Playing Chase (Against The Wall) (13 page)

“Sweetheart, don’t worry about the games. Our wedding is more important than the World Series.”

I can’t believe he just said that with a straight face. “People get married all the time, Dean. The Dodgers and the Angels don’t just play in the World Series every year. Can you tell me how many times this has happened in the history of baseball?”

He closes his eyes and holds up his index finger with a sigh. “Once. This year.”

We’ve gone over this a million times. This is history we’re talking about. Our teams are making history and our wedding is happening right in the middle of it.

“Come on. The chances of them going seven games are slim to none. We’re not changing the date, Summer. Everything is already paid for, the invitations are already sent. If you want, we’ll collect everyone’s phones on the way in and lock the guests inside the ballroom until we leave for our honeymoon. That way no one will spill the beans before we see the game.” He reaches out to me, placing his hands on my arms and hauling me into his chest for a hug. He wraps his arms around me while mine are at my side as I pout.

“You would do that for me?” I ask.

“You have to know by now that I would do anything for you.” He kisses the top of my head. I know he would. I’ve never had any doubts with Dean. It’s been pure trust and love since the day I met him.

“Now,” he swats me on the ass, “are you ready to go home yet?”

I look around my classroom trying to decide if I’ve finished everything on my to-do list. “I think so.”

“Until the wedding is over, I’d suggest you cut back on all the assignments you have to grade. You’re going to drive yourself crazy with all this work.”

“I need to keep myself busy so I don’t go crazy with wedding details. Or the games.” I groan. “Thank god for Mel and Shelly or I’d really be in the loony bin about now.”

We both laugh, but a knock at my door has us cutting our conversation short.

“Hey,” Chase says as he steps into my classroom.

“Hey,” I say back. Dean doesn’t say anything. He shifts so his body is slightly in front of mine. He doesn’t make a big show of it, but it’s obvious enough.

“I was hoping you would both be here. I stopped by your class first, but you weren’t there.” He says to Dean. “I didn’t want to come by and talk to Summer without talking to you first.”

“What’s up, Chase?” I ask him. I can’t imagine for the life of me why he’d want to talk to me, or my fiancé. I’ve been as civil as I can be at work. I don’t know what else he could want.

“I came by because I need to apologize.”

“Chase, come on…” I start to cut him off, but Dean puts his hand out to stop me.

“Sweetheart, let him talk.”

Chase looks down for a moment, and takes a deep breath before raising his head to look at us again. “I didn’t come here to upset you, Summer. Either of you. It’s just something I needed to do. I’ve been thinking about the past a lot, and my past includes both of you. I’m not proud of what I did to either of you. I’m actually quite ashamed.” He pauses. “Dean, I know this is long overdue, but I’m sorry. I really am. You were a good friend to me and I betrayed that friendship.”

Dean stiffens. “You did more than betray my trust, Chase. You left me to deal with a pregnant girlfriend that I never even slept with.” It’s rare that Dean raises his voice, but it’s understandable considering the circumstances.

Chase shakes his head. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I never slept with Molly either. We did stuff. I’m not going to lie about that, but we never had sex. I didn’t get her pregnant.”

“This is crazy. Then who did?” Dean asks.

“I don’t know for sure. We only hooked up once. My dad made me go to his house for a visit, we got into a fight and I left. I went to a party and got wasted. Shel wasn’t there and neither were you, so one thing led to another, but it didn’t involve sex. I do know that a few football players were worried that either one of them could’ve been the father.”

“Holy shit!” I yell. “Who was this girl?”

Dean shakes his head. “I don’t know anymore.”

“Yeah, it was a surprise to me too. I didn’t find out until much later that she told you I was the one who knocked her up or I might have said something. By the time I found out, I just figured the damage was done. You were away at college and so was I. I didn’t see the point in bringing it up.”

Dean doesn’t say anything and neither do I.

“Anyway, I just wanted to apologize.”

Dean nods.

“And Summer,” he turns to me. “I don’t even know where to start.” He pauses again. “God, I was awful. First, I want to tell you that I’m so happy for you. You guys are so lucky to have each other. I’m glad you found each other and I wish you the best in your marriage.”

I smile, thinking about getting hitched to this hunk of a sexy man standing next to me.

“When we broke up, I was so messed up in the head I swear I could’ve been classified as insane. It had nothing to do with you, I had my own issues that I was dealing with and I took it all out on you, and Shelly too. Neither of you, or Dean or Matt, deserved the shit I put you through. Especially you. For the last year, I keep replaying in my mind how I held onto your arm. I know I hurt you and that will always be my biggest regret. I’m so, so damn sorry.”

I don’t know what to say. This is like a completely different Chase. He’s almost the guy I fell in love with years ago. Even better, maybe.

“That one night when I got drunk and couldn’t shut my mouth, you told me that I ruined everything I touched. That if I didn’t straighten my shit out and come to my senses, I was going to die a lonely man. Thank you for putting me in my place and saying those things. I think I’ve finally got my shit straight. I don’t want to die a lonely man. So that’s why I had to come to you guys, so that I could apologize and let you know that I won’t be giving you any trouble. I’m not that guy anymore. You both have moved on and are so happy. I just want to do the same thing.”

My eyes tear up a bit. Okay, a lot. He’s got me all choked up.

Dean is the first to make a move.

“Thanks, Chase. I really appreciate you coming to talk to us. I know it wasn’t easy.” He holds out his hand to him, and the tears fall from my eyes. “And just so you know, I didn’t seek out Summer because she was your ex-girlfriend. I really didn’t know. And I’m glad I didn’t. Or else I probably would’ve stayed away.”

