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

by Kelsey Clayton

  Paige is wearing a pale turquoise dress, with half her hair tied back and the rest in perfectly done curls. She looks like something in a magazine. As she turns to look at me, the sun hits her just right, and her green eyes sparkle. The breath whooshes out of me when she smiles.

  I am one lucky son of a bitch.

  Carter bumps me with his elbow. "Please tell me you plan on locking that shit down."

  I can't help but chuckle. "Like you plan on locking down Delaney?"

  "That's different," he argues with a grunt. "You know I would if I could, but she's still harboring feelings for some shithead."

  Okay, fair.

  Walking toward each other, Paige and I meet in the middle. I look her up and down, just taking in how amazing she is. The second she notices, she giggles and twirls around, but Paige is anything but graceful. She trips over herself and ends up stumbling into my arms. I catch her with ease and hold her upright.

  "That looked a lot better in my head," she says.

  Smiling fondly, I put a hand on her cheek and lean in. Our lips meet in a kiss that shouldn't be so significant, but somehow it is. It takes a moment before she kisses me back, and when we pull away, I realize it. All the times we've been together, it's been behind closed doors. Tucked away in our own little oasis, where no one can see. This, though—it's the first time I've kissed her where I didn't care who could see.

  "About damn time," Sav teases.

  I look over to see everyone staring at us. Grayson bounces his eyebrows at me, and I laugh as I flip him off. It's not like they don't know we hook up. I mean, it's not exactly a secret. But I guess seeing it is different. Still, now that I've started, I don't want to stop.

  Whatever this hold she has over me is, I like it.

  I WAKE UP TO Carter shaking my arm. Groaning, I try to shove my head under the pillow, but he pulls it off. At least when I'm sleeping, the pain subsides, and I get to be with Paige. But when I'm awake, it's misery.

  "Let me sleep," I whine.

  He sits on my bed and forces me to roll over. "I can't. You need to eat something."

  "I'm just going to throw it up."

  "Then you throw it up," he says as if it's no big deal. "But you need to eat."

  Reluctantly, I force myself up and lean my back against the wall. The headache isn't as prominent, but it's definitely still there—lingering in the background and reminding me of the torture I've felt the past few days.

  Zayn passes Carter a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a spoon. At first, Carter tries to feed it to me like I'm a baby. I narrow my eyes at him and rip the spoon out of his hands.

  "You're feeling better," he laughs and hands me the soup.

  I grunt. "I could feel like complete ass and I still wouldn't let you feed me."

  "Paige said she was feeding you after we got you home from jail."

  Oh, yeah. Rub it in. "That was different. She has tits."

  He mocks offense with a hand on his chest. "Nice to know a pair of tits means more to you than I do."

  "Yeah, yeah. Stop being a drama queen." I blow on the spoon before taking another bite, happy that it actually tastes good. "And besides, I couldn't move. I had broken ribs, remember?"

  Zayn leans his head back against my bed to look at me. "Yeah, what the hell was that about?"

  A part of me wonders if I should even tell him. That time of his life is over, and he's happy leaving it in the past. Mentioning that Blade did it as a way to get back at him, or whatever his intentions were, they would send Zayn back to a mental place he's finally gotten himself out of, and I can't do that to him.

  I shrug. "They say when you get to prison, you should find the scariest looking guy you can find and punch him right in the face."

  "You didn't," Carter and Zayn say in unison.

  "No, I didn't," I chuckle. "But I should have. Maybe then I wouldn't have gotten jumped."

  IT TAKES A FEW days longer than I thought it would for me to finally feel better, but it finally comes around the tenth day. Carter and I sit on my bed and play video games while my dad has a contractor here fixing the wall we went through.

  That whole incident feels like forever ago. My dad was furious at the way I trashed my room, but I think a part of him was just glad I didn't go get myself arrested again. Thinking back on it now, it was intense, but it was necessary.

  "Yo, space cowboy," Carter elbows me. "Pay the fuck attention."

