Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal (Jesus Freaks #2)(24)

“Hey …” I start as awkwardly as I’ve ever started a conversation with him before. “I’ve … gotta get to class.”

He gives that sweet half-smile he’s always given me. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen him give it to anyone else. “Of course. Well done today, Kennedy. He was a little--“

“Rabid?” I comment on the no longer sexy Greg Mauer.

Roland laughs. “A little. It could have been worse.”

“It could have been better,” Mom interjects. “I knew he’d ask a bunch of God questions, but …”

We all fall silent for a moment.

“Okay, well, I gotta go.” I hug Mom once more. “Call me when you get home.”

“Of course I will. Call me anytime. I mean it.” Backing away from our hug, she busies herself with packing away her laptop and clearing up the coffee mugs and assorted breakfast plates.

I still need food, but it looks like that won’t happen until after my first class.

“I’ll walk you out,” Roland says, clearing his throat.

Mom’s back is still turned while she fusses with the dishes, indicating she’s through with her goodbyes. Smiling up at Roland, I offer a tiny shrug and head toward the door.

“Sorry about the hand thing,” I blurt out as he opens the door. “I didn’t mean to—”

Roland’s smile is soft and his eyes scan the distance for a moment before moving back to my face. “It’s okay,” he reassures. “I shouldn’t have—”

“No,” I cut him off. “This one wasn’t you. It was me. Let me own it.”

His shoulders shake as he chuckles. “Fine, just this one. Do you want me to walk you to class?” He nods toward the front lawn. “It’s still kind of busy out there,” he says of the reporters and busybodies.

Craning my neck to see more of the view, my chest tightens at the site just beyond the iron gates. “No,” I smile, “my friends are out there waiting for me.”

Giving Roland one last wave, I confidently descend the stairs. Tuning out the murmurs of the lingering nosy-pants, I focus my sights on them. My friends. Matt, Eden, Jonah, Bridgette, Silas, and Maggie.

“You guys …” I start, my smile widening the closer I get to them.

Eden steps forward and pulls me into a tight vanilla-scented hug. “We love you, Kennedy. You were so brave today,” she says, stepping back. “I can’t believe you went on national TV!”

My cheeks are hot with vulnerability. I knew “everyone” would see the interview, but it’s harder with people I know. “Thanks,” I finally mumble.

“We wanted to show you how much we love and support you, Kennedy.” Bridgette steps forward and gives me a hug of her own. “So, we asked Maggie if she’d walk us off campus.”

Over Maggie’s shoulder, I see the guys—each offering their own brand of smiles. In fact, I think it’s the first time I’ve seen Silas really smile at all.

“You did a really good job,” he says, offering an awkward pat on my shoulder as Bridgette moves aside.

Jonah nods in agreement, sliding his hands into his pockets. “He asked some pretty tough questions.”

Immediately my eyes shoot to Matt, and I recall our conversation from yesterday. About political beliefs and friendships.

“Yeah,” I agree, still eyeing Matt, “but I meant every word I said.”

Just love them all.

Matt maintains eye contact with me as he slides past Jonah and extends his arms, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

Pulling me into a hug, he whispers in my ear, “You’re amazing, two, three …” He chuckles, stepping back, and I laugh, too.

While it’s not an official CU guideline that members of the opposite sex can’t engage in prolonged hugs, it’s highly encouraged that full-contact hugs last no more than three seconds. I’ve not seen or heard of anyone walking around with a stopwatch enforcing this suggestion, but I guess the goal is to avoid gratuitous physical contact.

We wouldn’t want anyone to get pregnant.

I bite my lip to stop the thought from vocalizing.

“So,” I manage, awkwardly as my friends stand around me, “who’s up for some Old Testament?”

Maggie accompanies us to the edge of campus before she veers off to her own class. It’s then that I realize that while she is supportive of me, she likely joined my friends to Roland’s house to keep up with the chaperone/odd numbers of boys and girls rule. She tells me to come by her room sometime this week to prepare for my meeting with Dean Baker on Friday, and I simply nod. My brain is on overload.

“What are the odds everyone in our class will just ignore me?” I say, somewhat nervously when we reach the double-doors of Loveland Hall.

Everyone shrugs nearly simultaneously, causing me to sigh. “Great,” I mumble.

Matt wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side. “Just sit in the back with me, K. Sawyer, then if they’re staring at you, it’ll be obvious and they’ll get in trouble.

I don’t want him to let go, but I know he’s about to. Before he does, I lift my chin, peering up at him with wide eyes. Matt’s staring straight back at me, and the intensity of our eye contact causes me to let out a sharp exhale. He tightens his arm around me for what I’m sure is only a second, but it feels like a thousand before he drops his arm and I’m left flailing emotionally. Wondering what it is, exactly, about this boy that I can’t seem to shake.