Change My Game: An Emotional Second Chance Romance (North Haven University Book 2)

by Kelsey Clayton

  "Mom!" I gasp. "It's beautiful."

  She leans against the doorway and smiles as she watches Becca and I freak out at how nice this car is.

  One thing my parents always stuck to was that my first car would not be a new one. My dad always said that a first car is a bumper car, and they weren't going to spend all the money on something I could crash within a week of driving. So, while all my friends were getting BMWs and Lamborghinis, I was stuck with a used Nissan Altima.

  I got teased for it at first. People didn't seem to understand why even though my dad was one of the richest men in town, I ended up with such a shitty car. I never cared much. I was just happy to be able to drive myself places. And that car held up well. But this one...this one is beautiful.

  I'm checking out the interior when a familiar voice catches my attention. "Nice wheels."

  I turn around to see Jace standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers and a small present. Just like that, the brand new car is long forgotten as I walk straight into his arms. He does his best to hug me, even though his hands are full, and presses a kiss to my head.

  "Happy Birthday, baby."

  I grin up at him. "Thank you. Are those for me?"

  He nods and hands me the two items. "I hope you like them."

  Sticking my nose in the bouquet, I smell the pink, orange, and yellow roses—the color of a perfect sunset. He really is paying attention to the little things I tell him.

  "While you open that, I'm going to check out your new car."

  I can't help but laugh. "Yeah, now mine is better than yours."

  He walks backward toward it to stick his tongue out at me. "It's a good thing I'm dating you then."

  Becca comes over to see what Jace brought me, and I hand her the flowers while I focus on the box. I already have an idea of what it is based on its shape, but as I peel off the wrapping and open it up, it exceeds all my expectations.

  The white gold necklace is perfect, but the charm is what makes it special. A diamond encrusted J sits right in the middle and sparkles in the sun. Even Becca's eyes widen as I stroke my finger over it.

  "It's beautiful," I breathe.

  Jace wraps his arms around me from behind. "A beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl."

  He helps me take it out of the box and puts it on. It's stunning, but what makes it even better is the meaning behind it. It's like when a guy gives you his varsity jacket, or his class ring. There is something about him getting me a J necklace that screams commitment, and I'm definitely not about to complain.

  "I love it," I tell him, turning around and kissing him quickly. "Thank you."

  "You're welcome. I have to get to class, but Carter and I want to take you and Becca to dinner tonight."

  "Like a double date?"

  Becca chokes next to me, and it makes Jace laugh. "No. Like a birthday dinner with your favorite people."

  Scrunching my nose, I tilt my head to the side. "You two are my favorite people. Carter, on the other hand..."

  Jace's smile widens. "He has his moments, but we love him."

  "Yeah, yeah," I wave him off dismissively. "Go to class before you get in trouble."

  After getting one more kiss, Jace gets back in his car to go back to campus. Meanwhile, Becca turns to me.

  "Aren't you going to class?"

  I look at her like she's lost her ever-loving mind. "You're here and it's my birthday. No way."

  She snickers and throws an arm over my shoulders. "Okay, good, because I've missed you."

  BECCA AND I SPEND the day driving around in my new car and enjoying time with my dad. My mom was right. He must have had a horrible night last night, because he definitely isn't himself today. I can tell Bec is shocked by how much he’s declined. Each day is different, though. So I just hope tomorrow is a better day.

  When Jace gets done with his classes, he comes over with a massive strawberry shortcake. However, when I go to eat it, he smacks my hand away and tells me I need to wait until after dinner. And no amount of my pouting or puppy dog eyes changes his mind on it.

  The time finally comes when we have to get ready for dinner. Jace goes home to change and pick up Carter, telling us he will be back soon. I decide on a pale pink dress that hugs my body, and Becca curls my hair for me while I do my makeup.

  My best friend looks gorgeous in her black dress, but nothing compares to the way Jace looks when he shows up. The black suit he's wearing makes me realize the place we are going to must be really fancy. His hair is styled out of his face, and he's freshly shaved. It makes me realize how special I am. I mean, half of NHU would probably kill to be me right now.

