THANK YOU 7 page

“Pretty much.”

“And you just have to go wherever they tell you to?”

“If I want to play ball, I do,” I responded with a playful grin, hoping to lighten the darkening mood.

Gran’s concerned gaze swung between Cassie’s face and mine. “What will you two do when he leaves?”

“Well, we haven’t really talked about it yet, Gran.” I ran my fingers nervously through my hair. Cassie placed her hand under the table on my thigh and I quickly reached for it, grateful for her touch.

“Long distance relationships suck,” Dean commented darkly.

“What the hell do you know about ’em?” I snapped at Dean, suddenly overwhelmed with the reality of the situation with Cassie and me.

“I’ve just heard they suck. And they never last.” He clamped his jaw shut, a little too late for my liking.

“That’s enough, Dean!” Gran swatted him with her napkin. “Long distance relationships can work just as well as any other kind. Sometimes they’re even better.”

“How so?” Cassie asked, our minds clearly on the same page.

“For starters, your relationship becomes less about the physical aspect, obviously,” she said with a laugh, “and more about the things that truly matter in the long run. When you can’t see each other for months at a time, the building blocks of your relationship either flourish or flounder. No relationship can survive without trust, honesty, and communication, no matter how close you are.”

She stopped for a moment, looking at both Cassie and me before continuing. “Long distance means countless hours talking on the phone. And I mean, really talking. Because it’s all you have when you can’t simply get in your car and drive to the other person’s house. You get to really know each other. The bonds you form during that time apart can be as solid as steel beams.”

I found myself completely focused on Gran’s words. “She’s right,” Gramps added with a twinkle in his eyes. “When you only have the telephone or letters, it changes things. All the emotions and feelings are still there, but they’re amplified in a way that’s tough to explain. That’s why the communication part is so important.”

Gran glanced over at him with a dimpled smile. “Because it’s easy to misinterpret things or jump to the wrong conclusion when the person you love is far away. The only way to fix it is to talk about it. So you end up talking…a lot.”

“When were you two apart?” I asked, finally realizing they were both speaking from experience.

“During the war. But I wrote him every day,” Gran said matter-of-factly.

“And I wrote every chance I had.” Gramps grinned. “Called, too.”

“That he did.” They exchanged a loving glance and I squeezed Cassie’s hand.

“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, her hand still holding mine.

“We’ll get the dishes, Gran. Go lie down,” I suggested with a hearty smile.

“Thank you, Jack. We’ll just be in the other room,” she said before slowly making her way into the living room.

“You two are gonna stay together, right?” Dean asked with a wince.

I turned to look at Cassie, whose eyes were piercing into mine. “She’ll probably be sick of me by then.” I couldn’t help but tease Cassie in a weak attempt to hide my fears.

“Most likely,” she kidded back.

At least, I hoped she was kidding.

“You guys seriously haven’t talked about any of this?” Dean questioned in disbelief, leaning back against his chair.

“Not yet.” I tried to be cool, ignoring the irritation rising in my body.

“Dude, June isn’t that far away. And you’ll leave right after the draft. You two are hopeless.”

I rammed my foot into Dean’s shin with force, my temper flaring. “Why don’t you shut the fuck hell up, Dean, and worry about your own love life. Or lack thereof.”

Dean’s chair slid 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.”

I stood up from my chair, my breath increasing with each second that passed. “You’re being a real asshole, Dean, you know that?” I seethed, my jaw working as I ground my teeth, trying to control my anger.

Cassie’s hand gripped the bottom of my shirt, pulling it tightly toward her. “Jack! Sit! Down!”

I looked at her face, all pinched with fear, and fell back into my chair, my breathing ragged. After thinking a moment, I shot to my feet again and grabbed her arm. “Let’s go.”

“What? No. We haven’t even done the dishes and…”

“We’re leaving. I’ll do the dishes when I get back,” I demanded, leaving her no choice.

“Night, Dean,” she said grudgingly, two steps behind me.

“Night, Cass. Sorry.”

I stormed into the living room before leaning in to plant a kiss on Gran’s soft cheek. “I’m gonna take Cass home. I’ll be back in a bit and will handle the dishes then. Okay? Thanks for dinner, Gran. It was delicious.”

