A Different Side (University Park #4) (59 page)

I nodded. “Coach and I have talked about it. That’s what we’ll be working on this coming season. My goal is to be ready on deck for next year.”

“Sounds good.” He patted my left shoulder. “Stay clean and out of trouble and I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes, sir.” Those last words hit the center of my chest like a wrecking ball. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it was never easy hearing about my mistakes.

“Coach.” Myles shook Anderson’s hand. “It was a pleasure, but I’ve got a plane to catch.”

“Thank you for visiting. We appreciate it.”

Myles grabbed his bag and headed toward the door. Coach didn’t waste any time leading me to Seattle’s scout. The conversation wasn’t as warm, and his analysis of me indicated I had more weaknesses than strengths. I thanked him for the advice and made a mental note to discuss it with Coach later. Some of it was news to me, but if it was an area of concern, I wanted to know so I could work on perfecting it.

After the quick chat, I headed to the shower and then got dressed. I wasn’t sure if Lexi had already left, but I didn’t want to keep her waiting any longer. I exited and spotted my beautiful brunette standing next to Josh and Shawn’s parents. Josh was out of the locker room and already sucking face with his girl. Shelby was wrapped around his torso as they kissed like they hadn’t seen in each other in weeks.

Lexi stood in place, eyeing me from top to bottom. Maybe it was my tight, purple Under Amor shirt that had her wiggling in her jeans, or my slightly wet hair, but her glare spelled out what she wanted. I couldn’t wait to peel off her jeans and slide my hands underneath her oversized sweater that bared some skin.

Damn! My woman was tight.

“You were great!” She threw her arms around my neck, holding me tightly.

I rested my hands on her waist. “I did well?” I smiled, seeing the satisfaction on her face. It pleased me to know she was proud of my performance.

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

“Really?”

“Yep.” She pressed her lips to mine and we kissed, although I wasn’t able to stop grinning. Meeting the scouts was great, but hearing more were watching me had me ready to float to the clouds.

“I just have to keep playing well and next year, I’ll be here.” I glanced over at my buddies. Camera and reporters surrounded them and for once, it was nice to have some breathing room. “Better them than me.”

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

I did a quick glance and saw Jenna, the reporter who couldn’t seem to stay away, making a path toward me. I shook my head. This girl never gave up. Looking at Lexi, I asked, “Are you alright with all of this?” The past few years I’d become accustomed to the media’s attention, but it was definitely something new for Lexi.

“Of course.” She shrugged, like it was no big deal. “I’m excited. You’re going to have a kick ass year.” She unhooked her arms from my neck and stepped back.

I touched my forehead to hers. “Baby, as long as I have you by my side, I know it will be.”

She gave me a huge smile and then ushered me off to the information sharks. This time, the questions stemmed around my appearance at Pro Day and not what had happened over the holidays. It was a huge relief and I didn’t mind answering their questions.

As I chatted with the reporters, something struck me on a different note. I already knew I was madly in love with Lexi and wanted to be with her forever, but did she know that? There was only one way to prove my devoted love for her and her birthday made the perfect venue. We hadn’t been together very long, but I was willing to take the risk. I didn’t want to lose her again. Before meeting back up with her and my friends, I pulled out my phone and dialed Mr. Marshall.

“Tell me you got some good news?” he answered, not bothering to say hi.

I was little confused by his question, but apparently, he was keeping up with my steps. I played along, hoping I was on the right path. “I had a kick ass day here at Pro Day and several scouts were taking note of my abilities.”

“Yes!” I heard him slap his mammoth hands together. “Sing to me, baby.”

I laughed. “Sorry, Mr. Marshall, there’s only one person I sing to and that’s Lexi.”

He chuckled. “Good, let’s keep it that way.”

“Speaking of, I’m calling to see if you know anyone who sells diamonds.”

“Diamonds?” he snorted. “So, you’re ready to take that step?”

“Damn right I am. Besides, I need to get rid of some cash.”

“Ah, okay. Glad you called me. I know just the right person. In fact, he owes me a favor and the good thing, his jewelry store is right there by PHU campus on University Drive.”