  I roll my eyes at how serious he is about these damn games. "Sorry, princess."

  The nickname doesn't even register until I hear it out loud, and then it instantly burns. The feeling of missing Paige is unlike anything I've felt before. To know I had the best thing to ever happen to me in the palm of my hands, and I fucked it up? It's something I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for, even if I somehow manage to fix it.

  Knowing me just as well as I know myself, Carter pauses the game. "You know, you're sober now. You could try calling her."

  I could, but I won't. "You saw the look on her face when she left. She was devastated. I won't do that to her again."

  "So, you're just giving up?"

  I shake my head and smile. "Not a chance. I'm going to marry her one day. But I can't risk hurting her again. I won't try to get her back until I know without a fraction of a doubt that I'm good for her."

  He purses his lips and nods in understanding. "And in the meantime?"

  Feeling more determined than ever, I crack my knuckles and grab my phone. "In the meantime, I fight like hell and win this trial."

  Grinning like a fool, he throws his head back. "Fuck, yes!"

  I TAKE A DEEP breath and prepare myself for what's ahead. Once I take this step, there's no going back. But for once, I not only need to do this, I want to. I straighten my spine and walk into my therapist's office.

  Finn is already inside when I get there, with a camera set up and facing the chair. Dr. Litman greets me at the door, and before shutting it, tells Hannah to hold all calls until she says otherwise. I shake Finn's hand as I take a seat in front of the camera, and Dr. Litman sits across from me.

  "Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asks.

  Inhale, exhale. "Absolutely."

  She looks over at Finn and nods once. He reaches forward and hits a button on the camera to start the recording.

  "Okay, Mr. London," he starts. "Let's talk about what happened the night of April 17th, 2019. Walk me through that."

  Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I finally allow myself to be taken back there.

  I'm walking through the campus of Florida State, heading to the dorm building Carter told me to meet him at. Apparently, they're throwing a massive party, and anyone who's anyone will be there. Davi, of course, isn't happy about it. Then again, when is she ever happy about anything that isn't champagne and diamonds?

  As I approach the building, I can already hear the music. It's a mystery this thing hasn't gotten shut down, but if I've learned anything, it's that the RAs really try not to get involved in anything that isn't life-threatening.

  "Sup, Logan," I tell the guy guarding the door.

  He's basically only there to make sure no one gets in that's not supposed to, but I've been around enough that he doesn't give me any shit.

  "Hey Jace," he greets me. "Party's on the fifth floor."

  "Thanks."

  Instead of taking the elevator, I opt for the stairs. Besides, that thing is probably packed with people going from one floor to another. I'd rather not wait.

  I'm halfway up when Carter comes storming down the stairs, looking pissed off. He doesn't even stop as he passes me. I'm about to go follow him, figure out what's going on, when Davianna appears right behind him.

  "Fine!" she screams. "Fucking leave! Asshole!"

  My brows furrow as I look between the two of them, wondering what the hell just happened. Davi squeezes her eyes shut in pain. Mascara runs down her face, and while I know I should follow Carter, I can't. Being drawn to Davi isn't something int
entional. In all honesty, I've done as much as I can to avoid it, but seeing her this upset—I'm stuck.

  "Davi," I breathe. "It's okay. Just breathe."

  Before I can get through to her, a few students can be heard making their way up the stairs. Davianna, being the queen of preserving her image, huffs and marches all the way up to the roof. It always amazes me how fast she can move in four-inch heels, but I stay close behind her.

  She throws the door to the roof open and steps into the warm Florida air. I follow her out and close the door behind me. Meanwhile, she's a fucking mess—more erratic than I've ever seen her.

  "Davi, calm down!" I call, but that only pisses her off.

  "Calm down?" she balks. "You want me to calm down? You didn't hear what he said to me back there!"

  Pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger, I take a deep breath. "So why don't you tell me instead of screaming at me like I'm the one who pissed you off?"

