𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘: Bronny James

45

Sophia's POV:

The car ride to the James' house was... weird.

Not bad, just—awkward.

Bryce and I had never really spent time alone together. Sure, I'd seen him around, exchanged a few words here and there, but we weren't exactly friends. And now, here we were, stuck in the same car, heading to his house like we were supposed to be close or something.

The silence between us was thick, the kind that made me hyper-aware of every little movement—the way I kept shifting in my seat, the way Bryce tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, the way the soft hum of the car's engine seemed louder than normal.

He had the radio on, playing some rap song I didn't recognize, but I could tell he was into it. He bobbed his head slightly, mouthing the lyrics under his breath.

I cleared my throat, deciding to at least try and break the tension. "So..." I started, turning slightly towards him. "How's school?"

Bryce glanced at me briefly before focusing back on the road. "It's alright."

That was it. No elaboration, no follow-up.

I nodded slowly. "That's good."

Silence.

I pressed my lips together, looking out the window. Well, that went nowhere.

I thought about trying again, maybe asking about basketball, but something about Bryce's whole demeanor told me he wasn't really in the mood to talk. Or maybe he just didn't know what to say to me either.

I sighed and leaned back into my seat, resigning myself to the quiet.

The rest of the drive went like that—him focusing on the road, me staring at passing houses, the music filling the awkward space between us.

•••

We finally pulled up to the James' house, and I let out a quiet breath of relief. I quickly texted Angeline to let her know I'd made it safely.

Bryce parked, turned the car off, and unbuckled his seatbelt. "We're here."

"Yup," I mumbled, doing the same.

I stepped out, adjusting my hoodie as I took in the huge house in front of me. No matter how many times I had seen it, the size of it always caught me off guard.

Before I could even take a step toward the door, it swung open, and there stood Savannah James.

"Sophia!"

I barely had a second to react before she wrapped me in a warm, tight hug, holding me close like I was family.

For a moment, I just let myself sink into it.

When she finally pulled back, her eyes immediately dropped to my stomach, and her lips parted slightly in surprise.

"Oh, wow," she breathed, placing a hand over her chest. "You're really showing now."

I let out a small laugh, feeling a little self-conscious. "Yeah... kinda crazy, right?"

She shook her head, smiling warmly. "You look beautiful."

I felt my cheeks heat up. "Thank you."

Savannah reached out and gently squeezed my arm. There was something so comforting about the way she looked at me, like she truly cared, and for the first time in a while, I felt... safe.

Then, her expression softened even more, and she tiled her head slightly. "How are you holding up, sweetheart?"

I knew she wasn't just asking about the pregnancy.