The Same Side (University Park #2) (3 page)

Several people gathered around the center island as they chanted, “Abby… Go, Abby.” I stood on the tips of my toes, trying to get a better look, but I couldn’t over the hordes of people surrounding her. Delaney squeezed through the people, pulling me along behind her. My eyes immediately drew to the long, slender legs sitting on a stool. Legs that belonged to one of the Silicone Triplets.

Great.

The brunette’s long fingernails curved around a small glass that she held up to her mouth. She lowered the glass for a quick second, as though hesitant to take the shot, and caught my gaze. A snarky grin spread across her lips and she rolled her eyes at me. Abby tilted her head back and downed the reddish-brown liquid in one gulp. Everyone clapped and screamed as she held up her hands in victory.

“Shit! That was hot.” She fanned her mouth as she placed the glass on the counter. “Give me another one.”

“You have to do one.” Delaney pushed me toward the bar.

“What?” I tried not to shove the guy standing in front of me, but plowed right into him as she yanked me forward. “Sorry,” I apologized as I pushed past him. “Laney, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Maybe I should start slow. Like with a beer.”

“Don’t be a puss.” She wiggled us through the people until we had front row access. “I’ll do one with you.” Delaney danced to the beat of the music as she kept a watchful eye on Abby.

“Go right ahead.” Abby stepped aside as she gave both of us a once over. Delaney huffed and waved her off with a dismissive hand.

“Delaney!” someone called out. We turned, seeing Shelby dance her way toward us.

“I wanna do one,” she yelled in a singsong voice. Pushing through the crowd, she made her way to the island. When she saw me, she gave me a big smile and threw her arms around. “Hey, um, don’t tell me… Lexi.” A mixture of beer and cinnamon fanned over my face and I had to hold my breath so I wouldn’t puke all over her.

“Hey, Shelby,” I said with a restrained voice. Between the pre-party back at the stadium and the house party, I was certain they had drank their share of whatever they came across.

A short, thin guy wearing a white T-shirt with a Kappa Sig logo on the pocket was manning several bottles of liquor. He turned over three glasses and filled each one of them. “Bottoms up, girls.”

“Can I drink it slowly?” I pulled the glass toward me, unsure if I really wanted to drink it.

He laughed. “I don’t think you want to drink this stuff slowly. Unless you enjoy your tongue burning like it’s on fire.”

Delaney tossed her long, dark curls over her shoulder. “Just swallow it all at once and you’ll be fine. I promise.”

I eyed her, not believing one word she said. But, I was there to have a good time. Straightening, I picked up the glass and brought it to my lips. A hint of cinnamon layered with a strong infusion of alcohol infiltrated my nose. When the crowd around us started clapping and egging us to take the shots, I forgot all about how it would feel once it hit my tongue.

“Wait! Wait!” Shelby yelled. “On the count of three, okay?”

Delaney and I nodded. The crowd started the countdown. “One. Two. Three!”

I titled my head back as I dumped the ounce of liquor in my mouth. A burning sensation scorched my tongue as the warm liquid slid down my throat. “Ugh! What the hell was that?”

“A Fireball. Haven’t you tried one before?” the bartender asked, giving me a weird look.

All eyes navigated toward me and I shrugged.

“She just transferred here from St. Mary’s. Ya know, the Catholic university down in San Antonio,” Delaney told the group of people gawking at me.

“Yeah, I was studying to be a nun, but it didn’t work out so well,” I quickly blurted, not wanting to look like a prude.

“Oh.” The group all nodded and I wanted to laugh at how pathetic my excuse sounded.

“Do you want to do another one?” The bartender held up the bottle in his hand.

“No, that’s okay.” I started backing up. “I better start slow.”

“One more! One more!” the crowd started yelling, but I ignored them, determined to do things on my own accord.

“C’mon, Lexi!” Delaney called, but I continued pushing through the crowd.

“Don’t back out now,” Shelby added. “This party is just gettin’ started.”

I held my hand up in the air and waved bye to them. Shoving past a few people, I finally broke free, but not without stumbling.

