University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (34 page)

He laughed hard and I got off him. I
crossed my arms and pouted. I really wasn’t that upset, but I wanted to give
him a hard time. Readjusting his hat, he said, “Oh, baby, don’t be mad. I just
want to have a little fun with you.”

I lowered my arms, unable to hold the
fake expression any longer. Raven was just too irresistible. “Then let’s do a
something more my style.”

“What’s that?” he said, standing and
shaking the snow from his body.

Grabbing his hand, I pulled him to the
ground. “Make snow angels.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, lord.”

Raven and I played around for about
thirty minutes making snow angels, snow monsters, and various non-existing
creatures. We threw a couple of snowballs at each other and attempted to make a
dragon, even though it looked more like a fat cat lying in the snow.

I held my hands up to my mouth and
breathed hot air on them. The coldness had made them go numb.

“Are you ready to go?”

Nodding my head, I said, “Yes.”

“Then let’s go.” He extended his hand
and helped me stand. “Hey, look, the donut shop is open. Want something hot to
drink?”

“Sure, that sounds good.” We crossed the
street to the shopping strip. Raven’s eyes lit up when he saw the door to the
comic book store open and a guy walk out. “Do you want to go?”

“Yeah, I need to get my latest issues.”

“I can’t believe you read comic books.”

Raven opened the door to the donut shop
and I walked in. “That’s why I never read my assigned books.”

“Aww, so the truth finally comes out.” I
snickered.

“What can I say?” He shrugged. “Comic
books are more fun to read than Booker T. Washington.”

 “I guess it depends on what you like to
read, but I won’t argue with you on that one.”

After buying two cups of hot chocolate,
we headed next door. To my surprise, a few people were shopping, even though
there were no cars parked outside. I figured they had walked there like we had.
A table top Christmas tree decorated with Star Wars figures immediately caught
our attention.

“Wow, this is cool.” Raven tapped a mini
figure of Chewbacca.

“It sure is,” I said, showing him a
Princess Leia figure.

“I think we should buy it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we need one for the apartment.”
He did a quick sweep, checking all the figures. “It’s not Christmas, unless you
have a tree.”

The guy behind the counter greeted us
and by the handshake he and Raven exchanged, I knew Raven frequented the place.

“I didn’t think the store would be open
today.” Raven leaned over the counter, strumming his fingers against the glass.

The guy pulled out a stack of comics and
handed them to Raven. “Since I live in the apartment’s right behind here, I was
able to walk to work.”

“Really?” Raven flipped through the
stacks of books. “What building are you in?”

“Building four.” The guy took a sip from
an oversized coffee mug that was the head of Spock from Star Trek.

“I’m in building two.”

“Kick ass.”

Raven motioned with his head. “How much
for the tree?”

“Seventy-five bucks.”

“Does that include the ornaments?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Alright.” The guy walked to the small
tree and took it to the counter. He continued talking to Raven while he removed
the ornaments and wrapped them for us.

I looked around at all the cool stuff I
knew my dad would love. They had a variety of action figures and my eyes zeroed
in on the Walking Dead figures that my dad had recently started collecting. I
quickly spotted a figure of Daryl on his motorcycle and knew that my dad had
been searching for it on Amazon. The price seemed reasonable so I decided to
buy it for him for Christmas. Then, my mind drifted to what I should buy Raven.
I hadn’t even thought about buying presents since I’d been so caught up in
spending time with him. With Christmas eight days away, I needed to think of
something.

I casually neared Raven to see if I
could hear him saying anything about something he wanted when two guys walked
in.

“Woot! Woot! The Raven’s in the house,”
a large guy with dreadlocks ranted and I quickly recognized his face. He was
one of the guys that had entered the taco restaurant when Macy had decided to
interrupt our conversation.

“What’s up?” Raven fist bumped both guys
and I knew they played football for PHU. I kept a discrete distance behind one
of the aisles, listening to their conversation.

