“You lied to him?” Her eyes widened, and she blinked heavily.
I shrugged. “It was a small lie.”
She shook her head. “Delaney, if you lie about little things, eventually you’ll catch yourself lying about bigger things, and it only gets worse from there. You know better than that.”
My head dropped toward the bed. She was right. I was constantly lying about little things and lying hard to myself about what I really wanted. But the lies were what got me through life. I had to lie to myself that everything was okay because in reality, nothing was okay. My life sucked, and I hated it. But every day, I got up and told myself that I would make it. I would live even though everyone around me had died.
With her hand, she lifted my chin. “You know I love you. You’re the child I never had. Martin and I are fortunate to be able to provide for you and give you every opportunity to succeed in life. We only want what’s best for you Delaney, but if you keep holding on to these past hurts, you’ll never be able to move forward.”
I glanced at her through the strands of my hair. “I know, but it’s not that easy.”
“I can only imagine.” She sniffed. “But nothing in life is easy.”
I huffed. “It’s more than that. What happened to me, my parents, to my . . .” I stopped, not wanting to think about everything that had been ripped away from me. “It’s just not fair.” Tears poured from my eyes, releasing some of the hurt and pain I’d been keeping inside.
“Oh, sweetie.” Her arms embraced me, and she held me close. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to get through this.”
“Why does God hate me so much?” I wailed. “What did I ever do to Him to deserve this?”
With her hands on either side of my face, she lifted my head and looked at me. “God doesn’t hate you. Things happen for reasons beyond our understanding. But I promise, you can get through this.” She wiped my tears with the tips of her fingers. “You can rise above all this trauma and grief and find a peaceful place. A place where you can be happy and be thankful for the life you do have. God wants that for you, if you can only learn how to forgive and move on.”
“It’s just so hard.” I sniffed and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. She was right. I’d been holding on to the sadness like a souvenir. It was a shitty souvenir to hold on to. It was something I didn’t want any more, but I had no idea how to let it go. Through my painful memories, I somehow found strength to keep living and going on with my life.
“Here, sweetie.” She handed me a tissue. “Don’t cry, anymore. You’re a strong woman, and I know you can overcome this heartache.”
“Thanks.” I wiped my nose and nodded. She was right. I would persevere through this agony because I refused to let it win. “Don’t worry, I won’t let this get the best of me.”
“Good.” She smiled. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear you say.”
And that’s what I did. I told her what she wanted to hear because I was still unsure how I’d raise above it. We both turned when we heard my phone ding, indicating I had a new email message.
“Can you please hand me my phone?” I asked, wiping my eyes one more time.
“Sure.” Veronica turned, reaching for my phone on my nightstand. “Here you go.”
Glancing at the phone, I saw it was a message from Professor Whitman. “Oh my gosh! He responded.” I quickly swiped the notification on my screen.
My eyes scanned the page looking for the key words that would indicate I could go.
“What did he say?” Veronica leaned closer to me, trying to get a glimpse of the message.
“Um . . . yes! He says he had two people drop out last minute, and they really need to fill the spots.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news, Delaney!” She threw her arms around me.
“I can’t believe it.” I hugged her, and we rocked back and forth, the excitement pouring from me. Pulling back, I said, “Does that mean I can go?”
She laughed. “I’ll talk to Martin right away, but I’m sure we can send you.”
“Thanks.”
She brushed away a stray tear. “Of course. I’m happy we can do it.”
Things were looking brighter. Even though I was avoiding what I wanted most, a trip to New York City was what I needed. The time away would allow me to get my head straight. It would allow me figure out if I really wanted to be with Luke, and if I was ready to change the person I’d become.
Chapter 8
Fall Semester—Senior Year
Luke
I glanced at my phone, seeing Delaney’s name pop up on the screen. Staring at her picture, I contemplated whether I should answer it. Summer had come and gone, and she hadn’t bothered to call or text me, other than to tell me she was going to New York for a photography summer camp. I guess she was back in town.
“Hello?”
“Hey, whatcha doing?” The silkiness in her voice automatically melted the hardness that had formed over my heart.
“Just got out of the shower.” I hit the speaker button and finished towel drying my body. I slipped on my boxer shorts and then pulled on a pair of athletic shorts.
“Really? Need any help?”
A low laugh released. Her offer told me one thing—she was ready to pick up where we left off. “Maybe.”
“Well, I could use some help.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course she could. “Sounds like you’re driving.”
“I am. Just left Target, and I have a car full of stuff.”
“How convenient.” I grabbed a jar of gel out of the cabinet and rubbed some on my palms before running my fingers through my messy hair.
“So, that’s all I’m good for? Unloading shit out of your car?”
“You’re good for more than that, and you know it.” She giggled, and I imagined her tossing her long strands over her shoulder as her head tilted back, exposing the length of her neck, which I’d love to kiss and lick.
