Diamond In The Rough: The Complete Series

by Hart, Rebel

  Raelynn

  Four Months Later

  Allison cupped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my gosh.”

  I smiled. “How do I look?”

  “Rae! Are you insane right now?”

  I laughed as she rushed over. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. The tulle of her purple and pale yellow gown rushed against my legs as she jumped up and down, taking me with her. Jumping in heels while I stood there in flats, trying to make sure she didn’t knock me down.

  “You. Look. Amazing. Oh, my gosh, Rae. Mom! Lucy! You guys! Get up here!”

  Allison’s voice rang my ears as she finally released me. I stuck my finger in my ear and wiggled it around. But not too soon after that, the clicking of cameras filled the space around me. Flashes went off and I shielded my eyes. Allison got beside me and tried to pose me as best as she could. With my hand on my hip. With our arms around one another. One with us smiling, and one with us being serious. As if we were models.

  “Allison, you’re killing me here.”

  She sighed. “Just one more. Okay? One with our parents.”

  I snickered as I went and stood beside my mother. She couldn't stop stealing glances. Shaking her head. Letting her eyes well with tears. I mean, I knew prom would be a big deal. But, all this crying? The squealing?

  It was a bit much.

  “You look amazing, sweetheart.”

  I grinned. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “I won’t make a big deal out of it. I’ve only taken a few. And I’ll only take one of us together.”

  “I know you’ll steal some from Allison’s parents later.”

  She snickered. “You’re damn right, I will.”

  The two of us started laughing and I ignored the sounds of the cameras. Mom held her arms out for me and I hugged her tightly. I tried my best not to cry, too. Because Allison insisted I wear makeup for the night. She’d worked on my face for almost an hour, trying to get everything right. The last thing I needed to be doing was ruining it with tears.

  “I love you so much,” Mom whispered.

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  Allison called out. “Hey! Rae!”

  I released Mom. “What?”

  “Did someone order a limo?”

  I paused. “No, why?”

  “Because a limo just pulled into the driveway.”

  All of us looked at one another before Mom and I started rushing down the steps. Allison and her parents weren’t too far behind us. And just as we got to the front door, the doorbell rang. Allison squealed her head off. I heard Michael laughing behind the door. But when Clint’s chuckle followed behind, I felt myself blush.

  “You ready for this, honey?”

  I looked over at Mom. “I’m very ready.”

  Allison’s father opened the door and there the boys stood. Michael, in a white tuxedo suit with a black collar and a black pair of pants. His button-front shirt was purple. The same color purple as Allison’s dress. And his boutonniere was pale yellow. Just like the corsage he had for her in his hand.

  “You look—”

  Michael was stunned speechless. I smiled as Allison wrapped her arms around him. Her parents snapped pictures as Michael slipped the corsage onto her wrist and the two of them posed for pictures. I stood off to the side with Mom, taking in how happy and wonderful my two best friends looked.

  Then I felt someone appear at my side.

  “She doesn’t hold a candle to you, Rae.”

  I slowly looked up and saw Clint standing beside me. In his all-black suit, except for this bowtie. The dark green bow tie that matched my dress perfectly. I smiled up at him and he turned to me, his eyes locked with mine. He had a boutonniere on his collar, too. Dark green, with little sprigs of silver that were dotted with the smallest of pearls.

  “This is for you,” he said.

  I looked down at the corsage, and all eyes turned to me. Pictures were snapped. Mom wiped at her eyes. I smiled brightly at the matching corsage as Clint popped the plastic container open. He took my hand softly and slid the band over my wrist. And as my eyes rose to meet his again, he winked.

  “The limo is courtesy of Cecilia, if you’re wondering.”

  I snickered. “Why doesn’t that shock me at all?”

  He shrugged. “She wants us to have a good time. And she’s going to want some pictures.”

  We looked around at the adults and they nodded. Letting us know he’d get them, in due time.

  “Wait, how did Cecilia afford the limo?” I asked.

  Michael snickered. “Not going to lie, I’m wondering the same thing.”

  Clint shrugged. “Her lawyer has informed her that, until the divorce is final, my dad can’t completely cut her off. Especially after proving that he sold the house right from underneath us.”

  My jaw dropped open. “Wait, so…?”

  He grinned. “Let’s just say Dad’s mailed her a new credit card to appease her in the hopes she won’t bleed him dry before they can get papers signed.”

  All of us had a good laugh before Clint offered me his arm. Allison’s parents and my mother continued taking pictures as we walked outside, all the way to the limo. The leather seats called to us. They were soft. Like butter. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw something chilling on ice.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  Michael picked it up. “The finest sparkling grape juice. Chilled to perfection.”

  Allison and I giggled as Michael screwed the top off.

  Clint grabbed crystal champagne flutes and we each had a glass. The driver had music blaring, preparing us for a wonderful night out. I cuddled against Clint as we drank through the juice. We sang to the songs and waved our glasses in the air. Toasting, over and over, a night to remember.

  A night that signaled putting all this bullshit behind us.

