At Any Cost

I will be pausing this fan fic(NOT STOPPING BUT PAUSING) to work on another one. This one is a must read! I love the idea of it already:) 

PROLOGUE IS UP ALREADY!!! LEave feed back:)

http://unapologeticff.tumblr.com/post/33666295797/prologue

http://unapologeticff.tumblr.com/post/33666295797/prologue

http://unapologeticff.tumblr.com/post/33666295797/prologue

http://unapologeticff.tumblr.com/post/33666295797/prologue

http://unapologeticff.tumblr.com/post/33666295797/prologue

              Trey wasn’t playing, after Aeryn laid down that serious track. He decided to do a whole demo with her right then and there. Baby was falling more and more in love with her by the minute, music was important to him too. Even though he knew eventually she would be his competition, he still wanted her, and he felt that getting with her was inevitable.

Once she left the studio he walked her to the door. “You need a ride?” He asked her smiling.

She returned the smile and folded her arms across her chest. The way they gassed her ego in there really put her in a good mood. “No thank you Baby.”

“You sure?”

She exhaled loudly and grabbed Baby’s hand. “Look Baby, thank you for everything. Thank you for giving me studio time and everything else. I had so much fun, but I hope its all from your heart and not because you expect something from me.”  She scanned his eyes for an silent answer. “I have a boyfriend, who I love very much.”

“Okay Ma, but naw it wasn’t like that?” Baby lied. Truth was, it was exactly like that. He wanted her bad, so he thought giving her something he could tell she was so hungry for would help him with that, and not to mention he’s never been turned down a day in his life.

“You positive?”

“Yep.” He answered.

“Friends?” She asked extending her hand.

“Yeah shorty.” He grabbed her hand and shook it.

“Well in that case, I do need a ride home.” She smiled before turning on her heels and walking to his Bentley that was parked outside of the studio.

He chuckled before walking around to the driver side. “Ared Ma.”

He knew he wouldn’t be able to get her as long as her boyfriend was in the picture. He appeared collected on the outside, but on the inside he was overflowing with anger. Baby always had a huge jealousy problem, but it was never really exposed because he always got what he wanted.  Grabbing his cellphone as Robyn and Aeryn climbed in the car he called his youngest son and whispered into the receiver. “I need you to make somebody disappear.”

“Already pops.”

Click.

The conversation was cut short, and it was just a matter of time.

**

When the coke colored Bentley pulled up at her front door she was surprised to see Jay pacing her front porch. She haven’t talked to him over the course of two days, which was very unusual for her. “Oh God.” She said outloud before climbing out.

“You good yo, you need me to stay?” Baby asked as watched Jay on the porch. Rage fumed in him, and his jealousy ran wild on the inside. The way Aeryn showed loyalty to Jay, and the respect she had for him made Baby cringe.

“No, trust me. Jay wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Ared Ma, and don’t forget about the meeting next week. Dress to impress.” He leaned over and pecked her cheek, trying his best to cut his eyes up at Jay.

“I won’t.” She skeptically closed the door and walked up to her front porch. “Hey…” She said quietly to Jay.

Jay was furious, and no matter how many times he tried to calm himself down he couldn’t, nothing he did worked. The feeling of betrayal and infidelity stung him, crushing down on his reality. “Where the hell you been Aeryn?” He asked her with a tone that shocked the both of them. He didn’t mean nothing by it, and some may feel as if he was over doing it a bit, but since they’ve been together not a day went by without them talking.

“Trying to work on my career baby.” She answered with a smile, hoping to change the mood. “I have a whole demo now, I have meetings and stuff.”

He wanted to believe her, better yet something on the inside yearned for him to believe her, but her brand new behavior and actions made it so he couldn’t. He pulled the picture up of her at the club hugged up and dressed different and shoved it in her hands. “This don’t look like no damn studio time to me.”

Aeryn knew how bad it looked, and she wanted right by him but her dreams were so close she could taste it. Usually her number priority was Jay, but now it was a different ball game. She decided against defending herself, and looked at him with eyes like ice. “Look, my new friends have things that can take me far, not sneaking me in the school you’re a damn janitor in to let me use that so called as studio.”

His heart broke as she spoke each word, ridiculing his ways of trying to help her. Pretty much laughing in his face when it came to all his effort. She didn’t realize the affect she had on Jay right then and there, he would never be the same thanks to her. “Fuck you Aeryn.”  He reached on her neck and yanked the name necklace he bought for her off. “I’m done.”

