Tears were in my eyes, yet again, as my bedroom door inched open and my grandma walked in.
“I can't talk any more tonight,” I said, as I reached up to wipe my eyes.
“You don't need to,” she said, as she approached my bed. “Scoot over.”
“What?” I asked, as she pulled back my covers.
“I haven't seen you in so long,” she said. “There's no way I won't be right here all night.”
She got in my bed next to me and pulled the covers up to cover us both. I'd just leaned my head on her shoulder when I heard the ding of my phone and felt my entire body go stiff.
“Hhmm,” she let out. “Who's wannabe?”
“Nobody,” I answered. “What did it say?”
“Goodnight, princess,” she said.
“Oh,” I said quietly.
“Guess you don't want to talk about that either?” she asked.
“Nope,” I answered.
“Goodnight, Cassie,” she said.
“Goodnight, Grandma,” I said, as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 3
Cassie
I woke up early the next morning, not believing how well I'd slept after everything that had been brought to light the night before. My grandma opened her eyes just after I did, and I couldn't help but smile at her.
“You're still here,” I said, more as a statement than a question.
“I told you I was staying,” she said. “It's been way too long since I've seen you. Tonight I'll be sleeping with the kids.
We both let out a laugh. The ding of my phone reminded me of the text the night before and had me practically crawling over my grandma to get it. Instead of seeing who it was, I quickly turned the phone off.
“Wannabe again?” she asked, with a smile covering her face.
“What?” I asked, totally forgetting she'd seen it. “No.”
“You said James got you that phone, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “I broke the old one, so I asked him to get me a new one.”
“That's interesting,” she said.
“Why?” I asked.
“No reason,” she answered. “Does Jeff have your new number?”
“No way,” I blurted out. “There was no way I was doing that to myself. He was tracking my phone.”
“What?” she asked.
“Oh, nothing,” I said, as I shook my head and inwardly scolded myself for saying that.
I sat back against the headboard of my bed.
“I'm so sorry I pulled away when I married him,” I said. “I wanted our marriage to work and thought putting every moment into him was what I should do. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I'm so sorry the kids weren't around you more. I'm also sorry I missed out on all of that time with you too.”
“You did what you thought was right for you,” she said. “There's nothing wrong with that. You know I don't like him, never did.”
“Oh, I know,” I said, with a laugh. “You were the only one that would tell him to his face. Seeing how close everyone is and how it's not like that with me anymore really hurts. Look at Lauren. My brother is closer to his brother-in-law's wife than he is to his own sister. Even my mom seems closer to her. She was so chatty with her at dinner. I know I have no right to be jealous. I did this to myself, but it doesn't make it hurt any less though.”
“Cassie,” my grandma said, as she gave me a weird look.
“Yes,” I said.
“You said you've been here for two months, right?” she asked.
“Sure have,” I answered. “I know you're probably as mad as dad about me coming here and not telling you. I just needed time to think. I needed to know what I was going to do before I told you.”
“I get it,” she said. “All I want is for you to be happy, and I have a feeling you're going to be much happier now. It's all going to work out.”
“You know what? I think you're right,” I said. “Never thought you'd hear me say that, did you? I'm happier with not a penny to my name and nothing but a vehicle. That's pretty sad.”
“No,” she said. “It's not sad. You're not the same woman that married him in college. You've grown a lot. I can see it.”
“I'm so damn mad at myself,” I said. “I don't regret being with him. I wouldn't have the kids if we weren't together. I'm just pissed that I did what he wanted. I did things to make him happy. I'll never be that stupid again.”
“They aren't all like Jeff,” she said. You have four perfect examples of men surrounding you. Not to mention how great your grandpa was. Don't label them all just because of one asshole. What about Mr. Wannabe?”
“No way,” I snapped out quickly. “Absolutely not.”
Grandma let out a laugh as she got up from my bed.
“I'll be downstairs,” she said, as she walked toward the door. “I have something I need to talk to your brother about.”
“Grandma,” I said, just before she walked out my door.
“Yes,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said.
“For what?” she asked.
“Not hating me,” I answered honestly.
“I could never hate you, Cassandra,” she said. “We all make mistakes. Just don't let it happen again. We're your family. You need to remember that. Family is always there for each other, especially this one.”
I fell back on my bed, when she left the room, and thought about the night before. It really hadn't gone nearly as bad as it could have, and for that, I was happy.
Chapter 4
Parker
I couldn't believe her ass gave me, Pete Parker, the it's not you it's me excuse when she blew me off. I was pissed and had honestly never felt so used in all my life.
She had walked out of my place and never looked back. When I confronted her in the bathroom at Sammie's place, I was taking a huge risk. Sammie would have been pissed if she'd seen us together, but I didn't give a shit. I wanted to know what the fuck was going on, and I wasn't waiting another second to do it. It didn't take long for both of us to spew out shit we shouldn't have, and my blood was boiling. Then she flinched, and just like that, my anger was gone. It wasn't the first time it had happened, and she knew it too. The look on her face changed instantly, and she was practically begging me to let her leave. I did, but there was no way we wouldn't be continuing our conversation. I didn't give a shit what she thought, she was going to talk to me.
