Can't Let Go

Chapter One

Trey 

Larissa packed her bags, put it in her car, and drove away for the last time. She dumped me. Supposedly, she heard I was cheating on her. No matter how hard I tried to prove it, she wouldn't believe me. She always had a problem with trusting me. We dated for three months, but she couldn't get past the fact that I was a superstar. Although I loved what I did for a living, I wanted a steady girlfriend. I needed someone who understood the life of a performer and supported that life as well. My best friend, Usher, stopped by because he knew it would be a difficult day for me. I was falling for Larissa, which he knew, but couldn't understand. That day, I just wanted to sit on my bed and wallow for a moment, but he would not let me.

"Trey, let's go out to get something to eat." He stood in the doorway of my bedroom.

"Nah, I think I'm gonna just sit here and let time pass." I sat on my bed, looking down at the floor while twiddling with a small piece of paper from the gum I had just unwrapped.

"No, you're not." He shook his head. "You're gonna get up, and we're gonna go out to get something to eat. And then, we're gonna go out later tonight and get some chicks."

"I was just dumped by a chick. Why would I want another one?"

"You're single now man. You might as well enjoy it." A mischievous smile dashed across his face.

"Maybe you're right."

"You know I am."

I stood up and stretched. "Let's go."

He drove to the restaurant. Unfortunately, I could not go into town with the masses. I had to go where other celebrities dined. Sometimes, I just wanted to hang out with everyone else. What would it be like to spend time with one of my fans, at least for a day? Riding to the restaurant, an advertisement came on the radio, announcing my concert dates while playing one of my songs in the background.

"That's all you," said Usher.

"Yep, that's me." I nodded slowly.

"Aw man, come on. She wasn't all that anyway. If she didn't trust you, then you didn't need her."

"Why can't I just meet a girl and it works?" I let out a breath.

"First." He put up his index finger "You need to stop messing with girls and find a woman. Next, I don't understand you. You can have any girl you want, more than one in fact, and you want a serious relationship," he said, placing his middle finger next to index finger.

"I know how you feel man, but I'm not wired that way. I don't want to have a different girl every night. I don't even understand that. I tried that, and you know what? It means absolutely nothing."

"You know what you sound like man?"

"What?"

"You sound like a girl, just a little bit." He placed his thumb and forefinger in the air, measuring an inch.

"Oh, really?" I chuckled, placing my hand in a loose fist near my mouth.

"Yeah, really. Don't you think you're too young to be thinking like this? Enjoy these moments my friend." He clapped his hand against my shoulder.

"You know what? When we go out tonight, I will." I nodded.

"Cool." We fist bumped. When we arrived at the restaurant, we saw Alicia Keys having lunch with a few of her girlfriends. We strolled by the table and said, "hello." A few of her friends looked as if they were going to break their necks looking at us. Many women were interested in me, but Usher could definitely carry his own weight. As women would say, he was tall, dark, and handsome. He also got many compliments about his style from the ladies as well as the men. His parents were renowned surgeons, but he chose a different path. Like me, he was also a well-known performer. Sometimes, we toured together. But he was taking a short hiatus from performing. Being the workaholic that he was, he was way overdue for a break. I was beginning to reach my limit as well. Everyone needs a little time away to clear their minds. Anyway, Despite Usher's playboy persona, brilliance was not a question for him. He was always thinking of new ways to enhance his performances and connect with the fans. I admired him. We often bounced ideas off of one another, which helped us to make some of the hottest songs and give some of the best concerts.