The Game Changer: A Novel

by Sterling, J.

  “Hey, Dean. Question: How long is your winter break?” I asked my kid brother over dinner.

  “Uh, we go back at like the end of January, why? What’s up?” He cocked his head and continued chewing his food.

  “You wanna fly out to Alabama and help me move my shit back here?” I lifted my chin at him.

  “Jack! Language.” Gran swatted my arm.

  “Sorry, Gran.” I pressed my lips together as Gramps laughed at my discomfort.

  “Don’t encourage him.” Gran tossed an evil look in Gramps’s direction, and he quickly choked back another chuckle.

  “Of course I’ll go,” Dean said, ignoring everyone else. “When?”

  “After Christmas, we’ll head back. I want to get out of that state as soon as possible,” I said, my voice filled with disgust.

  Gran reached out and squeezed my arm. “Did she sign the papers yet, dear?”

  I averted my eyes and shook my head. “She’s still fighting it. Says I can’t prove that there was fraud involved.”

  “But she faked her pregnancy! She tricked you.” Gran’s voice rose as her cheeks reddened with indignation.

  “I know, but she has records that confirm she was pregnant.” I sighed, shoveling a fork full of Gran’s delicious cooking into my mouth.

  “How can she even do that?” Gramps looked up from his plate, his eyes heavy with worry, and guilt rushed through me at the thought of causing him or Gran any unpleasantness.

  I swallowed before responding. “I have no idea. Maybe the doctor was an old family friend? Her family goes back generations in that town so they’re pretty well respected.”

  Gran let out a disgusted grunt. “They don’t even know the meaning of the word!”

  “So, wait.” Dean wiped at his mouth with a napkin before placing it back in his lap. “Are you saying that there’s nothing you can do to fight it?”

  “I’m just saying that the burden of proof is on me. And how do I prove all that?”

  “That’s one messed-up bi—” Dean stopped short as Gran jerked her head, glaring at him. “girl. I was gonna say, that’s one messed-up girl.”

  I realized my teeth were clenched. “You’re telling me.”

  “I’m worried, Jack. This is taking so long. The longer it takes, the more you have to lose,” Gran added.

  I knew what her underlying concern was. Gran was worried about me and Cassie. I’ll admit I was worried too, but I’d be damned if I’d let that little bitch win. “I’ll fix it, Gran. Don’t worry. She’ll sign the papers.”

  “Don’t do anything foolish now,” she warned.

  “Jack, your pies will be up in a minute, OK?” Sal’s gravelly voice echoed throughout the small restaurant, shaking me free from my memories.

  “Sounds good, Sal. Thanks.”

  “What did Marc say about going to Alabama?”

  “I didn’t tell him.”

  She laughed, running her fingers through her hair, and I wanted to reach out and touch every fucking part of her. “Of course you didn’t.”

  “Well, come on! He would have advised me not to go. I was still paying rent on a house I wasn’t living in. I needed to get my stuff before spring training started in February, and that was only a little more than a month away.”

  “Were you freaking out?” Her forehead creased with worry, and I wanted so badly to take it all away, but remembering Cassie’s relationship deal-breaker rules, I refused to lie.

  Rule number one: Don’t lie.

  I closed my eyes before opening them again. “I was definitely freaking out. You see, Kitten, aside from all the bullshit going on… my stuff still being in Alabama… Chrystle not signing the annulment… it was always about you. All I cared about was getting back to you. And I am sorry that time slipped away from me so fast, but—”

  “Don’t do that to yourself,” she interrupted. “I understand better now.”

  I shoved my hand into my hair, tugging at the strands like I tended to do around her. “I know that I probably should have called you. But while it was all going on, I was so caught up in fixing everything. I was obsessed with every detail being in perfect order before I came here. There were no exceptions.”

  “But you’re here now. And that’s all that matters.” Her gorgeous eyes glistened, and I knew I’d lose my shit right here in front of Sal if she cried. Her tears could absolutely fucking gut me.

  “To go, right?” Sal shouted toward us, and I coughed my emotions in check.

