Overtime

by Toni Aleo

  Stacey’s eyes narrowed more, her mouth setting in a line. “Sure.”

  Kacey went to say more, but Jordie shook his head, his eyes pleading with hers. Dropping his lips to her ear, he whispered, “It won’t change what she thinks.”

  “That’s fine, but I refuse to allow her to think so lowly of you or, hell, me!”

  He let out a long breath, kissing her below her ear as he said, “It doesn’t matter what she thinks. Only what you think.”

  When she pulled away, his eyes bored into hers and she smiled. “Well, I think you’re perfect.”

  He scoffed. “A perfect mess, right?

  “My mess,” she reminded him, and his lips quirked at the sides before he leaned over, kissing her bottom lip. Pulling back, he asked, “How did I get so lucky to have a second chance with you?”

  Her eyes never leaving his, she cupped his face. “You were you, and in case you didn’t know, you’re kinda irresistible.”

  He scoffed, leaning his nose to hers. It was something he’d always done, but yet, there was always a new wave of butterflies in her belly whenever he did. It was their thing, something she cherished, probably as much as she cherished him. And by God, she was not going to let this woman bring him down.

  But thankfully, his eyes were bright as they held hers, his nose moving along hers before he paused and pulled away, grinning. “Oh, I know,” he teased, and she laughed as he pulled her along to catch up with Stacey and Phil.

  After he pulled her chair out, Kacey shot him a grin as she sat down and he sat next to her, taking her hand in his before resting it on his thigh. Before they could even pick up the menus though, Phil was firing question after question about hockey to Jordie. Kacey was sure he didn’t mind though—he loved talking hockey—but it was obvious that Stacey did not care for it. She huffed and puffed the whole time, probably because the attention wasn’t on her, but Kacey was sure Phil wasn’t listening to her. He was too engrossed in Jordie.

  “You play a sick game, man. I really enjoy watching you play.” He beamed and Jordie grinned.

  “Thanks. You know Kacey played in the Olympics,” he said, looking over at her, and she waved him off.

  “No big deal, I just brought home the gold,” she joked and they laughed, while Stacey just glared.

  “Where is the waiter?” she complained as Phil looked closely at her.

  “Wait, are you Kacey ‘Khaos’ King?”

  Kacey beamed at Jordie as he gave her an exaggerated eye-roll. “Why, yes, I am.”

  “I watched you on TV. You’re amazing!”

  “She is,” Jordie agreed, kissing her cheek. “Stupid nickname and all.”

  Kacey was about to defend her nickname when the waiter stopped at their table. “Hey, y’all! Sorry for the wait,” he said, bringing everyone’s attention to him. “What can I get y’all to drink?”

  “Oh, thank God,” Stacey almost cheered. “Well, first, I want a glass of your best red. And then, Philly, you want a Jack and Coke?”

  “Please,” Phil said. Kacey’s hand squeezed Jordie’s, her eyes cutting to his as he looked to her, a little panic in his eyes.

  “It’s fine. It’s gross anyway,” she tried and he scoffed. “Kinda.” He smiled as he shrugged, the waiter looking to her. “Water, please.”

  “Me too,” Jordie added and the waiter nodded, but Stacey stopped him.

  “Also a round of shots. Tequila?”

  Phil nodded, but Kacey shook her head. “Pregnant, no can do.”

  “What?” Stacey blurted out. “Pregnant?”

  Jordie glanced at her, surprised, and she smiled. She was trying to protect him. She knew he was proud of his sobriety, and she was too, but having the attention on her and off him seemed like a good idea.

  “Yeah, only seven weeks, but pregnant nonetheless.”

  “With your baby?” Stacey asked Jordie and he nodded, his arm snaking along Kacey’s shoulders.

  “Yup, we are really excited.”

  She made a face as Phil turned to her. “You’ll be a grandma.”

  Cold day in fucking hell, Kacey thought, and Jordie’s eyes said the same thing once they met hers.

  “Eh, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she said, and Jordie whipped his head to her.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means no telling what will happen between you two,” she said, her lip curved as she moved her finger between the two of them.

