The Same Side (University Park #2) (8 page)

My stomached fluttered at the revelation that Raven had at least told his mom something about me. “Thanks, Trish.”

“Do you need help with anything else?” Delaney glanced around the kitchen.

“The rolls will be ready in a few minutes. Can you tell the boys to wash up so we can eat?” She smiled and then returned to her task of cutting the roast.

“Sure, no problem.” Delaney and I walked to the living room where Raven and his brother’s stared intently at the TV screen, ranting and cheering as they played Madden NFL, one of my brother’s favorite video games.

“Time to eat,” I announced. They nodded but kept playing. I shot Delaney a questioning look.

Delaney placed her hands on her hips. “Your mom said to go wash your hands. Now.” They all turned to look at her before scurrying to place the game on pause.

“Why do they jump when you tell them to do something and do nothing when I asked?” I smirked.

Raven leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. “You just need to add a little oomph to the request. That’s all.”

I rolled my eyes and made a mental note to mimic her if the opportunity presented itself again.

We sat around the small kitchen table, elbow to elbow, enjoying the savory pot roast, mashed potatoes, and corn that Trish cooked for us. Trey eventually warmed up and told us how proud he was of Raven and how he hoped to follow his brother’s path and play for a major university. Ashton treated us as if we were his sisters, joking with us constantly. His laugh was contagious. Raven beamed with pride. I knew he cared for his brothers and truly wanted the best for them.

“Trey, Ashton, do me a favor and clear the table while I get the pictures,” Trish instructed her younger sons to help.

“Can I help with anything?” I started to stand.

Trish motioned for us to stay seated. “No, you girls have done enough. The boys can wash the dishes.”

“Who wants dessert?” Raven looked at each of us.

“I’ll take a slice with ice cream,” I told him.

“Do you want your pie hot?” Raven cocked a brow and his words teased me in all the right places.

I cleared my throat, but before I could respond, Delaney spoke up. “Of course she does. Who wouldn’t? And make mine hot, too.”

“You’ve got it.” Raven turned around and walked toward the refrigerator. His hips swayed to the left and then to right, and I swore I saw his butt cheeks tense and then release under his jeans.

Holy crap! Why is he teasing me in front of everyone?

I inhaled a silent breath, trying to calm the tension building quickly as Delaney nudged me under the table. I didn’t know how much longer I could handle his flirting. Every part of me screamed his name and he hadn’t even touched me. The guy was blessed with sex appeal and I was ready to take our relationship to the next level. Whatever that was.

Raven returned with our apple pie alamode, followed by his mom with several picture storage boxes covered in different colors.

“Can I help you, Mom?” Raven asked before he sat.

“Nope, I’ve got it.” Trish made a few more trips before placing the last box on the table. She blew her bangs away from her face and sat in front of us. “Do you want to see pictures of Raven from birth until now?” She moved around the boxes, reading a label on each of them.

“Yes, please. Pictures from pivotal moments in his life would be awesome.” Delaney moved closer, eager to see them. I did the same.

Trish thumbed through several pictures from one box and then laid them on the table. “Here are a few from when he was born.”

“Wow, you were a big baby.” Delaney picked up the picture and showed me.

“How much did you weigh?” I eased the photo from her hand.

Raven turned toward his mom. “Like ten pounds, right?”

She nodded. “He was nine pounds, seven ounces, and twenty-three inches long.” Her voice cracked and tears formed in her eyes. “Born at five fifty-five in the morning on September twenty-ninth.”

Before Raven picked us up, I asked him if he was okay with Delaney telling his life story. He reassured me he was and I suggested that we tell Delaney that he didn’t know who his father was. Then maybe he could let his mom know that he disclosed how he was conceived, just to make it easier on everyone. He agreed and said that he’d tell his mom. Before we left, I told Delaney that vital piece of information. It wasn’t easy repeating it and she felt horrible for him.

“Don’t cry, Mom. It’s okay.” Raven wrapped an arm around Trish. She cradled his face and kissed him on the cheek. Delaney snapped a pic. It was touching to see how close they were after everything they had endured over the years. No one should have to endure such pain and tragedy.

“Do you mind if I borrow this?” Delaney pointed to the picture in my hand.

“That’s fine.” Trish wiped her eyes and Raven released his arm from her. She continued searching through the boxes, pulling out several pictures in the process. She showed us several shots of Raven playing peewee and little league football, followed by middle school and then high school. She had so many photos of him winning district and state championships. It was obvious as to why he was a strong contender for a pro football contract.

Like a proud mom, she took us to the living room and showed us all the trophies he’d won over the years. Raven tried not to boast about his winnings, but eagerly told us about each of them. Happiness flickered within his eyes and it was obvious how much he enjoyed playing football. He had worked hard his entire life and I really hoped he landed with a good team. He truly deserved it.

“It hasn’t been easy. Raven’s had some tough times, but he’s pulled through every time.” Trish patted her son on the back while giving him a meek smile. “Isn’t that right?” I wasn’t expecting Raven’s mom to be supportive or loving toward him, but she showed just the opposite.

Raven shuffled his feet and crossed his arms. “Yeah.” He stared at the floor and for the first time, I saw the regret and condemnation etched deep in his face. Raven might have pulled through the tough times, but he hadn’t learned how to forgive himself.

Delaney took a couple of shots of the trophies before we returned to the kitchen.

“Who’s this with your boys?” Delaney pointed to a tall, dark man leaning against a car with the boys standing in front of him.

Trish took the picture from Delaney. “Oh, that’s Trey’s dad.” She shook her head and a twisted expression formed on her face. “You don’t want that picture. Believe me. He’s a no good, lazy, lying, cheating piece of shit.”

