A Different Side (University Park #4) (28 page)

I unlocked the doors and Lexi opened the passenger side.

“I love your Challenger,” Delaney said as she got in the back.

“Thanks,” I told Delaney and then greeted Lexi with a smile, watching her every move. No doubt, she would be a distraction. A good distraction, though. Thankfully, Delaney was in the back, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself.

I revved up the engine and raced down the narrow drive and onto the main street. The sun was quickly disappearing behind the low hanging clouds, setting in a chill, reminding us Texas winter was on the way. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lexi wrap her coat around her body.

“Cold?” I asked.

“Yeah, a little.”

I turned up the heat and reached for her hand. Lexi interlaced her fingers with mine and I held on tightly. The emotion transferring between our fingertips told me she had some deep feelings and I wanted to cherish every minute of it.

“Hey, did your mom want us to bring anything?” Lexi asked as we passed a grocery store.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t think to ask.”

“We should probably bring a dessert or something.” Lexi pointed behind us at the store I’d just passed.

“Yeah, I think we should.” Delaney leaned between the two front seats.

“Okay.” I made a U-turn at the next light and pulled into the parking lot.

Lexi opened the door and they both got out of the car. “We’ll be right back.”

“I got this,” Delaney replied.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Delaney urged Lexi to get back in the car. “Is apple pie and vanilla ice cream okay?”

“I guess.” Lexi turned to me as she sat back down.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” I reached in my pocket and pulled out some money. “Here’s a twenty.” I waved the money in front of Lexi and she took it, handing it to Delaney.

“That’s okay.” Delaney protested. “I’m the one who asked for this favor, I can at least bring something.”

I shrugged. “Okay.” Lexi handed me the twenty and I stuffed it back in my pocket.

She closed the door. “Thanks for agreeing to help Delaney.”

For some reason, those words struck a chord within me. I wanted to help Delaney but something told me it was going to bring up things about my past. Things I didn’t want to discuss…things that stirred those demons within me.

“Raven.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Lexi placed her hand on my arm. “She’ll understand.”

I scanned through the radio stations and stopped when I heard
Boom Clap
playing. I turned toward Lexi and she shifted closer to me. Maybe it was the lyrics or just the way Lexi was looking at me, but the tension eased. I let out a full breath. “I’m not going to lie to you, this project of hers will stir up some past hurts.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have offered for you to help her. It really wasn’t my place.”

Lexi had good intentions and I wasn’t mad at what she did. Even though I’d been interviewed several times, I’d never divulged everything about my past. I wasn’t sure I wanted to yet, but I knew there were things I needed to let go of. “But that’s just it. I do want to do this. I’ve been holding it all in, maybe this will help me.” I glanced at her. “Like bring some closure or serve as therapy.”

“I’m definitely no therapist,” she touched both sides of my face, “but like I told you, I’m here for you.”

Lexi’s touch was so soothing, comforting. It made everything seem so much better. She made me feel strong and I wanted to take that step and change my life for the better. “I don’t know what it is, but when I’m with you, I feel like I can conquer the world, like I can defeat any obstacle that I encounter. You’ve been more than a tutor to me, you know that?”

She tilted her head. “Damn, Raven, you make me sound like I’m your heroine or something.”

“That’s because you are. Being around you does something to me. I want to be good…do everything right.” I took her hand and raised it to my lips, giving her a tender kiss. Our eyes met and for a moment, we simply stared at each other. “My world is so much better with you in it, Lexi.”

She took several deep breaths. The words were a little shocking for her to hear, but it was the truth and she needed to know exactly how I felt about her. Her eyes softened and she held my gaze. “When I’m with you, I feel so safe. I know there’s nothing in this world that I can’t face.” She covered her mouth, trying to hide a snicker. “I do have to admit something, though.”

“What’s that?”

“When I’m around you, I want to be bad.” She dragged her finger down my chest. “A very bad and crazy girl.”

Aw hell.

