My Lucky Catch (University Park #6) (27 page)

“Don’t remind me.”

“Sorry.” I heard a knock in the background, and Jordan mumbled something. “Damn, I have an issue at the front with a customer.”

“It’s okay. I’m going to get up and take a shower.”

“I’m here for you. Whatever you need let me know. If you want a haircut, just text me. I’m not too far from you, so I can also come over anytime. If you change your mind and want to do something for your birthday, let me know.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

“Talk to you soon, bye.”

“Bye.” I hung up the phone and let it drop from my hand. Tears seeped from my eyes as I thought about Luke. Hearing that he was struggling, just like me, was destroying what was left of my heart. Knowing who caused the wreck might have brought some closure, but it still didn’t help Luke and me. How could we be together? I wasn’t sure I could face his family ever again. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what Luke and I had was over. It was a sad, beautiful, tragic, love affair, and it wouldn’t be anything more than that.

Chapter 18

Luke

The past few weeks had been pure hell. I was so high on the idea that Delaney would be able to forgive my family and come back to me. Who was I kidding? Asking her to do that was nearly impossible. But finding out from Forbes that she still loved me gave me hope. Hope that what we had wasn’t over. Not yet.

“You ready?” Lexi peeked her head into my old room.

“Yeah.” I glanced up from a photo that Delaney and I took in South Padre Island during Spring Break our senior year. “I’ll drive.”

“Are you sure?” Lexi wrapped an arm around me and gave me a quick squeeze. We can ride with Mom and Dad.”

“Nah, I’d rather drive my own car.” I got up from the bed and set the photo on my nightstand.

“Okay. Can I ride with you?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll grab my purse and meet you downstairs.” Lexi hesitated for a second and then left the room.

I lingered in my room for a few minutes, looking at all my baseball trophies and college memories. Half of my PHU years had been with Delaney. Even though we had a friends-with-benefits relationship for half of it, those were the best years of my life. It sucked that the rest of my life might not include her.

Shutting off the light, I closed the door and headed down the stairs. Ashley was gathering some paperwork from the kitchen island, and Mom and Dad were hugging. Ryan walked in, talking on the phone. Stopping momentarily, he said, “You’ll have to follow us because we don’t have enough room with the car seats.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I pulled my keys from my pocket. “I planned on driving anyways.”

“Lexi, I think you might be able to squeeze in the back.” Ashley said as she placed several folders in her satchel and zipped it shut.

“That’s okay. I’m riding with Luke.”

Dad’s arms dropped from Mom’s, and she slowly backed away. Turning to us, she gave each of us a teary-eyed smile. Then she held out her arms and motioned for us to come to her.

Taking my hand and Lexi’s hand, she said, “I want you to know how much I love you and how sorry I am . . . for everything. Especially you, Luke. Never in a million years did I think this would impact you the way it has.”

I stared at her for moment, holding back what I really wanted to tell her. Did she really think she could get away with this? Just sweep it under the rug and pretend like it never happened? Hoping no one would ever find out?

“You know the saying, Mom,
no sin goes unpunished
.”
I shot her a meek smile. “At least that’s what you’ve always taught us.”

Mom glared at me, her eyes filling with more tears. I knew my words were harsh, and it was evident by the visible lump that eased down her throat. They might have been cruel, but it was time for her to get a taste of her own medicine. “You’re exactly right, Luke. And now I will pay for it.”

“I’m sorry for what you’re going through.” Lexi smoothed the strands of her hair. “I know it’s not easy for you or Dad, and it’s ripping Luke apart. All I can do is hope and pray that some good will come out of this terrible situation.”

“Me, too, Lexi.”

“I really wish I could be there for you, but you know how it is raising twins. They are my first priority. I’m not sure I’ll be able to visit you, at least not until you’re released from prison.”

Mom eased away from Lexi’s hand. It was as though my sister’s words were shocking. “I’m sure you’ll do what you can.”

“Of course I will.”

“Hey, guys, we’d better go.” Ashley jingled her keys, breaking us away from our solemn goodbyes. “It’s about an hour and a half drive, and I don’t want us to get caught in traffic and be late.”

“Okay.” Mom nodded and exhaled a rattled breath.

“Come on.” Dad placed his hand behind her, guiding her toward the garage. She took one step and stopped. It was as though her body refused to move. Her entire body trembled with a fear I’ve never seen in all my years. A fear that no son or daughter should have to witness in their parent’s eyes. “Olivia, look at me.” Mom’s jaw chattered, and her eyes blinked rapidly. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be with you.”

Mom gave a slight nod. “Now, take a few deep breaths.” Dad practiced breathing in and out with her. Ashley handed her a bottle of water, and she sipped it slowly. Lexi picked up a piece of newspaper and fanned her. I felt kind of helpless staring at her, and I hoped she wasn’t about to pass out. It took several minutes before she calmed down. “Are you okay?” Dad asked. “Because we need to leave.”

“I’ll be alright.” Mom placed a shaky hand on Dad’s arm as he led her to the car.

Lexi and I got into my car and followed Ryan and Ashley’s Land Rover to Waco, Texas. We stayed quiet for the first forty-five minutes of the drive. I think we were trying to process everything that had happened and what was about to take place.

I turned down the radio, sick of hearing songs that reminded me of Delaney. “Do you think I was too harsh on Mom?” I glanced at Lexi through the corner of my eye.

“No. She’s always been tough with us. It’s time she sees what it feels like to be on the receiving side.”

“Wow.” My head jutted back. “And I thought I was being a hard ass.” Lexi shrugged, showing little indifference. “She’s still our mother, you know.”

“I haven’t forgiven her.”

“I can tell.”

“And you have?” Lexi voice rose slightly.

