𝙹𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚈𝙰𝙷
It's been about three months since that night with Aubrey. Ever since then, I've kept my distance, moving out of his house and into a condo of my own. A lot of my belongings are still there, but I've told myself I'll collect them eventually.
Khalil's return a couple of weeks ago stirred things up again. He couldn't understand why I moved out. I explained that since we were planning to get married, I wanted us to start fresh, and living in that house felt like anything but. He kept suggesting we move back, but I was firm about not wanting to discuss it further. To my surprise, he respected my wishes.
"Babe! Your boy finally came through!!! I sent him the beat and he immediately sent back a verse! He says he wants Jcole on it, so now I'm waiting on Cole's verse! This shit is about to be the one, baby!!" Khalil's excitement was infectious, even if the news was bittersweet for me.
I couldn't hide my surprise that Aubrey had actually responded. "When did you send the verse?" I asked, trying to focus on the numbers from my shops, but my mind was elsewhere.
"Last week, and he sent the verse back the next day. I tweaked it some to see if he'd like it and he sent back today that it's fire," Khalil explained, his eyes glued to his phone, I could tell that he was texting.
"Well, I love that for you, Baby!" I managed to say, offering him a supportive smile even though my heart felt heavy.
"I'm talking to him now. He invited me up to Toronto to work on some other shit," Khalil added, casually dropping news that felt like a bombshell to me.
"What did you say?" I pressed, needing to hear it again to believe it.
"I said that he invited me up to Toronto to work on some shit with him. He's talking album shit, baby." The excitement in his voice was clear, but all I could feel was a tangled mix of emotions.
"Oh... Didn't he just put out an album?" I questioned, trying to make sense of everything.
"Baby, you know The Boy doesn't stop, you of all people should know that," Khalil said, echoing a truth I knew all too well.
"So, when are you going to Toronto?" I asked, the reality of the situation beginning to sink in.
"Well, he said that Cole would be in Toronto for a good minute and to come on Friday. I think they're working on a joint album too. Baby, if this happens... fuck, I know it will!" His enthusiasm was obvious as he made his way upstairs.
I couldn't deny my happiness for Khalil's success, but everything felt overwhelmingly complicated. Khalil heading to Toronto, working closely with Aubrey, the threads of our lives intertwining in ways I hadn't anticipated.
I followed him upstairs, wanting to understand more, to share in his moment fully. I found him gazing out of my floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice soft.
He turned to me, his eyes brimming with tears. "Baby, do you know how long I've waited for some shit like this? To finally get recognized. I've always known that you knew Drake but I never wanted to make it seem that I was with you so that you could get me in with him. My friends were like, 'Oh man, you're definitely about to be that one now! You're dating his friend!!' But I kept saying nah, it's not like that. I'm really feeling this girl. But I still want to thank you for being you! I still feel like you made this happen in a way. Baby, I love you so much and I can't wait to build this future with you," he poured out, the weight of his words anchoring me to the spot.
As he walked towards me, lifting me in his arms and laying me on the bed, his next words were barely a whisper, "Let's start building now."
At that moment, all the complications faded into the background. Here we were, two people, embarking on a future together, our paths intertwined with dreams, music, and love that promised to withstand the challenges that lay ahead....
~~
The next day I was at one of my shops for a hair appointment that was scheduled. Running five shops across Houston didn't leave much room for hands-on work anymore, but I still made it a point to take on clients personally a few times a month. Today was one of those days. As I was in my office, thoughts of Khalil working with Aubrey and heading to Toronto got to me, casting a shadow over my morning.
"Liyah, your client is here," Rio, one of my hair stylists announced from my office doorway, his voice pulling me back to the present.
"Ok, cool," I replied, standing up to greet the day head-on.
"Hey, I'm Jaliyah," I introduced myself to the young woman waiting. She flashed a bright smile, lowering her phone.
"Hey, I'm Marissa. I'm so happy to finally get in your chair!" she exclaimed, her excitement so noticeable as she sat down.
"Yeah, I don't do hair as much as I used to, it takes a lot to own these shops," I confessed, a bit of pride in my voice.
"I heard. But had to get you. I'm going to my man's event that he's holding so I needed the best," Marissa said, then detailing what she wanted and choosing one of my new lace fronts that just came out for the occasion. The mention of her man's event and her lavish choices made me think that this guy must have money.
Marissa handed me half the cash upfront, promising to cover the rest with her card later. As I worked through the steps of washing, conditioning, and blow-drying her hair before braiding, we talked about everything, the kind of talk that makes time fly.
"Ok, I'm done. You're all set, boo," I announced. Marissa's delighted expression as she admired herself in the mirror said it all. I couldn't help but chuckle at her excitement, starting to put my things away.
"Girl, my man is definitely going to love this! Ugh, but that nigga likes to pull on hair, he better not mess it up." she laughed, her humor catching me off guard as she dialed a FaceTime call. I just pretended to focus on my cleanup.
