Page 2 of Nothing Like Your Ex

He took a long swig. “Yeah, okay. They’ve been figuring everything out for weeks.” He shook his head. “If niggas wanna let me go, then they need to gon’ head and do that.”

Seeing and hearing his frustration build, Kwinn closed the distance between them. With ease, she wrapped her arms around his slender yet muscular six-foot-one frame. At five-foot-seven, she nestled against him, rubbing her hands soothingly along his back.

“I know you’re frustrated,” she murmured, “but nothing has been decided yet. You can’t keep getting worked up and stressed out about something that hasn’t happened.”

Jabari’s body stayed stiff beneath her hands. After a moment, she felt his chest rise and fall with a deeper breath. She hoped it was relief, even if it only lasted a few seconds. He needed it. And if she was being honest, so did she.

“I hear you. Marcus is saying the same shit,” Jabari explained.

“And we’re both right.” Kwinn smiled against his chest. “Plus, if you do get traded, you could end up somewhere that’s a better fit for you,” Kwinn added. “You don’t know yet.”

She felt his shoulders tense again. Before Kwinn could say anything else, Jabari shifted, trying to pull himself out of her embrace. Kwinn immediately loosened her arms, giving him the space he wanted without forcing him to pull away.

“What?” she asked, looking up at him.

Jabari shook his head before downing the rest of his water. Kwinn stared at him, waiting for an explanation. She got nothing… as always. He hadn’t even hugged her back. The realization made her chest tighten, and she didn’t know why because it was something so small. Minuscule, yes, but it mattered to her, and it should’ve mattered to him, too.

“You couldn’t even hug me back?”

Jabari glanced at her, frowning. “Kwinn, I’m just stressed.”

“And I understand that, but that doesn’t make it okay for you to treat me like I’m the enemy.”

“Then what are we doing, then? You standing here trying to start an argument over nothing.”

Kwinn gave a humorless chuckle and shook her head. “Is that what you think I’m trying to do?”

“That’s what it seems like,” Jabari replied, seemingly over the conversation. “All because I didn’t hug you back.”

“Okay, well, it’s not. Sorry if you think that’s what I was trying to do,” she said, with just enough bite to make it clear that she wasn’t actually sorry for having feelings.

“It’s all good.”

“Mhm,” Kwinn hummed, deciding it wasn’t worth dragging the conversation any further. She reached for the sweet almond creamer, already thinking about everything she needed to tackle on her to-do list. Unsure whether he planned to stay at her place or go home, she updated him on her plans for the day.

“I have a few errands to run and need to meet with a few contractors today, so I’ll probably be home late. One of my clients is getting a pool built, and⁠—”

“Kwinn,” Jabari said, dryly.

She stopped mid-pour and slowly turned on her heels with the container in her hand.

“What?”

“I’m not in the mood to hear you talk about clients and work.”

For a second, Kwinn simply stared at him. She actually had to remind herself who she was and who the fuck he thought he was talking to. She set the creamer down.

“Okay,” she snapped. “Do you think I be in the mood to hear you complain about some shit that hasn’t even happened, or about how you can’t get enough playing time, or how you’re tired of the team doing this and the coaches doing that?”

Jabari’s jaw tightened. “I’m just telling you I ain’t in the mood. Quit taking shit so personally.”

“And I’m telling you what’s going on with me.” She folded her arms across her chest. “You don’t get to decide that your shit is important and mine isn’t worthy of listening to just because you’re having a bad day.”

“I never said your shit wasn’t important.”

“And you didn’t have to.”

Jabari sighed. “Here you go.”