University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (51 page)

“Uh, I got first dibs, bro,” Raven
reminded Josh.

“Yeah, yeah, I hear ya.” Josh dismissed
Raven’s comment. “Let’s talk.” Josh pulled out a chair, swung it around, and
then straddled it. They continued talking about working out and I joined in the
conversation between Shelby and Delaney.

“What’s the plan?” Shelby removed her
Chick-fil-a sandwich and fries from a bag. “When are we leaving?” She tore open
the ketchup packet with her teeth and squirted it all over her fries.

“Um, I just found out that Raven wants
to go, so I haven’t had chance to talk to him.” I glanced over at Raven, still
unsure if we should go. He shot me a quick smile, and I hated to be the lame
one to tell him we shouldn’t go. I hadn’t seen him this happy in a long time.
Spring Break was all about partying and with Raven on his last string, it just
didn’t sound like a good idea.

“Josh said that Raven’s therapist
canceled his session for next week.”

I bit my lip. How was it that she knew
more than I did? “Oh. I hadn’t heard.” I turned to Raven, pulling him away from
his conversation with the guys. “Hey, you’re not seeing Dr. Galen next week.”

“No. He’s going out of town for Spring
Break.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Yeah, man. Whatever!” Raven slapped the
table and it shook, completely ignoring my question.

“You said it, bro. Not me.” Josh pushed
Raven and he bumped against me.

For a moment, I began to feel like I
wasn’t all that important to him. It reminded me of how Collin used to treat
me. Now that Raven and I were settling into our relationship, I hoped the same
thing wasn’t going to happen. I shook my head, ignoring the lying voice in my
head, but I was still peeved that I was just now finding out. “Raven.”

“Yes? Sorry, baby.” He turned to me,
giving me his full attention. “What did you say?”

My heart did an extra beat and I wanted
to punch myself for even thinking that stupid lie. “Why didn’t you tell me
about this trip sooner?”

“I’m sorry.” He latched on to my hands.
“Josh found out this morning that we could get the condo for the week. Josh,
Shelby, and me, were talking about it this morning before class.” He reached
behind him, grabbing Josh by the shirt. “Isn’t that right, dude?”

“He’s telling you the truth, Lexi.” Josh
gave me a reassuring expression. “My parents were having some work done on the
place and they weren’t sure everything would be finished by next week. My dad
called me this morning and said we could use it if we wanted to.”

“You were already in class so I couldn’t
call to tell you.” His hands traveled along my arms until they reached my
waist. He pulled me close to him, until our knees touched. “And that’s why it
was the first thing I said when I saw you.” His eyes rounded into perfect puppy
dog eyes, pleading for me not to be mad. There was no way I could stay mad at
him.

“And since you didn’t stay with me last
night, like I wanted you to, you weren’t there for the conversation.” He pulled
me into his lap and cradled me like a baby. His baby.

“Raven.” I felt myself slipping into his
trap that I so willingly lost myself in time after time. I pawed at his chest,
but that didn’t stop his PDA for me. He planted kisses all over my face, not
caring if the entire cafeteria saw him. Especially the Silicone Triplets
.
“Stop,”
I squealed, laughing uncontrollably, but it was only a half-hearted protested.

“Stop? That’s not what you said the
other night,” he teased. My entire body flushed with hot and cold chills and I
felt all eyes drift to us. “I kind of remember you begging for more.”

I clamped my hand over his mouth. He was
definitely embarrassing me. Although I wanted every girl who had been consumed
by The Raven’s trap to know that I was his, I really didn’t want him to share
our intimate moments with them.

“What? You don’t want everyone to know
that we’re officially a couple?” he mumbled through my small hand, his voice
carrying over my palm. “You weren’t afraid to suck face with me just a minute
ago.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that…
well, you know.” I eyed him, hoping he caught on.

He pulled my hand away. “I’m not afraid
to tell everyone how I feel about you.”

“Neither am I.” I cupped his face. “But
I’d rather you just show me instead.”

