**Xpollo X ft\. Rylee Mae** *Late\-Night R&B / Toxic Love Duet*

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[INTRO — XPOLLO X | LOW, CLOSE-MIC, ALMOST SPEAKING] Yeah…Funny how we knew before we knew what to call it. Before everything got complicated. Before everybody else… It was you. [soft breath] Way back then. [VERSE 1 — XPOLLO X | SMOOTH, LOW MELODY] I knew what it was when you first came around, Just ain’t know how to love without tearing it down. Too much pride, too many voices in my ear, Every time you got close, I disappeared. I chose somebody else just to prove I could, You chose somebody too, like it did us some good. We’d swear we moved on, swear that chapter was dead, Then I’d hear your name and you lived in my head. [AD-LIB — XPOLLO] Still there…Went from lovers to strangers, Strangers back to friends. Then somehow we’d cross that same damn line again. Every woman after you got compared to you, That’s when I realized what I already knew. [PRE-CHORUS — XPOLLO X | BUILD SLIGHTLY] We can blame the timing… [pause] We can blame our pride. But every road I took still led me to your side. [soft run] Every time… [CHORUS — XPOLLO LEAD / RYLEE HARMONIES] [XPOLLO X] We been loving each other since way back when, Before the heartbreak, before the pretend. Choosing other people knowing deep within, It was always you… RYLEE MAE — HIGH HARMONY: Always you… XPOLLO X: Way back when. RYLEE MAE: We were toxic, we were young, We were stubborn as hell. XPOLLO X: Had something real, Just ain’t handle it well. BOTH — HARMONY: Lost each other just to find us again, Been loving each other since way back when. RYLEE AD-LIB: Way back… XPOLLO AD-LIB: Yeah… [VERSE 2 — RYLEE MAE | AIRY, INTIMATE, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DELIVERY] Don’t make it sound like you were hurting alone, I wanted you too, still wouldn’t touch my phone. I’d watch it light up, let it ring out of spite, Then lay in my bed thinking ’bout you all night. [soft female run] I chose somebody safe when I wanted your fire, Tried convincing myself you weren’t my desire. Told all my friends, “I’m done with him.” But one little message and I’d fall again. [RYLEE AD-LIB] Every time… You hurt me, yeah…But I hurt you too. We got way too good at pretending we moved. Different people laying next to our pain, Trying to replace something nobody could change. [PRE-CHORUS — RYLEE MAE | SOFTER, HIGHER] Maybe we needed distance…Maybe we needed time. To learn that loving somebody don’t mean you get it right the first time. [AD-LIB] Mmm… [CHORUS — RYLEE LEAD / XPOLLO LOW HARMONIES] [RYLEE MAE] We been loving each other since way back when, Before the heartbreak, before the pretend. Choosing other people knowing deep within, It was always you… XPOLLO — LOW HARMONY: Always you… RYLEE: Way back when. We were toxic, we were young, We were stubborn as hell. XPOLLO: Had something real, Just ain’t handle it well. BOTH: Lost each other just to find us again, Been loving each other since way back when. [VERSE 3 — XPOLLO X | MORE RAW, SLIGHTLY RASPY] I ain’t gon’ lie like I did everything right, There were times I chose my ego over our life. Thought having options meant I had control, Whole time losing you was taking its toll. Women around me, Still feeling alone. Could have a room full of love, Still ain’t feel like home. ’Cause home had your laugh, Your attitude too. The way you challenged every damn thing I thought I knew. [XPOLLO AD-LIB] That’s you…I could build an empire, Put my name in the lights. Still wonder what you’re doing when I’m alone at night. Funny how success don’t erase what’s true… I could have the whole world and still remember you. [RYLEE MAE — RESPONSE VERSE | SHARPER, FEMININE, EMOTIONAL] And I ain’t innocently I played my games. Wanted you jealous, Wanted you feeling my pain. I’d post somebody knowing you’d probably see, Just to make you wonder if he replaced what we’d be. [soft laugh/breath] We kept keeping score when we should’ve been healing. Calling it hatred when it still had feelings. Two hard heads with a love too deep. Making promises neither one knew how to keep. [BRIDGE — CALL & RESPONSE | MINIMAL INSTRUMENTAL] XPOLLO X: Who you think about when the room gets quiet? RYLEE MAE: You… But back then I’d probably deny it. RYLEE: Who did you want when you chose somebody new? XPOLLO: You. [pause] Every damn time… It was you. RYLEE: Then why’d we waste all those years? XPOLLO: Pride. RYLEE: Why’d we cause all those tears? XPOLLO: Fear. RYLEE: Why’d you keep running? XPOLLO: ’Cause loving you meant I had something to lose. [instrumental pause] XPOLLO: Why’d you keep running? RYLEE: ’Cause loving you meant you could hurt me too. BOTH — SOFT HARMONY: Maybe we had to lose what we had to understand… Why it was always right here. [FINAL CHORUS — BOTH | FULL VOCALS, BIGGEST SECTION] XPOLLO LEAD: We been loving each other since way back when… RYLEE HARMONY: Way back when… XPOLLO: Before the heartbreak, before the pretend. RYLEE LEAD: Chose everybody else knowing deep within… BOTH: It was always us way back when. [Outro]