Out Of Bounds (Balls To The Walls) (2 page)

“Yeah, he was there.” She repeated.

“What did he do? Did he hurt you? Did he hit you? What? Kari, what?” I hadn’t given her a chance to answer my buffet of questions. I realized my mistake and forced myself to be silent.

“Jack was there?” She repeated once again without any form of elaboration.

“Tell me what happened?”

“I--”

“Fuck it.” If she couldn’t tell me I had no problem marching over to the source. My body catapulted me in the direction of my scorn. My feet carried me to the backdoor. My hand went for the kitchen doorknob. Kari stopped me in my vigorous tracks. She wrapped her arms around me with a force that ordered me to pause. She was weeping into my back and holding me close.
What the fuck happened? I will kill him!

I rubbed my hands across her arms. I don’t want to see Kari in tears. I hate to see Kari in pain. I let her rest her face in the small of my back. I waited a few seconds before I pried her hands from around my body. I slowly whipped her around and walked her over to a chair. After her brief cry, she was much calmer now.

Kari sat in the chair and I knelt before her waiting for whatever it was that caused this outpouring of emotion. I feared it was not a little thing, but actually what Jack had done or said. What did he do? What did he say to make my wife so distraught? Kari is tough as nails. 

“Kari, please talk to me.” I pleaded empathically.

“Jack was there.” I got that much. Now what else? “It was like he was there waiting for me. He was drinking. He had been drinking. He started crying. He was pissed off.”

I’m sure he was pissed. “What happened?”

“I told him we got married.”

That’s exactly what she should have told that motherfucker. “Did he hurt you?” I would kill Jack if he laid a hand on Kari. Murder, death, kill. I am the Demolition Man. There’s a reason I’m called Mafia Mason and I have no problem letting Jack
know the real meaning behind the name.

“No, he didn’t hurt me physically. He told me he wouldn’t leave my house.”

“He doesn’t have a choice.”

“Yeah he does.”

“What does that mean? He has to vacate. It’s over. It’s done.”

“Mason, I know that.”

“He should have already been out. You left him at the fucking altar. What more is there to say? It’s over, pedal to the metal. Hit the road Jack. Seriously he is acting like a bitch.” 

“I think he’s trying to hang on.”

“No shit, he’s trying to get me to bash his brains in.”
I got some bad ideas in my head
. Why was I quoting Travis Bickle in my head?

Kari shrugged like she didn’t have a problem with me bashing Jack’s brains in. “Jack said he would leave my house if I took a pregnancy test.”

I moved closer to her. I was practically in her lap. “Wait what, why?”

“Because he’s a bitter asshole.”

“Okay but a pregnancy test?” I was playing catch-up. I was rewinding the words over in my head.

“Mason, I stopped using birth control a few months before the wedding.”

“A few months.” What the fuck? I didn’t expect this and I was stunned. The implications were monumental. 

“I didn’t feel like arguing with him. He was drunk. I knew he was on bullshit so I just went out and bought a stupid pregnancy test… I took the test.”

There was a bleak silence that loomed as I allowed my brain to catch up to her words. “What did the test say?”

There was a pregnant pause for lack of a better term. “Mason…I’m pregnant.”
She hesitantly groaned.

I sprung to my feet. I heard her. I may have not been loud but it surely was clear. “You’re pregnant.”

“Yes, I’m pregnant.”

“Well is it his?” I should have used more tact and less bass in my voice.

“I don’t know. I don’t fucking know. How could I know?” Her words were rushed and frantic.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“The test detects pregnancy like seven to ten days after conception or something. I don’t fucking know. I had sex with him. I had sex with you. I don’t muthafuckin’ know.”

Her tone was getting to me but I knew she was just as confused and shocked by this news as I was. “Okay, it’s okay.” My calm started to settle in.

“It’s not okay!” She screamed.

“Kari please calm down. You need to go to a doctor to confirm this.” I jumped into crisis mode. “First we need to see how pregnant you are. That’s if you are really pregnant.” I whipped my cell phone out my back pocket for no reason other than nervous energy.

“Mason, I feel like I’m pregnant.”

“How fast can the test give you a positive result?”

“I told you seven to ten days. I don’t know. It says that stuff on the box but I don’t remember. I left the box at the house. I was too shocked to remember everything else. I think that’s what it said. I just remember the pregnant part.”

“It’s okay. We will figure this out.” I placed my cell phone on the table. It felt awkward. I felt inept. I felt the sweat as it formed on my palms.

“Mason, I’m sorry.”

“No.” I knelt before her and grabbed her hands in mine as they rested in her lap. “You have no reason to apologize to me.”

“We just got married and now this.”

“We had sex two weeks ago and almost every day since. We don’t know. I don’t know the rules but maybe this baby is mine. Look at me. It’s okay. We will figure this out together.”

“I’m so tired of drama. I thought this would all be over.”

“Kari baby, we are together now. There is nothing that could come between us.”

“Not even another man’s baby.” She delivered the words dryly. She wanted a reaction from me but I was determined to keep my cool, although she sucker punched me with that question.

“No, not even that.” The words flowed so freely from my mouth but the truth was I had no idea where this bump in the road would lead us. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be in this Maury Povich Show situation. If I had been just a little faster, a little smarter in my attempt to win her back, this wouldn’t have happened. This is really my fault. I waited too long to make my move.

It hurts to know that Kari had every intention of marrying Jack, of producing his children. This thought hurts me but I’m determined not to show it. She had truly given up on me. It makes me doubt the sincerity and the depths of her love for me.

