.

"Dre let me explain", Aaliyah said

"Explain how you put yourself in danger? Or better yet how you going around shooting people?", he asked.

"You don't understand. Nobody does I guess. Who even told you anyways?", Aaliyah asked.

"It doesn't matter who told me", Dre said. "Do you wanna end up back in the hospital or 6 feet under?"

"...maybe I do", Aaliyah said. "Everybody I ever loved and cared for is gone"

"Listen I heard what happened to your dad and I'm sorry but that doesn't mean you go after these people", Dre said. "Let me handle this and stop talking like that!"

"Why?!", Aaliyah shouted. "So you can die too?! I have lost enough. You wouldn't have even been in this mess if you never fell in love with me. I told you Dre. Being together will leave one of heart broken"

Dre was quiet for a moment. "I'm not going to leave you and you ain't going to leave me because we got each other iight", he said.

"Dre-"

"Just listen to me iight?", Dre said. "Here me out"

"..okay", she said.

"This is hard for me to say because I don't exactly know how to say it but... you are a different type of chick- I'm sorry a different type of lady. You're brave, loyal, pretty, and you know how to go there and get your bag ya know...I need somebody like that by my side and I don't know, when we first met you said you can do somethings that'll make a nigga wanna marry you and well...you weren't lying", Dre said.

"Dre?", Aaliyah said Interrupting him.

"Yea?", he said.

"Sorry, I didn't hear what you said after loyal", she said. "My connection is bad"

"Where are you?", Dre asked.

"Long story", Aaliyah said as she grabbed her lighter. "But honestly, Dre I don't know. I feel like I'm bad luck. I just wanna handle this business and just move out the state"

"We can do that", Dre said. "Been looking for a new scenery"

"...by myself", Aaliyah replied.

Dre got quiet for a moment. "By- by yourself?", he asked. "Why's that?"

"I don't want anybody else to get hurt ya know. I wanna start something new...", she said.

"I love you. You know that right?", he asked.

"...yes", Aaliyah said.

"You May feel like you're the problem with everybody around you but you're not. People aren't meant to be in this world forever and I guess you just had to experience those things in a hurtful way", Dre said. "I feel like, if you wanna start something new... we should start it together"

"How if you're doing what you do?", Aaliyah asked. "Killing, drug dealing, all that"

"Imma stop. It's getting old and one day imma be old and I don't want time to past me and then I'm left with nothing as far as money. Besides, I wanna start being a better role model for my son", he said.

Aaliyah went silent.

"I'm not letting you go. I'm in too deep now and I just can't let you go", he said.

"...can I see you?", Aaliyah asked softly.

"Of course. Meet me at Jay's", he said.

"Okay", Aaliyah replied. "On the way"

"Iight", Dre said.

Aaliyah hung up and started the car after she put her blunt and lighter down. After she started the car, she drove off.

TO BE CONTINUED...