24. Sloane
SLOANE
“I AM SHOOK,” Delaney says for probably the tenth time since I told her everything this morning. River left early this morning to go to the school, and I went home to confess everything to my cousin.
And also to find out whether she already knew this information.
“I cannot believe…” She chuckles. “Honestly, you’re going to be a fucking legend,” she says while scraping cream cheese across her toasted bagel. “Do you know how many girls would die to be in your position?”
“It’s probably going to cost River everything, so… it’s not all great,” I tell her while sipping a glass of orange juice.
“Okay, welllll he knew that going in, no? Like, he can’t be that surprised or upset that he might get in trouble over something he knew he would get in trouble for if he got caught?
Sounds a little if two plus two is four…
?” She tilts her head to the side and runs a hand through her hair that still has the curls in it from homecoming last night.
I put my head in my hands because everyone keeps saying variations of “we told you not to do this” instead of saying anything helpful. It was enough to make me want to scream.
“I mean, honestly, of all the people who could have caught you, Mack is probably the best-case scenario short of like… me,” she continues.
“How so? He seems really fucking pissed.”
“Because Coach K… well River… oooh can I start calling him River now? Sidebar, I am really surprised that I never put together “River” and “football coach” and “teacher” when you told me.” She whistles.
“Wow. Like how many guys named River coach football in Maryland?” She takes a bite of her bagel.
“Anyway, River is like their God. And Mack is getting scouted by like every big school in the country and is damn near on a shortlist to go pro. He’s not going to do anything to fuck that up.
That includes being at the center of drama or scandals or anything.
Also, I keep trying to tell you. Mack is cool.
He’s pissed, and he may have sounded like he was going to bring you down last night, but I don’t see him ratting you guys out. ”
“I hope you’re right.”
“So…” she says, leaning forward, “now onto the good stuff. How good is the sex?”
“Can I sit?” I ask Mack, who’s sitting on a park bench that’s near both of our houses.
“That’s why you’re here, right?” He leans back and rests his arm along the back.
“How are you?” I ask, ignoring his rhetorical question.
“Alright.” He shrugs.
“I’m sorry I ruined your homecoming.”
“You didn’t ruin anything,” he says before grabbing the pair of dark sunglasses tucked into his shirt and sliding them onto his face, disallowing me from seeing his eyes at all. “Don’t give yourself so much credit.”
“Right. Look, I’m sorry. I never meant to lead you on or hurt you, and I am so sorry if I did.”
“You didn’t. You were clear you weren’t into it. Just wasn’t expecting it to be because you were on Coach K’s dick.” He chuckles, and I scrunch my nose as irritation washes over me.
“If you could refrain from being crass, that would be great. I get you’re pissed, but I don’t deserve that.”
He leans forward, and I pray I sidestep any of the metaphorical landmines of this conversation with what I say next.
“I know it’s weird, and in a way, it feels like I picked him over you, but it’s not the case.
So don’t feel like that. I met him before I started school.
We hit it off. But I lied about my age and what I was doing in Maryland.
He had no idea that he was going to see me in high school.
What reason would he have? I told him I was going to Towson. ”
“You were messing around with him before school started?”
“Yes.”
“You really think I was going to rat you guys out?”
I let out a quiet breath. “I don’t know. I knew you were mad, and you stormed off. Did you tell anyone else?”
“Nope. I’m not an asshole,” he says while glaring at me.
“I’m not!”
He lowers his sunglasses and stares at me from over the tops of them. “You fucked another guy while on a date with me. Even if we were just friends… seems like asshole behavior to me.”
I nod. “That’s… fair.”
“I’m not going to say I haven’t done something similar.” He shrugs, and I roll my eyes. “Hey, game recognizes game.”
His words hit me hard because I never meant to hurt anyone. Truthfully, the only person that I thought would get hurt in all of this was me. “I really am sorry for this. I never meant to drag you into it and I know I don’t deserve it but I hope you can find a way to forgive me.”
RIVER
There’s a knock on my office door, and when I look up from the box of things I’m packing, I see Mack in the doorway. “You moving?”
“My lawyer suggested I come in and get anything I might need in case I’m prohibited from reentering the building.” I rap my knuckles against my desk a few times.
“Oh geeze, you got a lawyer?” He groans before coming into the office and dropping to the couch and kicking his feet up on the table like he’s done hundreds of times. “What about me gives the vibe that I would be a snitch? I’m offended.”
“It’s my brother and your motives weren’t exactly clear last night.”
He nods. “I talked to your girl.” He picks up a football that’s sitting on the table and begins playing with it, tossing it up in the air.
“I was never going to tell anyone. I was just pissed when I said that. And I also meant it in the abstract way, like you're going to blow up your life all on your own if you’re going to be messing around with a student in a school bathroom.” He shakes his head.
“I mean, come on, even students don’t do that.
That’s why we have cars? The fuck? And you have a whole ass house to yourself.
” He shakes his head while giving me an incredulous look.
“It wasn’t my brightest decision.”
