Homeruns: Wild Pitch Part 9

"Oh, that's rich coming from you," I spat as I watched her drag a suitcase through the condo and into the master bedroom. The b.i.t.c.h had clearly lost her d.a.m.n mind. Unless... was she the reason Mason hadn't been returning my calls? Had he realized she would give him what I never could? That thought stung enough that I had to turn away in case my eyes started to gloss over.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She sneered, perching herself on the edge of Mason's favorite chair in the living room, her hands folded over her crossed knees. Before I could slink out the door, a little voice in my head reminded me that she'd blasted into the room demanding that Mason talk to her. No way had Mason ignored me for her. I did, however, find it more than a bit ironic that we'd both showed up unannounced to try to mend our relations.h.i.+ps with him.

I wanted to start hurling accusations at her, but it wasn't my place. Not only that, but it could have screwed up whatever plan Mason and his lawyer were hatching to get her to slink away quietly.

"Nothing, at all," I bit out. I grabbed a bottle of water before heading into the living room to get as comfortable as I could. I had no clue how Teresa had gotten a key to his place or why she was here, but there was no way in h.e.l.l I was going to leave her unattended. She perched herself on one of the high barstools at the breakfast bar and glared at me. I chuckled as I wondered whether she was working to put some sort of hex on me, because she sure looked like a witch with her pointy black shoes, straight black hair and long fingernails.

The front door opened once more, and I swore Mason looked about ready to puke or pa.s.s out as his eyes bounced from me to the Ice Queen sitting on her throne. Whatever was about to happen, it wasn't going to be pretty and I figured my presence would only make it worse.

"You two talk. I'm going to run out for something to eat," I said as I crossed to the door. There was no way I could eat, but it was the first excuse that came to mind. And believable, since I hadn't stopped on the way down here.

"You don't have to leave," Mason informed me, wrapping his arm around my biceps. "You're welcome here. She is not. In fact, I'm certain she was getting ready to leave."

"Mason, sweetie, we need to sit down and talk," she said, so sweetly that my back teeth started to hurt. It seemed him not being here when she first walked in gave her time to put on her game face so she could play the victim if necessary. It was the role she seemed to think she was destined to play. "I don't know what's going on, but if you'd just come home we could figure it all out."

"There's nothing for me to say to you, Teresa," he said curtly as he walked down the hall to his bedroom to change out of his workout clothes. "What in the ever-living f.u.c.k is this?" he yelled, returning moments later with Teresa's suitcase.

"I've been staying with a friend in Florida and flew in early so I could talk to you," she responded casually. "The only way we're going to sort this out is if we spend some time together."

I couldn't help my snort of laughter. She turned to glare at me and the petty voice in the back of my head was screaming to point out the fine lines around her mouth and the corners of her eyes. I wanted to make this woman feel as ugly on the outside as she was on the inside, which was completely unlike me.

"Then you're delusional," Mason hollered. "There is no us, and there's nothing to be worked out, other than the details tomorrow when we meet with our lawyers."

He looked so d.a.m.n smug that I wanted to walk over and plant a kiss on his gorgeous face. I wouldn't, but it was tempting.

"How can you say that?" she asked, clutching her hand over her chest.

Rather than dignify her with a verbal response, Mason simply picked up the papers that were on the kitchen counter and tossed them in her direction. "Baby, I know you're upset, but there has to be a way we can work this out. You never even gave me a chance to explain what you saw. Please, give me some time and you'll see that this was all a huge misunderstanding."

I had never in my life hit a woman, but Teresa was well on her way to being the first. Every time she opened her mouth, it seemed she dug the hole a bit deeper, but I knew that she was also tearing Mason apart with these games. Insecurity crept into my mind, and I was terrified that he was going to believe her and give her another chance. After all, she was the one he pledged his life to, not me.

