Arise | Jordan Poole

48 | redemption loading.

Jordan sat in his room in the dark, he had been there alone for the last few hours. He wanted to be left alone, his phone was off and it was intentional.

"Puddle, I'm back!" Amaria yelled entering the home. He didn't respond, she didn't expect him to. Kai and Kota ran into the kitchen to greet her.

The Warriors won game 6. But they left Miami with their 6th man injured. A hand sprain in the middle of the fourth quarter. The same hand that was used in the Portland fight, the one that was now in a thick wrap.

Flashback

Jordan handled the ball with precision as he crossed over three Heat players. He had 20 points in 16 minutes from the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Going for the lay up, he had been fouled from behind. He landing face first on his hand.

The only scream more frightening than Jordan's was Amaria's. Her camera had already been put away for the time being but had it been in her hand, she would've dropped it. Juan and Loon were the first over to him to attempt to help.

"Don't touch him!" Kerr yelled, waiting for the team doctors to come over.

Amaria had already ran on the court over to where he fell. Security held her back as she tried to push through.

"Let her through!" Steph ran over to grab Amaria.

She kneeled next to Jordan as he clutched his arm. "Hey, hey, look at me! Jordan breathe."

"This shit hurts!" You could see his whole body was red, he was in shock. As the paramedics lifted him up, the crowd cheered.

Jordan sighed as he tried adjusting in bed. The pain still taking over his body.

"Jordan." Amaria softly called entering the bedroom. He didn't respond but she knew he was up.

She took off her sweats and climbed into bed. She snuggled into him, becoming the little spoon. His body finally relaxed. "You've been in the dark all day, haven't you?"

"Yeah." He sighed wrapping his arm around her. He lightly placed his injured hand over her waist.

"This will be the last day you lay in here like this."

He knew she wasn't going to let him dive too deep into a depression. It wasn't healthy and the only thing he could do was heal, he couldn't change what happened.

After a nap, Amaria had turned on the light in the room for the first time in 24 hours.

"You want something special for dinner?"

"You cooking or you ordering something? Please tell me you're cooking." Even though his spirit was broken, he was trying to normalize himself to communicate.

She laughed, she hadn't cooked in so long due to her busy schedule. "I'm cooking, what do you feel like eating?"

"It's the beginning of the summer but I want some chili, not gonna lie."
"You want me to make chili?"

Jordan thought for a moment, "yeah, I really want that."

"Then you got it."

The only thing she didn't have for the chili was beans and that could easily be bought on a third party delivery app.

"You want me to change your wrap after you're done cooking?" Jordan offered.

"No, don't worry about it. I'll handle it."
"How you gonna handle it with one hand?"

Amaria had to refrain from saying the first thing that came to mind, which was:

'I could ask you the same'

She thought rationally and both of their hands made a set, they could figure it out.

"You're right, you can help."

Jordan noticed her mood changed and being under enough stress, he didn't want whatever it was to linger over the night.

"You don't want my help?" It wasn't that she didn't want his help, she knew that if he tried helping and began to struggle, he would get irritated and angry. She could only control her own irritation and that's why she wanted to do it herself.

"It's not about that. Of course I want your help, but right now I'm helping you. You gotta relax."

"I don't need help." He muttered.

Says the man who needed encouragement to go to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, same person being made dinner when he could eat a cup of noodles.

"Sometimes I feel like you're not even grateful."

She stared at him because she said what she said and awaited his response. Some of his actions made her feel like he didn't need her. As if he could do it all alone and she was just there for the ride.

"What you mean? I'm grateful." The urge to slap him was on her finger tips.

"For what Jordan? What are you grateful for? Do you even know?"

"I feel like this is a trick question." He answered honestly.

Turning down the stove, she walked over to the corner furthest away from him, placing both hands on the counter and transferring her weight so her body was away from it.

Jordan walked around the island to stand beside her. "Amaria, I'm grateful for you. I don't want you to think I'm not."

"You really don't act like it sometimes. You act like you don't need me."

"Hey," he turned her so that she would be facing him. "I need you. I want you and I know I need you."

"Okay."

That's all she could get out. She would believe it when she saw it. Jordan allowed her some space so she could finish cooking.

He ate his second helping alone, watching Rick and Morty as Amaria took a shower. After washing his bowl out, Jordan went to comfort his girlfriend.

Amaria had been attempting to fix the wrap on his cast herself. Failing miserably to do so. She was so annoyed she almost cried.

"This is bullshit." She said to no one in particular.

"Selene, I told you I would help you."
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you." She sighed.

He walked over and picked the fallen wrap up. Carefully using his free hand, they work together to wrap the cast.

"Thank you." He kisses her forehead, her cheek, then her lips.
"You're welcome. Can we go lay down now? These meds got me tired as shit."

"Did you clean my kitchen?"
"Girl that's my kitchen!" He laughed.

"Jordan, you don't cook, that's definitely my kitchen. So again I ask, did you clean it?"

"Yeah, I cleaned it, sheesh. You on my ass for no reason." She smiled at him, getting into bed.

"For all the reasons. Now sit down and lay back since you're so damn tired."