A Different Side (University Park #4) (21 page)

“How’s it going?” The cold wind blew hard and she gathered her long hair in her hands, pulling it to the side.

I shrugged. “Alright, I guess.” I looked around at the people congregated, holding each other and sobbing. A PHU alum who had become a local teacher had been killed after some crazy fool opened fired on an elementary campus. Seeing this reminded me I had so much to be thankful for. My problems were nothing compared to the family members and friends who had lost a loved one in the incident. “You?”

Delany wiped a stray tear that escaped from her clear blue eyes. “Okay. Just really sad about what happened at Pine Elementary.”

“Did you know the teacher?”

She shook her head. “Nope.” Placing a hand over her heart, she said, “I just can’t imagine what her family is going through. She had just gotten married this past summer and was pregnant.”

My stomach churned. “I can’t imagine either. Not to mention, the three children who died as well.”

Delaney sniffed and her eyes filled with more tears. “I know. It’s terrible.”

I resituated my backpack and breathed in through my nose as tears threatened to strike. “I gotta go. I have practice in an hour.” I wanted to ask about Lexi, but didn’t. We had our last game of the season and we had to win. Thinking about Lexi wouldn’t do me any good. “See ya later.”

As I turned to walk in the opposite direction, Delaney said, “Hey, I really need to ask a favor.”

I stopped. “Sure. What do you need?”

She rubbed her hands together. “Can we go inside the union or somewhere else? It’s freezing out here.”

“Yeah, sure.” She reminded me of every other girl in Texas complaining about the cold weather.

We made our way through the crowd and entered the student union. It was less crowded, but the somber mood still lingered in the air. “Want something to drink?”

“Yeah, I need something warm.” She breathed into her hands.

“Okay.” I led the way to the café. I ordered coffee and she ordered some type of frou-frou drink with whipped cream and chocolate. We found a spot in a nearby booth and sat.

“So, what do you need, tickets?” I asked, sipping the warm liquid.

“Sort of.” She laughed. “I was thinking maybe you should invite Lexi to the Thanksgiving game.” She scooped a spoonful of whipped cream and shoved it in her mouth.

Over the brim of my cup, I eyed her. “Why? Does she want to go?”

Delaney shrugged. “I don’t know, but she needs to go.”

“So, what are you saying?” I grinned. “You’re going to drag her to the game, despite whether she wants to go or not?”

With indifference, she shrugged. “Basically.”

I winked at her. “You’re my type of friend.”

She waved off my comment. “But seriously, I’m concerned about Lexi.”

Those words caught my attention. “Is she okay?” I leaned against the table, eager to know more. “I haven’t heard from her.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Delaney rolled her eyes. “She barely makes it to class and quit her job at the writing center, as you know.”

I nodded.

Delaney used her straw to mix her drink. “As soon as she comes back from class, she gets back in bed and she hardly eats anything.” She shook her head. “I’m starting to get worried about her.”

It sounded like Lexi was really torn up over her breakup. It hurt and although I hoped we had a chance, I wanted the best for her. I rubbed the scruff on my chin. As much as I didn’t want to ask, I knew I had to. “Have you talked to Collin? Does he know how upset she is?”

Delaney sipped her drink. “Collin is aware and he’s heartbroken too, but I think they both realized they were never in love with each other. I’ve told Lexi to go back to him if she’s that upset, but she claims that’s the last thing she wants.”

“Why did she agree to marry him if she didn’t love him?” I asked warily, hoping I wasn’t overstepping my boundaries.

“They’d been together since they were fifteen. She said their parents expected it, so she went along with it.”

“That’s horrible.”

“You’re telling me!” Delaney threw her hands up in the air. “I knew it from the first day I saw them together. Collin’s a very private, non-emotional guy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy…he’s practically a saint, but I guess that goes with the territory since he’s a preacher’s son.”

It all made sense. Why her parents wanted her to marry him. They were good for each other. Two saints. As much as I hated to admit it, this reconfirmed I wasn’t good for Lexi. But I wasn’t throwing in the flag yet.

She continued, “Let’s see what else…he studies hard. Um…oh yeah, he’s the pitcher for PHU—”

“Wait a minute.” I coughed, choking on my coffee. “He plays for the school?”

Delaney slurped her drink. “Yeah. You didn’t know that?”

