Page 48 of The Cheerleader is Off Limits

“Ugh!” I scoff. “I know. I know,” I groan, letting my head fall back into her plush pillows. “How did I get here?”

“You lied to a guy about your age… and the fact that you’re in high school. Now you like him, and he likes you, and you wonder how it got complicated?”

“That helps. Thanks,” I grumble, still staring at the ceiling, wishing that the answer to what to do would suddenly fall from it. “It was supposed to be a fling.” One harmless lie, when I thought I’d never see him again, has now turned into a disaster.

“I get that, and I was all for having some fun with him. But you have to break it off. There’s a word for men close to their forties dating girls in high school.”

“Daddy?” I wince.

“Creep,” she quips, while pointing her nail polish applicator at me. “Or felon but… your age keeps him safe from that one.”

I am fully aware that I am the worst.

That is the only reason it's two days before I’m supposed to start high school, and I haven’t told River anything.

Not about the current situation.

Not the truth or even a lie that gets me out of this current situation.

I’ve just gone on like everything is normal.

It’s Saturday morning, and I’m hanging out with him today before Ileave later this afternoon for college.

“I had fun with you these past two weeks,” he murmurs against my lips while we lie in his bed.

“Me too.”

“I know I pressed you before about me coming down there, but… I know you want to be free to do whatever you want.” He chuckles. “Sorry I put that on you. Sometimes I do really forget how young you are. When I was twenty-one, I surely didn’t want a somewhat long-distance… ‘situationship’ is what the kids call it.” He props his head up on his fist, and I want to tell him it is absolutely not like that.

Shut up and take the out, Sloane!

“It has nothing to do with other guys. I just know I’ll probably be busy, and you’ll be busy, and you may want to date other women. Liiiike one of Ellie’s friends.” I tap his nose before dragging it down his perfect lips that I will definitely miss.

“Yeah, I think that ship sailed.” He laughs, before gently sucking my finger into his mouth and nibbling on it gently.

I hesitate briefly, letting out a giggle before removing my finger from his mouth. “In a perfect world, we would meet when I graduate from college instead of before I even start. I’m sorry that our timing sucks.”

“Well, maybe we can circle back in four years.”

More like five.“And I’ll be home for the holidays. Maybe… I’ll see you then?” I offer even though that’s also an awful idea because he’ll have questions about my first semester that I won’t be able to provide.

Cross that bridge then.

He lies back down on his back, bringing me to rest against his chest. “I’d love to see you whenever you have time.”

My heart squeezes because how is it that this man, who has never had an interest in settling down or getting serious, has taken an interest in… me?

I’ve told so many lies at this point that I don’t even know how I’ll ever get out of it without having to self-destruct.

Would this all be easier if I just told him?

If he ends it, he ends it. At least we’ll have closure and he won’t feel like I just have no interest in seeing him because I am too busy fucking my way through my freshman year of college.

“River…” I whisper before tilting my head up from where it’s resting on his chest.

“Yeah?”

My mouth opens, but very different words come out. “I’m really going to miss you.”