“Oh, wow. That does say lot.” Delaney chewed on her nail as though the comments were about her.
“There’s my guy!” Shelby held out her arms, welcoming Josh. “Excuse me.” She ran to him and jumped into his arms. With her legs and arms wrapped around him, he swung her around. That proved my theory was right about them being in love. It was more than obvious. They kind of reminded me of Forbes and Jordan.
How does one find a guy that in touch with their emotions to the extent that they don’t even think twice about showing their girl how much they mean to them?
As they moved to the side, lip locked with each other, I turned and saw Raven stroll into the tent. My body wafted in the air as the butterflies took flight again. I hadn’t been this close to him in weeks and my body hummed in delight. I shamelessly took in every inch of his well-defined body. From his damp hair to the jeans that sat low on his waist. My eyes traveled up the ripples of muscles that stretched underneath his purple and white polo-style shirt, making my fingers tingle as they remembered what it felt like to hold on to him. And the more I remembered, the more I wanted to touch him and never let go.
He caught my gaze and his lips parted into a perfect smile. A smile that warmed every part of me, including my heart which instantly remembered what it felt like to beat again.
“Hi.” He appraised me for a moment, making every muscle and fiber move inside of me. How did he know how to make me move like that?
“Hey.” I rose up on the balls of my feet as I wrapped my arms around me. I could have stared at his perfect smile forever. “Great game.”
He neared me until we stood face to face. “I’m glad you came.”
“I couldn’t miss seeing you play your last game of the season.” I warded off the heat consuming my cheeks.
“You look good in that jersey.” His eyes settled on my chest and I shifted my weight to the side.
“Thanks. Although some of the girls didn’t like that I was wearing it.” I glanced over to the Silicone Triplets that were gawking at us.
Raven smirked. “Don’t worry about them, okay?” He tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear and then dragged his finger along my jaw line. Hot and cold shivers spread over my body as it begged for more of his sweet affliction.
“Great game, Raven.” A guy patted him on the shoulder.
“Thanks, man.”
The people around us cheered and congratulated him every few minutes, barely allowing us to talk. Raven thanked them, shook their hands and even fist-bumped those that supported how he had played. I tried to subdue the happiness that gleamed from me, proud of his win, but I couldn’t hold it back.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and whispered in my ear, “Do you want to get out of here?”
Tingles spread from my head to my toes and I froze. Raven was actually asking me if I wanted to leave with him. I waited for every warning light to go off, but only one flashed in my mind.
Trust.
Could I trust him?
I wanted to trust him, but my past interactions with him reminded me that his reputation and actions weren’t worthy of my trust. Yet, he hadn’t done anything for me not to trust him. The weight of my fear lingered, distorting my mind and making it hard to distinguish what I really wanted. But deep down inside, I knew what I wanted. Biting down on my lip I nodded, not caring if anyone saw me leave with him.
He took me by the hand and led me through the crowd. The Silicone Triplets huffed and muttered incoherent words as we passed by them. Instead of reacting to their childish remarks, I ignored them. I handed Delaney my cup as we exited the tent. “I’ll see you later.”
She took the cup and winked at me. “If you don’t make it home tonight, I know why.”
Raven stopped and turned around. “Hey, I heard that.”
Delaney’s eyes widened and a look of dread draped over her face. “I didn’t—,”
“Relax. I’m just messing with you.” He grinned and she sighed in relief. Pulling me closer to him, he said, “I promise to bring her home when she tells me.”
Holding back a giggle, I waved to her as we crossed the parking lot.
“So, you’ve been in hiding?” He kept in step with me as we walked toward his car.
I kept my eyes trained to the ground, praying he wouldn’t ask me about Collin. Even though I knew I would eventually need to tell him my side of the story, because I had no idea what Delaney had told him. But I wasn’t in the mood to talk about it at that point. “I guess you can say that. I was going through some personal stuff.”
“I understand.” The sincerity in his voice told me he was being truthful. “I’m sorry to um, hear—”
“It’s okay.” My stomach tensed and I took a few deep breaths. “It wasn’t meant to be.”
He unlocked the car door and opened it for me. “Well, I’m here for you if you want to talk or need anything at all.”
I swallowed the huge ball of nerves that was working its way out of me. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” I got in the car and he shut the door.
It felt good to know that he was willing to listen to me. Be there for me. Collin never offered to be there for me. It was so obvious why I couldn’t find love with him. I wondered if he was discovering the same thing. I refused to ask Luke if Collin had confided in him about us. I just wanted to move on with my life and being with Raven was allowing me to do that.
Raven slid into the front seat and shut the door. We sat there for a moment in silence. The sun was beginning to set, spreading hues of pink and purple across the sky. With one arm resting on the steering wheel and the other on the console between us, he turned to me.
“Can I be honest with you?”
I pivoted in my seat, facing him. “Sure, as long as I can be honest with you.”
We exchanged a silent agreement as our gaze drew us closer together. My eyes searched his face, carefully examining every detail from the defined arch in his brows to the scar on his right cheek bone that disappeared in his slight five o’clock shadow. I watched as his eyes scanned over me and then rested on my lips. Only the sound of us breathing could be heard within his car.
Lifting his eyes, he stared deep into mine. “I’ve really missed seeing you.”
My heart pounded, telling me it was well on its way to mending. I swallowed back the fear that replayed over and over in my head.
Could I really trust him?
Not wanting to regret one passing moment with him, I tossed the fear aside and told him how I really felt. “I’ve missed you, too.”
“Do you remember what I told you in the suite?” His eyes shifted up toward the stadium for a quick second and then returned to me. His look unraveled me, leaving me defenseless against his trap.
But was I ready for ‘The Raven’s Trap’?
I felt myself slipping effortlessly and knew there was no escaping it.
Then again, I didn’t want to.
“You told me lots of things.”
He inclined his head and then rubbed his chin. “I’m referring to the point I made about me not doing anything unless you asked me to.”
“Oh, that point.” I dropped my hand on the console and inched my fingers closer to his. “Yeah, I remember.”
Our fingers brushed against each other and then interlaced. The roughness of his skin against mine sent an instant razzing sensation up my arm. I hesitated for a moment and then said, “Raven, can I ask you to do something?”
He rubbed his thumb back and forth across my flesh rendering my arm useless, once again. “That depends on what it is?” His eyes lit up and I hope he knew what I wanted him to do.
“Will you kiss me?”
“I never thought you’d ask.”
Σ
To Be Continued
“The Same Side”
The University Park #2
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About the Author
CM Doporto
Born and raised in the United States of America in the great state of Texas, CM Doporto resides there with her husband and son enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot and several fish. She is a member of DFW Writers Workshop and Romance Writers of America, where she is associated with the Young Adult Special Interest Chapter. To learn more about her upcoming books, visit www.cmdoporto.com. You can also like CM Doporto’s fan page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.
Opposing Sides Page 17