“Whoa. You alright?” Raven reached forward and caught me before my face met the floor.

“Yeah, I just… um.” The words died in my throat as he pulled me closer toward him. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and my body tensed. I silently took in a deep breath and relaxed against his strong, muscular chest.

I could definitely get use to this.

“What’s Shelby complaining about now?” Raven’s scent swept over me and my knees weakened once more. I stared deeply into his eyes and felt myself instantly being pulled in. My mind drifted off as I became infatuated with the curve of his full lips, imagining them kissing me until I couldn’t breathe.

Raven tilted his head from side to the side, breaking my hypnosis. “How many shots did you do?”

“Just one.” I smiled. “Now I can check that off my list.”

“Good. But what did you take?”

“A Fireball.” I straightened, feeling proud that I had done it.

He gave a slight nod of approval. “I’m glad you only did one. That shit’s like sixty-six proof, it’ll knock you on your ass.”

“Is it stronger than tequila?” I placed my hand on his chest and it took all my strength not to rub the hard muscles under my fingers.

“Depends on the tequila. Cheap tequila isn’t as strong, but a good bottle is about eighty proof.” Raven sounded like he was a pro when it came to liquors and I couldn’t help but wonder what else he specialized in when it came to his reputation.

“I guess a Fireball was a good choice to start with.”

“We’ll see.” He had a sheepish grin on his face. “Just wait awhile before you do another one, okay?”

I nodded and my body relaxed even more. The liquor was taking effect quickly and I liked how it brought out a different side of me. I felt flirtatious and daring.

“Hey, have you seen Shelby?” A guy with short, blond hair placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” he pointed toward the kitchen, “she’s over there doing shots.”

“Aw, hell.” The guy shook his head and his eyes narrowed.

“Hey, Josh.” Raven grabbed his arm before he took off. “I’d like for you to meet Lexi.”

Josh stopped and turned toward me. “Lexi? The tutor?”

“Yes, the tutor.” I shook his hand and felt a little happiness filter through me at knowing that Raven had been talking about me to his friends.

“Nice to meet you, Lexi. I’m Josh Marshall.”

Raven wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “This guy here is not only my teammate, but my best friend.”

“And don’t forget roommate.”

“Oh, yeah. That, too.”

“Let’s go dance!” Delaney crashed into us, flailing her arms in the air, and shaking her body wildly.

“Damn, girl. Take it easy on the shots. We’re going to be carrying you out of here if you don’t stop.”

Delaney threw her head back as a laugh bellowed from her. “I can hang with you guys. Trust me.” Her eyes drooped. I’d never seen Delaney act so carefree.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Josh waved her off. “Where’s Shelby?”

“Right here.” Shelby shimmed up next to him, rubbing him up and down like he was a pole she was ready to swing on.

“And how many have you done?”

Shelby hiccupped and then giggled. “Enough to make this one wild night.” She winked at him. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, as if no one else was around them.

“Damn, go back to the apartment.” Raven pushed them aside and they stumbled out the front door, lip-locked the entire way.

“C’mon. I wanna dance.” Delaney started gyrating to the beat of the music and I couldn’t help dancing along with her. Latching on to my hand, she pulled me to the great room where the music blared. I gripped Raven’s hand and brought him with us.

“No, that’s alright,” he protested, but didn’t stop me from leading him toward the makeshift dance floor.

The floor shook beneath our feet as the lyrics to
Moves Like Jagger
filled the air. We huddled in a group, dancing like we were trying out for a music video. Delaney sang and I didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop, even though she sounded horrible. Raven laughed as he watched Delaney sing with her eyes closed and I shook my head at her silly impersonation.

It didn’t take long for the cute guy with spikey blond hair that we’d seen after the game to make his appearance. With finite moves, he worked his way across the dance floor until he was dancing behind her. Delaney turned when he neared the side of her face. I waited for her to push him away, but instead, she started moving against him.

I looked away, not wanting to know what she was going to do. Did my brother know she was here? Not wanting to get involved with their complicated relationship, I turned my focus to Raven.

His skin shimmered under the array of disco lights flashing across the room, mesmerizing me. Our eyes locked and he grabbed my hands, raising them high above our heads.

