“Fuck this pill head ass bitch,” Dexter barked. “Tell him, Ty. This what you like, right? To get your ass beat, fuck, and takepills until you damn near overdose. Bitch so strung out she can’t think straight without popping a bean.”
“And what do you like?” Tyler chuckled. “You’re a fucking fraud.” She wiped the blood from her lip. “These niggas wanna be you because they don’t know the real you. You’re a lame ass, low self-esteem having ass, pitiful, crybaby ass nigga that can’t write a rap because your illiterate ass can barely fucking read.”
Dexter broke loose from Marty and clotheslined Tyler back onto the bed. His hands went around her throat as she viciously clawed at his face. As if she was a nigga off the street, Dexter punched Tyler in the face before gripping her neck again.
“Bitch,” he barked, pressing his thumbs into her throat. “I’ll take your fucking voice.”
“Bro, chill,” Marty yelled, watching the color drain from Tyler’s face. “Nigga, you gone kill this girl.” He jumped on Dexter’s back. “Let her go,” Marty begged, as Tyler’s eyes rolled in the back of her head. The combination of pills and alcohol in Dexter’s system had his head clouded. Even if he wanted to stop, he couldn’t. Pent up anger and jealous thoughts had him shaking her neck like a rag doll.
“DEX!” Marty punched him in the back of the head.
The blow caused Dexter to loosen his grip on Tyler’s throat. As if he was coming out of a blackout spell, Dexter peered at Marty and then down at Tyler. Without an ounce of remorse, he watched her cough and struggle to catch her breath. Dexter wiped the corners of his mouth and stepped back as Tyler sat up on the bed.
“What’s taking so long?” Bobbi questioned, barging into the room. “What the fuck?” she gasped, running to Tyler’s side as she coughed up blood. “What the fuck did you do?” she barked at Dexter.
With the door open, more partygoers found their way to the commotion, further embarrassing Tyler. Her mouth was bleeding, her shorts were hanging off her ass, and she was sure Dexter’s handprints were on her throat.
“She aight.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Let’s go.”
“I'm good.” Tyler stood up, adjusting her shorts. She tried to walk out of the room, but Dexter roughly pushed her back, refusing to let her cross the threshold.
“Where the fuck you about to go?” He frowned.
“I know you don’t think I’m about to stay here and you just tried to kill me.”
“Fuck outta here. If I wanted you dead, I would have been killed your dramatic ass. Go sit the fuck down.”
“Don’t talk to my cousin like that, nigga.” Bobbi pushed passed him, covering Tyler with one of the robes on the back of the closet door.
“Fuck that broken pussy bitch,” he spat. “I nut in this hoe every night and still don’t got a kid.”
“Bro, you high,” Marty sighed. His high was completely blown. “Let’s just go.”
“Nah, I’m not high enough.” Dexter stared down at Tyler. “You don’t wanna go, cool. Write me some fucking songs since that’s all you’re good for, and you better not leave out the fucking house.” Dexter mushed her before turning to leave. The small crowd followed him, each person giving Tyler a sympathetic look as if they weren’t about to talk shit about her the second they stepped out the door.
“Cousin.” Bobbi tried to hug her once the room was clear.
“I’m good.” Tyler backed away from her. “Go finish shaking your ass, but this time tell them niggas to tip you.”
Chapter Ten
Two weeks after their fight, Tyler was finally able to show her face to the world. There was still a small cut above her lip, but the bruises on her cheek and neck had healed. The damage to her vocal cords was a different story. Thanks to Dexter, Tyler's voice box was damaged and whenever she tried to sing, it came out hoarse. For the first week, Tyler didn’t talk. All she did was sip tea, write, and cry. Aria and Shane were pissed to say the least. Tyler had to beg them to leave it alone, but her pleas went ignored. Shane filled Dexter’s gas tank with sugar, stole his license plate, and spray painted the hood of his car. Aria canceled two of his shows while pretending to be Bobbi. When Dexter and his crew pulled up to perform, they were turned around and slapped with a fee for canceling the show at the last minute. Dexter was so pissed that he fired Bobbi, called her all kinds of dumb bitches, and then rehired her. When he came home bitching about the situation, Tyler simply nodded her head, knowing her best friends were the reason he was at the show looking stupid. It wasn’t an ass whooping, but Tyler was grateful he experienced some type of humiliation.
“Are we gonna valet?” Shane asked as they pulled up to Oakwood.
“Nah.” Tyler double parked in the tow away zone. “We’re not going to be here for long.”
Reaching behind the passenger seat, Tyler grabbed her purse from the back seat and shut the door. Today she was dressed in a black high-waisted skirt with a sleeveless white button-up and a pair of black Mary Jane Platforms. Her long weave had been replaced with a blunt bob using Shane’s new line of hair, and a thin layer of gloss covered her plump lips. Because it was almost ninety degrees outside, Tyler opted not to wear makeup, and the second the heat hit her face, she knew it was a good decision.
“I don’t know why them people gave you your license, but I’m sure that shit was a mistake.” Shane exited the passenger side of the vehicle holding his chest. “You do know there’s such a thing as a speed limit, right?”
“Did you die?”
“That’s not the point. I almost pissed on myself.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Tyler teased, hitting the locks on her car. “Remember that one time-
“Shut up. I don’t recall, and why are we even here? I thought yo stiff neck manager was handling the contract situation.”