Once again, I moved toward the door, desperately needing to get away from this situation. If I was there as a friend, it'd be one thing, but I wasn't. I was there to get Mason back, to love him the way he deserves to be loved, and I felt dirty being a part of what I hoped was the final battle of his marriage.

I found a seat in the courtyard garden and buried my head in my hands, wondering what I was doing here. I'd gone so long without anyone in my life, and I couldn't help but think this was part of the reason why. My heart and my mind were sending me two very different messages, and I wasn't sure which to follow.

It hurt more than I cared to admit to hear that he was meeting with the lawyers about the divorce tomorrow. Before we'd screwed things up, he would have told me something like that. A young couple walked into the courtyard and didn't seem to be in any hurry to go further, so I stood and walked toward the front gate. I needed to make a phone call, and I couldn't do that where someone might overhear me. The only place privacy was guaranteed was in my car, and a drive would further help me clear my head.

I sent Mason a text letting him know I'd be back later and asked him to let me know when Teresa was gone. Until then, I had no intention of turning the car around to head back into the city. It was going to be hard enough knowing she had been there at all.

Jason offered to meet me north of the city so I could buy him a much-needed beer, and I agreed after he pointed out that driving aimlessly while I had so much on my mind likely wasn't the best idea. An hour later, we were tucked in a booth at the back of a dark neighborhood bar with a pitcher between us. He filled our gla.s.ses and we caught up on everything else that had been going on since the last time we'd had a chance to sit down like this. The longer we sat, the more at ease I felt about everything, and I realized why as soon as I stood up.

My legs were unsteady and everything s.h.i.+fted in and out of focus. I looked at Jason, confused because it didn't seem like we'd been there that long, and he laughed. "Buddy, I'm thinking you're going to have to call that man of yours," he slurred, holding up the empty pitcher. "I told the waitress to keep them coming, and apparently she took me seriously."

I wanted to be p.i.s.sed at Jason for inadvertently getting us hammered, but I had to admit I wasn't nearly as agitated as I had been earlier. Of course, I didn't think Mason was going to be amused when he had to pour our drunk a.s.ses into the car.

I pulled out my phone and cringed when I realized Mason had texted over three hours earlier. And again two hours ago, and forty-five minutes ago. And he'd called twenty minutes ago, but I didn't hear the phone ring over the drone of the jukebox playing bad pop music.

I excused myself and stumbled out the back door, thankful that it wasn't armed in any way. It was going to be bad enough calling Mason while drunk, I didn't want to further upset him by making it hard to hear me, too.

"What the f.u.c.k, Sean?" he answered on the second ring. "You tell me you're going for a drive to give me time alone with the b.i.t.c.h, and then you don't answer? I was about ready to start calling every hospital I could find a number for!"

s.h.i.+t, I couldn't remember the last time Mason had been this p.i.s.sed off, and I was certain I'd never been on the receiving end. "Mace, I'm so, so sorry. And you can b.i.t.c.h at me all you want later, but right now, I kinda need you to do me a favor."

"Are you drunk? Jesus, Sean! You have to start tomorrow, and you're out tying one on? I thought you were smarter than that," He scolded me and then the line went quiet. I had to look at the phone to make sure it was still connected. It gave me a strange thrill to know that even though we hadn't been speaking, he'd kept track of the starting rotation.

"Baby, I said I'm sorry," I whined. "But that's why I'm calling. I need you to come and get us because we can't drive."

"Us? Who's 'us'?" His words were getting more clipped and I knew it was going to take a while before he calmed down.

"I called Jason and he said I shouldn't be driving while I was upset, so he drove down and we probably should have stopped after the last pitcher," I confessed, hoping that I'd get points for knowing that I'd screwed up.

"Jason?" he asked, a tinge of jealousy creeping into his voice.

"Klein. Are you coming or not?" I asked, more than a bit nervous standing in the alley where anyone could eavesdrop.

