' THE RAPTURE ' › D. SWING [ DISCONTINUED ]

x.

UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER was something  we had been able to accomplish within two years of our relationship, and I admit—it wasn't exactly an easy thing to do. After all, it didn't happen overnight. We had discussed many things, such as his childhood, like how his father was always more like a dictator than a parent. Or how when they became teenagers, DeVantè would always be the one who had to take the blame for any slip ups his brothers had back at home because his parents thought he was a bad influence due to his lack of academic skills and desire to focus on things other than school. According to DeVantè, it was all about music in his household and it was all he'd do when he was away from home as well, regardless of if his parents believed it or not. Sure he'd have sex with a few white girls but to him, it was harmless. It was just sex, which is what everyone seemed to do during that age. It was normalized, so he didn't quite understand what the big deal was or why he was looked down upon. Eventually, he started not to care about what others thought of him, becoming a rebel. During his rebellion, he left to go work for Prince and when that didn't work out, he was forced to move in with K-Ci and JoJo. As you know, they formed Jodeci and blah blah blah. Everyone knows about the start of the group but not many know about the struggles that followed. DeVantè was finding it hard to fit in with the Hollywood lifestyle. Not because he was uncomfortable but more so because he was shy and had an issue with forming relationships with others due to lack of communication skills. He confused his social anxiety with the inability to love and tried to find the feeling in different women but when that didn't quite work out, he decided to keep it about sex and sex only. No strings attached. Because of this, he's hurt a lot of women in his past, including Madonna who wished to marry him but he wasn't quite ready to commit such an act. He was young and enjoying his life the best he knew how, smoking weed to calm his nerves and mask his awkwardness. Somehow, the liquor seemed to help, too. It made him more talkative, that's for sure. When it came to social gatherings, DeVantè was always the guy people wanted to be around because he was so laid back and mysterious, not to mention brutally honest. However, he also attracted people who didn't exactly have good intentions which costed him his label and reputation, as well as his sanity. Hanging out with Death Row had really taken a toll on DeVantè and changed his character so much so that he really didn't know who he was anymore, even at the age of 40+. It wasn't going to be easy finding himself again, especially at his age but it was something he'd have to do. Little did I know, he already had just by being with me.

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"Can you take the cake and put it on the table in the venue?", I inquired as I watched the men carrying the cake and nodding at me before taking it inside like I had asked. I sighed, placing my hands on my hips as I squinted a little from the glare as the sun beamed down on my skin while I stood in the yard which was decorated with white roses and vines, white lawn chairs, and a white carpet that led up to the alter. It was turning out beautiful, and the white piano made it even better.

"You ready, bride-to-be?"
I furrowed my eyebrows, turning around to see Dalvin standing behind me in his black tuxedo, white shirt, green tie, and had a white rose and green plants in the jacket pocket. He wore a bright smile on his face as he looked down me, shaking his head, "Why the hell aren't you dressed yet? Don't tell me you gettin' cold feet 'cause they already ugly as is."

"Boy, you better be glad the pastor is over there because if he wasn't...", I trailed off, holding my fist near my eye as a reference to me punching him in his.

He waved me off, laughing and rolling his eyes playfully shortly after, "Yeah whatever. Shouldn't you be in your gown, though? Besides, you don't wanna' risk DeVantè coming down here, seeing you before the wedding. That's bad luck."