“Did something happen, dear? What happened?” Gran’s voice echoed her concern.

“Ask your other grandson.” I smiled at her unapologetically, before giving Gramps a hug, inhaling the scent of tobacco lingering on his clothes.

“It was really nice meeting you both. Thank you so much for dinner. It was fantastic.” Cassie smiled softly before leaning in to hug Gramps and then Gran.

“Nice to meet you too, young lady. Good luck with that internship!” Gramps remembered with an enthusiastic smile.

“You’re welcome any time, even after he leaves,” Gran told Cassie, her eyes tired but kind.

“That’s very sweet of you. Thank you so much. I’ll see you both soon.”

I practically dragged Cassie out of the house by her hand before she ripped it from my grip once we were out the door. “Jesus, Jack, enough! Stop pulling me like I’m a fucking dog or something. I don’t even know what you’re so pissed off about!”

I came to a sudden stop on the walkway as guilt immediately mixed with my anger. “Did I hurt you?” I asked, my insides battling.

She cocked her head to one side, assessing me. “No. But don’t do that again. I don’t like it.”

I reached for her hand, but she tucked it behind her back. “I deserve that,” I said with a nod before walking toward my car ahead of her. I opened her door, but didn’t stay to help her up. If she wasn’t going to let me touch her hand, she sure as shit wasn’t going to let me grab her ass.

Once inside, I pulled open the old ashtray, the sound of jingling change filling the air as I dug around for the proper amount. I glanced at Cassie, knowing that she was pissed causing an aching in my chest I couldn’t stand. “Forgive me,” I said, before tossing two quarters into her lap.

She glanced down, the corners of her mouth turning up in a hesitant smile as she shook her head. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t.” Relief spread through me as soon as I realized that it would be okay. We’d be okay.

She narrowed her eyes, releasing a long breath. “Just take me home, Jack. That’s what you ripped me from your house to do, so just do it already.”

My stomach twisted as her tone chased away every ounce of relief I’d just felt. I started the car and we drove in silence the entire way to her apartment, except for the music I chose. As soon as I put the car in park, she hopped out.

“Come on, Kitten. Wait!” I shouted at her retreating back, but she continued walking. “Cassie!”

I realized she had no intention of stopping, so I followed slowly behind her, my mind racing. When I reached her front door, I noticed that it wasn’t closed all the way and my heart literally let out a thankful beat.

“Cass?” I peered around the door into the empty living room. I noticed the light on in her bedroom, so I headed that direction.

I walked in and found her looking in the bathroom mirror as she scrubbed the makeup from her face. She turned to me and sighed before looking back at her reflection. I sat on the edge of her bed, suddenly feeling like the biggest asshole on earth. The problem was, I wasn’t sure what the hell she was even so mad about, but I was certain it was my fault.

I watched as she gathered her long hair into a ponytail, revealing that gorgeous neck she usually hid underneath. I knew I was in trouble with her, but suddenly all I could think about was kissing that neck. I stood up and started to walk toward her, my other head clearly in charge of my actions.

“Don’t,” she snapped and I stopped. No fighting back, no response, no arguing. I simply turned my ass right around and sat back on her bed. If I had a tail, it would sure as shit have been tucked between my legs.

I was one hundred percent not in control of this situation. This girl fucking owned me right now. I sat on that bed waiting for her to give me the time of day. I didn’t necessarily like this feeling, but I suffered through it…for her. I convinced myself that I’d probably suffer through pretty much anything for this girl.

The water turned off and she walked toward me, avoiding my eyes before sitting down as far away from me as possible. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Her angry tone caught me off guard.

I shrugged my shoulders. “What did I do?”

“You’re kidding, right?” She let out an irritated laugh. I stared at her as she threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. “You flipped out at your grandparents’ house. I thought you were going to hit your own brother!”

“He pissed me off!” I attempted to defend my actions. “I didn’t like the things he was saying about us. I don’t want to hear that shit when it comes to me and you.”

She released a loud breath, her shoulders slouching. “Jack, you can’t get pissed every time someone says something unflattering about us.”

“Yes, I can,” I responded seriously, and she laughed.

