University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (43 page)

“Oh, come on, baby. Don’t wear any for
me.” A low growl escaped from his throat as he nuzzled my neck with his lips.
He definitely knew how to tease me in all the right ways. And I never wanted to
go a day without it. Our flirtatious morning quickly came to an abrupt stop
when his phone rang.

“It’s Coach.” Raven quickly sat up in
bed and grabbed his boxers from the floor. He put them on before heading to the
living room. “Hello? Yes, sir.”

I crawled out of bed and slipped one of
Raven’s white T-shirts over my head. A new scent encompassed me and I inhaled
deeply, holding the fabric close to my nose. Glancing at his dresser, I saw the
bottle of cologne I’d bought him for Christmas. He had opened it, and I
couldn’t wait to smell it on him.

After washing my face and brushing my
teeth, I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of OJ. Raven paced the
living room as he spoke to the coach. I tried not to listen to his conversation,
but curiosity got the best of me.

“Yes, sir. Of course,” Raven responded,
his brows knitted together tightly.

Instead of standing there watching him,
I decided to make us breakfast. Returning to the fridge, I took out eggs,
cheese, spinach, and bell peppers. Since I hadn’t eaten much over the past
week, an omelet sounded good. Hopefully I could make it without creating a huge
mess like I had last time. With one eye on Raven and the other one on the knife
and peppers, I began preparing the vegetables for sautéing.

“Not a problem. I can be there.” Raven
stood up straight, some of the weight seeming to lift from his shoulders.

 Had the coach told him to play in the
game? Was he giving him another chance? I slowed the knife as I tried to figure
out what the coach was telling him based on his reactions.

“Tonight at seven. I’ll be there.
Thanks, Coach.” Raven hit the end button and let out a heavy breath. He started
to dial a number but stopped, placing the phone on the coffee table instead.

I turned to Raven, placing the knife on
the counter. “What did he say? What’s tonight?”

He walked into the dining area and
leaned against the kitchen bar. His fingers gripped the edge of the counter as
he pressed his weight against it. The muscles under his pecs pulsed and I found
myself enticed by his heavenly body once again. One thing was certain, I’d
never tire of appraising him from head to toe. I blinked a few times and forced
myself to focus on the more important issue at hand.

He pressed his lips together in a thin
line and then said, “He wants me to attend a press conference tonight at the
stadium.”

“That’s good, right?” I bit my bottom
lip, anticipating his answer. He really needed a break and some positive
encouragement.

Silence filled the air and his eyes glossed
over. His jaw jutted outward and he took a hard swallow, as though fighting
back the tears. I didn’t want him to cry, but at the same time, I welcomed it
if it brought us closer and gave him a level of healing.

“I still can’t play, but the coach feels
like I should make a statement about what happened.” His grip relaxed as
another layer of defeat coated his face. I hated watching him go through all
these mixed emotions, but I had to remind myself that I was there to help him,
to guide him in the right direction. I felt somewhat responsible for the mess
my mother started, so it was the least I could do.

“What do you want to do?”

He glanced at the floor and his
shoulders sunk. “I don’t think I have much of a choice.”

“Everyone has a choice. It’s just a
matter of making the right ones.”

He let out a muffled
humph
, but
didn’t look at me. Defeat was beating him deeper into his own trap. The deadly
trap I had to steer him away from — for good.

Fearing I might have said the wrong
thing, I quickly walked out of the kitchen to the other side of the bar.
Placing my hands on his arms, I turned him to face me. “Raven?”

“Yeah?”

“Look at me for a moment.”

He placed his hands at my waist and
pulled me close. His gaze met mine and I searched his eyes, wanting to unravel
his deep, dark secrets; uncover the demons that haunted his mind and
consistently tormented him. Why couldn’t he let them go? Why did he allow them
to tell him to stop trying? To stop believing in himself?

“It sounds like it’s the right thing to do.
I know it might embarrass you, but I think if you want to show the coach and
the school that you’re serious about straightening up and what happened wasn’t
entirely your fault, you need to do it.”

Raven leaned forward, resting his
forehead against mine. He took slow, deep breaths, drawing me in with every
inhalation.

God, I love this man.

I was willing to do anything to help
him, but would he allow me to get close to him? Really let me in?

The muscles in his arms tightened and
his chest froze into a solid block, as though trying to hold it inside. He kept
that invisible wall up and refused to release whatever it was that forbade him
from moving forward, storing it deep within the grooves of his soul and
protecting me from it. Why was he so afraid to share his problems with me?

“Raven?” I spoke softly, trying to wedge
myself inside that wall. “It’s okay, babe. You can trust me. Tell me.”

