University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (49 page)

“What time, Delaney?” I grabbed his
arms, trying to stop him from feeling me up in front of my roommate. He
stretched his neck, trying to kiss me. I laughed, unable to resist his tempting
offer. After all, I was already in his trap and I was there to stay.

“Is an hour long enough?” Delaney
appraised Raven from head to toe and then gave me a wide-eyed warning.

“No, but we’ll make it work,” he said,
undressing me with his eyes.

I giggled as Raven picked me up and
tossed me on the bed, landing on top of my clothes.

“I warned you, Lexi,” Delaney said in a
sing-song voice as she shut the door.

“I know. But I can’t resist The Raven’s
trap.”

***

There was definitely a change in the air
and it wasn’t just the signs of spring. Raven was acting like a different
person, shifting his entire demeanor from a cup half-empty to a cup half-f.
He was slowly releasing his demons that were determined to destroy him —
destroy us — and I couldn’t be happier.

It was evident that counseling was
helping him, but it was also the excitement around Pro Day. Over the past few
weeks, Josh had been literally bouncing off the apartment walls, keeping Raven
pumped up for the big day. The day where scouts come to the university to see
the football players on the field and assess their talent for the pros. They
watched recorded games, studying their weaknesses, and practicing every day as
they honed in on their strengths. Josh was a positive influence on Raven and I
was glad he had him in his life.

“Oh my god. I’m so freakin’ nervous.”
Shelby sat next to me on the bleachers inside the indoor practice field. “And
this weather isn’t helping.”

“I know. It definitely makes everything
feel more intense.” The white canopy protected us from the treacherous rain and
hail that beat down on the dome-covered facility. Mother Nature Texas decided
that March fifth marked the beginning of spring. But inside, the vibe was much
different. An electric buzz floated through the air as ten seniors took turns
proving their skills for America’s top pro football teams. The media lined up
and down the sideline with their cameras, capturing all of the player’s moves.

The practice field was setup with bright
orange cones and other equipment ready to test the agility of the players.
Coach Anderson stood on the sideline with his tablet in hand, proudly showing
off his top-trained talent. The assistant coaches scrambled around, shuffling
players on and off the field and being attentive to the scouts and pro coaches
as needed.

“I hate when I get this nervous.” Shelby
shook her right leg, causing her blonde curls to bounce up and down. She leaned
forward, clutching her knees for support. “That’s why I had to sit over here.
Josh’s mom isn’t any better and between the two of us, we drive Josh’s dad
crazy. We’re like two hyped-up cheerleaders.”

I glanced at the can of Red Bull in her
hand. “I’m sure that’s not helping.”

She took a huge gulp. “Yeah, but I need
it.” She looked around the complex, trying to spot Josh. “What’s taking so
long? Why haven’t they started yet?”

 The adrenaline-junkie’s vibes were
passing over me, revving up my blood. I had nothing to be overly anxious about
since Raven wasn’t actively working for a spot on a national football team — he
still had one more year left to play. It was great exposure for him, though. I
was thankful that Coach Anderson had invited him to throw the ball for Josh and
a few other teammates. No doubt, Raven had already caught the attention of
several pro teams, despite his off the field issues. Since PHU had recently
been named one of the top five universities for developing talent, this was an
opportune time for Raven to show off his talent as well. “Relax. Josh has this.
He’s going to get drafted. I just know it,” I reminded Shelby as I chewed on
the inside of my cheek.

“He has to nail this.” She looked at me
with an intensity that made me scoot a little to the right. Even though she was
a small girl, I didn’t want to get in the way when her arms went flaying about
as she cheered on Josh. “Ya know, since he didn’t get to go to the Combine.”
Shelby glanced over her shoulder to where Josh’s parents were standing. “I know
his family is worried, too. If he doesn’t land with a team, they’ll be
devastated.”

