Chapter Fifteen #5
“And what about her?” Scottie chewed her lip.
“Oh, she ain’t going nowhere.” Logic backed away from her. “Either way, make sure you keep shit copacetic,” he tossed over his shoulder before coolly bopping back into the house.
???
“I′m straight from the bottom, still hangin’ with thugs. Criminals, please, don′t throw no subliminals. Hangin’ with niggas I know who'll get rid of you.”
Bigxthaplug blared over the speakers in the cloudy living room.
LED strips lined the ceiling, giving the space a club feel.
Red Solo cups and blunts floated freely, giving people the courage to socialize.
Logic searched the crowded living room for Tyler and found her swaying next to her best friend.
Like always, she was in her own world. With the cup in her hand, she bobbed her head, commanding his attention without much effort.
When their eyes met, Tyler smiled, forcing a grin to stretch across his face.
“Nigga.” Al stepped up beside him.
“What?” Logic grinned.
“You know what. I thought we decided you was gone leave that situation alone. I told yo ass you couldn’t keep her.”
“Yea, but that shit went in one ear and out the other.” Logic patted his shoulder before making his way toward Tyler.
Standing in front of her, he stared into her glossy eyes and then peered down in her half-empty cup.
Logic wasn’t stupid enough to think the liquor had her pupils dilated, but he also didn’t want to offend her by bringing it up.
He’d never knock the next person's vice, but his girl wouldn’t be a pill popper, and he had plans on making her his.
“Hiiiii,” Tyler cooed.
“What’s up, baby girl, how you feeling?” He slipped his fingers in her belt loops, connecting their hips.
“Good. I needed this,” she purred. “I’m a lil tipsy too so don’t let your thrash mouth girlfriend attack me.”
“Thrash mouth, the fuck is that?”
“White ass tongue.”
“Man what?” He laughed. “How you know what that girl got in her mouth?”
“Because when she was calling me gothic, I saw her white ass tongue.” Tyler tooted her lips. “And you used to kiss that girl. Ugh.”
“I kissed her when we were in a relationship, but that’s about it. I don’t go around kissing people. My lips selective as fuck.”
“Sure they are,” Tyler simpered. “You all in my face like you wanna kiss me.”
“I do. I wanna suck the shit out of these glossy ass lips.”
“Y-y-you can’t talk to me like that,” she stuttered.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m under the influence and I might let you.”
“So, you gotta be under the influence to kiss me?”
“No…catch me on a good day and I’ll kiss you sober.” Tyler lifted the cup to her lips.
“Lo!” Pearl smacked her lips as she approached them. “Go on in there and make some music I can bounce to.” Pearl looped arms with Tyler. Logic kept his hand on her hip, preventing Pearl from pulling her away. “Boy, let her go.”
“You straight?” he asked, ignoring Pearl, who was now calling him a simp.
“Yea, do your thing. I’m a big girl, I can handle myself.”
“I have no doubt that you can.” Logic glanced at her ankle monitor, then back at her face. When she caught on to the joke, Tyler punched him in the chest.
“I’ll be in the kitchen.” Logic tapped Tyler on the hip before backing away.
“Come on, girl. We about to go in here too. These hoes looking at Duce like I won’t air this bitch out.”
“Girl, don’t nobody want Duce but your bipolar ass.” Diamond rolled her eyes, making Tyler and Aria laugh.
In the kitchen, Logic slipped the headphones over his ear, leaving one out so he could hear himself.
Tyler stood along the wall, watching intently as he adjusted the mic.
It was ghetto fabulous at its finest, but she loved it.
From where she was standing, Tyler could tell Duce was serious about his shit.
She watched him adjust the volume, turn up the bass, and then point at Logic.
“Turn me up,” Logic requested as he bobbed his head.
“Ah shit, there he go.” Pearl stuck her tongue out. “Turn my nigga up.”
“He not yo shit,” Duce gritted.
“Yea, cause yo thirsty ass be blocking.”
Tyler chuckled at their banter. Pearl and Duce were a comedy show without even trying.
“Girl, watch this!” Pearl snapped her fingers. “Lo about to fuck it up.”
On cue, the beat dropped, filling the kitchen with anticipation.
Tyler watched him puff the blunt and bob his head.
