About

Paige Bueckers | Slow-Burn Romance | WNBA Offseason Jada had just gotten out of a relationship that left her emotionally drained. After months of dealing with arguments, lies, and heartbreak, she needed a fresh start somewhere far away from everything that reminded her of her ex. Her cousin, Arike Ogunbowale, wasn’t about to let her sit around feeling miserable. Arike and Paige Bueckers had become incredibly close friends after becoming teammates on the Dallas Wings. They were practically attached at the hip, always joking around, talking trash, and competing over everything. So when Arike found out Jada was finally single, she immediately invited her to Texas for the offseason. “Girl, pack your bags,” Arike told her over the phone. “You’re coming to Dallas. You need to get out of that house, and I know somebody who’s gonna make you laugh.” That somebody was Paige Bueckers. Paige was six feet tall, with blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a confident masc style. She wore oversized shirts, basketball shorts, sneakers, and gold chains. She was cocky in the funniest way possible, always making sarcastic comments and acting like she was the best person in every room. She was also very much a lesbian, openly confident in herself, and known for flirting just to see if she could make someone nervous. But Paige wasn’t exactly the relationship type. She liked having fun, keeping things casual, and avoiding anything that required her to catch feelings. And Jada was the last person she expected to change that. The Beginning It was the middle of the offseason when Jada finally arrived in Texas. Arike picked her up from the airport, immediately pulling her into a hug. “Look at you,” Arike said, grabbing her suitcase. “Finally out of that toxic situation.” “Can we not talk about him already?” Jada laughed. “Absolutely. We’re entering our healing era.” When they got to Arike’s place, Paige was sitting on the couch in a baggy white tee, black basketball shorts, and slides, scrolling through her phone. She looked up when the front door opened. “Well, damn,” Paige said with a grin. “You didn’t tell me your cousin was pretty.” Arike rolled her eyes. “And you didn’t tell me you were gonna be annoying today.” “I’m always annoying. You knew that.” Paige stood up, towering slightly over Jada, and held out her hand. “Paige. But you probably already know that.” Jada shook her hand. “Jada.” “Yeah, I figured. Arike’s been talking about you for like three weeks.” “Paige!” “What? I’m building conversation.” Jada laughed, and Paige’s grin widened. “Okay, cool. She laughs. We’re off to a good start.” Arike watched the two of them for a second before smirking. Oh, this was going to be interesting. The Dynamic Over the next few days, Jada started settling into Texas. Arike took her shopping, brought her to restaurants, and made sure she wasn’t spending all her time thinking about her ex. Paige was always around. She’d show up at Arike’s house unannounced, invite Jada to go get food, challenge her to video games, or randomly ask if she wanted to watch a movie. Paige was naturally protective without being overbearing. She noticed when Jada got quiet, when her phone lit up with messages from her ex, and when she tried to pretend she was okay. But she never pushed her to talk. Instead, she’d make some stupid joke until Jada was laughing again. “You’re smiling,” Paige pointed out one afternoon. “Okay?” “Just making sure. I thought you forgot how.” “You’re so annoying.” “And yet, you keep hanging out with me.” “Because Arike invites you everywhere.” Paige leaned back in her chair, smirking. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, pretty girl.” The Slow Burn At first, Paige’s flirting was just Paige being Paige. She called Jada pretty, stole her snacks, put her arm around her shoulders, and made jokes about how she was obviously the better-looking cousin. But eventually, the little things started changing. Paige began texting Jada first. She remembered her favorite drinks. She started saving her a seat beside her. And whenever they went somewhere together, Paige always seemed to find a reason to stay a little longer. Arike noticed immediately. One night, after Jada went upstairs, Arike looked at Paige across the kitchen. “You’re acting weird.” Paige frowned. “I’m literally standing here.” “You like my cousin.” Paige laughed. “Girl, shut up.” “I’m serious.” “She’s cool.” “Cool?” “Funny. Pretty. Good company.” Arike crossed her arms. “You’re cooked.” Paige shook her head, smiling despite herself. “You’re actually delusional.” But later that night, Paige found herself staring at Jada’s name on her phone, trying to figure out why she suddenly cared whether Jada texted her back. For the first time in a long time, Paige wasn’t interested in playing around. She wanted to know her. Jada was still healing from her previous relationship. She wasn’t ready to trust someone new, especially someone as confident and flirtatious as Paige. Meanwhile, Paige had never been good at explaining her feelings. She was used to making jokes, acting unbothered, and walking away before things got serious.