“Shit! I know who he is…” I pointed to her as my mind searched for the answer. “You’re talking about Collin Norris.”

“That’s him.”

My head dropped toward the table. I felt like the biggest idiot. All this time and I never knew she was engaged to the university’s star baseball player. How did I miss that one?

“How did she manage to keep that under the radar?” I was dumbfounded. “I think I read he was engaged to be married, but the article didn’t say to who. The dude doesn’t talk about his private life at all. He works hard to uphold his image and you never see him at parties.”

“That’s Collin,” Delaney sighed. “And to make matters worse, he rooms with her brother.”

“That has to be awkward.”

“You’re telling me.”

I picked at the cardboard sleeve on my coffee cup. Although I hated to hear Lexi was having such a hard time, it told me there was still a chance for us. “I want to be there for her, but I can’t force her to call me.”

“I know.” Delaney nodded. “And you’ve done the right thing by giving her some space. It’s been a month…I just think it’s time for her to move on. I’ve tried to get her to go out, have a good time, but she refuses.”

I leaned against the back cushion of the booth. “You think going to the game would be good for her?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. But I know this…” she stared at me, “I think it’s you she needs.”

A huge lump formed in the back of my throat. I took another sip of my coffee, but it didn’t help it go down. “Really?”

“Yeah. Really.” She smiled and I grinned at her. It was pointless hiding it — I wanted to be with Lexi.

“What did you have in mind?”

Delaney gathered her legs underneath her and straightened. “Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. Get two tickets to the game and I’ll let her know you invited us to go.”

“Okay, that’s easy. I get four tickets to every game and since it’s a home game that makes it easier.” My mom and brothers were going to New Orleans for Thanksgiving, which meant that my tickets were available.

“Perfect!” She clapped. “Let’s see, what else can we do?”

I crossed my arms. Maybe this would work. But I honestly didn’t want to force Lexi to come watch me play. I wanted her to go to the game because she wanted to, not because Delaney told her to. “There’s also a party afterwards.”

“Kappa Sig or Sigma Chi?”

“Kappa Sig, why?” I asked, sensing some resistance.

“No reason.” She acted like it was no big deal, but the tiny beads of sweat collecting around her temples said it all. “I’ll tell her you invited us to the party.”

“That’ll work.”

“Then, it’s settled.” Delaney smiled. “I’m so excited!”

“Okay, then.” I laughed at her. She was so full of life. I was counting on her optimism to get Lexi to the game. If it didn’t work, then I’d have to think of another way to see her.

She grabbed her backpack and slid out of the booth. “Oh, yeah, I’ll be at my parent’s farm for Thanksgiving. I guess I’ll pick up Lexi on the way in…” she paused for a moment, “that should work. I’ll text you when I get back to campus and we can meet up.”

“Sounds good.”

She waved. “See you later.”

“See ya.” I waved back. “And thanks for agreeing to take her. I really appreciate it.”

“Sure.” She smiled and then zipped through the café.

∑

Chapter 14

A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted
.

~Billie Holiday

It was game day. But not only was it game day — it was the day I had been waiting for all week and I hoped Delaney would come through for me. If Lexi didn’t show up, I promised myself it would not affect my ability to win the game. We needed this win and if I didn’t keep my head straight, I’d be in trouble.

A few hours before the game, Delaney texted me and I told her to come to the stadium to pick up the tickets. Before I left the apartment, I pulled one of my old jerseys from the back of my closet. I had worn it during freshman camp but it still looked new. It was a little big for Lexi, but smaller than any of my current jerseys. I hadn’t realized how much larger and muscular I had gotten over the last three years. Lexi would look hot wearing it.

Delaney met me outside the locker rooms and I gave her the tickets along with the jersey. I told her to tell Lexi to wear it so I could spot her. She promised she would and said Lexi was already at the dorm and she’d get her to the game. Just knowing I was hours from seeing her had my legs weak. How she did that to me was beyond my understanding. But something about her sweetness made my life seem so much better.

She wished me luck and we agreed to meet up at the Kappa Sig tent outside the stadium after the game. Maybe I should’ve wished her luck — we both needed it. I just had to be patient and hope for the best.

