Chapter 12: Cameras pt. 2

She stood in shock for a minute until it hit her. She took off running to catch him, ignoring all the confused looks she got as she ran out of the studio. SB ran after her just incase.

“DRAKE! DRAKE! AUBREY!” She shouted as she ran down the hallway and out of the building. Just as she exited, she saw his car about to pull out of the parking lot.

“Wait!” She yelled after him. He looked back at her and pulled out of the driveway.

Nicki was at a loss for words. She couldn’t even think straight. The look of pain on her face was indescribable.

“Nic? Nic? What was that?” SB questioned, worried.  He nudged her shoulder, trying to get some life into her. She couldn’t answer him. She burst into tears and started walking to her car.

“Nic! What happened!?”

“Just…please. Can you just get our stuff so we can go? I can’t go back in there.” He looked at her and nodded his head, heading back into the studio.

“I can’t.” She thought to herself, repeating it over and over again. She couldn’t take it. She had to get away and think. “I’m so sorry, Safaree.” She thought to herself as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway, hoping Terrence would give SB a ride home.

Drake hopped in his car and sat there for a minute, trying to collect himself.

“She just…I don’t…Nicki….”  He shook his head, still a wreck inside. He couldn’t comprehend what he had to do to get Nicki to realize how he actually felt.

“Fuck it. I give up.” As he said this, Nicki ran out of the building, shouting at him, telling him to wait. He looked over at her without really seeing her and pulled off, heading home. He decided he had to stop chasing after and giving into her. It seemed like she’d never get it. Aaliyah’s voice filled the car on the drive home.

“Baby, baby, baby. I wanna satisfy you. Maybe I try too damn hard to show you I love you.”  It was like she was singing right to him.

“Baby girl…” He whispered to her. “You know what. Fuck it. Fuck this. Fuck everything. Fuck it.” He though to himself. He decided he had to get the situation all the way off his mind by any means possible. He reached his house, walked inside and started setting things up. Candles here, candles there, setting the atmosphere just right. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“Hello? Hey. Yeah. It’s me. Drake. Can you come over?....Because I want you to. Yes or no? Aight. I’ll see you in a few, Maliah.”

Nicki drove, not driving anywhere in particular, barely able to see through the tears in her eyes. Just driving to calm herself down. She hated being this upset over someone who meant nothing more than a brother to her just an hour ago. Her emotions took control and before she knew it, she was speeding towards Drake’s house.

“Hey, Maliah.” Drake said as he opened the door. She looked him up and down, licked her lips and walked in the house. She sat her bag down and turned to him.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“You know why what. Why am I here?”

“Cause.”

“Cause what, Drake?”

“Because. I wanted you to be here. Happy now?” He sat down on the couch.

“Ooooh. Okay. “ She sat down next to him and stroked his chest. He made a face at her and removed her fingers.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” She sighed, got up, and sat on his lap.

“Look. I know damn well you didn’t call me over here to sit and stare at the candles you so purposefully set up. Come on.” She moved in to kiss him.

“UH.” He shifted, making her slide off his lap and back on to the couch.

“Drake, what the fuck is this?”

“Wow. Um. I don’t know. I’m sorry. Can you…leave?”

“WHAT!? You know what? Fuck you. I’m done. Don’t fucking call me again.”

Drake showed her to the door, confused as to what just happened and what he was doing. He opened the door for Maliah and looked down. Someone was at the door.

“Nicki!? What are you doing here!?” He half shouted. She looked up and saw Maliah standing there. She looked back at him and walked away, not saying a word.

“WAIT, NIC.” He had just told himself earlier he wouldn’t chase after her anymore, but there he was, running after her again. “Shit.” Maliah laughed and he turned to her with anger in his eyes.

“It was a mistake calling you. Goodbye.” He shut the door and ran to catch Nicki.

“Nicki, wait.” She was opening the door to her car. He ran over and caught it before she could close it.

“Move.”

“No.”

“I’m not kidding. Don’t fucking play with me. Move.”

“No.”

She looked up at him, seeing red. She was so angry. Angry at him for making her feel this way and angry at herself for falling into it. She was so angry that she burst into tears right then and there. She tried to shut her door but was unable to break Drake’s grasp. She let it go, not even caring anymore, just letting the tears flow. He bent down and picked her up, cradling her to his chest.  He walked them into his apartment and sat down on the couch, still holding her. He let her cry without saying a word. Her tears soaked his gray tee. She tried to speak, tried to say something so he could understand, but nothing would come out. He just “shhhhed” her and rocked her back and forth to calm her down. He stroked her hair, ran the side of his hand down her cheek to soothe her until she could collect herself. She sat up and looked at him.

“You good?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna go home.”

“No, wait, Nic. We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Don’t do it. We didn’t just go through all of this for you to be like that. We’re gonna talk.”

She sighed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “What is there to say? I went overboard and took your lyrics too far”

“Of ALL the lyrics I have that COULD be about you, you’d pick those. I just don’t understand. Of all the times I’ve showed you that I care, you choose to be oblivious and see the false and the negative. I don’t understand. I know how hard it is for you and all that, but you need to realize I DO have feelings for you. I DO care, I WOULD marry you, I DO love you. All of those things I say, I MEAN. I mean them, Nicki.”

She paused for a moment, thinking. “...The second part of the song, you say “The good ones go if you wait too long. So, you should go before you stay too long.” Did you ever think about that?”