𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐖 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓; nipsey hussle

𝟐𝟐 | 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐀?

LAUREN KEPT HER TALKING to a minimum, silence even. The deepest of the deep of nostalgia has settled and for the first time in over a decade, Lauren felt at ease. The thought of her failing marriage didn't have any bearing upon the physical and emotional connection that she's felt for the one man she's ever loved. With her husband slowly and secretly preparing for fatherhood with another woman to battling cervical cancer, Ermias made her forget all of her troubles— a tendency that he's always been good at. It's been days since being bombarded with the best and worst news of her life, causing Lauren to experience a state of internal turmoil that is rarely seen as a facial expression.

At just an hour and forty minutes into the date Ermias has been preparing two weeks for, he didn't know what to feel nor what to entertain in the back of his mind. A cluster of deja vu, reliving his teenage years in moments, has consumed his entire existence during he and Lauren's elegant dinner at La Boucherie and nightly cruise of their hometown. Yet, he doesn't even remember her name. Lauren maintained her sights on the bright stars in a bliss from the passenger seat of Ermias' black Mercedes Benz Maybach. Her attention became shortened just immediately as their fingers touched. Lauren didn't think twice before pulling her hand away, but not fast enough before Ermias notices the 24-karat gold wedding band.

"What? A nigga can't touch you now?"

Lauren smiled with a smirk, "I don't think Miss Dyamond would like that very much, considering you two have been quite the talk of the town."

Hearing Dyamond's name for the first time in weeks, after not seeing her around the store, didn't cause any concern to Ermias. It was normal for Ermias to find himself at odds with Dyamond often times than not, yet there wasn't anything like money and good sex to change her perception of the man she loved and hated the most. It didn't take long for Ermias to start reminiscing on their last argument.

"I bet that talk ain't come from nobody, but Cassie's ass," Ermias said in the manner of not being totally surprised.

Lauren's smile lingered longer than normal, per usual. Her straightened tresses blinded her peripheral vision like a curtain, therefore she was unable to continue the mental count of how many times Ermias felt the desire to peruse her with his brown eyes during their drive to the farthest and unbeknownst part of the city. She didn't mind the attention— she wanted his attention.

"Actually, it didn't. You seem to be very popular around the city and with popularity comes the gossip of people. Lucky for you, you're being talked about in the limelight of who you're dating and not so much your music."

Ermias chuckled a hiss of laughter, not choosing to think too much into Lauren's response. Tonight marked the the one-year anniversary of Ermias, or as many know him, Nipsey Hussle's debut album, Victory Lap. With nine of years of experience in the music industry, some would consider Ermias as a legend in the making for all that he's accomplished, yet opportunities of success continued to attract him like a moth to a flame. When he wasn't touring the world as Nipsey Hussle, the Grammy award-winning artist, he was Ermias, the pioneering activist of his Los Angeles community.

There was a lot to celebrate and not just spending the night out on the town with his longtime crush from grade school. After two red lights and one left turn later, Ermias entered and continued onto the quiet, residential suburban streets of Calabasas before entering and parking his Mercedes Benz Maybach in the underground garage of his multimillion-dollar home. Calabasas wasn't far from her father's home in Beverly Hills. Lauren's grip of her phone tightened at the thought of her father, who's yet to respond to the thread of twelve messages that's she's sent over the course of the day. It wasn't like him to not respond and that'sthat's what had been causing her to feel on edge.