“Alright. I can do that.” He rose to his
feet, still holding me tightly in his arms. “I was going to wait until your
birthday next week, but what the hell. I’ll do it right now.”

“Right now?” I swallowed hard, wondering
what he had in mind. The familiar tingles began to inch their way through my
body and I squirmed in his arms. Raven never ceased to surprise me.

“Yes, right here.”

“Wh—at?” Before I could ask anything
else, he stood me on top of the table. “Raven…what are you doing?” My blood
pumped faster, causing my heart to thrash against my chest. He held on to my
hands, making sure I was steady before letting go.

“Woo hoo!” Josh jumped up, giving us
some distance. Luke vacated his chair and watched intently at the show Raven
was about to put on for everyone.

Raven cleared his throat a few times
before saying, “Excuse me. Can I have everyone’s attention?”

The chattering dwindled to a hush and
all eyes landed on him and me. My entire body froze and a cold sweat broke out
over my skin. The muscles in my legs weakened and my knees shook. A heaviness
settled over my stomach and it tensed into a tight knot.

Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up.

Suddenly, the sushi didn’t seem to
settle well with me. I prayed Raven wasn’t going to do anything overly
embarrassing. If so, I’d kill him. After I had my way with him first. I tried
to smile, but I was certain that I looked like a girl with stage fright. I just
hoped that my picture with hashtag #LexiThompsonScaredShitless wouldn’t be the
next popular post on every social media site.

Raven grabbed my left hand and a few
guys whistled.

Oh, shit.

My body caved forward and I took a long,
hard swallow. Surely, he wasn’t about to do what I thought he was going to do.
I mean, what would I say? What would I do? I loved him. I wanted to be with
him. Forever. But it was too soon. Or was it?

Oh my God. Oh my God.

 “Lexi Thompson,” he smiled, stopping
momentarily. He bowed his head, staring at the floor for a few moments, trying
to compose the bright, neon light beaming from his entire body. Without so much
as a word or note, his body sung a melody that said he loved me. All of me.
More people clapped and whistled, causing my pulse to kick up to top speed. The
blood rushed through me, stealing the air in my lungs, and making my head
dizzy. I inhaled, but only managed to take a few shallow breaths. Out of the
corner of my eye, I saw Delaney snapping pics of us with her camera and Shelby
recording us with her phone.

Was this really happening?

I waited with baited breath until he
finally looked up, his eyes capturing all of me, appraising me with such
intensity that it shook me to my core.

“Since the day I met you in the writing
lab…” he trailed off to turn and face the crowd momentarily. “Yes, she was my
tutor.” A few people laughed and my nervousness transpired into an
unexplainable level of excitement laced with a reassuring calmness. He turned
his attention back to me. “I knew that you were someone very special. Little
did I know that you would be that special someone for me. I know that the past
few months have been a little rough, but there’s no one I’d rather have by my
side than you. You are truly an angel sent from heaven, and I don’t want to let
another day pass by without you knowing how much I love you. Lexi, not only
have you helped me find a new and better life, but you have also showed me it
is possible with you. You are my new beginning and I want you to be my ending.”
His voice softened and his eyes glistened with tears. “I love you, Lexi.”

My heart skyrocketed and my lips spread
into the biggest smile ever. My nose burned with the threat of tears, but I
didn’t care. Raven was professing his love for me, in front of everyone. “Oh,
Raven, I love you, too.”

“Lexi Thompson, I guess what I’m saying
is…” he knelt to one knee and the tears started free falling. I sniffed and
wiped the streaks from my cheeks. I leaned forward, refusing to let go of his
hand. Several of the football players whistled and I prepared myself for what
was coming next. “Will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Raven Davenport for the
rest of your life?” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, burgundy
box. He popped open the lid and held up a shiny ring, sparkling with diamonds.

I gasped, covering my mouth with my
hand. It was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. Flashy, big, and most of
all, picked out by Raven. My throat tightened, still shocked at hearing the
words coming from his mouth.

Raven asked me to marry him!
Say something, you idiot!

