MJ
I couldn’t sleep the entire night. My eyes stayed fixed on Martha’s sleeping form, rising and falling with each breath. How did she end up here? How did I? My mind spiraled, replaying every decision that led us to this moment.
The soft beep of my phone startled me, its glow cutting through the darkness. I squinted at the screen, my breath catching at the name. What does he want at 5 a.m.? A knot tightened in my stomach as I opened the message. He’s coming here. Today.
I exhaled sharply, tension building with every word on the screen. My fingers hovered over the call button, dialing him repeatedly, but it was no use. He wasn’t answering. Frustrated, I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Martha, and padded down the hallway to clear my head.
Eventually, I unlocked the door to our shared room. Sonia lay sprawled across my bed, her dark curls spilling over the pillow. For a brief moment, everything else faded. I slipped off my sweatshirt and slid under the blanket beside her, feeling her warmth seep into my skin.
What would I do without her?
“Wake up,” Sonia murmured, her lips brushing against the nape of my neck.
“I’m awake,” I mumbled, my voice heavy with sleep. My eyes fluttered open, meeting hers.
“I love you,” I blurted, unable to hold it back.
Her expression softened, her lips curving into a small smile. “I love you too.”
I pulled her closer, clinging to the fleeting calm of this moment. I wasn’t ready to face the chaos today would bring. “About last night…” I began, my fingers tangling gently in her hair.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell her,” I said, my voice quiet yet understanding. “I know how hard it can be.”
“With my mom, it’s…extra hard,” she admitted.
“I wish it could be easier for you.”
“Me too,” she whispered. “My relationship with her is hanging by a thread, but it’s all I have. After everything—her miscarriages, my dad’s drinking—she’s been through too much. Just try to understand her for me, okay?”
She hugged me tighter, and I felt the weight of her empathy. Sonia always found a way to make excuses for her parents, no matter how much they hurt her. It frustrated me, but I understood. That’s what you do when you love someone blindly.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
“How’s Martha?”
“She survived the night.”
“Thank goodness. When did you come back?”
“Around five. I couldn’t sleep.”
“You weren’t supposed to sleep. You were supposed to look after her,” she teased, her laugh light and melodic.
I smiled. “I know.”
“What’s on your schedule today?”
“Practice,” I said, realization dawning.
“Oh, right. Basketball. I’ve been so caught up in everything, I forgot.”
“Well,” I said, brushing a strand of hair from her face, “I wouldn’t mind getting caught up in you instead.”
She smirked, her breath warm against my cheek. “Oh, really? And what does my captain have in mind?”
“Something to take the edge off after a stressful week.”
—
The gym smelled of sweat and determination, the echoes of squeaking sneakers and dribbling basketballs filling the air. Coach had brought in reinforcements, towering players with sharp instincts and an unyielding drive. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
“Again!” Coach bellowed, his whistle slicing through the noise.
My teammates were sluggish, their movements disconnected. It irritated me to no end—they didn’t seem to grasp how much was at stake.
“Ngugi, off the court!” the bearded recruit shouted. His tone grated on me, and I turned sharply. Sonia looked pale, her hands trembling slightly.
“Kamau!” Coach called out, his voice booming with authority.
“What?” I snapped, pulling my jersey up to wipe my face.
“Get your team in line! The competition starts next week, and they’re playing like amateurs!”
“It’s just practice,” I said, my hands on my hips.
“I don’t care if it’s practice! I won’t have you embarrassing me in Ethiopia. Do what you need to do to whip them into shape!”
I ran my hand through my hair, glancing at my teammates sprawled across the floor like they’d just run a marathon. Clapping twice, I called them to huddle.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
Anna sighed. “It’s been a long week…”
“Guess what? I don’t care,” I snapped. “Neither does Coach, and he’s chewing me out because of your performance. Especially you, Sonia.”
Her head shot up, her gaze darting to her feet.
“For the next two weeks, practice starts at 6 a.m. sharp. Clear your schedules.”
“Every day?” Nelly asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes. Any problems?”
“No…I was just confirming.”
“Good. Now get to work!”
The rest of practice was marginally better, but tension lingered in the air. Back in the locker room, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken resentment and the cloying scents of lotions and deodorants.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, draping a towel around my waist.
The girls exchanged uneasy glances before Sonia broke the silence. “They think you’re a bitch.”
Her bluntness made the others gasp, but I didn’t flinch.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You can’t talk to us like that,” Sonia said, one brow arched defiantly.
“If you don’t want me to, then play like you mean it,” I countered.
“You still don’t have the right.”
“As captain, I do.”
The locker room erupted in whispers and side-eyes. My patience wore thin. “When Coach is on my ass, I’ll be on yours. Tomorrow at six. Be late, and you’re running laps.”
I grabbed my clothes and stormed out, their hushed murmurs trailing behind me.
The afternoon sun bore down mercilessly as I approached the sleek black convertible parked by the gate. My brother leaned against it, scrolling on his phone, his broad frame casting a long shadow.
“Kian,” I greeted, my voice flat.
His crooked smile widened as he pushed back his brown dreadlocks. “It’s been a while.”
“Not long enough,” I muttered.
“Get in,” he said, opening the passenger door for me.
Reluctantly, I slid into the seat, already bracing for whatever scheme he had planned.
“What do you want?”
“Dinner,” he said casually, starting the engine. “We need to talk, about how you have been screwing my ex,” he says, his voice blunt.
"How did you—"
He scoffs, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Chris."
That son-of-a-bitch. I knew he would tell Kian about me and Sonia.
As the familiar route unfolded before us, my chest tightened. He was taking me to Sarova—to my older brother. This wasn’t a casual dinner. It was an ambush.
YOU ARE READING
The Sweetest Fruit ( Tomboy 🏳️🌈Love Story )
Romance[18+] Sports College Romance. Cover art by@emilycatewrites