“Perfect.” I pumped a fist in the air.

“I’ll give him a call and text you the information.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Things were lining up perfectly. I took a deep breath and pushed away the negative thoughts swarming in, telling me Lexi would never want to marry a guy like me.

“Good luck, Raven, and congratulations.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime, son. Anytime.”

I hung up the phone and slid it in my bag. It took every effort to conceal the excitement pumping through my veins. Lexi was good at reading my emotions; I just hoped I could wait two weeks. But before I did, I knew I had to do the honorable thing and call her dad.

Σ

Chapter 39

Love is a friendship that has caught fire. It is quite understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.

~Ann Landers

I thought about texting Lexi and telling her to pack her bags because we were going to South Padre Island for Spring Break, but I decided to surprise her instead. It was Thursday morning and Spring Break would officially start in twenty-five hours. I headed to Baxter building for my last class of the day when my phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Raven. It’s Joe.” His Spanish accent made it easy to recognize him.

“Joe, my man.” I let out a slight chuckle. “Tell me you’ve got some good news for me.” I had met up with him a few days after Mr. Marshall sent me his contact information. Not knowing much about diamonds or jewelry, he showed me some pictures from catalogs and I picked a ring for Lexi. He asked if I wanted to design it, but I opted for a safer route and chose one I hoped she’d like.

“Sure do.” His voice lilted. “The ring came in yesterday and I’ve set the diamond in the center.”

“Awesome!” I pumped a fist in the air. He hadn’t been sure it would come in before Spring Break.

“It’s ready and let me tell you, she’s a beauty. Lexi’s going to love it.”

I glanced at my watch, finding I only had ten minutes until class started. I’ll head over after class and pick it up.”

“Sounds good. See you then.”

I sat in class, not paying attention to the words coming from the professor’s mouth. All I could think about was Lexi. Her beautiful face…the sparkle of her brown eyes, the perfect slope of her nose that led to her plump, full lips. Lips I wanted to kiss all day and night. Her contagious laugh that ended in a little gasp, which she hated, but I loved. Lexi was perfectly amazing. Beautiful in every way. The best thing? I was days away from asking her to be mine forever.

“I hope everyone has a
safe
,” the professor stared directly at me and I blinked, coming out of my Lexi daydream, “fun, and rejuvenating Spring Break.” A few students hollered, excited to get their party started. “I’ll see you in a week.”

Everyone rushed to get out of the room and I glanced at my phone. The professor released us twenty-minutes early.
Hell yeah!
I stuffed my book in my backpack and leaped out of my seat. “Excuse me, emergency here.” I shoved past the students and darted out of the building to my car, heading to my apartment.

Not bothering to find a parking spot, I pulled up to the curb and shut off the motor. It took me seconds to ascend the stairs, taking them three at a time. I shoved my key in the lock and that’s when I noticed the tremble in my fingers from the adrenaline coursing through me. I was more hyped than on game day.

I ran to my room and grabbed the shoebox hidden in the corner of my closet on the floor. Hundred-dollar bills neatly stacked and held together by rubber bands were crammed inside. I took a deep breath and removed fifteen bundles of hundreds and the extra roll of twenties I had illegally earned. Part of me felt wrong using this money to buy a wedding ring, but I had to get rid of it. It was a lot of money and Mr. Marshall and Joe assured me not to worry about the transaction because it would be untraceable. I just hoped they were right.

I grabbed an old backpack and stacked the money inside. I looked inside the box. Only one-thousand and fifty-three dollars remained. It wasn’t too much, but it was enough in case of an emergency. Topping the shoebox with the lid, I shoved it back in the corner and shut the closet door. I left my apartment and drove straight to the jewelry store.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I hooked the shabby backpack over my shoulder and went inside. A couple sat in front of one of the glass cases looking at rings with a sales associate. “Hello, someone will be with you shortly.” The older woman smiled as she adjusted her glasses.

“Thanks, I’m here to see Joe.” I shifted the bag to my left side, feeling the heaviness on my right shoulder. For whatever reason, carrying this much cash made me a little uneasy.

“Raven, you got here fast.” Joe appeared from behind a door and motioned to me. “Come on back.”

