Stay
Cassie
I walked back into the living room wearing a new thong and nothing else. Jack was sitting on the couch, his shorts pulled up but still unbuttoned, his shirt pooled on the floor next to the one I had been wearing. I reached for the crumpled shirt, slipping it back over my head before plopping down next to him.
“That was a nice distraction,” I said, leaning my body into his waiting arms.
His fingers combed through my messy strands of hair before tucking them behind my ear. “More stories or more distractions?” he asked with a mischievous tone.
My cell phone beeped in the background, and I eyed him, contemplating whether I should see who was texting me. “I’m gonna see who that is.”
He nodded and smacked my ass as I ran into the bedroom. I settled back into his arms before tapping the screen on my phone. “Oooh, it’s from Melissa.” I turned, looking into his deep brown eyes. “Does she know you’re here?”
Jack shrugged. “The trade would be reported by now, so she might be wondering.”
Another sound beeped and this time, Jack reached for his phone before laughing. “Text message from Dean.”
“They’re so predictable.”
Pressing the buttons, I read the message from Melissa:
OH MY GOD! CASSIE! JACK GOT TRADED TO THE METS!!!! DID YOU KNOW THAT? IS HE THERE? IF HE’S NOT, HE PROBABLY WILL BE SOON SO HEADS UP! AND CALL ME ASAP!!!!!!!!
I chuckled out loud.
“What’d she say?” Jack asked, his eyebrows raised.
“Well, she used all caps so this is a very serious message.” I smiled, handing my phone to him so he could read it.
“Oh, she’s yelling at you. Isn’t that what all caps means?”
“Yeah, but I think that’s her way of showing me she’s freaking out. Or excited. Or yelling,” I agreed with a smile.
“Heads up. I might be on my way over.” Jack pressed his lips against my forehead, and I closed my eyes with his touch. So much had happened between us. So much more than any one couple should ever go through, but there we were. Together.
“I should probably text her back or she won’t ever stop.” I quickly typed out a response.
He’s here. We’re talking. Working through things. Call you from the office Monday.
I lowered the volume button on my phone before it beeped again.
MONDAY?!?! Like hell you’re making me wait that long!
I laughed and typed out one last message before turning my phone to silent.
You’ll survive. I can’t talk now. Talk later. Love you.
“What did Dean say?”
He scanned the phone screen before smiling and handing it to me.
Dude, you got traded to the Mets and didn’t tell me? Is this because of Cassie? Of course it’s because of Cassie. How the hell did you get them to let you do it? Good luck. Call me after you see her.
“How can you not love Dean?” I handed him back his phone, smiling.
He straightened his back and pushed away from me slightly. “Good question. Speaking of Dean, why doesn’t Melissa love him?”
“What?” My tone came out more surprised than I meant.
“No, really. What’s her deal? Dean’s totally into her, but she’s not having it. I don’t get it.”
Jack’s demeanor and tone gave away the fact that this situation bothered him. I found it sweet, if you wanted to know the truth. He cared about his little brother, and since I didn’t have any siblings to care about me, I found it inspiring. “She’s always been like that.” I knew I’d answered his question unsatisfactorily, but it’s all I had when it came to her.
He shook his head, not accepting my answer. “You’ve known her forever, Kitten. Hasn’t she ever had a boyfriend?”
I scratched my head, contemplating his question and forming my response. “Not really. I mean, she’s always hooked up with guys, but she’s never really had a serious boyfriend.”
“Why not?” he asked, apparently determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
“I don’t know.”
“How can you, of all people, not know? You’re her best friend. You’re chicks. Chicks talk about this kind of shit all the time.”
My body prickled with heat as my defenses quickly rose. “First of all, calm down. Second of all, I don’t fucking know. I’ve never really thought about it before. Guys have always liked Melissa, and she makes out with them or whatever, but she’s never really said anything to me about liking them back. I never questioned it because I just accepted it. That’s the way she is. I don’t know why. I don’t know when it will change. And I don’t know why the fuck she doesn’t fall head over heels in love with Dean. Maybe you should ask her instead of sitting here grilling me.”
