Trouble Finds Its Way Back

"Could y'all hurry up and walk in this damn house and shut the door?!"

"Yo, chill." Lauren said hurrily walking in the house.

"Yeah, whassup with you?" Candi scurried behind Lauren walking in the house and shutting the door behind them.

"And why did you call us over here sounding like a crazy women?"

"Just sit down."

Candi and Lauren walked over to the couch and took a seat. Nicki took off her slippers leaving them in front of her chair and tucked her legs under her.

"Sooo.. Tyrus Johnson-"

"Oooooooh, is he sexy?"

"He fine?"

"Lightskin?"

"Married?"

"Divorced?"

"Does he have kids?"

"Is he-"

"HUSH!" Nicki closed her eyes and held her hands up. Lauren and Candi's eyes got big right before they exchanged a look with each other. Nicki opened her eyes and dropped her hands in her lap.

"So, Tyrus Johnson is... it's Webb."

"Webb? Like, Webb, Webb? Like your old Webb?" Candi said with a confused face.

"Like, drug dealing Webb? THAT Webb?" Lauren spoke.

Nicki nodded her head slightly while looking between Lauren and Candi.

"Yes, it's that Webb. Crazy right?"

"Mad crazy."

"What happened?"  Candi said as she got more comfortable on Nicki's couch. She kicked off her shoes and placed her legs on the couch while she adjusted the pillow into her side while waiting for Nicki to speak up.

"Well?"

"I mean, not much. I walked in and his back was to me so I couldn't tell who it was. Long story short, I didn't want to talk to him. I was getting up to leave and he gave me his card with his number and everything."

"Did you take it?!"

"Can I finish please?" Nicki rolled her eyes and her nostrils flared for a second. There was silence. "Thank you. Yes, I took the card. He said he wants to meet with me and talk and..." Nicki bit her lip and looked off to the side not wanting to really let them know what she was about to tell them. "I'm going to meet with him later on today."

"Wow." Lauren said.

"Damn. Are you nervous?"

"I mean, yeah. I don't know what he wants and I don't care but like, I'm curious at the same time, you know? Why after all these years does he want to meet and talk to me, and what about."

"What time?"

"Around 6 something."

"Does SB know?"

Nicki looked down and played with her nails. Lauren and Candi both gasped.

"SB doesn't know?" Lauren stated more so than asking. Nicki shook her head no.

"Wait, he doesn't know you're going to meet with him or that you already met him at the club appearance?" Nicki sat there silently still not giving eye contact.

"Tell him." Candi said. Nicki darted her eyes in Candi's direction looking at her like she was crazy.

"Are you crazy?"

"ARE YOU?!" Lauren and Candi said in unison. "Nic, you know damn well that Safaree has issues with that man. It would be better to let him know from you, cause if he finds out from someone else or in your case, somewhere else, he's gonna be a billion times more mad."  Candi said.

"I can't tell him. Not yet."

"Where is he?"

"With the Vaks."

"Lauren, don't change the subject. She needs to tell him."

"No."

"Onika."

"Candice."

Nicki and Candi stared at each other both trying to get the other to break. Nicki knew she couldn't tell SB she was meeting up with Webb. Things would get crazy before she even got to meet with him and she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Can you guys stop..." Lauren said with an annoyed voice. She rolled her eyes and they broke contat.

"Nicki, you do need to tell him though. You know him and SB has had beef since way back when. This is going to get messy, I see it."

"No, it's not. I'm going to tell him, just...not right now. Or anytime soon." Candi and Lauren both made a face and rolled their eyes. "Stop. I know how he's going to act and I don't want him to get angry and worked up if it's nothing. I'm going to meet with him, you guys are going to leave me alone about this, and SB is not going to find out."

Candi and Lauren rolled their eyes for what seemed like the billionth time since they've been there.

"Which means don't go running your mouths to Rex and Fresh." Nicki pointed at both of them.

"I guess."

"Whatever. YOU just better hope SB doesn't find out through a blog or something."

"Where are you meeting him?"

"His place.

"You have got to be kidding." Candi threw her hands up in the air. "His house, Nicki? Really?"

"Don't go telling me about myself. I'm going, and that's it."

"Uhm. Hold on. You called ME over here to sit here and talk about this MESS, cause this is exactly what it is, MESS. I didn't call you, boo."

"Well I know who I wont be calling again." Nicki cut her eyes at Candi. "I'll just call Lauren, she never says anything."

"Exactly. You want someone who isn't going to tell you about yourself."