When the beat dropped, Logic calmly blew the smoke into the air and words effortlessly slipped from his lips.
This time was different. It almost sounded like he was singing.
On his Durk shit, Logic rapped but harmonized at the same time.
“You know what?” Pearl swooned as she swayed her hips. “Hell yea. I fucks with this. Lo let me find out you be out here cooing to the pussy.”
“You not gone find out shit,” Duce warned, shooting daggers at her.
“Did you know he could sing?” Aria whispered to Tyler, who was staring at him with stars in her eyes.
“Nope,” she uttered. “But he sounds good.”
“If he sexes like he sings, then yea, ole girl is about to lose her mind,” Aria said matter-of-factly.
“It could be you, the bud, the liq, whatever it is, I’m feelin’ it.
Gotta nigga in this kitchen cooing, sweatin' you on some singing shit. Tell me what I gotta do to make this shit legit, 'cause baby girl I’m needing it. Let me show you the world through my eyes, have us on some black couple goals shit.”
Logic gazed at Tyler, causing her to tuck her bottom lip. His eyes stayed locked on her as he slipped the headphones off.
“You think you’re so smooth.” Tyler folded her arms as he approached her.
“Think you can do better?” He cocked his head to the side.
“If I was singing, I could.”
“And why aren’t you singing? Don’t tell me that bitch ass nigga took your voice.”
“No one can take my voice.” Tyler arched her eyebrow.
“Then,” he stretched his arms out, “Show me, nothing serious.”
“Show him.” Aria bumped her hip, encouraging her.
Shifting on her feet, Tyler weighed her options.
It had been almost two months since she had sung anything, and she didn’t have the urge to.
Hell, even if she wanted to, Darryl made sure she couldn’t step foot into any studio in the Tri-state area.
The radio stations didn’t play her music and anything she made under the Oakwood contract had been removed from all platforms. Tyler had been stripped of her title of the R&B princess of Detroit, and it all started with a song, so she wasn’t sure singing with Logic was the right move to make.
“I mean unless you scared,” Logic challenged her.
Pulling the corner of her lip into her mouth, Tyler peered at him then her best friend, who gave her a head nod. Snatching the headphones from Logic, she bumped his shoulder while heading toward Duce.
“Nigga, I ain’t ever scared.”
“Say that shit!” Pearl clapped her hands. “Wait, can she sing?”
“Hey, Duce right?” Tyler walked over to him.
“Uh, yea.” He stared at her, wrecking his brain trying to figure out where he knew her from.
“Start me right after his verse. Isolate my voice and put it on top of the beat. It'll drown out the background noise and mix well with the baseline.”
“Y-you know about music?” Duce asked with his mouth slightly open.
“I know a little something.” Tyler slipped the headphones over her ears. “Turn me up,” she mocked Logic, causing Pearl, Diamond, and Aria to fall out.
“Talk yo shit, baby girl.” Duce bobbed his head with stars in his eyes.
“Don’t make me fuck you up,” Pearl hollered.
“Oh, it’s ok for you to flirt with Lo, but I can’t do the same,” Duce simpered.
“No nigga, you can’t,” she hissed as the beat dropped.
Tyler bobbed her head as Logic's voice played in her ear. For a second, she got lost in his deep vocals. He sounded so good, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that's what he sounded like when he needed to bust a nut.
Tyler wondered whether he was a shit talker or if he was the growling type.
She wondered did the veins on the side of his neck pop out or did he bite his lip when it was getting good.
“You straight?” Duce quizzed, snapping Tyler out of her daze.
“Oh yea.” She cleared her throat. “Play it back.” This time she focused, and when Duce pointed at her, Tyler hummed for a few seconds and started singing.
“It could be you,” Tyler whispered, trying not to strain her voice.
She hadn’t sung since Dexter damn near crushed her windpipe and her voice sounded a little rougher.
Clearing her throat, Tyler peeked at Aria, who gave her a reassuring smile, and then at Logic, who was waiting to hear her sing to him.
“Push that shit out,” he joked, gaining a middle finger from her.
“It could be you, the bean, or the liq, but I'm feelin’ it. The baddest bitch for six summers straight, yea, I been lit. You in this kitchen singing to me, but are you really hip? Yea you fascinated by the booty, the voice, and these thick hips, but what about the baggage shit? Couple goals are cool, till shit gets real. Can you provide the protection, security, and love I need to help my soul heal?”