  I glanced at Cass, who nodded her agreement. “To go, Sal. Thanks,” I answered.

  I pushed my chair back and walked toward the small counter. “Do you have a car, Jack?” Sal tilted his head in my direction, his eyes narrowed.

  Initially confused by his odd question, I leaned back and thought for a moment. “No,” I said haltingly, wondering why a stranger was asking if I had a car.

  “I only ask because my little cousin Matteo is a driver. You don’t want to take the train to the stadium every day, and forget trying to take a taxi. I’ll write down the number of his car company and you ask for him directly. He’ll take care of you.” Sal scribbled Matteo’s name and number on the back of a business card before shoving it toward me.

  Relief washed over me. Sal wasn’t some creepy stalker; he was just a nice guy. “Thank you. I hadn’t even thought about that,” I said with a smile, tucking the card into my back pocket and making a mental note to call the number later.

  “Don’t mention it. You two just make sure you come back in here and visit me every once in a while, OK?” He slid the two large boxes in my direction.

  “Sure thing.” I reached out my hand, and he gripped it firmly.

  “We’ll see you soon. Thank you.” Cassie smiled before holding the door open for me and our large pies.

  See? I catch on quick.

  We walked back toward our apartment as Cassie started laughing. “I can’t believe he knew who you were.”

  “That was crazy, right?”

  “Yes!”

  I shrugged my shoulders while balancing the pizzas. “I’ve always heard New Yorkers are intense.”

  Cassie stopped briefly, her eyebrows raised. “Oh. You have no idea.”

  Her tone made me smile. “Guess I’ll learn soon enough.”

  “You just better win your games, mister,” she warned, her tone sounding half-teasing, half-nervous.

  We walked into the apartment building where the elevator doors waited in the open position. Cassie pressed the button and as the doors drew closed, I found myself wanting to drop the boxes to the ground and pin her against the elevator wall. My pants tightened as my thoughts took off on their own. In my mind, I’d leaned over and pressed my lips to her neck, licking and nibbling my way up her jaw as moans escaped from her lips. I thought about pressing my mouth against hers, silencing her sweet little cries as our tongues played a game of hide and seek. She cleared her throat, and I looked up to see her holding the elevator doors open.

  “Do you and the elevator need some time alone?” she asked, her eyes flicking to the bulge in my pants.

  “I was just thinking about all the things I’d like to do to you in here.” I winked and bit my bottom lip, hoping for a reaction from her.

  She cocked her head to one side, her lips puckering in that cute little way that always turns me on. “Oh, really? Elevators are nasty. You’re gross.” She turned her back to me and jangled her keys toward the door as I let out a slight laugh.

  Once inside, I placed the hot-as-hell pizza boxes on the kitchen table and shook the heat from my hands. “As soon as you sit down, I’ll tell you the best parts,” I shouted at her retreating back.

  “Oooh, really?” She looked back at me from the bathroom doorway with a smile. “Just let me wash my hands.”

  After a quick search, I grabbed two plates from the cupboard and placed them on the counter before pouring two glasses of water.

  Note to self: get some beer.

  Cassie walked int
o the kitchen, her face all smiles. “I’m ready,” she said, grabbing both of the waters as she practically skipped to the kitchen table.

  “Who are you talking to?” Dean was sitting on the couch, and I punched him on the arm as I walked past.

  “Melissa,” he answered, raising his eyebrows with her name. “Meli, hold on a sec.” Dean covered his cell phone with his hand and lowered it toward his thigh. “She wants to come with us.” I eyed him, my face clearly confused. “To Alabama,” he added.

  “Why?” I asked, not understanding why she would possibly want to take that trip.

  “She said she’s bored at home without Cassie. And she wants to help. Personally, I think she just misses me.” He laughed.

  I thought for a second before realizing that the idea of Melissa coming with us didn’t annoy me. “She can come.”

  “Really?” Dean broke out in a big smile.

  “Yeah, I don’t care,” I said quickly. It would be fun with her there. And she’d probably be really helpful. She was a girl, after all, and girls like to organize, clean, and take care of shit. Right?