“If you say so.” I pulled on my t-shirt and went to my room to find my shoes. “It’s going to cost you.” Glancing at my phone, I noticed it was a little after four in the afternoon.
“How about a round of hot sex afterwards?” Her voice automatically shifted from flirty to enticingly sexy.
I rubbed my crotch feeing the rise in my shorts. “I like that idea, but I’m starving. How about a pizza and six pack of beer?”
“Okay. I can buy that for you, as long as you call it in since I’m driving.”
“You got it.”
“See ya in a little while.” The Texas twang in her voice had me thinking of all the things I wanted to do with her. All the things I missed doing with her.
“Bye.” I hung up the phone and screamed. “Damn it!”
How did she have that power over me?
What was it about Delaney that had me doing things I told myself I wouldn’t do?
Fifteen minutes later, I was in her car with a pizza and on the way to get a six-pack of beer and who knew what else.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out some bills. “Here’s a twenty.”
She lifted her hands from the steering wheel and took the money from my hand. “Oh, you want me to go inside and get it?”
“I can’t.”
“Oh, that’s right, you’re not twenty-one.” Folding up the money, she shoved the bill into the pocket of her shorts. “Don’t you have a fake ID?”
Her question broke my gaze that had lingered longer than it should’ve, but I couldn’t help it. Delaney had plump thighs, and I couldn’t wait to get them wrapped around me. “Yeah, but the owner of this store knows me.”
“I thought you said you weren’t known around campus.”
I rolled my eyes. How convenient for her to remember what I said more than a year ago. “I’m not, but this guy follows baseball and happens to know who I am.”
“Oh, I see, Luke Thompson.” She grabbed her purse and opened the car door. “What kind of beer do you want?”
“Get what
ever you like.”
With a wink, she got out of the car. “I’ll be right back.”
After we got our six-pack of beer, we headed to her dorm. I wasn’t sure where this would go and why I’d agreed to help her. But for whatever reason, I was hungry for the taste of her. It had been too damn long. I reminded myself not to get caught up in my emotions for her. It had taken me all summer to try and forget about her, but one call from her and that sent me right back to where I really wanted to be.
With her.
“What did you do all summer? Workout?” She asked, handing me a paper plate.
“Sort of.” I pushed back my shoulders, rubbing my hands along my chest. Maybe she had noticed my muscles. “We had a long season.”
“I saw that.” She took a bite of her pizza and then wiped the pasta sauce off the edge of her lips with the tip of her finger. “Y’all finished in the top twenty for the South Central Conference. You must be excited.”
I nodded, because I was too enthralled with her lips. Lips that were calling me to claim them once again. I was actually more excited about kissing her, then telling her how the season ended.
“So how was New York?” I shoved a piece a pizza in mouth, determined to take things slowly.
“New York was good. I absolutely loved the class.”
“That’s great.”
“Wanna see the portfolio I made?”
“Sure.” I took a drink of my beer and then finished off the slice of pizza.
With a quick hop off the couch, she bounced to her room and returned with a large black binder.
“They are mainly pictures of buildings and scenery, but I have a few of people.” She opened the cover. “There’s one I took of a couple at the Empire State Building. I did this cool overlay with a big heart.” Her fingers quickly flipped through the pages until she came to the black and white photo with a red heart over the building.
“That’s cool.” I studied the image, appreciating it for the talent she had. “Kind of reminds me of a movie my mother loves.”
“Sleepless in Seattle.” We both said simultaneously.
“Yeah, that’s a great movie.” She laughed.
“Did you know this couple?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I saw them holding hands and asked if they would mind if I took photos of them. They were open to it and asked me to email them copies, so I did.”
“Did they like them?”
“Yep.” A huge smile formed across her beautiful face. “They emailed me a fifty-dollar Amazon gift card to thank me. They were there celebrating their five year wedding anniversary, so it was really special for them.”
“I bet.” I thumbed through the rest of the photos, getting a better idea of what Delaney enjoyed doing. “You know, these are really good. You should become a professional photographer.”
A laugh belted from her. “Seriously?”
“Yes. These are great.” I removed a picture of Central Park and one with the skyline of New York City. I got up and held them against the wall. “These would look bad ass on a big canvas.”
“Do you think people would actually pay me to take photos of them?”
“I know I would.” I glanced over my shoulder, lowering my hands.
“You would?” She took the pictures from my fingers and set them on top of the portfolio.
“Yeah.”
“How about I take some pictures of you right now?” Her hands landed on my waist and then inched up the front of my chest. The coldness of her fingertips caused chill bumps to spread across my flushed skin.
“I suppose you can.” I pulled her close to me. “But it depends on what type of pictures you want to take.”
Her eyes flashed bright blue. “Naked ones.”
Biting my lip, I held back the grin dying to escape. She had my ego flying high, but at the same time I was a little worried about what she might do with them. “What if you try and sell them or post them on Instagram or Snapchat?”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
Lowering my head, I said, “I think I should take naked pictures of you, too. Ya know, to be fair.” My brow rose as I waited for her response.
