The Other Game (The Perfect Game 4)

I grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. “We’re not going anywhere, you feisty little thing.”

She tilted her head back to kiss me and without thinking, I kissed her back, no thought of where we were, or that Jack was standing right there.

“Jesus, it’s about time,” he blurted, and the moment stopped. Melissa abruptly pulled out of my arms.

“Shut up, Jack,” she said before heading upstairs.

“Thanks a lot,” I said, socking him in the arm.

“I didn’t know she’d stop!” He threw his hands up in surrender. “Sorry.”

I groaned in frustration before trudging upstairs to my own bed.

Alone.

• • •

The next morning, we all woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing incessantly. I heard Jack head downstairs to answer it, so I rolled back over and buried my head in my pillow until he started yelling. At that I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, convinced that Chrystle was here trying to pull something.

I reached him just as he closed the door, holding some paperwork in his hand. At the sight of it, I was actually happy for a moment, thinking that Chrystle had signed the annulment.

He glanced up at me after scanning the papers, completely annoyed, by the looks of it. “We’ve been served.”

“We’ve been what?”

“Chrystle filed a restraining order against all three of us, saying we threatened her life and she feared for her safety.”

Dumbfounded, I stared at him as the words sank in. “All three of us?” I asked, emphasizing the number.

“Yeah. Melissa too.”

“Better not tell her that, or she might give Chrystle something to fear.”

“Tell me what?” Melissa appeared at the top of the stairs wearing next to nothing.

“Nothing, Funsize. Go back to bed,” Jack told her, and I smacked his arm, enjoying the view.

“You’re not the boss of me, Jack. But I’m not ready to get up yet, so see ya later,” she said before trudging back to her room.

Chrystle’s allegations were so ridiculous that Jack and I couldn’t even bother to be concerned about them. Besides, we knew we’d be gone in a day, and Chrystle would never see us again anyway.

Every time I thought I couldn’t dislike this chick more, she gave me another reason.

You’re Taking Too Long

We got back to California with a couple of weeks still left in our winter break. Melissa left for home again instead of staying alone in her apartment. She’d told me on more than one occasion that she actually liked her parents, and she enjoyed spending time with them. That was something I’d never be able to relate to.

When we first got back, I figured it would only be a matter of time before Chrystle would sign the papers for Jack and he could get the show on the road, but the days turned into weeks, and there was still no word.

Melissa had called him one night, apparently fresh off a phone call with Cassie, screaming and yelling at him. I couldn’t hear what she said, but I could hear her shouting over the phone from where I sat on the other side of the room.

Jack tried to calm her down, but she wasn’t having any of it. When he hung up, he looked at me, shaking his head.

“What the hell was that?” I asked.

“She’s pissed. Oh Lord, is she ever pissed at me.”

“I gathered that much. Why?”