The Same Side (University Park #2)

by CM Doporto

  “Yes, he is.” I nodded. “But I think I can handle him.”

  “If you ever need any advice or help, just give me a call.” She reached into her purse, scribbled her number on a piece of paper, and handed it to me.

  I took the paper from her and stared at the number for a second. Did she know what had happened a few days ago or was she preparing me for what was to come? A shiver of fear sprouted it’s ugly head, but I warded it off, telling myself that Raven was changing for the better. At least, I hoped he was.

  “Where to first?” Raven appeared from behind me and I shoved his mother’s number in my purse.

  “Let’s head down to Macy’s. They are having a big sale and I want to get you and your brothers some nice shirts,” Trish said.

  “Okay,” Raven replied. We followed her to the opposite side of the mall and as we passed by Victoria’s Secret, Raven stopped. “We’ll catch up to you later.”

  She winked at me and then said, “Make sure your phone is on so I can find you later.”

  “It’s on,” Raven said before leading me into the store.

  The store was filled with people, both male and female, shopping for the right present for their loved one. Several of the store clerks wore pink Christmas stockings on their heads and raced around the store, helping shoppers. Holiday music blared over the speakers, putting me completely in the holiday mood. There was a white and pink Christmas tree decorated with bras and underwear and it caught our attention.

  “Now that’s a Christmas tree.” Raven eyed it for a moment, skimming it from top to bottom.

  I laughed. “I think I like ours better.”

  “Yeah, but this one, we could use.”

  “Maybe.” I grabbed his hand and dragged him to a rack of lingerie. “I like this.” I picked up a sheer black nightgown that had in a built in push up bra with lace.

  Raven’s eyes lit up. “I like that, too.” He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. “And I’d love to see you in it.”

  His lips skimmed the nape of my neck, causing goose bumps to spread down my arms. “Do you want me to try it on?”

  “Yeah, but let’s see what else they have.” He pulled me to another display and showed me a racy teddy with a thong and garter belt. His brows lifted and he grinned. “Now this is sexy.”

  “There’s barely anything there,” I commented, touching the delicate fabric.

  “Which is the whole point.” He skimmed through the different sizes and handed me a small.

  “How do you know what size I wear?”

  “I pay attention.” He strolled off and I followed him. “Really? You’ve been looking at my clothes.”

  “Maybe.” He pointed to a collection of beautiful lace push up bras and matching panties in a variety of colors. “And I like these, too.”

  No doubt, my underclothes needed an overhaul and I couldn’t but wonder what he thought of my flowered cotton panties and plain white bras. He helped me pick several different styles and colors and I tried them all on. From bras to nightgowns and sexy lingerie, I modeled them all for Raven. They made me feel sexy and pretty, and I was anxious to wear them for him. He insisted that I buy everything I had tried and refused to let me pay for them, stating they were part of my Christmas present.

  I still hadn’t bought him anything, so while he waited in line, I walked to the body shop at the back of the store. The store clerk showed me a couple of different colognes for men and I selected one for Raven. Although I loved the way he smelled, I wanted him to have a new scent. One that he had never worn and women hadn’t smelled on him.

  “What did you get?” he asked looking at the bag in my hand.

  I winked. “You’ll see.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  We walked out of the store and met up with his mother and brothers. They were in the young men’s department of Macy’s, purchasing some clothes for Ashton.

  “Hey, I’ll be back shortly. I’m going to pick out something for my mom.” Raven gave me quick kiss on the cheek. Trish glanced out of the corner of her eye and smiled at us. It was nice that Raven didn’t hide his affection for me, even in front of his mom. “Jared, Ashton, wanna come with me?”

  “Do you want me to hold the bags?” I asked, motioning to the two large Victoria Secret sacks.

  “I got it.” He winked and then walked off with his brothers.

  “I never get to shop with any females unless I’m with my sister and mother.” Trish smiled and I could see the excitement in her eyes. “Let’s go pick out a couple of different shirts and pants for Raven.”