I started to get off the couch, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me right back down. He reached for my face, turning it, forcing me to look at him. “I’m sorry, Kitten. I didn’t mean to get so fired up about it. I just don’t get it. My brother’s a good guy. And I know he likes her. It just makes no sense to me why she doesn’t like him back.”
He loosened his hold on my face, but I refused to turn away from him. “I can’t answer that.” I shrugged, my annoyance fading.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.” Jack’s lips twisted into a smile, forcing his dimples to appear.
I am such a sucker for those dimples.
“Let’s get back to our story,” he suggested. With his emphasis on the word our, my anger quickly disappeared.
“OK. But now I’m too pissed off to remember where we were,” I admitted.
He wrapped his arms around me, and I allowed him to pull me close. “We were talking about Gran and Gramps. Don’t be mad at me.”
My breath hitched. “Fine,” I relented, feeling my annoyance fade with his nearness. I hated how he affected me sometimes. “So, how long did you stay there with them?”
He inhaled a long breath before releasing it against the top of my head, causing strands of my hair to fall in front of my eyes. I pushed them away as I waited for his response. “A lot longer than I intended. My plan was to stay there for a couple weeks before heading back to Alabama to pack up my stuff and finalize the annulment. I honestly figured two to three weeks was enough time. That the bitch would sign it and I’d be on my way here before Christmas.”
“Good thing I didn’t hold my breath.”
He huffed. “Yeah. The past six months has been nothing but drama, Kitten. I’m not sorry for leaving you out of it, but I am sorry for letting it go on for so long.”
I leaned away from the warmth of his body and into the cold cushions, squaring my shoulders toward him. “Why did it take so long? How could she fight the annulment, anyway?”
My cell phone rang, waking me from a deep sleep and forcing my eyes to pop open. Anticipation rushed through me as Marc’s name appeared on the screen. “Hey, Marc,” I said, my voice groggy.
“Jack, we have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” I asked, scooting my back up against the wall.
“She won’t sign.”
“Huh? Who won’t?” I stopped short before continuing. “What do you mean, she won’t sign? I thought this was a done deal? An easy fix?” My heart slammed itself against my rib cage.
“Her lawyer’s stating your claims are ridiculous. That no fraud was committed and therefore his client won’t sign under those terms.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? What terms will she sign under?” I fought to keep my anger under control.
“She won’t sign an annulment. But she’ll consider signing divorce papers, although his client would rather work things out.”
“Work things out? Are you fucking joking?”
“I wish.”
“You have to fix this, Marc. She faked a pregnancy to force me to marry her. How is that not fraud?” I threw the magazine sitting next to me against the wall and watched it fall to the ground.
“It is. But the burden of proof is on us.”
“So, let’s prove it then,” I insisted.
“We’re going to have a hard time doing that since she has plenty of documentation supporting her claims,” he sighed.
“What kind of documentation?”
“Well, doctor’s reports, for starters.”
Fuck.
I’d forgotten about the fact that Chrystle had doctor’s prescriptions, appointments, and paperwork.
“Can’t we sue the doctor for malpractice or something?”
“We would have to prove that he lied as well, which would be extremely difficult given the circumstances.”
When people allege that anger has the ability to shoot through them with such force that they see red… well, it’s true. I saw red. Literally.
“This is so fucked up. What can I do?”
“Nothing, Jack. Right now I want you to stay where you are and let me handle this,” he said, his tone calm and professional.
I gripped the edge of the mattress, my fingers digging into it. “All my stuff’s still in Alabama.”
“Don’t step foot in that state until I tell you it’s OK. You hear me?”
I cringed as he told me what to do. “We’ll see.”
“Jack, it’s my job to look out for you. For once, let me do that. Please.” His voice sounded strained, and I sighed.
