A Different Side (University Park #4) (61 page)

I quickly wiped my palms on my pants and then took her left hand in mine. Several guys whistled and Lexi shoulder’s curved inward. Excitement and worry crashed against her features, but I pressed forward, hoping I wouldn’t regret my impatience.

“Lexi Thompson,” I smiled, pausing. My eyes watered and my nose stung with the threat of tears. I bowed my head, staring at the floor as I tried to compose my emotions. I’d never felt so much love for someone before and I knew, deep within my heart, she was the one for me.

A crowd quickly formed around us, clapping and cheering as they guessed what was coming next. Shelby pointed her phone directly at us, recording the entire scene. Delaney had her camera in hand, snapping picture after picture. We had more attention than the football team after winning a game.

After a few swallows and several deep breaths, I reconnected my gaze to Lexi’s. I took a moment to capture every part of her into my memory. She was amazingly beautiful and I couldn’t wait to tell her every day. I had no idea what to say, but I reached deep inside of me and pulled the words she had written on my heart from the first time I saw her.

“Since the day I met you in the writing lab…” I turned and faced the crowd, “yes, she was my tutor.” A few people laughed and I shrugged off my confession. I turned my attention back to her. “I knew you were someone very special. Little did I know you would be that special someone for me. I know the past few months have been a little rough, but there’s no one I’d rather have by my side than you. You are truly an angel sent from heaven, and I don’t want to let another day pass by without you knowing how much I love you. Lexi, not only have you helped me find a new and better life, but you have also showed me it is possible with you. You are my new beginning and I want you to be my ending.” My voice broke as tears filled my eyes. “I love you, Lexi.”

Lexi’s lips turned into a huge smile and tears streaked her flushed cheeks. “Oh, Raven, I love you, too.”

“Lexi Thompson, I guess what I’m saying is…” I knelt to one knee, ready to ask for her heart to be mine forever. With our fingers interlocked and our eyes connected, I continued, “…will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Raven Davenport for the rest of your life?” I reached into my jacket and pulled out the small, burgundy box. I popped open the lid and held the ring for her to see.

A gasped escaped her lips and she covered her mouth with one hand. Her eyes continued to water and she looked at the box in my trembling palm. It took a moment for my proposal to register and with each passing second, I prayed she’d say yes. I would do whatever I needed to prove my love for her and most of all, keep her trust.

Her head slowly bobbed up and down in a succession of movements. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you,” she said with confidence and vigor, erasing all fear and concern in a matter of seconds.

She leaped into my arms and I caught her, twirling her around until the room spun around us.

Lexi said yes! Thank you, God!

Her arms wrapped around my neck and she kissed me over and over, expressing how much she loved me. I kissed her back, promising to show her that she made the right decision. I’d love her with my whole heart and prove we were meant to be together — forever.

Σ

Chapter 40

The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.

~Audrey Hepburn

We were backed up for miles on State Highway 100 and Josh was getting more irritated by the minute. This was nothing new. Every year students drove south during the middle of March to soak up the warm Texas sun in South Padre Island and we were just another vehicle caught in the traffic jam. The best thing about this trip — I had my fiancée with me and things couldn’t be better.

It took some convincing, but Lexi finally agreed to the trip. Josh promised her no wild parties, no all-night drinking binges, and absolutely no drugs. Which was all fine by me. I didn’t need those things in my life anymore. I had exactly what I wanted: Lexi Thompson. The most beautiful, sweet, and loving girl I’d ever met. Life was definitely on the upswing and things were changing for the better.

“Damn. Come on people,” Josh huffed and wiped his forehead for the umpteenth time. “Quit looking around and just go.” A line of cars stretched across the two-lane highway through the small town of Laguna Heights. Stucco buildings and Spanish style houses lined the highway as townspeople struggled to get to and from their short destinations. Every corner store was jammed packed with college age students, topping off their tanks and loading up with beer and food. I’m sure they hated the traffic, but loved the business.

“I can drive the rest of the way,” I offered.

Josh ignored me and looked out his driver window, sighing in frustration. Shelby leaned over and stroked his hair. “Maybe you should let Raven drive for a while. You’ve been behind the wheel since we left. I know you’re tired.”

