The Same Side (University Park #2) (32 page)
Read The Same Side (University Park #2) Online
Authors: Cm Doporto
His mom nodded. “Yes, I understand.”
“Thank you, doctor.” I hugged the man, even though I didn’t know him and turned to Trish. “If you want to see him first, I understand.”
“It’s okay. You go ahead.” She wiped her eyes and sniffed. “He needs to see you, not me.”
“Thanks, Trish.” I gave her another quick hug. “I won’t be long.”
“Go.” Her quivering lips formed a lopsided smile as she pushed me toward the double doors.
“He’s in room sixteen.” The doctor smiled and stepped aside.
I raced down the hall, dodging a few nurses on the way as I looked for his room. A sign on the wall pointed toward the end of the hall and I ran toward it. The hallway seemed to extend with every step I took and I increased my speed until I finally reached the door.
The large door was slightly ajar and a low light filtered through the crack. I slipped through the opening and gasped when I saw Raven laying on the hospital bed with wires connected to his arms as several monitors kept tabs on his vitals. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful as his chest rose and fell in steady movements. Thank God, he was alive.
I tiptoed to his bed and eased beside him. Taking his hand in mine, I held on to it and raised it to my lips. I kissed his fingers and then pressed his palm to my cheek, dying to feel his touch. His hands were cold and didn’t hold the usual warmth that I had grown accustomed to. I figured it was because he’d nearly died and it would take a while for his body temperature to get back to normal. Damn, he made me so mad. I wanted to yell at him and kiss him at the same time.
As I lowered his hand, he stirred and his eyes cracked open. “Le-xi?”
Tears streamed down my cheeks and my heart leaped at the sound of his voice. It felt so good to hear him call my name. “Yes, it’s me. I’m here.”
He cleared his throat a few times as if struggling to talk. “What are you doing here?”
“Shh.” I rested his hand next to him. “You’re going to be okay.”
He shifted and kicked the thin sheet that covered him. “Is it really you?” He cupped my cheek with his hand and sighed.
“Yeah, babe, it’s really me.” Instinctively, I placed my hand on top of his, relishing in his familiar touch.
It felt so good.
So right.
“I never thought I’d see you again.” He blinked slowly as he flashed me a lopsided smile.
“Well, here I am.” My heart soared and unfettered emotions flayed from me. Never had I felt this way about anyone before. It made me only want to get closer to him and never leave his side.
“Come here.” He held open his arms open wide and I crawled into the bed, wrapping my body around his. The coldness of his body made me shiver, but I refused to let go.
I promised myself I’d never let go.
Never again.
He took long, slow breaths as the monitor above us beeped in perfect tune with his heart and I rejoiced at the sound. His fingers threaded through my hair and I rested my head against his chest. We kept a steady gaze on each other and it released the familiar feelings that I’d been missing over the past week.
“What the hell happened?” Slowly his eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital.” A lump formed in the back of my throat and I looked away, trying to hold back the tears. I didn’t want to upset him. “Shawn brought you here.”
“Aww, hell.”
“Just rest.” I gave him a gentle smile even though I was ready to rip him a new one. “You’re going to be okay.”
Silence filled the air and he closed his eyes for a moment. His jaw tightened and his nostrils flared. The beeps on the monitor increased as his breaths quickened. He opened his eyes and darkness filled them. “Why are you here, Lexi?” His body shifted as he gently pushed me away. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
An unwanted agony gnarled and twisted inside of me and my heart stilled. Did he really not want me to be here with him? Was he truly done with me? I knew that it wasn’t the right time to discuss what had happened between us, but I couldn’t help it.
“Raven,
tell me that everything you wrote me was a lie. Tell me it’s not true. All that we’ve shared and the time we’ve spent together, tell me it wasn’t for nothing. Tell me it meant something.” Tears poured from my eyes like a fountain turned on high. I couldn’t repress the feelings I had for him. He had to know exactly how I felt. “Please tell me that I didn’t walk away from everything for nothing.”
His eyes glazed over and he took my hand in his. He pressed his lips together and then took a deep breath. “It was all a lie, Lexi. Everything I said in that text. I didn’t mean one word.”
I squeezed my eyes tightly together, trying to stop the waterworks from freefalling, but nothing would stop them.
Raven did want to be with me.
“Then why did you tell me that? Why did you leave me?”
His chest rose and fell and his face twisted in confusion. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t want to tell me or couldn’t remember. I was willing to give him a reprieve after everything that he’d been through, I was just relieved to hear that he didn’t mean it.
“It’s a long story and I’ll explain it to you later.” He pulled me in his arms and drew my face to his. Our gazes connected, binding us together like when we first made love. “I’m sorry about everything, but know this, I love you, Lexi Thompson, and I’m going to prove it to you, over and over again, just so you know and never forgot.”
The entire room spun around me and I felt like superwoman in his arms. Raven knew how to make me feel bullet proof and I was going to do whatever it took to protect us from the world that was trying so desperately to tear us down. I wouldn’t allow my mom to keep us apart and no wrecking ball, no matter how big, would destroy us. I would stand strong and not let anyone or anything in this world come between us ever again. Even if we were broken, I knew that together we could have all that life promised us. All we had to do was fight for our love, and I was willing to do that as long as he was.
I stared him deep in the eyes and said, “
I’m going to fight for you. As long as I have you by my side, I promise to give my life to you. Because I love you, Raven... I love you more than anything in this world and I’m going to stay right here next to you, just to make sure you know it.”
Our lips reunited and I knew that together, we were invincible.
Σ
To be continued
“The Winning Side”
Book 3
of The University Park Series
About the Author
Born and raised in the United States of America in the great state of Texas, CM Doporto resides there with her husband and son, enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot, and several fish. She
is a member of DFW Writers Workshop and Romance Writers of America, where she is associated with the Young Adult Special Interest Chapter.
To learn more about her upcoming books, visit
www.cmdoporto.com
. You can also like CM Doporto’s fan page on
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