  Carter hops out of the car, and as the two of them walk toward the door, sunglasses on, they look like something out of an action movie. Becca leans against me as we admire the view.

  "They're playing this up, aren't they?"

  I chuckle and shrug. "I don't care. They look good doing it."

  She rolls her eyes at me then goes to give Carter a hug hello. Needless to say, she likes him a little more than Jace, but that's probably because I've never done anything with Carter.

  Jace comes over and looks me up and down before pulling me close. "You look fucking incredible."

  Biting my lip, I pull the sunglasses off his face so I can look in his perfect blue eyes. "Me? You showed up looking like something out of Men in Black."

  He smirks. "It was Carter's idea, but it was a good one."

  "Remind me to thank him."

  THE RESTAURANT IS ABSOLUTELY gorgeous, and a part of me wonders how long ago Jace made reservations here. It's a new place, but the kind that makes you feel like you're afraid to touch anything. However, the menu looks delicious.

  As Carter orders a bottle of wine for the table, I kiss Jace's cheek and excuse myself. "I'll be right back." I turn to my best friend. "Becca, you coming?"

  "Yeah."

  The two of us get up and head to the bathroom. It's not even that I really had to go. I just needed to take a breather. Things have changed so much lately. I've always imagined my twenty-first birthday, but I never thought it would look like this.

  "Okay, I have to admit," Becca starts, "maybe he's not the worst thing for you."

  My brows raise. "That didn't take long."

  She shrugs, and I can see how easily he's winning her over. "I mean, he makes you happy, and as long as he keeps making you happy, I have no issues."

  Now that is one of the best presents I could have asked for. Becca is the one person I have always talked to about everything. So it goes without saying that knowing she doesn't like my boyfriend was a tough thing for me. She's not the kind to tell me to leave him every chance she gets, but I'd know in the back of my mind that she's thinking it. Therefore, I'd be less likely to complain about him to her.

  "I love you," I tell her.

  She winks at me. "I know."

  We make our way back out to the table, and as soon as I sit down, Jace puts his arm around me. It's the most comfortable feeling I've had in awhile.

  "So what did you two do while we were gone?" Becca asks.

  Carter grins broadly. "I was just telling Jace how he's my favorite cougar chaser."

  "Cougar chaser?" she and I ask in unison.

  Jace throws his head back and groans. "It's because you're three weeks older than me."

  I look over at him in mock disgust. "Now that I think about it, you are kind of a baby. And I'm a grown woman now."

  A laugh bubbles out of him as he pulls me closer. "You're not going anywhere. Besides, someone is going to need to change your diaper one day. You need a younger man."

  "If anyone is going to end up in a diaper, it's Carter," I quip.

  Carter looks offended for a second, then shrugs and looks over at Becca. "You're younger. Let's get hitched so you can change my diapers."

  She leans away from him as he tries to pull her close. "Not a chance."

  "Oh, come on!" he mocks offense. "Paige said you used to have a thing for
me."

  Becca's head whips toward me as she shoots invisible daggers with her eyes. I throw my hands up and cower into Jace's hold.

  "In my defense, I was drunk, and he wasn't supposed to be eavesdropping."

  She slowly shakes her head before rolling her eyes. But when she looks at Carter, he bounces his eyebrows seductively. A small giggle emits from the back of her throat.

  "Down boy," she tells him. "That ship sailed like two years ago."

  He huffs. "Not fair. I didn't even know there was a ship in the port!"

  Shrugging, she clearly doesn't care. "Not my fault."

  And this is why I love my best friend. She's so confident and sure of herself at all times. It's inspiring. When I was feeling bad about myself after we first got to SCU, she was the one who pulled me through it. She's always the one to pull me through it.

  The waiter brings over our wine and just starts filling our glasses when there is a commotion by the front door. A full team of police officers come barreling in and march their way directly over to our table. I look over at Jace and Carter to see if they know what's going on, only to see Carter's eyes the size of saucers.

