Change My Game: An Emotional Second Chance Romance (North Haven University Book 2)

by Kelsey Clayton

  Did I black out?

  Did I really push her?

  What have I done?

  Everyone in the room looks at me like I'm a monster, while Davianna's parents burst into tears. It's then that I know for sure, all the hope for me to win this case, left as soon as they hit play.

  I'm going to prison.

  AS THE CLOSING STATEMENTS are given, I'm barely even listening. All I keep running through my head is everything I want to say to everyone before I'm taken away. Whatever it is, I need to get it out before the jury comes back with a verdict, because as soon as they find me guilty, I'm going to be taken into custody.

  "You've seen the evidence. You've heard from the witnesses. You've watched the video," the prosecution says to the jury. "Now it's up to you to make this man face the punishment for the crime that he committed.

  "Do it for Davianna, who had such a long life ahead of her. Do it for other women, so the same thing doesn't happen to them. Your sister. Your cousin. Your friend. Because I'm telling you, if this man is not held accountable, he will just think he can do it again."

  "Wait!" a familiar voice shouts.

  Everyone whips around, and I see Carter and Wyatt walking toward the front of the courtroom. Carter is holding a flash drive up like it's the Holy Grail as Wyatt follows behind. I don't think I've ever been so glad to see his stupid ass.

  "You can't close this case," Carter argues. "Not until you see this first."

  The whole courtroom erupts in commotion, and the judge needs to slam down his gavel to get them to quiet down.

  "Young man, you cannot just barge into my courtroom and demand things."

  Carter rolls his eyes and waves him off. "Yeah, yeah. Find me in contempt of court."

  "Excuse you?"

  He turns around and focuses all his attention on the judge. "No, excuse you. With all due respect, your honor, the man on trial is my best friend, and I have in my hands a piece of evidence that shows he did nothing wrong here. I'm not about to just let him go down for something he didn't do."

  The judge looks over at the prosecution and after they talk for a second, the lead prosecutor shrugs. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least see what's on the drive."

  "Very well." The judge pounds his gavel once again. "Court is in recess until the prosecution evaluates the new evidence."

  Before I can get a chance to talk to Carter, we're both led into separate rooms.

  I just hope he isn't talking out of his ass.

  I PACE AROUND THE small office. Finn, my dad, and Mr. Trayland all sit at the table, waiting for news. Even Paige wasn't allowed to come in with me, which hasn't made me feel any better. My dad was only allowed because he's family, and Mr. Trayland has a legal background.

  No one has been able to speak to Carter since he came in with the apparent new evidence, and it's been three hours since then. If someone doesn't tell me something soon, I very well might lose my damn mind.

  "This has to be the worst feeling in the whole damn world," I say to no one in particular.

  My dad sighs. "Come sit down, Jace. Pacing isn't helping."

  I throw my head back and groan quietly, but he's right. I should sit and run through my stress relief exercises. Walking around the room, I fall back into the seat and start to do exactly that, but halfway through, the door opens.

  All of us stand up as the lead prosecutor comes into the room.

  "Taking the new evidence into consideration, we have no choice but to drop all charges against Mr. London and clear him of all wrongdoing. On behalf of the state of Florida, we apologize for the wrongful accusation and for wasting your time."

  Relief floods through me and for a second I wonder if I'm dreaming, but as Finn shakes his hand and murmurs something about mistakes being made all the time, I know I'm not.

  I rush out of the room and into the lobby, where everyone is waiting for us. As much as I'd love to get my girl first, I go straight to my best friend. He doesn't even have a chance to react before I pull him in and wrap my arms around him.

  "I don't know what the fuck you did, but you saved my goddamn life."

  He chuckles and hugs me back. "Wyatt did all the work. I just knew where to look."

  For that alone, I go to Wyatt next. He tries to dodge me, never being the kind for physical affection, but I don't give him a choice.

  "What the hell was on that drive?"

  Carter shrugs like it's no big deal. "There was a camera from another angle. They claimed that the footage from that night was damaged, but Wyatt was able to get it restored. You could clearly see that when Davi went over, you were nowhere near her."

  I look over at Wyatt and shake my head slowly. "I've never been so glad to be friends with a computer genius in my life."

  Just then, I realize someone is missing. A very important someone. Glancing around, I realize Paige is nowhere to be found.

  "Where's Paige?"

  Everyone looks around at each other, not knowing much of anything, but when I look at Becca, it becomes clear. My heart stops in my chest.

  "No."

  She smiles sadly and nods, confirming my worst fears.

  "I've got to go," I tell them and immediately head for the door.

  "Wait!" Carter calls. "We have to celebrate!"

  I turn around and walk backward, still making my way toward the exit. "Take a shot for me! I've got more important places to be."

  Leaving behind my bewildered friends, I book it out the door and grab the first taxi I see.

  I need to get to the airport.

  The cab pulls up to my house, and I throw a wad of money at the driver before jumping out. It's probably way more than the fare costs, but I don't care. I run up the stairs and through the door.

  I need to get to him.

  I need to see him.

  I need to say goodbye.

