Changing Lanes (Lake Park University Book 1)

by Christina Escue

  “As much as I’m enjoying this conversation, we have somewhere to be, Wes,” she speaks up and I grin. She doesn’t want them to know about her crush on her sixth grade Social Studies teacher.

  “Yes,” he responds and looks back over at Gabe, who keeps looking at his phone. “We’ll see you guys later.”

  “Have fun,” I say and touch Gray’s arm as she passes. “And be careful.”

  “Always am,” she says and waves to the guys before she grabs her bowling bag and walks over to where Gabe is waiting.

  Once they’re gone, I turn to Ryder and Brennon. “Wanna head to your place?”

  “Sure,” Ryder answers, but doesn’t take his eyes off the door. “Unless you wanna grab a burger.”

  “She’d kill us,” Brennon reminds us. “Plus, you two need to talk about some things.”

  “Oh? Like what?” I ask.

  “Like how you’re going to handle it if Gray starts dating one of you and not the other,” he says, and Ryder and I look at each other.

  “She’ll never choose me,” Ryder says. “She’d have chosen Xander had he not been a douche, but she’d never choose me over Al.”

  “She’s not going to choose me either,” I say softly. “Too much history between us.”

  “She likes you, Bro,” Brennon says, and I shake my head.

  “Maybe, but I don’t see it happening any time soon,” I respond. “If she and I are meant to be together, it’ll happen.”

  “When Gray and Al get together, I’ll be happy for them, but until then I’m gonna flirt with her,” Ryder says, and I grin. “She’s so damn cute when she blushes.”

  “Did Nadia tell you what Gray told her last week?” Brennon asks, and we both look at him. “Gray’s never had a boyfriend.”

  “How is that possible?” Ryder asks, but I’m not surprised at all.

  “She told Nadia that she’s a nerd, and guys don’t lust over nerds,” Brennon answers with a shrug.

  “Graycen is highly intelligent and was always very reserved when we were younger. She’s always been a little bigger than a lot of other girls, and she’s extremely self-conscious about it. Until she was twelve, she never really cared about her height or weight, but then some girls started teasing her about both, and she became obsessed and never felt she was good enough,” I tell them and sigh. “She’s gorgeous, and no matter how many times I told her that, she never truly believed me. She seems to have embraced herself now, but back then she wore baggy clothes and kept to herself, except with me and Gav.”

  “Gray is hot, like wet dream hot,” Ryder says, and I narrow my eyes at him. “Oh, come on. There is no way I’m the only guy who thinks that. With her red hair, big green eyes, and that body of hers, she’s like a barely legal porn star.”

  “Ryder, shut up,” Brennon says and nods towards me. I’m holding my temper in, but only just, and Brennon can tell.

  “I’m okay,” I tell him, but close my eyes as I will my fists to unclench.

  “Sorry, man,” Ryder says, and I nod.

  “You’re fine,” I say after a couple deep breaths. “As much as I hate it, I have no claim on her and she’s free to see whomever she chooses.”

  “I like her, Al, but you know I’ll never make a move on her,” Ryder says, and I nod. “There is one thing I think most of us are curious about though.”

  “What’s that?” I ask.

  “Why did you stop going by Rico and start going by Al?” He asks and I sigh. I’m truly surprised this question hasn’t been asked before now.

  “Let’s get out of here and I’ll tell you,” I answer. This isn’t a story I want to share in the bowling alley where everyone can hear it.

  “Our place?” Ryder asks and I nod.

  “And call the others. This is something everyone needs to hear,” I say, and he nods.

  It’s time I tell my teammates everything from my past.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Graycen

  We left Marco’s half an hour ago and came to this little club we’ve been to a couple times before. Gabe wanted to dance, so we decided to come see who all was here tonight. There are several members of the UF swim team here, as well as a few football players, and a couple members of their baseball team. Gabe seems to know most of them, and he’s adamant about me meeting them all as well.