“Okay, you cannnn,” she dragged out the word before continuing, “but you shouldn’t. Plus, it’s not like Dean was really wrong.”

“What are you saying?”

“Just that we don’t really have the best track record when it comes to trust and communication, is all. We clearly have some stuff to work on.” She smiled as she scooted next to me.

I threw my arm around her waist and pulled her into me before kissing her on the head. “So we’re not perfect.”

“Not even close.” She laughed and her eyes danced. “But, Jack?”

“Yeah?” I leaned away from her so I could see her face as she spoke.

“Will you please keep me in the loop when it comes to your baseball stuff? I don’t want to be the last to know what’s going on with you.” She spoke softly and I could see the hurt in her eyes.

“You’ll never be the last to know again. I promise.” I caressed her hip with my thumb, the feeling that I’d let her down surging through my body.

“So you’ll really be gone soon?” she asked, her tone of voice breaking my fucking heart.

I nodded. “But I’ll be back in a few months. The season ends in September, so I come home as soon as it’s over.”

Her eyes lit up as the worry lines on her forehead subsided. “Really? So it’s not like you move away forever?”

The heaviness in my chest lifted. “Is that what you thought? That I got drafted and never came back?”

“Pretty much. I don’t know how it works.”

“I just go for the rest of the baseball season and then I come home. They’ve already been playing games since April,” I told her, wanting to alleviate her fears.

“And then what? I mean, you go back again, right?”

I smiled half-heartedly. “I go back in February.”

She started counting the months between when I come back and when I leave again on her fingers as I braced for her response. “That’s not terrible.” She smiled and dropped her hands.

“Totally doable, right?” I asked with confidence, but my insides were doing somersaults.

“I’m not ready to give up on you quite yet. I’ll try anything with you once.” She winked at me before seeing the big grin on my face, then began backtracking. “Well…almost anything.” Her cheeks turned rose-colored.

I tilted her face toward mine, lifting her chin with my fingers. “I love you.” Her eyes focused on my mouth before closing as I pulled her to me. She tasted like the mint of her toothpaste and her lips were soft as I parted them. The touch of her tongue against mine woke up parts of my body I had no real control over. I tangled my fingers in her hair, pulling her even closer to me.

She let out a low sound and all I could think about was ripping that little white dress off her body. I leaned her against the mattress and positioned myself on top of her. The way her hair spilled out all around drove me crazy. There was something so sexy about seeing it splayed across her pillow as she lay beneath me. “You’re so beautiful,” I reminded her as I leaned down to kiss her again, pushing the lower half of my body against hers.

I waited for the signal that she was willing to go farther before I attempted anything. Her hips lifted from the bed to meet mine as she pressed herself into me. My hand reached down to her leg before sliding up along her bare skin, bringing her dress with it. I pulled the fabric up to her hip as she wiggled, sensing no rejection to my actions.

I ran my thumb along the elastic of her thong, sliding underneath it. The feel of her skin made me ravenous. I couldn’t get enough; all my thoughts consumed in what it felt like to be inside her. “I want you,” I admitted, my breath faltering.

She opened her eyes to mine, her mouth opening slightly as her hands reached for the button on my shorts. Her fingers brushed against me as she fumbled, causing a groan to escape from my lips. My willpower fading, I reached down to help her remove the fabric that remained between us.

I flung off my shorts and boxers as she pulled at me, her fingers digging into my exposed skin. I sat up, my breathing erratic as I tossed my shirt onto the floor. Her gorgeous body, half naked with her white dress bunched up toward her breasts, took my breath away, and I peeled the dress from her effortlessly. Then I reached lower and pulled her underwear all the way down to her feet, where she kicked them off.

The curves of her body called out to me, and I slid my mouth over them, my tongue tasting the salt on her skin. Her breathing was quick and heavy as her fingers slid along the muscles in my back. Every sound that escaped her lips simply made me want her more. “Jack.” Her voice was shaky. “I want you.”

Her words lit a fire inside me that was hard to contain. I wanted to please her…satisfy her…ruin her for all other guys out there. I wanted this moment right here to be the best part of her day.