  Rushing toward the stairs, I'm only two steps up when my mom comes out from the kitchen.

  "Paige," she calls, but I don't stop.

  There's no time to stop.

  I race up the stairs and book it down the hall until I get to my parents’ bedroom. But as I get inside, my worst fears come to life. The bed where my dad has laid for the last six months is completely empty. The oxygen tanks still sit on the side of the bed, but other than that, there is no sign of him.

  "Paige." My mom appears behind me.

  As I turn around, I can see it on her face. She doesn't even need to say it for me to know. The pain that rips through me is incomparable to anything I've ever felt before.

  "No," I plead.

  My mom puts her arms out to hold me as she starts to cry. "Come here."

  I shake my head. "No. He's not gone. He can't be."

  My legs give out as I fall to the ground, and every emotion I've been feeling since I moved home intensifies tenfold. I curl up into a ball on the floor as the sobs shake my entire body. My mom sits next to me, holding me the way I need, but even that doesn't help.

  "I shouldn't have gone!" I sob. "I should've been here! I could've been here!"

  She shakes her head and sniffles. "You know he didn't want that. He wanted you to go be there for Jace. You know this."

  "No! I should've been with him." If there was any part of me left whole, it snaps the second I realize he's really gone. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

  "I know, sweetie," she whispers. "I know."

  "I needed to say goodbye."

  IT'S A WEIRD FEELING, when you lose a parent. It's like there is this massive hole, the kind you can't close no matter how hard you try. It's just permanently there, and you're forced to live with it.

  They say it gets easier in time, but I think that's just a line. I don't see how something like this could ever get easier. Not when there’s going to be a missing piece in everything I do.

  He won't be there to walk me down the aisle.

  He won't get to meet his grandkids.

  He won't be there for me to call when there's something in the house I
don't know how to fix.

  I stare at the still pool and wonder how I'm going to make it a single day without him, let alone a lifetime. It's been less than twenty-four hours, and already, I feel like I've been missing him for years.

  The sound of footsteps behind me let me know someone's there, but I don't even need to turn around to know who it is. I can feel it—the connection that lingers in the air whenever he's near me. The gravitational pull that tells me I don't have a say in the matter. It's the same reason he knew it was me when I walked into his dorm room that day.

  Becca texted me the second she found out that they were dropping all charges against him. She was there when I got the call, but I made her promise she would stay. Jace needed all the support he could get if things went wrong. She really didn't want to, but when she realized that's exactly what I needed, she agreed.

  Jace sits down and wraps his arm around me, pulling me in. My head rests against his chest as he kisses the top of my head. He whispers little things about how it's going to be okay, and he's so sorry, but the only thing that really matters to me is that he's here.

  After a few minutes of total silence, I glance up at him and my bottom lip quivers. "I just lost one of the most important men in my life. Please don't make it so I lose another."

  He smiles sadly and presses his lips to my forehead. "I won't, baby. I swear."

  Nodding, I let the numbness take over and cuddle into Jace's side, not knowing where my life is going to go from here, but at least knowing he's always going to be in it.

  I sit in the office I've gotten so comfortable in, where I learned to face my demons instead of trying to hide from them. Where I learned that my anxiety and all the trauma I went through can only control me for as long as I let it. Where I learned that I'm not a lost cause. And for that, I'm grateful.

  "You seem different today, Jace," Dr. Litman tells me. "Lighter, even."

  I lean forward and rest my arms on my knees. "Yeah. I guess I am."

  "I'm sure learning that you're not going to prison will do that to a person."

  Chuckling, I nod. "Definitely."

  She gets comfortable in her seat. "I'm glad it worked out. But I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask how you're doing otherwise. While you didn't cause Davianna's death, you still watched your friend die, and then had to relive it."

  "She wasn't my friend," I interrupt.

  "No?"

  I shake my head. "I may have felt something for her at one time, but she wasn't my friend."

  Taking a deep breath, I take comfort in my safe space and let my mind run to the thoughts that I once swore were forbidden.

  "She was everything. The kind of girl who didn't just want your attention, she demanded it. The kind that could make an entire room revolve around her simply by being there. The kind who could make you feel special just by being around her but tear you down as soon as you turned your back. A jaw-dropping, show-stopping liar.

  "Davi always loved the spotlight. Her happiness came from being the center of attention. I just can't believe it took Carter and Wyatt showing me that video for me to see it."

  "See what, Jace?" Dr. Litman asks. "What was on the video?"

  I look up at her, and a strangely calm feeling spreads through my body. "The truth."

  Being back in my dorm feels surprisingly good. I used to hate this place. I thought it was small and uncomfortable, and at the risk of sounding like a total rich prick, I was raised in mansions and penthouses. But getting to come back here, it feels like home. Although, that could have a lot to do with the girl lying beside me.

  "Jace," Carter calls. "Come here. We need you."

  Paige snickers as I roll my eyes and climb off my bed. I get into the living room to see Carter and Wyatt sitting on the couch. Carter gets up and instructs me to sit in his seat while Wyatt presses a few buttons on his computer.

  "What are you doing?" I ask.