  “Sure.” I followed her to the men’s section.

  We talked while we searched for a few outfits for Raven. She shared stories with me about Raven when he was a child and how hard he worked at becoming a great football player. The pride in her eyes told me how much she loved him and cared about him. It was evident that whatever had happened in the past and the bad choices he had made, she had forgiven him and stood by him regardless.

  An hour later, Raven and his brothers returned with a few more bags.

  “I guess you’re done with your Christmas shopping,” his mom commented, looking down at her two bags.

  “Yes, I am.” He sat his bags down and took an interest in the clothes I held in my hands.

  “We picked out a few things for you to try on.” I showed him a couple of the shirts.

  “I like them.” His surveyed them quickly and then turned toward his mom. “You did good this time.”

  “Maybe because I had help from your girlfriend.” Trish gathered them from my hands. “Now, go try them on.” She urged him toward the dressing rooms and I followed. Raven tried on all the outfits we had selected for him. It was fun watching him model them because every inch of his body was perfect from top to bottom. Raven practically looked good in anything he put on.

  “Are you going to check that?” Raven looked at my purse and I knew he was referring to my phone. It had gone off at least three times since he had stepped in the dressing room.

  “No.” I stood on the tip of my toes and helped him flip down the collar of his shirt.

  “Why not?” He adjusted the sleeves one at a time, buttoning them.

  “Oh, you look so handsome in white.” Trish commented and I couldn’t deny how sexy Raven looked.

  “Because it’s probably my mom,” I said in a low voice, trying to keep his mom from hearing me.

  “Don’t ignore your mom,” she scolded, “we worry about our children and not answering your phone or texts makes it worse.”

  Grudgingly, I reached into my purse and retrieved my phone. She didn’t know my mom and I was sure she wasn’t unaware of how controlling she was or why I was better off ignoring her.

  To my surprise, it was Luke.

  Luke: Great job, genius. Mom and Dad know about Raven and they are pissed. You better tell him to bring you home NOW.

  “Oh no,” I muttered under my breath as I typed the obvious question.

  Me: What did you tell them?

  “Is everything alright?” Trish asked.

  “Um…” I avoided her question and kept my eyes glued to my phone. I could feel Raven’s stare radiating through me and I prayed Luke responded quickly.

  A few seconds later, Luke’s message popped up.

  Luke: I didn’t tell them shit. Mom saw the pictures on Facebook and the change in your status.

  Shit.

  Me: Since when is Mom on Facebook?

  Luke: I don’t know. I’m just telling you what’s going on so be prepared. Later.

  My phone rang and I silenced the call from my mom. There was no way in hell I was talking to her in front of Raven and his mom. She’d be irrational and I knew the only way to get through to her was to talk to her in person. I had to introduce Raven to my parents and tell them that I was with him now and it was my decision, not theirs.

  A short tone sounded, telling me I had a voice mail. I also noticed that I had seven missed calls and voice messages,
all from her. I cringed. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  “What did she say?” Raven leaned forward, trying to read my phone upside down.

  I pulled it closer to me, embarrassed about the situation. If only my mom could be understanding like his. My phone chimed and another message from my mom appeared.

  Mom: If you don’t get home now, I’m calling the cops.

  “Fuuuu—” I stopped before cussing in front of Trish. “I’m sorry, it’s my mom.” I quickly typed a message, telling her that I was at the mall and would be leaving ASAP. “She wants me to come home now. She’s freaking out over stupid stuff.”

  “Oh. Raven better take you home.”

  “What did she say?” Raven reached for my phone and I quickly dropped it in my purse. If he saw what she typed, he’d freak out.

  I turned toward Trish. “I’m sorry. I know you’re right in the middle of Christmas shopping and—”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Trish placed her hand on my arm. “I can finish up later. Besides, I think we picked out a few things for Raven, Ashton, and Trey. I just have a few more things that I can buy later.”