Her hands gripped my body as I slid into her. She let out a sigh and I almost lost it right then. I bit down on my bottom lip as I rocked in and out of her, trying to focus on anything other than how amazing she felt.

Her eyes opened and closed as my thrusting continued. No matter how many girls I’d slept with at Fullton, none had ever come close to feeling like this. Nothing had ever felt like this. Not even baseball. “I’ll never get over how incredible you feel,” I admitted without shame.

She looked into me. “You too. Don’t stop, Jack.” She panted the words and I crushed her lips against mine. My hips moved with hers, my shoulders burning from the weight of my body, but refusing to falter. She moaned and shuddered as she sucked in a deep breath, her eyes flying open in wonder as her body trembled in spasms. My pace quickened; I knew wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

Her head thrust back and I kissed along her neck, before finding the sweet taste of her lips. My mouth covered hers, my tongue exploring while I continued working in and out of her. “Cass,” I said as my lips pressed against hers. She sighed as her teeth grazed against my ear. I groaned without control and released myself into her.

I gently pulled out of her before falling onto my back, my breathing loud and uneven. She turned to lay her head on my chest and I wrapped my arm across her bare, damp back.

“I love you, Jack.” Her breath whispered against my skin as I kissed the top of her head.

“Just don’t forget that when I’m gone for three months this summer.”

“I’m not the one who’s slept with half the school.” She laughed, softening the barb a little.

“That doesn’t mean half the school won’t try to sleep with you the second I’m out of the picture,” I informed her, my tone serious.

I’ve seen the way other guys look at her. I’m not the first guy at Fullton to notice Cassie. I’m just the one who actually got her.

“You’re insane.” She looked over at me, disbelief written all over her face.

“Let’s hope every guy on campus has the same opinion of me.”

“I’m pretty sure they do. It’s not like you’re known for your sweet disposition.”

“Good.” I smiled as contentment welled within me.

ELEVEN

CASSIE

Things with Jack and me were in a good place after all the chaos at Gran and Gramps’ house. We spent every spare moment together, which didn’t seem like much these days. With the baseball draft nearing, Jack focused more than ever on all things baseball. And I had been working on putting together a portfolio for the internship.

“Hey.” Melissa leaned against the wall in our kitchen, clearly wanting to talk. “I was thinking about heading home. Did you want to come with?”

I thought for about two seconds before answering, “No way. The guys don’t have games this weekend, just practice.”

She smiled. “Then I’m definitely leaving.”

I laughed, tossing my hair from my shoulder. “Alone time with Jack…whatever will we do?” I placed one finger in front of my puckered lips before tapping.

“I seriously don’t want to know.” She rolled her eyes and turned to open the fridge.

“Yeah, you do,” I teased, raising my eyebrows.

Her lips turned up in a half smirk. “Sorta. But please don’t share.” She shook her head as if trying to shake way a disturbing image. “What did I hear about Jack and the softball team?”

“Oh.” I shrugged. “Since the guys don’t have a game, they asked Jack to throw out the first pitch tonight.”

“Seriously?” Her head cocked to one side.

“Apparently it’s good publicity. I don’t know. Whatever, it’s not like he has a choice. He can’t really say no to another team at the school, you know?”

“That’s still sort of weird.”

“I think so too, but whatever. I’ll be there.”

“You’re so supportive,” she teased, cupping her hands together.

“Oh, I do try,” I said with a fake Southern accent as I fanned my hand in front of my face.

She laughed. “I’ll see you when I get back. Want me to check on your car?”

“Oh, yeah. Can you make sure it’s still sitting in my driveway collecting dust?” I giggled at the absurdity of the situation.

“You don’t need it,” my mother had told me during one of our many arguments. “It just gives you a way to leave school when you should be studying or doing homework.” I had tried to tell her that maybe I’d need to leave school for a photography project, but then she’d just insist that I take Melissa’s car. No matter how many times I tried to tell her that she made no sense, she refused to budge. So there my car sits. At home. Waiting for me. And the truth is, I’m not sure I ever want to go back for it.

“Don’t have too much fun with Jack this weekend. Call you later, ’K?” Melissa gave me a squeeze before grabbing her things.