“Fine Jay, be done. I can get with a rapper or a baller. Not that chump change you be trying to spend!” She shouted off her porch as he walked away.

She watched as Jay disappeared from her eyesight before she decided to take a detour from her home. She rushed over to the bank with the intent to clean out the whole joined account they had together. She didn’t have time to babysit his insecurities, her career was within arm reach and she couldn’t turn back now.

Without any hesitation she cleared the Dream House bank account clean out. She was now two thousand dollars richer than before.  

Baby’s words: Dressed to impress played over and over again in her head.

          Jay slammed his phone shut so hard that he shattered his screen. It wasn’t like the woman he loved to not answer the phone. He’d been worried sick all night about her not answering the phone, and here it was morning and he was getting the same response. No answer. He paced the janitorial closet back and forth, his thoughts going a mile a minute.

Most men would have thought their woman was cheating on them, but not Jay. He had too much faith and hope into Aeryn. He was upset because he was worried about her. Not hearing from her was something he never had to experience.  “Jay what the fuck man?” His overweight balding coworker said as he walked into the closet to retrieve the mop. “You slacking man, you been on that damn phone all day.”

Deep down he knew his coworker was right, but Aeryn came before any job. If she wasn’t safe then he had to know, and at the very moment he could give two shits about that job. “Man, I’ll get to it. I’m sure I’m not missing much.” Jay replied walking through him, purposely bumping into his shoulder.

“Aye JAY!” One of the students called out to him. “Wassup with you my nigga?” He slapped fives with him and pulled him into a hug.

“Nothing just chilling nigga, you staying outta trouble?” Jay asked.

The students in the school clung to Jay, even though to most people he was just a janitor. The girls loved him because he was easy on the eyes, and the young men loved him because he understood them the most. They came to him more than they went to the guidance counselor.

“Yeah I am, did you hear about Baby performance last night?”

“Nah, I don’t really listen to his music like that… why? shit was live?”

“Hell yeah, nigga had some fly ass girls there and some more shit. I’m tryna find those bitches in Baltimore and put a ring on their finger.” The student chuckled showing Jay his phone.

Jay joined in on his chuckling, but that was short lived. His jaw dropped as he saw Aeryn all hugged up on some nigga in the picture. Dressed in the most form fitting clothes. This wasn’t even like her.

Here he was worried sick about her, thinking the worst. And she was just fine, showing her ass and partying. Purposely ignoring his phone calls. Doing things that wasn’t even like her.

“I gotta go man.” He told the students before handing him his phone and quickly walking down the long hall way.

**

Baby waited at the studio anxiously as the time neared seven p.m. He was excited for the arrival of Aeryn. Baby was determined to get her on his team, if it was the last thing he did.  Even before the fame Baby never wanted for anything, whatever he wanted he got it.

He starting trapping at the tender age of fourteen, and since then getting money had become a second nature. Surviving, and hustling was the only things he could do with his eyes closed. It made him develop a cynical outlook when it comes to money. Stepping on anyone’s toes just to get a buck. Even his own children. 

He was a father of two boys, both groomed to do all the dirty work while Baby reaped the benefits. Wayne and Meeky saw no problem with how their father treated them, despite everybody else constant whispers about the situation.

The music that made their father so successful was material that Wayne wrote, and Meeky’s delivery. Nothing about Baby was original, but he took the phrase Fake it until you Make it  to a whole new high.  So in the midst of exploiting Trey, under minding him for the extraordinary job he did at producing and making beats, he exploited his own flesh and blood too.

Baby stood at the full length mirror of his studio and rubbed his hands together. Despite his old age, he looked like new money. Designer fabric laced every garment of his body. Topped off by the Prada shoes he wore on his feet. As usually his jewels was on “Blind a bitch” and the Gucci cologne could make almost any lady cling to him immediately.

“Looking like a bag of money.” He said to himself before turning around to face Trey. “You sure she still coming?”

“Chill out man, I never seen you so excited to see a female a day in my life.” Trey chuckled. “She’s actually outside.”

The three petty little knocks signaled that she had arrived at the door. “Hey you guys.” She came in flashing her million dollar smile. Robyn came in behind her, looking eager as she could be to be in a studio.

“Hey Baby, Hey Trey.” Robyn plopped on the couch and immediately began to make herself at home. “Lets get this show on the road.”