“Okay. I can agree to that.” Her lips landed on mine with a fury that had my head spinning quicker than a fastball. Our tongues intertwined, hungrily devouring each other. The taste of her filled my mouth, and I wanted more of her.
All of her.
Right at that moment.
“Damn, I want you so bad.” My fingers spread through the tendrils of her hair, pulling slightly as I took possession of her mouth.
“Show me.” She breathed the words over my lips, and that’s all it took for both of us to go crazy.
I shoved my thumbs under the elastic of my shorts and pulled them down in one quick sweep. Her eyes gave me a quick once over before her hands flew to her shorts. They were down her hips and on the floor before I could pull off my shirt.
Our lips reunited and her hands landed on me, working at full speed to pull off my shirt. The heat consuming both of us was hotter than a mid-summer day on the field. We couldn’t get enough of each other, and we definitely couldn’t get our clothes off fast enough. With our lips still melded together, we managed to pull each other’s shirts off, only stopping momentarily to pull the fabric away.
“Oh, God,” she moaned in my mouth as I picked her up. “Three months is too long.” Her hands delved into my hair, yanking my mouth to the right angle. Her thighs wrapped around my waist, and I stumbled to her bedroom, undoing her bra on the way.
“No kidding,” I mumbled, as I took advantage her position on me. I was going fucking crazy. Delaney was so damn delicious.
“The door.” She motioned to the right of her. “Lock it.”
“Relax.” I pulled away momentarily. “My sister won’t be here until tomorrow after afternoon.”
She shook her head. “Lock it, just in case.” I shoved her against the door as I reached for the knob. Flipping the lock to the right, I started to pull away when she said, “Take me, now.”
“Right here? On the door?”
“Yes.”
Reaching up between her legs, I yanked the lacy fabric blocking what I wanted most. So much for taking things slow. I was about to hit a home run without even running the bases.
***
Delaney
Staring in the mirror, I combed my hair, liking my shorter layers around my face, but still loving the long length. It didn’t make me look much different because if it had, Luke would’ve said something. But he hadn’t. In fact, he didn’t even mention it.
The reality was that my new haircut didn’t make me a new person, and neither had the trip to New York. The trip had made me realize was how much I missed Luke. And all it took was one phone call, and I was back in bed with him. But I hadn’t figured how to succumb to the feelings I had for him.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Why was I considering bowing down to these feelings? Feelings that would only bring me pain, hurt, and torment. I’d never had a problem in the past using guys for what I wanted most, but when it came to Luke, I was powerless against the emotions my heart released for him. I had to find a way to ignore the deep feelings I felt in my bones when it came to him.
I heard the front door shut as I opened the bathroom door.
“Lexi?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” she yelled from the other side of the suite.
I sighed in relief that Luke had already left, otherwise, it would’ve been a little suspicious. Then, again, we could have said he was here to help her move in. I pulled my wet hair in a bun and went to her room. Boxes covered the floor, along with bags and other items. “Do you need any help?”
“No.” Setting down a bag on the floor in her room, she sighed. “My parents just brought everything up.”
“Did they already leave?”
“Yeah.” She blew the strands of her hair away from her face. “They had a dinner party to go to this evenin
g.”
“I can help you unpack.” I offered, noticing how they had just left her stuff in the hallway.
“It’s okay, I can do it.” I didn’t offer any more help because I knew Lexi liked things in order, unlike me.
“So, how was your summer?”
“Okay. I took one online class and did my student-teaching at a nearby high school that held summer school classes.” I followed her back to the living room, watching her grab a box and drag it to her room.
“Here, let me help you.” We lifted the box and took it to her room.
“Thanks.”
“So, how’d that go?”
“Not as well as I thought.” She rolled her eyes and the disappointment was obvious. “You were right about the kids. They were horrible.”
Nodding I said, “I told you. So, do you still want to be a teacher?”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking of some other options. I’ll continue working in the student writing center and see what happens.”
“Good idea. At least you have options.”
We returned to the living room. “Did you get here yesterday?”
“I did, around five or so,” I replied sheepishly, knowing that I had brought her brother back to the dorm with me.
“The place looks great.” She glanced around at the somewhat decorated room. I was glad I had picked up our trash before she got here. “Are these the photos you took in New York?” she asked, picking up the ones I’d shown her brother the night before.
“Yes. I was thinking about having them printed on a canvas to hang on the wall.” She didn’t have to know that it was Luke’s idea.
“I think that would look awesome.” Holding each one up, she positioned them in different places as though trying to determine the best place for them. “They’re really good.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “I took them with the new camera my parents bought me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” She followed me into my room, and I picked up the expensive piece of equipment. “I’ve been wanting this camera for a while.”
My Lucky Catch (University Park #6) Page 9