University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (45 page)

“Sure. I guess I need all the support I
can get.”

“It never hurts.” Trish leaned forward
and pressed a kiss to Raven’s cheek. He embraced her and we all stood in
silence. The love they shared was obvious. A part of me was a little envious
that he had that type of relationship with his mother. It was something I
longed for, but doubted I would ever have.

Josh dropped us off at the Wilson
building where the admission’s offices were located. We entered the renovated
building and took the stairs to the second floor. Raven held on to my hand the
entire way, gripping it tightly for support. I felt the nervous vibe through
the tiny tremors of his hand and the sweat that lined his palm, but I didn’t
care. He needed me and I wasn’t letting go. I wanted to hold him in my arms,
stroke his hair, and tell him not to worry about anything.

Our heels hit the granite-tiled floor,
slicing through the dead silence. It sent shivers down my spine, and I imagined
what Raven felt like walking to the chamber of doom. I shook my head, not allowing
my own demons to take over.

Mr. Marshall and Steve were waiting in
the hallway along with Shaw, Luke, and Delaney.

Shawn hooked an arm around Raven and
patted him on the chest. “Don’t worry, man. I’ve got a good feeling about
this.”

“I hope you’re right.” Raven cracked a
half-smile.

“Good morning,” Mr. Marshall said in his
deep, southern accent.

“Hello.” Trish extended her hand. “Thank
you so much for helping my son. It means a lot to me… to us.” Her voice
squeaked and she quickly wiped the area under her eyes.

“No worries.” Mr. Marshall gave her a
hefty shake. “I care about your son. He’s a good kid and I want to see him
succeed. He has a bright future ahead of him.”

“We will pay you back. It might take me
a while to do it, but I promise I will pay you for every penny of your time.”

“Nonsense.” The attorney waved off her
comment. “You owe me nothing. I believe in giving back to the community and
those in need. God always seems to reward me more when I do that. Besides, this
is my Alma Mater. We need this guy.” He patted Raven on the back.

Ahh... so the attorney did have an
agenda. Lucky for us, he was on Raven’s side.

“Well, I don’t know what to say…thank
you.” She hugged the big man and he hugged her back. Turning to Steve, she
shook his hand. “Thank you so much. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.” Steve adjusted his
glasses and his eyes glazed over. “Raven’s a good guy.”

“Well, son, you ready to get this show
on the road?” Mr. Marshall adjusted his purple and white bow tie, sporting the
school colors.

Turning toward Raven, I said, “Good
luck, babe. I know everything is going to work out for the best.” I placed a
soft kiss on his lips.

“Thanks, baby. Thank you for
everything.” He hugged me and then gave me a long kiss. Every emotion rolled
from that kiss to me, and I took it all in. This guy really loved me. And he
needed me more than he knew. My heart swelled, overfilled with my emotions and
his. I swallowed hard, determined not to cry in front of him.

He released me and then faced his mom.
“Thanks, Mom, for being here. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

They hugged for a moment and Raven
kissed her forehead.

Trish patted his chest and pulled away.
“Stay strong, son.”

“I will.”

“Good luck.” Luke shook Raven’s hand.

“Thanks for being here,” Raven replied in
a sincere tone. It brought a smile to my face. Having my brother’s support
meant a lot to me. Maybe because he was the only family I had that was truly on
my side.

With a deep breath, Raven rolled his
shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

Steve opened the door and they walked
into the boardroom.

The heavy oak door shut and I backed
against the wall, plopping into a chair. I closed my eyes and prayed for the
best.

Σ

The door opened and a bellow of
chattering resonated from inside the stately room. My heart thundered with a
vengeance as I stood, my shaky legs threatening to plant me back in the chair.
Trish grabbed my arm as she pulled herself up from the bench next to me, nearly
pulling me down. Delaney stepped beside me, with one hand supporting my back as
Luke, Josh, Shelby, and Shawn gathered in the hallway. We waited for the
verdict.

Mr. Marshall and Steve exited the room
first, there expression seeming positive. It gave my heart a bit of relief. I
stood on the tips of my toes, looking past the gentleman for Raven. Slowly, he
descended from the meeting. He met my gaze and I immediately knew the outcome —
the expression on his face said it all. I ran to him and he lifted me in his
arms.

“They’re giving me another chance.” The
words echoed in my ears as he spun me around.

“Oh, babe, that’s wonderful!” I squealed
as I planted kisses all over his face. “What about the team?”

He steadied himself and then placed me
back on my feet. “I can still play.”

“You can?” Excitement bubbled inside of
me.

“Yep!”

“Oh, Raven, I’m so happy for you!” I
kissed him again and then our family and friends bombarded us with hugs and
cheers. It was definitely the news we needed to hear and the second chance he
needed. Despite all of Raven’s faults, he did deserve another chance.

“Thank you, Mr. Marshall.” Raven shook
the attorney’s hand. “For everything.”