At that moment, all sense of fear
vanished, replaced in its entirety by love, hope, and faith. The only thing
missing was trust. I had to know if I could trust him. But I was willing to
take that chance. Deep down, I knew I loved him with my entire soul. I wanted
to know what the future held for us.

I nodded. Repeatedly.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

I leapt into his arms, and he caught me,
twirling us around and around. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him,
over and over again. Showing him just how much I loved him and how much I
wanted to be his wife. I just hoped he wouldn’t let me down.

Σ

Traffic was backed up for miles on State
Highway 100. What was supposed to be a nine hour drive had turned into an
eleven hour drive and we weren’t even on the island yet. We’d left at five in
morning, hoping to avoid traffic, only to hit rush hour in Austin and two-lane
construction all the way through San Antonio. But no amount of traffic could
stifle my excitement. I was finally going to see the ocean and the best part
would be seeing it with my fiancée, Raven.

Raven had convinced me that he would be
on his best behavior, because the last thing he wanted was to mess up a good
thing. And he was right; things were going well and life was definitely good,
which was precisely what worried me. But Josh promised that he wouldn’t allow
things to get out of hand and since it was his parent’s house, he was calling
the shots — no wild parties, no all-night drinking binges, and definitely no
drugs. Despite my better judgment, I decided we should go.

“Damn. Come on people,” Josh huffed and
wiped the sweat from his brow. “Quit looking around and just go.” We were
bumper-to-bumper, inching through the small town of Laguna Heights. Box shaped,
stucco buildings lined the highway, and townspeople shuffled in and out of the
quaint family-owned businesses. It was life for them as usual, but not for the
thousands flocking south in the middle of March.

Young people packed every small corner
store, filling up their tanks and loading up their ice chest with beer and
groceries. It was as if every college student on Spring Break in Texas had the
same plan — party on South Padre Island. And we were no exception.

“I can drive the rest of the way,” Raven
offered.

Josh didn’t say anything, just looked
around as he sighed. Shelby leaned over and stroked his hair. “Maybe you should
let Raven drive for a while. You’ve been behind the wheel since we left. I know
you’re tired.”

“Oh my God! I see the ocean!” I squealed
as I got a glimpse of the blue water behind a few houses. Rolling down the
window, I allowed the warm ocean breeze to sweep through the truck. The sun
bounced off the water, giving it a golden glow. It was truly amazing and
beautiful. I couldn’t wait to sink my toes into the sand and allow the waves to
wash over my feet.

I could definitely get used to this.

“That’s actually the bay. Once we cross
the bridge, you’ll get a nice view of the ocean,” Josh said, letting out a
long, heavy breath.

“Lexi, you want to sit up front?” Shelby
asked as she unfastened her seat belt.

I nodded enthusiastically, like a little
kid dying to see something for the first time. “Yes, please.”

Josh put the truck in park since we were
barley moving. “Go head and drive, Raven. Shel and I will get in the back.”

“Alright, bro.”

We switched places and a few cars honked
at us as we stalled everyone from moving two car spaces forward. I shook my
head. It wasn’t like the thirty seconds they lost would get them there any
faster. Sitting in front, I had a great view, not only of the traffic, but of
the water that followed the highway for miles.

“Are you excited?” Raven took my hand in
his.

“Yeah.” I brushed my finger across the
top of his hand. “Is it that obvious?”

“You’ve been smiling since you found out
we were going.” Raven inched the truck forward.

“That’s because I’m so happy. Happy
we’re engaged and happy we’re here.” My cheeks ached from the constant smiling,
but I didn’t care. I’d never been so happy in my entire life. I glanced at my
hand, unable to stop looking at my ring. Part of me wondered how he could
afford to buy me a diamond the size of Texas, but I’d wait to ask him at the
right time.

“Are you really that happy?” He held my
gaze for a few seconds, searching the depths of my eyes. Not only was I willing
to tell him exactly how I felt, I’d show him, repeatedly.

“Yes, I really am.” I held my eyes wide
open so he could see the sincerity in my reply. Then I squeezed my eyes tightly
together, feeling the rise of butterflies that continued to carry my heart
away, giving it to Raven. “And I can’t wait to hit the beach with you.”

