University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (39 page)

My breath hitched and my heart stopped
for a moment. Was he freakin’ serious?

“Please forgive me for being such an
ass. I… was just doing what I was brought up to do.” His eyes lowered and his
chest heaved up and down in slow, paced movements. “I thought you needed some
space so that’s what I gave you. I never thought you’d run off with some guy
and throw everything we had away.”

He pressed his lips to mine, but I
didn’t respond. I was in total shock. Why did he wait so long to tell me?
Nearly three months had passed since we had broken up and he waited until I
wasn’t with Raven to finally express how he truly felt about me? He wasn’t
making things any easier for me.

“Lexi, please, say something,” he spoke
against my lips and then pulled away.

“Oh, God, Collin,” I moaned as I sunk
deeper into the mattress. My heart was longing for Raven, not for him. But how
did I tell him that? The pain clawed at me, tearing a new hole that I knew
would leave a permanent scar. I was certain I didn’t love Collin. The lack of
yearning and need for him wasn’t there, it was practically non-existent. There
was no fire, no flame, and no excitement inside of me. Collin wasn’t the one
that held my heart, it was Raven.

“I’m…” I heaved a huge sigh, still
trying to control the sobs. “I’m sorry, Collin, but I don’t feel the same. Not
anymore.”

The tears released from his eyes and
rolled down his clean-shaven face. In the six years I had known him, I’d never
seen him cry. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I had to be honest with him and
myself. I wasn’t going back to something that I knew wasn’t real. It would be
the worst decision of my life.

“Please, Lexi,” he latched onto my
hands, “give me one more chance to prove my love to you.”

I closed my eyes, searching deep within
me for something — anything — that hinted there might be a chance for us, but
there was nothing. “Collin… Collin…” I wiped his tears with the pads of my
fingers. “I wish I could—”

“Lexi!” Delaney darted into my room,
screaming a frantic cry that made my hairs stand on end.

“What? What is it?” I darted upright,
feeling my heart drop to my stomach.

“It’s Raven. He’s been in an accident.”
Her eyes were wide and she looked distraught. She paced the floor as she held
her head.

“What? When?” I jumped off the bed,
totally abandoning Collin’s plea for my love. “Is he okay?” My insides
tightened, forming a thick knot threatening to slice me in half. If anything
had happened to Raven and I wasn’t there to save him, I’d die.

“I don’t know.” Delaney scrolled through
her phone and then started dialing a number. “I don’t know.” Tears filled her
eyes and she lowered her phone. “It’s happening again. It can’t be.” She
covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed quietly.

Why was she so upset? Did she know
something I didn’t?

“Calm down, Laney.” Luke pulled her
against his chest. “You’re freaking out Lexi and everyone else.”

I raced to her side, unable to catch my
breath. “How did you find out?”

“Shelby sent me a text.” She showed me
her phone and my eyes blurred as I tried to focus on the words. The letters
jumbled together and my left eye twitched, making it nearly impossible to read
the message. My ears rang loudly, blocking everyone’s voice in the room.

Raven had been in an accident. What kind
of accident? Was he alive? Was he dead?

Shelby: Raven’s been in an accident. OTW
to the hospital. Call u when I know more.

My hands shook uncontrollably as
atrocious thoughts ripped my mind in two. “Call her, ask what hospital.” I
handed her back the phone and held my breath.

Delaney quickly dialed Shelby’s number
and held the phone to her ear. My heart bashed against my chest, threating to
tear through me.

“She’s not answering.”

“Shit!” I clenched my head between my
hands, trying to think of what to do.

Her phone chimed and I grabbed it from
her hand.

Shelby: He’s at Harris Hospital downtown
FW.

“We’re going.” I ran toward my dresser
and grabbed my purse.

“What’s going on?” My mom entered my
room, looking at me, then at Collin, and finally at Luke and Delaney. “Why’s
everyone yelling?”

“Um, there’s been an accident. I have to
leave.” I pushed by her and she grabbed my arm.

“Who’s been in an accident?” Her fingers
dug into my skin and I twisted my arm, trying to break free.

“A friend.”

“Raven?” Her voice raised a few octaves.
“Is that who you’re talking about?”

