U AND I.
( CHAPTER FORTY THREE ! )
SECRETS HIDDEN.
' 𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 𝟔, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟒. '
the arsenio hall show ━━━ hollywood, california !
"AH, I KNOW THIS IS PRETTY unnecessary but why don't we start over here and introduce ourselves?" Arsenio informed over the microphone, pointing over to DeVante as the crowd continued to go ballistic towards the four handsome men in front of them.
"Hi, I'm DeVante." DeVante spoke, before pulling his bottom lip inward. "Mr. Dalvin, baby." Dalvin beamed, fixing his posture. "K-Ci, sugar." K-Ci smirked, he was looking over towards a specific lady in the audience, feeling some sort of attraction towards her. "And JoJo, you already know." JoJo joked, smiling softly afterwards.
"They know who ya'll are anyway. Oh boy, we have come a long way, I remember the first time ya'll came and hung out all night. And we talked about somebody's mom and dad not really getting into the music, who was that?" He asked before JoJo pointed his finger over to the DeGrate brothers.
"Uh, it was our parents." Dalvin slightly laughed, running his hands up and down his leather pants. "How is that now? Has it changed?" Arsenio asked, Dalvin and DeVante instantly shook their heads no.
"Nah, man. It's still the same, it's not changed one bit. It's the same." Dalvin looked ahead of the crowd. "Because they're very religious, right?" Arsenio assured, Dalvin agreeing with him.
"So what do they think of the concept to the last song? And what is the meaning behind this specific song?" He asked, referring to Feenin' and the music video that had been released a couple weeks ago.
Dalvin just laughed, as he reminisced on the last time they'd seen their parents and Mary had asked about the meaning behind every song on the album. "I mean, they ask us what it means all the time, you know. Well actually, DeVante wrote it."
"Uh, it's nothing major, you know. A girl, a regular girl feenin' about somebody. Or your significant other, or even you feenin' about each other. Like a strong addiction." He explained, licking his bottom lip. Even though, DeVante wasn't the one who explain where all the meanings of his songs went to, but it was surely obvious it went to his significant other, most of the time.
"And when Mom asked about it, how did you explain it to her?" He asked, DeVante laughing in the microphone. "I just—I told her don't worry about it. I ain't explaining it." He chuckled, waving his hand.
"No, he didn't. He said he was strung out, we love ya'll too baby!" He called out towards the fan that shouted in the crowd, after the confession towards DeVante.
"Yeah, ya'll have really blown up K-Ci." Arensio nodded, adverting his attention over to the male beside him. "Yeah, we thank God. And thank ya'll out there too! We love ya'll!" K-Ci pointed out towards the crowd, making them roar in excitement.
This crowd was the most energetic they had during an interview on a talk show, or even on Arsenio Hall for the amount of times they'd been there.
With the help of Suge Knight and the DeathRow family, Diary Of A Mad Band was doing phenomenal, the album was on the verge of hitting number one on the US BillBoard 200. The album was getting great and amazing commentary, from the fans, the press, and the label.
The album was doing good, that unbelievably amounts of money were rolling in. More money than their other debut album had endured, DeVante knew deep down he wasn't regretting his decision of signing under Suge's management with the help of Dr. Dre.
"Hold up, Arsenio. We want to give you something before we go any further. Can somebody bring it out here?" Dalvin asked, looking behind him. Seuss, one of the stage managers had entered on stage, handing them a bordered glass frame, handing it over to DeVante, who passed it to Arsenio.
"Already?" Arsenio spoke, happy disbelief was evident in his voice as he looked at the gift. "This is from uh, two million sales on our new one and two million on our old one. That's four million copies together," Dalvin explained, helping Arsenio place the plate under his legs before they continued over a topic of criticism that they faced and were facing in the music industry.
"Alright, uh, I noticed there was a security guard trying to make sure that ya'll didn't get your eyes poked out or scratched up. But at home, there's a different kind of security." Arsenio pointed out, K-Ci laughing in response.
"Yeah, pitbulls."
"Well, 'cause like Aaron Hall, he can speak languages to his uh, dogs and stuff like that. Do you train them and everything?" He asked K-Ci, but he was talking to much very the wrong person. "Uh, well DeVante has more of the dogs, man."
"I just got about nine pitbulls right now, running around my house, you know, they're only trained to attack. That's all." DeVante shrugged, thinking as if saying he had over almost ten pitbulls in his house so casually.
"Okay, but they're not dangerous to the—the people you love." He assured, DeVante instantly shaking his head. "Oh nah, I mean I only had one time—I used to have ten pits, actually. But one of them tried to bite my daughter's finger because she hit him by accident. So, I had to give him away." DeVante explained, the crowd awing in response.
"And that's another thing that has changed, the very first time you came, you weren't a father! Now you are, isn't that beautiful. How's—how's family life treating you? I seen you recently got engaged to the superstar, Milani. Congratulations on that too, De." The crowd erupted in cheers at the mention of the bittersweet moment that some of them actually got to witness.
"Thank you, and uh, it's amazing, man. You know, I love it, a lot. Family is always everything, so we have—we have our fun, always, whenever we can." He nodded, the crowd clapping at his response.
"Alright, so what's next for you guys? Are you planning on continuing to hit cities after cities?" Arsenio asked, the four boys clapping. "Right now, we just wrapped up doing a promotional tour, so now we'll be going on a world tour within the next two—three weeks. It's still up in the air who will be coming along with us, but we'll be hitting countries, for sure. Hard too, baby." K-Ci laughed.
"Well, we'll be back with more, with your favorite, Jodeci." He announced, the crowd roaring, cheering and clapping as the boys held their hands in the air, with rather stale faces or smiling faces.
