Drake's POV
I sit on the couch, my head reeling. Liyah continues to stare at me with wonder, whispering: "A real, live Daddy."
I put my head in my hands, letting a few tears slip down my face. I can't leave Nicki and Audrey. I just can't. But I also have no choice. I have to be here to support Kelsie and Liyah. I'm a man, I won't turn my back on them. They need me.
Kelsie strides into the living room, switching her hips. "What's wrong, baby?" she asks.
"Don't call me that," I mumble, turning away from her.
"Awe, why not? Besides, I have to. You're my baby."
"No, I'm Nicki's baby."
Kelsie turns me to face her and slaps me hard. "Don't say that shit! You belong to me now, not that wannabe Barbie ass bitch Nicki! Get used to it!"
Feeling my anger build up, I quickly exit to room.
She's lucky she's a fucking woman or I would have beat her ass already.
I find the stairs and go up, just now realizing how huge the house is. Suddenly, Nicki bursts from a room to the left of me, holding Audrey in her hands.
"Nic??' I question, surprised.
"Aubrey!" Nicki rushes over to hug me. I barley feel Audrey in between us.
I look down and am almost surprised she couldn't hear my heart shatter. Audrey doesn't even look. . .human. She's so frail and skinny, almost every bone in her body visible. I also notice cuts and bruises on her arms and face.
"What did they do to her?" I say lowly.
I see Nicki's eyes turn a shade darker when she replies, "I don't know. She won't tell me."
I just nod, furious. It's a miracle that my daughter is still alive and breathing.
"Let's get the hell out of this place," Nicki says, dragging me towards the stairs, "before I kill someone."
"Babygirl, wait."
Nicki doesn't listen, continuing to pull me down to the living room (where I meet eyes with a confused Kelsie), and outside. I see that Nick has a set of keys in her hand, and pulling me to a black minivan.
"Nic, wait!" I have to shout for her to listen to me. She turns around with an eyebrow raised. Audrey blinks at me from Nicki's arms, each breath I can see in her chest showing her ribcage.
"I can't," I say quietly, looking down.
"What? Say it louder."
"I said I can't."
Nicki stares at me for a good long minute. Then slowly, she starts to chuckle.
"Something funny?"
"No, it's just. . ." Nicki smiles at me. "Just that it's funny you'd leave your family for some. . . some hoe you met at the club almost four years ago." Nicki shrugs and laughs dryly.
"'Hoe'?" I frown. "I'm sorry, what?"
"You heard me. Hoe."
"So you're gonna use that language in front of our daughter? Nice."
Nicki unlocks the car doors and sets Audrey down as she wobbles on her feet. "Get in the car, baby, so I can talk to Daddy." Audrey, without a word, crawls into the back seat, and Nicki closes the car door quietly before continuing calmly.
"She was sent to fuck you, and literally didn't care what the outcomes would be. I think that she had this Liyah just to trap you."
I scoff, "That is fucking ridiculous. Believe it or not, I'm trynna be a man about this and face my responsibilities. It was my fault that I wasn't wearing a condom."
"Maybe she should have brought one, knowing this would happen. Right?"
I'm silent. She's right. Did she use me?
I shake my head with refusal. "Well, maybe she forgot. Maybe she didn't plan on it. Maybe she thought I would pull out. But I said I was gonna be there for them, and that's exactly what I intend to do."
"And abandon us?" Nicki hisses.
I grit my teeth, getting irritated. "Don't put it like that. You know all I'm trynna do is keep my word!"
"Why? I mean, just leave your daughter and--"
"Nicki, shut the fuck up."
Nicki just stares at me, a slight look of surprise on her face. I didn't want to say that, but she's being a bitch.
"They need me. No matter how much I don't like Kelsie, you gotta deal with the fact that Audrey had three years of having a father that Liyah didn't. She looked at me with so much surprise. You should have seen it." I take a deep breath, remembering with a warm feeling in my heart that face Liyah looked at me with. She had love in her eyes and looked so alone. I feel a bit calmer. "She needs me. I could care less about Kelsie but Liyah. . . she's a different story."
