If he wanted to piss off my sister, that was one way to do it, but I didn’t tell him anything. I didn’t like getting involved with their issues.
“Something tells me Delaney might have something to do with her behavior.”
“Delaney?” I scratched the back of my head. Even though she was a partier and a sex-crazed woman, she definitely hadn’t converted my sister. At least I didn’t think she had. “I doubt it.”
With his eyes trained to the floor, he released a silent breath. It took him a few seconds to finally look at me, and when he did, I knew I was busted. “What are you doing with her?”
“What?” I squared my shoulders, keeping a straight posture. “With who?”
“Don’t play games with me, Luke. You might be good at keeping secrets, but you forget how long I’ve know you.”
“Since we were thirteen.” I reminded him. “We met on the baseball fields at Rutherford Park, remember?”
“Yes, of course, I remember because that’s when I met your family and your sister.”
“Amazing right.” I chucked him on the arm. “And to think it all started on that field with my sister being a bat girl. Now you two are getting married. We’re going to be real brothers now.”
“Nice try.” He smiled. “But you can’t distract me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He smirked. “I’m talking about the beautiful blue-eyed brunette out there.” He hooked his thumb behind him. “Who happens to be Lexi’s roommate, maid of honor, and your bed buddy.”
“Say what?”
“Don’t play dumb.” He shook his head in disgust. “You’ve been messing around with her for a while now.”
“So, what’s the big deal?” I crossed my arms and eyed him.
“Thanks for admitting it,” Collin said with a solemn nod.
I gave a shoulder shrug. “I obviously can’t hide it from you any longer.”
“Man, she’s not good for you.” He said in a low voice.
“Says who?” I challenged him. Collin tended to act like my big brother, constantly reminding me about what I should and shouldn’t be doing. He meant well, but at times, it wore on me.
“The girl sleeps around, and don’t tell me she doesn’t.” Leaning forward, he whispered, “She’s had sex with a few of the guys on the team.”
“Are you one of them?”
“What?” His head jutted back, and his eyes blinked rapidly. “I can’t believe you asked me that. You know I’m saving myself for your sister.”
“To be honest, it sounds like you’re a little jealous.”
“Jealous?” His voice lilted. “Hardly.” He huffed out a laugh. “I’m trying to warn my friend that he’s messing around with the wrong girl. She’s not good enough for you, Luke.”
“So, when did you become anti-Delaney?” I ran my hand through my hair while taking a few deep breaths. The last thing I wanted to do was get in a fistfight with my soon-to-be brother-in-law and good friend.
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t stop Lexi from rooming with her again, and you didn’t tell her not to be her maid of honor. She’s obviously not that bad of a person because if she was, you wouldn’t want my sister around her.”
“To be honest with you, I didn’t, but Lexi was adamant that she room with her and have her in the wedding. Believe me, I encouraged her to find another roommate and to ask her cousin, Kenzie, or her sister, Ashley, to be the maid of honor, but she refused. She claimed that she was helping Delaney be a better person, so I agreed.
I laughed because if my sister was working on converting Delaney to being a saint like her, I didn’t see it. Maybe Delaney was rubbing off on my sister?
“Does Lexi know?”
“I don’t think she does, at least she hasn’t said anything to me about it.”
“Sorry I lied, but I didn’t want you guys finding out.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t want to complicate things between Delaney and Lexi.” I sighed and paced his room. “Until recently, I had no idea where our relationship was going.”
“And now you do?”
“Sort of,” I shrugged. All though we hadn’t agreed to be monogamous, we were spending a lot of time together.
“Good luck with that.” He half laughed. “I know you can be committed to the relationship, but I don’t have the same confidence in her.”
“I know,” I sat on the bed feeling some of my strength drain, “but I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“And you trust her not to cheat on you while you’re traveling with the team?”
I withheld the shudder working its way up my spine. Thinking of all the guys she’d been with and the ones I had convinced her not to go home with made the food in my stomach turn. Why did she have to be so carefree? It should’ve been me sleeping around, not her. I had no problem being with one person, but she obviously did. Regardless of the warnings flashing in front of me, I couldn’t deny how I felt about her.
With a hand lifted, I said, “I have to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“But why? You already know what she’s capable of—or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”
“Because I care about her, and I’m in love with her.”
“Oh.” His eyes widened. “I hope she doesn’t disappoint you.” He patted me on the back.
“Yeah, me, too.” I got up to leave his room, but turned around and said, “Hey, do me a favor?”
“Yeah,” he glanced at me.
“Don’t tell Lexi. At least not yet.”
“Okay, but you should tell her soon.”
I nodded as I opened the door. “I will.”
***
Delaney
I walked out of class and headed to the student union to grab something to eat. It was already noon, and my stomach was growling since I’d skipped breakfast. Digging my phone from my backpack, I noticed I had a text. I smiled when I saw it was from Luke.
Luke: Wanna hook up after my noon class?
I quickly tapped out a message to him.
Me: I’d love to. My dorm?
Luke: Lexi won’t be there?
