𝐑𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 • 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐈 𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐀

✿ Chapter 4: Fast Lane ✿

With Notti's rise to fame came new challenges. The music industry was fast, and everybody wanted a piece of him. Aliyah watched as the pressure started to change him—he was more on edge, more distant, always busy. It scared her, seeing the boy she cared about getting swallowed by the fame.

One night, after another one of Notti's viral freestyles, they met up again. This time, Notti was quiet, barely looking at her.

"Ayo, what's good?" Aliyah asked, concerned.

Notti shook his head, pacing. "Shit's gettin' too real
Notti couldn't sit still. His energy was off. Aliyah leaned against the edge of the roof, her eyes following his every move as he paced back and forth. He wasn't the same Notti she met just a few weeks ago—the confident, cocky rapper with the whole city in his corner. This was different. His shoulders were tight with stress, his eyes darting everywhere, like he was trying to outrun something.

"Notti, chill," Aliyah said softly, but firm enough to get his attention. "What's goin' on with you?"

He stopped pacing, but he didn't look at her. Instead, he stared out over the edge of the roof, the city lights reflecting in his eyes. "Shit's gettin' too real, ma," he muttered, shaking his head. "The industry, the streets, all of it. I can't trust nobody no more, yo. It's like... everybody got an angle, ya feel me?"

Aliyah frowned. "What you mean? You got your boys, right? Ain't they holdin' you down?"

Notti scoffed, finally turning to face her. "Yo, on my dead, I thought they was. But now I'm not so sure. Everybody switchin' up, Aliyah. These labels tryna play me, actin' like they for me, but I know they just tryna eat off my success. And my day ones? They startin' to act funny too. Like, everybody want somethin', but nobody care about me."

Aliyah could see the hurt in his eyes. It wasn't just the pressure of blowing up—it was the betrayal, the loneliness that came with fame. She crossed the space between them, reaching for his hand, holding it tight.

"You know I'm here for you, Notti," she said quietly, her voice steady. "I ain't goin' nowhere. Word to my mother, I'm rockin' with you through all of it."

Notti looked down at their hands, his expression softening for a moment. "I know, Aliyah. And I fuck with you heavy for that. But it's like... I'm losin' myself in all this. I can't even trust my own thoughts no more."

"Don't say that, Notti," Aliyah insisted, stepping closer. "You gotta stay grounded. Remember why you started all this in the first place. You doin' it for you, for your fam, for your people. Don't let the streets take that from you."

He nodded, but there was doubt in his eyes. "You don't get it, ma. The streets don't just let you go. Once you in, you in for life. Word to my dead, I'm tryna make it out, but it's like every time I get close, they pull me back in. My mans just got hit last week, and now these other dudes tryna push up on me like I ain't the king out here."

Aliyah's heart sank. She knew the streets were unforgiving, but hearing Notti say it out loud made it all too real. She tightened her grip on his hand, pulling him closer. "Notti, you gotta move smart. You too talented to get caught up in all this. You got somethin' special, and you can't let these clowns take that away from you. On my mother, you can't."

He stared into her eyes, and for a moment, it felt like the world around them disappeared. It was just the two of them, standing on the edge of something bigger than either of them could control.

"I'm tryna be smart, Aliyah," he said, his voice low and serious. "But it's hard. I got so many people dependin' on me. And I got real enemies out here. The music shit is cool, but these streets? They real life. And I'm tired of lookin' over my shoulder, deadass."

Aliyah stepped even closer, her hand cupping his cheek. "You don't gotta do this alone, Notti. You got me. Whatever you need, I'm here. We in this together, on my soul."

He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a moment. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that, ma. Deadass, I been feelin' like I'm losin' everything, but when I'm with you... I feel like I can breathe again."

Aliyah felt her heart swell, her pulse racing. She hadn't realized how much she meant to him until now. She could feel the weight of his world pressing down on him, and she wanted nothing more than to lift it, even if just for a moment.

"Then let's get away for a while," she suggested, her voice soft. "Just you and me. No labels, no streets, no drama. We'll find some peace. You need it, Notti. For real."

He opened his eyes, looking at her with an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat. "You serious?"

She nodded. "Deadass. Let's just disappear for a bit. You and me against the world."

For the first time that night, Notti smiled. It wasn't his usual cocky grin, but something softer, more genuine. "Aight, bet. Let's do it. Just us."