Love Like This (Interracial Young Adult Romance) SAMPLE

Chapter 2

Copyright © 2012 Nicole Mckoy

Over the next few weeks Trey grew on me again and I could actually consider him a friend. But as I became closer to Trey I was growing apart from Clay. He and I were fighting for no reason it felt like lately. Our resent fight was over text message. He had football practice but the cheer practice I had was canceled. I told him I would get a ride with Trey and he flipped out. 

 I texted “I’ll catch a ride with Trey.”

Clay texted me back “I’m sure you will.”

I texted back “What is that suppose to mean?”

Clay just texted “Read between the lines. You know exactly what it means.” 

I couldn’t believe Clay was suggesting I was hooking up with Trey or wanted to hook up with Trey. We were just friends nothing more. And Trey wasn’t just taking me home he was taking Jenn home too. I was so mad I texted back “Guess we’re over.” Whenever we fought lately I had recently just started saying well I guess we’re over or do you want to break up and that usually snapped Clay out of his bad moods.

He texted me right back “No baby I’m sorry where are you,” I texted him that I was at my locker. I had been at my locker with Trey waiting for Jenn. She had to go talk to a friend about homework in one of her classes. 

I was just standing against my locker when Clay ran down the hallway to me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said.” Clay said picking me up and hugging me. I buried my face into his neck taking in the scent of his cologne. Clay placed me back on the floor and kissed me walking us backward pressing my back against the lockers. I kissed him back but quickly pushed him away. “Baby what is it,” he said. I looked over to Trey who was in shock. In the few weeks I had reconnected with Trey I never once told him about Clay and I dating, “You two are together,” Trey said still shocked. Clay moved back and looked in between Trey and I. “Is there a problem with that,” Clay said. I quickly intervened not wanting to start another fight. “No of course not. Trey is just like everyone else in this school. He didn’t know we’re together,” I explained. Clay softened and just rapped his arms around me from behind and I pressed my back into his chest. “Baby I got to go to practice I’ll call you when I’m done ok,” Clay said. I shook my head as he kissed my neck. “I’ll talk to you later,” I said moving out of his embrace. Clay gave me a quick kiss and ran back down the hall.

“So you and the white boy. Should have known from that first day back when I saw you sitting on his lap like his own personal stripper,” Trey said. He looked at me as if he finally solved a hard problem. “Don’t insult me or Clay. So what he’s white,” I said defensively. Trey looked at me disgusted and amused. “You’re black he’s white no one knows you two are together. I think you both insulted yourselves shawty,” Trey said with a laugh. I knew some people were still closed-minded but I didn’t expect Trey to be so rude. Yeah I was black and Clay was white but it didn’t matter to us so it shouldn’t have mattered to anyone else. “You know what screw you,” I said. I began walking down the hall. Trey quickly caught up to me before I got away. “Look I’m just saying you’re a cute attractive cameral colored sista and you’re wasting your time with that tanned GQ model wantabe. You realize he is the oppressor spawn right,” Trey said. He looked at me as if he made a good point but I was too offended to speak so I slapped him hard across the face.

Trey took a step back cupping his cheek. “Look stay away from me Trey. We broke up a long time ago and I don’t have time for you screwing up my current relationship,” I said. Trey looked at me amused. I had just slapped him and I was visibly upset. But to him this was all a joke. “How long have you been with him,” Trey asked? I debated on if I should even answer his question or not. He didn’t deserve any information. “A little over a year,” I said. Trey looked at me wide eyed. “Damn how have you two kept a secret like that for over a year,” Trey said in shock. I just laughed being the one amused now. “We love each other so we make it work,” I said confidently. Trey looked at me pissed now. “Were you two together when you were with me? Because for you two to have been together for over a year. You had to have been sneaking around behind my back,” Trey accused. I couldn’t believe Trey was really accusing me of being unfaithful. I had never been a cheater. But once.

Trey and I had had a huge fight back when we were together over having sex. He wanted to take our relationship to the next level and I didn’t. I had left his house crying and when I got to my house Clay was there. He had been waiting for Aaron to get back from somewhere and I just sat next to him crying my eyes out. “What’s wrong?” Clay had asked me. I didn’t want to tell him that my boyfriend had given me an ultimatum about having sex. So I just told him I didn’t want to talk about it. Clay wasn’t taking no for an answer that day. So I ended up telling him everything that had happened between Trey and I.

Once I told him he was pissed that I had been put in that situation. He had pulled me into a hug and calmed me down. I had wiped away all my tears and looked up into Clay’s eyes. He was looking at me with such softness and understanding. I didn’t know why but we just looked at each other for a while with nothing but silence between us. It wasn’t until he push back a strand of my hair and kissed my forehead that I felt butterflies in my stomach. He pulled back from me a little bit and lightly kissed my lips. I had been so emotional and just wanted to feel better that I kissed him back. Clay and I had shared a passionate kiss that afternoon only breaking apart when my phone rang. I saw that it was Trey and Clay told me to ignore it wanting to kiss me again. Just as he leaned in to kiss me again I stopped him. I couldn’t kiss Clay knowing I was still in a relationship with Trey. Yeah Trey had been a jerk but I wasn’t going to be a cheater. So I left Clay on the couch and went up to my room. I needed to clear my head. That afternoon had been the only time I ever did anything near cheating toward Trey.

“Trey I didn’t see Clay behind your back. Clay and I didn’t get together until after you left town,” I said. Trey looked as if he half believed me. I didn’t care what he thought because we weren’t together now. “Whatever I know he’s always wanted you. I could tell back when we were together. He would always be around and stuff,” Trey said. Trey wasn’t going to let up I could tell. “Well he was around a lot because he’s my brother’s best friend,” I defended. Trey didn’t want to hear my excuses he wanted to hear a confession. “I don’t care what you say about him. He’ll screw it up with you soon enough and I’ll be here for you when you need a shoulder to cry on,” Trey said. His cocky attitude wasn’t necessary. But I wasn’t going to continue to argue. So I just let things go.