Fuck that shit! There really is no room for doubt. Maybe she had some bullshit feelings for Jack maybe even some low level form of love. Maybe.

Kari would have never bended so easily to my will if he had any hold over her heart. I went John Rambo on Kari and in two weeks we were married. I am the only one she truly loves. Our marriage proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt. She loves me not Malibu Ken.

I had drifted off into my thoughts and her voice jarred me back to reality.

“Mason.”

“Yeah ah don’t worry. Just make the doctor’s appointment and we can go from there.” I shrugged it off, stumbled over the words, concealing my distress and disbelief.

I saw the sudden relief that washed over her face. I wished someone could provide that same sense of relief to me. Not even I am that lucky.

CHAPTER 2

MASON

My wife made a doctor’s appointment that was three days away, three long days away. I was going to take her tomorrow after work. I didn’t know why she hadn’t moved Trey into our house. She had a few excuses but I didn’t see any need to press the issue with this baby matter lingering in the forefront of our lives.

Kari was spending fifty percent of her time at her mother’s with Trey. Most of the time it was when I was at work or with my kids so it wasn’t like she had abandoned me.

I have this gnawing feeling the doctor will
confirm my fear tomorrow but today I had other issues to confront, Tess. I didn’t bother to tell Kari where I was headed. She was sleeping peacefully and the news of the pregnancy had visible stressed her out for the last couple of days. Her face was in a slight permanent squint since she shared the news with me. She’s being really quiet, not her regular sassy self. She wouldn’t really talk to me and I think it’s for the better. I may say some stupid insensitive bullshit. I’m an asshole. Well I have some asshole tendencies so that is a definite possibility.

Kari is calm and quiet. I’m a variation of the sa
me. It’s peaceful over here at plaza de Rizza.

I made my way over to my old house. I needed privacy to talk to Tess. I also needed weed but that wasn’t in the cards. I dreaded this because I didn’t want to hurt Tess yet again. I had been a shitty husband. I had been a selfish husband. I had lived in my own world while Tess was suffering from unspeakable demons. Worst of all I had been a husband that cheated and fell in love with another woman.

I knew the kids would be asleep. I knew this had to be done. Tonight was the night. Why wait when there was no need to wait any longer. In my mind it was clear but finding the right words to soften the blow weren’t coming to me.

I used my key to enter although I called ahead. I never returned the house key. I didn’t see any reason to. I never would have even if Tess asked. I needed to have twenty-four hour access to my kids. Although Tess’ mental status seemed to be on the upswing, I just wasn’t comfortable enough to give up my key. I never really fully trusted Tess after that botched suicide attempt.

The only thing I would put up a fight for was my children. I’m glad Tess didn’t fight me for anything regarding custody. There was no way I was taking my kids every other weekend. I agreed that the children’s primary home would be with Tess. I know children need their mother.

I agreed they would attend school in the district where Tess resides. Tess didn’t contest my wishes so everything went smoothly on that front. But my current news probably won’t go over so smoothly. 

My bravery turned into urgency. I had to get this over with. Tess was loading the dishwasher when I entered the kitchen. She expected me because I had called but the words I would say to her would be far from expected.

Tess turned to face me as I approached her from the doorway. I stopped a few feet away from her. I had kept my distance from her for so long. I didn’t want her to touch me. I hadn’t touched her in so long, longer than I can even remember. I’m not sure when every single feeling inside me for Tess came to a crashing halt. It may have been when she attempted suicide. I’m not sure why it still angers me to the day.

“I made lasagna.” She chimed. There was a glint of a smile that appeared across her pale face. It was forced, I think. I’m not sure. She was trying to be nice to me, the asshole that divorced her. “Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m good.”

“I can make you a plate.” Tess was full of vigor tonight. I’m sure it was do to the prescription medication she was on.

“No really, I’m not hungry.” I casually spoke.

“It will be no trouble.”

“No I’m okay.”

“You can take some with you. Or you can stay and just have some later when you are hungry.”

I intentionally walked out of the kitchen. I was done with the topic of lasagna. The guillotine was going down. I was the one slicing. I was the one holding the rope
, the lever or whatever makes the thing sever a head from its body.

I knew Tess’ waifish body would follow me into the living room. She had been doing that a lot lately, following me, engaging me in conversation that I had no interest in. Tess was predictably clingy.

“Tess please, sit down.” I extended my hand to the couch, the place I had spent many nights alone, trying to get away from her. I would drink myself to sleep watching some random movie on cable.

“What is it?” Tess forced another smile but this one barely reached her cheeks.

“Please Tess, sit.” She slowly lowered herself to the couch. I sat in the chair to the left of her, a safe distance away.

“This must be serious?” She spewed nervously.

“Okay here’s the thing. I don’t know how to say this but to say it.” I took in a slight breath.

“With your mouth.” She said her smart-ass comment with that crazy cryptic grin of hers.

“I was gone for a few days, out of town.”

Her smile disappeared and formed a frown. “Are you leaving again?” She asked as if my departure would bring her great sorrow. Yeah right.

“No no, I went to Vegas for a few days and I’m back.” No need to beat around the bush. I’m going to give it to her straight with no chaser. “Tess, I got married in Vegas.”

Tess’ entire face shattered like a baseball thrown threw a neighbors window. I swore I could see glassy pieces of flesh crack off and break. Her middle age appeared on full display, every frown line, laugh line and crow’s feet blared in neon flashing colors. I huge gush of air flew from her mouth. Her thin bottom lip started to shiver. Shit balls, I knew this would happen.

“Mason.” Her shaky voice produced my name.

“Tess, please.”