“Not nearly as bad as I thought,” I said, as I pulled my black card out of my wallet and slid it through the card reader.
“Can you try that again,” the woman said.
I swiped it again, and she looked up at me with a smile I could tell was no longer real.
“Let me try it,” she said. “Maybe it's the reader.”
I handed her the card, and her eyes widened.
“There shouldn't be a problem,” she said.
When she swiped it on her side, she looked up from her screen and her eyes connected with mine.
“I'm sorry to have to ask this, but can I please see your license for a moment?” she asked nervously.
I reached into my purse and pulled out my license. Then I handed it to her.
“Don't be sorry,” I said with a smile. “I'm glad that you're protecting my husband's money.
She looked from the license to me a couple of times before leaning forward and whispering.
“I can't give you the card back. Your card has been reported stolen. You need to have your husband call the card company. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. Do you have another card?”
I felt every single bit of stress that had vanished during the shopping trip flow right through my body again. It was like I could actually feel it traveling through me inch by inch. When I reached into my purse again, I was sure it was no misunderstanding, and I was also sure the next card was going to do the same.
“Try this one,” I said.
When she shook her head, I felt a huge puff of air escape me. Then I felt the tears begin to fill my eyes. Jeff was proving a point. If I didn't come back, I was on my own. He'd cut me off, and he'd done one hell of a job embarrassing me in the process. Instead of shutting them off, he'd reported them stolen. I couldn't believe he'd do something to make me look like a criminal. The man I'd married was not the same man I'd seen standing next to Erica, while she wore my robe, and he also wasn't the same man that had just reported all of my credit cards stolen, leaving me with nothing. How could he? What could I do?
“Can you place the order on hold?” I asked the second the thought hit me. “I'll have my brother come. I really need these clothes for my kids. I'm being honest with you, Brandy. I left my husband, and he just pulled a move I never thought was possible. You can keep the cards, but they were mine.”
“That's definitely you on the license,” she said. “I have an evil ex of my own. I can put the order on hold, but I can't do it for very long. Is your brother close by?”
“Yes,” I answered. “I'll call him now. I've never been this embarrassed before in my life. Thank you for not making me look like a complete loser.”
She nodded, and I stepped away from the register, headed for a spot that was a bit private, and pulled out my phone.
Me: I need your help. I'm down the street from your work. Can you come?
He answered back immediately, asking where exactly I was and then let me know he'd be there in less than ten minutes. My brother was amazing. He'd be there for any of our family. I was proof of that. I'd cut them all out of my life, and so far, they'd all welcomed me back without a word. I knew I'd have to face my parents and grandma eventually, but I wasn't ready yet. I needed to figure things out first, that way they wouldn't see the mess I'd turned into. I'd know where I was headed when I faced them. That was how it had to be. I'd already faced enough embarrassment. Them seeing the failure I was wasn't an option.
James came through the door in a panic. The second he saw me, he pulled me in close and hugged me.
“What happened?” he asked in a worried tone. “Is it the car?”
I shook my head.
“Is it the kids?” he asked, sounding even more worried.
I shook my head.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Jeff reported my credit cards stolen,” I said.
“Are you serious?” he snapped, as he pulled me back and looked into my eyes. “Shit! What did they say? Are they calling the police?”
“No,” I said. “The clerk looked at my license. She knows I'm who I say I am. He did it to all of my cards. She had to keep them.”
“So they aren't giving you shit about it?” he asked.
“No,” I answered.
He let go of me and took a step back. The worry that had been on his face was gone, and something else was replacing it.
“Cassie,” he said roughly. “Why did you say you needed me here?”
“I don't have any money, James,” I said. “I was getting clothes and things we need, and now I have no way to get them.”
“You have things at the house,” he said, the look on his face getting a bit of an aggravated look to it.
“Not very much,” I said. “We needed some things. I was hoping you would help me. I'll find a way to get the money back for you. It's not like you can't afford it.”
That look turned into anger, and I took a step back myself.
“Nevermind,” I said. “I'm sorry I bothered you.”
“That's not it and you know it,” he snapped quietly. “I was in the middle of a meeting, and you had me so damn scared something had happened to you or the kids. This is not an emergency. I walked out of that meeting and left everyone sitting there. Do you know how that looks? I don't have a problem helping you, Cassie. Don't act like I do. You're the one that hasn't been involved with our family, not me. I'd help anyone that needed it, and you know it.”
“You sure help Lauren and Lance a lot,” I said without thinking.
“This is not the time,” he said. “I have to get back to an office full of people, and I have no clue what I'm going to tell them.”
He turned around and walked toward the registers. I hurried ahead of him and walked to the one my things were still sitting at. He looked at the cart and shook his head.
“How much do you need?” he asked the clerk.
When she told him, I heard a growl come from deep in his chest. He pulled out his wallet, slid his card through the reader, handed the clerk his license before she even asked, and looked over at me.
“You needed all of this?” he asked. “You really need to get your head out of the clouds. I love you, but this is not okay.”