"Fine, text me where you're at and I'll be there as soon as I can," he grumbled. "And Sean?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Drink some water. A lot of it." This time, there was no doubt that he'd disconnected the call, so I headed inside to let Jason know our savior was on his way. I had some seriously groveling to do once I sobered up.

Mason was quiet on the way back to his house. Too quiet. It was the type of silence that left me wondering what had happened while I was getting plastered. Jason was pa.s.sed out in the backseat, but I didn't trust myself to ask Mason what was going on, knowing that if I didn't like what he had to say, I'd lose my s.h.i.+t and probably wake up my friend.

I watched Mace help Jason into the spare bedroom while I grabbed another huge gla.s.s of water. I shouldn't have left him to pick up the mess on his own, but I was in no shape to guide anyone anywhere. I'd be lucky to get to Mason's room without bouncing off the walls like a pinball.

"Come on, you d.a.m.n lush," Mason teased. "You two are both royally f.u.c.ked tomorrow if you don't sleep off this drunk."

Other than the one night, Mason and I hadn't spent much time at his place. He said it was because my place felt like a home, where his was just a place to stay. I understood that. I also wondered if he still felt that way. I didn't like the idea of him staying here, knowing that Teresa had managed to get a key to the place.

When I flipped on the light on my side of the bed, I stumbled and fell to the bed. Sitting on the nightstand was a picture I was certain I'd never seen before, yet I remembered that day vividly. While it sounded melodramatic, the day Mason got married was one of the s.h.i.+ttiest days of my adult life. The framed image next to his bed was of the two of us, both dressed in tuxes, playing a game of catch in the snowy courtyard behind the church. It was the only time that day I saw a truly carefree smile on his face.

"I've never seen this before," I slurred, holding the frame over my shoulder so Mason knew what I was talking about.

"My dad took that picture right before he told us it was time to head inside. I asked my mom to print off a copy a while back," he told me. He took the simple black frame out of my hands and stared at it. In my drunken fog, I rested my chin on his shoulder because I wasn't ready to stop looking myself. "I never told you, but I was so p.i.s.sed while we were out there. The first few times I went to throw it to you, I had to remind myself that, as much as she didn't like you, Teresa would have kicked my a.s.s if you'd had a black eye for the rest of the pictures."

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you had thrown one right at my face," I admitted to him. "Whether I felt it or not, I should have kept my mouth shut. It was your day and I was a jerk."

Mason turned his head to place a tender kiss on my forehead. "No, you were looking out for me. I know that now."

"Still wasn't right. I hated her because she had you. I'd never wanted a relations.h.i.+p, but there was something about you that drove me crazy, even back then," I confessed.

Mason slid away from me and pulled back the sheets. "Come on, babe. We both need to sleep," he reminded me. "There will be plenty of time for both of us to apologize tomorrow."

Chapter 15.

I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, making sure I looked decent for this meeting. Teresa left no fewer than ten messages on my phone last night, pleading with me to rethink following through on the divorce. I saved every one, on the off chance we needed it for the proceedings, but there was no way I was taking her back. The only conclusion I could draw from her desperation and eleventh-hour groveling session when I hadn't heard from her in months was that her man on the side realized the type of woman she is quicker than I did and dropped her.

"You look fine," Sean told me as he stepped out of the bathroom. I turned to face him, wis.h.i.+ng I hadn't as rivulets of water trickled down his bare chest. The only good thing about today was that I knew I'd get to see him tonight when the game was over. If everything went well, I planned on driving to his house, kicking Abi out with instructions not to come back until I told her to, and finally taking that final step with Sean.

But before that happened, we needed to talk. When I walked in yesterday and saw him in my living room, I'd wanted to run to him and toss him to the floor so I could show how much I missed him. The only thing that stopped me was Teresa's presence. As much as I wanted to apologize to him and see if we could make our relations.h.i.+p work, I wasn't about to give her any ammunition to use against me today.

