Right There with You

by R. J. Sable

  Ian turned back to me, wondering why I'd stopped. “What's up?” He frowned.

  “Err, that's a friend from uni,” I managed, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks and wishing I was better at hiding my emotions.

  Ian's frown deepened and he nodded. I took a deep breath and made my way over to Jason. Josh nodded as I approached and then turned and made his way over to a group on the other side of the room.

  “Hi,” I said quietly, looking at the floor.

  “Hi,” he replied sheepishly.

  “I didn't think you'd come,” I mumbled when he didn't say anything else.

  “I wasn't sure I was going to,” he said.

  I glanced up at him and could see the tension in his face. I glanced back at my brothers and saw Jake pointing over to us and talking to Ian. Great.

  “I... eh... I better get back,” I stammered.

  He grabbed my arm as I turned to leave. I saw Karl and Ian stand up simultaneously as I felt the tingles spread through my arm from his touch.

  “Jamie, wait,” Jason pleaded.

  I turned back to look at him.

  “Look, I'm sorry,” he said, desperation in his voice. “We need to talk.”

  “Who's this, Jelly?” Ian said coolly from behind me. He and Karl had both come over.

  “This is Jason, we're on the athletics team together,” I blushed. “Jason these are my eldest brothers, Ian and Karl.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Jason said offering his hand.

  They both shook his hand. I wondered whether they'd broken any of his bones. I'd be surprised if they hadn't. They could have squeezed water from a stone with those death grips. Jason gave nothing away.

  “I'll talk to you later, I guess,” I said to Jason, unable to look him in the face.

  I took a few steps back, intending to walk over to the others, but I felt Ian's hands on my shoulders, effectively stopping me in my tracks.

  “Nonsense,” Ian said.

  Oh dear, he's up to something. I can tell.

  “Why don't you come stand with us?” Ian said, a hint of humour in his voice.

  Karl frowned at Ian, he looked confused. Please say no, please say no. I looked up at Jason trying to communicate with him telepathically.

  “I don't want to intrude,” Jason said hesitantly.

  “I insist,” Ian said, and it was clear he wasn't leaving him any choice.

  Karl took his cue and put his arm round Jason's shoulder and guided him towards the others. I shrugged at Jason apologetically, wondering what Ian's game was.

  “Jelly's friend Jason,” Ian explained in response to the curious looks from Matt and the twins.

  “Jake,” Jason nodded, his voice strained.

  “Jason,” Jake grinned smugly. “Not got your fan boys with your tonight?”

  “Jake...” I frowned at him, but he just grinned wider.

  “You're not an undergraduate,” Rick said as he looked Jason over.

  “PhD candidate,” he explained.

  “How old are you?” Matt intervened.

  “Twenty-four.”

  “Six years older than Jelly,” Ian pointed out, his arms folded over his chest.

  “Yep.”

  Oh God, this is more than horrible.

  “Are you done?” I asked, looking at my brothers and frowning.

  “Not even close,” Ian teased.

  I slumped down onto the floor and pulled my knees to my chest, leaning against Danny's legs as he sat on the bench behind me. Jason crossed his legs and sat down next to me. I could feel the heat of his knee against my leg and it took an immense amount of self-control not to reach over and put my hand on it.

  “You don't look so good,” Jason said quietly.

  “Neither do you,” I mumbled back.

  “I didn't get back until around four this morning,” he shrugged. “I woke up when I text you.”

  Oh, that was why he hadn't text me that morning. He didn't text me after the incident in the club either. I frowned. I don't understand what's going on between us.

  “I couldn't sleep last night,” I shrugged.

  He winced at my words and looked quickly down at his feet.

  “What you doing in Derby, Jason?” Karl asked icily from my side.

  “My flatmate was coming to see the Hemler-Carter fight so I tagged along,” he shrugged.

  “You into MMA?” Ian asked, standing directly in front of Jason.

  “Only as an observer nowadays,” Jason said.

  “You used to fight?” Karl asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

  “Yeah, couple of years back.”