His body rocked against mine and my body claimed his instantly, moving in perfect sync.

Oh dear God.

The friction of his body against mine caused my breath to hitch in my throat. The room began to spin to the point where I thought I was going to faint. The movements from his hips told me that if I would’ve asked him to go home with me, he would’ve cradled me in arms like a football and sprinted to his car. I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs because I refused to pass out. The experience was too damn good to miss.

He pulled me closer, rubbing his cheek along the side of my face. A strangled sound escaped from my throat and I was glad the music covered it up.

When he started singing to me, my heart totally freaked out. The entire room froze as Raven lured me in, one line at a time. The words described our situation perfectly. I was broken and scared, ready for him to make me believe that he had that key.

I was definitely a member of The Raven’s trap. No questions asked. We exchanged another silent understanding, like the day outside the library, and I had to remind myself that handing over my virginity might end it all. Ignoring the warning, I decided to tease him. Lacing my fingers around his neck, I sang in his ear, telling him that I wanted him to take control. I was ready for him to own me tonight. I was ready for him to rub me right from head to toe. But dare I share my secret and tell him I was a virgin?

Raven dug his fingers into my hair and his full lips covered mine. My stomach tensed and then relaxed. The room spun around us and I responded fervently, moving my lips against his and sliding my tongue into his mouth. He tasted like beer and gum, but I didn’t care. I could have kissed him until my lips turned blue and even then, I’m sure they would have to bury me with my lips puckered.

Maybe I was ready to hand over my virginity. Tonight.

Σ

Chapter 3

The night ended too soon thanks to Delaney. I knew she had taken too many of those burning shots. I was glad it was her instead of me, even though I was the one that was supposed to be having a great time, since it was my first party. In all honesty, other than the Silicone Triplets
showing up, the night had been exciting and thrilling. Being with Raven was unexplainably incredible.

“Laney, why are you crying?” She had one arm hooked around me and the other one around Raven. Her feet dragged as we stumbled across the grass to Raven’s car.

“Why…” she sobbed and moaned, “why doesn’t he want to talk to me?”

“I’ve got her, just open the door.” Raven handed me the keys as he held on to Delaney. I unlocked the car and then pushed the seat forward. “You better not throw up in my car,” Raven told her as I helped him lay her in the backseat. “That’s all I’m asking.”

“I’m not going to throw up.” Delaney’s words slurred from her mouth as she wiped her tears away. “I never throw up.”

“Maybe we should put her in the front?” I moved my hair away from face and took a deep breath. “Just in case she has to puke.”

“It’s only a few blocks. Hopefully she’ll be alright.”

“Okay.”

Raven waited for me to get in the car before he shut the door. The kind gesture reminded me of the sweet things Collin would do for me and I shook my head, determined to stop thinking about the past. I turned around to check on Delaney and saw that she held her phone close to her chest.

“Why won’t he text me back?” she whined.

Raven started the car and with the help of one of his frat buddies, backed out onto the street. Cars lined both sides of the road and it was a narrow squeeze all the way to the dorm.

“Darn. Is the whole school at the party?”

“That’s nothing.” Raven motioned with his hand. “I think we only had about half the crowd we normally have.”

“Seriously?” I looked down both sides of a street we passed and saw the never-ending line of cars parked everywhere. There wasn’t an open spot for blocks.

“Yeah. I think students are still out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday.”

“Wow. I can’t even imagine a party with more people.”

“What the hell is she crying about?” Raven ran a hand down his face and I could tell Delaney’s complaining was wearing on him as well.

I turned around to face her. “Delaney, what’s wrong?”

She held up her phone. “He doesn’t want to talk to me. Ever.”

I grabbed the phone from her hand. Luke’s name appeared at the top of her text messages. Not wanting to get in the middle of their spat, I handed the phone back to her, refusing to read the messages.

“She’s fighting with my brother,” I sighed.

“Call him for me,” she begged.

“No.” I adjusted the seat belt and turned to face the front. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

“But you have to tell him that I didn’t do anything wrong.”