  Carter puts a hand on my shoulder. "You need to see."

  Wyatt opens up a video and puts the computer back on my lap. As soon as I notice the familiar scenery, I want to get up. With the case behind me, there isn't a single part of me that wants to relive that night.

  "No," I tell them, passing the computer back to Wyatt. "Nope. No, thanks."

  As I try to stand up, Carter pushes me back down.

  "Trayland, knock it off," I tell him. "How'd you even get a hold of that? I thought you had to surrender it to the court for evidence."

  "Wyatt made a copy."

  I nod once and try to get up again. "Good for Wyatt."

  Carter steps in front of me and makes it so I fall back onto the couch. "I have watched you blame yourself for this for over a year and a half. You need to see it. Trust me."

  No part of me feels calm about it, and even Paige makes her way out into the living room. She sits on the arm of the couch next to me, and her brows furrow as she looks at the screen.

  With a sigh, I give in and nod, letting Wyatt pass me the computer.

  The video starts to play and I immediately get the same feelings I did when they played the other one in court. The tension. The anxiety. The need to run. But I sit still, watching as the events that haunt my nightmares take place on the screen in front of me.

  When it reaches the part where she falls off the roof, Paige gasps, and I clench my eyes shut as a pain shoots through my chest. However, I can see why the charges were dropped. From this angle, it's obvious I was nowhere near her. At least ten feet away. There was no way I could have pushed her, but I already knew I didn't.

  "Yeah, great. I didn't push her."

  I try to pass the computer back, but Wyatt doesn't accept it. Carter squats down in front of me and shakes his head.

  "Look closer, Jace," he says as Wyatt restarts this video, but this time just before Davianna falls off the edge, and he zooms in on her.

  "Look closer and focus."

  Oh my God.

  "Well," Dr. Litman says. "It seems like you've got everything all figured out then. You've got your freedom. You're sober. You seem like you're in a good place."

  "I am," I confirm. "I really am."

  She smiles warmly. "I'm really happy for you. So, should I clear the rest of your appointments? Your dad confirmed today that if I feel comfortable with it, you're no longer required to come."

  Six months ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity. Coming here was the bane of my existence. There were at least seven hundred things I would have rather done. But now?

  I stand up and fix my shirt before walking to the door, but with my hand on the handle, I stop. "Keep them. I'll see you next week, doc."

  Dr. Litman chuckles as I open the door and step out. Paige is waiting for me in the lobby, and as soon as she sees me, she stands.

  "You ready to go?" I ask her.

  She nods. I wrap an arm around her and head for the door, but she keeps glancing back. Her brows raise, and she looks up at me.

  "Are you aware the receptionist is drooling over you?" she asks, making me laugh. "No, seriously. Like I'm pretty sure there's a puddle on the desk."

  "Really?" I tease her by pretending to be interested. "Should I go ask for her number?"

  Paige rolls her eyes and goes to backhand me in the stomach, but I catch her wrist, using my grasp to pull her into me. Her breath hitches at the sudden move, and as I lace my other hand into her hair, I cover her mouth with my own.

  It's not a very intense kiss, but a meaningful one. One that tells her how much I need her, how thankful I am for her, and what she means to me. As I pull away, there's no doubt left in her mind.

  I used to live for the thrill. The adrenaline rush. The chase. But now, I live for her.

  TWO MONTHS LATER

  Zayn's house is packed with people, even more so than last year. Freshmen look around with amazement all over their faces, in awe that they're attending their first college party. One of the guys from the football team stands on the island and shotguns a beer like a showoff. Carter rea
ches up and hits his new teammate right in the balls, laughing as he hunches over and then falls off.

  As a reward for taking last year so seriously and doing well, Carter was granted permission to go out for the team. For publicity’s sake, they didn't grant me the same rights, but I don't blame them. Besides, football has always been more of an outlet for Carter. He needs the game like he needs the air he breathes. And I'll be there, on the sidelines, cheering him on every chance I get.

  I glance down at my arm and notice the quote we both had tattooed on us a few weeks after the trial let out.

  From the playground to the grave.

  It's the first ink either one of us has ever gotten, but I don't think it'll be the last. Especially not for Carter. He's been obsessed ever since, and Zayn has already been having Knox teach him a few things whenever they get together, being as he's a certified tattoo artist. It's only a matter of time before I start walking in on Z and Carter set up in our living room, inking his skin.

  We're having a great time, letting loose and just enjoying life, when Paige looks behind us and squeezes my hand to get my attention. I look over and kiss her forehead, knowing sometimes she just wants a little affection, but she shakes her head.

  "No, look," she nods toward the door. "Isn't that Tyeler?"

  My head whips around, thinking there's no way, but sure enough, it is. I'd recognize that hair anywhere. But what the fuck is she doing here?

  She makes eye contact with me and smirks before walking out the door. Confusion etches across my face, but I cover it up as I tell Carter I'll be right back and let go of Paige's hand. She looks concerned but doesn't follow me this time.

  As I get out the door, I see Tye standing at the end of the walkway, waiting for me. She turns around and runs her fingers through her light pink hair.