Poison Ivy | Jordan Poole

fifteen.

Need somebody who can make it better

Somebody who can open up where your heart is

So I can love you regardless

Only if you're ready

Jordan stared at her sleeping form for a moment before he raked his hands through his head. He didn't know how he'd managed to get attached to her so quickly. Now at 7 AM, he didn't want to do anything but be close to her. Today was draft day, he knew that in less than twenty-four hours, the thing he'd been dreading may be his reality but for some reason with her this close to him it didn't sting nearly as much.

Placing a kiss on her arm, he watched her stir a bit before he continued making his way up until he kissed her lips. Once her eyes opened, she smiled before wrinkling her nose.

"Jordan it's early." She whined "Why are you up already?"

"I couldn't sleep, today's the day." His voice was honest, but surprisingly unaffected. He said it like it was matter of fact and this prompted her to pull him closer to her.

"It'll be fine. Wherever you end up you'll be amazing Jordan."

"I know but it's nice to hear you say it."

Ivy simply smiled before she kissed his forehead. He began to play with her hair, twirling strands around his finger.

"You don't really wear it this curly do you?" He pondered and she bit her lip before shaking her head.

"It's just easier to manage when it's straight. At my old job, I realized I got treated better when it was straighter. I got more opportunities and Darius preferred it but now, I don't know. You're the second person to ask me that."

She went off into deep thought. She'd never realized the racial undercurrents to her constant straightening and primping. Darius had always preferred her hair straight as well. She was sickened by the revelation that she'd buried apart of herself to appease the white people above her and the man that had no problem erasing himself as well as his culture to appease them.

"I think you look beautiful either way, but you should know there is nothing wrong or unprofessional about your hair just the way it is, just the way you are naturally."

"Thank you" She mouthed before she kissed him softly "I'm sorry about bringing him up, I know you don't like that."

"Don't apologize for talking to me about things. He's a part of your past, as long as he stays there along with whatever damage he did it's cool. Besides, if it's a part of your process then by all means, tell me everything you need to."

Jordan was quickly becoming like home. A person that made her feel seen, not judged and she hoped he looked at her the same. She'd judged Isla so harshly but now she could see how a person could fall in love so quickly. The type of love that made you go against logic and take a chance on a whim. The kind of affection that moved a person to move to a new city after less than three months or get married in weeks. It had worked for her sister so far after all.

"You know if I do get traded, I have to report to the new city and do press like right away but it's still off season. We could go somewhere together."

"Like where?" Ivy queried.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Honestly, so many places but I guess I've always wanted to go to Italy, France, Monaco, Spain or Portugal?"

"So the entirety of western Europe?" He chuckled and Ivy hid her face.

"Hey, you asked, and I just gave you some places but yeah those have always interested me. I want to go to Ghana too, oh and Tanzania, then there's the Caribbean and all those beautiful islands. To be honest, I want to travel the world someday."