  “Gray, come over here,” he shouts as I walk back to the table. There’s a guy sitting with him, and I shake my head. I’ve seen this particular guy here before and I know he’s a swimmer like Gabe, but I’ve never actually met him.

  “I was coming back over already, so you didn’t have to shout,” I tell him and nudge his arm playfully. Wes and Gabe have quickly become my best friends, and I love them both already.

  Gabe rolls his eyes and grins at me before tugging me closer to the table. “Gray, I’d like for you to meet Ethan Hartley. He’s a junior on the swim team, and he’s a history major. Ethan, this is Graycen Kelley. She goes to LPU with Wes and is on the bowling team with him.”

  “Sweet,” Ethan says and grins. “Bowling is a lot of fun, but I really suck at it.”

  “Gray is the three time Florida state champion,” Wes says from behind me. “She was always the one to beat in high school competitions.”

  “Oh really?” Ethan asks, his blue eyes going wide. “Maybe I can get her to help me with my form.”

  I feel the heat rising in my cheeks, and I look at Wes for help, but he just grins at me and nudges me to take the seat beside Ethan. I sit, reluctantly, and glance at Ethan through my eyelashes. He has blond, wavy hair and is built like Ryan Lochte, who just happens to be one of my favorite swimmers. His eyes are baby blue, and from what I can tell, he has a great tan.

  “Gray,” Wes says and looks at me.

  “Yes?” I ask, pulling my gaze from Ethan.

  “The waitress asked if you’d like another water,” Wes says, and I nod.

  “Sorry. Yes please,” I answer her then look back at Ethan, who is grinning from ear to ear.

  “Do you like what you see?” He asks in a soft voice that I can barely hear over the music.

  “You look like a blond haired Ryan Lochte,” I blurt out then quickly look back at the table. I know my face is red, and I use my hair as a curtain to hide behind.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he says and chuckles. “Ryan Lochte is a great swimmer, and he and I are the same height.”

  I cover my face with my hands and hope the floor opens up and swallows me.

  “Gray,” Gabe says, and I shake my head. I am so embarrassed there is no way I can talk to Ethan anymore.

  “I think it’s cute that she’s embarrassed,” Ethan says, and I peek at him from between my fingers. “Most girls I know don’t get embarrassed anymore, and I find it endearing.”

  “It’s not endearing,” I mutter, and he grins at me.

  “You’re adorable,” he says and gently pulls my hands from my face. “But I’d much rather look at your beautiful eyes than your hands while we talk.”

  “I…” I start but he shakes his head.

  “That’s much better,” he says and tucks my hair behind my ear. “Now, tell me about yourself, Graycen.”

  “What do you want to know?” I ask. I’m so not good at this.

  “Let’s start with the basics,” he says, and I smile shyly at him.

  “Well,” I say then take a drink of my water the waitress just sat down. “I’m eighteen but will be nineteen in November. I live in Newberry with my mom, but I’m originally from Miami.”

  “Really? I love visiting Miami,” he says and grins.

  “It’s a nice city,” I respond.

  “It really is,” he says, and I can feel myself relaxing slightly. He truly seems interested in hearing about me. “Gabe tells me your majors are Elementary Education and History.”

  “Yes. I want to be a middle school social studies teacher,” I tell him, and his grin grows. “But for now, I’m a waitress, a bowler, and a student.”<
br />
  “A waitress where?” He asks. “Because I’d love to come have you serve me sometime. I promise I’m a great tipper.”

  “I start at Marco’s Saturday morning,” I tell him, and he grins again.

  “I love the pancakes and sausage platter they have there,” he tells me.

  “I’ll stick with the veggie burger,” I respond, and he narrows his eyes. “I’m a vegetarian.”

  “Interesting,” he says and Wes chuckles.

  “She’s not the type of vegetarian who spouts her beliefs at everyone, or tries to force her choices on others,” Gabe speaks up. “First time I met her she bought this one a burger at Marco’s. She doesn’t eat meat, but she doesn’t shun those who do.”

  “Good to know,” Ethan says and relaxes a little.