He slid his license and card back into his wallet and shoved it into the the back pocket of his dress pants.
“Have a good day,” he told the clerk, and then he was gone.
James had never treated me the way he did then, and I was even more embarrassed than I'd been before. I took the receipt from the clerk and shoved it into the top bag.
“Try to have a good day,” she said. “You're lucky to have someone to help you. I had to do it all on my own.”
I nodded and pushed the cart out of the store. When all of the bags were loaded into the back of my Escalade, I got in and pulled out my phone to find a text from my brother.
James: Where are the kids?
I answered him quickly before sending a text that had my hands shaking with anger.
Me: Sammie has them.
Me: How could you? You have no idea how bad you made me look. You're supposed to take care of me, not make me look like a thief. I'm your damn wife.
When I heard the ding, I hurried to read the text. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I was ready either way. It wasn't him.
James: You need to get back to the house. I'll be there soon. We need to talk.
I let out a long breath, put the phone down, and pulled out of the spot I was parked in. My world was falling down around me, and I had no idea what I was going to do. Was everyone against me?
Chapter 6
Cassie
When I pulled into James' driveway, I looked up at his house. It was nice, but I again had to wonder why someone that owned his own company didn't have a fancier place. Lancie lived right down the street, and he wasn't nearly as established as James and Sammie. I just didn't get it, and I wasn't sure I ever would.
I parked off to the side so I wouldn't
block their garage and picked up my phone. It had dinged several times while I'd been driving. I knew it was going to be Jeff. He kept his phone right there every second of the day.
Jeff: If you were my wife, you'd be home, but you're not. I have to give you credit, it took longer than I thought it would to hear from you. Has your brother been paying your way? There's no way you went two whole weeks without shopping.
Me: You can't do this.
Jeff: I just did, didn't I?
Me: That's bullshit and you know it. That money is ours. You can't just cut us off. There are laws against that.
Jeff: I don't remember you ever putting in one second to earn even one dollar while I've known you.
I grabbed my purse and shoved my phone into it before getting out and slamming my door. Then I walked around the back, got all of my bags out, and headed for the house. When I walked in, I heard the television on and heard Sammie laughing and talking to Jenny. Without stopping for anything, I walked right by them, up the stairs, and into my room. I threw the bags on a chair in the corner. Then I got my phone back out, walked over, and fell onto my bed in tears. I'd never cried in my whole life as much as I had in those two weeks. It felt like that was all I'd been doing since I'd seen him with her.
I heard the ding and looked at the screen through blurry eyes.
Jeff: You want money, get your ass home.
What the fuck had happened to him, I wondered?
Me: You've never been like this before.
Jeff: You've always done what you were told before.
Me: I've done everything you've ever asked so you'd be happy.
Jeff: Bullshit! You did it so you could get what you wanted.
Me: It was about you.
Jeff: It was never about me. I hope you don't believe that lie.
Me: That's not true. I love you, Jeff.
Jeff: Then come home.
Me: How could you be with her?
Jeff: Come back and we'll talk about it.
Me: Talk to me now.
Jeff: They're going to get tired of taking care of you and the kids. They won't give you what I do, Cassie. You'll see.
When I set the phone down, the tears were coming even faster. What happened to my husband, I wondered? Had he ever loved me? It sure didn't seem like it.
Chapter 7
Cassie
When I heard my door open, I looked up to see Sammie holding baby James in one arm and baby Jake in the other. The look on her face was enough to know she was very unhappy with me. Join the club, I thought to myself, as I sat up and wiped my face.
“You went shopping,” she said roughly.
“He cut me off, Sammie,” I said sadly.
“You left me here with five kids and went shopping,” she snapped, completely ignoring what I'd just said.
“Did you hear what I said?” I asked. “Jeff shut my cards off. He reported them stolen. I could have gone to jail because of him.”
Sammie let out a loud huff before shaking her head and opening her mouth to speak.
“I need to talk to her,” I heard James before I saw him come through the door.
“No,” Sammie snapped out, as she turned to James and handed him both of the babies. “I will.”
“Sam,” James said in warning.
“Do not Sam me, James Reid,” she stood firm. “She's my sister too. I'm the one that's been sitting in this house with her for two weeks. I have some things to say.”
The second my door was closed with James on the other side, Sammie let loose.
“This is bullshit,” she snapped. “You've been here for two weeks, and all you've done is sit around. I've been downstairs with five kids, Cassie. You have done nothing to take care of yours. I love them very much, but I have two of my own. Not to mention, I'm three months pregnant as well. I can't do everything. To find out you left today so you could go shopping is something else. I get that you need some time to think about things, and I think I've been pretty fair, but shopping, that is not okay. That isn't even the worst part. You called James. It's not that you called him, he'll always be there for you. You had him thinking something was wrong. He was so worried that he got up and walked out on a whole room of people in the middle of a meeting. When he gets to you, he finds out you're having a shopping emergency. Do you not see anything wrong with that, because it sure doesn't feel like it. You're acting like a spoiled brat but your damn twenty-six.”
