by J. Sterling
“Yes, Gran, of course,” he said a little too sweetly before kissing her on the cheek. “Do you need anything, Kitten?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Gramps pulled out the empty chair next to him and patted it. “Come sit down next to me, Cassie. Or do I get to call you Kitten too?”
When he winked at Cassie as I took a sip from my glass, I almost shot water out of my nose. Gramps just winked at Jack’s girlfriend.
I couldn’t stop laughing. “I think we should all start calling her Kitten.”
Jack shot me a murderous glare. “Only I get to call her Kitten. You’d be wise to remember that.”
“Jack, stop threatening your brother,” Gran said while waving the steam away from her face.
“Yes, Gran,” he said nicely before kicking me under the table.
I moved my foot to kick him back and missed.
Gramps leaned on his elbow and studied Cassie. “So, Cassie, Jack tells us you’re a photographer.”
She nodded. “That’s what I’m studying right now. I’d like to start my own business as soon as I graduate.”
Gramps slapped his hand against the table. “Well, that’s just great! Isn’t that great, dear?”
Cassie answered all my grandparents’ questions about her photography and her hopes for the future. Whenever we could get a word in edgewise, Jack and I both sang her praises.
The girl had a natural talent. She was a gifted photographer, and I’d never seen anyone photograph things from the angles she did. Jack seemed truly impressed not only by her passion, but by her talent as well. I had to admit that it was pretty awesome seeing them support each other’s passions.
“If it doesn’t work out, you can always go into sports photography and follow your boyfriend around the country,” Jack said with a laugh.
Everyone laughed with him, but I knew he wasn’t joking. He meant it.
“So, I’d just wake up and take pictures of you all day?” Cassie asked with a teasing smile.
“Sounds like a dream job to me.”
“Oh Lord.” Gran sighed. “Forgive me, Cassie. I did the best I could with him.”
She laughed. “It’s okay, Gran. He’s perfect just the way he is.”
I wanted to stick my finger down my throat and make a gagging sound, but knew that both Jack and Gran would murder me later for being rude, so I stayed quiet.
“Jack, Dean, come help me serve, will you?” Gran asked.
We jumped up from the table and returned carrying steaming dishes filled with homemade Italian food. It smelled fantastic. I couldn’t even eat at Italian restaurants after having Gran’s meals. She’d ruined me.
“Dig in, please. Cassie first,” Gramps said, which was his way of giving us guys a reminder to be hospitable and not attack the food like ravenous wolves.
Cassie reached for the bowl of spaghetti and dished out a huge helping before grabbing two slices of garlic bread and dropping them onto her plate. As she was dishing out some salad onto her plate, her eyes grew wide and she froze, as if she’d only realized how much food she’d piled on.
“Get enough, Kitten?” Jack teased.
“I think I got excited in my serving sizes,” she admitted as her cheeks pinked.
“Don’t worry about it. Just eat what you can.”
“This all looks incredible, Gran,” she said, her apology in her eyes. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, dear. We’re so glad you came.”
“Jack, we need to talk about the draft,” Gramps mentioned between bites.
“What about it?”
The conversation continued about the upcoming major league draft and Jack’s role in it. We’d been told that he’d most likely be picked up by a team in the first round, which was a big deal that included a significant signing bonus.
Cassie apparently didn’t know a thing about it, so we all tried to fill her in on how it worked, including the fact that there would be cameramen at the house filming Jack’s reaction to whoever drafted him.
When Jack mentioned his two agents, she got even more confused, not understand how he could have agents already when he was still playing in college. After explaining the technicalities to that as well, she seemed to take it all in stride until it finally hit her that Jack getting drafted meant that he was leaving.
“When is it, anyway?” she asked, referring to the draft.
“The first Monday in June,” I answered before anyone else could.
“And then when do you leave?” Her eyes were firmly focused on Jack as if the rest of us were no longer a part of the conversation.
“I don’t know for sure, but I think right after,” he said.
She looked as if she was about to cry. “Like that day?”
“No. But within a week, I think.”
Cassie was obviously upset. Tears were going to start falling any second. How had Jack not discussed this with her at all?
I kicked him under the table and this time I didn’t miss, wanting to be sure he knew what an insensitive idiot he was.
The mood sobered a bit with Cassie’s continued questions and Jack’s nonstop answers that did nothing to soothe her. I felt bad enough until Gran asked what they planned on doing about their relationship once Jack left. Then I felt horrible for them.
The look on their faces said it all—they hadn’t talked about shit.
I mentioned something about long-distance relationships being awful, and that sent Gran and Gramps into a lecture about how beautiful and wonderful they could be. I had zero experience with it, but it sounded like a crap idea. Then again, if the only other option was to not be together, then I would try it too if I were them.
“Well, that’s enough of that talk for one night. I’m sure the kids don’t want to think about all this stuff right now.” Gran waved a hand in front of her face before rising from the table, followed by Gramps.
“No, it was really nice to hear. Thank you.” Cassie smiled, and I wondered if it was just for show.
“We’ll get the dishes, Gran. Go lie down,” my brother suggested with a smarmy smile.
