The Come Up (Book II) : PRODIGY

Chapter 26 - You Promise?

       I feel a light tap on my shoulder and then a shake.

"Baby?" A familiar voice echos.

As I slowly come to consciousness, I am greeted by a ringing headache only characterized by alcohol consumption.

"Baby? What's wrong? What happened?" Chanel's face comes into view. And I feel as though I couldn't be happier to see another person. Her face looks hurt and pained with confusion. She looks from the broken glass on the floor to me.

"What happened? Did you do this?" She questions.

"I'll clean it up." I answer, my voice still hoarse.

"Just tell me what's going on. I don't think I've ever seen you this drunk." She holds my face and I look into her eyes. For some unnatural and odd reason tears begin building up behind my eyelids. I blink twice and turn my head away from her then clear my throat. The tears disappear as fast as they came.

"Baby, please talk to me." Chanel urges.

"Flex is the one that leaked the tape." I answer.

I watch as she processes the information I've told her. She leans off of me and sits up in the chair. Her state straight ahead and her face serious. She shakes her head and shrugs.

"Nah. He wouldn't do that. I don't think he would do that to us, babe. It would be really fucked up." She answers.

"The tracks were mixed and roughly mastered when they were released. Emil can't do that." I continue.

"The leaked project didn't sound all that great. There were a lot of inconsistencies." She states.

"It was worse on the original drafts. Listen." I say to her but my words still slur.

I open up the laptop and play a few seconds of the original and then the same couple seconds of the leaked. I watch the color leave Chanel's face.

"The clip." She confirms.

"Mhm." I lay my head back and close my eyes, leaving her to process.

It's quiet for a few moments so I continue explaining.

"Called Emil. Asked him how he got the clip out of the vocal stem." I laugh drunk, but Chanel doesn't return my laughter. "He asked me what the fuck is a vocal stem."

She chuckles and sniffles. I open my eyes to see her crying as well.

"That's really fucked up." She adds, tears streaming down her face but a smile still present.

"Nigga thought I was speaking a different language." I laugh a little harder, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Chanel chuckles again. But this time, her eyes stay closed. She takes a breath and exhales in a silent sob.

"That tape really hurt me." She made out.

I pull her into my arms and she cries on my neck.

" I know, baby. I didn't want you to hear it that way." I answer.

" I can't believe Flex would hurt us in that way. Why would he do that? And he still hasn't told us anything. You've treated Emil like shit. Oh my God. You've been mad at Emil for months." She puts together all the pieces of the puzzle I already did.

"Emil sent the exported stems to Flex. Flex gave him instructions." I finish.

"Wow." Chanel sniffles. "What the fuck?" She adds.

"I don't think I can speak to Flex again..." I mumble quietly.

Chanel looks at me like I've grown two heads.