My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 1: The Return Amara had not been back to Lagos in three years. Three years of university in Abuja, three years of trying to forget the boy who used to tease her for wearing her best friend's oversized shirts. Only he wasn't a boy anymore. The taxi dropped her at the familiar gate in Lekki. Her heart was beating too fast. She had told Adaeze she was coming tomorrow, not today. She wanted to surprise her. Adaeze opened the gate screaming. "AMARA!" They hugged, laughing, crying. Adaeze hadn't changed — same loud laugh, same braids. But then a voice behind them said, "Who is making all that noise?" Amara froze. Jidenna. He was standing by the pool, towel around his neck, just coming from a swim. His chest was bare, water dripping down. He was taller. Broader. His jaw was sharper. The small boy who used to call her "Ade's shadow" was gone. This man was looking at her like he had never seen her before. His eyes moved slowly from her face to her dress — a simple yellow sundress that hugged her waist. Her hair was longer now. Her legs were longer. "Amara?" he said, his voice low. "Jidenna," she whispered. Adaeze grinned. "My brother, you remember Amara? My best friend? The one you said looked like a primary school boy?" Jidenna didn't laugh. He didn't take his eyes off Amara. "You... grew," he said. Amara felt her cheeks burn. This was exactly what she was afraid of. She had secretly loved Jidenna since JSS2. Since he taught her how to ride a bicycle and then laughed when she fell. Since he always saved the last meat for her when Adaeze wasn't looking. But to him, she was always just his little sister's friend. Or at least, she used to be. "Her room is ready," Adaeze said, pulling Amara's bag. "She will stay for two weeks before her NYSC posting!" Jidenna's eyes darkened. "Two weeks? In this house?" "Yes!" Adaeze said. "Is there a problem, big bro?" "No problem," he said, but his eyes were still on Amara. "No problem at all." Later that night, Amara was trying to sleep in the guest room when she heard a knock. It was Jidenna. In a black shirt and sweatpants, holding a bottle of water. "You didn't come down for dinner," he said. "I wasn't hungry." He stepped inside, closing the door slightly. The room suddenly felt too small. "You used to eat everything," he said, a small smile finally appearing. "You remember how you finished my jollof in SS1 and lied that the dog ate it?" Amara laughed despite herself. "You never believed me." "I knew it was you. Your mouth was red with stew." They both laughed, and for a second, it felt like old times. Then his smile faded. He moved closer. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back today?" he asked, his voice lower now. "I wanted to surprise Adaeze." "And me?" Amara's breath caught. "What about you?" Jidenna looked at her lips, then back at her eyes. "I don't like surprises, Amara." Before she could answer, Adaeze's voice shouted from downstairs, "JIDENNA! AMARA! Come and watch film!" The moment broke. Jidenna stepped back, his jaw tight. "We will talk tomorrow." He left, and Amara fell onto the bed, her heart racing. She had come home thinking she was over him. She was so wrong. And downstairs, Jidenna was pouring himself a glass of water with a shaking hand, because for the first time in his life, his little sister's best friend didn't look like a little sister at all. She looked like a woman he couldn't let another man have. ---