tw: talks about an abusive relationship. i'm not going to get in-depth about it, like actual scenes because i don't want to make anybody uncomfortable but it will be mentioned in this chapter. — naomi
Renée
Flashback to 2 years ago
Currently, Renée sits in the studio, pouring her heart into her writing. She's in a relationship with her boyfriend, Darius, whom she met during their junior year in college. They began dating a few months later, and initially, their connection was magical, filled with delightful dates and cherished moments. However, as time went on, things took a dark turn. She always wondered where their relationship went wrong. It started slow, cursing at her and calling her out her name. Then it escalated to shoving her against walls and roughly grabbing her arms. Then it started hitting her. She didn't know what she had done to deserve this. She loved Darius, or she thought she did, but she stayed in the relationship, hoping he'd changed. Nobody knows what he does to her, not even Stella and Jorja. He consistently threatened her to hide the evidence of his abuse, forcing her to cover it up with makeup and clothing.
She doesn't know why she wrote this song. Though she knows that this isn't how a relationship should be, she can't help but "love" him. Even after all the things he's putting her through, she still wants to be with him. He's so sweet and amazing when he's not angry. He calls her beautiful, prepares her food, and just makes her feel special. Yet, a realization dawns on Renée one day—Darius's actions are not love. Love is not putting his hands on her, causing pain, and making her cry. She's glad she found the strength to leave before it got worse than it already was.
Present Day
Renée is currently getting herself ready to head out to the arcade with Duke. She's in high spirits today, so she decided to play some music that would get her pumped up.
Break Yoself by G Herbo fills the room, and she starts getting hyped, dancing to the beat. "Aye!" she exclaims, feeling the energy of the music. "Break yourself, fool bought a watch and chain, tryna make yourself cool, pussy can't protect it, you just made yourself food." She rapped into her deodorant.
As she was vibing to the music while getting ready, it abruptly stopped as her phone started ringing. Annoyed by the interruption, she mutters, "Who the fuck?" Glancing at her phone, she sees Duke's name on the screen, and her face takes on a deadpan expression.
"What you got going on?" Duke asks while laughing on the call, amused by her expression.
"You just ruined my jam session," she playfully whined.
"Jam session?"
"Yeah, I was enjoying my music that you just had to interrupt," she exaggerated, while her arms fell, smacking her legs. "I was just making sure you was getting ready type shit," he explained. "You coulda texted me for that."
♡
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