“Mom.” Raven motioned with his head toward the living room where Trey and Ashton were.

“What? Trey knows it. He can’t stand him either.” Trish didn’t hold back when revealing her family issues to us. “I’m sorry, girls. We’re not the Cleavers and I won’t pretend to be.”

“It’s okay. My family’s not perfect either. Even though they pretend to be.” I tried to ease the thick tension in the room.

“No family is perfect.” Delaney shuffled through a couple of photos scattered on the table and made a stack. “My parents were killed when I was little and I was put up for adoption. I didn’t have the best childhood, but I’m trying to make the most of my life now. Which isn’t much.” She took a deep breath and her eyes watered. Delaney never talked much about her past and she still had quite a few demons she was battling. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Trish wiped her eyes. It seemed that our confessions were helping her. “My parents try to rule my life,” I added quickly, trying to take the pressure off Delaney. “I was homeschooled and sheltered from almost everything. I always did everything they asked of me.” I sucked in a quick breath. “It wasn’t until recently that I decided I needed to live my life for me. I was tired of living to please them,” I openly admitted.

“See? We don’t come from picture perfect families either. And we aren’t here to judge.” Delaney smiled at Trish.

“Thanks. I appreciate that…it’s just been tough. Not only for Raven, but all of us. Especially after Ashton’s dad died... I haven’t got back on track with life.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes again, smearing mascara in the process. “You know what I mean?”

My heart ached for her. Raven had never mentioned anything about his stepdad dying. “I’m so sorry for your loss. How long ago did he pass?”

“Two years ago. He had an accident at work.” She sighed. “I’m still fighting with those bastards. They claimed he didn’t have an insurance policy and worker’s comp barely covered the medical bills and his funeral.”

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” Delaney’s voice shook and I could tell she was on the verge of tears again.

I swallowed hard, trying to fight back my own tears. “If there is anything we can do for you, please let us know.”

Trish grabbed a napkin from the table and blew her nose. “Thank you, girls. I appreciate that.” Turning toward me, she said, “Just keep an eye on this one. He’s trying hard to get his shit together.” She gave him a disapproving look and Raven’s eyes darted to the floor once again. “I know you’re too good for him, but he probably needs that.” She pointed a finger at Raven. “And you better treat her right, not like all those other skanks. You hear me?”

Raven nodded but didn’t make eye contact. “Yes, ma’am.” The shame his mother placed on him was more than enough. I now understood what he meant when he said he wanted be good and make things right in his life. I eased back in my chair, thinking about everything his mom had said. What exactly had Raven told her about us? She made it seem like we were together or dating. If we were, that was news to me.

∑

Chapter 6

Raven remained somewhat silent on the way back to the dorm. I figured it was what his mom had said. We hadn’t discussed where we were headed or what we wanted from our relationship. Probably because it was too soon. Instead of asking, I kept to myself and allowed him to work out his own demons.

“I’ll give you a call later.” Raven leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. My eyes closed and for a moment, I swore it was Collin kissing me. Did he not want to kiss me on the lips anymore? Were we headed down that same road? I just left an empty and emotionless guy; the last thing I wanted was another one.

“Okay. I’ll be studying.” I opened the door and grabbed my purse, keeping my eyes away from him. If I looked at him, I wasn’t sure what I’d do — jump him or cry and beg him to kiss me.

“Thanks again, Raven,” Delaney said. “I’m going to scan these photos and then I’ll give them back to you so you can return them to your mom.”

“Yeah, no problem.” He casually looked over his shoulder, acknowledging Delaney.

We got out of the car and I closed the door. He drove off slowly and something told me that things between us were not the same.

“Wow. That’s one messed up story.” Delaney opened the door to the building and I trudged in behind her.

“Yeah,” I muttered.

“After hearing all of that, I need to read one of your romance books.” She removed the strap of her camera from her neck. “Then again, I’m sure this project will have a happy ending.” She gave me a slight nudge.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked as I hit the button for the elevator.

“I don’t know. He’s acting kind of distant.”

“Distant?”

“Yeah.” I stepped into the elevator and Delaney followed behind me. “Didn’t you notice he didn’t even bother to kiss me on the lips?”

“Now that you mention it, yes. Maybe the pictures just brought back a lot of bad memories.” Delaney waved a manila folder that encased pieces of Raven’s life. The good and bad.

Delaney had a point. “You know, I didn’t think of that.” I leaned against the wall for support and sighed. As the elevator rose, the lightness in my stomach pressed hard against my diaphragm, causing my breaths to become shallower. “But, I think it was what his mom said.”

“About you being too good for him?”

I nodded.

“Maybe so, but quit worrying and give the guy a break.” The elevator doors opened and she laced her arm through mine. “I know he’s crazy about you.”

“You really think so?” I leaned my head against hers.

“I’ve got the pictures to prove it.” She held up her camera and smiled.

She might have seen something between us, but I knew what I felt in the car and what I saw in the depths of his eyes. Something had definitely changed.

***

My intuition proved to be right. The entire week passed and I had only heard from Raven a few times, one of them being a request to review his term paper. When I had finished my edits, I asked if he wanted to meet in person to talk about them, but he said he’d let me know if he had questions. Unfortunately, he never asked to see me.

I tried to remind myself that we were friends who happened to share a few moments of fun, but the kisses he left on me told my body something else. My heart had even felt it. But other than telling me he wanted to have fun with me, Raven hadn’t made me any promises. So why was I missing him so much?

“I’m headed to the library to meet Luke.” Delaney popped her head in my room.