  "Jace London?" the guy in front asks.

  Jace looks confused. "Yeah?"

  Two officers pick him up by his arms and shove his hands behind his back. "You're under arrest for the murder of Davianna Sorrentino."

  "The fuck?" he balks. "I didn't fucking kill anyone! Get your hands off me!"

  My jaw drops, and the air is sucked straight from my lungs as they roughly cuff him and start reading him his rights. Meanwhile, Carter stands up and tries to reason with the guy.

  "You don't have to do this here," he pleads. "I told you I would bring him in tomorrow."

  Wait, what?

  The man looks over at Carter and gives him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry. Mr. Sorrentino wouldn't let us put it off any longer."

  Meanwhile, Jace's eyes stay locked on his best friend. "You knew?"

  Remorse fills Carter's face as he doesn't answer and focuses his eyes on the ground.

  Jace is led out of the restaurant by police. Becca, Carter, and I follow behind and watch as they put him into the back of the police car. Tears are streaming down my face. He looks so scared, and so defeated. And as the car drives away, all I can do is stare at the taillights.

  He didn't do it.

  He couldn't have.

  It's not possible.

  Right?

  The ride to the police station feels like it takes hours, but in reality, it's not even fifteen minutes. I can faintly hear the sound of the two officers talking, reporting over the radio that the suspect is in custody and that they're bringing him in. It doesn't even register in my head that the suspect is me until we're pulling into the station.

  As the back door opens, I'm pulled out of the car. They keep a grip on me like I'm going to take off running. Right. Even if I did, I wouldn't get anywhere. With every door that opens, the one behind us closes and locks.

  I follow all their orders, but I feel like I'm not even myself. They take each one of my fingerprints and collect all my belongings—including my phone and the second present I planned on giving Paige.

  Fuck, Paige. Her birthday is completely ruined now. I can only imagine what she's feeling now. The look on her face as they threw me into the back of the squad car is burned into my mind, like it's meant to torment me for every wrong decision I ever made in my life.

  "Okay, Mr. London," the officer says, letting me know we're done. "I'm just going to put you in a cell while I type up your paperwork. Sit tight, okay?"

  Like I have any other goddamn choice. "Yep."

  The cell is cold, with only a metal bed that's bolted into the concrete floor and a mattress as thin as a blanket. There's a giant stain on the one side, so I try to flip it over, only to find an even bigger one. Fucking gross.

  I opt to sit on the floor and cradle my head in my hands.

  How did I get here? I know I've made some shitty choices in my life, but this? I don't belong here. And yet, here I am. I should be with Paige, giving her the best birthday she's ever had. But instead, I'm in jail being processed for murder.

  Carter's words from earlier play through my mind.

  "I told you I would bring him in tomorrow."

  There's only one explanation. He knew. He knew that I was going to be arrested, and he couldn't find the decency to give me a heads-up. If I'd known, I would've turned myself in. At least then Paige wouldn't have had to deal with seeing me getting arrested. It could have been handled better.

  But it wasn't.

  And now I'm here.

  I'M ALMOST ASLEEP ON the floor when the officer comes back and bangs on the metal cage of a door. I lift my head up and narrow my eyes on him, but he doesn't seem to care. Then again, I'm not sure I would either, if my job involved dealing with scumbags and shitheads all day.

  "Let's go, son," he tells me. "The jail is ready for you."

  I scoff as I stand and turn around so he can put cuffs back on me. "I'm not your son."

  He grunts. "Thank fuck for that."

  JAIL IS EVERY SINGLE horror I ever expected it to be. The feeling you get when they pull you off the bus and you see the barbed wire surrounding the entire place—it's suffocating. The whole thing is stark of any emotion, and every single person here looks as miserable as I feel.

  I'm led into a room by a corrections officer. He tells me to strip down to nothing, and then proceeds to stuff my suit into a bag. When I go to grab the orange jumpsuit he put on the bench, he stops me.