Was she ready to change her good girl status? If that was the signal, I was more than ready to help her. My eyes bore into her, trying to gauge her readiness. By the way her chest was heaving, and the hunger circling in her eyes, I knew the answer. I captured her lips with mine and she responded eagerly, kissing me like she couldn’t get enough of me. And I couldn’t get enough of her. I was ready to take her right there. Her hands spread across my chest and up to my shoulders. She squeezed them tightly, kneading them between her fingers. My hands flew to her waist and I pulled her closer to me. She started to cross over the console and suddenly stopped.

A low moan escaped and her eyes slowly opened. “Sorry.” She licked her lips and I wanted more of her. Her taste was so sweet, like a drug that lures you in slowly and then takes over, rendering your entire body useless. It took all of my self-control not to pull her into the backseat, but I knew Delaney would be back any minute. I also had to remind myself Lexi was in control — not me. One wrong move could end it all. Besides, if she really wanted me, she wouldn’t have stopped.

“Remember what I told you. You don’t ever have to apologize to me for anything you do.”

She straightened her shirt and fixed her hair. “You also said that you wouldn’t do anything unless I asked you to. Is that still true?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Because when it comes to you, Lexi, I don’t want to screw things up. The last thing I want you to think is that you’re just another girl to me, because you’re not.” I hoped she sensed the sincerity in my words because they were coming from the deepest part of me. “You’re so much more.”

Her eyes glazed over with moisture. “Good, because I want to be so much more.”

That was exactly what I wanted to hear.

“So, you’re not keeping count of why you shouldn’t be with me?”

She paused for a second. “Oh, you mean the fifteen reasons I gathered?”

I grinned. “Yes. Are you still keeping count?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m actually thinking of all the reasons I should be with you.”

Score!

“I was hoping you were going to say that because all I know is that together we will stand tall, but apart we will fall.”

“Oh my God,” she snickered. “Is that another one of those sayings you’ve heard?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” I nuzzled her ear, trying to entice her to kiss me again. “I just like the way it sounds.”

Just as our lips brushed against each other, Delaney knocked on the window. I pulled back and Lexi opened the door for Delaney to crawl into the back.

“Damn, were y’all making out or what? The windows are all fogged up and it’s hot as hell in here,” Delaney huffed.

“Sorry.” I cracked the window and turned the defrost on high.

No one said anything else and I wasn’t sure if I had embarrassed Lexi, but I kept quiet. I drove through several neighborhoods before pulling up to the small wooden framed house. “It’s not much, but my mom makes the best of it,” I announced, imagining the house Lexi probably grew up in.

“I think it’s charming.” Lexi opened the door and got out of the car.

“Oh, it is cute. I like it,” Delaney huffed, as she crawled out of the backseat.

“Thanks.” I took the grocery bags with the dessert from Lexi and led them to the door. I gave a warning knock and then opened the door. “We’re here.”

The smell of my mom’s cooking filtered through the house and my mouth watered. Nothing like a good home cooked meal. My brothers sat on the leather sectional playing video games, like they did every Sunday. Trey gave a slight nod and continued playing, not bothering to get up.

“Raven! You’re home.” Ashton tossed his controller to the side and ran toward me. “Great game!” He high-fived me with a big smile revealing a mouthful of wires and rubber bands. “You kicked their butts.”

“We sure did!” I said, rubbing his head. “I’d like you to meet some of my friends. This is Lexi and Delaney.”

“Nice to meet you, Ashton,” Lexi said, shaking his hand.

“You kind of resemble your brother.” Delaney smiled at him and waved.

“Hey, Trey, put the game on pause for a minute.” I motioned for him to come over to where we were standing.

Mom walked into the living room, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. Her bleach blonde hair and fair skin was a stark contrast to mine, but we shared the same smile and eye color. “Hi. I’m Trish Williams, Raven’s mom.” Her strong Louisiana accent broke through.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Williams.” Lexi shook her hand and traded a few glances between her and me.

“Please, call me Trish.”

“Thanks for inviting us to dinner, Trish. A home cooked meal is always nice.” Delaney gave my mom a hug, as if she knew her.

“Sure. I’m glad you guys could break away from studying.” Mom leaned in and I wrapped my arm around her, giving her a hug. “How was Thanksgiving? Your granny sure missed you.”

