Going, Going, Goner (Double Play Series Book 2)

by Nicole Rodrigues

  He laughs and takes the ball out of my glove, effectively taking my declaration.

  “I won't ever forget you Jackson.”

  He jogs a couple of feet away from me and turns to throw me the ball. The trust in his eyes guts me and I want to just take him with me today and prove to him that his trust isn't misplaced. I want to make him believe that someday, all of this shit will make him into a better man.

  As if I couldn't get Savannah out of my head as it is, her warmth and positivity after all the shit she's had to deal with is my undoing. Wanting to have a biological baby, even without a partner to help is courageous, but wanting to adopt a little boy, a little boy that has no blood ties to you at all? A little boy that I’m sure will have issues to work through, demons to overcome, a little boy without a clean slate in life, that’s the true strength. It takes a fearless woman to take on what she plans to take on. I'm fucking falling in love with Savannah Gavinwood, and I want to give this little guy a home, a home I never got, a home he deserves.

  Chapter 15

  Savannah

  I walk into the room and sit down at the conference desk right next to Andrew. I already threw up this morning, but I feel nauseous again. I'm a ball of nerves and anger and right now, both emotions are fighting for control of my body. I smooth a hand down my sleek black dress to try and wipe some of the sweat off.

  “You're fine, Savannah. Take a breath, okay? We have to put up a strong united front.”

  “I know, I'm sorry. I feel so sick, I'm so nervous and so pissed and..ah dammit.”

  Andrew squeezes my shoulder as Hugh and his lawyer step inside the room. I see Hugh's cocky smirk, the smirk I used to think was sexy but now, I just want to slap it clean off his face. I grit my teeth and bite my lip, so I don't say something I will regret.

  “Hi beautiful,” Hugh says, leaning over the table quickly, before sitting across from me.

  I glare at him and hold his gaze. Smug bastard. I examine his suit and notice how crisp and put together he looks. Brioni huh? You're welcome, asshole.

  “So, I called this meeting today because we want to negotiate terms,” Andrew says, snapping me out of my thoughts, on how to murder Hugh and get away with it.

  “We’re listening,” Hugh's lawyer says.

  I look over to Hugh and his arms are crossed over his chest and he is smiling.

  “Well, we both know that Ms. Gavinwood did not commit adulterous behavior at any point in their marriage,” Andrew starts to say.

  “Is that what she told you?” Hugh says, smirking again.

  “They are the facts, Mr. Millers. The photos you so graciously provided for us, are in fact you and Ms. Gavinwood during your marriage. Unless you have further proof, then there really are no prenup clauses that were broken during your marriage,” Andrew says.

  Hugh smiles and I feel the bile rising up in my throat again.

  “How about Jackson Turner?” Hugh asks.

  My face pales and I feel my blood run cold. He doesn't, he wouldn't...his smile broadens at my reaction. That motherfucker.

  “What if I have physical proof that Ms. Gavinwood here has had an affair with Mr. Turner?”

  “I only started a relationship with Jackson a few months ago,” I say, through gritted teeth.

  “Pictures don't lie, sweetie,” he says, nodding to his lawyer.

  A manila envelope is passed over in our direction and I take it before Andrew can. I’m getting sick and tired of these fucking manila envelopes. I open the envelope and look inside and with every fiber of my control I stifle a gasp. The club. At least 10 pictures of Jackson and I at the club. His hands all over my body, under my dress, kissing my neck, my hands on his belt, running up the front of his pants.

  “This was taken a couple of months ago. This wasn't durin’ our marriage!” I snap, slamming the pictures down on the desk.

  “Who's to say? It's your word against mine, sweetheart,” Hugh says, smiling.

  “You're goin’ to fuckin’ hell, ” I say, my voice low and menacing.

  Hugh leans over the table closer to me and I will myself not to slap him across his face.

  “Can we have the room gentleman?” Hugh asks, standing from his chair.

  His lawyer nods his head and Andrew turns towards me.

  “He doesn't have the privilege to request that. I can stay,” he says to me.

  I shake my head.

  “I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute,” I respond, squaring my shoulders.

  You wanna talk dick, let's talk.

  Andrew and Hugh’s lawyer leave the room and Hugh starts to walk over to me.

  “So, Jackson, huh?”

  “It's none of your damn business, Hugh.”

  “Let me ask you somethin’,” he says, arching an eyebrow at me.

  I arch one back, willing him to continue.

  “Is Jackson takin care of my sloppy seconds? Because you know you can always come back to me honey. I miss bein’ able to come home to my infertile wife and bury myself inside her without a barrier. All these years of usin’ condoms isn't the same. I do miss you, Savannah. That sweet little body, mmm, you were always the best lay sweetheart, despite our differences.”