  "Not yet," he says. "Squat down and cough for me."

  "Excuse me?" I ask, keeping my junk covered with my hands.

  "You heard me, princess. I need to make sure you're not smuggling in any contraband."

  My brows raise. "Do I look like I have something shoved up my ass?"

  He smirks. "Either you squat, or I put on one of these rubber gloves and go searching myself."

  As he holds up his hand to show me the size of it, I cringe and immediately shake my head. "Nope. Squatting is fine."

  "That's what I thought."

  The whole process is violating, but I guess the people who actually belong in this place don't deserve privacy. After I'm done changing into what is definitely not my color, I'm handed a sheet, pillow, and a blanket, and lead into "gen-pop" where the rest of the inmates are.

  The entire time I'm walking down the hallway, men gather around to get a look at the fresh meat. No matter how much I try to block out their comments, I still hear them, and they're vile.

  "Oh, good. The ass around here has been getting a little loose."

  "Pretty boy alert!"

  "I love the preppy ones. Their skin is so soft."

  By the time we reach my cell, I feel like I'm going to be sick. The guard closes the door behind me and leaves me alone with a man whom I guess is my new cellmate. He's older, lying in his bed, reading a book, and he barely looks my way before turning his attention back to his book.

  Good. I'm not here to make friends or conversation. I just need to get in touch with my dad and figure out how the hell I can get out of here.

  IT ENDS UP BEING hours before I'm given access to a phone, but it only takes a second after dialing my dad's number before he answers. He agrees to accept the charges and the two of us are connected.

  "Jace?"

  "Hey Dad," I sigh.

  He lets out a relieved breath. "What the hell happened?"

  I really wish I knew. "I'm not sure. I was out to dinner with Paige, Carter, and Becca, and the next thing I know, my arms are getting pulled behind my back and I'm thrown into a cop car."

  "Yeah, Carter called me as soon as he left the restaurant," he explains. "I tried to get to talk to you at North Haven PD, but they wouldn't let me anywhere near you."

  Running my fingers through my hair, my anxiety starts to take over again. "What's going to happen, Dad?"

  It takes him a moment to answer, bu
t it sounds like he's trying to keep calm. "Just keep your head up. Tomorrow, I'll come up there with our lawyer, and we'll figure this shit out. All you have to do is stay strong, okay?"

  "Okay," I tell him, but that's easier said than done.

  THE WHOLE NIGHT, EVERY single noise is intensified. Some guy snoring like a truck driver. Other people telling him to shut up. Someone else taking a massive shit. With every second that passes, it feels like the room is getting smaller and smaller—cutting off my air supply and making it hard to breathe.

  "Put your pillow over your head," my quiet cellmate tells me. "And tomorrow, go pick yourself up a pair of earplugs from commissary."

  I'm surprised he's even talking to me, but I'm grateful for the tip. "Thank you."

  "Thank me by not moving so much. Your bed is fucking loud."

  Noted.

  I do as he says, and finally let all my exhaustion pull me to sleep.

  The air is cold, with the wind blowing in my hair, but the view is gorgeous. Everything about this place feels familiar to me, but I can't put my finger on it—until I turn my head to the side and see her. Davianna is sitting on the roof, her back resting against the water tower. She's looking out into the distance as the moonlight washes over the side of her face.

  She's always been beautiful, but there's something tragically sad about it tonight. Like it's not being appreciated. Or like it's faked. The confidence she's always possessed is still there, but she's different.

  Without a word, I walk over and sit next to her. She doesn't look at me, or even check to see who it is. She just stares at the skyline.

  "Do you ever wonder how we could have such amazing penthouses, and yet nothing beats the view on top of this shitty roof?"

  The question catches me off guard. Davianna was never the type to be so candid. Everything in her life was the best of the best, and if it wasn't, she pretended it was. There was nothing that could ever bring her down, because she was so high above everyone else that no one could ever touch her.