[INTRO] She said, “You really gonna act like that?” I said, “Like what?” She looked at me for about five seconds. “Exactly.” [VERSE 1 — AAAA: -EEN] She wore my shirt, bare legs, cigarette smoke on the screen, said she hated how I grin when she gets mean, I said, “You look better mad,” — she said, “Don’t be obscene,” then pulled me by the belt like she forgot what that shit means. I don’t do “where were you?” — that’s a trap dressed clean, I don’t do passwords, screenshots, evidence on the scene, if you gotta check my pockets, baby, check the whole machine, but don’t get halfway through and act surprised by what you’ve seen. [VERSE 1B — AAAA: -ASH] She threw my keys outside, I watched ’em hit the glass, I said, “Damn,” she said, “Pick ’em up, smartass,” I bent down laughing while she stood there talking fast, then she kissed me hard enough to make the argument collapse. I like that kind of crazy — not the crying-for-an-ass, not the long paragraph, not the “tell me where we stand”, give me one sharp sentence, little venom in the laugh, then pull me back by my belt like you meant every damn slash. [PRE-HOOK — AAAA: -OWN] She don’t want me humble, she just wants me turned down, wants the volume at a whisper till I start to misbehave around, then she presses both hands flat, tries to push me from the ground, five seconds later looking for the shirt she threw down. [HOOK — AAAA: -AY] DON’T MAKE ME STAY — then lock the door and throw the key away, DON’T MAKE ME STAY — you know exactly what your hands are gonna say, DON’T MAKE ME STAY — say you’re finished while you’re pulling me your way, DON’T MAKE ME STAY — you don’t mean a fucking word you say. [POST-HOOK] Nah. That’s your favorite part. [VERSE 2 — AAAA: -ICK] She got lipstick on the collar, little smear on the zip, said, “Who the fuck is she?” with a smile on her lip, I said, “Nobody important” — she tightened her grip, then laughed when I told her, “You look better when you’re pissed.” That’s the kind of little game where everybody gets sick, she wants truth with the ugly parts conveniently clipped, I want one more drink and her fingernails on my wrist, and neither one of us is stupid enough to call this bliss. [VERSE 2B — AAAA: -ATE] She said, “You’re late.” I said, “I know.” She said, “You’re unbelievable.” I said, “Great.” She wanted some explanation — I gave her half the bait, she said, “I fucking hate you,” like she needed me to wait. I kissed her before she finished — terrible debate, she bit my lip, stepped back, said, “Don’t make this a mistake,” I said, “Too late for that,” and watched her hesitate, then she smiled that little smile that says, “Let’s aggravate.” [DOUBLE-TIME — AAAA: -ATION] No invitation, just location, complication, bad information mixed with alcohol and fascination, she sends one punctuation mark — I know the translation, I don’t need conversation when the message needs no translation. Black heels, cold stare, little gold chain swinging, she talks like she’s leaving but her fingertips keep clinging, I say something she shouldn’t like, now she’s laughing while she’s screaming, that’s the exact kind of contradiction that keeps bad decisions breathing. [BEAT CUT] She said: “What’s wrong with you?” I said: “You keep finding me.” [BRIDGE — AAAA: -AIR] She knows which side of my bed still keeps her hair, knows I lie when I say I never noticed it there, knows exactly when I want her just by how I stare, then acts surprised when I pull her close like I don’t care. [FINAL VERSE — AAAA: -OWN] Now she’s barefoot in the kitchen, wearing nothing but the gown, my jacket on the counter, her earrings falling down, she said, “You should probably leave,” without looking around, I said, “Probably,” then sat there while she poured another round. No speech, no grand confession, no “we figured something out,” just her knee against mine and that stupid little mouth, she said, “You’re such an asshole,” while she leaned into my shoulder, I said, “Yeah,” because sometimes that’s the only answer left to give her. [FINAL RAP — AAAA: -AME] I don’t need her calling me a saint, that ain’t the game, don’t need her telling everybody I’m the one to blame, she knows I got a crooked little appetite for flame, and I know she keeps a matchbook with my fucking name. She can swear she’s done, change numbers, curse my name, three days later hear my car and suddenly she’s changed, I ain’t saying that’s love — that’s too clean for what we made, that’s two people with bad timing getting good at the same mistake. [FINAL HOOK — AAAA: -AY] DON’T MAKE ME STAY — then lock the door and throw the key away, DON’T MAKE ME STAY — you know exactly what your hands are gonna say, DON’T MAKE ME STAY — say you’re finished while you’re pulling me your way, DON’T MAKE ME STAY — you don’t mean a fucking word you say. [FINAL DROP] Don’t. Make. Me. Stay. [END — bass cuts immediately]