"Yes, I would." Lauren spoke up trying to defend herself. Nicki and Candi both looked in her direction with a screwed up face before they both looked at each other before looking towards Lauren again.

"No you wont." they said in unison.

"So what are you gonna tell SB whenever he asks you where you been?"

"He wont. He wont even be back til tomorrow afternoon."

"Bitch, you got this all planned out and everything with yo sneaky ass."

"This is messy."

"I can't."

"Then don't."

"Again, YOU called US over here. I don't wanna know about your cheating, sneaky antics anymore than you wanna tell us about them."

"I'm NOT cheating Candice."

"Anyways, are we done with conversation? I got things to do and you need to get ready for your date."

"It's NOT a date and- you know what. Just leave." Nicki got up from her chair and exchanged hugs and kisses with Lauren.

"Oh?" Candi said gathering her purse and walking towards the door. Lauren followed behind Candi and Nicki fell behind Lauren walking them to the door. Nicki looked adjusting her shirt before she crossed her arms as Candi opened the door.

"I'll call you guys." They exchanged hugs and kisses and I love you's yet again before they stepped out of the house. Nicki looked over at the clock and went to her room to get ready.

---

Driving over there Nicki had so many thoughts running through her mind that she was clenching the steering wheel with so much force. It had been so long since she had last seen Webb, and to say the least it didn't end well. She definitely still had some anger pent up towards him but she was hoping that during this meeting everything would come out and she could move on from that. She turned on to the corner before she did a quick look down at the address she wrote down on a piece of paper. Looking back up she was surprised at the size of his house. He's doing well for himself. Nicki thought. She pulled into the driveway and parked next to his car. She rolled his eyes. He always had to be so extra. She sat in the car for a minute questioning whether or not this was the right thing to do. Of course she was feeling some type of way for doing all of this behind SB's back but she needed to do this for HER. Nicki grabbed her purse dropping her phone in it before she tossed it over her shoulder. She took a deep breath and opened her car door, stepping out. She looked back and pushed the button on her keys locking the doors before she dropped her keys in her purse.  Stepping up to the door, Nicki's suddenly became a little more at ease as she knocked on the door.

Webb opened the door on the second knock with that devious smile that Nicki hated and she instantly put her guard back up.

"Wussup beautiful? Come in."

"We're not doing this, Webb." Nicki said as she held a hand up to his chest stopping him from putting his arm around her waist and stepped into his house. She slid to the side waiting for him to shut the door and lead her to wherever they would be sitting.

"You can go straight ahead to the living room." He nodded his head in the direction and Nicki looked that way before looking back at him. "Do you want anything?"

"Just water, please." He nodded again and headed to the kitchen as Nicki made her way to the living room. She adjusted her purse pulling it up more on her shoulder. She stepped into the living room and looked around at all the framed photos...of just him. She looked around looking to see if he had pictures of him and a girlfriend, a kid, or anything but nothing. He doesn't even have pictures of him and his ridiculously immature cousin that are or used to be so close. Nicki sat down in the corner of the couch, crossing her legs and taking off her purse to sit it in her lap. She pulled out her phone as soon as he walked back in with the drinks. Nicki sat her phone in her lap and took the water out of his hand. He took a seat at the couch directly opposite to her and sat down.

They held eye contact as Nicki twisted the water bottle cap open taking a sip. He sat his water bottle down on the stand next to his couch as Nicki finished up.

"So."

"So...?" Nicki moved her purse off her lap and to the side with her hands taking it's previous place.

"How have you been? I see you're this big star now, congratulations."

Nicki nodded her head with a slight smile. "Thank you, I'm doing amazing. How are you?"

He sat back and put his arms up on the edge of the back of the couch. "I'm doing good..could be better."

"And why is that?" Nicki said in a low-key sarcastic tone.

"I'm lonely."

"I'm not surprised."

He chuckled. "Really?"

"Mhm. It's not like you're the best person exactly to be in a relationship with...or the easiest."

"I guess so, Nic."

"Yup."

He chuckled again. Nicki squinted her eyes at him. "What?"

"You still have the same attitude I see. You haven't changed a bit."

'Not at all."

"You're even more beautiful then when I last seen you."

"Well, thank you. But if this is all you wanted to meet with me about I really have somewhere else I could be right now."

"Yeah. Same old Nicki." he ran his hands across his face. "I just wanted to catch up with you. I see you still hanging around with that nigga Scaffbeezy." He shook his head and Nicki rolled her eyes. Webb was always jealous of her friendship with SB, especially when her and Webb were dating. He always thought Nicki was with SB at the same time she was with him.