  The limo drove us to the hotel. To the ballroom the high school had rented out and decorated. I slipped my arm into Clint’s, then Allison took my hand. And together, the four of us journeyed into the hotel. We followed the red carpet all the way to the ballroom. All the way into the entrance. And as the beat pulsed and lights flashed, a smile crossed my face.

  This was going to be awesome.

  “Care to dance?”

  Clint’s lips pressed softly against the shell of my ear to be heard. And a shiver worked down my spine. I peeked over at him and nodded, then pulled Allison over to me. I wrapped her up in a one-armed hug, kissed her cheek softly, and told her how beautiful she looked. Then, I told her I’d see her out on the dance floor.

  Just before Clint started tugging me toward it.

  He twirled me around. The bass of the beat wound down. And as his arm slipped around my lower back, the music slowed down. The song became sensuous. He pulled me close, holding my hand up with his, swaying us softly to the beat.

  “I didn’t know you could dance, handsome.”

  He grinned. “I’m full of surprises at times.”

  I paused. “Michael taught you, didn’t he?”

  “First—and last—time I ever dance with a dude.”

  My head fell back in laughter as he dropped my hand. He slid his arms around my lower back, holding me close to him. I slipped my hands up his chest. My arms draped around his neck. My head came back up and our eyes connected as the music filled the small spaces between us. Nothing else existed. Just me, him, and the song. Our song.

  A song I started softly singing as my eyes danced between his.

  “I know you haven’t made your mind up yet. But I would never do you wrong.”

  Clint smiled as his cheeks tinted with a blush.

  “I knew it from the moment that we met. No doubt in my mind where you belonged.”

  He pulled me close and took over the lyrics.

  “I could make you happy; make your dreams come true. Nothing that I wouldn’t do.”

  Tears rushed my eyes as I changed the lyrics.

  “Drop down into a ravine for you.”r />
  And as his nose nuzzled against mine, we sang the last of the song together.

  “To make you feel my love.”

  Don’t Follow Me

  Diamond In The Rough 4

  1

  Raelynn

  I breathed in the salted air as I rollerbladed down the boardwalk. Despite our small patch of town being attached to one of the biggest cities in the nation, it still felt like this quaint little place. We had our own stretch of beach. Our own boardwalk. No world-renowned restaurants that drew a crowd or nationwide festivals for people to purchase tickets to. The warmth of the sun on my skin felt wonderful as I swerved around people. Couples eating ice cream cones and people walking their dogs. Children aching to get to the sandy shorelines and college kids coming out of the beach stores with bags full of cheaply-made merchandise.

  This place would always be home to me.

  “Rae!”

  Allison’s voice rose above the crowd and I skated across the boardwalk. The wooden planks rumbled underneath me as I headed for the opening of the small shop. She held out her arms for me and I skated right into them, spinning around as the summer sun beat down against my back.

  Holy shit, we were officially graduated.

  “You’re really getting the hang of those things,” Allison said.

  “I’m just glad Mom bought them for me. No offense, but your bike seat practically rides up my crack.”

  “Why do you think I never rode it myself?”

  I hugged her tighter. “I hate you so much.”

  “Me too, Rae.”

  The two of us laughed as I took her hand. I skated alongside her as she jogged, and we found the last table with an umbrella to shield us from the scalding rays. I’d never known the California sun to be this hot. I usually never ventured out much in the sun during the summer. I stayed in my bedroom, went to work, and occasionally crashed at Allison’s.

  But Clint had gotten me out more during these hot summer days.

  “The boys here yet?” I asked.

  Allison and I sat down before she sighed.

  “I haven’t seen Michael yet, no.”

  I nodded. “And I’m assuming Clint’s coming with him?”

  “Do you ever know the two of them to go anywhere without each other anymore?”

  I paused. “Actually, now that you mention it?”

  She giggled. “I mean, it’s sweet, but… do you ever wonder what in the world they’re doing all the time?”

  I furrowed my brow. “Have you been tanning?”

  “You like it? I’ve been out on the beach a lot with Michael.”

  “It looks really nice on you.”

  “I mean, it’s not like you don’t have one.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I have a nice farmer’s tan going on. I’m not sunbathing in my itty bitty bikinis like you are.”

  She gasped. “I don’t wear itty bitty bikinis!”

  “Says the girl who wears string bikinis.”

  “They aren’t thong bikinis, no. And mine are strapless so I don’t get those lines on my shoulders.”

  “Face it, Allison. You're dangling your body in front of poor Michael and you love it.”

  She grinned. “Maybe just a tad.”

  I laughed. “So do we want to order our ice cream? Or wait for the boys?”

  “You know they’re going to pitch a fit if we don’t let them pay.”

  “What is that, anyway? We’ve got our own money.”

  She snickered. “I think it makes them feel important.”

  “Figured Clint might feel that way when I’m riding his dick.”

  “Rae!”

  I laughed. “Oh, come on. You don’t say so now, but give it a few more weeks with Michael. When we’re all off at college soon. You'll finally give it up and then you’ll be insatiable.”