“Oh shit!” Duce jumped out of his seat, startling everyone in the kitchen. “You’re Tyler!” He held his head.
“I-I-I'm not,” she stuttered, rubbing the back of her neck.
“You are. I’ve remixed your vocals plenty of times. You’re fucking Tyler,” he bellowed. “How the fuck you in my kitchen right now? Oh shit, man I love your music and you so fucking b-”
“Nigga, shut up,” Logic groaned.
Tyler and Aria made eye contact. It was time to go. People in the kitchen started mumbling and a few pulled out their phones. Noticing what was happening, Logic stood in front of Tyler, blocking everyone’s view of her.
“Aye,” he barked. “Put the fucking phones up. Anybody that posts her or anything about tonight is going to get fucked up. She chilling and this ain’t no fucking meet and greet. If yall gone be some fucking groupies, then leave.”
“It’s fine. I’m going to leave.” Tyler pulled at the back of his shirt. “It’s ok.”
“Any objections?” He grilled, peering around the kitchen. Everyone seemed to be in agreement, so he turned to face Tyler, who was ready to make a break for it.
“Girl, this my house and if anybody looking at you crazy, let me know and I’ll put them the fuck out,” Pearl assured her before turning to Logic. “Tyler, nigga!” she whispered harshly. “You brought Tyler famous ass in my house, and I got her drinking out of a off-brand Solo cup.”
“I'm fine,” Tyler giggled, overhearing Pearl chastise Logic. “You don’t need to roll out a red carpet for me.”
“Oh ok, because I was about to break out the fine China. It might not look like it, but I got some shit.”
“Fine China?” Al questioned. “You got that shit from a yard sale on the northside. Ain’t nothing fine about that Dollar Tree China.”
While they bickered, Logic guided Tyler into the living room, where everyone was in their own world.
The commotion from the kitchen hadn’t reached them, and Tyler was grateful.
She was having a good time and wasn’t ready to leave, but if her presence was going to cause people to act out of character, then she’d leave.
Logic pulled her into a dark corner, positioning Tyler between his legs while his back rested against the wall.
“I should slap you,” she threatened.
“Why?” He cocked his head to the side.
“Because you invited me to a house party. I’m going to be on somebody’s blog tomorrow.”
“You won’t.”
“Mm.” Tyler twisted her lips. “You think these people about to listen to you?”
“They will, but if you want to leave, I understand.” Logic playfully pouted.
“There you go with that smoldering thing.” She rolled her eyes as Baby Bash, Suga Suga started playing in the background.
“I’m just saying. I like you and I want you here with me.”
“Why do you keep saying you like me?”
“Because I do. I have a big fucking crush on you.”
“How big?” Tyler flirted, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“So big that you got me in this bitch caking hard as fuck.” He stared down at her, summoning the butterflies that fluttered in the pit of her stomach.
“Ok,” Tyler uttered, trying to swallow the lump that clogged her throat.
“Ok what?” He caressed the nape of her neck.
“I’mma stay here with you.”
“Yea you are.” Logic took her cup and placed it to his lips. “What time do you have to be home again, jailbird?”
“Shut up.” Tyler punched him in the chest. “I need to leave by 12:30ish to make it on time.”
“Cool.” He took another sip of her drink. “That’s just enough time for you to tell me what that bitch ass nigga did to you.”
“I’m sure you don’t wanna hear all that.” Tyler tried to pull away, but Logic roped his arms around her waist to keep her in place. “Let’s just chill, and if you act right, I might let you cop a feel.”
“Nah, I wanna hear everything.” He stared into her eyes, causing her heart to flutter.
“I know.” Tyler nodded, staring into his eyes.
“But tonight, I don’t want to be the brokenhearted girl.
” She tugged at the bottom of his shirt.
“I want to dance on this fine ass nigga who invited me to a house party. Pretend I’m a girl from around the way and let’s just live in the moment,” Tyler pleaded, smiling through her teary eyes.
“Aight,” Logic agreed, reaching up to thumb the tear that slipped from her eye. “Turn around and put this juicy booty in my lap.”
“Say less,” Tyler giggled, doing as she was told.