“Why does it matter to you?” I yanked my
arm from her grip and pushed past her.

“Lexi, if you walk out that door, don’t
you dare come back.”

“Fine.” I pivoted on my heels, feeling
the rise of anger within me. I was tired of being a prisoner in my own house
and I was sick and tired of them ruling over my life.

I was done.

“If that’s how you want to treat your
daughter, then it’s your loss, not mine.”

“Lexi Ann Thompson, how dare you talk to
me that way? I’m your mother, for crying out loud.”

“Then act like it!” I threw my hands up
in the air. “And you’re taking me.” I grabbed Luke’s hand.

“What?” Luke stalled.

I started to drag him out of my room
when my dad stopped us, blocking the doorway.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“We’re leaving and no one’s stopping
us.” I stood toe to toe with him, feeling the rise of determination overcome
me. Not my mom, nor my dad, would control me any longer. I was calling the
shots now.

He braced himself against the doorframe,
spreading his arms wide. “It’s too dangerous and people will be drinking and
driving.”

Luke looked at me and then at my dad. My
dad shot him a warning look and Luke shuffled his feet while he rubbed the
scruff on his chin as though contemplating what to do. Listen to my father or
help me.

Errantly, I stepped forward. “That’s a
chance I’ll have to take.”

My dad dropped his arms and stepped
aside. “Be careful. Both of you.”

“What? You can’t allow them to leave,”
Mom snapped at Dad and they began arguing.

 “Lexi, you really want to go after this
guy?” Collin voice startled me and I spun around.

“What?”

“I’m telling you…I’ll do anything for
you, anything to prove my love, and you’re not going to even give me a chance?”
Disbelief laced his voice and his body flanked on the edge of falling down to
his knees. Was he ready to beg me?

Please don’t!

“Lexi, listen to Collin,” my mom pleaded
and I grimaced. “He’s the one that loves you, not that loser.”

I gritted my teeth together, trying to
keep calm amongst the opposing forces preventing me from doing what I wanted.

What my heart wanted.

Raven.

It was Raven that I loved, not Collin. I
pressed my lips together, finally coming to realization that all the feelings I
had amounted to one thing.

Love.

I was madly and irrevocably in love with
Raven and nothing was ever going to change that. Ever.

Turning toward Collin, I took several
steps in his direction until I stood in front of him. Our gazes met and I gave
him a heartfelt apology. “I’m sorry, Collin. But I don’t love you.”

“This is what you want to go running
to?” He held up his phone, showing me pictures of Raven with several girls. I
immediately took his phone from his grip and scrolled through them. Raven had
posted pictures of himself on Facebook with several girls. I cringed when I saw
Macy and Reece. His eyes were small and he looked seriously messed up. The pain
reappeared in the center of my chest, cutting off all oxygen. My body heaved
forward, but I told myself it was only because he was drunk or high. I wasn’t
there to stop him and he had reverted to the deadly lifestyle that was waiting to
destroy his life.

“I don’t care.” I shoved the phone in
his hand. “He needs me.”

“You’re making the biggest mistake of
your life.” Collin shook his head. “I can’t promise that I’ll be around when he
breaks your heart again.”

I sighed. “I know and I don’t expect you
to.”

“So, I guess this is it?” Collin shoved
his hands in his pocket. His shoulders slumped and his entire body deflated
with one breath.

“I’m sorry, Collin, I really am, but…I
have to go.”

“I wish you the best. I really do.”
Collin leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. “Bye, Lexi.”

I pressed my lips together, fighting
back the tears. I may not have loved him, but I did care about him and I wanted
him to be happy. I wanted both of us to be happy and we didn’t equal that. Our
equation was better split in two. “Bye, Collin.”

I sucked in a silent breath and turned
toward my brother and Delaney. “Let’s go.”

My mom stepped in front of me. “If you
leave, you’re not welcome back.”

Adjusting my purse, I said, “Good. I
don’t want to come back to this prison.”

 I walked to my closet and grabbed the
bag that I had packed when I was planning on running away from home. I quickly
stuffed a few of my personal items inside and zipped it closed. My dad kissed
me on the forehead. His eyes glazed over as though he felt sorry for me. If he
did, he didn’t say anything. I figured I’d never know unless he was waiting to
tell me in private.