I'd hoped to talk to him last night, but for the second time since we got together, his insecurities had driven him to getting drunk out of his mind. I knew alcohol was like a truth serum to him, causing him to say s.h.i.+t he'd never admit to while sober, but I couldn't use that to my advantage. I wouldn't put myself in a position where I was left wondering whether it was his heart or the beer talking when he said whatever he'd come to say.

"I so don't want to do this," I grumbled as I struggled to tie my tie. Sean came to stand in front of me, his legs straddling mine as he s.n.a.t.c.hed the tie out of my hands. "Babe, you're not helping here. Now, all I can think about it how bad I want to yank off that towel and see what's hiding beneath."

"Hold it together today, don't say anything you can't take back and it'll be fine," Sean reminded me as he smoothed the front of my s.h.i.+rt. "And when it gets to be too much, remember that I'll wait until I get home to shower, and then you can see what's under the towel."

"Not. Helping," I growled. I pulled him to me, not giving a s.h.i.+t if he got my jacket wet. We were sliding back into that easy, innuendo-laced banter we'd relied on back at his place. I pushed him away, unwilling to go down this road with him again. If we were going to make anything work, it was going to be because we worked together, both in and out of the bedroom. "Walk me to the door and lock me out before I freak the f.u.c.k out and refuse to leave."

Sean did as I requested, wrapping his arms around me when we reached the door. He held me tight, tighter than normal as he nibbled at my neck. Even though I needed to get going, he didn't release me. The pressure of his teeth on my neck and his arms around my torso grounded me to him, reminded me that this was what mattered now. He mattered and would be there for me in a way I'd never experienced before.

"I really do have to go," I protested, wriggling to get free from his grip on me. It'd be so much more pleasant to stay holed up at home until Sean had to leave, but I was ready to get this bulls.h.i.+t with Teresa over with.

I turned in Sean's arm for what I thought would be a quick kiss goodbye. He had other plans. The kiss started slowly enough as he traced his tongue across the seam of my lips, but when I sighed in contentment, he took advantage of the opening and pressed his tongue deeper. It was pa.s.sionate and filled with so much promise for the future that my knees nearly buckled. "I missed you, Mace. Don't do that to us again, okay?" he pleaded.

"I missed you, too. And believe me, it wasn't my idea of fun, either," I confessed. I'd much rather stay here so we could get the talking out of the way and make tonight all about making up, but we both had places to be. "Leave me your keys and I'll have the service drop me off at your car after my meeting. You can take the Jeep to drop Jason off at his car."

Despite my protests, my attorney sent a car to pick me up so I didn't have to battle parking downtown. The driver from the service greeted me cheerfully at the curb in front of my building. I knew he was only doing his job, but I wanted to snap at him and tell him that some of us were having anything but a good morning. I hated Teresa for having this sort of power over me. Just the thought of having to sit across the conference table from her in a room filled with lawyers was enough to make every bit of peace I felt when I was with Sean seep out of my body. This divorce couldn't happen fast enough.

Every step I took through the lobby of the building where Thom's offices were located echoed off the high ceilings. The steady rhythm unsettled me because it reminded me just how empty I felt about what was about to happen. I'd had my time to grieve for what I thought I would have with Teresa, I'd had my angry outbursts at her audacity, and I was dull to it all at this point.

"Mr. Atley, it's good to see you again," the receptionist greeted when I walked through the double gla.s.s doors. "Give me a moment to get some papers together and I'll take you to the conference room. Everyone's waiting for you."

I looked down at my watch to make sure I wasn't running behind. Nope, eight minutes early, which meant Teresa was doing everything in her power to prove to her lawyers that she was the perfect wife, and would do whatever it took to get me back. It was a shame that the only piece of me she really wanted was my bank account.

I followed the maternal looking receptionist down the hall, ignoring the hushed whispers as I pa.s.sed. Although Thom was a consummate professional, it was apparent that some of his staff weren't as capable of ignoring the slightest bit of celebrity. I'd be concerned that one of them would show up in the rags tomorrow as the anonymous source spilling the details of my divorce if not for Thom's rea.s.surances that everyone within the firm understands how seriously he takes client confidentiality.