  I spin in my chair to face him, trying so hard to keep my cool. I feel it start to snap, fracture just the slightest and one small push and it will break completely.

  He leans against the table, one arm above each of my shoulders, caging me in.

  “You always made me a very happy man.”

  He reaches down and cups his crotch and I push on his chest to back him away. I stand quickly from the chair and push him further.

  “You're disgustin’. You ain't gettin’ a god damn dime from me. All those years I gave everything to you!”

  “Not everything. Still waiting on that son, or daughter. Oh wait...I guess I'll be waitin’ a long time for that, huh?”

  I stalk toward him and push into his chest again.

  “We could have done treatments, the operation, adoption, there were so many things we could have done, Hugh. You're the one that gave up! Why should you benefit from any of this?” I yell.

  “Oh sweetie,” he says pouting his lips. “I never gave up, I didn't even start. Didn't you just hear what I said? It was never about love, Savannah. I got my payday and hot wife to warm my bed whenever I wanted it. It was more of a prison sentence, with a few perks.”

  “What?” I ask dumbfounded.

  I step back as if I've been slapped.

  “You were so damn smart in school. Gettin’ that grant and starting that company. I was plowin’ through my daddy's money like it grew on trees. I knew I needed to hitch my wagon to someone and who better than quiet, little Savannah Gavinwood. You were so blinded by the fairytale, you didn't notice I was the bad wolf instead of Prince Charming. The dependent clause just happened to be dumb luck, but the rest…” he says, motioning with his hand at the manila envelope on the table. “I guess I just wasn't man enough for you,” he says, fake pouting and then smirking.

  “You sick fuckin’--”

  I lunge forward, and he points at the corner of the ceiling. I see a camera blinking and reluctantly step back, shaking my head.

  “This ain't over. I worked my ass off to start Double Play and you won't get a damn penny. I have already started from the beginnin’ once because of you!” I say loudly.

  “It would be a shame if word got out that you knew you were unable to have children and then kept that information from me in order to marry into the Millers family. I wonder what that would do to Double Play then? Or your plans to adopt that little shit?” he says, putting his hand on his chin, feigning a thinking posture.

  “Don’t fuckin’ talk about him,” I seethe.

  “How's that workin’ out for you Savvy? Plan on hitchin’ your wagon to the big “Goner Turner” so they finally hand you over the little brat? When are you gonna give up on that? You’ll never be a mother.”

  I ball my fists and hold onto my composur
e. He wants to get a rise out of you, Savannah. Keep it cool. I grab the Manila envelope and walk towards the door.

  “Make the right decision, Savannah.”

  “Oh, don’t you worry asshole, I sure as shit am.”

  I open the door and slam it shut behind me.

  “What happened?” Andrew asks, keeping stride with me.

  “I married the devil, that's what happened. I'm goin’ into the office, away from all this to think. Let me know if you come up with a plan. Over my dead body will that dick get a single penny of my money.”

  I walk into our building a half hour later and straight to my office, slamming the door behind me. A picture frame gets knocked off the wall and I pick up my stapler and haul it across the room.

  I sit down at my desk, slamming my head down, letting the tears fall. Our whole relationship, our whole marriage was a lie. How could I have been so blind? All of that time, everything I gave to him and he was sitting there, laughing at me, praying that I didn't get pregnant, just waiting for his payday. The betrayal doesn’t hurt, looking back now, I know I never loved Hugh. I didn’t even feel a sliver of the way I feel with Jackson. No, what hurts is the time. All the time I wasted on him, how foolish I was. That’s what bothers me.

  I hear a small knock on my door and I tell whoever is on the other side, to come in.

  Lacey pokes her head inside and I wipe my tears away, quickly, righting my glasses.

  “Hey Lace. You're in early today.”

  “I uh..I had a half a day today. Teachers conferences or somethin’,” she says eyeing me cautiously, stepping further into the room.

  “Oh, great okay,” I say, getting to my feet.

  “These came for you,” she says, bringing a bouquet of flowers to my desk. I immediately think they're from Jackson and smile but it falters when I read the card.

  Savannah,

  Thank you for taking a chance on me. The event was great, can't wait to work with you in the future.

  -Damon

  He's a really sweet kid when he pulls his egotistical head out of his ass. We went to the local hospital and set up a whole game station in the pediatric unit. He was surprisingly attentive and really great with the kids. I'm really starting to think I judged him too early on. Hopefully he continues to prove me wrong, maybe finds a nice girl to keep his ass in line.

  “Did um...did my dad do somethin’?” Lacey asks softly, breaking me out of my thoughts

  She looks over to the broken picture frame and stapler strewn across the floor and I wince.

  “No, he didn't.”