  “Are you sure? I’m so sorry.”

  She waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it.

  Trish purchased the clothes for her sons and we left the mall. The entire way to his mom’s house, Raven was abnormally quiet. I knew he was disappointed that he had to take me home. I didn’t want to leave either. I had gotten so used to being with him that I wasn’t sure how I’d make it without seeing him every day.

  We pulled up to his mom’s house and dropped everyone off.

  “Wait just a minute,” Trish said before Raven shut the door. “Delaney stopped by and left something for you.”

  “Okay.” Raven removed his hand from the gearshift.

  My heart stopped for a second, but I reasoned with myself that there was nothing to be alarmed about. Delaney had done that class project on him and I knew it was probably something related to that.

  Trish returned with a large silver bag and handed it to Raven. “Be careful, Raven. The roads are still icy.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I will.” Raven tried to ease the fear in her voice.

  “Lexi, it’d be nice if you could join us Christmas evening for dinner. My mom and my sister, along with her family, will be coming in town. I’m sure Raven would like to introduce you to them.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” I turned to Raven and waited for his response.

  “If it’s okay with her parents, I’ll pick her up,” Raven told his mom and I smiled.

  “See you soon.” Trish went inside and I waved bye.

  Raven looked at the bag in his hands and then at me. “Should I open it?”

  “Yes, I want to know what she bought you.”

  Raven plucked out the purple tissue paper and removed a large black portfolio. I sighed under my breath in relief that it wasn’t anything more and wanted to punch myself for thinking it might have been. He untied the ribbon binding the thick stack of cardstock boards. Delaney had laid out Raven’s life in a variety of pictures. Each one of them depicted him in a variety of different poses with different headings.

  “Wow. These are awesome,” he sighed. “She really did a great job.”

  “Yes, she did.” I looked over his shoulder as he flipped through them. I sighed when I saw the picture of us on the lawn playing football together. It was a black and white photo that focused on our faces. The contentment in both of our eyes was evident.

  “I’m framing this one,” he said with a smile.

  There were a few more photos of us together and several with his mom and brothers. In all, Delaney had captured highlights and low points in Raven’s life, telling his story through vivid pictures that made me want to laugh and cry. The expression on his face indicated that he was more than pleased and maybe a little dissatisfied with some of the twists and turns his life had taken.

  “Will you send her a message and tell her I said thank you?” Raven’s voice cracked and I could tell he was holding back his emotions.

  “Yes, of course.”

  He stacked the boards evenly together and placed them in the sack. “She’s an amazing photographer and storyteller.”

  I nodded and took the sack from his hands, placing it on the floorboard next to me. “Yes, she really is.”

  Raven drove off slowly and headed toward his apartment. We didn’t say anything and I think it was because neither of us wanted me to go home. The mood between us had turned somber, a stark contrast from the past week. After the quiet walk up the stairs, we reached his door. It creaked opened and our small Star Wars Christmas tree twinkled in the darkness. I placed his gift under the tree and trudged to his bedroom to pack my stuff.

  “Can I help you?” Raven voice was thick and the sadness was audibly present.

  I didn’t want to leave, but I had to. I felt my face become wet with moisture and I quickly patted it dry with the back of my hand. Keeping my head down, I focused on my task.

  “Yes, can you please get my stuff from the bathroom?”

  “Sure.” Raven walked slowly out of his bedroom. In the silence, I could hear him gathering my bottles of shampoo, mousse, and hairspray. I don’t know why, but it felt like I was leaving for good, even though I knew I wasn’t. “Here you go.” He placed my toiletry bag on his bed. I checked to make sure everything was there and slowly zipped it up.

  “Thanks.” I closed my large duffle bag and he helped me pick up the other one. I stuffed my shoes and dirty clothes in it, but before I could close it, he motioned for me to stop.