“Not right now, Lexi.” He gave a slight
shake of his head. “But, you’re right. I should do it. Besides, I have to meet
with the admissions board on Wednesday. It will show a good act of faith.”

“Don’t worry, babe.” I ran my fingers
through his hair, wishing I had the power to diminish his pain. “Everything is
going to be all right.”

“I hope so. If the school kicks me out,
then I can’t play.” Defeat weakened his voice and it slapped me with his
reality. “I mean… is all this really worth it?”

I stalled momentarily. He had a point.
If all the love in the world couldn’t heal his pain, then I didn’t know what
would. In all honesty, it was beyond me. Was I crazy for thinking I’d be able
to pull him out of this pit? No. I shook the crippling thoughts from my mind. I
wouldn’t allow Raven’s demons to defeat me, too. I at least had to try;
otherwise, I’d never forgive myself.

My love for Raven was worth the battle.

I refused to give up and I wouldn’t
allow him to give up either.

Dreams and goals were worth fighting for
— until your last, dying breath.

“Don’t ever doubt that your dreams
aren’t worth the fight. It’s worth every struggle, every let down, and every
victory until you get where you want to be.”

A half-smile formed at the corner of his
lips. “And where is it that I want to be?” His gaze bored into me, but no
matter how hard I looked, I had no idea what he was thinking. His vision seemed
to travel past me, and I wanted to know what he saw in his future. Was I
included in that not-so-far-off picture?

Because I wanted to be.

More than anything.

Being with Raven was all I ever wanted
and I could only hope he wanted the same.

“On that field playing for a pro team,”
I reminded him. “Doing what you’re good at and what you love doing.”

His face lifted and a huge smile
stretched across his lips. “And don’t forget, being with the one I love.”

My heart lifted and I was relieved my pep
talk gave him what he needed to believe in himself and us once more. “You got
that right.”

He gathered me in his arms and gave me a
tight squeeze. “So, I guess until that happens, baby, it’s just you and me
against the world.”

Σ

.

“Are you sure it’s all right if I go?” I
slipped on a pair of black heels and then picked up a black blazer I’d borrowed
from Delaney.

“Yes. Mr. Marshall assured me it was
fine. Besides, he said he wants to talk to you.”

“To me?” I put one arm through the boyfriend
jacket and stopped. “Why does he want to talk with me?” Several potential
reasons ran through my mind.

Raven eased into his suit jacket and
adjusted his sleeves, making sure his cufflinks showed. The black material had
an eye-catching sheen, and the purple dress shirt with matching tie made him
look even more irresistible. Caught up in his model-perfect attire, I had to
look away before I started drooling.

 “Relax.” Raven embraced my shoulders
with his big, strong hands and my knees weakened. “He just wants to go over a
few things with you.”

“What if he asks me questions?” For
whatever reason, I felt like I was the one in the hot seat.

“Answer them.” Raven slid his hands
underneath my hair and adjusted the collar of my jacket. Tiny sparks shot
through me as he paid special attention to the way I looked, though he
should’ve been more concerned about himself. The length of his neck brushed my
lips and the scent of his new cologne infiltrated my airways. I backed up
against the dresser, unable to stand upright, reminding myself that now was not
the time to get excited. Raven had a press conference to attend and William
Marshall, Josh’s uncle, was on his way to pick us up.

After the coach insisted that he make a
statement about what had happened, he’d decided it would be in his best
interest to speak to Mr. Marshall. If Raven wanted to prove that the incident
wasn’t entirely intentional, then he might have a chance to save his football
career. Mr. Marshall served as Raven’s attorney last year when he was suspended
for recreational drug use. After breakfast, they talked on the phone for over
an hour. Mr. Marshall offered to be there while Raven gave his statement to the
media, fans, and alumni. They would all be anxiously waiting for him to confirm
whether the rumors were true.

“What do I say? I mean… is there
anything I shouldn’t say?” I buttoned the next-to-top button on my blouse and
made sure my shirttail was tucked into my pants. Thankfully, Delaney had some
nice clothes for me to borrow since the majority of mine were still at my
parent’s house.

His fingers dropped to my chest and he
undid the button I’d just fastened. “I told him everything I told you.”

I shot him a confused stare and started
to button my shirt again when he stopped me. “You look good like this.”

Glancing down, I noted the slight
cleavage that peeked from my shirt. With a raised brow, I said, “Are you sure?
I don’t want to flash everyone.”

“Lexi. Lexi.” Raven laughed, planting a
kiss on my forehead. “You’re not showing too much cleavage. Trust me. You look
gorgeous.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

I turned and looked in the mirror,
giving myself a once over. Delaney’s clothes were a little loose on me and it
looked like I’d lost some weight over the past ten days. My face appeared
thinner and my cheeks a little sunken, but at least the black circles around my
eyes were fading. It felt good to wear makeup and fix my hair. By the widening
of Raven’s eyes, I could tell he liked it, too. He embraced me from behind and
I folded my arms over his.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed
you.” He stared at me through the mirror.