“Okay, thanks.” I followed him to the back of the store to a small room. A worn brown desk stacked with papers and an old, dusty computer crammed the small space. The office looked like a snapshot from the nineties, with wallpaper in soft pastels and mauve, cloth-covered chairs. Not to mention, the collection of abstract art hanging on the wall that I swore we had in our house at one time. A Walmart rollback special.

“Have a seat.” He shut the door and inched his way to his desk.

“Thanks.” I sat on the fabric-ripped chair and placed the backpack on the floor next to me.

The chair squeaked as he turned to a table behind him. “Do you have big plans for the proposal?” He opened a drawer from a stack of square containers and removed a small burgundy box.

I’d been thinking about different ways to propose to Lexi, from big and extravagant to small and simple. I had no idea how to do it. It didn’t have to be perfect, just sentimental and heartfelt. As long as she knew how much I loved her and wanted her to be my wife, it didn’t matter to me. Once we got to the island, I’d figure it out. “Not sure yet. We’re headed to South Padre Island, so I plan to do it there. Her birthday is on Wednesday, so probably then.”

He smiled and nodded. “Sounds romantic.”

I let out a heavy breath, feeling the heat from the old spotlights above my head. “I hope it will be.”

“Don’t worry. With this beauty, she’ll definitely say yes.” With his pinchers, he popped open the box and removed the ring. Using a rag heavily soiled with black markings, he shined the band and handed it to me.

“Wow! It’s big and shiny.” I turned the ring from side to side, admiring its brilliance and sparkle. Small round diamonds surrounded a diamond in the center, and then trailed on each side of the band. The platinum filigree gave it an exquisite antique design that was unique and stunning.

“You said you wanted a carat and a half round diamond, so that’s it man.” He chuckled.

I nodded. “This is exactly what I asked for. I just didn’t expect it to be so blingy.”

“You don’t like it?” His smile shifted downward.

“No, I love it.” I stressed each word, getting my point across. “I just hope my girl does.”

He lowered a pair of weird looking magnifying glasses to his eyes and motioned for me to hand him the ring. Studying the ring, he said, “I’ve been in the diamond business for thirty years and I’ve never had a guy show up at my store and tell me he needed to return it for something smaller because his fiancée thought it was too much.”

“I pray I don’t break your thirty year record.” I twisted my mouth to the side, keeping Lexi’s simple tastes in mind. She wasn’t one to flaunt the latest handbag or expensive shoes like Shelby. No, Lexi was more down to earth and didn’t care to attract attention. Recalling her previous engagement ring, a small single diamond speckle, I wasn’t sure she’d want to keep it. I should’ve gone for something more simple, but my excitement got in the way.

“I don’t think you will.” He lifted the spectacles. “You got one helluva deal on this diamond. A VS2, G in color.” He shook his head. “Cash talks, man.”

“Speaking of.” I lifted the heavy bag and unzipped it. “I have your money.”

“Perfect.” He gave the ring one more shine and placed it in the box. “Good luck.”

I paid him and then stuffed the box into the inside pocket of my jacket. “Thanks, Joe. I’m going to need it.”

“No problem. Come back and I’ll design your wedding band, if you want.”

I shook his hand. “Sounds like a plan.”

As soon as I stepped out of the jewelry store, my phone buzzed.

Lexi: Hey, when you get out of class, stop by the new cafeteria. I’m here eating with Delaney and Luke.

I quickly tapped out a text.

Me: Okay. Class just got out. On the way.

Lying to Lexi wasn’t something I did, but I think I had a good excuse. I drove two blocks and parked at the stadium. I crossed the street, darted up the steps to the student union, and ran into Josh and Shelby.

“Hey, man. Whatcha smiling about?” Josh fist-bumped me.

“Nothing.” I shrugged, trying to wipe the excitement off my face, but it was pointless.

“You got it, didn’t you?” He eyed me, trying to pry the truth from me.

“Got what?” Shelby looked at Josh and then at me. I’d told Josh what I was planning on doing. He was honest with me, telling me it was too soon, but said if I loved her that much to follow my heart.