“Oh my God! I see the ocean!” Lexi yelped as the sight of the bay came into view. Hearing the excitement in her voice made me smile. I had delivered on my promise to bring her to the ocean and she was seeing it for the first time in her life. She lowered her window, allowing the warm ocean breeze to sweep through the truck. With her arms resting on the door, she took in the beautiful sight I’d seen several times. But seeing it with her made it even more special.

“That’s actually the bay. Once we cross the bridge, you’ll get a nice view of the ocean.” Josh breathed out a heavy breath.

“Lexi, you want to sit up front?” Shelby asked as she unfastened her seat belt.

She nodded enthusiastically, like a little kid, and it was so adorable. “Yes, please.”

Josh put the truck in park. “Go ahead and drive, Raven. Shel and I will get in the back.”

“Alright, bro.”

I flung my door open and jogged around to the driver side. Cars honked as we switched seats with Josh and Shelby. I waved them off. It wasn’t like they had anywhere to go. With a front window view, Lexi was able to see the blue water that followed the highway for miles.

“Are you excited?” I latched on to her hand.

“Yeah.” She stroked her fingers across my skin, causing tiny bumps to form. “Is it that obvious?”

“You’ve been smiling since you found out we were going.” I’m sure her cheeks were sore from the constant expression, but it was nice to know how she felt.

“That’s because I’m so happy. Happy we’re engaged and happy we’re here.” She glanced at her ring again. Joe was right, she loved it — at least…I hoped she did. I didn’t ask her, opting for her to tell me otherwise.

“Are you really that happy?” I searched the depths of her brown eyes for a few seconds.

“Yes, I really am.” Her eyes widened, allowing me to see the sincerity in her words. And it was blatant. Then she squeezed them tightly shut and giggled. “And I can’t wait to hit the beach with you.”

“We’re going to have a great time.” I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her ring finger while keeping one eye on the road. “Just like I promised you.”

We hadn’t discussed any specifics and I had no idea when we’d seal the deal. I wanted to finish school first and hopefully land with a pro team before we got married. Lexi would probably be okay with that, too. Knowing she accepted my proposal was enough for now.

“We probably won’t hit the island for another hour. If you want, we’ll go straight to the house so you can see the ocean before the sun sets. Then we can grab a bite to eat and head to the store afterwards,” Josh said.

“Works for me.” Lexi winked at me and I smiled. Seeing her happy made my heart soar.

“That’s fine.” I told Josh, glancing in the rearview mirror. His head rested against the chair and his ball cap covered his eyes.

Thirty minutes later, we made it to Port Isabel, a small town on the other side of the island. It had your small town feel with mom and pop shops along with a few chain restaurants and a Walmart, of course.

“Are we going over that?” Lexi leaned forward as we approached the Queen Isabella Causeway, the two-mile bridge connecting Port Isabel to South Padre Island. She looked at me and then turned to Josh.

“Yeah,” he muttered underneath his cap. “That’s the only way to get to the island, unless you want us to catch a ferry.”

“No. It’s fine.” A nervous giggle came from her. She seemed a little apprehensive about driving over it. “I’ve never been on a bridge that crossed that much water.”

“We’ll be fine.” I rubbed her leg, trying to ease her worry.

The light turned green and I entered the massive bridge. I had to admit, crossing the bridge was a little daunting. Knowing a barge hit the bridge and knocked out a huge section back in 2001 made me brace the steering wheel tighter. I wasn’t going to scare her and tell her that, though. Or that eight people died when their vehicles plunged into the water.

I pushed that memory from my mind and took in the breathtaking ocean surrounding us instead. The water rippled, creating little white caps as boats passed through it. No doubt, I loved the ocean and beach. Lexi leaned out the window and yelled, “Woohoo!” We laughed and Josh stuck his head out the window, yelling too. I couldn’t believe it took Lexi twenty years and three-hundred and sixty-two days to see the ocean.

We crossed the bridge and arrived on the small two-square-mile island. Palm trees swayed in the salty breeze and the thick, humid air made it a little hard to breathe. College students cruised up and down the main strip, shuffling in and out of local eateries and T-shirt shops lit up with bright neon lights. What I liked best about this island was the small town feel and not the big city resort, like Florida or Mexico.