  “Who'd you fight for?” Ian asked.

  “TacCom.”

  “You fought for TacCom?” Ian said, sounding vaguely impressed.

  Jason nodded and I got the impression he was a little uncomfortable. I thought he'd been handling it surprisingly well thus far.

  “Why'd you stop?” Danny asked.

  “Change of direction,” Jason shrugged simply.

  I saw Ian frown but he didn't push for more info. I spotted Craig and Simon making their way over.

  “All set?” Ian asked as he came closer.

  “I dunno...” Craig hesitated. “I think there's time for a little last minute strength training.”

  He grinned cheekily in my direction and I realised what he was intending to do a second too late. I tried to get up but he grabbed me around the waist before I could make my escape and chucked me over his shoulder.

  “Put me down!” I protested, giggling.

  My ribs were a little sore and it wasn't exactly comfortable being over his shoulder but I loved seeing him playful.

  “You wouldn't want to get in the way of my strict training routine would you, Jelly?” He laughed.

  “Don't make me hurt you!” I threatened with a grin.

  He put me down, a sombre expression on his face. “Well, I can't risk that right before a fight,” he said shaking his head with mock severity. “You definitely look dangerous.”

  “I learnt from the best,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

  He chuckled and gave me a one-armed hug.

  “My friend Jason from uni,” I said to Craig as I saw his gaze fall on Jason.

  “We've met,” Craig said as Jason stood up and nodded. “Reed, right?”

  I’d forgotten that Jason had said he’d fought Craig before. He said it was years ago though. I was surprised Craig remembered, he must have fought hundreds of people.

  “Yep, it's been a while,” Jason said.

  “Yeah, you stop fighting?” Craig asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Shame, we had some good fights,” Craig nodded.

  They exchanged a look which I didn't really understand before Craig turned and nodded to Simon.

  “We'd better get back in there,” he nodded to Ian and turned away.

  “Wait!” I called, chasing after him.

  “What's up, Jellybean?” He asked.

  “I need to give you a good luck hug,” I said, wrapping my arms around him. “Not that you need it,” I added.

  “Thanks, Jelly,” he grinned. “Stay close to Ian and Karl, okay?”

  “I promise.”

  When I got back to the others they were continuing to interrogate Jason.

  “Guys, please,” I begged. “Can't you give it a break for now?”

  They all looked at Ian and he grinned.

  “Alright, but only because they're starting soon.”

  I looked around and realised the hall was pretty full. Not at all like the night when I watched Simon and Grayson fight. This was something else. There weren't any chairs. There were a few benches dotted around the room but most people were standing. It was a lot more crowded than the fight in Leeds.

  As people began gathering around the cage, I became more and more appreciative of my brothers' presence. They were like a human shield. The noise level was off the charts as the three judges and referee made their way out. Ian stood behind
me with his hands on my shoulders and Jason was still by my side. I glanced over at him; he looked fairly relaxed, all things considered. The density of the crowd meant that we were standing extremely close. His arm brushed against mine and I could feel his heat radiating against me through the hoody Craig had given me. I was getting kind of hot so I took it off and wrapped it around my waist. As I lowered my arms to my side once more, I felt Jason's fingers brush against mine. I glanced over at him but he just stared straight forward. He locked his little finger around mine. My heart skipped a beat. Maybe we're okay? I felt a glimmer of hope as I wondered what he was trying to convey with the simple gesture.

  The first fights were amazing. The fighters were incredible, their strikes were controlled and they anticipated each other's movements with varying degrees of success. They took blows that would have knocked me out and recovered in a matter of milliseconds. It was incredible to see.

  By the time the penultimate fight was over, I was giddy from endorphins, both from the fight and from the feeling of Jason's hand on mine. The referee called in Hemler and he came into the room fists raised and bouncing on the balls of his feet. The crowd cheered loudly. Once he was in the cage, his team set about prepping his face with Vaseline. The referee called Craig's name and we all cheered wildly. Craig looked completely calm, as if he was totally unaware of everyone around him. There was no tension in his shoulders, he looked almost completely relaxed. Simon helped him with the Vaseline and mumbled something in his ear. Craig grinned and nodded as Simon headed out of the cage.

