Jordan's breathing did not. Let me go, Logan said. Jordan looked at him. Are you done? Yes.
Jordan released him instantly. Logan pulled his hand to his chest. Tyler pushed himself backward. Okay, he said. Okay, we're done.
The words came too loudly, too quickly. The same man who had spent days trying to make Jordan look frightened was suddenly afraid Jordan might come closer. Jordan did not. Chase got to one knee. Get off me.
Jordan wasn't touching him. That seemed to humiliate Chase even more. Jordan stepped backward. Both hands rose where everyone could see them. Open palms.
No fists. No pursuit. No revenge. I'm done. His voice was steady.
The silence that followed felt enormous. Logan looked around. Dozens of faces stared back at him. Nobody laughed. Richard Whitmore had stepped through the glass doors.
His expression was no longer the polished smile of a donor reception. He looked first at Chase, then Tyler, then Jordan. Jordan recognized him immediately. The resemblance to Chase was obvious around the eyes. Richard moved forward.
What happened? Chase stood. He attacked us. The lie came so fast that Jordan almost admired its reflex. Several people shifted uncomfortably.
Jordan's face changed for the first time. Not anger, disbelief. You punched me, he said to Tyler. Tyler looked toward Chase. Chase said, "You threw him down after he swung at me.
You took all three of us down. Jordan stared at him. There it was, the story being rewritten while the papers were still wet on the ground. Logan suddenly remembered his phone. He pulled it out.
I got it. Jordan's eyes moved toward him. Logan looked at the screen. The phone was still recording. Relief crossed his face.
Richard Whitmore noticed. So, there's video. Logan nodded. Jordan looked past them. Emily was still standing near the column.
Her camera bag hung open. A small digital camera was in her hand. Jordan met her eyes. She looked away. That hurt more than he expected.
Richard turned toward Jordan. You need to stay here until campus security arrives. Jordan said nothing. The sentence sounded like an order, not a question. Richard continued, "My son says you assaulted him."
Jordan looked around at the witnesses. People saw what happened. No one answered. A man near the doors cleared his throat. A woman looked down at her glass.