“I’m sorry it took something like this
to bring us back together.”

“Me, too,” he sighed.

I smiled at him, trying to easy his
worries. “Everything is going to turn out fine.”

“I hope you’re right, baby.” Raven
pressed his cheek to mine and I reached behind me, cupping his face with my
palm.

“Have some faith, Raven.”

His phone buzzed, vibrating against the
dresser. We glanced and saw that it was a message from Marshall Law Firm. Raven
picked up his phone and swiped the screen.

“They’re downstairs. You ready?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

We walked out of the apartment and
descended the stairs. The sun was setting and the warm, winter day was turning
into a brisk, cool evening. A shiny, black Cadillac SUV was parked curbside,
waiting for us. A short guy, probably in his early to mid-thirties, wearing
navy-striped dress pants and a white, button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled
up to his elbows, greeted us.

“Raven,” he stuck his hand out, “good to
see you again.”

“Steve.” Raven shook his hand.

Steve turned to me. “You must be Lexi.”

I shook his cold hand. “Yes, Lexi
Thompson.”

“I’m Steve Langevin, Mr. Marshall’s
assistant. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Steve opened the door and we got into
the SUV. A husky, balding man immediately turned and greeted us. “Raven.” He
stretched his long arm across the backseat.

“Mr. Marshall.” Raven gave him a hefty
handshake and then turned to me. “This is my girlfriend, Lexi Thompson.”

Mr. Marshall craned his neck, trying to
get a better glimpse of me. His forehead tightened and his nose wrinkled as he
struggled to turn his stocky body in my direction. “It’s a pleasure to meet
you.” His strong Texas twang fit him perfectly.

I leaned forward, meeting his gaze.
“Nice to meet you, too.”

Steve got into the driver’s seat and
shut the door.

Mr. Marshall huffed and then grabbed the
overhead handlebar, adjusting himself in his seat. “I had Steve prepare your
statement. When you sit down with Coach Anderson, don’t be afraid to refer to
it if you need to. It’s better to read it than to say something incorrectly.”

Steve handed Raven a brown folder.
“Thank you.” Raven took the folder and opened it, glancing at the professional
typed-out statement on blanch-white paper with the Marshall Law Firm logo at
the top.

“Do you have any questions?”

“I think I’m good.” Raven closed the
folder and set it between us. “You’ve prepared me and I remember to say
no
comment
when I’m not sure how to respond.”

“You learn quickly, son.” Mr. Marshall
let out a deep, throaty laugh. “You’ll do just fine. And if things start to get
out of control, I’ll step in as your advisor and attorney while Steve escorts
you out of the room.”

“Sounds good.” Raven clicked his
seatbelt and motioned for me to do the same. After I fastened my belt, Steve
pulled out of the apartment complex and headed toward the freeway. As we passed
the university, a sad, empty feeling overcame me and I wasn’t sure why.

“Now, as for you, Miss Thompson, I’d
like to cover a few important rules.”

Rules? What type of rules?

“Yes, of course, sir.”

“I’ve already advised Raven of what I’m
about to tell you, but let it serve as a reminder to him as well. Watch what
you post on all social media sites. It will come back to bite you in the ass
and then we’re all screwed. When you’re three sheets to the wind with beer
bottles in your hand, smiling half-naked for the camera, it makes my job ten
times harder. I don’t want to have to figure out how the hell we’re going to
get out of that situation.”

I shot Raven a confused look.
Who the
hell was naked on Facebook?
I picked up my phone, ready to access my
Facebook page, but decided it wasn’t worth it. If Raven had been half-naked,
I’m sure he was smart enough to remove that picture.

“Do you understand?”

“Um, yes, sir. I understand.” I held up
my hands in surrender, making sure to keep them hidden from Mr. Marshall. Raven
shrugged his shoulders, just as confused. Maybe he hadn’t posted a naked
picture of himself on Facebook after all. “We’ll stay off social media sites.”

Mr. Marshall cleared his throat a few
times. “I don’t want you to disappear from them, especially Raven. He needs his
fan support. So continue life as normal, just post pictures that show Raven on
his best behavior.”

Best behavior? Are you kidding me?

“Oh, okay.”

“Raven, what do you think would be
acceptable things to post?”

Raven shot me a look that said, “Help!”

“Maybe Raven working out at the gym?” I
suggested.

“Excellent. Show that he’s not giving up
on his dream.”

