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There wasn’t.
I ended up having to walk all the way to the back of the bus where the team was harboring. The further back on the bus I walked, the louder the bustle grew. I wanted to turn around. I wanted climb off this bus and leg it home.
No, I mentally steeled my resolve. No. You don’t run anymore.
You’re okay. You’re fine.
Who cares if they’re staring at you?
They don’t know you.
Just breathe.
Finally, when I reached the back of the bus and saw the back row, my cheeks were so hot I was sure I was radiating fire. Honestly, if someone pressed a rasher to my face, it would have sizzled.
The entire back row was filled with members of the rugby team.
Oh, Jesus. I was in the danger zone.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the window seat on my right, just in front of the back row was vacant. Sagging in relief, I tightened my hold on the shoulder straps of my bag and turned my body to slip into the row, only to immediately halt in my tracks when I noticed who was sprawled out in the aisle seat.
My heart jackknifed in my chest.
Johnny had headphones on, and the music blasting from them was so loud I could clearly make out the sound of Jay-Z singing about having ninety-nine problems.
I hear you, Jay-Z…
Johnny wasn’t looking at me. He wasn’t looking at anyone. His entire focus was on the iPod in his hands. Strewn on top of the seat beside him—the only remaining seat in the entire bus—was a pile of gear bags, obviously belonging to the team.
Oh god.
Clearing my throat, I gestured to the seat.
He didn’t look up. His perfectly styled hair was the only part of his head I could see as he stared down at the iPod in his hands.
The engine of the bus roared to life, vibrating beneath my feet, and a huge dollop of panic set in. I reached out and tapped his shoulder before quickly pulling my hand back. Johnny’s head snapped up and the flash of annoyance on his features quickly turned to a look of surprise as he did a double take of me. “Shannon?”
“I need to sit down,” I strangled out the words, mortified by the sounds of catcalling and insinuating comments coming from the rest of the lads.
For the last two nights, I had wrestled with my emotions over him, barely sleeping, and drowning in panic and self-doubt. Now that I was faced with the unexpected prospect of spending several hours next to Johnny, I could feel myself losing it on the inside. Seriously, my stomach was rolling and I was fairly certain that if I didn’t sit down soon, I was going to spew.
God…
With furrowed brows, Johnny continued to stare up at me, while I continued to babble.
“There’s no other seat left on the bus and the driver’s taking off now, so I need you to let me in—” I looked from him to the horde of people watching us, and then to the spare seat. “Can you just push in a seat, or move the bags so I can get in please?”
“Sorry,” Johnny said in an apologetic tone. He reached up and yanked off his headphones. “I didn’t catch any of that.”
A barrage of laughter erupted from the boys in the back row.
Turning scarlet, I pointed to the stack of bags on the seat beside him and whispered, “I don’t have anywhere to sit.”
“Shite, yeah, sorry,” Johnny replied and quickly began to toss the bags onto the floor by my feet. “Give me a sec to clear these.”
“For Christ’s sake, Lynch, sit down back there!” Mr. Mulcahy barked from the front of the bus. “And buckle up!”
Embarrassed, I glanced back to Claire for help, but locked eyes with an enraged Bella.