  “I can tell you, actually,” he said with a little venom in his voice, his hand squeezing Kacey’s. “We’ll get married, have a baby, and live a fucking great life.”

  She looked to the wide-eyed waiter—why was he still waiting? She understood the drama was probably entertaining to an outsider, but he needed to go get the drinks. “So, just two shots then,” she said to him, and he realized that she was dismissing him before Stacey stopped him.

  Glaring at Kacey, Stacey’s hand curled around his arm before she dragged her gaze to his. “No, three,” she demanded before looking back at Kacey. “Just ’cause you can’t drink doesn’t mean he can’t. Don’t let her start controlling you, Jordie,” she snapped and Kacey’s eye started to twitch. She wasn’t going to make it with this chick.

  “Um, actually, still just two. I’m an alcoholic.”

  Well, there it is, Kacey thought, leaning back and looking at Jordie, bursting with pride. Was he perfect? Hell no, but he was honestly the strongest man she had ever met, and she loved him, truly. With all her heart. He wore his sobriety like a badge of honor, and he fucking should. He was amazing.

  But apparently she was the only one who thought so.

  Phil’s jaw had dropped and Stacey started to sputter before she shrieked, “What?”

  “Good for you, bro. I’ll get you guys your drinks and just two shots,” the waiter said and she almost asked him to take her and Jordie with him, because one look at Stacey and she knew that shit was about to hit the fan.

  “Actually, can you make it just a Coke for me, and no shots?” Phil asked. “I don’t want to wave it in your face.”

  “Thanks,” Jordie said appreciatively, and Kacey decided that maybe Phil wasn’t so bad.

  “Oh no, I want my shot and my wine,” Stacey said, and she must have missed the way everyone looked at her…or maybe she didn’t. Because, with a snide look, she said, “What? I’m not an alcoholic. And what does that even mean? How do you know?”

  Sitting up a bit taller, Jordie said, “I drank myself stupid, went to rehab, and haven’t drunk since.”

  “That’s dumb. I doubt there was anything wrong with you, just overreacting like always,” she said, waving him off. “He does that. He used to make up the most awful stuff as a child. Then his friend got killed, and he’s been trouble ever since. So pay him no mind. It’s probably a stunt for attention.”

  Kacey’s jaw actually dropped. “Attention? Are you fucking kidding me?” she shrieked when she recovered from the shock. Jordie cupped her shoulder and she glanced over at him, her eyes wide. Slowly he shook his head before leaning over and kissing her on the lips.

  “I got this,” he said against her lips.

  But Stacey was still running her mouth. “Tell your baby momma to watch the way she speaks to me, Jordie Scott!”

  “Stacey, please,” Phil asked, but Jordie’s eyes were on Kacey.

  “She can’t hurt me,” he said slowly to her, but Kacey didn’t believe him. She knew Stacey could, but soon, he was looking back at his mother, his shoulders firm as he held her gaze.

  “It’s not an attention-getting stunt. I had a problem; I’m treating it. And I’m not here to point fingers, but did it ever occur to you that maybe you were the root of my problem?”

  She laughed. “Please, I never did anything to cause that.”

  “You’re right, you didn’t do anything,” he said calmly, but his chest was rising and falling quickly. “You did nothing for me. You didn’t love me, you didn’t care for me, and you sure as hell never put me
first.”

  “That’s a lie,” she snapped. “I did the best I could.”

  He scoffed. “No, you did what you wanted, and that’s fine, Mom. I’ve forgiven you.”

  “You have?” Kacey asked, shocked, as Stacey glared.

  “Yes,” he said, not looking at Kacey. “At the beginning of the week, I had every intention of giving you the opportunity to be in my life. Give you a second chance to do right by me, because someone gave me a second chance and I’m a better person because of it. But I realized a few days ago, you don’t deserve a second chance. That I’ll never matter enough to you. And once I came to that conclusion, I decided I don’t want to see or talk to you ever again.”

  Her glare deepened as Jordie slowly rose. “Phil, it was wonderful meeting you, and I hope you enjoy the game tomorrow.”