Me: No. She’ll be at work.
I had my roommate’s schedule down to a T. She tutored two girls on Monday and Wednesday from one until three in the afternoon. On Tuesday and Thursday, she worked with the quarterback for PHU, Raven Davenport, from one until two-thirty. I still couldn’t believe she had been assigned to him. After seeing them at the piano in the lobby on Sunday night, and based on our little chat afterwards, I knew she definitely had a thing for him. I guess I couldn’t blame her since Collin was lacking in the affection department. Then again, half of the female population at PHU was caught in The Raven’s trap, except for me, which probably a good thing. I wasn’t jealous . . . I just didn’t want my friend to get hurt.
Luke: I’ll text when I get there so you can let me in.
Me: Okay. See ya shortly. I sent him a smiley face blowing a kiss.
I ordered myself a chicken chipotle wrap to go and headed back to the dorm. I wanted to freshen up and clean my room before Luke got there. Unlocking the door to my dorm, I heard a muffled whine come from inside. I flipped on the light and listened for a moment. Shutting the door quietly, I walked to the living room and set my stuff on the coffee table. I noticed Lexi’s bedroom door was shut. I approached it and pressed my ear to the wood. A loud moan followed by wailing told me she was crying.
“Lexi?” I knocked softly and listened for her to give me the okay before walking in.
The sobs quickly stopped. “Yes?” Her voice shook, sounding parched and scratchy.
“Can I come in?” I placed my hand on the knob, waiting to turn it.
“I guess.”
I opened the door to see Lexi siting in her unmade bed, drying the area underneath her eyes.
“Are you okay? Shouldn’t you be getting ready to go meet Raven for tutoring?”
; “No.” She shook her head. “He canceled.”
Damn it!
“Please tell me that’s not why you’re crying?”
“No.” A half-laugh released from her. “I just . . . I can’t understand why . . .” Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and her face fell into an inconsolable frown.
“What happened?” I rushed to her side and sat next to her. Plucking a few tissues from the box on the nightstand, I handed them to her. “Tell me. Did someone hurt you?”
Straightening, she said, “It’s Collin. We had a fight outside of Scholar Hall on the lawn yesterday.” A visible lump appeared when she swallowed hard. “I did what you said,” she blew her nose, and then continued, “and had that come to Jesus talk with him.”
By the way she was crying, it didn’t sound like it went very well. “And what did he say?”
“I told him I needed to feel his love and wanted more attention from him. He asked me if that’s why I got drunk at Blue Mesa because if it was, that was the wrong way to get his attention. He was so mad that he called my parents and discussed my little mishap.” She glanced at me through wet lashes. “Can you believe that?” Tiny heaves escaped her lips.
I felt bad for encouraging her, but I reminded myself that sometimes you have to have those difficult talks. Wrapping my arm around her, I said, “I’m so sorry, Lexi. Really, I am.” She rested her head on my shoulder and continued to cry.
“I told him that I wanted more from him . . . that I needed to know that he loved me. He was quick to remind me that he is working hard to land with a Major League team and focusing on his classes in case he has to look for a job. He claimed that should prove his love for me.” Her eyes closed, and her shoulders folded, causing her body to slump further into the bed.
Releasing a full breath, I found myself slumping into the bed with her. I might have had lots of sexual experience with guys, but when it came to relationship advice, I realized I had nada. I probably wasn’t the right one to guide her, but she was my friend so I had to do my best.
“Some guys just don’t get it. They don’t know how to express their love in the way the other person wants it. Collin’s an introvert, and I hate to say it, but I don’t think he knows how to give you what you want.” Her crying stopped momentarily, and she listened to me keenly. “I think it’s because of his nonexistent experience with women. You said, you’re his first girlfriend, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And based on that book you found at his parents’ house this past summer that preached about no kissing, no dating, and definitely no sex before marriage, I’m sure he has no idea how to give you the affection you seek.”
“I think you’re right.” She sighed. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we aren’t where we need to be in order to get married.”
She had a good point. “I really hate that you two didn’t get anything resolved. I was hoping this little talk would’ve smacked him in the face.”
“I don’t know what else to do. He asked me to give him some time, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Did he break up with you?”
“No.” She sniffed again and wiped her nose. “He has a paper and test this week so he wants some time to himself.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. Usually when a person asked for some space, it meant they were thinking about calling things off. The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel worse than she already did.
“I’m okay with giving him some time, but how can I make him change and give me what I need?” She looked at me with desperation.
“Just be transparent with him. Tell him exactly what you want.”
Folding her tissue into a perfect square, she said, “I hate to say it, but he makes me feel embarrassed and dirty when I start to bring up my desires.”
“Uh . . . he shouldn’t. He’s your fiancé.”
“I know.” She pounded her fist against the mattress. “But when I think about telling him to flirt with me or text me dirty things, I feel like I’m committing some type of carnal sin.”
“I think you need to have another talk with him. Give him some time to calm down and get over your little mimosa incident, and then be honest with him. If he loves you like he says he does, then he’ll understand.”