We walked out of my room and were
promptly greeted by my sister. “Where the hell are you going?” She lifted her
wine glass and moved out of the way.

“She’s going to see that no good, SOB,”
my mom snapped.

Anger ripped through every muscle fiber
in me and it took all my effort not to punch my mom in the face. I was ready to
knock the words out of her mouth so she never spoke them again, but I kept my
focus and darted down the hallway. She wasn’t worth it.

“Oh my god. Are you still hung up on
that loser?” My sister’s voice trailed behind me.

“Screw you. That’s none of your
business,” I barked as I flew down the stairs.

“You really are a disgrace to this
family, you know that?” she yelled, calling everyone’s attention as we passed
into the living room. “He’s a druggy and it’s rumored he has a kid. But I’m
sure you already know that.”

I stopped and turned to face her. Biting
down on the inside of my cheek, I drew blood to keep from lashing out a string
of expletive words. “Go to hell.”

“To each their own.” Ashley threw her
head back in laughter. “Just wait. He’ll end up in prison, being someone’s
bitch for a very long time.”

“What?” I had to catch my breath because
I couldn’t believe what she’d just said. “Would it kill you to—” I stopped when
I remembered the background check and court documents. She’d been helping my
mom all along. It all made sense. My mom had her dig up stuff on him.

“You’ve really gone too far.” I shoved
my finger in her face. “You better be careful, I’m warning you.”

“Oh, like I’m so scared.” She pressed a
hand to her chest and I pushed her out of my way, heading straight to the
garage. “You’ll be going down, just like your loser boyfriend. Mark my words.”

“Whatever!”

“Shut the hell up, Ashley. You always
think you’re so perfect when in reality, you’re like every other attorney I
know,” Luke commented as he followed me out the door.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She
raced after us and Luke slammed the garage door in her face.

Luke started the car and we got in. My
parents stood in the garage, watching as we backed out into the street. I
wasn’t certain if my mom would keep to her promise of disowning me and never
allowing me in the house, but that was the least of my worries. Raven was my
number one concern.

∑

I pulled out my phone and hit Raven’s
number. I knew he probably wouldn’t answer, but I could only hope that his mom
or someone else would. With each ring, I squeezed the edge of my seat tighter,
unable to contain the unease stirring within my already upset stomach. It rang
and rang before finally going to voicemail. I considered leaving a message but
hit the end button instead.

“Anything?” Delaney turned around in her
chair as she checked her phone.

“No, nothing.” I shook my head and tried
to keep calm, but between the beat of the music and the pounding of my heart, I
was spiraling into a full-fledged panic attack. I took several deep breaths,
trying to ebb the tension tightening every muscle in my body, but it was
pointless.

“Hurry, Luke.” I leaned against the
front bucket seat, unable to sit still.

“I am. I am.” Luke’s fingers gripped the
steering wheel and the hum of the motor increased as he sped up.

“Don’t get pulled over and please don’t
wreck.” Delaney sighed as she continued checking her phone. “Damn, no one’s
posted anything. What the eff is social media for if you’re not going to give
updates?”

“I don’t know.” I watched the lines of
the freeway race by as I kept my focus on the road in front of us. The lights
blurred in the night and the green signs faded quickly as Luke passed them at a
high speed. I said a silent prayer, asking God to get us to the hospital safely
and to let Raven be okay.

He had to be okay.

I kept telling myself that everything
would be alright once I got there, despite every vibe telling me that it
wouldn’t. I leaned against the back seat, battling the voices of defeat.
Closing my eyes, I thought about all the special times we had spent together.
Tears seeped from my eyes and I let them fall as I released the worry eating
away at me. I smiled as I reminisced the first time we met at the writing
center and how I despised the fact that Dr. Connor forced me to help him. My
body tingled with excitement as I recalled how he’d awoken a need in me that I
never knew existed.

The time we spent in the stadium suite
was magical and I’d never forget it. Especially the way he teased and flirted
with me, but maintained a level of respect that was not common or familiar for
him. There was something special between us; we were direct opposites of each
other, but perfectly crafted for each other at the same time. I needed him and
he definitely needed me.