  He nodded, his brow furrowing as Kacey stood, and he said, “You’re leaving? Already?”

  “Yeah, I made a mistake coming. But again, it was great meeting you. Good luck.”

  “You too, I’m sorry that you have to leave.”

  “I’m not,” Jordie said softly, taking Kacey’s hand in his. Looking at his mother, he just shook his head. “Have a nice life.”

  He turned, pulling Kacey with him, and she went willingly. But when she noticed that Stacey was following them, her stomach dropped.

  “Jordie, she’s following us.”

  “I figured she would,” he said, but he didn’t seem as affected as she thought he would be. It worried her. Ushering her along, he went out the front door into the chill of the night. Wrapping her arms around herself, she kicked herself for not bringing her jacket. Turning, Jordie handed his ticket to the valet and asked her, “Do you want to get into the car first?”

  She shook her head and said, very fiercely, “I’m standing beside you.”

  He nodded before removing his jacket, sliding it over her arms just as Stacey burst through the door, her face red with anger.

  “How dare you embarrass me like that!” she yelled, her hands striking her hips, her face tipped up at him. “Are you a dumbass?”

  “I don’t think I embarrassed you. I was honest.”

  She faltered. “There was no reason to announce being an alcoholic! How stupid are you?”

  Kacey’s heart lurched in her chest and her nails bit into her palms as Jordie shook his head. “Most parents would be proud of their children for bettering themselves.”

  “Oh, what the hell ever! You think you’re hurting me, Jordie Scott Thomas? Do you forget who gave you life? Who supported you all those years? Therapy isn’t cheap, you shit, and I can’t believe you’d embarrass me in front of my fiancé like that!”

  “I could never forget, but you were never a mom to me,” he said sternly, but she was already screaming.

  “Oh, because I didn’t coddle you or feed into your lies? I saw right through you. Everything that happened, you caused! You were jealous and came up with this lie about Gary, and then he was gone—”

  Kacey was shaking with anger, but Jordie…he was calm. His eyes were on Stacey’s as he asked, “If it was a lie, then why did he admit to it? Why is he still in jail?”

  “Because of you! You caused him to do it!”

  Kacey couldn’t control herself. She really tried, she did, but the words left her mouth before Jordie could stop her. “You are a disgusting piece of shit. You really need to reevaluate your life if you think a four-year-old boy would be jealous enough of husband number one billion to ask to be raped, molested. You have some serious problems, and I suggest you go to therapy.”

  She laughed. “Don’t need it. I’m not fucked up like him.”

  Kacey closed her eyes, her hands squeezing his as Jordie asked, “Why do you care, Mom? Why are you making this big scene when you obviously don’t love me? Listen to the way you are speaking to me. The things you are accusing me of. A mother doesn’t act like this.”

  “You’re right, and I never wanted you,” she seethed and Kacey’s eyes squeezed tighter.

  “Jordie, please, let’s go,” she begged, but still he didn’t move.

  “Well, you’re in luck because I’m gone,” he said before turning to wrap his arms around Kacey and leading her to the car.

  “I’m not done talking to you,” Stacey yelled just as Kacey’s foot stepped into the car and she looked up at him.

  “I can still Spartan kick her,” she offered, but Jordie shook his head, no smile curving his lips as he pushed her other leg in.

  “I just want to go,” he said quickly before shutting the door. She could hear Stacey yelling something, but when Jordie opened his door, she heard him as he said, “Don’t contact me again.”

  Sitting in the driver’s seat, he slammed the door and gripped the wheel. Sliding her hand on his thigh, she waited as he took three deep breaths in and let them out, slow and steady. For once, she couldn’t read his body language. On one hand, she thought he looked relieved. But on the other, she was worried he was two seconds from sobbing like a two-year-old. Still no words left his mouth as he put the car in drive and took off.

  As Stacey disappeared in the side mirror, Kacey was glad to see her go, but she was pretty sure that she wouldn’t disappear as quickly out of Jordie’s heart.