  “What about you?” I ask, sounding more relaxed than I feel.

  “I’m twenty, will be twenty-one next month, and love the water. I work as a lifeguard when I’m not in class or with the team and dreamed of being a professional lifeguard when I was younger. My dream changed with I realized my love for History. I don’t necessarily want to teach, but I will if push comes to shove. I want to work at the Smithsonian one day, but for now, I’ll take my History degree and work at the National History Museum here in Gainesville.”

  “There’s a National History Museum here?” I ask and look at Wes. “Why haven’t you mentioned this before?”

  “Honestly, because I didn’t want you to drag me to it,” he answers, and I stick my tongue out at him and scowl.

  “I’ll take you,” Ethan speaks up and my face morphs into a smile.

  “Really?” I ask, not hiding my excitement.

  “Yep. When do you guys practice?”

  “Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from four to six,” Wes answers before I can. “Same as you guys.”

  “Our matches are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but they don’t start for another few weeks.” I tell him.

  “What time are you out of classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays?” Ethan asks.

  “Noon,” I answer quickly. “I only have two classes those days because I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to study.”

  “Perfect,” Ethan says and grins. “How about I pick you up on Tuesday, just after your class? We can have lunch then go to the museum.”

  I think about this for a second, before I smile and nod. “That would be great.”

  “It’s a date then,” he says and pulls his phone from his pocket. “Let me get your number.”

  I rattle off my number and he programs it into his phone. He sends me a text with a winky face emoji, and I quickly save his number in my phone. “You can pick me up from my dorm around twelve thirty. That’ll give me time to drop my stuff off.”

  “Perfect,” he says and rises to his feet. “I have an early class in the morning, so I should probably head out. Text me with directions to your dorm, and I’ll be there.”

  “I will,” I assure him.

  “Gabe, I’ll see you at practice tomorrow, and Wes, I’m sure I’ll see you around,” he says then turns from the table only to turn back and look at me. “Graycen, I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

  With that, he turns and walks away from the table. Once he’s gone, Gabe looks at me and grins. “Damn I’m good.”

  “Him coming over here wasn’t by chance, was it?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

  “Nope,” Gabe answers and his grin grows. “Some of the other guys on the team asked me about you after they met you on Monday. Ethan didn’t meet you Monday, or Wednesday when we all hung out, and he was curious about you after they mentioned you. He asked me about you, and I told him just enough to get him interested. He asked me to introduce you, and since he’s one of the nice ones on the team, I decided I’d do it.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Wes says, and I look over at him. “Ethan is a great guy, Gray. I’ve hung out with most of the team over the past year, and Ethan is the only one I’d approve of you dating.”

  “So, he has the Westin Lee stamp of approval?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

  “Definitely!” Wes answers and I grin. “But if he hurts you, I’ll personally put a different stamp on his ass.”

  “It’s good to know you have my back,” I say, and he winks at me. “It also says a lot about Ethan that he actually noticed my eyes. I mean, this top you picked out for me doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination.”

  “Just goes to show you that not all guys are only after one thing,” Gabe tells us. “Like I said, Ethan is a nice guy. He doesn’t sleep around, or at least he doesn’t talk about it if he does. In the year I’ve known him, I’ve only seen him with one girl.”

  “You sure he plays for my team?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. “He’s almost too sweet to be heterosexual.”

  “He definitely doesn’t play for our team,” Wes speaks up and Gabe looks at him curiously. “Don’t worry, babe. You’re the one who has my heart, but that sure as hell doesn’t mean I’m blind. When Gray said Ethan looks like a blond Ryan Lochte, she wasn’t lying.”

  “If you think he looks like Ryan Lochte now, you should see him in the water,” Gabe tells us, and my mind instantly starts fantasizing about Ethan in his little swim shorts and water droplets on his chest. “He anchors the four by one hundred meter freestyle relay, and he cuts through the water like a shark on the hunt.”

  “Aren’t you the one starting that race this year?” Wes asks and Gabe nods. “I can’t wait for your first meet.”