“No worries, man.” Chase shakes Dean’s hand. “I know you well enough to know that’s something you wouldn’t do. I just wish I could’ve been like you and not caused the trouble I did. I can never say I’m sorry enough.”

“You just did. It’s over, Chase. It’s all good. I’m about to marry the woman of my dreams. All that shit is in the past. Let it stay there. Right, sweetheart?”

I look up at Dean with a smile and then over at Chase. “Dean’s right. I’m over it if you are.”

“I am,” he says.

I don’t know if I should but I can’t help myself. I go to Chase and I give him a hug. “I’m so proud of you,” I whisper in his ear tears streaming down my cheeks. “I knew you had it in you. Tiffany’s great. Be happy with her. It’s your turn.”

Shelly and Matt were gone by the time I reached their classrooms. No doubt Summer has warned them that I might coming their way. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I get a chance to talk to them.

Apologizing to Summer and Dean has lifted part of the weight off my shoulders. I still have a way to go, but knowing that Tiffany is here to support me, I know I can do it. She inspires me to be a better person. I told her that. And she said I inspire her to be a better teacher. That makes me feel good. It’s the one thing in my life that I’ve never screwed up.

Tiffany is going out with her friends tonight. She’s had these plans for months and wanted to cancel, but I talked her out of it. We’ve spent the whole week together so a few hours won’t kill us.

Waking up with her in my arms is like Christmas every morning. Getting ready for work with her is something else. She wakes up earlier than I ever have and eats a bowl of cereal in bed while she watches the news. I bury my head in a pillow until my alarm goes off giving me a half hour to get showered and dressed before I leave. It’s plenty of time for me. I can’t imagine waking as early as Tiff does. I’d be a zombie by noon.

Going home and having dinner with her every night has been just as amazing as waking up with her. We don’t have to spend as much time in our classroom after school. Instead, we chat at her place and build our lessons in front of the TV. In between quick kisses and hot sex.

I keep telling her I love her and she keeps telling me, “I know.” Deep down in my heart, I know she loves me too. I just don’t know why she hasn’t told me. Or what she’s waiting for?

While Tiffany is out with her friends, I decide to go home and do some laundry. I’m going back to her place tonight when she gets home. She told me to wait at her house, and as tempting as that is, I have to make sure my house is still standing. Who knows what my dad is doing to it?

The place is a frickin’ mess. Beer bottles litter the counter tops in the kitchen. Laundry is scattered throughout the living room. And take out bags have found their way to the sofa, coffee table, and floor.

“What the hell?” I say to no one. The house is empty. At least, I think it is. My dad could be underneath something in here.

A key jingles in the door and I now know for sure that he’s not dead or passed out under a pizza box.

“Hey,” he says. “It’s nice to have you home. Where you been?”

I don’t say anything. I just watch him dart around my place, changing his clothes and eating a piece of cold pizza while he’s in constant movement.

“I have some good news for you,” he says when he finally stands in one place long enough to start a conversation.

“What’s that?” He hired a maid? I could only hope.

“I’m moving out.”

Thank you! “When? Where to?”

“Tomorrow. I got a place about thirty miles from here.”

I look toward the sky. Thank you. If he would’ve said somewhere closer I might have cried. I’ve had it with my dad. I need my space back. I need my sanity back.

“What are you doing tonight?” he asks.

“Laundry,” I say before thinking better of it because I know what’s coming next.

“Great. Do that and then be ready by nine. We’re going out tonight to celebrate my new place.”

“Dad… .”

“Don’t say it,” he says leaving the room. He calls out from the bathroom. “I said we’re celebrating.”

I glance at my watch. I have a few hours to wash my clothes. Tiff won’t be home until around eleven so that should give me enough time to make my dad happy and cut out early. He’s finally leaving. It’s what I’ve been waiting for. I don’t want to piss him off. He might decide to stay, just to get to me.

My dad agrees to take separate cars when I tell him I have somewhere to be later tonight.

“This someplace you have to be…it is the same place you’ve been all week?” he asks.

“I nod.”

“Good for you, son.” He smiles widely. “It’s about time you get a piece of ass.”

I want to push him into a wall and tell him he should be grateful I don’t knock his ass out. In less than twenty-four hours, he’s going to be out of my house and out of my life. Mostly, anyway. If he keeps up with his regular visitation schedule, I’m good until next year. And I’ll gladly take the twelve-month reprieve.

We arrive at the club that’s inside a local hotel. Immediately, I regret coming. The place is loud and it’s definitely a place people come to pick up someone and dance. Neither of which I’m interested in. I should’ve known better than to believe my dad when he said we were going to one of the dive bars down the street to shoot pool and throw darts.

Instead of kicking back in some rinky
-dink bar that smells of old cigarettes, I’m uncomfortable weaving through people and trying to find a place to sit. My dad squeezes into an empty space at the bar and calls over the bartender.

“I’ll have two beers,” he says.

Fine. I’ll have one. I still have to drive later and I’m not going to drink so much that I miss Tiffany’s call or have to wait to sober up to get to her. If she called now, I’d be on my way out faster than I could say goodbye to my dad.

“Let’s go this way.” He hands me an open bottle and I follow him through the crowd.

In the back, there is a red velvet rope that separates the dance floor from a raised sitting area.

My dad talks to the bouncer at the barrier and they shake hands like old friends. This guy knows everyone. My dad tilts his head at the stairs and again, I follow him.

An hour later, my dad is whispering sweet nothings in some woman’s ear while I scan my phone on the off chance Tiffany has texted me and I somehow missed it. I sent her one before I left to let her know what I was doing. She told me to have fun. Yeah, lots of fun.