“Thank you, Jack. We’ll just be in the other room,” she said before slowly making her way into the living room.
When it was just the three of us, I addressed the elephant in the room. “You two are gonna stay together, right?”
Jack turned toward Cassie, who was already staring right at him. “She’ll probably be sick of me by then.”
“Most likely,” she said in response.
I hoped they were kidding, assumed they were kidding, because I couldn’t believe the topic had never come up.
Leaning back in my chair, I said, “You guys seriously haven’t talked about any of this?”
“Not yet.”
“Dude, June isn’t that far away. And you’ll leave right after the draft. You two are hopeless.”
I stifled a shout as Jack rammed his foot into my shin full force.
“Why don’t you shut the fuck up, Dean, and worry about your own love life? Or lack thereof.”
I shoved out of my chair, sliding it across the kitchen floor with a loud squeak.
“Ow, Jack! Jesus! I was just saying you two should probably get your shit together and actually start doing that whole communicating thing Gran was talking about. ’Cause the last time I checked, you sort of sucked at it.”
Jack stood up and pushed his face inches from mine, breathing hard. I tensed and braced myself, worried for a moment that my own brother was going to hit me.
“You’re being a real asshole, Dean, you know that?” A muscle jumped in his jaw, telling me I’d struck a nerve.
“Jack! Sit! Down!” Cassie yelled as she tugged at the hem of Jack’s shirt.
“Let’s go,” he gritted out, and Cassie scowled at him.
“What? No. We haven’t even done the dishes and—”
“We’re leaving. I’ll do the dishes when I get back,” he shot back, acting like a little bitch.
/> Cassie sighed and gave me an embarrassed smile. “‘Night, Dean.”
“‘Night, Cass. Sorry.” I shrugged, feeling a little bad about the conversation and hoping she didn’t hate me, but her smile told me she didn’t.
After they left, I looked around at the mess in the kitchen. As my way of apologizing without saying sorry, I rinsed all the dishes off before putting them in the dishwasher. At least when Jack got home, he’d know I wasn’t intentionally trying to start a war with him. I’d truly been surprised to hear that they hadn’t talked about any of those things.
June was right around the corner, and then what?
I’d already started to feel like Cass was a sister to me. I didn’t want to lose her either.
Take It to the Head
Even though I swore I wasn’t going to apologize to my brother, I still did. I hated the idea of anything being off between us. Aside from Gran and Gramps, he was all I had in this world, and I needed him on my side.
Jack forgave me easily, telling me that I only pissed him off because I was right and he hadn’t wanted to hear it. I told him that I hoped him and Cassie talked about everything before it happened from now on. He told me to stop being such a know-it-all when I didn’t know shit about being in a relationship. I wanted to argue with him, but he was right.
On Friday afternoon a couple of days later, Jack poked his head into my doorway, his keys in his hand. “Tonight, we’re going to Matt’s place to hang out before the softball game. You in?”
Since the baseball team only had practice this week and no games, Jack had been asked to throw out the first pitch for the school’s softball team. It was good PR, or so he said, so he’d agreed to it.
“Yeah. Should I just meet you there?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m going over to Cassie’s now, and then we’ll probably head there together later. I’m trying to convince her to come straight to the game with me, but she keeps telling me no.”
“Sounds like your girlfriend,” I said with a grin. “What time?”
“About six. And that’s good because if she doesn’t come with me, then I want her to be with you, Dean. You understand what I’m saying?” He leaned against my door frame.
“Not really. You want me to babysit your girlfriend?”
“No. I want you to make sure you don’t leave her alone on the walk there. I want to know that if she isn’t with me, she’s with the only other person in the world I trust. Okay?”
I grinned back, happy that he needed me. “Okay. You got it.”
“Good.”
As he turned to go, I asked, “Do you think Melissa will come?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You should invite her. I’m out,” he said, jangling his keys on his way out the door.
I pulled out my phone and sent Melissa a text.
Dean: Come out with us tonight. Please?
Melissa: Can’t. I’m heading home for the weekend. Next time?
Dean: I’m holding you to that.
Melissa: I dare you. :)
That girl. She turned me into a sap with a three-word text message. She knew what she did to me, and she toyed with me at every turn.
Damn it, I wished she was going to be in town.
• • •
At Matt’s front door, I could hear the rowdy shouts from inside, so I didn’t bother knocking. I just opened the door and stepped inside Jack’s teammate’s apartment.
“Dean!” the group of five baseball players all shouted at me in unison.
“Dude, where’s your brother?” Matt looked up from the kitchen table where they were playing some sort of drinking game that involved cards.
“Probably with his girlfriend,” I said with a shrug.
“It’s so fucking weird that Jack has a girlfriend. You know that, right?” he asked before downing a shot, his face contorting into a grimace as he gulped it down.
“It was at first,” I said, but it actually wasn’t weird at all anymore. What would be weird would be them not being together. I hated the idea.
“Come play with us,” Ryan insisted as he stared at the cards in his hands.