  “She did not go with you to Alabama,” Cassie said, her jaw dropping wide open.

  “Yes, she did. She even met Chrystle,” I told her with a large grin before stuffing a slice in my mouth.

  “What?” Her shoulders dropped. “She didn’t tell me a thing!”

  I reached across the table for her, cupping her cheek in my hand. “I told her not to. I made her promise she wouldn’t tell you anything until I could come get you.”

  “But she’s my best friend,” she whined. “And she knew how much I was hurting. If she would have just told me what was going on, I wouldn’t have had to go through all of that. The waiting, the not knowing…”

  “Trust me, Cass, she fought with me a lot about it. She wanted to tell you every day, and every day I had to make her promise she wouldn’t. I threatened to stop filling her in on things and she said if I did, she’d call you that second and tell you everything.” I half smiled to hide my discomfort. “So basically, we had an understanding. As long as I kept her in the loop, she kept her mouth shut.” It didn’t feel wrong when I asked Melissa to keep all this from Cassie at the time, but sitting here now, saying it all out loud, the fact that I had been a complete dick overwhelmed me.

  “Hmph.” Cassie crossed her arms across her chest and pouted. My eyes followed her arms but stopped abruptly on her chest. Just one look and my manhood started to wake up. I forced myself to look away and think about anything other than the woman I loved sitting across from me, her breasts heaving up and down with each disgruntled breath.

  “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t have her tell you what was going on until it was all over. I had asked you to understand so much already. I refused to ask you to understand that too.”

  “But I would have. I would have understood.” She uncrossed her arms before continuing. “Or I would have at least tried to.”

  She’s right. She’s so fucking right. But it’s too late. I can’t change the past. What’s done is done.

  “I know that, but it didn’t seem fair.” I reached across the table and stroked her cheek with my thumb. “I was trying to be honorable. And I felt that coming to your door while I was still carrying Chrystle-sized baggage was not the honorable thing to do.”

  “You and all your right-thing-to-do ideas. You sorta suck at doing the right thing.”

  “I hear that a lot.”

  “Jeez Jack, this house is really nice,” Melissa said, running her hand across the granite countertop in the kitchen of my rented house.

  I nodded. “The rent is really cheap here,” I paused before adding, “And I thought I was staying awhile.”

  “Well thank God you’re not! Can we go out tonight? Please? Somewhere fun?” she begged, her bottom lip jutting out.

  I smirked at her suggestion before glancing at Dean. “Sure.” I shrugged, taking a swig from my lukewarm bottle of beer. There were only two bars in this small Alabama town, and after that hellish night when I met Chrystle, I’d sworn I’d never step foot in that particular bar again. So that only left the other one, and I had no idea what it was like.

  “Yes!” Melissa practically shouted before disappearing upstairs to the guest bathroom. “I get to shower first!”

  I eyed my brother. “What’s the latest with you two?”

  “She likes to kiss me.” Dean smiled like a lovesick idiot. “A lot.”

  “Are you in junior high? What the fuck does that even mean?”

  Dean’s face dropped, and I genuinely ached for him. My brother was pretty much the polar opposite of me. He got attached to girls willingly. Whereas I cut every cord possible that tied me down to anyone—until Cassie that is—he fastened triple knots to the people he cared about. When Dean fell for a girl, he fell hard. I half wondered if he did it just to spite me. Just to prove how unlike me he really was.

  “It just means that anytime that girl will let me kiss her, I’m going to take it. I like her, alright. I just don’t think she really likes me.”

  I punched him in the arm. “Kiss her better then, jackass.”

  “I kiss her just fine, fuck you very much.”

  “Obviously not,” I teased. Sensing his defenses on the rise, I backed off. I loved to torment my little brother, but I didn’t enjoy actually hurting him.

  “You want me to talk to her for you?” I offered, wondering what Melissa’s deal was.

  Dean’s back straightened as his shoulders tensed. “Definitely not. The last thing I want is for you to talk to her.”

