Chapter Eleven #3
Following behind Shane, they entered Logic’s room and closed the door.
The second Tyler sat on the bed, she opened her mouth to speak, but loud sobs slipped from her lips.
All the feelings she suppressed that morning exploded, leaving her clawing at her neck for air.
She didn't remember anything about last night after Dex showed up. She didn’t remember leaving the club, she didn’t remember being in Al’s car, or throwing up, for that matter.
All Tyler knew was that she woke up in a big shirt on a stranger's couch. She couldn’t help but think how different things would’ve been if it had not been Logic who took her.
“Ty.” Aria dropped to her side.
“Calm down, Ty.” Shane rubbed her back as she cried into her hands. “You’re gonna make yourself sick.”
“I-I-I don’t remember how I even got here,” she sobbed. “I don’t remember what happened.”
“Friend, I think Dex gave you something,” Aria whispered.
“I remember that. I always take Perc and never feel like that. I was having an out-of-body experience.” Tyler wiped her face. “Like I was sitting on the couch watching myself and there wasn’t shit I could do about it.”
“It had to be something other than Perc. Shit, we done all popped a Perc, but last night you were out of it,” Shane told her. “We kept trying to get to you, but Dex had us put out of the section.”
“He what?” Tyler’s eye bloomed.
“Yea, he had us put out.” Aria nodded. “I tried to slap his ugly ass, but Bobbi jumped in the way, so just know when I see her, I’m going to knock the dog shit out of her.”
“I think she called him.” Shane twisted his lips. “I don’t put shit past that hoe.”
“How bad did it get?” Tyler’s heart dropped.
“Bad,” Aria answered. “There are videos going around of you damn near taking your clothes off in the club. You were making out with dancers and letting them feel on you. Whenever you tried to pull away, Dexter was grabbing on you, almost forcing you to do shit.”
“That’s not all,” Shane cleared his throat.
“I did something else?”
“Oakwood released a statement this morning saying they dropped you as an artist.”
“What?” Tyler’s pulse quickened as the grill cheese she had consumed slowly crept up her throat. “That’s not true, I left. I dropped them!”
“We know that, but they’re saying you are battling an ongoing drug problem, and they can no longer cover for you.”
Snatching her phone from the bed, Tyler clicked on the Instagram app and gasped.
The very first post was a picture of her standing on a table at the club with her ass in the air.
Sliding over, the second picture was of Dexter throwing money on her, and the third was Tyler grinding her pussy in a stripper's face.
Doing the ultimate no-no, she opened the comments.
@Jason151
And these hoes wanna be wifed. They party harder than the niggas but want a soft life.
@Beautybethebest
I’m starting to think she’s the problem, I see why Oakwood dropped her. #havesomeclass
@ScottieTheHairShaper
Ugh. I could never. Secondhand embarrassment is real. Oakwood, that was a smart move because Tyler is a freaking wrecking ball.
“Oh my god.” Tyler dropped her head into the palms of her hands to keep the room from spinning. She knew it was too good to be true. Darryl seemed so understanding, and Tyler hated that she allowed him to play with her head and now her career.
“We’re going to take you to the high-rise to grab some stuff, but I think you should come stay with me for a while,” Shane suggested. “I already told Dex that you were with me last night, that we ran out of the club when the lights went off.”
“I’m not going to your house. Take me to the label. Where is Carla? They got me fucked up.”
“Friend, she reposted the statement Oakwood released and said she loved you as a niece but could no longer work for you as a manager.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Tyler laughed to keep from crashing out.
“Come on, get your stuff.” Aria helped her stand as someone knocked on the door and pushed it open.
“You straight?” Logic questioned, studying Tyler’s puffy face.
“No, I'm gay,” Shane answered. “Oh, you meant her.” He clamped his mouth closed.
“I’m fine. Thanks for everything and I’m sorry for reacting like that.” Tyler wiped her eyes, embarrassed that he witnessed so much. “Can yall take me to my car?”
“Where are you trying to go?” Aria asked, ready for whatever.
“To find Dex. I know damn well he didn’t let Oakwood play me like that. Then I’m going to find Carla because she got me fucked up. Aunt or not, I’m about to beat the hair follicles out that bitch.”
“But T-” Shane reasoned, understanding her pain, but also understanding there were bigger things at play.
“But nothing! At the end of the day, all I have is my name, and they are playing in my face! Take me to my car… please!” Tyler hollered, trying to push past Logic, but he blocked her path.