Mr. Marshall patted Raven on the back
with his other hand. “Don’t worry about it, son. Just stay clean, follow the
rules I told you and Lexi about, and use your common sense for Pete’s sake.”

“Yes, sir.” Raven nodded. “Got them
embedded right here,” he said, tapping the side of his head.

“We appreciate your help.” I smiled,
giving the attorney my heartfelt gratitude. Even though I didn’t care for his
rawness, I couldn’t detest his genuine care for Raven’s wellbeing.

Mr. Marshall’s eyes softened. “My
pleasure. Just keep this boy in line. I need his ass on that field come fall.”

I wrapped my arm around Raven’s waist
while looking him in the eyes. “Don’t worry, I will.”

“I know you will.” Raven kissed my
forehead. “Hey, I think this calls for a celebration!”

“It better be food and sodas.” The
attorney eyed Raven with a cocked brow. “I just got you out of this mess, I
don’t need you in another one.”

“Speaking of the mess, is it true? Will
Raven remain on the team?” The same school reporter that demanded answers
outside of the athletics office last week was stalking us again.

Raven looked at Mr. Marshall and then
Steve, as if waiting for their advice. Steve turned to the attorney with raised
brows and a knowing stare. The attorney gave a slight nod.

The reporter inched her phone closer to
Raven, obviously not giving up. “What were the results from the meeting?”

“If we give you an exclusive press
release with some detailed information, privy only to you, will you leave Mr.
Davenport alone?” Mr. Marshall lowered the girl’s hand.

“Will it be different than what is sent
to the general media?” The cute blonde retrieved her hand and rested it on her
hip. For a small, petite girl, she was ballsy.

“Yes.”

“How soon can I get it?” She kept a
straight face, not faltering from her request.

Mr. Marshall cast a glance at Steve.
“What do you think?”

Steve stuffed some brown folders into
his briefcase and then rolled the sleeves of his shirt back. “Is two hours
sufficient?”

“Yes. That will work.” The journalist’s
hard expression turned into a smile and her blue eyes sparkled with content.
“Here’s my card with my email address.” She handed it to Steve.

“Thank you, Miss Presley.” He tucked the
card in the pocket of his shirt. “I’ll make sure to send it to you.”

“Thank you.” She gave us a quick
onceover and then turned on her heels and walked down the hall.

“Lunch anyone?” Raven asked, apparently
keeping Mr. Marshall’s rules in mind.

“Yeah, I’m starving.” Shawn rubbed his
stomach in a circle for emphasis while keeping an eye on the journalist as she
descended the stairs. By the hunger in his eyes, I was willing to bet he wanted
more than just food. I waited for him to sprint after her, but he didn’t.

“You kids go ahead.” Mr. Marshall pulled
off his bowtie, followed by his suit jacket. “Steve and I have some catching up
to do at the office.” He folded his coat over his forearm and handed Steve his
tie. “Raven, I’ll touch base with you later in the week.”

“Okay.” Raven laced his fingers through
mine and guided us toward the stairs.

“Thank you again, Mr. Marshall.” Trish
shook his hand as they walked beside us. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you
for all that you’ve done.”

“Like I said, no need to.” Mr. Marshall
chuckled. “Just take care of your son and keep him on that field. That’s the
best way to pay me back.”

“I’m more than happy to do that,” Trish
said in a high-pitched voice that indicated signs of happy tears. She latched
on to Raven’s other arm and we descended the stairs.

We walked out of the building and into
the bright sunlight and chilly air.

“Where do you guys want to eat?” Raven
shielded his eyes with his hand.

“It doesn’t matter to me.” Luke pulled
his keys from his pocket and turned to Delaney. “What about you?”

“Whatever y’all decide is fine with me.”

“There’s an Italian restaurant over by
the soccer fields.” Josh hooked his arm around Shelby. “We ate there a few
weeks ago and it was good.”

Raven looked at me and then at his mom.
“How does that sound?”

Trish nodded, giving her approval, while
I said, “Works for me.”

“We’ll go get the car and pick you guys
up,” Josh said.

“We can walk.” Trish took a step
forward.

“Are you sure? I had to park several
buildings away,” Josh said, motioning with his hand. “It’s a little chilly.”

Trish wrapped her jacket around her thin
frame. “I guess we can wait here.”

 “It won’t take long.” Josh started to
jog off when Shelby said, “Wait up, I’m coming with you.”

“We’ll meet you guys there.” Luke tossed
his keys in the air and caught them singlehandedly. “Come on, let’s go.” He
grabbed Delaney by the hand and she waved bye. The mischief in her eyes told me
they might be arriving late.

Trish sat on a bench and motioned for us
to join her. Raven slid next to her and I sat next to him. “I couldn’t have
asked for a better turnout.” Raven extended his arms behind us and squeezed us
simultaneously.

“Me either.” I pressed my lips to his
for a quick kiss.

“Son, I’m really happy for you.” Trish
placed her hand on his leg and gave him a soothing pat. “But, I’d like to know
what they said. I’m sure they laid down some stipulations.”

