Hate the Game ( Urban Sports Romance )

Break The Cycle

"Longest hour ever, girl," A low voice teased from behind Sabrina as she unlocked the front door to her fifth-floor, mid-city apartment.

She grinned, as the owner of the voice pressed himself against her backside so she could feel the very obvious bulge. She released a delighted sigh, "You know how me and Chan get to running our mouths at dinner." she reasoned.

He pushed open the door for the two of them to walk inside. After turning on the kitchen light, he turned Sabrina around and began unbuttoning her blouse, kissing on her exposed skin, "Humph, y'all was probably runnin' 'round chasin' some niggas."

Being immediately turned off by that comment, Sabrina rolled her eyes and pressed her hands on his chest to give them some space, "You know what, on second thought, I don't have time for your bullshit tonight, Nicholas. " She sat her purse and keys on the counter and began fixing her shirt.

He tried to recuperate, "Come on Brina, you know I just be talkin shit."

"Yeah, and that's your problem." She waved him off. "And in case you forgot, I don't chase niggas, I get chased." She fumed. She shouldn't have taken it so personally, but she cared about his view of her.

He sighed, facepalming himself, "Why we gotta argue, huh? Fuckin' or fightin'."

"We shouldn't be doing either, especially since only one of us is single here. You got that woman in and out your house thinkin' she'll be your wife one day." She chastised him, walking away to turn on the hallway light before entering her bedroom.

Nicholas followed behind her, "No, we not doin' that Sabrina. You and I both know I don't love her. You're the only one who got my heart and that ain't gon never change."

She sighed, "I'll always have love for you, Nick, you're the father of my child, but this idea of me and you being more than that again... you need to let that go. Give that girl a chance and see what you guys have."

The two stood in silence for some moments before finally, Nick cleared his throat, speaking in a hushed tone, "She ain't never gon have me the way you do. I know I fucked things up, but I still have hope." He paused shifting in his stance, "Our son deserves the family we promised him. Imma always fight for that."

Sabrina scoffed, looking at her ex, "Don't bring Niko into this. He deserves to see both of his parents happy, even if it's not together. To see healthy love and healthy relationships, even platonic ones." She couldn't believe there was a time she was head over heels for this man. She would've given him the world on a platter if he asked.

He thought about what she was saying and he knew she was right, but pride is a fool's fortress.

"Are y'all comin' tomorrow? Could be the last game y'all can come to for a while since you don't city hop for me no more." He looked up at her face and immediately corrected himself, "Since you be busy with work and all that." He laughed, trying to lighten the mood, "I respect it though."

"We'll be there. Is Lauren coming?"

"I would never disrespect you like that." He answered, sounding offended. "I don't put y'all in the same spaces. I wouldn't want the mess that comes with that, honestly."

She pursed her lips, "Well, for future reference, since we're done doing this," she motioned between the two of them, "I have no problem being around her. I just refuse to sit in her face and be buddy-buddy when I'm sleeping with her man."

"I'm not her man. We not together." He elaborated.

Sabrina rolled her eyes again, "Well, she says otherwise. I really wish people would stop tagging me in posts about y'all." She shook her head.

"I'll post that I'm single right now, but I'm also gon admit that I'm still in love wit you." He smirked, displaying those dimples she fell in love with, the same ones their 4-year-old inherited.

Niko was the spitting image of his father. They both had Hershey brown skin, naturally round faces, and those adorable dimples. Sabrina was a sucker for a man with nice teeth and dimples.

"Bye Nick." She shooed him out of her bedroom and followed him to the front door, "Get home safe. I'll get Niko from your mom in the morning and we'll see you at the game." She closed and locked the door once she saw he made it to the elevator.

He gets on my nerves, she sighed heavily, "I gotta stop doing this. Lord help me do better."

Walking back into her bedroom, she looked at her bed in frustration. She should've been getting her back blown out by now, but her child's father unintentionally knew exactly how to kill the mood.

She went into her bathroom and wrapped up her silk press, before washing off her makeup. Then ran herself a late-night bath so she could relax and go to sleep.

Sabrina and Nicholas were together for four years, and were engaged for two of them. Not long after their engagement, the couple found that they were expecting their first child. Pregnancy took a toll on Sabrina's health mentally and physically, causing her to not be able to travel with her fiancé as much as she liked, during his second year in the league.

Soon after she was placed on bed rest, the blogs started showing Sabrina how single her fiancé was when she wasn't around. Nick would come home, feed her a bunch of lies about what 'really' happened, and things would go back to normal, but slowly their dynamic changed.

Just shy of their son's first birthday, Sabrina had had enough. Nick went missing from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day. That was something Sabrina could never forgive. The constant lies and cheating were bad enough, but neglecting his family for Nicholas' playboy lifestyle was catching up to him.

After the breakup, Nick's life spiraled and he had no choice but to admit he needed help. Sabrina supported him through recovery because she knew he wanted to be better for their child. Niko needed his father.

The two remained friends and great co-parents but somehow found themselves becoming friends with benefits.

Nicholas always stuck to his story of still being very in love with Sabrina, but she knows not to let her guard down for him to break her heart again. Especially when she doesn't know if he's feeding the same lies to his current live-in fling.

Sabrina had to break the cycle.