"Rissa, I told you I was busy, wassup?" a familiar voice came through. That fucking voice.
"Drake Baby, I'm done. Do you like my hair?" Marissa asked, eagerly showing off my work.
There was a brief pause before he responded, "Yeah, it's looking good. I'll send you the rest of the money, hold on." His voice trailed off, speaking to someone else on his end.
Under my breath, I muttered, "Still paying for bitches' shit."
"What did you say, Jaliyah?" Marissa questioned innocently. It seemed like the shop had fallen silent. My name had clearly caught Aubrey's attention on the other end.
"Aye uhh, Rissa, I have to go. I sent you the money. I'll see you when you land, tonight," he rushed off, the line going dead before Marissa could reply.
"He's always in a rush," she giggled, offering her card for the remaining payment. I processed the transaction silently, my mind everywhere.
"Thank you so much, Jaliyah. I hope I can come to you often!" Marissa beamed, her gratitude genuine. I could only manage a smile and a nod, my thoughts elsewhere.
" I might have to get him to pay you to be my personal hair stylist! Ok, bye, love!! I'll be seeing you," she said, exiting the shop. No the fuck she didn't just say that.... I retreated to my office. This shit was really getting to me. Picking up my phone, I fired off a text to Aubrey, my frustration finding its way into words.
"So, you sent your little dusty ass hoe to my shop to get her hair done? What the fuck? What kind of games are you fucking playing, nigga!!" I typed, the anger clear in each tap. He read it within minutes, but silence was his only reply.
I stood there for a moment, staring at my phone, half-expecting Aubrey to fire back with some smart-ass comment. But nothing came. It was just like him to stir up trouble and then go silent. I shook my head, trying to brush off the irritation that crept up on me.
I was cleaning up, lost in my thoughts when Nikki FaceTimed me, breaking the cycle of frustration Aubrey had once again spun me into.
"Hey, girl," I greeted, trying to sound more upbeat than I felt.
"Liyah, baby!" Nikki's voice came through loud and clear, full of the energy I needed.
"What are you up to?" I asked, already feeling a bit lighter.
"Just got home from work, you at the shop?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Yeah," I said as I grabbed my purse, ready to lock my office up and head out, eager for the distraction Nikki always provided.
"What's wrong?" She didn't miss the hint of annoyance in my voice.
"Girl!! So earlier, Khalil comes to me saying that he's working with Aubrey on a song," I started, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
"What?" Nikki's surprise mirrored my own when Khalil first told me.
"Yeah, and he's talking about he didn't want it to seem like he was just with me because I could get him closer to Aubrey. Honestly, I never thought that. But now.... So anyway, after he tells me that he goes on to say that Aubrey invited him to Toronto to work on his album," I explained, still trying to wrap my head around the situation.
"Hold up. Are you serious?" Nikki was as shocked as I was.
"Yes, girl. And then today, I had a new client, right? She was going on about her man paying for her hair. And when she calls him to show off the hair, guess who it was?!" I couldn't help but let out a frustrated laugh at the absurdity of it all.
"Nah, sis... Don't tell me it was Khalil," she guessed wrong, which made me laugh a little harder.
"No, think about it!" I urged her to guess again.
"Oh shit, Aubrey?" She finally got it.
"Yes! Girl, as soon as she left I sent his ass a text and he has the nerve to not respond to my text. I know he planned this shit," I vented, still annoyed but grateful for the chance to get it all off my chest.
"Petty as fuck!" Nikki agreed, always on my side.
"Right!" I exclaimed.
"I can't stand him!" I said, even though we both knew it wasn't entirely true.
"Girl, I don't want to hear that. You love that nigga," Nikki teased, I could tell she was smirking without looking at my phone.
"That's a no!" I countered, even though a part of me wondered if she was right.
"Ok... Girl, I'm coming over. You need some girl time," Nikki decided, and I couldn't have agreed more.
"I really do. Crystal will probably be with her man, so I won't even bother," I said, already anticipating a night of venting and laughing with Nikki.
"Girl, you know she'll have something to say if you don't invite her. Even if her ass knows she wasn't going to come over," Nikki pointed out, and we both laughed.
"You're right. I'll see you in a few," I said, feeling a bit better as I ended the call and headed out, locking up behind me.
As I drove home, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about Khalil, Aubrey, and everything in between. I tried not to dwell on Aubrey and the twisted ways he found to stay in my life. But as much as I wanted to deny it, Nikki was right about one thing, a part of me still cared, no matter how much I wished I didn't. It was going to be one of those nights where I'd need all the girl time I could get to distract me from the mess that seemed to follow me, no matter how hard I tried to move on.
★☆★★★☆★★✩★☆★☆★★
Y'all niccas happy? Damn!!
Ok, how are we feeling with this chapter! Don't get quiet on me now!