Josh had a different take when it came
to football. Where Raven’s attitude was playing for the fun and love of it,
Josh took it dead seriously. He lived and breathed football — making his
ultimate goal to go pro. And, obviously, so did Shelby. That must have been why
he was so mad when Raven was expelled from the bowl game.

“I don’t think you have anything to
worry about. His stats are good and several teams are talking about him.”

“Yeah, but if he doesn’t get picked up,
then all of this was for shit.” Her high-pitched voice quickly transformed into
a deep, serious tone. “The training, the workouts…” she threw her hands up in
the air, “don’t mean a damn thing unless he lands a contract.”

I nodded, knowing there was nothing I
could say that would lessen the tension. Raven had recently given me another
crash course because I knew very little when it came to pro football. My whole
life had revolved around baseball because of Luke and Collin. But I was a quick
study and with the help of Google, I was picking up on the particulars of the
sport. The best part was that I liked football more than baseball. I don’t know
if it was seeing Raven suited up in tight spandex as he ran up and down the
field, or the speed associated with the game as guys rammed into each other,
but I loved it.

“Girl, I know what you mean. This mama’s
been preparing her boy since he was ten years old.” Shawn Jackson’s mother and
father were sitting next to me since the exhibition started. “Betty Jackson,”
she leaned over me and I moved back to give her more room, “nice to meet you.”

“Hi, I’m Shelby Scott, Josh Marshall’s
other half.” She shook her hand.

“And this is my husband, Ron Jackson.”
Betty slapped her husband on the arm when he didn’t acknowledge her. Ron tipped
his Desert Storm Veteran ball cap and then turned his attention to the field.
His perfect posture and quiet demeanor explained his ex-military training. It
was even present in the way Shawn stood and responded to people.

“Shawn’s a great player. I was watching
him with Josh’s parents. I heard that Tampa is really interested in him.”
Shelby kept one eye on the field.

“Yes, ma’am. We’re excited about that,
but I just want my boy to be happy. If none of this works out for him, then
that’s okay by us. It’s all in the good Lord’s hands.” She pressed her hands
together and then raised them to the ceiling. Shelby gave her a stiff smile and
then turned her attention back to finding Josh. “I’ve been praying my heart out
for Raven, too. That poor boy. I’m so glad he met a nice girl like you, Lexi.
You’re exactly what he needed to get his act cleaned up.” She wrapped her arm
around me and squeezed me tightly.

“Thank you.” I smiled, happy to know
that they supported Raven and were proud that he was working hard to make a
change. “I really appreciate Shawn being there for him. He’s a good friend,
just like Josh.” I shot Shelby a quick glance and she cracked a quick smile at
me. Unsure of what Betty knew, I decided to end the conversation at that.

“I’m glad they’re friends.” She patted
my leg, allowing her long, painted red nails to brush against my thigh.
Thankfully, I didn’t feel a thing through my jeans, but they still gave me the
heebie-jeebies with the way they curled at the tips.

Since he’d been throwing the ball for
several of his other teammates, Raven was already on the field when Josh made
his appearance.

“There’s Josh.” Shelby grabbed my hand
and perched on the edge of the bench. “I think I’m going to hurl.”

“Relax, he’s going to do fine.” I gave
her hand a tight squeeze and she released mine before I lost all feeling in my
fingers.

“Come on, Josh. Show ‘em what you got!”
Shelby held up two crossed fingers at his mom and she showed Shelby hers as
well. It must have been a little ritual they did for him. His mom was an
average sized woman, with short, red hair that was teased all over, giving her
that big-Texas-hair look. With all the makeup she had on, she fit the wife role
of a big Texas oil and gas tycoon perfectly. Josh’s dad resembled his brother,
Will Marshall, with the exception of having a full head of hair. His belly was
nearly the same size of the attorney’s and they had the same stance that demanded
authority and showed power.

The chatter settled to a low murmur as
Josh got into place. Raven tossed the ball in his hands as he waited for the
signal to start. The scouts waited eagerly as several assistant coaches raced
to set up the field for a three-cone drill, placing markers at the twenty,
forty, and sixty yard lines.