“’K. Drive safe. Tell your parents I said hi and I miss them.” I smiled and waved as she walked out our front door, almost crashing into Jack.

“Have a good weekend, Jack.” Melissa winked and he turned to me, his eyebrows raised.

“Uh, you too, Melis,” he responded with a half grin before closing the door. “What was that about?”

“She’s leaving for the weekend.” I tried not to blush but felt the heat rising to my cheeks.

He dropped onto the couch next to me. “The whole weekend?”

“The whole weekend,” I said, dragging out the words for effect.

“Sweet. Listen, before I get distracted, Matt wants us to come over before the softball game and hang out at his place. I told him I’d check with you first.” Jack rested his head against the pillow on my couch, his hat flopping to one side.

“Fine with me. Who’s gonna be there?” I asked absentmindedly, tossing the hat aside and running my fingers through his soft, dark hair.

“A few of the guys from the team. Dean and probably Jamie. I don’t really know.”

“I like her,” I admitted with a smile. “She’s funny.”

“She is funny. And she’s good for Matt,” Jack added, alluding to things I knew nothing about and frankly wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“Everyone’s going to the game, right?” I asked, changing the subject.

He pushed himself up with one arm until he sat facing me. “Why won’t you just come with me when I go?” He slid his thumb down my cheek.

“Because you have to be there an hour before the game starts. For what, I have no idea, but I’m not going that early.” I pouted, eyeing him with my best puppy dog impression.

He put his hand behind my neck and pulled me to him, his mouth meeting mine halfway as the overgrown scruff on his face scratched at my bare cheeks. “Seriously, when are you going to shave?”

His lips pulled up into a slight smile. “You know I can’t shave until we lose, Kitten. And we’re not losing, so probably not ever.”

I rolled my eyes. “You guys and your superstitions.”

“You love it,” he whispered into my ear before sucking at my lobe softly with his mouth, causing my senses to disappear.

“Yep, sure do,” was my only response as he continued working down my neck.

He gently pushed me onto my back and leaned on top of me, his dark brown eyes boring into mine. “You are so beautiful. You know that?”

I let out a small breath before pulling his head down and arching toward his lips. His tongue pushed its way into my mouth with intensity. I ran my hands down his back and slipped my fingers into the waistband of his shorts before lifting his shirt up in succession with my own.

A slight sound escaped my lips at the feeling of his bare skin hot against mine. Chills coursed through me, appearing up and down my legs and arms. His breath was warm on my neck, small kisses being delivered around my ears and cheeks until meeting my mouth once more.

“Cassie.” He mumbled my name, his breath ragged.

Without a word, I slipped out from under him and stretched out my hand. He laced his fingers with mine and I led him away from the living room and into my bedroom, where I closed the door behind us.

*****

Jack opened Matt’s front door without knocking and led me inside. I watched as five baseball players with hairy faces turned their heads in our direction and smiles instantly appeared on all their faces.

“Carter! What’s up, buddy! Hey, Cass,” Matt yelled from the round table where they were playing a drinking and card game.

“Hey, Jack. Hey, Cassie.” Ryan greeted us without looking up from his hand, his forehead creased in concentration.

Dean picked up his cell phone, checking the time. “Finally! Where have you two been?”

“Not sure I’ll ever get used to you holding some girl’s hand,” Brett added, his blue eyes locked pointedly on our intertwined fingers.

“Get used to it, BT, she’s not just some girl.” Jack planted a kiss on the side of my face and gently squeezed my fingers.

“I like that you’ve finally found someone, Jack. And I especially like that she isn’t some stupid skank.” Matt’s girlfriend Jamie walked out from the kitchen with a smirk.

I laughed. “Love you too, Jame!”

“You have to admit my worry was valid!” She pursed her lips together, her brown ponytail bouncing. “Now get in here and help me,” she called out, after disappearing back behind the wall.

I looked at Jack and smiled as I untangled my hand from his. He smacked me on the backside when I walked away.

“I love that girl,” he said to his teammates before sitting at the table. “Deal me in.”

I entered the kitchen before giving Jamie a quick squeeze as I glanced back at the group of guys. “Their facial hair is killing me. They look freaking horrible.”