"Mason, it's good to see you," Thom greeted as he rose from his seat on the opposite side of the table. Why couldn't we be close to the door? The last thing I wanted was to feel Teresa's eyes boring into my back as I walked around to join my legal team. "As soon as you're ready, we'll get this underway."

"Thanks." I tried to keep my tone level and use few words, so Teresa couldn't read anything into what I did or didn't say. I sat between Thom and his a.s.sistant, a sweet girl named Maria, and focused on the way she sorted the paperwork into different stacks.

Thom started the meeting by reading the pet.i.tion aloud. By the time he reached the third page, I was beginning to wonder if Teresa was going to leave fingernail marks in the edge of the hardwood conference table. The few times she tried to say anything, her lawyer placed his hand over hers and shook his head. The subtle movement made me chuckle, because it seemed even he knew how likely it was that she'd say something stupid before the meeting was adjourned.

I had to give her credit, she lasted almost until Thom was finished reading the laughable proposal for alimony and support filed by her attorneys before she could no longer hold back. "As I've already told Mason, this was all a huge misunderstanding! Why won't anyone listen to me?" she pleaded, slamming her hands on the table. When she stood, everyone could see how nervous she was by the way her legs shook on her indecently high heels.

I looked to Thom to see if he was going to answer for me, but he merely nodded that it was fine for me to address her. I took a few deep breaths before responding to her. "Teresa, I don't think it was a mistake at all. We hadn't been living as a couple for a long time and now we all know why."

"That's because you were always on the road," she protested. "But now, I know we can spend more time together and work through our problems. I know you think it was clear what you saw in that one article, but you don't. No matter how many times I've begged you to hear me out, you refuse. We can make things right, I know we can!"

I almost pitied her. Not only was she about to be completely alone, but I got the impression she truly thought my schedule was the reason we didn't have a healthy relations.h.i.+p. "No, we can't," I told her bluntly. "We're two very different people and it's apparent to me that we have different goals in life."

She stammered and sputtered for a painfully long time, trying to come up with her next argument. "Mason, we are good together!"

I was quickly losing patience. I wanted to reach for Maria's folder and throw the pictures in Teresa's face. After all, that was what would quickly put an end to this meeting. "Mrs. Atley, while I understand that this is an emotional time for you, I would ask that you respect what your husband has said," Thom interjected, quickly shutting her down. "The fact remains, Mason has stated his wishes and has made it clear that he's not willing to change his mind."

Thom slowly and methodically reached across my body, smirking as he reached for my file. The man truly seemed to be getting a kick out of knowing he was about to further crush Teresa. All eyes were on Thom as the held up the folder while searching for the first stapled packet of papers. "Mason would prefer this matter be settled as quickly and amicably as possible. What I have here is an offer that I think you will find quite generous for your client," he said, directing his attention fully on Teresa's attorney.

The lawyer, who looked more suited for the pages of a magazine than the courtroom, scanned the pages, tossing them across the table with a huff. "Absolutely not! As I'm sure you're all aware, Mr. and Mrs. Atley had a prenuptial agreement which stated she would be ent.i.tled to a fair portion of the marital a.s.sets plus monthly maintenance in the event of divorce."

"That is very true," Thom agreed, steepling his fingers under his chin. "However, there was also a stipulation that she would be ent.i.tled to nothing in the event of infidelity, which is why this is more than fair to her."

"Infidelity?" Teresa screeched, once again lurching from her seat. She leaned over the table, as if she was debating wrapping her hands around my neck. "It was one incident, and I've tried explaining that. If anyone has been unfaithful, it's him, with that little fairy he calls a best friend."

"Mrs. Atley, I will remind you again that this is a conference room, not a third grade playground. Everyone here is over the age of eighteen, and it would be appreciated if you would act like it," Thom chastised.

