Page 89 of The Cheerleader is Off Limits

“He didn’t know.” Sloane interjects. “I… fucked all of this up.”

“Look, I need you to keep this to yourself. Please. Can you do that?” I interrupt Sloane from spiraling and thinking that everything was her fault. Because while she may have put things in motion, I am equally responsible for everything that’s happened since I learned the truth.

“Obviously,” Margot says.

“You can’t tell your dad. He knows about Sloane being my student, and… I’m not ready to tell him that I did not heed his warnings about crossing this line.” I hated asking Margot to keep something from her dad, but I wanted to tell him on my own terms.

Preferably after Sloane graduates.

“You… told your brother?” Sloane asks.

“On the first day.” I glance at her before turning back to the road. “He’s my lawyer.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” She bites her lip. “Does he hate me?”

“No.”

“My dad doesn’t hate anyone.” Margot snorts from the back seat. “He’s like a huge teddy bear, especially since he met Ellie.”

“He just advised that I stay away from you, and obviously, I have not been doing that,” I continue.

“So have you guys been together this whole time?” Margot asks.

“No. He broke it off,” Sloane says immediately. “Blocked me on everything. I just tracked him down tonight because I was drunk and needed a ride. This is the first time we’ve seen each other outside of school since the first day,” she says seamlessly, and while that is true,sort of, I’m surprised she was able to get that out so effortlessly while being this drunk.

“I see,” Margot says. “Well, do whatever you want. I’m not going to rat you out. But I shall be cashing in on something for this soon, TBD.” She leans forward again. “Perhaps you should casually mention that I should be able to go visit Eden at Yale for Halloween.”

“You want to go to Yale?” Sloane asks.

“Try she wants to go party, and it’s her closest friend she has in college who happens to be there.”

“Technically, she’s my aunt, and that sounds like adult supervision to me.” Margot sits back in her seat and folds her arms across her chest.

I chuckle before looking at Sloane to explain what she means. “Ellie’s sister. Fine, I’ll put in a good word. But I can’t completely convince him.”

Shortly after, we pull up to my brother’s house. “I’m just going to walk her up,” I tell Sloane, but it’s mostly so I can have a moment to speak with Margot alone.

“Be careful, Uncle River. Are you sure you can trust her?” she asks while we’re walking up the driveway.

“I’m hoping I can,” I tell her just as we make it to the front door.

She nods before looking down at the ground, and her brown eyes meet mine. “Please don’t get caught up… I don’t want you to ruin your life over…” She winces and casts her gaze back to the car. “Well, you know.”

“I know.”

“Thanks for the ride,” she says before engulfing me in a hug.

“Always, kid.”

“Love you.”

“Love you back.”

“Get home safe! Make good choices!” She calls after me before I hear the front door open and close.

Not long after dropping Margot off at home, we are back at my house, and I realize this is the first time Sloane has been here since before school started.

I can tell she was fading in the car, and by the time we are inside my house, she can barely keep those gorgeous eyes open. I guide her back to my bedroom and sit her on my bed before handing her a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. I kneel in front of her and pull her heels off for her before rubbing each of her feet gently for a few seconds each.