“Okay. Josh’s family made a great dinner.” I kissed her on the forehead. “But not as good as yours.”

“I brought some leftovers home so you can take a plate back to your apartment.” Mom gave me a tight squeeze. “I’m so proud of you. You played like a champ. We all watched the game. Your aunts and uncles, too.” She looked over her shoulder. “Trey, where are your manners?”

“Huh?” He looked up for a quick second.

“Get over here now,” she scolded.

Trey took his time getting up and Mom’s eyes narrowed. I knew she would give him a piece of her mind when we left.

“Hey, what’s up?” He held out a limp hand, showing no interest.

“Hi, I’m Lexi.” She shook his hand and smiled. “And this is my friend, Delaney.”

“How’s it going?” Delaney gave Trey a big smile, but he didn’t say anything. I hadn’t had a chance to have that brother-to-brother chat with him. It looked like things weren’t getting any better. I needed to make it a point to talk to him later. He dragged his feet through the living room, grabbed the remote, and fell to the couch.

“We brought dessert. Apple pie and ice cream.” Delaney pointed to the bag in my hand.

“Thank you.” Mom took the sack. “You girls want to help me in the kitchen?”

“Sure.” Delaney followed her.

As Lexi started toward the kitchen, I latched on to her hand. “I’ll be playing a game with my brothers.” I shot her a wink as she turned to look at me.

“Okay.” She held on to my hand, keeping a steady gaze as she walked toward the kitchen. The space increased between us and our hands separated. I was so damn pathetic. No matter how hard I tried to fight the feeling, I couldn’t. I was so ready to run away with her, just so we could spend each passing minute together.

Instead of going to the couch, I stood in the hallway, eavesdropping on the conversation between Lexi, Delaney, and my mom. I knew it was wrong, but I really wanted to know what my mom was going to tell them. Between the gunshots and the yells coming from the TV, I could barely make out what they were saying. All I heard was something about setting the table and Lexi helping me with my writing.

They were definitely talking about me.

“You gonna play or just stand there?” Trey asked.

After a series of loud, thunderous rolls, I gave up. “Yeah, I’ll play with you.”

I sat next to my brothers and grabbed a remote. We played Madden NFL and all I could think about was going pro. For whatever reason, this past week’s game brought me closer to reaching my goal. With the season being over, I’d be entering my last year of playing for PHU before long. Although I had spoken with a few scouts, I didn’t have an agent and I knew I needed to seriously start considering my next steps.

Delaney and Lexi walked into the living room. “Time to eat,” Lexi announced, and I nodded. The game was tied and it was fourth and goal for Trey. No way was I going to let him beat me.

“Your mom said to go wash your hands. Now,” Delaney roared and we all turned to look at her. With hands on her hips and a narrowed eye, we knew she meant business.

I motioned for Trey to put the game on pause.

“Why do they jump when you tell them to do something and do nothing when I asked?” Lexi complained.

I leaned forward and kissed Lexi on the forehead. “You just need to add a little oomph to the request. That’s all.” We rushed into the bathroom, fighting for the sink. Some things never change.

We sat around the kitchen table, eating Mom’s pot roast, mashed potatoes, and sweet kernel corn. And damn, it was good. Trey finally warmed up and told Lexi and Delaney how proud he was of me. It was good to hear how he wanted to follow my path and play football in college. I just hoped he didn’t get caught up in the shit that threatened to destroy me because he was good. Really good.

Ashton got along with the girls, joking and laughing the entire time. He was so different from Trey. A little more like me, but more of a jokester. He was just as talented, playing football for his middle school. I had high hopes for him, too.

“Trey, Ashton, do me a favor and clear the table while I get the pictures.” Mom motioned for them to help.

“Can I help with anything?” Lexi started to stand.

“No, you girls have done enough. The boys can wash the dishes.”

I definitely didn’t want to do the dishes, so I quickly thought about the sweets Delaney bought. “Who wants dessert?”

“I’ll take a slice with ice cream,” Lexi replied.

“Do you want your pie hot?” I jumped at the opportunity, cocking a brow.

Lexi cleared her throat and her cheeks flushed a tinge of pink.