I’ll gladly take that shot.

“True.” Raven shot me a quick wink. “How
about me with my family at dinner?”

“Good choice.” Mr. Marshall nodded his
head. “Anything else you can think of?”

“Um, Lexi and me studying?”

Thinking about how some of our study
sessions had turned out, I wasn’t sure if that would be a good idea. Then
again, it did sound enticing.

“Perfect!” Mr. Marshall’s voice lilted
in joy. “Go to church with your family, take pictures with them. Go to some
fundraisers. Hell, I’m invited to several every month. In fact, I’ll have Steve
respond that you and Lexi will attend in my honor. Show that you’re cleaning up
your act.”

“Got it, Mr. Marshall.” Raven nodded
while running the palms of his hands over his knees. At the apartment, I was
the one who was nervous. It seemed like I had transferred that emotion to him.
I reached for his hand and he wrapped his fingers tightly around mine. With
light, feathery strokes, I rubbed my thumb across the top of his hand, trying
to calm his wound-up nerves.

“And by God, stay away from the damn
parties. Especially Jared Harrington’s place.” Mr. Marshall struggled to turn
around. “If I get word that you’ve stepped one foot in that shithead’s place,
I’ll rip your legs off myself.”

Raven’s eyes widened. “Yes, sir. I’m
staying far away from him.”

“Good.”

“Rule number two,” Mr. Marshall took a
deep breath before continuing, “no talking to the media.”

“Understood,” I replied, making a mental
note.

“Now, there’s no need to be ugly or a
bitch if they confront you. But you just tell them
no comment
,” Mr.
Marshall and Raven said in unison.

Mr. Marshall hooked a thumb, pointing it
at Raven. “See, he knows.” A deep, belly laugh belted from his mouth followed
by a hacking cough. I hoped the guy wasn’t going to die from a heart attack
anytime soon.

“Rule number three, don’t get caught
doing something with Raven that will get him in trouble. Or you, for that
matter.”

“Got it.” I smiled at Raven, assuring
him that I was one-hundred percent on board with helping him. “Behave ourselves
in public.”

“Basically, or don’t get caught with
your panties around your ankles or his jon hanging out of his pants.”

My jaw hit the floorboard. Was he
serious? Did he take me for one of Raven’s hoes? I shot Raven a look that told
him he better set Mr. Marshall straight.

“That won’t be happening, Mr. Marshall.”
Raven placed his hand on the back of Mr. Marshall’s seat, giving it a slight
pull until the attorney made eye contact with him. “Lexi is a well-respected
woman. I would never do anything like that to disgrace her and she would never
do anything to dishonor me.”

My heart lifted at Raven’s words, as if
given a pair of wings. I pressed a hand to my chest, completely overcome by the
sentiment.

“I’m glad you got a good girl and dumped
those cock-sucking hoes. They were all trouble for you, son.” Mr. Marshall
patted Raven’s hand, giving his approval.

My hand dropped from my chest, the
happy-good-feeling completely gone. I didn’t know whether to be happy that
Raven had finally left his tramps or worried over what his attorney thought of
me. It really didn’t matter. This was about Raven, and I reminded myself that
Raven had shared everything with this man. He was here to help him, or at
least, I hoped so. I shook my head, stunned at his colloquialisms. The man was
no better than my sister. I reasoned with myself to give him a reprieve,
otherwise I’d tell the man to shut the hell up because he didn’t know me.

“Final rule…” Mr. Marshall adjusted his
seatbelt, pivoting in my direction, “keep what’s going on with Raven between
the two of you. Don’t go telling your family and friends. We don’t need any
more gossip spreading. Got it?”

“Of course.” I nodded and smiled at him.
One thing I didn’t like to do was gossip. But if I knew Delaney, she’d be
begging to know the scoop on Raven’s situation.

“You’ve got the parking pass and our
badges?” Mr. Marshall asked as Steve pulled into the parking lot in front of
the pro-football stadium.

“Right here.” Steve picked up a gray
envelop and laid it on the console. “Raven, not sure if Mr. Marshall told you,
but I called and talked to the assistant at the athletics’ office and arranged
for us to have a parking pass and media badges.”

“Yes, he informed me. Thank you for
picking them up for us.”

The parking lot was filled with media
vans from local TV stations and different vendors, all supporting PHU and the
opposing team. Fans were already arriving from out of town in their bright blue
and yellow decorated vehicles, including small and large RVs. Tailgaters
claimed their favorite spots, setting up their barbecue grills and large, flat
screen TVs sporting PHU’s purple and white flag and the stately dragon. As cars
passed by, a group of men with painted torsos were yelling and chanting, “Go
Eagles!” These fans were serious when it came to college bowl games.