Chapter 36 - Momma can your hear me?

Marshall POV

I drove along the road that leads to a familiar house, once getting to the driveway I put my car in Park and look at the cleaned pot that sat next to me.

I wasn't sure on the urgency of getting it back to the owner but Monica was pretty insistent it is done straight away when I ask if she needed help before I left work for the day.

I shrug as I get out of the car with the item in question and wall to the front door, and then knocking.

Moments later I was answered by a Leila wearing casual clothes, obviously having already finished work for the day.

"Superman" She smirked smugly, leaning on her doorframe crossing her arms "Didn't get enough of me on the weekend, so had to come by mine to top up?"

I snorted "Baby you damn well know I'm not the one needing a top-up"

"You wanna come in, have a little... Snack" She said nothing her lip in amusement "Have to say, you definitely are one to take candy from a stranger, gobble that shit right up"

"I'm not ever going live that down am I?"

"No, but I won't ever stop you from doing it again-"

Leila frowned, stopping dead in the middle of her sentence.

I turn hearing footsteps coming from behind me, only to see a dishevelled, skinny woman coming into view.

"Leila, baby" She spoke in a husky voice, I assume due to years of smoking.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can't I come to see my only daughter?"

Leila looked at me then back to the woman, stepping aside, letting us both in, seating us in her lounge room.

"What do you need Shanice?" Leila sighed, standing in front of her.

"I've just been kicked out of the clinic, can you loan me some money for me to get back on my feet?"

I watched as they stood there, Shanice suddenly setting her gaze on me "Aint you that rapper?"

"He's none of your business" Leila said cool "What do you mean you got kicked out again?"

"Well honey, I'm struggling with my sobriety and they caught me trying to buy some shit"

Leila steps forward grabbing her mothers arm, shoving up the sleeve revealing fresh track marks "You mean you haven't even tried and yet another place has kicked you out? I can't keep doing this, I can't keep trying to help you, I feel like you don't even want to try"

Sitting there watching Leila argue with her mother made me feel sick, I was all too familiar with the battle of a parent or even my addiction.

"Just a few hundred please, or maybe Christian can help... Or you" Her mother said pointing to me.

"No" Leila snarled "No more"

"That doesn't surprise me, you were always a selfish one"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me" her mother continued, standing up, facing Leila "You were always a selfish needy girl, that stupid brother of yours was always looking after you, supporting you, he would probably still be alive had he not have been dealing drugs in order to support you, you were always his burden for some reason, it's your fault, he's a better off dead anyways, at least he's free of your bullshit"

I stood there shocked at what I had just heard.

I look to Leila, who stood there, mouth open in shock, tears threatening to fall.

"Shanice is it?" I said standing up "I think you should leave"

"I'm not leaving untill l-"

I hold my hand up, pulling out my wallet grabbing out a wad of bills out and shoving them at her, then dragging her to the front door and pushing  her out "Dont jam it in your veins all at once bitch"

Slamming the door behind me then stalking back to Leila who now sat sobbing in the middle of her loungeroom floor.

I sigh heavily.

Fuck this.

"You're coming with me" I say then storm down to her bedroom seeing a basket of clothes sitting on the bed, grabbing her gym bag off the floor and proceeded to fill it with the clothes.

Slinging the bag over my shoulder I walk back to the lounge room silently, grabbing Leila and practically dragging her out of her house, locking the soor behind us.

"Marshall I-"

I ignore her unlocking my car, launcing the bag in the back seat and opening the passenger door, directing her to climb in.

"Leila-"

I close the door, turning around, seeing her mother still standing there.

"LEAVE" I snarl, pointing in the opposite direction, then walking to the drivers side and jumping in, turning it on and slamming the car into reverse and and leavinging the driveway with a screech.

-----

"She's right"

"She's not"

"He did support me, he a dead because of what he did for me"

"No Leila fucking listen to me" I said turning to her "I did whatever was necessary to keep food over Nates head, it isnt your fault, he was doing the right thing, he was looking after his little sister, don't listen to her"

"Why would she say it then?" Leila said, sorting there sobbing still, arms around her knees"

"Addicts say hurtful shit they don't mean, trust me on this, they're feeling bad coming down and they want everyone else on their level" I said, wiping some tears away from her cheeks "when I was in active addiction I hurt so many people, I don't even remember how many, but it's awful sobering up and seeing the wake of destruction I has caused, your mother knows how close you two were, shes using it to hurt you, my mother did it with me and my uncle Ronnie, please some let it get to you"

She stares at me for a moment, pulling the blanket up over her knees and sight, wiping her cheeks "It just hurts"

"Its meant to, it's manipulation, it's meant to make you feel guilty so that you cave in to what they want"

She stayed silent, reaching out form the blanket and started to trace my Proof tattoo gently, it had a very familiar almost comforting feeling to it.

"You blamed yourself?"

"Because I wasn't there to save him"

She nods silently, looking up at me, still tracing my tattoo.

"Wanna watch a movie or somethin'? You can use it as a distraction"

I can use it as a distraction.

"What do you think?"

She thought for a moment.

"Sure, do you want to watch Superbad?"

I do a chefs kiss gesture "She has taste in movies too"

As I turned on the Netflix, she laughed and then moved closer into my side, taking me completely by surprise.

I hesitantly placed my arm around her, the warmth of her body radiating into mine.

It was like a strange sense of euphoria came over me.