temptation «:|:» the weeknd

twenty-seven

twenty-seven

* contains possible triggering elements, please beware.

Driving under the influence of alcohol wasn't probably the best way to respond to the trials and tribulations Abel was facing. Thoughts of popping pills and crashing his whip roamed through his mind once he was pulled over by a white cop as he was just entering Harbord Village of downtown. The officer was on Campus duty as they were located a block over from The University. He looked at him and instantly knew who he was, refusing to take his license or charge him with a DUI. He let him off with a warning after lecturing him on the students' safety.

At times like that, he wanted to be unknown so no one could take note of his insecurities. He actually wouldn't have minded getting arrested. The fact that Valerie left him was worse than anything, including getting locked up. He hated being alone.

His hands trembled as he continued to drive through tears that spilled from his eyes and countless bottles of Budweisers lying on the floor of Cash's SUV. He wasn't the type to like driving that much, but he only drove to pick up Valerie and surprise her. It had been quite a while since they had got together and talked things out, but when Abel arrived at the loft, that's where he found out that his locks had been changed and Julissa had completely toyed with Valerie's mind. Valerie never sided with her sister so he wondered what things about him were said for Valerie to switch lanes, as she described it.

Beeeeeep. The sound of the person's car in the back of him horned as he came to a rushed stop at a red light. Abel stuck his middle finger out of the window, calling the random person behind him a bitch before he ran through the red light anyway. There was no doubt that he was in a rush to see Cash. He felt like a child in need of some fatherly talk, and Cash was more like a mentor to him than anyone else could ever be.

As he found his way down Cash's street, he tried to park the SUV as perfectly as he could. Being drunk, there wasn't much he could do about the mailbox and trash cans that he ran over. He knew he had the money to pay for it, so it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered at that point was breathing and he was having a hard time doing that.

Abel slammed the door on accident, clutching the handle to the driver's door as his body slowly fell to the ground. His eyes came into contact with Cash running out the front door and a terrified Empress following shortly after him.

"Go back in the house!" Cash yelled to Empress as Hawk came outside to help lift him. "What the hell happened, Abel?"

"Nothing." He slurred, feeling his body supported by the couch.

Cash took a seat next to him, while Hawk stared at him from the armrest.

"Where's Lamar and Hyghly?"

"They at the studio with Drake and 40 working on the Take Care album cover," Hawk answered, knowing that he didn't want everyone seeing him at his worst.

"Abel, you have some explaining to do. I know you've never been the best driver, but I see more than scratches on my SUV."

Abel got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen in an attempt to find some Hennessy. Once he found a bottle of Jack Daniels, he began drinking straight from it.

"No, put it down. I thought you were trying to change." Cash tried to get him to see the light.

"Fuck change. I just want to feel something. I'm never gonna stop drinking. I'm never gonna give these drugs away. I'm never gonna stop fucking these bitches. I just want the money, you can keep the change."

Cash glared at Hawk until he left the living room so just the two of them could have a one on one. "What happened, man?"

"Nothing, Cash. I just said that I don't want to change, that's all. I just want to be myself. I want to get drunk and pop xanies till there's nothing left to do in life. I want to fuck all the bitches that I can and give no fucks about it. Change. Where has change ever gotten me? Every time I vow to change, Valerie leaves me."

"How about we leave Valerie out of it? What about yourself? Changing for yourself should be the main motive, Abel."

"I'm not worth changing for. This is me, Cash. I've always been this way."

"That's not true, Abel, and you know it. You don't mean this, man. All of this will be over tomorrow."

Abel threw the bottle at the wall, wishing Cash would just leave him alone already. "None of this shit will ever be over! I thought being away would do us both good but she left me! She said she didn't wanna speak to me ever again! How is that gonna ever be fucking over, huh? Please explain it to me because I don't fucking get it! She told me she had been settling and that I never deserved her! She blamed me for tempting her to do drugs! When I was away, she was busy getting high in my house and I didn't know shit! She was cutting herself with razors and shit but I wasn't there to hold her! I made her feel like it was okay to do all that shit! I knew I shouldn't have left her alone after the night she fucking tried it! And you're telling me this will all be over soon? This shit will never be over! I'll never forget the fucking words she said! I'll never forgive myself for what I did to her!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he cried in one of the corners of the room, covering his face with his hands. He wasn't sure if he was crying more because of Valerie or because he was letting Cash see an emotional side of himself.

Cash was shook and unsure of what to do as he took a seat next to him, patting him on the back. For some reason Abel expected him to say something like "There, there", but instead, he shared some words that he'd never forget.

"Abel, you can't blame yourself for what happened with Valerie. Valerie has some personal insecurities that date back to her childhood. I remember you telling me about her father and stuff, but listen to me. She did not settle. If anything, she had something more than what she deserved with you. You're not just an average teenage boy with a gift anymore. You're The Weeknd and there are gonna be people jumping on and off of your bandwagon because of it. You see how Sophia tried to destroy your rep in that interview? When people see someone that's so used to failing begin to prosper, they will attempt to do anything to stop that. But then again, you have an expanding fanbase by the day that will have your back and support you through everything. This love and emotion that you have for Valerie, pour it into your music and watch what happens. I already told you what it was, Abel. You have Michael Jackson, Prince capability. You have an amazing gift for writing, and your vocal range in my perspective is better than both of them. It's up to you to either focus on your dreams or chase this girl that's only going to play with your emotions right now. This moment of fame isn't going to last forever, you know?"

Abel looked up at Cash with his glossy eyes and forced a much-needed smile on his face. Just as he was getting ready to respond, his phone began ringing. He looked at his phone to find out it was Drake calling, but didn't answer since he didn't want him to ever hear from him in a state like that.

The second his phone stopped ringing, Cash's began ringing with a call from Drake. Cash picked up on the second ring. "What's up, man?"

"You know where Abel at, man?" Drake's loud voice was able to be heard through the phone.

"He's asleep, what's the issue?"

"We have a problem. OVO and I are on the way to the hospital. Zaria's sister, Xenia just died."

Abel's eyes widened in disbelief as the sound on the other line muted along with Cash's voice.

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