“Damn remote broke to my Xbox. Thought
I’d stop by and see if they had one.” The guy ran his hand over his short buzz
cut and I noticed the diamond rings on his fingers.

The guy behind the counter smiled.
“You’re in luck, Jared. We got a few last week.”

Jared made a fist and pumped his arm in
a backward motion. “Yes.”

“Good. Now we don’t have to take turns
like little kids,” the larger guy added. “Rimmy, when does Halo: Spartan
Assault come out?”

“December twenty-fourth,” the clerk
answered.

“Fuck. Seven more days?” The large
football player stomped his foot on the ground, reminding me of a big baby
Huey. He pouted and sighed like he couldn’t wait that long.

“Sorry, man. We don’t open until nine,
but I’m sure you can camp out at Game Stop if you want it that bad.”

“Nah, that’s okay. They don’t give
student discounts.”

“Let me check on something.” Rimmy went
to the computer and typed in some information. “Hey, Cage, I can preorder it if
you want.”

Cage. Calvin ‘Cage’ Rutherford.

The name was familiar and based on his
build and size, I knew he was probably a defensive tackle.

“Alright, let’s do it.” Cage’s voice
instantly transformed into a deep, husky tone that matched his large, stoutly
built. With each step he took, the floor shook and I couldn’t imagine being
tackled by something that size. Raven was about two sizes smaller than him and
for me, he was still a big guy.

“Hey, man, why don’t you stop by
tonight? We’re gonna’ play some Madden and have a few bitches over,” Jared told
Raven and my ears shot up like a hunting dog on high alert. I quickly stepped
from behind the aisle, making myself present.

“Yeah, uh, well…” Raven stumbled to
answer Jared. Raven shot me a quick glance and then turned to his friend. “I,
um…” His friend ignored him and instead, locked his eyes on me. He scanned me
from head to toe in a slow and deliberate manner. A chill shot up my back and
my stomach clenched. A devious, dark smile covered his face and I inwardly
cringed.

“Who’s this?” Jared kept his gaze on me,
but I didn’t flinch. I wasn’t sure what went on between Raven and Jared, but I
wasn’t one of the hoes made for sharing and I wanted to make sure he knew that.

“Hi.” I kept a straight face and stuck
out my hand. “I’m Lexi Thompson.”

Jared’s brows arched. “Oh, you’re Lexi.”
He shook my hand in a polite manner. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said, keeping a watch on
him. I didn’t trust him and something in the pit of my stomach told me he was
bad news. I recalled some of the articles I had read in the newspaper and swore
I saw his name listed. I made a mental note to check when Raven wasn’t around.

“Yeah, so I don’t know, man. Lexi is
staying with me and—”

“Oh, you are?” Jared continued shaking
my hand and I finally had to tug to get him to let go of it. I wanted to wipe
the sweat from his hands on my pant legs but refrained.

“Yes. I am,” I said, matter of fact.

“Then you should come.” A sly smile
played on the edge of his lips and I shuddered. “We’re gonna hang out, play
video games, and drink.”

Raven placed his arm around me and
pulled me close, as if showing Jared that I was with him. It eased the tension
going through me and reassured me that he would protect me at all cost. “Okay.
We’ll stop by.” He picked up his sack from the counter and the tree that Rimmy
had wrapped up. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I just need to pay for this and
we can go.” I walked to the counter and paid for the figure. The entire time I
stood at the register, I sensed Jared was watching my every move. When I turned
around, my intuition proved right as Raven’s friend kept an unsettling gaze on
me.

“Excuse me,” I said as I shouldered past
him.

“Sure.” He barely moved and his hand
brushed against mine. A sickening shiver rushed down my back and I quickly
jerked my hand away. Everything about this guy screamed trouble. Jared smiled
at me. “I guess I’ll see you tonight.”

Uh, no.

Even though the comment was directed at
me, Raven responded, “Yeah, man, see you later on.”