I wrapped my arms around my body as I
imagined the week I spent in his strong arms. My skin was marked with the
memories of his touch and scent. All of it was embedded deep into every cell of
my body. Raven owned a part of me and I was glad that I had given it to him.
There were no regrets and I would hold onto every encounter we had of making
love to each other. Nothing would ever take that special bond away from us.

Not my mom.

Not my sister.

And definitely not Collin.

One thing was certain. I loved being
hooked in The Raven’s trap. It was the best damn trap I’d ever experienced. I
prayed that I’d be able to have more of it, because one thing was certain, I
was never releasing myself from it again. No matter what.

I’d fight for him.

I’d fight for us.

“Lexi, I’ll drop you off at the front,”
Luke announced and my eyes popped open.

“Okay,” I said, grabbing my phone.

The car tilted to the right as Luke took
a hard turn and the tires screeched against the pavement. I slid all over the
backseat, trying to stay put as he drove like a bat out of hell. He flew over
several speed bumps before slamming on the breaks and coming to a stop at the
emergency entrance. Delaney flung the door open and we toppled out of the car.
Weariness filled my muscles and my legs felt heavy as we rushed inside. I
managed to pick up my pace, not letting the fear keep me back. I had to see
Raven. I had to know if he was okay. I didn’t care if he didn’t want to see me
or wanted nothing to do with me. And the more I thought about what Delaney
said, the more my intuition told me that my family might have had something to
do with our breakup.

 Delaney kept up with me as we darted
toward the information desk.

I skidded to a stop, trying not to twist
my ankle in my stacked heels. “Ra-ven Daven-port.” I gasped for air, taking in
big breaths. Delaney rested on the counter, drawing in air as we waited
impatiently.

The lady behind the desk adjusted her
glasses. “When was he admitted?”

“I don’t know. A few hours ago, maybe.”

“Okay, let me check.” She typed in some
information on her computer but before she could respond with any information,
I heard a familiar voice call my name.

“Lexi?”

I spun around and saw Raven’s mom,
Trish, heading toward me. Her eyes were red and her hair was matted. She had on
an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants and it looked like she had literally
crawled out of bed and went straight to the hospital.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Her arms
wrapped around me and she began to cry. “I can’t believe…”

Embracing her, I tried to calm the panic
and worry in her yelps. “What happened, Trish?”

Delaney looked at me and then grabbed a
handful of tissues and handed them to her. “Is Raven okay?”

Trish nodded and my body shifted from a
feeling of nervous hope to one of excitement.

Raven was alive!

“What happened? We heard he was in an
accident.”

She released me and wiped her eyes and
nose. “They found him passed out in the bathroom at one of his friend’s place.”

“What?” My stomach rolled and I wanted
to throw up again. The blood drained from my face as I imagined Raven high on
cocaine and drunk from alcohol. Covering my mouth, I swallowed several times,
pushing the bile down. “Did they say why?”

Her eyes drifted to the floor and she
gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. She either knew and didn’t want to say,
or was too embarrassed to tell us.

“Lexi!” Shelby barreled through the
front doors with Josh following her. They were dressed like they had been at a
New Year’s Eve party. Shelby wore a long, formal, black dress and Josh’s
ensemble was missing the bow tie and tuxedo jacket.

“We came as fast as we could.” Josh ran
his fingers through his short, blond hair. His brows knitted together, forming
deep indentions on his forehead. “Do you have any details?”

I shot Trish a quick glance and she
sighed. “All I know is that they found him passed out on the floor.”

“Who found him?”

“I did.”

We turned to see Shawn standing behind
us. He rested his arms against his chest. “At Jared’s place.”

“Shit.” Josh’s nostrils flared and his
face reddened. “I told him to stay the hell away from that guy.” He placed a
hand on Shawn’s shoulder, leaned in, and said, “Was he back at it?”

“I’m not sure.” Shawn gave a slight roll
of his dark brown eyes.

“No.” My heart dropped and I swayed to
the side. I leaned against the wall, until the dizzy spell passed.

“He wasn’t supposed to be there.” Anger
laced his words and he gave me a disapproving look. I wasn’t sure if he was
insinuating that it was partially my fault for not being there for him, and
although I wanted to tell him something, I was grateful that he’d saved Raven.