"Kennedy, we gave you three weeks to get your act together, and you obviously can't seem to do that anymore, so here." Milani spoke, throwing the brochure of San Antonio Rehabilitation Center, in front of her.
Kennedy slowly rose up from her slouching position, grabbing ahold of the brochure. As she looked at it, she scoffed and thrown it beside her. "I'm not going, there's nothing even wrong with me. I'm very capable of taking care of myself, I'm almost twenty four." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms against her chest.
Milani placed her hand over her forehead, her ring shining in the light that flashed onto her. She retrieved over to Malia, who was frowned up, meaning she was slightly uncomfortable in the stroller now.
Damon sighed, before walking over to Kennedy. Sitting beside her, he grabbed ahold of her hands. "Ken, baby. You need help, do you not realize what's this is all doing to you? You're turning down modeling deals, the show you're a main cast on is calling the house and your manager repeatedly, asking about where you've been because you haven't been on set lately. You're loosing yourself in there, and doing these drugs and adding alcohol into the mix, isn't good for you. You don't need that, Kennedy." He shook his head, trying to get his point across but the words were going through one ear and out the other to Kennedy.
"Damon, you're making me seem like some fucking crackhead, again! And I'm not! I'm a grown ass woman, and I don't need to go to rehab. I'm able to do whatever the fuck I please." She tried to excuse herself, but she had slightly stumbled from how fast she stood, especially the drugs running through her veins. As she tried to maintain her balance, Milani pushed her softly down on the sofa, causing her to scrunch her face.
"Look, Kennedy, I do not give a fuck what you say, you're going to this rehab center. You're killing yourself in front of our eyes, and we're not allowing that to happen. Damon needs you, your goddaughter needs you. I need you, for christ's sake. You're screwing up everything you have going for yourself, things that you've dreamed about since the first day I met you. You really want all that to end? You end up nowhere, broke and somewhere out on the street, or God knows where else, we don't want that to happen." She scolded, tears laced her eyes. Kennedy's face was already streaming down waterfalls as she looked at the little infant in Milani's embrace, who was looking at her.
"Fine, I'll go! I'll go! I'm sorry." She placed her hands in surrender, Milani nodded, harshly wiping her tears that slightly fell from her eyes to the best of her ability with her free hand.
Milani went to sit down on the other end, placing Malia in a sitting position on her lap before she pulled Kennedy into a warm embrace.
"It's okay, you'll get better. And we'll be here through every step of the way. I'm here," She comforted, pulling her best friends' body into hers as Damon rubbed the small part of her back.
Kennedy thought she wasn't going to be able to go through with it, but if she knew she had Milani by her side, she was willing to do everything and anything to get better.
"Hey, baby. How was the show in California?" Milani questioned, adjusting herself comfortably underneath the cold comforter that was the bed the two shared. Although DeVante couldn't keep company on his side of the bed, the soft item was accompanied by their daughter.
"You better not have humped anyone on that stage, either." She joked, but in a stern manner. She knew DeVante's fans were beyond ballistic whenever they were in same environment of the handsome male.
She was aware of both the sexual tension between groupers and DeVante. The man carried a high sexual profile, and couldn't go long without the pleasure. Milani hoped that he didn't slip up, once more whilst he was on tour with nothing but men and Suge Knight in his corner.
"And if I was?" He teased, fidgeting with the strings of his pajama pants. His sight was on Martin, which was the sitcom that he and Milani loved watching together.
"I'll come fly and kill both you and the whore you did that to. DeVante, don't play with me." She responded, DeVante chuckled lightly. "You know I'm just playing, baby. I respect you, I wouldn't do that. I'd leave that gesture up to K-Ci."
"But how was your day, baby? Where my other baby at?" He asked, not hearing the random noises the small infant made whilst he was on the phone with them. "She fell asleep earlier than I expected, but thank god . . . I had quite a day."
"Why you say that? The meeting with Kennedy didn't go well or what?" He asked in a worrisome manner. "No . . . it did, it just took some time for her to surrender and agree with us. I'm so worried for her, De. I don't want nothing bad to happen to her."
"So don't think about it . . . if you think negatively, it's going to go that way. You have to believe in her, she's a strong woman . . . she'll get through this. It's not easy to stop that habit after you've done it for so long. You said she's been doing it for almost a year and a half?"
"Yes! But no one took notice into it. She seemed fine . . . but now, it's coming into light. I hope it just wasn't the wrong time." Milani frowned, her finger messaged the curl that rested wildly on Malia's forehead.
"Baby, you can't say that. It's never the wrong time to do something, she just—she just needs somsome who has her best interest at heart and life, pressuring her to heal. That habit is no joke . . . just keep pushing her, alright? Don't give up on her." He explained, Milani allowed the words to sink into her mind.
"Okay . . ." She whispered, admiring the small infant who was on the cusp of turning four months. "I miss you . . ." She told him, DeVante nodded his head. "Yeah, me too. I thought I'd be able to survive these three months without you and my baby, and shi. . . it ain't cutting it."
"Have I turned the DeVante Swing soft?" Milani smirked, joking at the softness only Milani was able to witness. "You ain't turn me soft, I just have a soft spot for you and Melly."
"Mhm, alright . . . I should let you go to sleep, I know you have a flight to catch in the morning. Are you coming this Saturday?" Milani questioned, she heard the heavy sigh that escaped DeVante's mouth.
"I uh—I don't know about that, Mil. I have to see . . . but I love you, yo. Kiss my baby for me." He immediately changed the subject, Milani nodded her head. "Alright, I love you too, De."
Within seconds, the phone was cut dead. Milani sighed heavily, she didn't know how much longer she could deal with DeVante being away, away from her and their daughter.
Overtime, sleepiness came over her, but the thought of Kennedy filled her sleep like a nightmare.
authors note.
double update?