“Am I being too demanding and ungrateful?” She grabbed her pillow and clutched it to her chest.
“No,” I shook my head. “You have every right to have these feelings. And like I said, don’t feel like you have to marry him just because your families expect it. Make sure there’s a strong love force between the two of you.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“I know.” I gave her a heartfelt smile.
“The truth is, I’m thankful Collin is working hard to provide a secure future for us, but I also need affection from him. I don’t know why it’s so hard for him to understand. It’s like I’m speaking a foreign language.”
“We all have different needs and wants. You need to understand his, and vice versa. Right now, he doesn’t understand your love language, or if he does, he’s choosing to ignore it.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Even if she was able to get Collin to acknowledge what she needed from him, there was no guarantee he would it give it to her. I was willing to bet Raven would, though. “I’m going to warn you again about Raven. I hate to say it, but what I witnessed in the lobby was more than piano playing and tutoring.”
“You’re right.” Lexi covered her face with her hands for a moment. “He clouds my mind, and I find myself thinking about him more and more. When I’m with him, I feel like a different person . . . so free, and it’s liberating. It’s so easy to get caught in his charm, and when that happens the flirting starts.” Pangs of guilt outlined her face. “That should be happening between Collin and me, but it doesn’t.” She moaned and fell back against her bed. “I need to keep things professional with Raven.”
“Yes, you do. But like I told you the other night, when you were telling me about him, I’ve never see you so giddy and glowing.”
Her head darted up. “And that’s wrong.” Holding up her hand, she flashed me her ring. “I’m engaged, remember?”
“I know. That’s why you need to keep it cool between you and Raven.” I poked at her.
“I will, even if I have to stop tutoring him.”
“Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that.” I gave her one last squeeze before getting up. “I’m starving. Do you want anything to eat?”
“No.” She threw back the covers. “I’m going to take a shower and catch up on some reading. Glancing out the window at the grey sky, she said, “It looks like a good day for that.”
“It sure does. It’s chilly outside, too.” Lexi slipped into her bathroom, and I walked quickly to the living room to get my phone. Checking the time, I saw it was fifteen until one. Luke would be getting out of his class in a few minutes. I sent him a quick message.
Me: We have to reschedule. Lexi’s here at the dorm.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep up this charade. Lying to Lexi made me feel like the biggest backstabber. Some friend I was! Now that Collin knew about us, it was only fair that Lexi knew, too. Luke said he asked Collin not to tell her and knowing his personality, I was positive he wouldn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure how long I could hide it from her, even though I agreed not to tell her. It was just a matter of time before she found out. My phone chimed, and I glanced at the screen.
Luke: Damn!
Me: How about tonight?
Luke: I have to work until midnight and get up early.
Me: Tomorrow?
Luke: I have practice.
Me: Thursday?
Three dots flashed on my screen for a few seconds before another message appeared.
Luke: That works. Come by the gym tonight if you want a free training session.
Me: Will it be better than sex?
Luke: LOL no! But I promise, I�
�ll make you sweat.
I laughed before sending him a smiley face with a tongue sticking out.
Chapter 11
Luke
“Is Delaney coming bowling with us?” Collin asked as he slipped on his jacket.
Tying the laces on my chucks, I replied, “Yes, is that a problem?”
Collin pressed his lips together, withholding himself from saying what he probably felt. “No, it’s cool. You already know my opinion about her, and I can’t stop you from seeing her.”
“I’m trying to make her a better person.” I reasoned with him, but he gave me a dubious stare.
“That’s what Lexi said, but I’m not buying that anymore.”
I shrugged. “I have no idea what my sister’s trying to do. I can only vouch for my actions.”
“Is it working?” He inclined his head in my direction.
“Um, slowly,” I reluctantly admitted. “By the way, I told her you knew about us.”
“You did?” He straightened, and a look of shock framed his face. “Then I think it’s only fair Lexi knows. I don’t like hiding things from her.”
“I know, man.” I placed my hand on his shoulder. “I want to be the one to tell her, so hang tight, and I promise, I’ll have a talk with her this weekend.”
“Alright.” Collin seemed content with my response. “Are you driving?”
“Yeah.” I grabbed my keys.
“And Forbes?”
“He left to pick up Jordan. He’ll meet us at the restaurant.”
“Okay, then we’d better go.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m sure Lexi and Delaney are waiting for us.”
“If I know Delaney, she’s probably still getting ready.” I flipped off the light and locked the door behind us.
I drove to Charter Hall and parked in the loading zone. I sent Delaney a text and told her we were outside. Collin got out of the car and went inside to get Lexi, like a true gentleman. I probably should’ve done the same, but I didn’t want Lexi thinking anything, so I told him I’d wait since I was parked illegally.
We took off down University Drive toward West 7th Street. The area was packed with people since the weather was nice for a fall evening. It took me a while to find parking in the garage, but I wasn’t worried about getting a table. Forbes sent me a text saying he and Jordan were already seated and waiting for us.
My Lucky Catch (University Park #6) Page 12