We suited up in our black jerseys and grey-reptile pants. The chrome, purple helmets made our uniforms look tight. It was perfect for the last game of the season. I bounced from one end of the locker room to the other, unable to control my excitement. Between the nervous vibes of seeing Lexi and winning the game, I felt like I had taken a hit of something. Shawn and Josh asked if I was okay and I assured them I was clean. I kept the whole Lexi plan under wraps. I didn’t need another lecture or embarrassment.

Coach gave us a hardcore speech and it pumped us up. Not only were we physically ready, we were mentally prepared. I had my game day head on and there was no diverting it. We marched through the tunnel, hollering and chanting our mantra. “We are the Dragons. We play with passion and pride. We fight to the end.”

The air was thick with pride and it energized me. I knew this was going to be my best game ever. “Let’s do this, Dragons!” I yelled.

“Yeah, baby, PHU!” Shawn roared and we high-fived.

The train horn blared and I led the team on to the field. White smoke rolled across the green turf as we entered the stadium. Music blasted from the speakers and the crowd cheered as we crossed the ten, twenty, and thirty-yard lines. My heart pounded in my ears from the adrenaline coursing through me. This was the last game of a kick ass season and I had played well all year. The best was yet to come.

The sun was bright and I had to shield my eyes. Was Lexi in the stands? Had she come? I searched for my jersey along the fifty-yard line, where their seats were located. My eyes scanned the area, but the purple meshed together and I couldn’t find her.

Damn it! Was she there?

I trekked to the sideline with my teammates as we waited for the game to start. I had to keep my focus on the game. Searching for Lexi would have to wait until later. The offensive coordinator reviewed the first set of plays with us, making sure we had the game plan. The ref blew the whistle and we clapped, ready to go. Our opponent’s kickoff team ran to the field, taking their positions and I turned one more time toward the stands.

“Raven! Raven!” I heard my name and spotted a pair of long, slender arms trying to get my attention.

Lexi.

She was there.

And she was wearing my jersey.

Score!

I pointed at her then shot her a wink. A huge smile covered her face and my stomach flopped. Based on her reaction, she looked happy to be there, and that sent my heart soaring. She pointed at the number on my jersey and I smiled. Damn, I was so glad I hadn’t given up on her.

“Who’s that, dude?” Shawn asked as we waited for kick-off.

“Lexi.” Taking off my helmet, I pressed my lips together, trying to keep from smiling. “She’s got my old jersey on.”

“Aw, dawg.” Shawn elbowed me. “That’s what you were all nervous about in the locker room.”

“I guess.” I shrugged. “I invited her to the game along with her friend, Delaney. I wasn’t sure whether she was coming or not.”

Josh stepped to the sideline and stood on the other side of me. “What are you grinning about?” He gave me a once over and I put my helmet back on.

Shawn leaned forward. “Lexi’s here and she’s wearing his jersey.”

Josh held up his hand. “Congrats, man!”

I high-fived him. “Thanks. But that doesn’t mean she wants to see me.”

He laughed. “Oh, she’ll want more than that.”

“They always do,” Shawn retorted.

“I can only hope,” I scoffed. I had no idea if Lexi was ready for a status change, but I would do whatever I could to let her know I was serious about her. But was she ready for my world? I had created a reputation around campus that would be hard to change, but I was willing to do whatever it took. Despite her innocence, she was somewhat aware of it, and I hoped she was willing to deal with it and my past issues. The voices in my head kept reminding me she was too good for me. And I knew it. But I refused to listen to them. I’d give her one hundred percent and then some and hope it was good enough for her.

The band started playing a thunderous beat and I snapped to attention. The whistle sounded and the clock started. A roar reverberated across the stadium as the opposing team kicked the ball. The ball flew high in the air, making a clean sweep across the field. We caught it in the end zone and the kick returner took a knee. Josh, Shawn and I rushed to the twenty-yard line, ready to start the drive.

Lining up in position, I called the play and Matt hiked the ball to me. I darted back, gripping the ball tightly, and searched for Shawn. I spotted him and kept a keen eye on the defensive-end rushing toward me. Cage was fending off two guys, which gave Shawn the right amount of time to get in position. Retracting my arm, I threw the ball and it spun through the air. Shawn jumped up and caught the ball at the ten-yard line. Using one arm, he shoved off one opponent, but two others tackled him and he landed at the nine-yard line.