  Craig and Brock bumped fists and squared up ready to begin. Craig still looked relaxed, whereas Brock was so tense the muscle in his jaw was twitching. I wondered idly if Craig was taking this seriously. Just as the referee stepped into the middle of the cage, Craig looked up at me and winked. I felt Ian's grip tighten ever so slightly on my shoulders and I held Jason's finger even tighter.

  The fight started and Hemler went straight on the offensive, lunging at Craig. Craig dodged easily and circled back round. Hemler lunged again and gripped Craig around the waist. Craig took the opportunity to knee Hemler in the chest three times in quick succession. Hemler didn't release Craig, instead he lifted him and slammed him against the floor. Craig reached behind him and slipped his fingers into the wall of the cage. He pulled himself up, using the extra leverage to flip Hemler over so that he regained the advantage.

  He slammed his elbow into Hemler's ribs and it looked like he might have winded him. Craig took the opportunity to pull himself to his feet. I chanced a glance up at Ian. His face was tense but I was certain I saw pride in his eyes.

  I looked back at the fight in time to see Craig jump back and dodge a right-hook. He made the same move I'd seen him make on Ian that morning. He span around and aimed a kick to Brock's head. Brock wasn't as quick to react as Ian and the kick landed hard and Craig quickly pulled himself back into his stance. Brock spat blood and looked furious. He made a lunge for Craig who dodged to the side and used Hemler's own momentum to slam him into the cage wall.

  Craig twisted Brock into a submission position. He held it for a few seconds but Hemler managed to kick out. As soon as he lost the advantage, Craig jumped back and got clear of Hemler before he had chance to return the favour.

  I watched the rest of the fight in awe as Craig continued to dominate. He took a few blows to the head and ribs but always used the momentary lapses in Hemler's stance to land powerful kicks. As the ref called the end of the fight, they waited on either side of him for the judges' decision. I glanced around at my brothers while we waited. Karl and Ian were grinning.

  “Ten-eight” Karl shouted to Ian.

  Ian shook his head at Karl. “Ten-seven, without question,” he grinned.

  The referee had the fighters in hand as they both breathed hard. I could see that Craig's eyebrow was bleeding, and his lip was a little swollen, but Hemler looked worse.

  The referee lifted Craig's arm and cheers and applause filled the room. Craig still looked fairly unaffected but I saw his lips quirk upwards briefly before he recovered his composure. I jumped up and down with happiness and threw my arms around Jason, pulling him into a super tight hug. He hesitated a second but hugged me back. I realised what I'd done and pulled away just as I saw Danny grab Jason's shoulder and pull him back. He gave Jason a death glare but Jason didn't respond, he just met his gaze. Danny let go of Jason but continued to eye him suspiciously.

  I sighed inwardly. It was just a hug. If they responded like that to me hugging a friend, there was no way in hell I'd ever have a boyfriend who lived to tell the tale.

  We watched as Craig made his way out of the cage through a crowd of guys clapping him on the back and girls swooning at his feet. After Craig left the room, the crowd thinned out a little. I saw Josh making his way over to us. He didn't say anything but handed me a ten-pound note.

  “Thanks,” I grinned.

  He just shook his head incredulously and looked from me to Jason and back again. “I'll take your word for it next time,” Josh said.

  “You bet on Craig?” Ian said, narrowing his eyes.

  “Josh said Hemler would win easy,” I pouted. “I couldn't just stand-by and let that slide.”

  “Why'd you only bet a tenner then?” Danny grinned.

  “I'm a penniless student, remember?” I grinned back at him. “This is Josh, Jason's roommate.”

  They did the traditional, manly head-nod greeting thing and Josh and Jason headed off to the group of people Josh had been with earlier. I followed Ian and the others as they made their way to the back room to find Craig. I ran over and interrupted him with a hug as he was unwrapping his hands.

  “You're awesome!” I grinned as he lifted me up and span me around.

