Damaged goods| on hold

DAMAGED GOODS| 22

Dave

After we left the studio I took them back to my place, Aaliyah went to take a nap with Kairi.

Hope and I are watching movies in my personal theater room, now's the perfect time to ask about Liyah's songs.

"Peanut?" I called out

"Yes sir?" Hope responds staring at the movie screen

"What song were you talking about in the car?"

"Mommy's song damaged girl. It's sad, really sad but I like" she nods agreeing with herself

"Did she write it down somewhere or something?"

"Yeah it's in her purple journal"

"And where is that?"

"Her book bag"

I nod going to my room, Hope didn't want to be left alone so she followed behind me.

Peeking in the room I made sure Liyah was asleep, before digging through her book bag I found her journal.

Going over to my side of the bed I flipped through the book filled of lyrics for multiple songs.

"If you get caught I was sleeping, I don't know anything" Hope whispers to me, I looked at her in shock

"We're a team, If I get caught we're both going down together"

"Nu uh" she shook her head climbing into the bed laying down beside me.

Chuckling I continued flipping through the pages, when saw a drawing of Aaliyah I stopped.

The drawing was colored in perfectly, the background was black and she had tears coming down from one eye and the other covered in blood.

Reading the lyrics above the drawing I felt my chest tightened, turning the page I realized their were more songs with the same drawing at the bottom of the page.

Movements came from behind me followed by a tiny figure laid their hand on my shoulder.

"Is that Mommy Aaliyah?" Kairi asks drowsy, nodding in response I continued reading.

"What's me?" I heard Aaliyah yawned. Hope closed her eyes quickly pretending to be asleep. We remained quiet as the air thickened in tension "I know y'all hear me"

"I smell trouble" Hope whispers

"Really? What's it smell like?" Kairi asked sniffing the air causing Hope facepalm herself turning away from us.

"Dave?" Aaliyah asks tapping me

"Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"Are these your real feelings or were you just playing?" I asked softly turning around handing her the journal. Her eyes widen as she snatched it from me closing it.

"How did you—did you go through—Hope!" She stutters

Hope faked a yawn stretching "is it morning yet?"

"No silly" Kairi giggles

"Why did you tell him about my journal?" Liyah whines looking directly at Hope

"Davey asked about the damaged girl song. I'm sorry please don't me mad at me" Hope frowns

"I'm not mad" Aaliyah mumbles laying back on the bed fiddling with her necklace

"Answer the question Liyah" I sighed laying my head on her lap taking the journal back, opening it.

"Yes, they were real feelings" she mutters rubbing my head "It's a song from before Hope was born. When I moved out my parents house to live with Camden"