“Let’s go.” I grabbed Raven by the hand
and quickly bolted out of there as fast as I could.

∑

After we put up the miniature Christmas
tree, Raven and I had a slight argument about going to his friends’ apartment.
I truly felt that it was a bad idea. At first, I told him that we shouldn’t
drive because the roads were still iced over and he could wreck his car. But he
retorted with the fact that his friends’ apartment was just on the other side
of the park and he’d drive slow. When that didn’t work, I told him that Jared
made me feel really uncomfortable. Again, Raven discounted my comment by
telling me that Jared flirted with every female he came across. Since I didn’t
want to be the girlfriend that told her guy that he couldn’t hang out with his
friends, I agreed to go. I just hoped that my decision wouldn’t be one that I’d
later regret.

We pulled up to a fairly new apartment
complex and I remembered my brother checking in to them at the beginning of the
semester. My parents refused to pay the monthly rent because it was about
five-hundred dollars more than most apartments. Cautiously, Raven entered the
parking garage and drove to the top floor.

We got out of the car and walked to the
entrance of the apartments. The sound of hip-hop music echoed through the top
floor as we approached Jared’s apartment, reminding me of some of the frat
parties I’d been to. We passed a really nice workout facility and a rooftop
lounge that was obviously closed because of the weather. There were a few
apartments along the way and I noticed that each door was somewhat distant from
each other, telling me that these apartments must be fairly large.

“Did I tell you that you look really
beautiful tonight?” Raven commented as we reached the door.

I unzipped my jacket and gave myself a
quick look over. I wasn’t wearing anything special, just an oversized sweater
and leggings. My typical attire during the winter. “Thanks.”

“If things get too crazy, we’ll leave,
okay?” Raven raised his hand and I tried to stop him, wanting to know what he
meant by
too crazy,
but it was too late.

The door to the apartment opened and
Cage stood in the doorway with a huge glass stein filled with beer in his hand.
“What’s up?” He smiled and his cheeks puffed. He had on a football jersey,
sporting the number forty-five on the front.

“Hey, man.” Raven exchanged a fist bump
with him and then led us into the huge loft apartment. It looked like a mini-penthouse
decked out in shaggy rugs, modern furnishings, and bright colors. Canvas
painted art of naked girls lined the walls along with neon lights, trophies,
and football paraphilia enclosed in glass. A football player’s dream with a
playboy accent.

Great.

And I had willingly walked into it.

To my surprise, the place didn’t reek of
cigars, liquor, or any other funky smell, but something turned my stomach and I
instantly got another bad vibe. Several girls were playing a dance video game
in the living room, screaming and yelling as they shimmied against each other.
Two guys, who looked like football players, were sitting on the couch with a
couple of trampy-looking girls surrounding them. They nodded their head at
Raven, exchanging a typical guy hello. The girls wore short skirts and tiny
shirts that barely covered their stomachs. I looked homely compared to how much
skin they were showing. How the heck could Raven think I looked beautiful?

Past the living room was the kitchen
where Jared sat at a glass dining table with a girl on each side. A silver pipe
hung out the side of his mouth and he took long draws, puffing on it as a small
billow of smoke swirled above his head. I couldn’t help but question what was
in the pipe.  His eyes were red and he had a sly smirk on his face. In a slow,
deliberate fashion, his eyes surveyed me from head to toe and my skin crawled,
remembering what it felt like when he touched me.

“Glad you guys could make it.” Jared
pulled the pipe from his mouth and smiled at me. His large, gold tooth sparkled
and it looked like a diamond was in the center of it. Was Raven was involved in
any illegal activities with him? Based on his pad and the red Corvette I saw
parked outside the comic book store, I was confident this guy was more than a student
and football player.

“Don’t even think about it, Jared,”
Raven quickly replied, pulling me closer to him. “She’s not for sharing.”