“We’re going to have a great time.” He
raised my hand and kissed my ring finger. “Just like I promised you.”

It just didn’t seem real — I was going
to be Mrs. Raven Davenport. When? I had no idea. Once I graduated and Raven
finished school we could figure it all out, but for now, I wanted to enjoy
every minute with him. I pressed my lips together, speechless. Not only had he
totally surprised me by asking me to marry him, but he was taking me to the
beach. I had the best of both worlds and by the look on Raven’s face, he felt
the same way.

“We probably won’t hit the island for
another hour. If you want, we’ll go straight to the house so you can see the
ocean before the sun sets. Then we can grab a bite to eat and head to the store
afterwards,” Josh said, reclining in the back seat as he covered his face with
his ball cap.

“Works for me.” I winked at Raven and he
smiled. Being with him made everything ten times better.

“That’s fine,” Raven told Josh.

Finally, after thirty minutes, we made
it to Port Isabel, the town on the other side of the island. It had your
typical chain restaurants and stores, with Wal-Mart being the hot spot for not
only islanders, but also visitors. Straight ahead, I spied the longest and
tallest bridge.

“Are we going over that?” I turned
around and asked Josh.

“Yeah,” he muttered underneath his cap.
“That’s the only way to get to the island, unless you want us to catch a
ferry.”

“No. It’s fine,” I giggle, feeling like
a total idiot. “I’ve never been on a bridge that crossed that much water.”

“We’ll be fine.” Raven patted my leg.

The light turned green and we entered
the massive bridge. The sight was unbelievable. My stomach tightened and my
heart pumped faster, but I wasn’t scared, just overly excited. I had finally
made it to the beach after twenty years and three-hundred and sixty-two days.

 
Better late than never.

The ocean rocked gently, creating tiny
waves as we crossed it. I leaned out the window and yelled, “Woohoo!” Everyone
laughed and Josh soon joined in, yelling at the top of his lungs. I couldn’t
believe what I’d been missing all these years. I knew now that I was going to
be a beach girl — snow was a thing of the past.

Palm trees swaying in the spring breeze
and the smell of the salty air mixed with sweet blossoms told me we were
definitely on an island. As the sun lowered, the island woke in a buzz of
college students as they cruised up and down the strip. Bright neon lights in a
variety of colors lit up the t-shirt and souvenir shops. The island had a small
town feel, nothing like a commercialized resort, and it was evident the locals
wanted to keep it that way.

“Make a right, just before the Holiday
Inn,” Josh instructed as we approached the south end of the island.

“Yeah, I remember,” Raven said.

“You’ve been here before?”

“Yeah. The past two years.”

A tiny piece of the excitement dwindled
away, but I wasn’t going to let that ruin my time with Raven. I had no control
over what Raven did in the past. And it was just that — in the past.

We entered a private drive and Raven
stopped at the gate. “What’s the code?”

“Thirty-five fourteen,” Josh said,
checking his phone. We crossed the pebbled drive and entered into the gated
community.

We turned onto the street and pulled up
to the Marshall’s house. It was no condo; it was a freakin’ mansion, standing
three stories tall and overlooking the ocean. Not the bay, but the blue Gulf
Coast. Nestled in a small community with million dollar homes surrounding it,
it was one of the largest structures. And we were staying there for the entire
week! It was like we were on our own sweet escape. I was glad I had decided to
come. This was going to be fun.

Raven pulled into the three-car garage
and I was surprised to see a Jeep already parked. I thought we were the only
ones staying at the house. “Whose car is that?”

“It’s an extra car we keep here,” Josh
said as Raven turned off the ignition. We piled out of the car and stretched
for a second. “If we fly down, we have it here to get around the island.”

Must be nice.

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.” I didn’t
know what else to say. Raven had introduced me to Josh’s parents at Pro Day and
I was surprised to see how down to earth they were. I never pegged them for
being this rich.

