Because Of Love

Two

July 30, 1993
"So when you gon' let a brotha take you out on a real date?" Pac asked on the other side of the phone. Janet and Tupac had talked to each other almost every day and they were becoming closer. "I enjoyed taking you as my date to the premiere and I really enjoyed spending the night with you, but I wanna go somewhere fun. Just you and me."
"All you have to do is ask.." Janet curled the phone cord around her finger. "It's a lot of things you don't know about me yet.. I need you to know Rene hurt me really bad..he did some unspeakable things to me. I'm ready for something real, Tupac and I want that with you.." Janet's voice softened.
"I don't know what ole boy did to you..but I promise you Tupac Amaru isn't like that. I got you, baby. Just trust me.. You already know how I feel about you, Square." He said softly. "Come on, I promise you we'll have fun."
Janet laughed."I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means."
"I promise it's nothing like that. I'm just tryna spend time wit you girl. With that being said—"
Janet interrupted him. "Yes I will go on a date with you. I wanna go to the park. I haven't been in so long."
"Ight then. Have yo fine ass ready by eight o' clock."
She laughed. "Aright bye bighead."
Janet put on some jeans and a black crop. She tousled her curly hair, making sure she looked good. She sprayed some perfume and headed downstairs to wait for Pac. She was so excited. The last time she saw him, they had ended up spending the night together and that was a while ago.
She missed him and she couldn't wait to be with him. She missed him so much, she even wrote a few songs about him.
Ding dong.
Janet sprinted to the door.
"Hi Lesane.." she laughed and hugged him. "Shorty, that is not my name anymore quit playing with me, Damita Jo." He sucked his teeth.
"Eww stop! I hate my middle name. It's so country." She playfully shoved him.
"Well I like it so I don't care what you think about it. By the way, you look beautiful..Anyways I brought you something." He smirked.
He handed her a piece of paper. "It's a poem."
She silently read it. As she read it, she could feel herself falling even harder for him than she already was. Janet could've just melted right there.
"Come here.." She threw her arms around this neck and kissed him passionately.
"What was that for, shorty?"
"Because you're the sweetest man I've ever met and we're not even together yet." She kissed his cheek.
"Did you like it?" He asked.
"I loved it." Janet gazed into his beautiful brown eyes.
"Why are you so good to me?" She placed her hand on his cheek.
"I want you to see how you're supposed to be treated and I'm just showing you how serious I am about you." He stroked her cheek, then kissed her forehead.
"You ready tho?"
"Yes, but let me put this in my room, I don't wanna lose this."
She carefully placed the poem in her drawer and headed back down stairs.
—-
Janet and Pac were walking around the park talking and eating fruit. "My mom is a huge fan of you!" She exclaimed.
"For real?"
"Hell yeah..she's gonna be so happy to meet you." Janet smiled at him. "What about your mom? You never talk about her.."
"Well..it's just complicated. My mom was on and off drugs when I was a kid and when I dropped out of high school she told me I was never gonna amount to nothing and she kicked me out.. we're on good terms now and she's clean, but those memories still hurt sometimes. But my mom would absolutely love you." He smiled at her.
Janet took a moment to think about what he just said. "Why do you think that and do you ever think about going back and getting your degree?"
"You're a good influence on me and yeah sometimes I do..did you get your degree?"
"Oh I got mine, I went to Valley Professional School but, my whole family had a tutor. Her name was Ms.Fine, she taught us everything"
"So you went to one of those fancy schools?"
"I guess you could say that..it was just where a lot famous kids went to school. Tupac, I really think you should go back to school."
"I think I just might do it..anyways, since we're talking about family, don't you have some nieces and nephews?" He asked her, biting into a piece of pineapple.
"I have lots of nieces and nephews but the ones I see the most are Michael and Mariah's kids. Those are my babies.." She beamed.
"What are their names?"
"Camilla and Jayden. They are so sweet and funny. Jayden is like Mariah and Camilla is like Michael.."
"Do you want that for yourself?" Tupac said, playing with her hair.
"Kids?" She bit her lip.
Shit. I knew he was gonna ask.
Janet tried to gather her words so her anxiety wouldn't be too obvious.
"Of course I want to have kids.. I-I just don't know if I'll be a good mother.." She frowned and started to twiddle with her fingers.
"Um what about you.." she said, still looking down.