I moved to a small space at the table as Matt’s girlfriend, Jamie, brought me an extra chair. “Thanks,” I said before she wandered back into the kitchen area.
The guys taught me the basics of the drinking game, mostly telling me that I needed to play to really learn it. I was half terrified I’d be a drunken mess by the time I got the hang of it. As they dealt the next hand, I glanced at my phone and wondered where the hell my brother was.
“President!” Cole slurred from across the table as he slammed down a card.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I pretended to play along. I wasn’t sure how much time passed before the front door opened and Jack finally walked through it.
“Carter! What’s up, buddy! Hey, Cass,” Matt yelled, his eyes trained on the game.
“Hey, Jack. Hey, Cassie,” Ryan said without looking up from his hand.
“Finally! Where have you two been?” I asked, wondering what had taken them so long.
“Not sure I’ll ever get used to you holding some girl’s hand,” Brett added, his gaze locked on their joined hands.
“Get used to it, BT, she’s not just some girl.” Jack planted a kiss on Cassie’s cheek, and we collectively groaned at them to get a room, and tossed other good-natured insults their way.
Jack asked to be dealt in and the banter continued, the usual guys being guys and teammates giving each other shit because they could. He was lucky to get along with his teammates. I knew quite a few guys who had left the state to play ball and couldn’t stand half of their team. Jack never had that problem. Ever since freshman year, his teammates had welcomed him, and now they were some of his closest friends.
We played a few more hands, and every time I had to drink, I barely sipped my shot. No one else noticed, thank God, otherwise I’d have been too plastered to walk anywhere later, let alone make sure Cassie stayed safe. I had no idea how half these guys still had their eyes open.
When it was time for him to leave, Jack stood up from the table and headed for Cass. What followed was a ridiculous display of affection, including things I wished I could un-see and un-hear.
Once they’d said good-bye, Jack headed for the front door but stopped to address the group. “Make sure she doesn’t walk alone to the game.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” Cassie said, echoing what I’d said earlier.
Jack frowned and shot a look my way. “Dean?”
“I got her, J. I promise we’ll all go together. She won’t be alone.” I smiled at him and Cassie, hoping to ease his worries.
“See you guys at the game.”
When Jack closed the door behind him, we all turned toward Cassie like vultures.
“What? Don’t look at me, I’m not the crazy one!” she yelled.
“Just so you know, I’ve never seen him act this way about anyone other than Gran,” I told her, hoping she knew that he was just looking out for her. Jack was protective of those he loved and wanted to make sure she stayed safe.
• • •
We wrapped up our drinking game a little while later and left for the softball game. Cassie had her camera with her, something I hadn’t noticed earlier when she first came in.
“Are you taking pictures of Jack tonight?”
“I plan on it,” she said with a smile.
“Cool.”
Matt and Jamie held hands as the seven of us walked in a group toward the far end of campus where the softball field was located. Even though I had no idea what Jack was so concerned about, I wanted to keep my word, so I walked close to Cassie or kept her in view at all times. But then Brett started messing around with me, tapping my shoulder as he ran by, trying to get me to chase him, which I did.
When I realized that Cassie wasn’t next to me anymore, I stopped and turned to see her squatting and removing her lens cap. She waved me ahead, signaling t
hat she wanted to shoot pictures of us, so I rejoined the group and let her go to work. I knew she’d yell at me if I tried to stop her. Photography was as important to her as baseball was to Jack.
Figuring I’d give her something to shoot, I knocked Brett’s hat off his head and he chased me, trying to punch me in the arm as I ducked and weaved around everyone else to avoid his fist. I glanced back to make sure Cassie was getting all of this when I noticed a man standing way too close to her. Cassie’s eyes were huge and she was frozen in place, clutching her camera to her chest.
Shit.
I was too far away to hear what was being said so I walked toward her, wondering what the hell was going on, when I saw her head snap to one side and her hair whip around.
Stunned, I halted in my tracks, unable to believe what I’d just seen.
“That guy just hit Cassie! Hey!” I shouted at Jack’s teammates and started running, not knowing who else was following me, but hoping they all were.
Rushing toward Cassie, I watched helplessly from a distance as the stranger struck her again and she stumbled, knocked off-balance from the force of the punch. My mind spun, not able to comprehend exactly what the hell was happening, but one thing was certain. Jack was going to kill me for letting Cassie get hurt. And I was going to kill this guy for hurting her.
I started sprinting at full speed when the man tore away from her and gunned for me. I came to an abrupt stop, expecting the two of us to collide, but he stopped as well, dangerously close to me. I looked past his shoulder to see Cassie holding her cheek, and furious, I shoved him, wanting to get to her.
“You wanna die?” He was holding something in one hand as he pointed to his hip with the other, which was covered by an oversized shirt. A bulge underneath it looked like it could have been a pistol.
It only took a second of my taking my eyes off him for him to catch me completely off guard. The sound of glass breaking followed by excruciating pain in my head took my breath away. My head snapped back as beer spilled into my eyes, blurring my vision, and my knees buckled. I tried to scream for Cassie to run, but I couldn’t formulate the words as the rest of the world went black.