“See, we got her to calm down, and here yall go, starting shit.” Al shook his head. “Get her hyper ass outta here, and if I were yall, I’d look into some kind of ADHD medication.”
“Aye.” Logic placed his hand under her chin, bringing her attention to him. “You can stay here. You could chill with me until shit cools down,” he offered.
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Shane agreed.
“No,” Al disagreed, shaking his head. “It’s not a good idea.”
“I can’t.” Tyler shook her head, moving around Logic. “Take me to my car... please.”
“Yall heard the lady.” Al clapped his hands. “Take her ill-mannered ass to her car.”
“Will you please shut up?” Aria rolled her eyes, following Tyler out the door.
???
On the way to her apartment, Tyler kept her eyes closed in order to keep from throwing up.
As bad as she wanted to take a Zoloft, she didn’t.
Tyler needed a clear head to handle Dex and her aunt.
Both of them could’ve put out statements, telling the truth, but neither of them said a thing.
Social media was dragging her. They were calling her crackheads, pill heads, dope fiends, and everything else associated with her being strung out.
Someone stitched together videos of her under the influence, stating that the signs were always there.
“Hello?” Tyler answered her vibrating phone without looking at the number.
“Hi Tyler. This is Ms. Jones from the nursing home.”
“Hey, everything ok? Is my mom good?”
“Your mom is fine. I was actually calling about the billing. We went in to charge the card on file and it looks like there’s a problem. It’s never happened before, and I wanted to reach out to you before the staff in the billing department does.”
“Ok, let me see what’s going on and I’ll give you a call back.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be here until 8 tonight and back first thing in the morning,” Ms. Jones assured her.
“Ok, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, dear. We’ll talk soon.” She ended the call.
Pulling the banking app up on her phone. Tyler tried to use her face to log in, but she kept getting an error message. Thinking it was her swollen eyes, Tyler typed in the password, but the account locked her out.
“What the fuck,” she muttered, dropping the phone into her lap. “Aria.”
“Yes?”
“Can you please see what’s going on with my card? It’s on file for the nursing home, but they said it’s declining and I can’t log into the app.”
“I’m on it.” Aria smiled warmly as Shane pulled up to Tyler’s building.
“I’ll be right back.” Tyler hopped out of the backseat before either of them could say anything.
With her hood pulled low on her head, Tyler walked into the building, headed for the elevators. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, which is why she ignored the bellman calling out her name. When the elevator doors opened, Tyler punched in her code, but the elevator started beeping.
“The fuck?” She frowned. “Can someone come fix this? The rent costs too much for shit not to be working.”
“Uh, Ms. Tyler, I’m sorry, but your name was removed from the apartment’s access list,” the Bellman said, hating that he had to be the one to deliver the news.
“What the fuck are you talking about? This is my apartment!” Tyler bellowed. “Let me up right fucking now!”
“I understand you’ve been living here, but the lease isn’t in your name, and we’ve been instructed to remove your access. I need you to exit the building.”
Again, Tyler was floored, and all she could do was drop her head and laugh. Fighting with a man who was simply doing his job wasn’t going to solve shit.
“I’m sor-
“Save it.” Tyler walked back out of the building.
“Damn, that was quick,” Shane said when she hopped back in the truck. “Let me help-” he paused, seeing the tears fall from her face. “What’s wrong? Where are your things?”
“I no longer have access to the building.” She chuckled with tears running down her face. “I don’t understand what’s going on right now and I’m two seconds away from spazzing out.”
“This is your apartment. What do they mean you don’t have access?” Aria frowned.
“According to them, my name isn’t on the lease.”
“Oh, hell no.” Shane unbuckled his seat belt. “Let me go in here.”
“It’s fine, take me to the studio. I’m pretty sure that’s where Dex is.”
“You sure? Cause I’ll go in here and set that bitch on fire.”
“I’m sure.” Tyler wiped her face, removing her phone from her purse.
She scrolled until she reached Carla’s name and clicked on her contact.
The phone rung a couple of times before the call went to voicemail, prompting a grunt to escape her lips.
Pressing Carla’s name again, Tyler waited for the phone to ring, and this time, she answered.
“Hellooooo.”
“Fuck the pleasantries,” Tyler snapped. “I’ve been calling you.”
“Whoa, is that how you talk to your aunt?” Carla taunted.
“Look, I’m not in the mood. Why is the doorman telling me I can’t get in my apartment?”
“Because it’s not your apartment.”
“Yes, the fuck it is. The money comes out of my account every month.”