“OK.”
“I’ll call you soon.”
I pressed the End button on my cell phone and threw it against the wall. Why the fuck was this girl so hell-bent on ruining my life? I can’t move past this one mistake if I can’t put it in the past. Why couldn’t she be a decent human being and sign the damn papers?
Knuckles rapped on my bedroom door. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah.”
Dean walked in and glanced at the phone on the floor before closing the door behind him. “What’s going on? I heard you yelling.”
I looked him straight in the eyes. “You were right. She won’t sign the papers.”
He moved toward my bed, sitting down at the opposite end. “Shit, Jack. I’m sorry. So, what does that mean?”
I closed my eyes, pinching the skin at the bridge of my nose to relieve the stress. “I don’t know. Marc’s working on it.”
“Do you want to go out or something? Get out of the house for a bit?”
“I need to be alone right now.”
Dean stood up from my bed without another word and left my room. I grabbed the notebook sitting on my dresser and flipped it open to a blank page. How quickly this whole letter-writing thing turned into habit. It helped to put my thoughts somewhere when all I wanted to do was pick up the phone and dial Cassie’s number.
“Oh my God. That bitch! She had a doctor give her falsified pregnancy paperwork?” My eyes widened as the shock and anger sunk into my bones.
“Yep,” was all he managed in response.
“No wonder you believed her,” I said, shaking my head
“What do you mean?” His body tensed and his jaw tightened.
“Well, I never really understood why you believed that she was pregnant in the first place. Without checking or making sure, I mean,” I tried to explain.
Jack cracked his neck as tension visibly poured from his body and rolled onto mine. “You thought I just stupidly accepted her at her word? Married her without any proof? Why didn’t you just ask me?”
His bitter tone shocked me, causing my defenses to rise. “I don’t know. Maybe because I was too caught up in my own heartbreak to ask you when I had the chance. And it’s not like we were really talking at the time.”
He reached a hand out to touch me, laying it on my leg. That one single movement shattered my defenses and I wanted to take back everything I’d just accused him of. “I’m sorry, Jack. It’s just…”
“Don’t. I’m sorry.” His hand raised in a defeated gesture in the space between us. “You weren’t there. You didn’t know what was going on. I’m sure it looked shady as hell from the outside.”
A shudder ripped through me. I never again wanted to be on the “outside” of anything when it came to Jack Carter. “But I shouldn’t have just assumed.”
“You didn’t know.”
“So, she had doctor visits and stuff?” My mind still raced to wrap around the elaborate plotting and lies. How could one girl be so malicious?
“Appointments, paperwork, vitamins, baby books, charts, schedules—she had it all.” He exhaled, and I grabbed his hand in mine, our fingers intertwining as I leaned back into him.
“Can I ask you something else?” My voice sounded muffled against his chest.
He kissed the top of my head. “Anything.”
“Did you ever think the baby wasn’t yours? I mean, I get that you thought she was pregnant, but did you ever think it was someone else’s?”
“She was a very convincing liar. She agreed with no reservations to do a DNA test after the baby was born. I honestly thought that if she were lying, she would have been nervous, or at least fighting me on the whole thing, but she encouraged it.”
And then he took me back to when his world first started crashing down around him. When he was living in Alabama and playing on the Triple A team for the Diamondbacks. The night after he pitched his perfect game when Chrystle came on to him at the bar where he was celebrating with his teammates and he finally stopped resisting her. He gave in to her advances that night, and my life as I knew it would never be the same. I shuddered as I remembered the way my world started to spin around me and my heart felt like it was shattering inside of my chest when Jack called that afternoon to deliver the news. Not only had he cheated on me, but also the girl he had slept with was pregnant.
I ignored the knock at the apartment door, assuming that one of my roommates would answer, and continued folding my clothes. When I heard the sound of Chrystle’s voice filtering through the entryway and into my room, my whole body tightened. So we’d had a drunken one-night stand, and I threw her out when I came to my senses. What was she doing here?