  "No, because you'll just make excuses for him. He's your best friend."

  "I won't."

  She looks me in the eyes, and I watch some of the tension drain as her shoulders settle. Taking a step forward, she grips the bottom of my T-shirt and bites her lip.

  "I should just leave him," she whispers. "Then the two of us could be together. We could be so happy."

  The way she's staring up at me is like she's begging to be kissed. Her plump lips are right there, and so much of me wants to press my own against them, but I can't. Reluctantly, I grab her wrists and remove her hold.

  "You know that can't happen," I tell her softly and tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "I can't do that to him."

  It happens so fast I don't even have a chance to stop it. Her brows knit together, and her jaw locks as she winds up and slaps me right across the face. I grip my cheek and stretch my jaw out. She steps away and pulls at her long, brown hair.

  "It's not like he actually loves me," she shouts. "He doesn't want me. He wants Tye. I'm just the girl he knocked up and got stuck with."

  I sigh. "Dav, that's not true."

  "Bullshit, it's not." Turning around, she starts walking around the roof. "He only proposed because he was afraid my dad would kill him if he hadn't."

  "Would he have?"

  She glances back at me and smirks with a shrug. "Probably."

  I look out at all the lights you can see from up here, and remember why I've always loved this roof. I found it while I was at a dorm party here and needed some fresh air. It's so peaceful and serene.

  The sound of someone opening a flask catches my attention, and I turn my head to see Davi bringing it to her mouth and starting to chug. I exhale as I walk over and try to take it from her, but as I reach for it, she pulls away.

  "Davi, give me the flask."

  She gives me a dirty look, the kind that's intensified when she's drunk. "No."

  I try to reach for it again, but she keeps it right out of my grasp. "You shouldn't be drinking. It's not good for the baby."

  "You know what's not good for the baby?" Walking away and over to the edge, she huffs. "A dad that doesn't want it."

  She steps up onto the ledge and immediately wobbles. I go to catch her, but as she finds her balance, she giggles. I grit my teeth at how drunk she is, especially while pregnant, and try to reason with her.

  "All right, come down from there," I tell her.

  Instead of listening to me, she looks down at the ground and pours some of the alcohol over the edge—laughing as the liquid hits someone in the head.

  "Hey!" the girl yells.

  Davianna cackles drunkenly. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

  "Crazy bitch."

  "Dav, seriously. Get off the edge," I demand.

  She rolls her eyes. "Ugh, you're so much less fun than Carter. Come on, Jace. Walk on the wild side a little. It's a lot more fun over here."

  Without a care in the world, she starts to hum the tune to “Isn't She Lovely” and dances on the ledge. A part of me knows I should get her down. It's too dangerous, especially in her condition, but I'm too lost in how beautiful she is. The way the moonlight hits her. The way she outshines all the lights off in the distance.

  It all happens in a second. She spins around and her footing slips. With eyes locked on mine and a look of horror on her face, she starts to fall backward.

  "No!" I scream, lunging for her, but it's too late.

  I lean over the edge and watch helplessly as Davianna free-falls all the way to the ground, hitting the pavement hard enough for the sound to echo through the open courtyard.

  People start to crowd around, covering their mouths and looking at the fallen princess. Carter steps out from the darkness and stares at Davi before turning his attention to the roof.

  His gaze meets mine, and everything inside me dies right along with her.

  One Month Later

  Have you ever thought about how easy men have it? I mean, to look good they just get out of bed and run their fingers through their hair. Girls have it worse. Most of us, we can't just love ourselves how we are. No. We cake questionable liquid all over our skin, pull hair out of our eyebrows one at a time in a self-mutilating ritual, and paint a whole new face on top of our original faces. I mean, if one of us goes missing, you better hope we have access to products, ’cause we might not look the same as our pictures.

  "Hold still!" Charlotte scolds me.

  I cringe as I watch the eyelash curlers come toward my face. "I just don't understand why this is so important."