When I went home that day, I looked around my place and let out a laugh. Did she really not know? How was that possible? What kind of crazy fan did she think I was? My walls were covered in Pirate stuff. Not to mention the fact that I was in most of the stuff. How the fuck did she miss it? She couldn't have. She had to be fucking with me, right?
I'd never met anyone that confused the shit out of me like she did. She was driving me nuts, and I couldn't take it. I grabbed my phone and sent a text asking if she really hadn't known. When her reply came, I couldn't believe it. Her family was right, she really wasn't into the game like the rest of them. Her throw earlier had been pretty awesome, so I had to wonder, was she really not into it, or did she not like it because of them? Was that the one thing she used to keep herself set apart from the rest?
What started as an innocent question sent in text quickly became heated. That seemed to be how it was with her. It didn't take long for things to go from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. Then she did it. She used it's not you, it's me, and I thought my head was going to explode. Fuck her! She was a mess, and that was something I did not need in my life.
I tried to let it go, I really did, but my mind kept going back to the one place it shouldn't have, her. I'd been with a gold digger before, one I thought had loved me for who I was. I also knew what kind of woman Cassie was. I'd been warned, even if the words had never been directed at me. Not to mention what I'd seen with my own eyes. I knew, yet there I was, thinking about her.
I'd promised myself that I wasn't going to get attached to a w
oman, not ever again. I'd been doing a fine job of it too. Then she came along and began stirring up trouble. She was cocky, irritating, and a total pain in the ass. What was it with her, I wondered? Why couldn't I just let it go and sink my dick into someone else, someone that was nothing like her?
I'd gone to the bar for the next couple of days. There were beautiful women walking over and telling me how great I was. I could have had a different one each night, even more than one if I'd wanted. They would have listened and given me what I asked for, no questions asked. That was what I needed, but it wasn't what I wanted. What I wanted was Cassie's smart mouth wrapped around my cock. I wanted to spank that ass for every shitty thing she'd said to me. I wanted to be buried balls deep inside of her, while I pounded away every bit of stress she was causing me. Fuck! Why her? Why was the one woman I wanted the one I knew I needed to stay far away from?
I gave in a few times and sent her messages, but she didn't answer back, not once. Fuck her, I thought, for the hundredth time in just a few days.
Christmas had been like any other day for me. I stayed home, ate a frozen dinner, and sat on my ass watching television, trying to pass the hours as quickly as I could. Sammie's place was closed, so I hadn't even had that to take my mind off of the day. It was bullshit. I could have gone home to see my parents, but I didn't. They'd invited me, but I'd turned them down when my bitch of an ex told me she might actually let me see the kids. I knew it was a risk, but I had to take it. I sat there waiting like I always did, and she did the same thing she always had. She fucked me over and then left town with them. What was even worse was that they were only fifteen minutes away from my parents, and none of us could see them. It was bullshit, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. If I was traded to another team, it would be even worse. While I wanted to be a top player and take my career up a notch, I wanted to stay right where I was. That was where my kids were, and even if I barely got to see them, I knew they were close by.
I'd just gotten into bed when I heard the ding of my phone. I was pretty sure it was my mom checking in to make sure I'd gotten through the day in one piece. She was the only one that knew what a softy I really was, and that was exactly how it needed to stay. I reached over to grab my phone and couldn't believe my eyes.
Princess: Merry Christmas! I hope you had a good day.
Really, I thought? Whatever. Then I thought about Thanksgiving and how she'd been alone. Was she alone again, I wondered? Sammie and her family were going to Michigan, so there was a huge chance Cassie and the kids were all alone. I knew I should ignore her just like she was ignoring me, but I couldn't do it. It felt like shit being alone, and I didn't want her to have to feel that way too.
Me: It was fine. How was yours?
Her answer came fast.
Princess: You know that shit storm I told you about? Well, it blew in full force. I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Goodnight, wannabe.
That was it. Goodnight, wannabe, I thought. She was the one that sent me a message. Then she was blowing me off. The woman knew exactly how to irritate me, and she was doing a fine job of it.
“Whatever,” I said, as I put the phone back on my nightstand.
I flipped over a few times. Then I let out a huff and grabbed the phone. I wasn't going to be an asshole and not answer. There was no way. That was her job.
Me: Goodnight, princess.
I put the phone back down, my head hit the pillow, and I closed my eyes, but sleep never came. Instead, I thought about her. Was she alone? What did she mean the shit storm blew in full force? Did she mean Jeff? Had he come to Pennsylvania to fuck with her knowing she was alone for the holiday? He'd paid attention before. Had he gone by her parents to see if she was there? Shit! Maybe she meant her parents. That was possible. Maybe they found out about everything with Jeff. Had something happened with them? My mind went back to her loser of an ex. She'd flinched more than once when I'd moved my hand around her. Was it because of him? Had he hit her?
“What the fuck?” I hissed out, as I flipped over yet again. “Go to sleep, Parker. She's not your damn problem. You have enough of your own to deal with. Don't add any more to the mix.”