“Fucking idiot!” Josh growled, and
stomped off, cursing under his breath.

Trish placed her hand on Shawn’s arm.
“Thank you so much for helping my son. If you wouldn’t have brought him here,
he might not be alive.” Tears dripped from her eyes and her voice cracked.

“He’s my friend, so I’m going to watch
out for him,” Shawn reassured her and she started sobbing harder. Gradually, he
took her in his arms and held her as she wept.

Tears rolled down my checks and regret
furled inside of me. If I would’ve stayed with him, none of that would have
happened. We wouldn’t have gone back to Jared’s. That entire night could’ve
been avoided if I had only stayed with Raven and ignored my parents. I hated
that I wasn’t there for him, especially after I promised him I would be. Some
friend I was.

We sat in the busy waiting room, waiting
for the doctor to come and talk to us. The hospital buzzed with traffic as one
incident after another filed in. We even had a little excitement when a man
started yelling, demanding that they allow him to see his wife. The security
guard had to restrain him and eventually the cops took him away. We wondered if
he was able to see his wife, but based on his behavior, we figured that he was
taken to a holding cell for evaluation.

The clock moved slowly as each hour
passed and I waited with baited breath. We leaned on each other for support,
but most of all, for hope. All we could do was pray that Raven would be okay.
He had to be okay. I refused to believe otherwise.

“Everything’s going to be okay.” Delaney
held on to my hand as I sat, curled in a ball.

“I feel somewhat responsible for what
happened,” I whispered, not wanting anyone but her to hear me.

“But it’s not your fault.” Luke handed
her a cold Coke Zero. “Thanks,” she said as she tried to open it. Luke motioned
for her to give it back to him. He twisted the cap with a flick of his wrist.

“Do you want anything?” Luke asked.

“A Sprite, please. My stomach feels like
crap.”

“I bet,” Delaney said in between sips.
“It’s been one messed up night.”

“I should have never went home.” I shook
my head.

Tucking my hair behind my ear, Delaney
said, “Quit harping on the past. What matters is that you’re here. And you’re
going to tell Raven how you really feel about him.”

“But what if he doesn’t feel the same?”
I squeezed my eyes, not wanting to cry. “I mean, he’s the one that broke up
with me.”

“I know he cares about you. And I bet he
did all of this because he couldn’t handle being without you.”

“Do you really—”

“The family of Raven Davenport.” A man
wearing a white coat walked into the waiting room.

Everyone stood and Trish and I rushed
toward the double doors. “Yes, I’m his mother.” Trish held on to my arm as we
waited to hear news about Raven.

“I’m Dr. Ghatalia, and I’ve been
overseeing the treatment of your son. The good news is that we were able to
stabilize him. Thanks to his friend, Shawn, we knew exactly how to treat him
and more than likely, that’s how we were able to save his life.”

“Thank you, doctor.” A huge weight
lifted from my chest and I released the breath that I didn’t realize I’d been
holding. My vision cleared and the ringing in my ears subsided. Every muscle in
body relaxed and I thanked God for saving him.

“Thank you, thank you,” Trish whispered
repeatedly as tears streamed down her cheeks.

I pulled her in my arms and we embraced,
crying together over the same man we both loved and cared for unconditionally.
The same man that had taken us to hell and back. I couldn’t imagine what she’d
gone through, and at that moment, I understood her last comment to me at the
mall. Raven was a handful, and I wasn’t sure how if I could handle going
through another ordeal like this one again. All I knew was that I loved him,
cared for him, and was willing to give up everything for him. I would hold to
my promise. I would be there for him, no matter what it took. I wouldn’t let
him throw his life away to drugs — he was too precious to me and I had to make
him see that, because apparently he didn’t appreciate his life.

“My son’s alive,” she sobbed in my ear
and I cried with her.

After a long minute of releasing all the
pinioned worry within us, we turned to the doctor.

“When can we see him?”

“Yes.” The doctor swiped the screen of
his tablet. “But only for a short while. He’s been through a lot and needs to
rest. We will move him to a room within the hour and we will keep him here for the
night. I need to make sure his vitals are stable without medical intervention.”
He straightened and took in a slight breath. “Based on his history, I will have
to recommend him for treatment, you understand, correct?”

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.