“Ah, hell.” Jared slapped the glass and
the table shook beneath his large hand. “I thought I’d get to try a piece of
her tight ass.” He snickered and my blood boiled. Who the hell did he think I
was? One of Raven’s ex-hoes? Clenching my jaw tightly together, I held my
tongue, knowing that he was trying to get a reaction out of me. I’d be damned
if I gave him that pleasure. For all I cared, he could go eff himself.

“Trust me, Jared, I’ve already tried.”
The girl on his left side ran her slender hand down his arm and across his
chest. Her gold bangles clanged against each other and her long, pointed
fingers trailed a path to Jared’s mouth. Her nails razed his thick lips and his
tongue swept across her finger, as if he were licking a lollipop. She released
a low moan while keeping her eyes directly on Raven. “For whatever reason,
Raven’s really hung up on this one.”

“Shut the fuck up, Macy,” Raven barked
as he rolled his eyes at her.

I did a double take, realizing that it
was Macy from the restaurant. Her hair was jet black and pulled into a high
ponytail with braids on each side that trailed down her back. A huge contrast
from the blonde hair she had a few months ago. She had on a black, silky tank
top with no bra, paired with a cheetah print micro-mini skirt. She was an
animal ready to rip apart her prey. I held on to Raven’s arm tightly, because
there was no way in hell I was letting that puma pounce on my man.

“Do you want something to drink?” The
girl hanging on the other side of Jared’s arm stood. She had a big afro that
was highlighted with a gold color on the tips that made her almost as tall as
Raven. Her smooth mocha skin radiated under her bright, peachy blush and glossy
lips. Her eyes were light green, almost like Raven’s, and I noticed how she
caught his attention.

“Yeah, sure.” I tucked my hair behind my
ear, wishing I had fixed myself up more. There was too much skin and too many
head-turning girls, making me feel totally out of place. Danger lurked in the
air and I knew then that we shouldn’t have come.

“I’m Reece.” She smiled and it was
mesmerizing. The girl was absolutely gorgeous. I feared that Raven had hooked
up with her and by the way she studied him, I knew the answer.

 “I’m Lexi Thompson, nice to meet you,”
I said, remembering to keep my enemies close. Raven and I followed her to the
kitchen. She towered over me in her four inch stilettos and I promised myself
to buy a pair of stacked heels the next time I went to the mall. I seriously
needed a wardrobe makeover. Where the hell was Delaney when I needed her?

“What do you want to drink?” Reece
showed me a few bottles of liquor and I immediately zoomed in on the one that I
was most familiar with — Malibu Rum.

“How about Rum and Coke?” I pointed to
the white bottle among a few other liquor bottles.

“Sure.” She turned around and said,
“What about you, Raven?”

My stomach dropped when she said his
name in a familiar tone. It confirmed my theory. She was probably one of his
tramps.

“I’ll just get a beer.” Raven opened the
fridge and took out a bottle.

I watched her make my drink, but
hesitated to take it from her, knowing that I shouldn’t. However, I really needed
something to take the edge off.

“Thanks,” I said, taking it from her.

Raven sat at the table with Jared and I
reluctantly stood behind him. Macy was still clinging to Jared’s side, petting
him while maintaining one eye on Raven. It made me sick.

“Let’s play some poker.” Jared picked up
a stack of playing cards and shuffled them several times in his hand. I tried
not to watch his skillful hands, but it was hard not to. The cards fluttered
through his fingers with precision and speed, like a professional dealer at a
casino. I wondered how many times he’d been to Vegas and if that’s how he
earned his money or if my intuition about drugs being involved was true. “Come
on, Lexi, don’t be shy.” Jared winked at me and I cringed. “Sit down and play
with us.”

“I’ll play.” Macy’s voice was seductive
and her body language expressed what she truly meant by her words. Pulling the
empty chair next to Raven, she eased down on it while purposefully sticking out
her behind for everyone to see. She whipped her long ponytail to the side and
then leaned forward, giving everyone a clear shot of her cleavage. Her fingers
wrapped around a dark purple glass and she took a sip.

