“Glad you could make it tonight.” the voice spoke over the intercom. August never met the man he worked for face-to-face, but that didn’t make the man any less dangerous. He knew that any minute the “Don” could decide to have him knocked off the face of this earth. But he had worked for him since the age of 15 and he knew that even though Don wouldn’t admit it, he would always look out for August, as long as he did whatever was requested. “Yea, me too.” Was all August said as he stared at the guard standing like a statue next to what he always presumed to be the Don’s office. “You know, I was thinkin about getting out of this business. Your father and his brother worked for me as well in their young blood days. Keep playing your cards right and this business is yours Jr.” the thought of taking over the most powerful cartel down south was never something August dreamed about. But this was what he was working towards right? Getting out of the streets?
“Where is my money Ricardo? I gave you ample time to get it to me, now I'm starting to feel like you trying to play me. I don’t like when fake ass Tony Montana actin cats try to cross me Ricardo.” August placed the cold steel barrel to his temple as he sat tied to the chair still spitting out blood. “Fuck you, August. If you gonna shoot me, do it!” he chuckled as Ricardo finished his little tough shit act. Before he could stop himself, August pistol whipped the fuck out of him, causing blood to fly from his mouth. “I don’t like to hurt people, you should know that. I tried to help you, but guess you're one of those that just don’t get it. Pass me that drill.” his head tilted towards the table and one of the “helpers” handed him the power drill. “Either give me money and live, or I'm taking your life and every penny I can find.” He stared at me as the drill started up.
August stepped from the shower and rubbed the extra water from his hair with a smaller towel before wiping the steam from the mirror. A few minutes later, he walked out into the room and slid on a pair of boxers and rubbed some lotion into his face. He looked towards the bed where she was fast asleep. She always knew when he needed her there and was waiting for him as soon as he walked through the door. Something wasn’t right about her though, and August couldn’t figure out what it was. She slept curled up around his pillow, right in the middle of the bed. This was his favorite time to be around her, it was the only time he didn’t feel as if he was letting her down. “August, come lay down.” A smirk crossed his face at the sound of her sexy ass voice. She had a glow about her that just turned him on so much lately. No matter what she did, he instantly just wanted to be deep inside of her.
“What's wrong?” he pondered, slipping his pillow from her grasp and laying her on top of him. “Nothing August, I'm just exhausted, emotionally. All I can do at night is worry about you when I should be focusing on school and it’s just throwing everything all off.” He sighed, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “Okay, I will take a break from it. But he wants me to take over. I know you don’t like me out in the streets and this will take me out of them.” She looked August in his eyes, searching. She could never read what he was feeling, that was what she hated the most. Uncontrollably a tear slid down her cheek and she turned away from him, getting up to walk towards the bathroom. She was always told that crying was for the weak and that she should never let a person see her cry. August was the closest person to her and not even him had seen her breakdown in the way she desperately wanted to at the moment.
She locked the door, sliding down to the floor and letting the tears fall freely. Everything was spiraling out of control and she couldn’t handle it. All her life, she was the one in control and now he had her wide open. August was supposed to protect her, so why was she feeling as if he was doing the exact opposite?
“You know I'm not going to leave the other side of the door until you come out.” He placed his back against the cold metal door. He was tired out of his mind, but leaving her in there wasn’t an option to him. “Why, why d-do you do this to me?” her sobs made a part of him break, “Baby girl, you are the only woman I've ever loved. Before I met you I never knew what love was so sorry if I don’t always get this thing right. I know our situation is confusing, but I love you; all bullshit aside I really love you. You had my back before you even knew I had yours.” He closed his eyes, remembering the moments from when they first met. “August you're changing, or maybe I'm changing. Whatever it is I can't handle it. I love you but you can't keep messing with my head like this.” There was a moment of silence as they both sat on opposite sides, thinking the same thing. “I'm not going anywhere, I'm here to stay and you know that. I just, I can't get out of this game it’s all I know and you are the only person who accepts that, or at least you were.” She was so confused. She promised to never judge him and that was exactly what she was doing at this moment. Who was she to try and change somebody when she was just as messed up as they were?
“August, I'm sorry. I can't try and change you if that’s something you don’t want to change.” She stood and stared into the mirror, washing the tear stains from her face. She was changing herself, but she didn’t yet know what was going on. “You look tired.” She smiled weakly as she slid a finger down his cheek. “You think?” he chuckled and pulled her down to the floor with him, kissing her neck tenderly. “I'm not saying that you have to say agree right away, but you will be mine forever.” A smile spread across her as his lips found hers and they kissed for what seemed like an eternity as the sun began to rise outside. “I don’t think you're going to make it to class today.” She giggled as they lay in the bed, both too tired to drift off to sleep at the moment. “You either, I'm not letting you go to class when you're exhausted. You need a break.” Finally drifting off to sleep she couldn’t disagree. They spent the whole day sleeping, something they both needed.
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Side by Side: An August Alsina Urban Novel
Fanfiction6 years it took for me to finish this story. Even if nobody reads it, I promised myself I would finish, and I did!