She tapped on my bedroom door before walking in and closing it behind her.
“What are you doing? Get out of my room,” I snapped, refusing to give her the time of day.
“I need to talk to you.” Her voice shook as she spoke.
I exhaled through my nose, my impatience clear. “What is it?”
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, tears falling down her cheeks.
“So? How is that my problem?” I asked before the realization punched me square in the gut.
“Because it’s yours,” she said before sitting on my bed.
I sucked in a breath, my mind refusing to believe her. “Bullshit,” I shot back.
“Bullshit nothing, Jack! I haven’t been with anyone else since you. Ask anyone if they’ve seen me around. Or if they’ve hooked up with me. I haven’t.”
“I will ask. I’ll fucking ask right now.” I stormed out of my bedroom and into the living room, where three of my teammates were eating lunch and watching TV. When I asked them if Chrystle had been with any of them, they all shook their heads and threw their hands up in the air in denial. I asked if they’d seen her with anyone lately, and once again, they all answered no. And then they proceeded to inform me that come to think of it, they hadn’t seen her around at all the past few weeks.
Shit.
My legs trembled as I stepped back into my room. My world spun around me as I willed my stomach to stop twisting. I didn’t want this. Not with her. Not now. Not ever.
“It’s yours, Jack. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never wanted this to happen.” She buried her head in her hands, her body shaking with each sob.
I lacked the desire to comfort her, so I finished folding my clothes. “What are you going to do?” I asked, my tone cold.
“What do you mean?” She peered up at me, her face red and wet.
“I mean, are you planning on keeping it?”
I watched as her jaw dropped open. “Of course you’d ask me that.”
“We don’t even know each other. Why the hell would you want to keep it?” My temper flared in a vain attempt to drown out the fact that I was scared shitless.
“Because it’s a baby, Jack! It’s a life, and I’ll love it even if you won’t!”
“I need you to leave.”
This cannot be fucking happening. Please don’t let this be happening.
She stood up, wiping her eyes with her hand before saying, “Way to be a man about this.”
The heat flooded my body as I stepped toward her, my fists clenched in anger. “Oh, I’ll be a man about it, alright. I’ll drive you to the clinic. I’ll pay for it. And then I’ll even drive you home. What do you say?”
“I’d say you’re an asshole.” She tried to push me aside, but I refused to budge.
“I am an asshole. An asshole who doesn’t want to have a baby with a complete stranger.”
“Well, it’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”
My room circled around me as the life that existed five minutes prior disappeared from view. Terror consumed me. “Don’t do this, Chrystle. Please don’t do this. Don’t ruin both our lives over a drunken mistake.”
I watched as she winced, pulling back her head with disgust. “I’m not ruining anything.”
“You’re ruining everything.” My voice rose barely above a whisper as thoughts of Cassie filled my head. Cassie was my girl, my world, and I knew she’d never trust me again. There was no way she’d ever forgive me for this. I’d never forgive myself. I didn’t deserve her, and she deserved a hell of a lot better than a screwup like me. I couldn’t believe I tossed away the best thing to ever happen to me for a piece of ass. I should never have gotten that drunk. It wasn’t an excuse, but my defenses were down, and I gave in. And I fucking hated myself for it.
“I’m sorry you see it that way. Hopefully you’ll change your mind. Maybe after the shock wears off. I’ll be in touch, Jack,” she said as she walked out the door.
Fuck.
If Chrystle kept the baby, there was no way she’d move away from her family. I would have to live here, in Alabama. Or at least have a place here if I wanted to see my own kid. I could kiss California good-bye for good. I’d have to spend all of the off-season here. My body sank to the carpet, my back firm against the bed, as my world crashed down around me. I wouldn’t be like my father. I wouldn’t leave my child the same way he left me and Dean. I’d experienced firsthand how a parent willingly leaving can royally fuck up a person. I’m a prime example. I wouldn’t do that to my own flesh and blood. I wouldn’t follow in my father’s footsteps, leaving personal damage in my wake. I would be better than he ever was.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I wished harder than I ever wished for anything that it was all a nightmare. That I’d wake up any second and my body would flood with relief at it being all in my mind. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t make it stop being real.