Why the hell did I agree to come here?

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.”
Jared placed the cards in the center of the table. “Well, what’s it going to
be, Lexi?” He took another puff from his pipe and motioned at the cards. “Are
you going to cut them?”

“Jared, leave her alone.” Raven shook
his head. “You don’t have to play if you don’t want to.” He eased his hand
around my waist and pulled me close to him.

“Um, I guess…” I cast a doubtful look at
Raven but before I could sit down, Reece grabbed my hand.

“Let’s have a dance off.”

“What?” I looked at her and then at
Raven. Was it safe to leave him with Macy? I didn’t trust her and even though I
wanted to trust Raven, I wasn’t sure if I should. I reasoned with myself that I
would be in the next room with a clear view of what was going on in the
kitchen. If things got out of control, I could end it quickly. With that, I
hesitantly followed her.

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” Reece pulled me
toward the living room where two girls were dancing with each other as Cage
humped one of them from behind. The only time I had danced in that way was at
the frat party with Brian and I was somewhat drunk.

“I guess.” I downed half my drink and
decided to make the best of it while I was there.

“Cage! Get your ass over here,” Jared
yelled.

“Shit.” Cage’s smile quickly turned into
a frown and he sighed. “I guess.”

Cage dragged his feet past us toward the
kitchen and I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he’d take Macy up on her offer
and she’d forget about Raven. I sat on a white leather chase and looked around
for the other two football players that were sitting on the couch with the
girls that were hanging on them. My eyes navigated down the hallways and I
listened for any signs that would tell me if they were in a room with them or
if they had left.

I watched Reece get down with the two
girls. I laughed as they fought to keep up with the video game while continuing
to sip the remainder of my drink. The door to the loft opened and another
football player walked in, carrying a bag. The girls stopped dancing for a
moment, eager to see who had entered. One of them exchanged a silent look with
him and he cast a crooked smile, giving her a quick wink.

“Shawn, my man,” Jared greeted him from
the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Shawn slammed the door
behind him. He walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, placing
his brown paper sack inside. When he shut the fridge, he had a beer in his
hand.

“Have a seat.” Raven placed his cards
face down on the table. “We’re just getting started.”

“That’s okay.” Shawn patted Raven on the
back. “I’m gonna chill and drink my beer.”

“Alright.” Raven tipped his beer to
Shawn’s. “I get ya.”

Shawn took off his letterman jacket and
tossed it on a chair near the patio doors. He had on a short sleeve polo-style
shirt and jeans. His bicep muscles cut into the sleeves of his shirt making his
tattoos stick out more. He sat on the couch and propped his feet on the leather
ottoman in front of us. I tried not to stare but I wanted to know what the
annotation on his arm spelled. When he caught my gaze, he leaned forward.

“Hi, I’m Shawn.” He held out his hand. I
shook it, not wanting to be rude. His thick, warm hands swallowed mine and the
callous from his palm scraped my skin.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Lexi.”

“I’ve never seen you around before.” He
cast me a dubious stare as though trying to place me. He ran his hand over his
short hair and reclined against the couch.

“That’s because you haven’t,” Raven
yelled from the kitchen.

Shawn looked over his shoulder. “Oh,
okay.” His brows lifted as though he knew what Raven meant. I was his girl and
hands off. It made me feel good but also cheap when he rubbed the stubbles on
his chin a few times as if contemplating what Raven was doing with me.

 “And she’s a really good girl,” Jared
sneered.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Eventually
I’d break and tell Jared how I really felt about his comments, but I knew right
then wasn’t the time.

“How do you know Raven?” Shawn held the
beer bottle up to his mouth.

“I used to tutor him,” I admitted,
hoping that set the record straight for every football player in the room.

Shawn cut his drink short. “No shit.” He
turned around toward Raven. “This is the girl you were talking about?”