Page 98 of The Cheerleader is Off Limits

“Well, I never would have guessed this,” Mack says, pointing at me before turning back to Sloane, who still looks like she’s a deer in headlights. “When I saw you walking up the stairs, I never would have guessed you’d be in here messing around with my fucking football coach. I knew something didn’t seem right because why the fuck would you be going upstairs instead of using the bathroom by the gym? Are you fucking kidding me, Sloane?” he snaps.

“Watch how you talk to her, Mack,” I tell him because I wasn’t going to stand for anyone disrespecting a woman, and definitely notmywoman.

“And YOU,” he says, his voice is even, but I can hear the fury in it, and I’m just glad he’s not screaming to draw more attention to this situation. “You’re messing around with my girl? No, fuck that, you’re messing around with a student? Are you crazy?” He shakes his head. “This shit can’t be real.”

“She’s not your girl, Mack.”

He scoffs before pointing at me. “Oh, let me guess, she’s yours?”

“Yes,” Sloane answers, and Mack’s eyes snap back to hers. “We met before I knew he was my teacher. I lied about my age and what I was doing in Maryland. He didn’t know I lied until the first day of school.”

He takes a step back and slides his hands into his pockets before shaking his head. “This is so fucked.”

“Mack…” I start even though I don’t even know what to say.

“No.” He puts his hands up in defeat before taking another step back. “I hope this was worth your whole career, Coach, because this is the end of it.”

“I’m sorry we had to cut your night short.” I have Sloane’s hand wrapped in mine as I pepper kisses along her skin.

“Please do not apologize. I understand and… I’m so sorry for all of this.” Tears have been welling in her eyes since we left the school, and one is finally preparing to cascade down her cheek.

I wipe under her eyes to try to stop the tears from falling. “Don’t be. I told you to come upstairs. This is all my fault for being reckless. We were doing fine, sticking to our rules. I made us break them,” I say before getting out of the car. I make my way around to her side and open the door for her before we start moving fast up my brother’s driveway.

“Are you sure you're ready for this? He’s going to yell—a lot. Only at me, though,” I tell her.

“I deserve it too,” she whispers as we make it to the front door, and I’m pushing through it without knocking.

Rowan meets me in the foyer, wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt because I texted him 911 and that I was coming over, only I’d left out that I was bringing Sloane with me. I’m going to assume he probably wasn’t sleeping, but maybe preparing to or preparing to start the night with Ellie, so I know he’s irritated that I interrupted whatever the plans were.

His face is full of worry as he shakes his head at me before turning his attention to the young woman standing next to me.“Aaaaand you must be Sloane,” Rowan says, holding his hand out for her.

“Yes, sir.”

He looks at me with a look of absolute fury. “What. Happened.”

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” Rowan yells as he paces back and forth in his office, while we’re sitting on his couch, like we are kids getting in trouble with our father.

“Rowan, can you bring it down?”I groan, rubbing my forehead because I’ve felt a headache forming since we left the school and him yelling was only going to exacerbate that.

“Bring it down!? Canyoukeep it in your pants for five minutes? I was very clear. Stay away from her. No texting, no talking, no meeting up. I said no interactions that weren’t in public and mixed company! You broke every single one of those rules!” He stops yelling and takes a deep breath. “And okay,” he says, his tone much calmer now, thankfully, “let’s say, we could possibly sell that all of that was innocent, you guys had to go and have sex on school property!? Twoteacherswill get fired for doing that!”

“I know… I know!” I tell him because I don’t know what possessed me to do this today.

Jealousy and also, recklessness over the fact that you hadn’t been caught yet.

“Do you? Because I’m fairly certain I warned you about all of this! And now another student knows? And it sounds like he threatened your job?”

“He might just be mad, but I don’t know. He might go to the principal.”What if he already has?

Rowan drops to his desk and pulls out a legal pad and begins writing. “Did he think you were his girlfriend? Be honest. Were you dating? Have you been romantic with him? Physical in any way? Sexual?”He asks Sloane.

“Rowan…” I start because I didn’t want Sloane to feel like she was on trial.

His eyes lock with mine before he turns to her. “No, I need to hear this from her.”

“I already said, they weren’t together,” I snap.

“Well, my only experience so far with her has been that she lied to you about everything, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to get a little bit more information from her directly.” He points at me with his pen. “You are my client, not her.Sheis not facing legal trouble.”