Chapter 40 Reaction
Chapter forty
Reaction
Jasmine Chamberlain
I touch my fingertips to my lips. A few guys grab Shepherd, shaking him, patting him on the back, and loudly congratulating him. None of them are football players. I look around and catch a few of the players looking as shocked as I feel.
Shepherd catches my gaze in the midst of his little fan club.
His eyes are wide, but there’s a smile playing on the edges of his mouth, like he’s not sure if he’s allowed to let it slip free.
I feel the same. On one hand, he just punched a man for me.
Came to my rescue like a knight in shining armor.
I took one look at him and knew I had to kiss him right here and now.
The adrenaline from the moment took over, and I didn’t think before I acted.
Now, within the hour probably, Bash is going to get the news.
A star quarterback doesn’t punch someone at a party and not have it end up on a major news outlet.
That would be difficult enough for Shepherd to explain, but add in the fact that I kissed him afterward?
It’s going to be hard to convince Bash to be on our side.
“Saylor, are you all right?” Graham pushes through the crowd and grabs my friend by the shoulders, looking her over with wild eyes. “I was outside and heard what happened.”
Saylor smiles as if she didn’t just witness a man being assaulted.
“Oh, I’m fine! The guy was a creep, but Shepherd broke his nose.
There was a lot of blood, which was interesting.
I guess it is technically a head wound. Now I know if I have to set one in the future—though I guess I don’t plan on being that kind of doctor.
” She shrugs. “Either way, I’ve got the experience. Kind of.”
Graham stares at her as she rattles off her monologue.
Next to me, Marigold is laughing, her little pen slipping off the notebook where she is writing everything down.
She’s too busy documenting to notice Jameson isn’t far away.
The look on his face is similar to the one Graham was wearing when he walked up.
I nudge her with my shoulder. “You should add that to your notes.” I dip my head toward Jameson.
He turns and looks in the opposite direction, but not before Marigold can catch him staring. She blanches and averts her gaze to her journal.
“I don’t know what to do with you sometimes,” I hear Graham say as I tune back into their conversation.
Saylor tilts her head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He chuckles and pulls her in for a hug drenched in relief. I’m turning to check on Aurora when Shepherd escapes the crowd again and tugs me against his side.
“If the secret is out, I don’t want to be separated from you again,” he says into my ear. “Seeing that guy touch you was awful.”
I look up at him. The chaos of the party fades away as I dive into his blue eyes. “You took care of him, though.”
He reaches up and tucks one of my curls behind my ear. “He shouldn’t have been able to get close to you.”
I smile. “You can’t protect me all of the time, Captain.”
“I can try.”
“Shepherd!” a guy with shaggy brown hair wearing a football jersey interrupts us. “Does this mean you’re getting benched? We need you at the game next weekend.”
He must be a football player if he knows about the rule.
Shepherd shakes his head. “I’m going to talk to Coach. It’s all going to be all right. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay, but I feel like if you get to date a cheerleader, then I should get to play beer pong.”
Shepherd pinches the bridge of his nose. I pull my lips into my mouth to keep from laughing.
“Brayden, underage drinking is illegal. Dating a cheerleader is breaking an unofficial rule. They are not the same thing. I’m going to need you to start exercising your common sense as much as you do your muscles, okay?”
A laugh slips out of me at Shepherd’s words. Brayden deflates as his argument is dismantled. I glance over my shoulder and confirm that Aurora is doing just fine. She has her phone out. My brow furrows.
“Are you filming?” I ask her.
She lowers her phone. “I told my mom I was at a party and she didn’t believe me. This is proof. I’m glad I came too. At the last party I went to in high school, there was only awkward dancing and stale pizza. At least this one had a show.”
I think that might be the most words she’s said, aside from our heart-to-heart. I don’t know how to feel about the fact that she’s happy there was a fight at a party. Though I guess she fits in well with the rest of my friends. I might be the only one shaken up about it.
“Are you sure you’re doing okay?” Shepherd asks, drawing my attention back to him. Brayden must have left while I was checking on Aurora. It’s difficult to keep up with everyone when the party has picked right back up where it left off. Loud music, louder people.
“Just worried about what comes next,” I tell him honestly.
“It’s going to be okay. Bash will be upset, but he’ll get over it,” Shepherd reassures me before kissing my temple.
I nod, and I believe him, but we still have to go through the upset stage before we get to the over it stage.
Spending time with my family last night felt a lot like cleaning out a closet.
My conversations with Grayson and Dahlia helped me throw away some things I didn’t need, but now I’m sitting surrounded by all this stuff, not quite sure where it goes yet.
I do still want to make my family proud, and it’s hard not to feel like I owe Bash when he’s done so much for me.
Especially since he’s taken on a fatherly role in some ways in my life.
If he thought this was best, it’s going to be difficult to challenge that.
Shepherd pulls me closer. I soak up the newfound familiarity of his touch.
It grounds me and helps me have courage for what’s to come.
Tomorrow we’ll have to face what happened, but tonight I get to be the girl whose boyfriend defended her in front of all their friends.
Heat pools in my stomach as I think of how powerful Shepherd looked when he made that hit.
Okay, maybe I’m joining the pro-fight side of things with the rest of my friends.
There are certainly some very attractive silver linings to be found.
“All this fighting has made me crave ice cream,” Marigold yells over the music.
Saylor’s eyes light up. “Ice cream sounds amazing!” She looks up at Graham, who hasn’t left her side.
He shrugs. “If you’re there, I’m there.”
I’m starting to like him, though I don’t know how to feel about him acting like a boyfriend but not being Saylor’s boyfriend. But maybe I just don’t understand their friendship.
“Ice cream sounds good to me,” I say, looking up at Shepherd. He nods.
All eyes are on Aurora. She shrugs. “I’m down.”
We head outside. I shiver as the night air chills my skin.
Ice cream sounded good inside the house where all the body heat made it suffocatingly hot, but by the time we get to our destination, I might want hot cocoa more.
The ice cream shop on campus is open late, though, whereas the cafe that serves hot cocoa is not.
Ten minutes into our walk and at least thirty since the altercation, my phone buzzes against my skin where I’ve tucked it into the waistband of my cheer skirt.
I pull it out. It keeps buzzing in my palm.
Texts are coming in so fast, I can’t read one before another appears.
All of them are from various members of my family.
I click on Dahlia’s name. Our text thread explodes.
Dahlia: SHEPHERD IS THE BONBON GUY?!? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?
Dahlia: Also, I deserve props for trying to set you two up. I’d be a great matchmaker. All those romance novels paid off.
Dahlia: Levi says he approves based on the fact that Shepherd punched a guy for you. But he is going to threaten him based on principle. In Dad’s honor.
Dahlia: I know you’re probably busy kissing your face off, but could you at least send me an emoji so I know you didn’t get arrested by proxy?
Dahlia: Levi has just informed me that’s not how it works. But still. Proof of life???
I tilt my screen to show Shepherd as we walk down fraternity row. We laugh together at each one. I send Dahlia a few emojis so she doesn’t worry, then tuck my phone back in.
“I guess it’s nice to know they approve?” he says.
I nod. “That’s two people on our side. I bet we could band the whole family together if Bash acts stubborn.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that, but it’s good to know that’s an option,” he says as he drapes an arm around my shoulders.
“I hope so too,” I say, leaning into him.
We walk and laugh with my friends, but the entire time, I can’t help the anxious feeling building inside of me. I want to focus on the positives, but the fear of disappointment has me waiting for all of this to come crashing down.