SILHOUETTE

Chapter 17 [TW]

Trigger warning: this chapter contains the mention of guns so as always please maintain your peace if needed.

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"You know you didn't have to do this but thank you."

"You don't have to keep thanking me." Jordan unlocked the door of his penthouse letting Matthew inside.

It was a rather big decision. Jordan knew that he didn't need to talk it over with anyone yet Simone was the first person whose opinion he wanted. Well, hers was the only opinion he wanted. Anybody else would call him impulsive and trying to have some hero complex. Jordan knew that Matt was a good kid.

The teenage years were a stressful time and the hand he was being dealt with wasn't fair. Matt loved the sport he played and had a good chance of scholarships once he got his grades back up. He didn't want to see him lose everything all at once. It was bad enough that his sister was planning a funeral. One that she didn't want Matt to know about.

He tossed his keys in the small bowl on the table and locked his doors.

"I promised your sister that I would look out for you so I tend to keep that promise. However, there will be some rules."

"Okay daddy dearest .. What am I, five?"

"Yes, kind of. I mean your prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed til your my age." Jordan stated.

"What are the rules?" Matt questioned his coach,

"One. Continue to get your grades up. You can't play if your grades are trash and you know that."

"I am working on it, Coach. You plan to help me?"

"I graduated from high school  so hard pass."  Jordan axed the idea.

"Not even with a paper? Two minds are better than one." The younger male teased with a smile.

"Especially not a paper. Anyway, curfew is ten pm. Not 10:01 , not midnight , nothing. ten."

"You were young once Coach, did you have a curfew?"

"I had parents that barely cared long as I didn't do drugs , drive drunk, get a girl pregnant  or  more importantly , let anything happen to my twin which still happened."

"Rich and sad sounds very terrible. I am only one of those things." Matt shook his head.

"Look, if you need therap -"

"Nah man, I'll be cool. Any other rules? Does one of them involve calling you Jordan instead of coach? Oooh what about dad? Never properly had one of those."

Matt laughed when horror washed over his Coach's features. He could say he was joking but he really wasn't. His dad was in and out constantly on the road pursuing music. While he became successful , he sent money for child support and birthday parties until it all stopped. He never expected his mom to marry so it felt like life had went down hill from there. Football as cliche as it was , felt like Matt's saving grace.

"I'm kidding. Continue."

"No, it's still Coach Baker to you.  You can invite your friends I guess but no girls staying past nine, I am not an idiot."

"You had girls all the time huh? Hot shot quarterback , state champ. Girls left and right for JB?" Matt smirked.

"Don't call me JB and maybe..."  Jordan at his age went through some shit and that reflected in his none existent relationships. Every single one was physical.

"I'm telling ya girl you were a hoe."

"Watch your mouth, we aren't friends Matthew." Jordan reminded.