Dre Day

Against All Odds

March 1994

Jade POV

The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a faint glow on Dre's slumbering figure. I sat on the edge of the couch, watching him sleep. Last night's blur lingered in my mind—the drinks, the heated argument with T.A, and the hollow feeling after he left Death Row. Dre shifted, groaning softly. His hand rubbed his temple as he slowly awakened. I felt a pang of sadness; I knew his head was pounding from all the Hennessy. I gently moved away, trying not to disturb him further.

My thoughts raced as I reached for the phone, fingers dialing T.A's number out of sheer desperation. Silence echoed on the line, a dead connection that mirrored the void left by T.A's departure.

Looking back at Dre, I remembered his drunken confession last night—the pain hidden behind his tough exterior. To him T.A leaving felt like a betrayal, a crack in the foundation of what they'd built at Death Row.

With a sigh, I wrestled with the phone's cord, uncertain how to bridge the gap that T.A's absence had carved into our lives. I dialed T.A's number again, my heart racing with each ring, hoping for a response this time. But the line remained silent, void of any comforting sound.

Dre's voice, hoarse from sleep and layered with concern, broke through the quiet. "Jade, what are you doing?"

I turned to face him, the worry etched in his eyes mirroring my own. "I'm trying to reach T.A. Maybe... maybe he'll pick up now."

Dre's brow furrowed, his gaze drifting to the phone in my hand. "He's not gonna answer, Jade. He's made his choice."

My fingers trembled as I held onto the receiver, unable to let go of the hope that lingered in me. "But maybe if I can talk to him, make him understand... maybe things can be fixed."

His sigh carried the weight of exhaustion and resignation. "He's been with us from the start, I know. But sometimes, things just fall apart, and no amount of talking can fix 'em."

I felt the weight of his words settle in, a heavy realization that perhaps this rift couldn't be healed with a simple conversation. T.A's departure felt like a deep wound, one that even time might struggle to heal.

With a defeated nod, I placed the phone back on its cradle. The silence in the room amplified the absence of T.A's presence, leaving an ache that words couldn't remedy. The weight of silence hung between us, heavy with unspoken thoughts and emotions. I glanced at Dre, his expression a mix of fatigue and apprehension.

"Maybe if you were fair and treated T.A better, he wouldn't have left," I blurted out, frustration lacing my words.

Dre's eyes widened a fraction, a flicker of defensiveness crossing his features before he composed himself. "Jade, it's not that simple. You know how things are. It's business, it's..."

"It's not just business!" I interrupted, my voice rising with pent-up emotion. "T.A was more than that to you, to us. He was there from the start, and you let him go over some disagreement. You tried to play him Dre!"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the weariness in his voice matching the fatigue etched on his face. "You think I wanted this? You think I wanted him to leave?"

I softened a bit, sensing the pain beneath Dre's tough exterior. "No, I don't. But maybe... maybe there could have been another way."

Dre's jaw tensed, a flicker of hurt in his eyes. "I didn't mean for it to happen like this, Jade. It's not that simple."

"It's not simple for you, maybe," I shot back, the frustration and disappointment coloring my words. "But for T.A, it was. He felt pushed aside, overlooked. He needed you to see him, to hear him!"