Read Online The Perfect Game by J. Sterling - Free Book Online Page B

guess it comes with the territory.” She looked at me, her cheeks tinged with pink.
    “The territory of being Jack freaking Carter’s girlfriend,” Melissa added with a laugh.
    “Glad you’re on board with this, Melis.” I smiled, encouraged by her attitude.
    “Jack, you’re still an asshole but you’ve grown on me. And if you hurt Cassie, I’ll break your pitching arm. Capisce?” 
    “Capisce,” I responded, purely to humor Cassie’s fun-sized best friend.
    I leaned into my girl, the smell of her shampoo engulfing my senses. “ You know I’d never hurt you on purpose.”
    Cassie immediately turned to face me, her eyebrows pinched together. “That’s not really reassuring. You know that, right?” 
    “I’m just being realistic. Don’t want to make you promises I can’t keep,” I added, hinting at rule number three of her boy test.
    “So you can’t promise that you won’t hurt me?” Her tone was annoyed and I instantly wished I could take back my words.
    “Cass, I don’t ever want to hurt you, but I can’t promise you that I’ll never screw up or make you mad.” I paused, trying to make the thoughts in my head come out right.
    “He’s good at pissing people off. Isn’t that right, big brother?” I looked up to see Dean smirking at me, and took a half-hearted swipe at him as he sat down next to me.
    “That’s the rumor.” I nodded with a smile.
    “Plus, if he pushes you away, then you won’t be the one who left him. He’ll be the one who made you leave,” Dean added defiantly. 
    I glared at my little brother for his openness in such a public space. I glanced around, making sure no one was too close to overhear. 
    “I don’t plan on going anywhere.” Cassie put her hand on top of mine and squeezed. “So don’t try to make me.”
    Relief coursed through my body with her reassurance. I had spent so much of my life convinced that no girl would ever want to be with the real me, that I’d never given anyone a chance to prove me wrong. If my own mom didn’t love me enough to stay, how would anyone else?
    “Jesus, I’ve never met two people more scared to let someone love them than the two of you,” Melissa remarked with a frown. 
    I opened my mouth to protest when she continued, her ponytail bobbing from side to side as she moved her head. “And don’t even try to deny it. You’re both all messed up from your stupid parents. Cassie here,” she lifted her hand in Cassie’s direction, “with her dad’s constant lies and inability to follow through on even the simplest, most mundane thing, has been disappointed and let down most of her life.” 
    Her hand pointed in my direction. “And you, with your mom up and leaving, telling you it was your fault because you were a bad kid . You’re convinced that no one will ever stick around. That eventually, they’ll leave you too. And somewhere in your twisted, screwed-up psyche, you probably think you deserve it.”
    Melissa had finally dragged my sorry story out of me, late one night when the three of us were hanging out at their apartment. Cassie had kept her promise and hadn’t told her best friend, so it was up to me to fill Melissa in. Damn, it seemed like such a good idea at the time.
    Melissa took a quick breath and then delivered her final assessment. “You’re both so screwed up alone that together you’re like the perfect mess.”
    The table fell briefly silent as her rant sank in. I thought about protesting, but wasn’t sure she was all that wrong. 
    “That’s an attractive analogy. Thanks for saying I’m screwed up.” Cassie’s voice was sharp, her feelings clearly hurt. 
    I shot Melissa a murderous glare before reaching for Cassie’s chin and turning her face to mine. “I’ll be the perfect mess with you anytime.”
    Cassie quickly swiped under her eye and leaned her head against my shoulder. She released a deep sigh. “Melissa just doesn’t know anything about having messed-up parents. Hers are