  “When is it?” I ask. I would love to be there for it.

  “The Thursday before your first match,” Gabe answers. “Wanna come? I can get you a ticket.”

  “Definitely,” I answer, and he grins. “You and Wes have become my closest friends here, and I would love to support you.”

  “You sure it has nothing to do with Ethan?” Wes asks with a smirk.

  “Maybe a little to do with Ethan,” I admit, and they both chuckle. “Let’s see how Tuesday goes. If I manage to not make a complete fool of myself, then maybe I’ll admit that it has a little more than a little to do with Ethan.”

  “You won’t make a fool of yourself,” Wes assures me. “You opened up to him more than I thought you would after what Xander did, and you accepted his invitation for a date. That’s progress, Gray.”

  “We’re going to lunch then to a history museum,” I say and shake my head. “That is not what most would call a date.”

  “Maybe not, but Ethan did,” Gabe reminds me, and I feel the heat rising in my cheeks again. “For the two of you, it seems like the perfect first date.”

  “Oh God,” I say and cover my face with my hands. “I’m going on my first ever date.”

  “And with a guy who looks like Ryan Lochte,” Wes adds and chuckles.

  “Oh God,” I say again and lay my head on the table.

  “Stop, girl,” Wes says and shakes my shoulder. “You got this.”

  “I got this,” I repeat his words. I don’t feel like I have this, but there’s no turning back now. I want to get to know Ethan better, and the only way that’s going to happen is if I go on this date with him.

  “Now comes the hard part,” Wes says, and I look up at him. “What does one wear to a date at a history museum?”

  “I have the perfect thing,” I say and grin. “Come on, let’s head back to campus and I’ll show you what I have in mind.”

  Wes grins and kisses Gabe quickly before he grabs my hand and pulls me to the door. He’s more excited about my date than I am, and I’m pretty damn excited.

  Chapter Twenty

  Rico

  “Hey Gray, how was your first day of classes?” I ask when she walks into practice.

  “They were great,” she answers and grins. “My International Government class only has seven people in it, and five of those are girls.”

  “International Government?” Ryder asks with a raised eyebrow. “Isn’t that a junior level course?”

  “Yes,” sh
e answers and her grin spreads into a full smile. “I’m the only freshman in the class.”

  “There’s our brilliant teammate,” Nadia yells out when she walks in and we all turn to look at her. “This girl not only bowls like a pro, but she’s brilliant.”

  “I know,” I tell her and grin as Gray’s face turns red.

  “What are your other classes?” I ask. I’m nowhere near as smart as she is, but maybe we have a class together tomorrow.

  “Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have International Government, English Literature, Spanish, and Psychology. Tuesday and Thursday, I have Chemistry and Statistics,” she answers, and I grin.

  “What time is your Chem class?” I ask. I have Chem on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

  “Eight o’clock,” she answers, and my grin grows. “What’s that look for?”

  “I think we have Chem together,” I tell her and tap a few buttons on my phone. When I have my schedule pulled up, I turn it toward her.

  “Seems we do,” she responds and smiles at me. “At least there will be someone I know in class tomorrow morning.”

  “You’re taking six tough classes,” Brennon says and shakes his head. “How are you going to do that, bowl, and work?”

  “She can,” Wes says from behind her. “Because she’s more than a pretty face. Our girl here is beautiful, brilliant, and a hell of a bowler.”

  “I’ve been telling her all those things for years,” I say and look at Gray.

  “Alright everyone,” Coach says, interrupting our conversation. “We have our first match four weeks from tomorrow, and we are nowhere near ready for this team.”

  “We will be, Coach,” I tell him and look at the rest of the team. “We won’t let you down.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” he says and looks at us all. “Don’t let yourselves down.”

  “We won’t,” Joy says and looks at all of us. “Right, everyone?”

  We all nod our agreement, and Coach seems to relax a little.

  “Coach,” Gray says, drawing all eyes to her. “I’ve been thinking about ways to raise money for the team in case the school cuts funding.”