𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍 / 𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐀

تسع - 𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙞𝙖

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚 — 𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙞𝙖

"since when did you speak twi?" abdul asked jamilah as they unloaded the groceries from the boot.

as long as he'd known her, he had been under the impression that she was just black. not everyone knew their roots, so he assumed she was one of those people.

she kept her eyes on the ground, realizing that he had heard her whole conversation. it never occurred to her that he knew what she was saying.

she didn't answer because she didn't feel like it was necessary. the question wasn't meant to be answered. she had always spoken twi and he probably could tell from how easily she kept a conversation.

"your mum lives in ghana, yeah?"

"mhm, she just moved to accra. she's pretty happy there."

"my family's from there, yanno? don't think i'd fit in though. i just send money, make sure they're straight, you get me. man don't have nothin' else to blow bags on, still."

jamilah glanced at him, happy that he could relate to her in some way. "it's nice. i lived here with my mum when i was small, until i was like seven. then my mum moved us to bawku and i was there for a bit. then my dad took me to dawadawa.... now i'm here again." she rose her eyebrows slightly in annoyance.

"london ain't too bad."

"i love ends... but i miss it there, yanno? i don't visit enough. and my mum fusses that i'm sendin' too much and not savin' enough. i just want her to have nice things."

he hummed. "how come you never told man you were ghanaian?"

"i mean..."

abdul kissed his teeth and she laughed.

"i don't know, no one's ever asked." she told him as she called for the lift. "plus it's easier for my family if no one knows i'm fulani as well. it makes marrying me off difficult. most ghanaian guys want ghanaian girls, not me."

he didn't understand that mentality. she was beautiful either way and he wanted her, fulani or not.

"but i'm not onto them honestly." she laughed. "so i couldn't care less if they like me."

"who are you onto?" he asked seriously.

she glanced him over and shook her head. "don't worry about it."

"don't play with me."

"why do you wanna know?" she teased, purposefully annoying him.

"you're my one, jamilah." he told her, staring down at her. "always been."

she smiled softly. "okay."

they got to the flat and put the shopping away before going to her room to relax.

while it was different times now, it reminded abdul of when they were kids, spending their nights locked away in her room. they'd listen to music and plan trips to the mall while counting money on the floor so they could get something from the chicken shop. it seemed so simple now but back then it had been complicated.

"what've you been on?" he asked, making himself comfortable in her bed.

"uni and work, innit. i don't really do much. i mean, parties, but... you?"

he evaded the question. he didn't want her onto him because he was still involved in the same nonsense. though, he did miss it. his younger self had been too stupid to see that she cared enough to pester him constantly. "where are you workin' these days?"

she laid beside him, staring up at the ceiling. "you can't come to my work. kaazim is already onto me about being around you."

he grinned at her, taking in the beauty marks scattered across her face. how could anyone ever look at her and not realise she was beautiful?

"who said man were gonna show up there?"

"i know you." she snorted softly. "you'll get me in trouble 'cos you don't care."

abdul wanted to say that she didn't know him the way she thought she did. if she knew him, she would've known how he felt about her.

that was a bit rude though.

"so you don't want me around?" he questioned instead.

"don't do that." jamilah pouted.

"so you want me?" he worded his question carefully, hoping she'd pick up what he was asking. "the other night you seemed to."

"it's complicated. kaz just makes a big deal about everything, i'm not allowed to do much."

he kissed her face. "it don't gotta be a thing if you don't tell him."

she bit her lip, trying to hide the smile tugging on her cheeks. he was right. not that she would dare tell kaz about what she was doing. it wasn't like it were any of his business.

he laughed as she pushed his chest. something about jamilah made his heart race like crazy.

"when am i getting my trackie back?"

"never."

"i'll buy you your own." he kissed her nose and she blushed. "we can go shopping whenever you want, baby."

"nah, i like yours." she laid her head against him. there was sort of comfort that he brought her. it was a nice change from how kaz treated her.

"man has to share now?" he twirled her braids around his fingers trying to calm his heart. "i don't think i wanna do that, still."

"too bad." she closed her eyes. "you'll wake me up in an hour?"

"sure."