“Here we go.” Shelby clapped her hands
and rubbed them furiously together. Her bony shoulder blades protruded through
her off-the-shoulder shirt and her eyes narrowed as she kept her gaze steadily
on Josh. With that game face, she sent a clear message — nobody better mess
with me or my guy.

“You can do it, Josh,” I cheered as I
waved to him and Raven. Afraid that if I didn’t show Josh enough support, she
might rip me in two.

“Come on, Josh. Come on.” She ranted as
he got prepared to catch the ball. The scouts, coaches, and spectators watched
intently as Raven passed the ball to Josh in several different plays. For
fifteen minutes, Josh displayed his skills, showing his sound hands, quick
feet, and impressive balance while luring in the emissaries not only from
Cleveland, but several other teams as well. Shelby clapped after each obstacle,
managing not to yell her head off, as they instructed us. But I could tell it
was killing her. The girl was definitely hardcore when it came to her man and
football. Not that I wasn’t, but I managed to keep myself a little more on the
subtle side.

 I kept a watchful eye to see if any of
them took note of Raven’s abilities. As I suspected, several scouts were
evaluating his talent and commenting on Raven’s prized possession — his
throwing arm. It was no secret, with a top twenty ranking and throwing on
average six touchdowns per game last season, and leading his team to the bowl
even though he didn’t get to play, Raven was one of the most talked about
quarterbacks. He would be a top contender in next year’s draft, as long as he
continued on the right path. But, could he?

The whistle blew and Josh tossed the
ball back to Raven. Every one gave him a round of applause and Shelby stood up
and let a loud “whoop, whoop”. Raven hi-fived Josh as he dashed off the field.

“Hell. That was so freakin’ nerve
racking.” She exhaled a long breath, as if she’d been holding it in for the
last fifteen minutes. “He screwed up on that twenty yard dash.” She shook her
head. “He’s going to pay for that. I just know it.”

“I know I don’t know as much as you, but
by the nods and smiles coming from the opposite side of the field, I think he
did well.”

“We’ll see.” Shelby jumped off the
bleachers and pulled up on her skinny jeans. “I’ll be back.”

“Okay.”

She walked toward Josh’s parents and
hi-fived them. For a few minutes, they spoke, their emotions clearly indicating
they were reviewing how Josh did. Josh’s father didn’t show as much emotion,
keeping somewhat of a straight face. His wife and Shelby clearly made up for
it.

We stayed until the end and waited for
Josh and Raven to come out of the locker room. The second Josh appeared, Shelby
ran to him, yelling, “There’s my guy!” She jumped into his arms, clamping her
legs around his waist. They kissed like no one else was in the room and it made
me feel a little awkward as I stood next to his parents. They clapped,
nonetheless.

Raven walked out next and I waited
patiently for him, although a part of me really wanted to barrel into him like
Shelby had Josh. His hair glistened, still wet from the shower. He brushed his
hand through it, giving it a messy look. Damn he was sexy. He wore running
pants and a tight, purple Under Armour shirt with a large dragon across the
front. Every bulge and ripple showed through the fabric and I couldn’t wait to
land my hands on him tonight.

“You were great!” I threw my arms around
him, locking my fingers tightly around his neck.

His hands rested on my waist. “I did
well?” A huge smiled spread, like he already knew the answer. Seeing Raven
happy warmed every part of me, in every right way.

“Hell yeah, baby. You had those scouts
turning their heads even though they were supposed to be watching your teammates.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” I pressed my lips to his and he
kissed me, unable to stop the grin from ear to ear.

“I just have to keep playing well and
next year, I’ll be here.” Raven glanced over at Josh and Shawn who were being
hailed by the media. “Better them than me.” His eyes widened and he sighed in
relief.

“Yeah, well, they just saw you.” I
winked.

He shot a quick glance at the familiar
reporter making her way toward us. “Are you alright with all of this?” His eyes
pleaded for forgiveness.