Remember Me (Sequel To Tragic Endings)

12. Respect

Aisha's P.O.V.

I sit at a table of a diner in LA, nervously fidgeting in my seat.

This would be the first time in a very long time that I see my father in person, after everything that's happened to us, and to say that I'm kind of nervous would be an understatement. I feel so conflicted about finally agreeing to meet with him.

I used to secretly, well not so secretly actually, be so scared of him and intimidated by him my whole life.

Daddy having been locked up behind bars for the past few years though, I do feel like it's humbled him somewhat. I could hear it in his voice every time he would call me and plead with me to come meet him, he didn't even sound like the person I knew him to be before. And I am also realizing now that my father, the almighty Suge Knight, at the end of the day, is just a man. Not like this omnipotent entity that knows literally everything and can do literally everything. No. Just a man.

And I am trying my best to keep that same energy right now, as I see him casually stroll in, looking for where I'm seated in the booth at this diner.

Once locating me, my father makes his way over to me. He plops on the seat across from me.

"Hi, Princess," he huffs. Still using that annoying pet name for me even after all these years.

"Hi," I sigh.

He immediately pulls one of his signature Cuban cigars out and clips the top off of it, lighting it.

"I have missed those while being locked up," he jokes, puffing away. "So, how have you been, Princess, how's life been treating you?" My father asks me just as a waiter approaches us, taking our food orders.

They also tell my daddy that he can't smoke in here and to my surprise, he actually puts the cigar out, which is so unlike him. The man I am so used to would totally tell the waiter to fuck off, then literally threaten that person's life, sending them scurrying and running away for cover.

You see Suge Knight, you run.

That used to be the motto. A catch phrase whispered throughout the whole music industry whenever referring to my father.

But apparently not anymore.

Maybe prison did humble him just a tad bit...

"I've been doing fine, dad. Thank you. I'm sorry I haven't reached out to you sooner. I know you have been out for months now," I say quietly, honestly feeling bad, I mean, what kind of a daughter am I?!

"It's fine, Princess, I understand," my father says gruffly, taking a sip of his water the waiter had placed in front of him earlier when taking our food orders. "I realize that you are a busy woman now, and that... Things haven't been in the best term between us before."

I mean, you did try to murder both me and the love of my life before...

Also, not to mention, drugged me and forced me to have an abortion against my will...

And just the thought of that alone is squeezing at my heart like a tight closed fist, and I'm suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

God, why did I agree to meet him?!

And the answer to that question is simple, not matter what he's done, he is still my father.

And before things had gotten really messed-up between us, he did use to look out for me and at some point it had seemed like he wanted nothing but the best for me. Then it all got twisted somehow. But it's not like I don't have any happy memories with him, back when we used to be a family.