  “You think?” He asked as he put me down.

  I nodded enthusiastically as the others came up and congratulated him.

  “What was the score?” Karl asked. “We couldn't hear over the noise.”

  “Ten-seven,” Craig grinned.

  “Told you,” Ian said smugly as Karl sighed and pulled out his wallet.

  “You bet on me?” Craig asked as Karl handed Ian a twenty-pound note.

  “So did Jelly,” Ian nodded. “You made her a tenner.”

  “You took a chance on me?” Craig grinned as he grabbed the hoody from round my waist and pulled it over his head.

  “Nope,” I shrugged.

  “No?” He asked in confusion.

  “You promised me you'd win,” I said with a smirk. “If you'd have lost I would have been forced to tell Ian and Karl and they would have kicked your ass way worse than Hemler could have.”

  Everybody burst into laughter and Craig picked me up and put me on his shoulders, my feet dangling over his chest as I rested my hands on his head. It made me feel like a child again and I both loved and hated it.

  “You're right,” he grinned.

  “What we doing to celebrate?” Simon asked.

  “Bring the guys back to ours,” Ian nodded. “Been a while since we all got shit-faced.”

  I almost fell off Craig's shoulders with surprise. Wow, this is Ian in a good mood. I'd almost forgotten what that looks like.

  “You can bring your friends if you like, Jelly,” he added.

  Karl reached up and lifted me down from Craig's shoulders and I headed back the main room to look for Jason. I spotted him on the other side of the room and walked over.

  “Hi,” I smiled up at him shyly.

  “Hi, baby,” he said as he glanced around before pulling me into a hug.

  I pressed my cheek against his soft cotton t-shirt and breathed in the familiar, calming scent of Jason.

  “Ian said you guys could come over to ours to celebrate if you'd like,” I said as we broke off the hug.

  “Really?” Jason asked, looking sceptical. “I got the impression they weren't too fond of me.”

  “You've still got a pulse, that's always a good sign,” I grinned.

  “Yo
u want me to go to a party with Craig Carter when he knows I bet against him?” Josh asked incredulously.

  “Don't worry, he doesn't hold grudges,” I laughed.

  “I could make an exception in this case,” Craig said as he came up behind us, catching us off guard and putting his left arm round my shoulders.

  “Carter...” Josh said awkwardly. “Awesome to meet you,” he said, offering his hand.

  “Same,” Craig said, shaking his hand and smiling kindly.

  “My roommate, Josh,” Jason said by way of an explanation, nodding his head towards Josh.

  “You guys are welcome to come,” Craig said. “A few others from Leeds'll probably come. Simon, Rab, and Steve.”

  “Awesome,” Josh nodded. “You in, Reed?”

  “If it's alright with you, Jamie?” Jason asked, looking at me.

  “Of course,” I smiled. I wasn’t going to say no to a whole evening with Jason. Although it would be awkward continuing this little charade.

  “Where's it at?” Josh asked.

  “I could ride with you guys and direct you to the house?” I offered. That would be perfect! I could talk to Jason before we get home.

  “I don't know,” Craig frowned. “Best check with Ian”

  “Check what with me?” Ian said as he approached us with the rest of the family.

  “Is it okay if I get a lift back with Jason and the others so I can show them where the house is?” I asked, hoping his good mood hadn't dissipated.

  He frowned briefly as he looked at Jason. “I don't see why not,” he shrugged.

  I saw Rick and Danny exchange identical mystified glances behind him.

  “Awesome, we can swing by a shop and pick up some beer and we'll meet you there,” Josh nodded.

  Chapter 22

  Saturday, October 13th 2012

  Josh pulled his car into the Sainsbury's I'd miraculously managed to direct him to and all four of us climbed out of the car.

  “We'll wait outside,” Jason nodded to the others as he pulled me away from the shop entrance.

  He stood in front of me and looked at me for a few seconds before pulling me against him and kissing me hard, his tongue invading my mouth. His fingers entangled in my hair, holding me against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as my tongue met his and I felt the day's tension disappear from my body.