“Please don’t remind me. I try to pretend it’s all a bad dream,” Jamie said, rubbing her palm against her cheek.

“Ahem, ladies.” Matt pretended to clear his throat. “We can hear you, ya know!”

“Like we care!” Jamie said with a huff.

“Hey! Don’t curse our winning streak!” Cole answered back before slapping his hand over his mouth.

“Jesus, Cole, who raised you? The first rule about the winning streak is you don’t talk about the winning streak!” Ryan punched him in the shoulder.

“You guys are just lucky we keep kissing you,” Jamie said, attempting to steer the attention from poor Cole.

“I second that,” Jack belted out, his eyes meeting mine briefly before settling back on his cards.

“Pussy,” Brett teased, his eyes focused on the deck of cards in his hand.

“I’ll knock you into the middle of next week if you don’t shut up, BT,” Jack threatened, his jaw rigid.

“He’s just jealous ’cause no girls want to go anywhere near him,” Cole teased as he removed his baseball hat and tossed it on the floor.

“I can’t keep the girls off me. It’s you no one wants,” Brett chipped back.

The card game continued until Jack checked the clock on the wall and rose from the table. He slammed back a shot of tequila before speaking. “Kitten, I gotta go. Get out here and give me some loving.”

I eyeballed Jamie. “Seriously? Do you hear this guy?” I said with a nod in Jack’s direction.

Jamie laughed and gave me a hearty shove. “Get out there.”

“You come to me,” I insisted, staring him down.

All eyes were on us, entertained by our stubborn battle.

“Gladly,” Jack responded and walked hastily toward me. He lifted me up in the air and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

“Keep it in your pants, pal,” I whispered into his ear before nibbling on his neck.

“You better stop or I’ll throw you on the floor and have my way with you.” He yanked my hair back, forcing my head away from his before ravaging my mouth.

“Get a room,” Brett shouted.

“We’ll just take yours,” Jack mumbled between kisses.

“Go or you’ll be late.” I unwrapped my legs and hopped down.

Jack looked at me one last time before turning to his teammates. “Make sure she doesn’t walk alone to the game.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.” I frowned at him, rolling my eyes.

“Dean?” he said sternly.

“I got her, J. I promise we’ll all go together. She won’t be alone.” Dean smiled at me and then looked reassuringly at his brother.

“See you guys at the game.” Jack closed the door and all eyes fell on me.

“What? Don’t look at me, I’m not the crazy one!” I yelled, shaking my head.

“Just so you know, I’ve never seen him act this way about anyone other than Gran,” Dean said, without looking up from his cards.

I tried not to smile, but failed miserably.

Forty minutes later, the group of us headed toward the far end of campus. The guys were playful as they walked, bumping into one another and knocking each other’s hats off. I stopped walking to fall slightly behind when Dean turned around, noticing my absence. I waved him ahead, pulling out my camera and removing the lens cap. When he saw my intention, he rejoined the group with a big smile.

I knelt on the sidewalk, framing the group of guys in the viewfinder, smiling to myself at how happy they all looked. Click. Another shot of Dean’s hand smacking Brett’s hat off. Click. Jamie and Matt holding hands from the back was too much for me to resist. Click.

“That’s a nice camera.” A harsh voice startled me and the camera fell from my eye.

I looked up to see a large, beefy silhouette towering above me, his face shadowed by the setting sun. “Give it to me,” he insisted, before taking a swig of something hidden inside a brown paper bag.

I stood up instantly, glancing past the man’s shoulder for Dean. I was too shocked to shout. Too nervous to run. You know how you think that if you’re ever in a bad situation, you’ll be all tough, like in the movies? That’s bullshit. You’ll freeze, just like I did. All I could do was silently will Dean to look back at me. I prayed he’d notice I still hadn’t caught up.

“I said give it to me, bitch!” the man shouted before introducing the back of his hand to the side of my cheek.

His knuckles hit me with such brute force that my head flew to one side, my hair flying out all around me. I whipped my head back to face him in shock, strands of hair sticking to my eyelashes and lips.

Did he just hit me?

“That guy just hit Cassie! Hey!” I heard Dean shouting and the sound of feet heading in my direction.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 529