The entire time she was talking, her voice was getting louder and she was pacing the room. I was in her way. James was upset. I knew I shouldn't have come there, but I didn't have anywhere else to go, except to my parents that is. Jeff was right. They were already tired of me. I'd worn out my welcome that fast. Then I thought about Jeff cutting me off. Could he really do that? What was I going to do? I couldn't ask Sammie and James to take care of us. It felt like someone had my world in their hands and was spinning it faster than I could handle. I was a mess.
“What do you have to say?” she asked.
I looked up at her, as I felt my entire body shaking.
“I'm going back,” I said, feeling completely defeated.
“What?” she asked with shock in her tone, as she stopped and turned toward me.
“I'm going home,” I said.
“Are you fucking serious?” Sammie yelled out, as she stood there staring at me like I'd just lost my mind.
“What other choice do I have, Sammie?” I asked her honestly.
She knelt down in front of me and I felt her instantly calm.
“I love you, but you are really pissing me off,” she said. “He fucked another woman. She was in your house with your man. How can you even want him after that?”
“I'm not sure that I do want him,” I answered. “I need him though.”
“What you need is to stop being a pussy,” she said roughly, as she looked into my eyes. “You need to respect yourself enough to know that he's an asshole. Would you have cheated on him?”
“No,” I replied. “He's my husband.”
“Exactly,” she said. “If he didn't want you anymore, he should have cut you loose. Then he could have slept with whoever he wanted, but he didn't. He brought another woman in and hid her for a very long time. That is not okay under any circumstances. I don't care what happened between the two of you, you deserve better than that. You need to stand up for yourself.”
“I'm not you, Sammie,” I said. “He's taken care of us this whole time. We met while I was in college, and I ditched it to be with him. I've never done anything myself. He's all I've ever known.”
“Is that what you want?” she snapped, unable to hold back. “Do you want to be with a man that was with another woman while you were together? Is that really how you want to live your life? You were pregnant, and he was fucking her the whole time, Cassie.”
“What do you want me to say?” I asked her. “I don't know what I want or what to do?”
“Ugh,” she let out.
Then she stood up, grabbed my hands, and pulled me to my feet.
“Get Jenny and Jeff ready,” she said, as she turned to walk out of the room.
When I sat back down, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder at me.
“Don't give me that look,” she said. “I'm not your damn nanny. Get the two kids ready. We're going somewhere. I'll meet you outside. James can keep the two babies. The car leaves in fifteen minutes, and your ass had better be in it.”
Chapter 8
Cassie
It took longer than I thought it would to get the kids and myself ready and get outside, but when I got there, Sammie was sitting in her van with a smile on her face.
“I've got seats for the kids,” she said. “Hop in.”
“Where are we going?” Jenny asked.
“We're going to have some fun,” Sammie answered. “You're going to love it.”
“I'm not really in the mood,” I began, but she cut me off.
“Don't really care,” she said. “G
et your ass in.”
I didn't speak the entire ride, and neither did Sammie. The three kids were chattering away in the back. It was nice to hear Jenny laughing so much with Jillian. When she was around the kids from our group back home, they were always expected to be quiet and on their best behavior. I'd thought it was the right thing at the time, but hearing her laughter had me wanting to laugh too.
Sammie pulled into the lot of a very large building. It looked almost like a warehouse.
“What's this?” I asked.
“Something I'm very proud of,” she answered, as she parked, hopped out, and began getting the kids out. “You guys ready for some fun?”
“So much fun,” Jillian said, as she grabbed Jenny's hand in one hand and Jeff's in the other. “Come on.”
As soon as we walked through the door, Jackson came out of nowhere and pulled Jillian in for a hug. Seconds later, the kids were all running toward one guy. Lauren walked over and began talking to Sammie. There was no missing how close they were. I used to be close to Sammie, so many years before. The guy wasn't looking, and before I could yell for him to watch out, Jackson and Jillian knocked his ass to the ground. All four kids were on top of him, and they were laughing so hard. I stood for a moment, looking around the place. It was huge, and nobody had to tell me, it was all Sammie. I knew she'd done something cool, but I'd had no idea just how big it really was. The woman loved baseball. She was more passionate about it than some of the major league players I'd met through the years. How the baseball gene had missed me, I didn't know, but it did. The more our families played, the less I fit in. I'd sat with my barbies when I was little and then hung with the girls who were chasing the boys later.
I made my way over to the bleachers and sat down. It didn't take long for Jackson and Jillian to grab a child size bat, some little mitts, and some balls. They'd both had some practice, that was obvious as soon as they started throwing a ball back and forth between them. My two kids stood watching them with wonder in their eyes.
“You two practice,” the guy they'd knocked down said. “I'll work with these two.”
“Cassie,” I heard Sammie yell from off to the side. “We'll be back in a minute. I have to run and get something from my office.”
Out of My League: Complete Box Set Page 4