“Hell, no.” I shot her a twisted frown.

“I was about to say you’re taking this way better than I expected.” She set her phone next to her on the seat. “It just all makes sense now.”

“What’s that?”

“Why she was always trying to protect us. Being a mom, I kind of understand why she did what she did.”

“Seriously?” I jerked the wheel, nearly colliding with the car next to me. “You’re taking up for her killing Delaney’s parents?”

“No!” Lexi slapped the seat with her hand. “Absolutely not. I’m talking about Mom trying to shelter us from the world.”

“Oh.”

“Looking back, I see where she was coming from, but she went about it entirely wrong.”

“So, are you saying you would do the same for you kids?”

“Oh, hell no,” Lexi huffed. “There needs to be a good balance reinforcing what’s right and wrong. Mom violated her own ethics trying to protect us, which was completely wrong, on all levels. She was wrong to hide it, and now it’s come back to get her. As far as I’m concerned, she deserves to be punished. Call me cruel and insensitive, but I haven’t forgiven her for all she put me through, either.”

“The homeschooling, the talks, the restrictions . . . they were all for nothing, if you think about it. No offense, but you got pregnant and married someone they didn’t approve of.”

“I know. All that hard-core preaching went in one ear and out the other. She tried so hard to keep me sheltered from everything, and it only made me want it more. I was dying to know what it felt like to be intimate with someone.”

I held up a hand. “Please, spare me the details.”

“Whatever.” Lexi waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Like you’re a virgin. You violated every rule they set way before I did. I was just too naive to believe it back then. It wasn’t until I saw your backpack in the dorm that I realized you were sleeping with Delaney.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I never told you this, but I was kind of jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah, you were drinking, partying, having sex, and doing all the things I wanted to do, but wasn’t allowed to do.”

“Is that why you broke up with Collin?”

Her head bowed to the floorboard, and she stayed silent for a moment. Releasing a heavy sigh, she said, “I didn’t love Collin. That’s why I ended that relationship. But not being able to experience college life was also a factor. Raven didn’t hold me back. He let me live. Experience life. Show me what it was like to have fun.”

“Boy, did he ever.” That comment earned me a punch on the forearm. “Ow.” I rubbed the spot she socked. “I’m not lying, am I?”

“No, but he also kept an eye out for me. He never encouraged me to get drunk and definitely never asked me to do drugs. He wanted me to have a good time, to let my hair down, and just let loose. That’s what attracted me to him. Collin was so uptight that he failed to live his life. He also held me back, and it wasn’t until I met Delaney that I realized how much I was missing.”

“Ah,” I raised a finger. “So the truth comes out. Delaney’s to blame.”

“No, she’s not.” She shook her head. “I watched how she enjoyed life, and I wanted some of that.”

“So, Raven let you party, and Collin didn’t.”

“Yeah, but Collin constantly kept me at an arm’s length where Raven pulled me in. Embraced me. Showered me with attention, and showed me what it felt like to be loved. Collin was so hung up on honoring his father that he failed to show me love. I knew Raven wasn’t the type of guy I should probably bring home, but I couldn’t stop myself from falling in love with him.”

“I understand what you mean. Delaney wasn’t the ideal type of girl to bring home to Mom and Dad, either.” I turned on my signal and followed Ashley off the exit ramp.

“You’ve got that right. To be honest, that’s the only reason I didn’t want you with her. She was constantly sleeping around, and I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Thanks for looking out for me, Sis.” I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. “But I can hold my own.”

“Umm, uh huh. So, why did you fall for her?”

“At first it was because I was attracted to her. Her striking looks, her deep blue eyes, and dark hair—not to mention the sex.”

“Typical guy response.” I glanced at Lexi as she rolled her eyes.

“Aside from that, I saw a troubled soul. As we continued to hook up, I sensed something about her. She refused to get serious and continued to shut me out. It took a while before I finally broke through that wall, and when I did, I saw the real Delaney. The one with the tortured soul. With a past that had made her become someone she didn’t like.” I released a heavy sigh. “Shit, you thought Raven had demons . . . Delaney has a boat load of them, too.”

She shook her head, and her chin dipped to her chest. “Looks like we both fell in love with people with messed up pasts.”

“Shit, we’re not any different.” I pounded the steering wheel with my fist. “Look at what Mom and Dad did.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. It might be hard for you and Delaney, but she needs this to be able to move on. Whether that’s with you or without you.”

Hearing the truth hurt. And I hated to admit it, but Lexi was right. “Did she ever tell you her story?”

“Yeah, not too long ago. It was after she opened up to you. I never realized how messed up her life was. She never wanted to talk about it . . . kept it hidden. After finding out what happened to her parents, grandmother, and boyfriend, I understood why she didn’t want to open up. She was afraid to love anyone and punished herself by sleeping around.”

“It was the control over a guy she sought.”

“She told you that?”

“No.” I turned on to Commerce Street and headed toward the small courthouse. “I figured that part out on my own. If she had control of the relationship, she was able to call the shots and could walk away when things started to get serious.”

“Is that what she tried to do with you?”

“Yep.” I pulled into a parking space. “But I wouldn’t let her go. I refused to stop seeing her and pushed back until I broke through her wall.”

“I’m glad you didn’t give up. She needs you, Luke.”

“You’re telling the wrong person.” I turned off the engine.

“I know. And I’ve tried to call her, but she won’t take my calls or return my text messages.” Lexi released her seatbelt.

“Thanks for your help.” I forced a smile. “As much as I hate to say it, I think it’s over for us.”

“Well, I’m not giving up on you guys. I know it might seem impossible, but I think the love you have for each other can overcome the odds against you.”

“I hope you’re right, Sis.” I released my seat belt and opened the car door.