Raven tossed Josh the keys and he opened
the door. We entered the house through the kitchen and I did a double take. It
was a chef’s dream. White cabinets and a large island spanned across the
massive kitchen. Black granite and stainless steel appliances with dark
mahogany, wood floors gave it a sleek modern flair. Josh flipped on the lights
and a rainbow of colors danced across the room. Diamond drop crystals hanging
from strings over the island lit up the kitchen like a fine dining
establishment.

“What the hell?” Josh walked into the
living area. “Dad let mom do all this?”

“Man, she went all out this time.”
Shelby slipped off her flip-flops and dug her feet into the shaggy, light grey
carpet. “We’re going to have a hard time keeping this place clean.”

“No shit.” He shook his head. “Why the
hell would she get wood floors? If there’s a hurricane, this wood is gone.”

“It’s not wood,” Shelby knelt and touched
it with her hand, “it’s ceramic.”

Raven tapped his foot on the floor.
“Never seen tile floor that looks like wood.”

“Shit,” Josh huffed. “If they make it,
my mom knows about it. Trust me.”

“Sounds like my mom,” I laughed.

My mom would die for a place like this.

The house looked like it belonged in
Architectural Digest, the magazine my mom fantasized over, clipping pictures
and floor plans for my dad to see. She wanted him to build her a huge, three-story
house — as if the thirty-five hundred square foot house wasn’t large enough for
her. But since her goal was to keep up with the Norris’, she had to have
everything bigger and better. Poor dad.

“My mom needs to meet your mom.”

No, I don’t think so.

I didn’t respond, just looked around as
Josh continued turning on lights throughout the house. White leather couches
and large ottomans gave the untouchable room a slight feeling of hominess. The
Marshall’s place was a true vacation getaway. I just wasn’t sure if it belonged
by the ocean, maybe Las Vegas or New York. You almost didn’t want to touch
anything, for fear of leaving smudge prints. If something was ruined or broken,
I definitely didn’t want to be the guilty party.

Just past the living area, near the
front entrance, a shiny, black, baby grand piano caught my eye. “Oh wow. A
piano.” I headed straight for it. I hadn’t played since Christmas and even
though the memory had been painful, things had changed. I was with Raven. I ran
my fingers across the sleek curves of the instrument. It called to me. Notes
sounded in my head as I hit a few keys.

“Sit down and play.” Raven rubbed his
hands up and down my back.

“I’ll play later.” I relaxed against his
chest. “As long as you’ll sing with me.”

“Have you heard this guy sing?” Josh
placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder.

“Yeah, and he’s not bad.”

Raven shook his head. “I’m not that
good.”

“Whatever.” Josh leaned against the
piano. “So you play?”

“Does she play?” Raven huffed. “She
plays like John Legend.”

“What?” I gasped. “I do not.”

“Relax,” Raven laughed while gathering
me in his arms. “She’s really good, man,” he said, trying to stroke my ego.

 “I’m glad I brought my guitar.” Josh
did a drum roll on the top of the piano. “We can jam out later.”

“I didn’t know you played the guitar.”

“Yep. Been playing since I was in junior
high.” Josh walked out of the front room and back into the living room. He hit
a button with a remote and the outside coverings on the windows retreated,
slowly revealing a gorgeous horizon with a motionless ocean.

“Wow.” I dashed over to the windows to
enjoy the spectacular site.

“I know. It’s badass.” Shelby pressed
her hands against the glass. “I want to live here so badly.”

“We will, baby. Just give it some time.”
Josh wrapped his arms around her. “But I’ll get you a better place than this.”

Shelby’s eyes widened. “How about the
Caribbean?”

Josh laughed, tilting his head back.
“Whatever you want, Shel.”

Raven embraced me from behind. “It’s
beautiful. Just like you.” He nuzzled my neck and I reached up behind me,
pulling him closer. The past week had been magical. I glanced at my ring, still
not believing I was going to be Mrs. Raven Davenport. One thing was certain, I
was glad I said yes. Spending the rest of my life with Raven was all I wanted.
Nothing more.