“And what the hell would I look like snitching on my football coach, the year I need the most help deciding what to do next. I get you fired and then our whole season goes down the drain along with all my scholarships and money that schools are practically throwing at me?” He snorts.
“My mama ain’t raise no fool.” I chuckle, and he points at me.
“I’m not running a suicide for the rest of the year, though. ”
“I think we can work with that.”
“Or burpees.”
“You’re pushing it. Do you want to be the best or do you want to be lazy?” I ask him.
He lifts one eyebrow. “I want to be a little self-righteous because you fucked up my guy.”
“I know.”
“And you still have eight months.”
“Believe me, I know.”
“You think you can make it without fucking it all up?”
Thanksgiving 2026
“Don’t be nervous,” I tell her as we walk up the walkway to Rowan’s house for dinner because her aunt and uncle were in Monaco or something and I didn’t want her to be by herself for the holidays.
I’m honestly beginning to think Sloane and Delaney live there alone, given how frequently her aunt and uncle aren’t there.
Delaney went to Cole’s family’s house, and since my family knew about Sloane, they invited her over.
“Ignore SJ, he’s going to have a field day by the way,” I warn her.
Margot opens the door and chuckles before shaking her head. “Man, I hope you’re ready.”
Isla comes skipping to the door and immediately reaches for Sloane’s hand. “Hi, I’m Isla. You’re pretty, I like your dress!” She pulls her through the foyer already talking a mile a minute.
Christmas 2026
“So you really want to do this?” I ask her, and she nods enthusiastically.
“Absolutely. I know it’s really soon, but I have to make these decisions fast, and if in a year, we’re in a different place, then…
” She shrugs. “Whatever. There will be eighty thousand other people there.” It turns out Penn State still wanted me…
and Sloane, too. Though, to be fair, most people wanted her, given her background and SAT scores.
So, pending a handful more interviews and Sloane’s acceptance, which we were expecting any day now, there was a good chance we were both going to Pennsylvania next year.
I hated the thought of being that far away, but Margot, who bonded with Sloane instantly, already said she planned to visit wherever we ended up. It was time for me to live my own life and while I’d miss my family, it was time for me to start looking towards the future.
Spring Break 2027
“Just two more months,” Sloane says as she leans back in the cabana we’d rented for the day in Turks & Caicos.
“Can you believe we made it?” I ask her before taking a sip of whatever this fruity shit was that Sloane ordered us, which I will admit is not half bad. I don’t think there’s any alcohol in it though.
“Do not jinx us.” She turns in her seat, showing off her sexy, tanned body and the very tiny blue bikini that I plan to pull off with my teeth later. “Can you believe we’ll be in Pennsylvania in four months?”
“Three for me. Remember, I have training camp.” She pulls her sunglasses down to her nose and glares at me.
“Mm-hmm. I happen to recall what you do when you’re in training camp.”
“Oh my God, I was single then, and now I’m not. I happen to be in love and quite obsessed with you. Thank you.” I reach for her hand and bring it to my mouth.
She continues to side-eye me before she breaks into a fit of giggles, and I let her hand go. “Oh, oh, oh! Did you ask if they cared if I tried out for cheerleading?”
I pick up a piece of pineapple from the fruit tray we ordered. “They’re fine with it, since I told them up front.”
“Lovely!”
“But they said no fraternizing while I should be working.”
She snorts. “I give it a week till we break that rule.”
“Haven’t we learned our lesson?”
“Haven’t you seen me in a cheerleading uniform?”
A memory of watching her masturbate under the desk while she was supposedly in detention runs through my memory.
“I say the first day.”
SLOANE
Graduation 2027
“Sloane Hunter,” I hear boomed through the loudspeaker in the atrium where we are having graduation.
I walk across the stage, just behind Delaney since we share the same last name, and after shaking hands with a number of the faculty, I reach River.
“Congratulations, baby.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kincaid. Fuck me in my gown later?” I ask under my breath.
His eyes are full of mischief, and he shakes my hand. “You know it.”
After the ceremony, before I find my family, I take a moment to find River who is standing alone amidst the sea of students and teachers looking so gorgeous in a navy suit and tie after he’d removed his academic regalia.
Raybans cover his eyes and I wish I could run towards him and launch myself into his arms. “Mr. Kincaid?”
“Miss Hunter.” His eyes are covered by dark lenses but I can still feel his eyes devouring my body now that I’d unzipped my gown, revealing a white sundress undereath.
“I just wanted to say thank you for this year.” I smile coyly. “I really learned a lot in your class.”
“You were certainly one of my best students.”
I bite my bottom lip and drag my gaze all over him hungrily. “You look good.”
“Thanks, my girlfriend picked it out for me.” He answers and I squeeze my thighs together under my dress and gown at his words.
“She has good taste.”
He looks around before taking a step closer to me while still remaining a distance. “I can’t wait to taste her later.”
Fuck. I mouth. I’m just about to ask how soon we could make that happen when I hear my name.
“Sloane, sweetheart!!” I snap my head towards the sound and my eyes widen when I see my parents and my little brother making their way over.
“So…” I give him a playful smile, “you want to meet my parents?”