  "Because, you need to look your best." She sticks her tongue in her cheek as she tries to focus.

  "I agreed to go. Isn't that enough?"

  Her hand drops, and she gives me an unamused look. "Paige."

  Chuckling, I sink into myself. "Okay, okay."

  Classes let out this week, and I've never felt more relieved. My dad is still managing to hang in there, and some days he actually seems better. We spend every possible moment together, and now that summer is here, I'll have even more time with him. Except for tonight. Tonight I have a date.

  Apparently one of Charlotte's friends has been bugging her about setting us up together. She mentioned it for three straight weeks before finally getting me to agree to it. If I'm being honest, no part of me is ready to even look at another guy, especially with my dad's timeline, but if spending one night eating fancy food and making small talk is what gets her off my back, so be it.

  My mom appears in the doorway, looking at me like she's never adored anyone more. "You look beautiful, honey."

  I roll my eyes playfully. "You'd say that if I was wearing sweatpants and hadn't showered in a week."

  Charlotte snorts, and my mom smiles proudly. "What can I say? I gave you good genes."

  "Oh, so I'm pretty because of you."

  "Exactly."

  Sticking her tongue out at me, she walks away with a pep in her step.

  I love the days when my mom is sassy. It means my dad had a good night. I can always tell how he's doing just by seeing the way my mom looks in the morning, and it helps. It gives me an idea of what to expect.

  "Okay," Charlotte tells me. "I think you're done."

  My bed creaks as I stand up and walk over to the mirror. The makeup is a little much, being as I normally put on some eyeliner and call it a day, but I'll deal with it. The dress, however, is entirely way too short.

  "Char, I can't wear this."

  "Sure you can," she answers simply. "It looks great on you."

  I pull the fabric down only for it to slide back up. "Yeah, but my pussy won't look great when the whole restaurant gets a peep show. I'm not shaving for this shit."

  She falls back onto the bed, cackling loudly as I peel the dress off and walk over to my closet. It's not exactly the fanciest restaurant, but it's still pretty upper class. A part of me considers wearing the dress I wore for my birthday dinner. The pale pink one that I just had to have. But then I remember the memories of that night, and realize how tainted
it is with everything that went wrong. That was the last time things were somewhat okay.

  Instead, I grab a navy-blue dress that Becca left here. It's longer, not as tight, and at least 75% less revealing—win. But when Charlotte sees it, she groans.

  "My grandmother wears navy."

  I look over at her and shrug. "Granny has taste then."

  The change of attire is not up for discussion. Besides, it may be a blind date, but this is not Tinder. I'm not looking for anything to go past a goodnight hug tonight.

  PULLING UP TO THE restaurant, I can already see my date waiting outside. He's standing there in dress pants with a shirt and tie, looking so nervous that I start to feel bad I'm not looking at this as a real date. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's cute. He has that frat boy kind of look, with short brown hair and a straight smile, but there's just something he's lacking.

  "Brad?" I ask as I approach.

  A grin stretches across his face as he sees me. "Wow, Paige. You look...wow."

  "Thank you," I say as I give him a hug hello. "You look great, too."

  He opens the door and holds a hand out for me to enter first. As we get into the restaurant, there's clearly a bit of a wait. Brad walks up to the desk to check us in for our reservation.

  As I wait, I look around and notice there seem to be a lot of reporters around. It's not like North Haven is a breeding ground for celebrities, except for maybe Tessa's boyfriend, so it's definitely unusual.

  I'm staring out the door when someone slips past me. His shoulder bumps mine and he apologizes, but the voice is what catches my attention. I turn my head in time to see Finn Bradford, Jace's attorney, heading out the door, and behind him is no other than Jace's dad.

  But if they're here, that means...oh no.

  It all seems to make sense at once. The reporters started coming around right after the trial became public knowledge. My parents have done as much as they can to shield me from it, turning the news off whenever I come in the room, but I still see it. It's all over everything. How can I not?