  Nothing was said the whole way home or even when they entered the house. Jordie could do nothing but replay his mother’s words over and over again. There was a lot for him to relive, but the most hurtful thing was that she was embarrassed by him instead of proud. He blamed his sad need for her approval for that being what bothered him the most. She wasn’t nice to him, but then, he hadn’t expected her to be.

  He also hadn’t expected the whole night to come crashing down like that though.

  He could feel Kacey’s gaze on him the whole ride home, yet she didn’t say anything to him. As he walked through the house, he went to the fridge for a Gatorade before opening it and downing the whole bottle. He could feel her watching him as he reached for another and downed that bottle too. When she looked away, he knew that she knew what he wanted.

  A big bottle of Jack. With a side of Jack. And some more Jack to chase it all down.

  But the Gatorade was there to quench his thirst for things he didn’t need or even truly want. He wanted an out, an easy fix, but he knew that there was no fucking easy fix for his mother. He couldn’t understand why someone would treat her child like that, but Stacey Thomas was a whole other level of being. A different species that he didn’t understand, nor want in his life. He was done, and he would make damn sure she never came near him again. Not only for him but for his unborn child.

  Biting the inside of his cheek, he watched as Kacey took off his jacket and hung it on the back of the barstool before setting her clutch on the seat. When he reached for another Gatorade, he saw her face twist in worry before she looked away, he knew, to fight her tears. She didn’t know what to do, what to say, and he was thankful for that. He needed to get his head straight before he talked to her, before he admitted that his mother had broken his heart and he wasn’t sure how to put it back together.

  She reached for him and he didn’t move as she wrapped herself around him, going under his arm so that she could place her face on his chest. She smelled so good, but he couldn’t hold her. Not yet. He knew if he did, he’d come undone, and he already felt so weak. He couldn’t give her any more of a reason to feel sorry for him. He was the man, he was supposed to be strong, but what he wanted was to wrap his arms around her and just cry.

  Pulling in a deep breath through his nose, he closed his eyes and let her hug him. He needed her strength, her love. He let his chin rest on her head as he kept his eyes shut and his breathing even. When his phone went off, he didn’t move, his hands still braced against the counter, not only for support but to keep him upright. But then it went off again and again before, finally, she looked up at him.

  “Someone is trying hard to get ahold of you.”

  He nodded, his eyes locked on the wall abo
ve her head. “It’s either my therapist, your dad, or your brother.”

  “Do you want me to answer it?”

  He shrugged. “You can. Tell them I’m alive.”

  But not that he was okay, because he wasn’t. Far from it.

  When she pulled his phone out of his pocket, he looked down and saw that the text was from her father.

  Karl King: You good?

  Karl King: I know you left. She posted a nasty status about you.

  And then he sent a screenshot of Stacey Thomas’s Facebook.

  Don’t you love when your kid tells you you’re the reason he’s fucked up? Biggest waste of my time was having that brat. Anyone that knows him knows his issues aren’t mine and that I’m not in the wrong here.

  While the status was just uncalled for, what blew his mind was that two people liked it.

  What the hell was wrong with the world?

  He looked away, shaking his head as she typed back quickly before setting his phone down and wrapping her arms around him again. Closing his eyes, he leaned on her head and was unsure what to do next. He knew that he had to do something, tell her something. Talk about it all, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to be reminded of having the worst mother known to man. A woman who didn’t want him. Who didn’t care about him. In a way, he’d set himself up for failure. He should never have gone. He knew going in that he would more than likely leave with heartache.

  His assumptions had been right on.

  As Kacey squeezed him, he closed his eyes again as she suggested, “Why don’t we go to bed?”

  He shrugged. “Sure.”

  He turned from her arms and left the kitchen, not even waiting for her. As he walked through their home, he wanted to take notice of all she had done. Kacey—well, Lacey and Regina—had really turned their house into a home. While there weren’t as many pictures of her and Jordie as he’d like, they were working on it. Even planned to go do a little couples’ shoot with Harper Titov, Elli’s best friend, who did everyone’s pictures. But a part of him wondered if he should even care about that.

  Would she even want him when she realized how weak he was?