“This story sucks.” I sucked in a breath before frowning.
“I told you it wasn’t happy,” he said, his hand running down my side, giving me chills.
“Are we almost to last night yet?” I gazed up at him, my expression hopeful.
“Not quite.”
“I think I need another break.”
“What do you have in mind?” He winked suggestively.
My lips formed a pretend snarl as I narrowed my eyes to glare at him. “Jack, really. We just did that.”
Reliving our time apart was honestly a lot to take in. I longed for all this information, but to say it didn’t cause my breath to catch every few minutes would be a lie. It also scared me. If one small-town girl could be so vicious, what were big-city women capable of?
“Do you want to get out of the house for a bit? Maybe go grab a slice?” I used my newly acquired New Yorker lingo for a piece of pizza.
“I could eat,” he answered with a large grin, and I leaned in to kiss each dimple.
I pulled away slowly, the rich chocolate color of his eyes mesmerizing me, as a thought hit me. “Wait. Where are you staying? Do you have an apartment or a hotel that you need to check in to?”
Nerves raced through me as I anticipated his answer. I knew I should have been more reserved or cautious or careful, but the truth was that I wanted him to stay with me and never leave again.
“I didn’t book anything yet. I came straight here.”
Yet. He planned to live somewhere else, and I was just the first stop. “Oh. Well, did you want to do that first?” I tried to hide my disappointment, but my tone betrayed me.
His thumb traced along my jawline before resting beneath my chin. “Not really. Anything that involves leaving you I’d rather put off until later.”
Relief washed over me. My lips pressed into a tight smile as I closed my eyes. “Then don’t leave,” I whispered.
“I don’t ever want to leave you again,” he admitted, as the warmth of his lips brushed across mine.
“You could live here.” The words spilled out before I consciously thought them.
Jack’s face relaxed, a peaceful calm spreading across it. “Yeah? You want to live together?”
His questioning inflection contradicted the happy look on his face, causing me to silently curse myself for being so vulnerable. “It was just an offer. Don’t get all full of yourself over it.”
He choked back a laugh. “Nothing would make me happier, Kitten, than to know my home is where you are.”
My heart jumped and thumped against my chest with such force I was surprised I didn’t topple over. “Really?”
“Really.” His grin widened. “I wasn’t going to leave, anyway.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I didn’t move all the way across the country to live alone. I moved here to be with you. And that’s what I’m going to do. Be. With. You.” He stared into my eyes with conviction.
My insides trembled with desire, heat spreading between my thighs at his confident demeanor. “What if I told you no?” I teased.
He pressed his forehead to mine, his eyes piercing right through me. “But you didn’t. You want me here just as much as I want to be here, and I know it. I’m not leaving and you won’t make me.”
“You’re so fucking arrogant.”
“Is it really arrogance when you’re right?” His lip curled up on one side before crushing his mouth against mine. He swept his tongue teasingly across my bottom lip before he pulled away.
After all the heartache he’d put me through, nothing could compare to the way I lived in Jack’s presence. The cracks and chips in my heart slowly dragged themselves together whenever he was around. My soul pretended the past damage didn’t matter, as it tugged and pulled itself whole again. I had been shattered and broken, but my body insisted on mending itself for him.
For Jack.
Because being with him, no matter how illogical it seemed considering he was responsible for my internal carnage, completed me. We made sense together. Melissa couldn’t have been more right when she described us as “the perfect mess.” I realized her assessment held more truth now than it ever had before.
“Pizza?” I suggested again, longing for a change of location.
“Will you at least put on some clothes?”
I rolled my eyes, knowing it would piss him off. “You first.”