"Yeah I want at least two kids.. just don't know if I'll be a good dad."
"Of course you'll be a great dad..you're so caring and loving. So don't worry about that, Baldie." She said, taking last bite of her strawberry.
"You ready to go back to your place?" He poked her.
"Yeah! Let's go." She grabbed his arm and ran to the car.
-
They were back at her place, watching television. He looked over at her concentrated face as she intently watched Law and Order. The way Janet froze up when he asked her about having kids was really bothering him.
"Babe, why are you staring at me so hard?" She chuckled. When he didn't reply, she knew he was thinking about something.
"Babe?" She studied his anxious facial expression.
"Janet what happened between you and Rene?"
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"A lot of things..he was abusive. Physically, verbally and mentally.."
Tupac turned off the T.V. and faced her.
"What?"
"...And h-he r-raped me.." Janet put her head in her hands. At this point, Tupac was already planning a hundred different ways to kill Rene. He grabbed her and held her, rubbing her back as she sobbed.
"I tried to fight him off, but he just wouldn't stop.."
She looked up at him, eyes red and puffy.
"That's why I got so scared at that party..I thought it was going to happen again."
"I swear on my life, I will never let anything like that happen to you again. I promise that, baby girl."
He wiped away a tear and kissed her cheek.
"There's something else.." She sniffled and then took a deep breath.
"...I was two months pregnant and he beat me so bad that I had a miscarriage..that's why I got so anxious when you were talking about having kids because I don't even know if I can have any more.." She bit her lip to keep herself from sobbing.
Tupac felt his heart drop to and could tell Janet was heartbroken by the look on her face.
"Is that why you were crying that day?"
She nodded.
"Janet look at me.." He said softly. Janet looked at him and he could see the anguish in her sad eyes.
"Sweetheart, that wasn't your fault. He did that to you.. it was beyond your control, but I know you'll be okay. Everything is going to work out just fine. I promise you that."
"You always know the right thing to say." Janet looked at him and smiled. She grabbed his hands. "I'm so lucky to have you."
"I'm the lucky one." He kissed her forehead.
"For real though, I have something I want to ask you.." He grabbed her hand, making Janet look at him.
"I want you to be my girl..I know you keep acting like you don't have feelings for me but I see it in your eyes, baby girl." He placed a soft kiss on her lips, making her blush.
"So stop fighting it, shorty. What do you say?"
At this point Janet was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt.
"Yes, I will I be your girlfriend." She hugged him tightly then kissed him.
"Alright I think we should head to bed because I got a big day planned for us tomorrow."
"What are we doing?" She said, standing up and stretching.
"It's a surprise, Square. I promise you'll like it." He stood and threw her over his shoulder.
"Stop it! You play too much." She laughed.
"Hush! You know you like it." He carried her upstairs and laid her down on the bed.
"Lay yo ass down, girl." He said, talking off his shirt.
"I have to take this makeup off. I'll be back I promise." She blew him a kiss and scurried off into the bathroom.
Tupac planned a whole day for him and Janet. He was going to take her to meet his mother and then take her to the beach. He just wanted her to relax just for once.
"Alright, baby I'm ready." She walked back into the bedroom with a blue silk night gown on and flopped down onto the bed. He had never seen her bare face before.
"I already thought you were beautiful, but seeing you now..just damn, baby." He kissed her.
"Thank you.." She blushed and looked into his eyes.
Janet settled into bed next to Tupac and they fell asleep.
——————-
The Next Day..
Tupac woke up first. He watched Janet sleep peacefully for a few minutes before attempting to get out of the bed. She looks like an angel.
He moved slightly and Janet grabbed his arm.
"No baby, get back in bed with me." She opened her eyes and pouted.
"Baby we gotta get up soon anyway, remember? I got a whole day planned."
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Oh yeah I forgot.."
"Get up, girl. We got things to do." He pulled the covers off of Janet.
"Come on in this bathroom for me."
"Baby.. just a few more minutes." She groaned.
"I was gonna cook you breakfast but since you wanna go back to sleep I guess I won't." He shrugged.
"Okay, okay I'm up. Now get out the bathroom, I need to take a shower." She shoved him playfully.
"Say less. Imma go make that food for you. It'll be ready when you get out. And put on something nice."
Janet got into the shower and let the hot run down her body. She was so glad that she was offcially his girl.