BETWEEN

12

LaToya's POV.

"Two can play that game."
- anonymous

LaToya's POV.

Sometimes, we try so hard to see the good within people that doesn't mean exist. Truly for me, boys are good for nothing. I know it's a stereotypical thing for a girl to say, but I haven't been proven wrong.

I left back out in the rain later after Trey had brought me home from eating breakfast. I step outside and see him standing in the rain, every last drop soaking up his clothes. But he's not alone, there's a girl in front of him, clapping her hands together as if she's trying to make a point.

Then, they're both doing it. It wasn't hard to figure out they were arguing. They were loud as hell too, even in the pouring rain I could soon clearly hear every word. I was in shock, never thinking I'd see Trey actually have the patience to engage in arguing.

"We been through this shit over and over again Tremaine. Fuck! You swear up and down that you love me, but ya niggas tell me you been out with some other hoe, and don't fucking play with me like i won't get a bitch killed." The mixed complexion girl with soaked curly hair complained, I could only see the back of her.

"I'm not fucking nobody else Jadyn. You the only girl I'm fucking with! Fuck!" Trey yelled.

"Whatever save that shit, you think you slick as hell with this bitch; niggas saying you done been around. I go out of town for a week and you already a hoe again. Damn shame." She pushed him back and he tightly grabbed her wrist.

"Jadyn you got to cool it.." was all he said and she sighed.

"Stop doing the dumb shit you do. I'm tired of giving yo dumb ass chance after chance."

I watched her body slowly huff as Trey's arms snaked around her back for a long hug.

"I missed you." He whispered to her as he kissed her neck, and she replied "I love you Tremaine."

My heart dropped. Love?

So many questions caused me to trip over a step and curse after I'd locked the front door.

I looked over to see them both staring, the girl, Jadyn staring. She didn't hesitate to run over to me, her face was genuine, she must not of known it was me who had been spending time with her lover boy Trey.

"Oh shit, your leg is bleeding. Let me help you." She grabbed my arm.

I wanted to cry in the middle of the ground, and I did just that, thankful it wasn't noticeable because of all the pouring rain.

I looked behind her for Trey but had noticed he'd just went back in the house like he didn't even know me.

"Don't mind him." She told me. "He's not a people person. Can you walk?"

"Yeah I can. Thank you. It's just a little cut it'll be fine." I gave her a small smile.

"Ight. Glad I could help." She walked off and I watched as she so casually trotted right behind Trey into his house.

It all happened so fast that my mind was racing. Trey had another girl in his life, and I can't lie, to know hurt.

I didn't even know why I was so angry, I knew we were friends but he kissed me just earlier. Told me he wanted to eat me. Told the boys in Waffle House they weren't to be seen around me.

But two could play that game. That's the shit with boys, they think you can't run game like they can. Little did Trey know, I had an ex of my own down here that I could snatch back whenever I wanted to.

•••

I'd been around Trey long enough to pick up on some of his patterns. He always left the house a little after 4, liked to leave his house or enter early mornings, shit like that.

But what I had in mind would startle him.

I had an ex, Ryan. We broke up sadly because he cheated, but the first months we were dating was great. It was when I moved that he told me he cheated and we broke up. I decided to unblock his number. I knew I was way out of my league to hit him up, but we'd actually had a good bond before I moved.

We were close, like bestfriends. It wasn't like after we broke up he tried to avoid me, I blocked him on everything and my friends still would say he was trying to get in touch with me. Maybe it was too late to make things right, only one way to find out.

"Hello?" My heart raced when his familiar voice answered the phone. "LaToya, is this you?"

"Uh. Yea." I replied. "Yea, hey, um. This might be weird but I- I moved back to town and I guess I just-"

"You moved back?" He asked for clarification.

"Yea. I called to see if we could maybe talk. If you have like a girlfriend I totally understand. I probably shouldn't have even call-"

"Of course I want to talk to you. And I don't have a girlfriend. I'm actually around where you stayed at your ma house. I'm at my bro house. We can link up now?" He awkwardly suggested.

"Yea cool. You remember how to get here?" I asked Ryan and he assured me he did.

"See you in a bit then." He hung up. It was almost four now, and Ryan said he was about to be on the way. I prayed this worked out in my favor.

Yes, the goal was to make Trey jealous, but I hadn't seen Ryan in forever, and maybe, we could move on from the past.

Ryan arrived just in time. It was four, and like I predicted, he was getting out of the car just as Trey walked out of his front door.

The girl, jadyn, that he was with wasn't with him so she must have left shortly after the rain shower. I kept my cool, walking up to Ryan to be welcomed to a huge hug. His arms quickly felt down my back, typical Ryan. He was always trying to touch me.

"LaToya... you look amazing."

I giggled.

"You don't look bad yourself." I complimented him.

"What you been up to? Who you been around? I didn't even know you was back, surprised as hell you called me." Ryan scratched his head.

"Yeah. I'm surprised to. She been around me." I flinched as I heard Treys voice come from behind me.

Shit....