Baby approached Aeryn and draped his arms across her shoulder. “How you doing sweetheart?”

Aeryn’s body tensed up as soon as he touched her. The smell from his cologne almost made her puke. “I’m fine.” She replied gently shrugging her shoulders, trying to give him a subtle warning that she didn’t want him on her.

“So lets hear what you got.” Baby gave her the set of beat headphones.

“Wait… I thought it was going to be just me and Trey…”

Trey looked defeated as he looked away and set up the sound board.

“Ma, I’m the rapper, I’m the one who can put you on.” He caressed her hair. “So I’m who you should be trying to impress.”

Aeryn pulled away from him and made her way to the booth. Chills slowly crept up her spine as she approached the mic. This moment had been all Aeryn had wanted yet she never anticipated how nervous she would be once it finally got there. Swallowing a huge amount a fear and nervousness, she tried to start. Her lips parted yet nothing escaped her mouth.

“Come on Ma. You gotta blow us away.” Baby rubbed his hands together and leaned against Trey’s chair. “You gotta do something different Ma. Everybody is tired of a pretty little singer, singing about how she getting hurt.”

Robyn stood to her feet and approached Baby. “Um excuse you, you don’t have to rush her. And trust me she will blow your mind.”  Frowning her face up at Baby she made her way in the booth with Aeryn. “You can do this girl.”

“I can’t Robyn, I’m scared.” Aeryn told her above a whisper. “I cant do this.”

“Yes you can. This is your moment girl,  go HARD. Or get your stuff and go the fuck home.” Robyn grabbed her shoulders and straightened her out. “NOW, show them that you aint to be fucked with. He don’t want a singing bitch, don’t give him a singing bitch.”

“But my raps Robyn.. they not ser-“

“I don’t wanna hear it… when I walk out this booth, you better be spitting some hot shit.”

“Rob-“

Robyn turned away from midsentence and walked out of the booth. Turning to Baby she stated. “She’s ready now.”

Trey spoke to Aeryn through the glass. “I’m just going to play a beat, and you sing something that you think would fit it best.”

Aeryn nodded her head.

When the beat came on her once tensed body loosened up. She couldn’t stop herself from swaying left and right. Although the beat was more on the hiphop side versus the soft tune she expected it still moved her. Everything she did, everything she saw turned into a melody. Music was truly Aeryn’s life, despite her mothers constant cries for her to give it up.

“We don’t have all day.” Baby chimed in.

He was purposely pressing her buttons , trying to see what she could do musically. To be honest, he only seen her as a pretty face. Baby wasn’t the only one either Trey soon began to second guess her so called musical talents.

Trey shook his head and looked down.

The small voice booming into the microphone surprised him, he looked up and awe.  Shocked to see Aeryn going off the way she was.

Confidence flowed through her voice, and through her movements. It was as if she had become a different person in the booth. Even Robyn’s eyes widened in shock, right along with Trey and Baby.

You be yelling boom boom, when you really pum pum.

See my flow hotter than noon in june june.

If Biggie was alive he’d sign me.

Im the new edition like Bobby and Ronny.

“DAAAAAMNNNNN.” Trey said as he bobbed his head to her rap. “She killing this shit.”

“Go off bitchhhhhhh!” Robyn shouted as she stood up and waved her hands to the music.

Baby sat quiet in awe, with a hint of jealousy. Even his lyric skills wasn’t up to par with hers.

How many times I gotta spit, before they know that I’m the bitch.

Im flyer than a maggot, Im on some shit.

First they love you, then they switch.

They switch like faggots.

“Yo Trey, call my label head my nigga. We gotta get her a meeting.”

                 Aeryn rolled over in her bed, to her best friend snoring loudly with her mouth hanging open. Last night was a blast, was the first time she had that much fun in a long time. Due to the fact she didn’t want Robyn walking home alone or even hanging out alone with Meeky so soon, she decided to take a rain check on the studio time last night. Trey gave her his number for her to call when she was ready to set the studio time up.

Robyn’s snoring stopped abruptly, as she popped her eyes open. “Girl, I had a dream your ass was standing over me with a knife.” Her voice was deep, and smelled like a garbage bin.

“Well at least your only having dreams of me killing you… your breath is killing me… IN REAL LIFE.” Aeryn playfully mushed her face.

“Don’t do that boo boo.” She replied mounting Aeryn and breathing in her face.

“Pew ROBYN!”