Nicki looks at me with shiny eyes, frozen. "I-I don't know what to say," she says quietly. "Maybe you should stay with them. Did she say you could visit me?"
I shake my head "no" slowly.
"Oh." Nicki sniffles as a tear slides down her cheek. "Well, it was nice knowing you Aubrey. Audrey and I will miss you." He voice cracks at the end and she falls to her knees in tears.
I crouch down and envelope her in my arms, letting a few tears escape my eyes. "I love you Onika Maraj, and I always will."
"I love you too, Aubrey Graham."
My chest becomes wet as Nicki sobs into my shirt. I bite my lip to keep from breaking down myself, to be stronger.
I'm being torn away from the love of my life. And for what? I will never know, yet they have succeeded in making my life a living hell. How am I gonna survive without Nicki and Audrey? My family.
Words can't even express how I feel about this girl. Corny, but true. I still feel that same flutter on my heart when we make eye contact. I still get that tingling sensation throughout my body when she touches me. I still feel like she is the girl I met almost 4-5 years ago, vulnerable but strong.
Truthfully, I've always wanted to propose to her. Since day one. But every time I felt the moment was right, some shit had to happen. So I held it off for a while. Of course, I've waited too long. I hate the title "boyfriend and girlfriend". I feel like we are so much more than that.
And Audrey. I will never, ever forget my daughter. Something Nicki and I both created. We're lucky we didn't lose her after Nicki got kidnapped. But for those niggas to do it that to her? That's fucked up. She's been starved, beaten, and even raped! Kelsie told me. Audrey's only three. How the hell is that possible? Lord knows what's running through her mind right now. She hardly talked to me. What did they do to make her like that?
Nicki composes herself, standing up, and looks at me with bloodshot eyes. "Why does this have to happen?" she whispers. "Why can't we be happy?"
"I don't know, Nicki." I stand and squeeze her body. "I really don't know. But I know we will see each other after this."
"But I thought--"
I cut her off by crashing my lips into hers. The kiss is filled with more passion than I've ever experienced. Oxytocin floods throughout my body, giving me the feeling of ecstasy. I gently bite her lip, and she grants me access to slip my tongue in her mouth. Our tongues fight for dominance. I feel one of Nicki's tears slip into the kiss and instantly wrap my hands around her waist to comfort her. She wraps her hands around my neck.
We kiss for a few more minutes before I pull away and instantly regret it. I want nothing more than to kiss her again, to feel her lips on mine, to feel that rush of love. But she has to go. It's for the best.
Right?
I lean down and put my forehead against hers, closing my eyes.
"My tough cookie." I wrap my arms around her.
"My Superman."
She pulls away and starts to head the the car. Keeping her eyes on me the entire time, she slips into the car and starts it. Then she opens the back door and Audrey steps out. She totters to me and I scoop her up in my arms, her frail frame resting against my chest.
She looks up at me with her big green eyes. I find almost no emotion on her face. I can't blame her. Who knows what she's been through?
She cups my face with her hands and leans up to my ear. I hear her take a deep breath before saying, "You can make it through this, Daddy. I know you can."
I stare with ahock as those words leave her mouth. How did my baby get so sophisticated? She pulls away with a gap-toothed smile. Seeing that smile makes my day big time. It's like seeing the sun break through the clouds.
I plant a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Audrey. Forever and always, baby girl."
"I love you too, Daddy. Forever!" I set her down, and she giggles, running towards the car. She gets in and closes the door.
Nicki pulls out of the driveway, keeping her eye contact with me. She's smiling, probably because Audrey is.
I grin back and wave, watching her roll down the street.
My life.
My love.
My tough cookie.
I will get you back. I promise, Onika.
Just hang in there for me.
I love you.
I'm afraid this is the last chapter. I'll make a sequel, I promise. But I thought this was a good way to end it.
CLIFFHANGER!
What do you think will happen next? If your ideas are food enough, I'll even include them in the sequel. Maybe a scene. It could be funny, sad, two people fighting. . .
So I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it. Hit me up on Instagram---> @_onyxim_ I always follow back, same with my Wattpad account.
Bye for now.
Deuces!
-Janae ✌