  “Just tryin’ to help, little brother.” I took another sip before pouring the rest of the bottle down the sink. Warm beer tasted like piss. The shower turned off and Dean glanced up the stairs. “Go up there, already. What you should have done was hopped in the shower with her,” I suggested with a laugh.

  “You’re such a dick,” he shot back as he headed toward the bathroom.

  “But I’m right,” I shouted as he flipped me off over his shoulder.

  We sat around the small circular oak table, drinking and laughing. Melissa pounded her tiny fist against the tabletop before shouting over the music, “Jack, I forgot to tell you that I sent Cassie the jar of quarters the other day!”

  My mind drifted back to the night she left, standing alone in her old room while I stared at the jar she’d left behind. “Why?”

  “She asked for it. And she made me promise to wrap it in like a thousand layers of bubble wrap so it wouldn’t break.”

  I raised my eyebrows and offered a cocky grin, happy to hear this revelation when my eye caught sight of the last possible person in the world I’d ever want to see, with her maid of honor trailing behind her. My jaw tensed as I cracked my neck.

  “Oh, look who it is, Vanessa. My husband.” Chrystle’s grating voice rang in my ears, and I suddenly wished I were deaf. “And if it isn’t his delicious brother too. Vanessa, you remember Dean, don’t you? From the weddin’?” She looked toward Vanessa, who shifted uncomfortably but didn’t respond. “Hi, Dean. How you doing, sweetie?” Chrystle cooed in her syrupy accent as she continued to invade our space.

  I glanced at Melissa, who was making fists with her hands, her eyes narrowed into tiny slits, and her mouth snarling. “Jesus, Jack, I guess it’s true what they say about beer goggles,” Melissa sniped, giving Chrystle the once-over with pure disgust in her eyes.

  Chrystle’s jaw dropped slightly and her eyes got huge. “What did you say?”

  “I said you’re as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside,” Melissa spat out. For a tiny thing, she sure was ballsy. I fucking loved it. Melissa said everything to Chrystle that I couldn’t say without it potentially being used against me in court.

  “And just who the hell are you?” Chrystle braced herself and tried to sound tough but failed, and I noticed Vanessa fighting to hide a grin.

  “None of your fucking business,” Melissa shot back before taking a drink from her
glass.

  “But it is my business. See, you’re sitting with my husband and my brother-in-law.” Chrystle ran her fingertips down Dean’s arm, and he tensed before swatting her hand away.

  “Oh, great.” Melissa rolled her eyes. “You touched her, Dean. She’s probably pregnant now.”

  With that comment, I couldn’t hold back any longer. Thunderous laughter ripped from my lungs and spilled out into the air.

  “Now, why don’t you take your ugly skank ass away from our table so we can enjoy the rest of our night?” Melissa turned to eye me. “Seriously, Jack. How drunk were you to fuck that?” Her tone filled with contempt.

  Struggling for a comeback, Chrystle scurried away from our table, almost tripping on an out-of-place chair as Vanessa quickly trailed behind her.

  “Holy shit, Funsize. That was awesome.” I reached out to high five her from across the table.

  “The easiest way to get under any girl’s skin is to call her ugly. Especially when she’s not,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Good to know.” Dean nodded.

  “Don’t get any ideas, buster. You pull that shit with me, and I’ll never speak to you again,” Melissa said, with a sassy neck gyration that made me want to laugh.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he responded, placing the bottle to his lips and chugging.

  Pussy.

  “Holy shit, that story is amazing!” Cassie’s eyes squinted as she howled with laughter.

  “It was pretty hilarious.” I laughed along with her, thankful for the upswing in her mood.

  “How did Melissa keep that from me? That’s the best story ever!”

  “She’s probably dying to tell you,” I admitted, feeling guilty that I’d asked her best friend to keep so much from her.

  “Did the evil troll sign the papers after that?”

  The smile fell from my face as I remembered what came next. “No.”

  The three of us walked toward the exit of the bar as Chrystle jumped in front of me, grabbing me by the arm. I freed myself from her wretched touch before shouting, “Don’t fucking touch me, you crazy bitch.”