  I'm not being 100% honest with her. If I was, I would say that going into that meeting with Hugh this morning, I was more on edge than normal and it's because of the conversation with Jackson and then seeing him with Tucker this morning. Our talk about fertility treatments didn't go like I hoped it would, but I struggled seeing him with Tucker. That little boy has had my heart for the past two years and Hugh's words play in my head.

  It's unfair that I could provide a loving home for him but because there isn't a man around, they’re dragging their feet. It would be different if I was with Jackson, but he's hesitant about having his own baby, let alone adopting a five-year-old boy with plenty of issues of his own that he will need help working through. I know he has a soft spot for him in his heart because of how he grew up, but that’s asking a lot of a person, regardless.

  Lacey interrupts my thoughts.

  “Okay, because he's kinda been in a weird mood too the last couple of days and I just thought, maybe you were fightin’.”

  “We’re fine,” I say, giving her a smile. “Wanna work on Chavez's event? I have everything in the folder, just needs to get transferred to the program.”

  “Sure!” she says excitedly.

  I reach to the file cabinet, grabbing the file and hand it over to her. She takes it and walks slowly to her desk and then turns around.

  “I know that we're not family or anything, but you can talk to me, if you need to.”

  “You are family, Lace and...thank you.”

  She smiles and nods and sits down at her desk, typing furiously on her computer. I sit back in my chair and take a minute to pity my situation. Only a minute and then I lean forward and start my work.

  I don't realize that I worked through lunch until I hear a knock on my door and Lacey’s desk is empty. When did she sneak out? I look over at the time and have to blink again to make sure I’m reading it right.

  “Shit,” I whisper, “Come in.”

  I look up and see a sight that both excites and terrifies me.

  “Hi,” he says quietly, walking into my office and then shutting the door behind him.

  “Hi.”

  “I brought lunch. A little birdie told me that you were upset this mornin’ and didn't eat.”

  “Hmm she did, did she?” I ask smiling.

  “Could have been a he birdie,” Jackson shrugs, coming closer, putting the bag on my desk.

  “Thank you.”

  “Want to tell me what's botherin’ you? Are you upset that I went to see Tucker?”

  “No,” I say quietly, giving him a smile.

  “Then what is it?”

  “A little of this, a little of that.”

  “Is any of this or that have to do with me bein’ an insensitive jerk the other night about the fertility stuff?”

  “You weren't an insensitive jerk. It's a lot to take in. I've had years to decide this, you got it thrown at you in one night. I get it. It hurt a little, but I get it,” I say, letting out a breath.

  “I'm sorry Savannah. I really am. I shouldn't have acted like that, it was just...it surprised me, that's all.”

  “I know.”

  “I do wanna be honest with you, full transparency. I uh...I still need some time to think. Not a year or whatever but..just a little bit more time.”

  “Okay,” I say, giving him a sad smile.

  “So, what else is botherin’ you then, if it wasn't just that?”

  “I met with Hugh this mornin’ after seein’ Tucker.”

  “Well, that will definitely sour a mood. You should have told me, I would have gone with you.”

  “It's okay. You were with Tuck and he needs that.”

  “Well, what did he say?”

  “Well for starters, it probably would have been worse if you came. He has pictures of us at the club. He's gonna claim I cheated on him with you.”

  “That's bullshit,” he booms.

  “I know,” I say quietly.

  My anger has subsided and now I'm just tired. So damn tired. The weight of my body is almost too much for me to carry and I just want to lay in bed for the next week.

  “He also claimed he never loved me and the whole entire marriage was for the money.”

  “Fuck, Savannah” he says, moving towards me.

  “I just want this all to go away,” I say defeated.

  My adrenaline from the meeting has quickly subsided and the anger I held onto is slowly slipping away.

  “I know princess, I know. We'll figure it out.”

  I nod as he pulls me into a hug and I embrace his warmth, his comfort.

  “Wanna tell me more about Tucker? He kind of filled me in a little bit. You never told me, Savannah.”

  “He did, huh? Kind of figured he would.”

  “Well, why didn’t you? We talked about the treatments and that would have been a great time to tell me you were also tryin’ to adopt him. How’d all that come to be?”

  “I know, I’m sorry. I just...you didn’t seem too thrilled about the treatments I felt like throwin’ Tucker at ya too all in one night would make you run for the hills.”

  “I ain’t goin’ anywhere Savvy.”

  I nod and sit on the edge of my desk next to him.

  “I fell in absolute love with him two years ago at a camp. Started the foster process, but since I’m single, it’s been takin’ a lot longer than I had hoped. I’m only gettin’ older, so I went to
a new OBGYN to try and get other opinions about my condition. I wanna see if havin’ a baby on my own would be an option. I’m not givin’ up on Tucker, if they keep draggin’ their feet or eventually deny me, I’ll still visit that boy every damn day, but...I’m...I always wanted to be a mother. I’m tryin’ everything that I can.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me any of this Savvy?”