  “Nope. No, thank you. Waiting until marriage.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Well, it’s true.”

  I grinned. “Good luck with that.”

  And after a brief pause, Allison spoke.

  “Can you believe we’re going to all be in college in a month?”

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t feel real.”

  “My parents are already helping me pack my things. And I haven’t even found an apartment to live in yet.”

  “So they aren’t making you stay in the dorms on campus like they were?”

  She shook her head. “No. I finally convinced them to let me have my own place after swearing to them Michael wasn’t moving in.”

  I barked with laughter. “You’re kidding.”

  “Not one bit. They thought I wanted my own place so he could move in.”

  “You’d kill him.”

  “You know how I need my space. And he’d never give it to me to study and all that stuff if we were under one roof.”

  I grinned. “Though, you having your own place might come with some other perks.”

  Her face fell. “Stop it.”

  I held my hands up. “I’m just saying!”

  “I’m not sleeping with Michael anytime soon.”

  “But maybe sometime in the future.”

  She paused. “Did he put you up to this? Did he tell you to try and wear down my walls?”

  I snickered. “You know damn good and well Michael wouldn’t ever have the guts. I know he respects your boundaries. And you do, too.”

  “Then why are you riding me so hard about this?”

  I shrugged. “Because I think you’re stuck in a mindset that’s going to hold you back in college. I mean, if you can’t take control of your sex life as a girl, who’s to say you’ll take control of your education?”

  “What makes you think that not having sex until marriage is something I’ve been relegated to? Why can’t that also be a personal decision I make because my sex life is mine?”

  “Good point. Is it a decision you’ve made?”

  She nodded. “Yes, it is.”

  “Okay, then. Subject dropped.”

  “Thank you.”

  I sighed. “Mom’s having a hard time with it.”

  Allison took my hand. “Still crying and stuff like that?”

  “I think she’s just having a hard time letting go. And instead of being productive, like your parents are, she’s wallowing in her own self pity at night when she thinks I can’t hear her.”

  “Not going to lie, sometimes it feels like they can’t wait for me to get out of the house.”

  I snickered. “Because you’ve been dreaming about the day you leave for college ever since we started high school. I’m sure they’re happy for you. Proud of you. Same with Michael, especially since he’s going with you to college. The two of you are practically prodigies in your fields. I mean, a full ride, Allison? Come on now.”

  “I didn’t think they’d give it to me, you know.”

  “Oh, I knew from the get-go they would. They’d be stupid not to. Especially with how hard you busted your ass in high school.”

  “Still, I wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘prodigies.’”

  I giggled. “You’re both going to Stanford, idiot.”

  She smiled. “That statement kind of seems like an oxymoron.”

  When Allison approached me the day after prom and told me she was applying to Stanford, I couldn't believe it. After getting into what I thought was her dream school, she decided to take a chance for once in her life. She applied, sent in the separate application for their architecture department, and they sent her information on their scholarship programs. With her GPA and her extra curriculars, she was eligible for a slew of their financial aid packages. And after two weeks of trying to convince her to go for the gold, she applied for one of them.

  She applied for one of three full-ride tickets they gave out to incoming freshman students.

  “Do you regret changing colleges?” I asked.

  Allison shook her head. “Not one bit. I never even set my sights on Stanford or anything like that because I figured
I wouldn't make it. I mean, usually you have to be related to someone to get into that school. Or from a historical lineage. Or make a massive donation. I didn’t think I’d get in there on grades alone.”

  “Are you excited?”

  “I kind of feel excited and I kind of feel as if I could puke.”

  I giggled. “So, normal. Got it.”

  “I still can’t believe Michael applied, though.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “No! No, no, no. I just--well, he had his ticket secured to the University of California. I didn’t think he’d switch over to something so…”

  “Prestigious?”

  “I mean, yeah. Expensive. Hard. You name it.”

  I shrugged. “Michael’s intelligent. And he’s head over heels for you. Of course he’d switch. He’s in love with you.”

  She smiled. “I still can’t believe those words come out of his mouth sometimes.”

  “And at least you won’t be stuck where I’m going.”

  “Oh, come on, Rae. Cal State is an excellent school. Don’t be such a downer.”

  “Says the girl with a full ride to Stanford.”

  Her face fell. “I’m serious, Rae. I’m proud of you. I honestly didn’t think you’d do the college thing, you know. Community college, maybe. But four years?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t think I’d do it either. But if I want to do graphic design and things of that nature, all the research I did tells me I need a bachelor’s degree. So why not just start out in the four-year program?”

  “And why not be an hour away from your mother?”

  “I mean, she’s not going for that as much as I thought she would.”

  “Meeting halfway wouldn't be terrible for either of us to have dinner or something.”

  “Yeah, if two and a half hours of driving isn’t considered ‘terrible.’ And if we don't hit traffic.”

  Her smile faltered. “Well, at least you can tell your mom you’ll still see her every other weekend. Or once a month. And you’re close enough to get back quick in case of emergencies.”

  I paused. “Are you trying to make her flood this town with her own tears?”