"And he will always be around. Does that bother you?"

"Not really. He ain't got nothin' on me."

"Ha!" Nicki looked to the side before looking back at Webb. "He's got A LOT on you."

"You don't need him."

"I don't need anybody, that's for sure. But why does it bother you so much? Last time I checked whatever me and you had ended years ago. What I do should not concern you."

He put his hands up as if he was surrendering. "Hey, I'm just lettin' you know how I feel. SB ain't that nigga."

"Damn. Safaree isn't even here and got you feeling some type of way, isn't that something?"

"You know me and him always had problems though, Nic."

"And you know when all that broke out because of you guys and your problems I said I was done with you."

"Mhmm. You took his side over mines. That was fucked up shit, I ain't even gon' lie. You was supposed to be my girl. I was hurt by that, Nic."

"Uhm, do you not remember what happened or do I need to refresh your memory? Of course I'ma take his side. Don't play fucking stupid. We was all hurt in the end by the situation so don't even go there."

"Shit, I-"

"Look." Nicki held her hand up. "If you're going to spend all this time disrespecting SB then I can leave. I don't need to be here."

"Onika, th-"

"Don't EVEN call me, Onika. You know I hate that shit...Tyrus."

"How you know about that?"

"I know a lot. You of all people should know that."

"You always was sneaky."

"The irony." Nicki cross her arms across her chest. "Why the name change?"

"I had to get a clean slate. Wouldn't nobody in the business take me serious if they knew about my other life."

"I still don't take yo ass serious."

"Well it's a blessing I'm not employed by you, huh?"

"A true blessing. If I can't deal with your arrogant ass now I know it would be hell working with you."

"Damn. That's how you feel, huh? I still love you, Nicki."

"Sucks that the feeling isn't mutual."

He clenched his teeth and leaned up of the couch resting his elbows on his legs. "You still cold-hearted."

"You still haven't explained to me what you wanted me here for."

"I guess I'll get to the point."

"Should've done that when I first walked in."

He kissed his teeth and looked off to the side.

"I'm waiting." Nicki dropped her arms from her chest.

"Before you walked out on a nigga, you owed me a kilo. What'd you do with it?"

Nicki sarcastically laughed. "WOW. You called to meet with me over some old ass drugs. The fuck do you think I did with it? I threw that bullshit away. Are you serious right now? You're joking right?" Nicki clutched her phone in her hand uncrossing her legs. She put her purse on her shoulder and moved up to the edge of the couch.

"Nah, I'm dead serious. There's a lot of drugs you didn't sell and I need you to make these drops"

"So you smokin that shit too, huh? You seriously think after all these years and at the point I'm at in life right now, Imma go back to selling drugs for your stupid ass. Are you serious?"

"You either do what I tell you or--"

"And if I don't?"

"Pay me for the lack of drugs you sold, Nic. I still got a business to run here and ever since back then my whole shit has been off."

"And this is my problem because?" Nicki stood up and pushed her purse up on her shoulder more. "Your dumb ass should have thought about that before you did all of that shit. YOU messed up, Webb. YOU did. So don't try and bring me back into this. It's over." Nicki began to walk towards the door when she felt Webb's hand grab hold of her wrist. She yanked away from him.

"Don't fucking touch me." Nicki walked aggressively towards the door and swung it open. She walked down  his porch steps with him still following not too far behind but at a normal and calm pace.

"Nic, relax." he called out to her. She waved him off as she made her way over to her car. "I'm not done talking to you, Nicki."

She pulled out her keys and unlocked her doors. "I'm done talking to you."

"It's not over, baby."

Nicki stopped her body halfway as she was climbing into the car to cut her eyes at him. "It's over." She fully put herself in her car, aggressively putting her seat belt on. She tried to regulate her breathing to get herself to calm down, knowing she shouldn't drive while she's in rage. She started the car and looked up in time to see Webb giving her an evil smirk before he shut the door to his house. Nicki shook her head and pull out of his driveway and headed home.

---
Nicki adjusted her head on the pillow, finishing typing the text before she hit send.

I wish you were here.

What's wrong? You need me to come home?

No, I'm fine. I just wish you were here to hold me.

:)

Don't get cocky, Safaree. 

Pauz.

Bye.

Night.

Goodnight.

Nicki slightly smiled before her face went serious again at the annoying thought of Webb. She adjusted her pillow again and placed her phone on the nightstand before dozing off with a lot on her mind.