"No! I will not calm down until I know what in the h.e.l.l he's trying to pull!" She continued staring me down, ignoring the advice of her lawyer that she sit. "He's the one who had that queer in his house when I showed up to try to reconcile! And when he tried to leave, Mason's the one who wouldn't let him."

"Mrs. Atley!" Thom nearly shouted. This time, he caught her attention. "Before we continue any sort of discussion, you will sit down." He paused, giving her time to realize he was serious. "Now, if you have any proof of Mr. Atley's alleged infidelity, I would urge you to share that with your attorney, but please remember that the proof must be from before the pet.i.tion for divorce was filed."

"Mr. Barrino, would it be possible to have a few moments alone with my client?" her lawyer asked, his face red with what I a.s.sumed was either embarra.s.sment or anger that she was being such a child. Thom motioned for Maria and me to follow him into the hall.

I watched through the plate gla.s.s as Teresa ranted about the same s.h.i.+t she'd done over the course of our marriage. Every few sentences, she'd turn and point at me, glaring the entire time. After a few minutes, her lawyer grew tired of her antics and motioned for her to sit. She did, and seemed to shrink as he lectured her before opening the door to inform us they were ready to continue.

"Thank you. I think the rest of the meeting will go much more smoothly," he told us as we returned to our seats. "Now, since you were so keen to point out the need for evidence to my client, I'm a.s.suming you have something you need to share with me?"

Thom nodded, pulling the stack of pictures out of the folder. Teresa leaned over as her attorney flipped through them, her face blanching with every image she looked at. When he was through, her lawyer pursed his lips and turned the pictures face down on the table. Everyone looked to Teresa when she spoke. "Is this even legal? He can't take pictures of me in my own home, can he?" she demanded, not once denying what we all knew to be true.

"As you can see, the majority of those images were taken while you were outside your home, which invalidates your argument," Thom informed her. "If you would prefer, we could certainly spend the next month or two fighting over the terms of the proposed settlement, but keep in mind that it is my client's prerogative to rescind this offer at any time. He is making this gesture to you out of the kindness of his heart."

The noises coming out of my almost-ex were amusing and far from ladylike. She was snorting and huffing and seemed ready to go postal at any moment. "Yeah, more like a desire to save his own a.s.s."

"Teresa," her attorney warned before turning to Thom. "We'll need a few days to discuss the terms of your proposal, but I believe we'll be able to take care of this in a timely manner."

"I a.s.sumed as much," Thom responded with that c.o.c.ky tone of his. "Now, before we leave, there is one other matter to be discussed. Mr. Atley feels, and I agree with him, that it is in the best interest of everyone involved if the details of this proceeding remain confidential. As such, the offer he has made is contingent upon Mrs. Atley's signature on this non-disclosure agreement. If, at any time, the details are made public, Mrs. Atley agrees not only that the settlement will be null and void, but that she will also be subject to the penalties mentioned within."

The flicker of mischief in Teresa's gaze dimmed, confirming my a.s.sumption that she wasn't above selling her story to the highest bidder. As she listened to her attorney explain everything in terms she'd understand, I pitied her. I wanted to be hurt or angry for what she'd done to me, but I truly felt sorry that her life was so empty that she thought she had nothing of value without drama in her life.

Luckily, she wasn't so out of her mind that she couldn't listen to reason. It seemed her attorney made her understand that it was likely this offer or walk away empty handed. It sounded so cold when put that way, but it was the truth. Had she not cheated on me, so fully and blatantly in the home I paid for, I probably would have handed her whatever she wanted just to be rid of her. An hour after stepping into the conference room, I was walking out, one step closer to freedom.

Chapter 16.

I was only about a block from the park when my cellphone rang. I didn't bother looking at the caller ID before answering, which wound up being a colossal mistake. "Sean, it's your mother." I loved when she greeted me that way, as if I wouldn't know the clipped cadence of her voice if she didn't announce herself.