“Make a right, just before the Holiday Inn.” Josh leaned between the front seats as we headed down the strip.

“Yeah, I remember.” I moved to the far right lane, preparing to turn.

“You’ve been here before?” Lexi asked.

“Yeah. The past two years.” I shot her a quick glance when she didn’t say anything. Based on her silence, I gathered she was a little bothered by it.

I stopped at the gate. “What’s the code?”

“Thirty-five fourteen,” Josh said.

With my pointer finger, I punched in the code and the wrought iron entry opened. I drove slowly across the pebbled drive leading to a small nested community of beachside condos. The Marshalls’ house stood three stories tall, overlooking the blue waters of the Gulf Coast. Their house was one of the larger ones and definitely one of the nicer ones. Lexi didn’t say anything, just stared at the houses as we passed. They were slightly bigger than her parents’ house, so I figured she felt right at home with the million-dollar structures.

I pulled into the three-car garage and parked Josh’s truck. “Whose car is that?” Lexi asked, glancing at the jeep next to us.

“It’s an extra car we keep here,” Josh said as we got out of the vehicle. “If we fly down, we have it here to get around the island.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.” Lexi waved off his comment, as though she was accustomed to similar conveniences. I hadn’t asked her much about her parents, but when she told me her annual skiing trip was canceled, I wondered where she’d traveled to and what she was used to. I wouldn’t be able to offer anything close to what they done. Shacking up at my buddy’s parents’ house was the best I could offer for now.

I tossed the keys to Josh and he opened the door. We entered the house through the kitchen and he turned on the lights. Iridescent colors reflected across the ceiling from the crystal light fixtures hanging over the kitchen island. Shiny white cabinets, black quartz counters, and stainless steel appliances gave the kitchen a rich, modern look. Very different from the last time I was here.

“What the hell?” Josh continued turning on lights as he walked into the living area. “Dad let Mom do all this?”

“Man, she went all out this time.” Shelby ran her foot across the shaggy, light grey rug. “We’re going to have a hard time keeping this place clean.” Her eyes drifted to the white leather couch and I had second thoughts about sitting on them.

“No shit.” He shook his head. “Why the hell would she get wood floors? If there’s a hurricane, this wood is gone.”

“It’s not wood.” Shelby knelt and ran her hand over the surface. “It’s ceramic.”

I tapped my foot on the floor. “Never seen tile floor that looks like wood.”

“Shit,” Josh huffed. “If they make it, my mom knows about it. Trust me.”

“Sounds like my mom.” Lexi laughed.

I cringed at the thought of her mom. Although her dad and I seemed to get along, I hadn’t tried to reconcile with her mother. Then again, neither had Lexi.

“My mom needs to meet your mom.”

Oh, hell no!

Lexi didn’t respond to Josh, and I knew she was probably saying the same thing I was. I’d told Josh about her mom and he thought she was one bat-shit crazy woman, too. He wasn’t serious about their moms meeting.

In front of the living area, near the front entrance, a black, baby grand piano caught Lexi’s eye. “Oh wow. A piano.” She headed straight for it, dropping her handbag to the floor. She lifted the keyboard cover and scrolled her fingers across the keys. I hadn’t heard her play in a while. No doubt, I missed listening to her talented fingers create beautiful music.

“Sit down and play.” I stood behind her, rubbing my hand along her back.

“I’ll play later.” She relaxed against my chest and let out a slight sigh. “As long as you’ll sing with me.”

“Have you heard this guy sing?” Josh placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah, and he’s not bad.” Lexi winked at me.

I shook my head. “I’m not that good.”

“Whatever.” Josh propped his arm against the piano. “So, you play?”

“Does she play?” I huffed. “She plays like John Legend.”

“What?” Lexi gasped, placing her hand on her chest. “I do not.”

“Relax.” I laughed as I gathered her in my arms. Lexi hadn’t learned how to accept my compliments. “She’s really good, man.” I continued to praise her ability, sensing she’d never received that in the past. That would be one thing I’d remember to do: praise and compliment her daily.