Raven pulled his arms back and dropped
his hands in his lap. He exhaled and his shoulders curved inward, making his
head align in height with his mom’s and mine. “Yeah, they did.”

Trish leaned closer to her son. “Well,
what did they say?”

Raven twiddled his thumbs and his right
leg shook, tapping against my thigh. I’d never seen Raven react in this manner.
Either he didn’t want to tell his mom what had been decided or he was having
some serious reservations about it.

“Is everything okay?” I placed my hand
on his arm. “You don’t have to be afraid or embarrassed to tell us.”

“Please don’t shut us out, Raven.” Trish
patted his leg repeatedly. “We’re here to support you.”

“I know that,” he responded in a curt
tone.

Trish raised her head and motioned for
me to stay calm behind his back. We had to be careful about what we said and
how we said it. The last thing we wanted was for him to close down and wind up
right back where he used to be. We had to keep those inner demons on a leash
until he could get rid of them for good.

I moved my hand to his back and rubbed
up and down gently, showing my support in a small gesture.

He covered his face with his hands and
slid them down slowly. He straightened his body and took a deep breath. “Sorry.
I didn’t mean to bite your heads off. It’s not easy admitting to your mom and
your girlfriend that you can’t get your shit together without a shrink helping
you.”

It made sense and I completely
understood why he was embarrassed to tell us. Not everyone likes to seek
professional advice to overcome a problem or addiction. But Raven honestly
needed it; his demons were too much for him to handle on his own. I moved my
hand to his arm. “It’s okay, Raven, many people—”

“Oh, that’s great, honey.” Trish sounded
enthusiastically ecstatic about his revelation, cutting me off mid-sentence.
“Do you have to pay for it?”

“What?” Raven turned toward her, not
sounding as happy.

“Seeing a therapist is very expensive.”
She clutched her purse close to her body. “I know.”

Raven’s head jutted back. “What do you
mean you know? Have you seen a therapist?”

She nodded, not making eye contact with
him. “Several times.”

“And did it help?”

She pursed her lips together, as though
withholding information. Based on what I knew about her, I knew why she had
seen a therapist. I felt for her and Raven. My life was not perfect and I
definitely had my own issues, but when you think you have it bad, someone else
always has it worse.

Turning toward him, she said, “It did
and it still does. When I have a little extra money, I go see my therapist.
She’s helped me deal with my problems.”

Raven leaned against the bench and
rolled his shoulders a few times, as if trying to shake off his mother’s
confession. “You never told me.”

“It’s not something you want to tell
your kids, especially when you’re their sole provider and the head of the
house.”

His head snapped in her direction. “Then
you know how I feel. Being a guy, I should be able to deal with my problems and
learn how to overcome them, not have someone solve them for me.”

“But I had to learn that it isn’t a sign
of weakness.” Trish cupped Raven’s face with her palm. “Raven, whether you’re a
man or a woman, sometimes we aren’t equipped to deal with what life throws at
us. It has nothing to do with our determination, but how we learn to deal with
those issues.”

“Is that why you’ve tried to get me to
seek help before?”

“Yes,” she admitted, tears filling her
eyes. “Not because I think you’re weak or a failure… because I knew you weren’t
able to do it on your own.” She shook her head. “Time and time again, you
refused to listen to me, and I knew if you wouldn’t do it on your own terms,
it’d be a waste of time.”

Raven remained silent for a moment, his
upper body rising and falling in long strides. I wanted to see the expression
on his face. Know what he was thinking. What demons he was fighting. Let him
know that I’d be there to support and cheer for him as he worked on resolving
those issues. That he didn’t have to be embarrassed and I thought no less of
him.

“That explains why the rehab didn’t
work,” he muttered in a low voice.

My heart ached and my body slumped
against his. I wrapped my arms around him and silently cried for him on the
inside. Raven had been too proud, too determined, to do it on his own, and that
caused him to fail. If only he hadn’t been so hardheaded, maybe he wouldn’t be
where he was today.

Ugh. Men.

She wiped his face with a tissue. “Please
don’t get mad about what I’m going to say.”

He nodded, remaining silent. “If you
don’t come to terms with the fact that you need help from a professional, you
will continue to battle this for the rest of your life. You’re getting another
chance, Raven, to finish your education, to play football — something you love
dearly — and you’ve worked too hard not to see that dream come true. If you can
just face the fact that you can’t do it on your own, I know the counselor will
be able to help.”

Raven sniffed. “I know, Mom. I’m
trying.”

“Don’t try. Just do it.” She gave his
face a little shake. “Focus all that determination on whatever that therapist
recommends, whether it’s advice, recommendations, tactics, or prayers. Because
I know you can do it.”

“I know I can.” Raven turned around and
took my hand, holding it tightly.

“Because if you don’t, everything you’ve
worked for will be for nothing. There won’t be another chance, Raven.”

“I know. They told me this was it. No
more chances. I have to see a counselor weekly and submit to a drug test.” He
wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“That’s not so bad,” I reassured him.