  “Please take the things I bought for you today.” He darted out of the room and returned with the two Victoria Secret bags and a small burgundy one.

  “I can leave them here. Unless you don’t want me to come back.” I hesitated to take them.

  “Of course I want you to come back.” He pulled me into his arms and I draped mine around his neck. “I haven’t changed my mind, unless you have.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Just because I have to go home sooner than we planned, doesn’t mean my decision has changed.”

  A smile stretched across his face from ear to ear. “Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

  His lips met mine and my eyes fluttered to a close. He kissed me with so much passion and intensity, I felt my knees weaken. I was completely and utterly swallowed up by his emotions that I ignored my phone ringing in the background. Being with Raven made the world around us disappear. There wasn’t anything I wanted more than him. Nothing mattered to me any longer.

  Our lips parted and I rested my head against his chest. His hand stroked my hair and I let out a heavy sigh. I held him close to me, listening to the beat of his heart. I’d miss laying my head on his bare chest and listening to his ragged breathing. My eyes watered and this time, I didn’t bother to wipe the evidence of my torment away.

  My phone chimed and Raven kissed me on the forehead. “Come on, I better get you home before your parents send out a search team.”

  I let out a nervous laugh, hoping that wasn’t the case. “I know.” I sniffed and Raven moved his head back, capturing a better glimpse of me.

  “Don’t cry, baby.” He pulled me tightly in his arms and I wrapped myself around him, not wanting to let go. “I’ll see you in a few days. Or, if you want, I’ll pick you up tomorrow and we can spend the day together.”

  “Okay.” I nodded and wiped my eyes. “As long as you promise.”

  “I promise, baby. I promise.”

  Σ

  Chapter 17

  Raven drove me to Dallas and we spent the entire time laughing and talking. Thankfully, the roads weren’t as bad as we had thought and we made it there without encountering any incidents.

  Raven pulled up to my house just as the sun was beginning to set. “Promise me you’ll go straight home?”

  “I will.” He gave me confused look. “Don’t worry.”

&n
bsp; “It’s hard for me not to,” I admitted.

  “Well, I don’t want you to.” He took my hand in his and kissed the top of it.

  I closed my eyes, committing the softness of his lips and the strength of his touch to memory. It was something I never wanted to forget. I felt him turn my hand over and place something in my palm. When I opened my eyes, a flat burgundy box was in the center. My heart rate picked up and joy overfilled me.

  “What’s this?”

  “An early Christmas present.” He smiled. “Open it.”

  “Raven,” I said, trying to conceal the happiness bubbling up inside of me. Aside from receiving an engagement ring from Collin, which I had given back, and some jewelry when I was younger from my mom and dad, I’d never been given jewelry as a present. “You already bought me enough from Victoria’s Secret.”

  “I know, but when I saw this today, I just had to get it.”

  I opened the box and my eyes automatically filled with tears. A silver dove with a small diamond for an eye was attached to a dainty chain. “It’s beautiful.” I swallowed a few times, trying to free the lump in my throat. I carefully removed it from the box. “Thank you.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Raven motioned for me to lean forward so he could help me put it on. “It’s a dove, you know.”

  “Yes, I noticed that. I guess you have a thing for birds.”

  He laughed. “Maybe, but do you know why I chose it?” He clasped the chain around my neck and I looked at it, touching the wings with the tips of my fingers.

  “No, why?” I pulled down the visor and admired it through the vanity mirror.

  “Because doves are pure and innocent. Just like you, Lexi.”

  “Raven…” I closed the visor and fought the tears once again. “You’re going to make me cry.”

  “Don’t cry, baby.” He cupped my face with his hands and tilted my head back as he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. Tears seeped from my eyes onto my temples and into my hair. “I’m so grateful to have you in my life.” His eyes drifted downward and he smirked. “I just don’t know why you want a guy like me. I’m a raven, tarnished and dark. You’re the exact opposite of me.”