Old Friends, New Love

Chapter 1

The ball smacked against the pavement, the rhythmic thump, thump, thump filling the thick Miami air. The sun was dipping low, painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink, but the heat still clung to my skin. Malik wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand before dribbling past me, his shoulder bumping into mine as he drove toward the basket.

“Man, you've been slacking,” he teased, laying the ball up effortlessly.

I scoffed, jogging to retrieve it. “Ain’t nobody slacking. You just got lucky.”

He laughed, stretching his arms over his head as I bounced the ball a few times, eyeing him. “Nah, for real though, how have you been? We don’t hoop like this enough anymore.”

I hesitated for a second before passing the ball back to him. “You know, same old. Work, gym, repeat. What about you? How’s the night shift treating you?”

Malik groaned, before putting up a quick shot that hit the front of the rim. “Man, it’s trash. I swear, my sleep schedule’s all kinds of messed up. I feel like a damn zombie half the time.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Sienna’s been dealing with these headaches lately too. I feel bad ‘cause I’m barely around, and when I am, I’m too tired to do much.”

That caught my attention. “Headaches?”

He nodded, going to get a drink from his gym bag, sitting on a nearby bench. “Yeah. Like, all the time. She says it’s just stress or whatever, but I don’t know. I told her to go to the doctor, but you know how she is, stubborn as hell.”

That sounded about right. Sienna wasn’t the type to complain unless she absolutely had to. Which means the headaches were bad.

I dribbled the ball between my hands, thinking, “You working tonight?”

“Yeah, ‘til 9 am.”

I shrugged. “I can stop by and check on her. Just make sure she’s good.”

Malik gave me a grateful nod. “That’d actually make me feel better. She probably won’t admit she needs anything, but at least you can keep her company for a bit.”

“No problem,” I said, putting up a 3-point shot and sinking it through the net.

Malik groaned, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. Game point. Let’s see if you still got it.”

I smirked, wiping the bottom of my shoes. “Oh, you about to find out.”

But as we got back into the game, my mind drifted. Sienna and I weren't necessarily close, but she was always sweet whenever the three of us hung out together. It bothered me to know she was hurting, but hopefully, tonight I could figure out something to make her feel better.

***

The automatic doors slid open, letting me step into the cool blast of air conditioning. The grocery store wasn’t too crowded—just a few people pushing carts, grabbing last-minute dinner ingredients. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the mental list I’d made on the drive over. Food. Tea. Medicine. Maybe some fruit? I wasn’t sure what actually helped with headaches, so I figured I’d just grab a little bit of everything.

The smell of fresh rotisserie chicken hit me as I walked past the hot food section, and I paused. Sienna loves rotisserie chicken. I didn’t even have to think twice—I grabbed one, along with a side of mac and cheese, because I remembered her mentioning once that it was her comfort food.

Then I backtracked to the refrigerated section and grabbed a bottle of that mango lemonade she was obsessed with. I smirked, shaking my head at myself as I tossed it into my basket.

By the time I hit the tea aisle, I was already going overboard.

Chamomile, peppermint, ginger, some lavender blend that smelled like a damn spa—I tossed all of them into my basket, figuring at least one of them had to help. Next, I made my way to the snack section. If Sienna was stressed, she probably wasn’t eating much, so I grabbed a mix of things—some granola bars, dark chocolate, and those little fruit cups that looked fancy but were probably just overpriced.

Standing in front of the medicine aisle, I squinted at the rows of pain relievers. Did she need ibuprofen? Acetaminophen? Migraine-specific meds? I grabbed them all, throwing in a cool gel eye mask for good measure. My basket was getting heavy, but I wasn’t done. I swung by the bakery section, debating for way too long between a slice of red velvet cake or a box of fresh croissants. Screw it. I grabbed both.

By the time I made it to check out, my basket was way heavier than I planned. As I waited in line, I went through everything to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Tea for stress. Medicine for headaches. Snacks, fresh fruit, and those fancy little fruit cups. A gel eye mask because I figured it couldn’t hurt. A slice of red velvet cake and croissants because I couldn't decide. A bouquet of lilies. And now, a full dinner with her favorite drink. I set the items on the belt, watching as the cashier raised an eyebrow at the variety. Yeah, I was definitely doing too much.

But the thought of Sienna feeling even a little better made it impossible to regret any of it.

***

My fingers tapped against the steering wheel as I drove through the quiet streets, the grocery bags rustling in the passenger seat every time I made a turn. I kept my eyes on the road, but my mind was somewhere else—somewhere tangled between nerves, excitement, and a confusion I didn’t want to unpack.

I wasn’t even that close to Sienna. She was Malik’s girl, and yeah, we’d hung out plenty, but this wasn’t… normal, was it? Running to the store like I knew her better than I actually did? Going overboard like I was trying to impress her?

I exhaled, shaking my head at myself. Relax, Jade. You’re just being a good friend.

But that excuse didn’t sit right. The way my stomach flipped when I thought about seeing her—the way I kept adjusting my hoodie like I actually cared what I looked like—none of it made sense.

A red light forced me to stop, and I drummed my fingers against my knee, staring out at the empty intersection. If Malik was the one sick, would I have done all this? Maybe. No, I definitely would.

By the time I pulled into Sienna’s apartment complex, my pulse had settled into an uneven rhythm. I grabbed the bags, took a deep breath, and walked up to her door, telling myself to chill. When I knocked, I expected her to take a while—maybe be half-asleep or not even answer. Instead, the door swung open almost instantly, and there she was.

Sienna.

Hair wrapped up in a silk scarf, wearing a matching pajama set that looked too soft, her face fresh and bare, no makeup, just warm, deep brown eyes blinking up at me in surprise. And that was the moment—right then, in the doorway—when something hit me, knocking the breath from my chest like a punch. I had no idea why I was here. Or maybe… I did.

My fingers tightened around the grocery bags as Sienna stood in the doorway, blinking at me in surprise. And just like that, my pulse betrayed me, kicking up like I’d just sprinted full-court. She looked soft. Not just because of the pale blue pajama set draping over her curves, the fabric clinging to her in a way that made it look like it was made for her. Not just because of the way her skin—warm, deep brown and smooth as silk—caught the soft glow of the hallway light. It was more than that. Her full lips, slightly parted like she was about to say something but forgot the words. The sleepy warmth in her dark eyes, still hazy like she’d just woken up. The way she held her arms loosely over her stomach, one hand absently rubbing at the hem of her sleeve. And then there was the scarf—black satin, wrapped up neatly over her head, a few baby hairs escaping at her temples. Everything about her made me stop. Made me feel something I didn’t have a name for.

“Jade?” Her voice was soft, raspy like she hadn’t spoken much today.

I cleared my throat, shifting my weight as I lifted the bags slightly. “Uh… I brought you some stuff.”

Sienna’s lips curled into a slow, small smile, something unreadable flickering in her gaze. “Malik put you up to this?”

I shook my head way too fast, suddenly feeling like an i***t standing there. “No, it was all my idea.”

She exhaled a quiet laugh, stepping back to let me in.

And as I walked inside, past her warmth, past the scent of vanilla and something floral clinging to her skin, I realized one thing:

I needed to get my s**t together.