I Get A Kick Out of You

Chapter 32

"Mom! Mom, look what I got!" Ben was about to tell Ethan that he should probably be quiet or even wait to show his tenth home run ball to Cassie because she might be resting...but who is he to stop this excited boy to show his mom an amazing accomplishment? Besides, Ethan was already up the stairs, so Ben wouldn't have been heard anyways.

Cassie jolted awake from her much needed nap when Ethan came sprinting in. "Mom, look!" He jumped onto the bed next to her and shoved a ball in her face. "Oh, wow," she groggily told him. Ben leaned against the doorway and chuckled at the sight.

She took the ball and looked it over. "I'll frame this up, I promise, but I need some sleep, baby, I'm sorry. Good job today, I'm so proud." She kissed her hand, then placed it on his head. Ethan seemed very disappointed.

"Ethan," Ben softly called, "come on, let's let her rest." He got up from the bed with a sigh and trudged out of the room. Ben closed the bedroom door, then said, "Hey. She really is proud of you, you know that? She's just a bit too sick to show it like she usually does. I promise, once she's better, she's going to be smothering you in kisses like she always does."

Ethan tried to act disgusted, but Ben knew he loved it when she did that.

"Go on and play some video games while I get dinner sorted."

Dinner was Ethan's favorite. Ben learned how to make it from Cassie, though he knew it wasn't nearly as good. Nevertheless, Ethan was grateful and ate every last bite he was given. Once they both cleaned up the kitchen, Ben brought the dessert out and popped in the rated R movie Ethan picked out.

Once they were all nice and full and fully invested into the movie, Ethan leaned back against Ben to get comfortable. Ben smiled at this and put his arm around him to hold him close. Ben didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until the ending of the movie startled him awake.

When he looked down to Ethan, he saw he was sleeping, as well. Ben turned off the movie, then picked up Ethan and got him to bed. He made sure his shoes were off before tucking him in, then went to check on Cassie.

Much to his surprise, she was wide awake. "Hey, baby," he said, "how are you feeling?" She sat up slowly against the backboard of the bed as he sat down next to her. "Better," she told him, "but, um...Ben, listen, there's something...there's something I need to tell you."

He could see her hands wring in nervousness. He took them for comfort and gave them a soft squeeze. "Of course," he told her. "What is it?" She started sniffling, but he couldn't tell if it was from the flu or if she was getting upset.

"Ben," she shakily said, "I...I slept with Joel. I slept with him when we were taking our break." Ben felt like a freight train had hit him. Yes, they were on a break, but what the hell? He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Um...okay. Why...why are you telling me this?"

He took his hands out of her's and shifted uncomfortably. This did not go unnoticed by Cassie. As a matter of fact, she expected it. It's all she's been thinking about. She wasn't actually asleep when they got home, she pretended to be so she could be left alone. She felt bad, but she needed to think and she needed to think hard.

"Because," she carefully said, "fuck. Okay, I'm just going to go out and say it because this is so...so difficult. Um...I...I'm pregnant and I'm not sure who's it is. I want to be straight forward with you because I would hate for this baby to be Joel's and make you think it's actually your's and...Ben? Are you okay?"

Ben was staring open mouthed at her. "Did...did you just ask if I was okay?" He scoffed. "Cass...you just told me that you're pregnant and that it could be your ex-husband's. No! No, I'm not okay!" He quickly stood up from the bed and started pacing around the room.

Cassie slowly got up—her body was weak from the sickness and pregnancy taking its toll—as she weakly told him, "Ben. Ben, I'm so sorry. Listen, I went over to his place to discuss the days we were going to have Ethan and I needed a few drinks to calm my nerves. I drank too much and he took advantage of that."

Ben stopped his pacing and looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "How many drinks did you have?" He asked, the lawyer in him coming out. She tried to think back as she told him, "Uh...maybe, like, three? He got me my favorite wine and I just couldn't stop drinking it!"

He went over to her, his eyebrows still showing signs of confusion. "Was it already open? When you got there, was it open? You don't get drunk off of three glasses of wine, Cassie, not even off a bottle. Did you have anything before you went over there?"

She didn't know where in the hell he was headed, but said, "No, I didn't have anything before and yes, he opened it in the kitchen while I waited in his so-called living room. Why?" Ben shook his head as he ran a hand down his face.

"The fucker drugged you," he said. "I've seen this in more than enough cases over the years. He drugged you because he wanted you to agree to something you wouldn't remember." Cassie couldn't believe this. She literally couldn't because Joel wasn't capable of something like that!

"Ben, Joel isn't that type of guy," she defended. "Besides, I remember it happening. Maybe I had an empty stomach or something and that got me drunk quicker." Ben shook his head as he told her, "So, he gave you half a pill. Cass, even on an empty stomach, that much wouldn't get to you!"

Cassie kept shaking her head, as if to get the idea out of her head. "No," she said, "no. The only way you can get me to believe that, is if he admitted it himself. Look, I'm pregnant and I'm...I'm scared, Ben! I want it to be your's, but I'm just really not sure what in the hell I'm going to do if Joel's and—and..."

Ben went up to her and cupped her face. "Cassie, baby, I need you to calm down for me. If you think I'm not freaking out, you're bloody insane. I want this baby to be mine, of course I do. Nothing in this world would make me happier, but...but if it's Joel's, I..."

He seemed to be at a loss for words. "...I would really need to think about some things," he concluded. She understood that, but it didn't make it hurt any less. "Ben," she started t cry, "I am so sorry. I swear, I wouldn't have done it, not in million years, but...but I don't know! I don't know what came over me!"

Ben put his hands on his hips as he told her, "I still think he drugged you. I mean, I get the man was your husband, but after all he's done to you, there's no way you would have willingly done that. Three glasses of wine got you drunk? You really believe that?"

She couldn't help but think back to that night and remember how she told Joel that the wine tasted funny. It was her favorite wine, so she knows what it's supposed to taste like. He told her it was probably because it had been sitting out for a while and she didn't think anything of it.

Ben was right, though, there's no way she could get that drunk off of three glasses. She's taken four tequila shots that only made her tipsy. That wasn't even in her younger days, that was earlier this year! But Joel could never do that to her. He wasn't that type of guy!

Then again...she never thought he'd be the type to cheat on her.

Shaking her head away from those thoughts, she told him, "I'm going to make an appointment to see how far along I am. Hopefully that'll tell us more on who's it could be." He nodded as he told her, "Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. May I come with you?"

"Really?" She asked. "You want to come even though it might not be your's?" Sighing, he set one hand on her arm and placed the other on her stomach. "Darling, whether it's mine or not, I still love you. I still care about your well-being. Besides, this is something you shouldn't have to go through alone. So, if you'll have me, I'd love to come with."

Cassie thought she was going to burst into tears. She never saw him doing this, which she shamed herself for. The most caring and loving man she's ever known and she didn't think he'd offer his support? She was disappointed in herself.

"I would...I would like that very much, Ben. Thank you, this means the world." He placed a loving kiss on her forehead, then turned away. "Let me know when the appointment is and I'll clear my schedule."

He didn't sound enthusiastic, or even like he really cared. Cassie tried not to think too much of it because...well, why would he if this wasn't his baby?