Songs for Cricket by Laine, E. (best books to read in your 20s TXT) 📗

protect me. And there had been a number of times over the years I’d been grateful for his protectiveness. He’d been right about several douchebags who’d seen me as nothing more than a conquest.

“You’d be lucky to find a guy like me. At least I won’t walk around like I’ve got a selfie of my flag planted in your . . .” His gaze dropped to the general vicinity of my who ha.

I simmered down some and calmly said, “Thanks for your concern. But it really isn’t any of your business if I have one flag or the whole United Nations represented there. It’s my choice. Not yours.”

I pushed past them, annoyed with the male gender in general. It rankled me that the double standards still existed. August might have meant well, but in the end, he thought like most guys. But what worried me was whether or not he was right. Was Billy just another asshole in disguise?

My solitary ride down the escalator was cut short when Shepard caught up with me.

“Finley,” he said before his hand landed on my arm.

I whipped around ready to give him a piece of my mind when I saw genuine concern in his expression.

“What?” I snapped, cutting myself off from saying anything else.

His lips pursed, and I turned to step off onto the lower level.

“Wait.” I paused and worked to get my breathing under control as he moved to face me. “He means well.”

My heart, which had pumped at angry levels, didn’t slow. Shepard stole all the air from my lungs just by the way he looked at me. My heart betrayed me by skipping several beats as I formed a response in my head.

“Do you agree with him?” I quietly asked.

“About Banks?”

I nodded.

He considered, and I caught the moment he decided what he wanted to say. His lips pressed together before he exhaled long and hard. “I don’t want to like the guy, but so far I haven’t seen him do anything for you to be worried about.” I thought he was done, but he added, “Like you said, it’s your decision.”

If I’d been as lyrical as he was capable of, I would say he searched my soul for something with the way he stared at me. It was as if he expected me to respond.

But all I could say was, “Thanks.”

I walked away still very much confused by what to do. According to Finn, I should take a chance and tell Shepard the truth. My cowardly mind screamed to move forward with Billy if nothing more than to spite my brother. But before the night was over, my heart would decide for me.

Everything changed when I came out of the pool locker room to be accosted by Emily.

“Oh my gosh, you were great! I mean that was freakin’ fantastic. Everyone is talking about it. You showed those boys just who could play ball.”

She fiercely hugged me, dancing on her feet like we were best friends. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that or the fact that Tori stood a few feet away with a grin on her face.

The more mature me who’d showered off the stink of resentment realized that I couldn’t be mad at her. I hadn’t told either of them my true feelings for Shep. Tori was more than entitled to date him.

“I ran into Shepard and Tori here. He said there is a thing at your house and told me to come if I wanted to. When I told him I would, he asked me to offer you a ride in case you didn’t want to go with them. Something about a blow out between you and August.”

Tori jumped in. “Shepard said they would wait to hear from you.”

I pulled out my phone. “I’d rather ride with either of you if you don’t mind.”

Tori lifted a hand and wiggled her keys.

Emily stepped back and said, “She offered to drive since I’d walked over here from practice.”

Finally, I glanced down and noticed what she was wearing.

“You’re a cheerleader?”

I shouldn’t have been stunned. She had been one when we were in school. “So that’s why you’re here now.”

School hadn’t started. I’d assumed she’d come early because of her boyfriend.

She looked a little ashamed. “I knew how you’d feel about it. So I kept quiet.”

I didn’t hate the sport, more the fact that my father would throw it in my face. Why do you have to be like your brothers? Why not be a cheerleader? He’d made me hate the sport more than the mean girls at school.

“I don’t hate cheerleading,” I said.

Emily’s smile was at half-mast. “Just the girls part of it.”

“Not really.” Only one, but I kept that to myself. “I’m for anyone following their dreams.”

“It’s not really a dream. But I did get a scholarship,” Emily said.

“And that’s great. I’m happy for you,” I said.

She beamed, and I met Tori’s gaze. “So you’ll give us a ride?”

Her grin rivaled Emily’s. “Of course. If you’re ready to go.”

We rode in style. Tori’s Porsche SUV defined just how different we were. The female football player, the cheerleader, and the wealthy academic sounded like the beginning of a joke. Yet, when she turned on music, we quickly found out that we liked the same bands. Our karaoke car ride just might be the first of many. And that turned out to be the best thing out of the day. I wasn’t without friends. I was finding my tribe.

The only thing was the pang of jealousy I felt after we got back to the townhouse and Shepard pulled Tori aside to talk. Emily noticed.

“You like him,” she teased, not giving up her quest for me to admit it.

I nodded, what was the harm? I’d given myself away with the slight bitterness that wrinkled the spot between my brows.

My phone buzzed, ending any possibility of conversation. There was a text from Billy. I’d forgotten that I’d given him my number.

Billy: Sorry about earlier. Forgive me. Come over. Last party before school starts.