She climbed off her and made her way to the bathroom. “Did you call Trey?” She shouted from the other side of the door.

“Um no… it’s too soon isn’t it?”  

“It’s not like yall dating or something, its simply business.” By now Robyn was talking with a mouth full of toothpaste. “It’s never too early for business.”

She was right. Aeryn retrieved her phone from the nightstand and began to dial Trey’s number. Ignoring the thirty two missed phone calls from Jay. “Songz Enterprise.” He greeted.

Even his voice over the phone was smooth and charming. It did something to Aeryn that no man has ever done before. Her love box contracted in ecstasy, and her nipples hardened in false anticipation. Stumbling to find her words she started. “Um hey, is this Trey?”

“Hi Aeryn.” The smile was obvious in his voice.

“I was calling to schedule that studio time with you.”

“Well shit, I’m free all this week are you able to do it tonight?” He asked.

He could barely finish his sentence before Aeryn rushed a hurried response. “Yes!”

“Cool then, lets say I pick you up around seven-ish. We can meet at the night club we went to last night.”

“Deal.” Excitement plagued her. “Um, would it be okay if I bring Robyn?”

“Of course you can bring her, its not a date or nothing.”

Her cheeks turned beet red from all the blushing she was doing. “Okay fine, I’ll see you there.”

She ended the call.

“So what he say?” Robyn asked coming from the bathroom.

“We’re going to the studio tonight.”

The girls squealed and jumped up and down together.

Her phone vibrating in her hand caused her celebration to be cut short.  A picture of Jay popped up on her screen, letting her know that it was him calling once again.

Forwarding him couldn’t hurt.

She thought to herself as she hit the end button on his call.

“Damn, since when did you start giving Jay the bitch button?” Robyn asked.

“Just a lot of stuff going on right now, I’ll talk to him later.”

“Hey that’s your relationship, not mines. Now let’s go get something to eat.”

**

   When Trey ended the phone call with Aeryn he couldn’t help but smile. Her innocence was so appealing to him. Being in a posse of one of the most successful rappers there is all you see is thirsty females. Females hungry for the money, looking for the next nigga on the come up. Aeryn was something different to him, infact… she was something different to all of them.

Her naïve ways were cute to him, the way she was so green about everything. He was sure that she hadn’t even been deflowered yet.

“Who got you smiling like that nigga?” Baby’s presence shocked him, he was so swamped with thoughts of Aeryn.

“Just the shorty from last night. I might like her a lil bit.”

Baby stroked his chin gently. “You talking bout the light skin shorty with the phat ass?”

The way he described her turned him off in the worst way. He saw Aeryn as beautiful, delicate, and precious. But Baby just saw her as a piece of ass. Trey didn’t agree with a lot of stuff Baby did. Better yet he always opposed but never spoke his mind.  He decided that keeping his piece would be the best thing to do because he didn’t want to lose his job as his personal producer. Not because he needed the money because Trey came from money,  but he just wanted to prove his parents wrong when they dubbed him as a spoiled brat with no way of making his own income.

So in order to keep his lucrative job that he enjoyed doing, he decided to just stay quiet about a lot of the things that went on around him.

“Yeah, her name Aeryn.”

“Oh yeah, my future girl.” Baby smirked.

Baby didn’t care how much Trey liked her. He had already made a note to get that so that’s what he’s gon do.

“Nah fam, that’s definitely all me.” Trey clenched his jaw out of anger, he really couldn’t stand this nigga. Or his shitty ass antics.

“How you gon violate the code like that my nigga?”

Trey knew exactly what code he was referring to. Everybody in the entourage agreed that if one of them set their sights on a female she was off limits unless the first one that was interested says otherwise.

“I’m not, but you just brushed her off like you wasn’t interested in her nah mean.”

“Nawl, that was all part of my plan. I’m tryna make that girl my wifey.” Baby could tell that this was getting under Trey skin. Just like he could tell everything else he did was too.

He would have been fired Trey a long time ago, because he could smell the stench of BITCH all over him.  Although Trey thought he needed Baby to keep his job, the truth was Baby needed him. At the end of the day, Trey was the man behind all the hits. And with him being his young self he was green to the fact that he played such a big part in Baby’s success.

Baby played on his greenness and decided to undermine him in a bunch of things he did.

“Ared man, I’ll back off.” Trey said defeated.

“Cool, so when she coming?”

“Sevenish.”