I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. She kept popping into my mind, the damn woman.
As soon as the sun began to shine through the window, I got up, grabbed my phone, and sent her a message.
Me: Has the shit storm passed?
Of course, she didn't answer me. After an hour had gone by, I sent another one.
Me: Were you referring to your ex or your parents?
Another hour passed and nothing, so my mind started working. Had something happened after she'd sent that last message the night before? What if Jeff had been there and came back? Was she alone with the kids? Would he hurt her? Someone had raised a hand to her. There was no doubt in my mind about that. It couldn't have been her family, there was no way. I knew them. They would never hurt one of their own or anyone else for that matter. That only left him, the asshole ex of hers.
I got out of bed, grabbed a pair of jeans, and pulled them on. Then I reached into my drawer and pulled out the first clean t-shirt on the stack. When I held it up to put it on and saw that it was a Pirates' shirt, I let out a laugh. If she was fine and ignoring my messages, my shirt would irritate the shit out of her, and I was good with that. I slid my feet into my sneakers, grabbed my keys and phone, and took off out the door, feeling like a damn stalker.
Just as I turned onto James and Sammie's street, it hit me. Shit! What if Cassie wasn't alone? What if they hadn't gone to Michigan? Sammie said they were going. There was no way her parents and grandma would let her back out. What if Cassie had gone with them? That was possible. If she had, that was fine. Then I wouldn't look like a total dumb-ass for showing up like a crazy man.
When I pulled up the driveway, I let out a breath of relief. I was safe. The Escalade was there, but that was all. Sammie's van was gone. They'd gone to Michigan. Cassie couldn't have gone with them. There was no way her crew would have fit in the van with the rest of them. Would they? Shit! Maybe they would. If so, I'd knock on the door, and she wouldn't answer. Then I'd go back home and pull my head out of my ass.
I walked up to the front door of James and Sammie's house and took a huge breath. Then I lifted my hand, released the breath, and knocked, totally unsure of what was going to happen. That was something I was definitely getting used to when it came to Cassie.
Chapter 5
Cassie
I walked down the stairs to find all of the kids playing in the living room. They were laughing and jumping around. I hurried into the kitchen and over to Sammie.
“I didn't hear them get up,” I said. “They shouldn't have come down here without me. I'll talk to them about that.”
“Cassie,” she said, as she reached over and put her hand on my shoulder. “I'm so sorry. I had no idea what you were going through. I assumed things, and that was wrong of me. They wanted to come down and play with the kids and your parents. I don't expect to never do anything with them. I just need some help. You shouldn't have kept all that from us.”
Just as I started to reply, grandma walked into the room with an upset look on her face. Then James walked into the room a few seconds later. He let out a huff, grabbed a cup of coffee that had been sitting on the counter when I'd walked in, and then turned to leave the room, but our dad walked into the room before he reached the door.
“You ready to go to Lance and Lauren's?” James asked my dad in a rough tone.
My dad nodded but didn't speak. I looked over at grandma to see her glaring at Sammie.
“What did I do?” Sammie asked, in an innocent tone.
Grandma shook her head, and without a word, walked out of the room and into the living room. I was right behind her, as she jumped right into laughing and playing with the kids.
“Everything okay?” I asked her, as dad and James walked out the front door without a word to any of us.
�
��Yep,” she answered.
Sammie walked into the room and looked over at me for an answer I didn't have. I shook my head, and she shrugged. My mom was sitting on the couch, looking as if there was nothing out of the ordinary going on.
“I want to check out your place,” my mom said to Sammie. “I know you've made some changes since we were here last. I wouldn't mind throwing the ball around a bit either.”
“Of course,” Sammie said, as a smile filled her face.
It didn't matter what was going on. If baseball was mentioned, Sammie was happy.
“We can take the kids,” my mom said, as she looked over at me.
“I'll stay here with Cassie and the babies,” grandma said.
“I don't know,” I said.
“I'm taking my grandchildren with me,” my mom said. “You can do things however you want once I go home, but for now, they will be with me as much as possible.”
“Fine,” I said, giving up my fight. “I'll keep the two little ones.”
Sammie was off and running. She got ready and got all of the kids ready in record time. Then they were headed out the door.
“I'll make lunch,” grandma said, just before the front door closed. “Let the guys know.”
We played with the boys, and when they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer, we put them down for a nap. I turned on the television and curled in next to my grandma to watch a movie. It didn't matter how old I got, being close to her always made everything better. The movie was paused, and we were deep in the middle of a conversation about Jeff and me when the doorbell rang. Ever since I was served the papers, that damn bell made me tense, and that time was no exception.
“I'll get it,” grandma said, as she patted my leg and got up from the couch.
“No,” I said. “I'll get it.”
“Then I'll go start lunch,” she said.
“Okay,” I said, just as the bell rang for a second time.
She headed for the kitchen, and I headed for the front door. When I swung it open, my eyes went wide. There stood Parker, looking down at his shoes.
Out of My League: Complete Box Set Page 20
