Pride

Chapter Sixteen

Trevante Rhodes

"I know I get around 'cause I like to move freely, but you could lock it down, I could tell by the way you treat me..."

-Chris Brown Feat. Drake; No Guidance

The beginning of the Winter break was welcomed. It was so welcomed that I almost didn't kick the girl I had out of the hotel suite myself and my best friend Mahershala Graham rented out in Downtown, Brooklyn after a wild party we had the night before. I might've erred on the side of keeping her around for the day until she woke up complaining about being hungry. I looked over at her and sighed, unsure of what any of her needs had to do with me. She could've very well had gone ahead and took care of that herself. The hotel we were staying at had complimentary breakfast. As late as I'd woken up she could've fed herself about three times before then.

That was what I told her. The girl-I'd forgotten her name-sucked her teeth and demanded I called her an Uber. I didn't even have the energy to front like I wanted to keep her around. I almost grinned when I had.

"I should've fucked your friend." she said, scathingly, "At least he makes sure his chicks are fed."

I shrugged, "He also makes sure to have a flick of you sucking him off on his phone. Front if you want, I was the better deal. And you came at least six times last night, shorty."

I watched her blush crimson before she went ahead to curse me out some more. I chuckled, wondering whether or not the girl was truly dense. I didn't care and I didn't put it out there that I had. Really, I put it out there that if they messed with me it was for entertainment purposes. Okay, maybe not true entertainment. I didn't mind pleasuring a girl. I definitely didn't mind that she pleasured me but that was generally where it all ended. As far as I could tell you, love wasn't an emotion that I felt easily for a girl. I definitely wasn't going to lie about whether I loved a chick or not, neither was I going through any motions.

I was reminded vaguely of Kofi when I stepped in the shower and chuckled at how that came across. He was right. I definitely didn't care about anybody. There were few people in the world that made me do so. I was reminded of one of them fifteen minutes after I stepped out of the shower.

I'd walked back into the common area of the two-bedroom suite we shared and I sucked my teeth at the lazy picture my friend made, his flavor of the week curled up under him like a kitten.

"Nigga, you almost made me lose round two. How hard is it for you to keep company entertained?"

I chuckled as I walked into the kitchen area and poured myself a glass of water. I sucked my teeth as my friend's query reached me. I walked back into the living room area and again took in my friend and the girl who was curled up with him.

"Shorty, were you really going to leave my friend over your friend?" I questioned, already knowing the answer.

The girl laughed and said no. I chuckled, giving my friend a 'see?' expression. It was more believable that I would hold down Mahershala than any of these two girls holding each other down. Besides, Mahershala was good for entertaining a woman feelings or not. I wasn't with the shenanigans. If I entertained you, I wanted you around.

"Still, nigga. What if she had? Then I'm up the creek because you ain't shit."

I wasn't. Still, I couldn't find it in my heart to care.

"You would've been a-okay." I said, grinning, "I'm getting dressed and heading out. Definitely about that time."

Mahershala sucked his teeth again and I shrugged. I knew he was reared up for another party but I wanted to enjoy the Christmas break before ending up back in school. I wasn't trying to be holed up in a hotel room with a chick that didn't even interest me. I'd leave all that up to my friend.