Page 65 of Foul Line

“Another scandal involving his parents.”

I fret over my lip, looking up at Sloan’s carefree smile. I doubt he knows anything about it as of yet. Maybe it’s not even on the national news. Maybe it’s just local. “I got to go, Dawn. I’ll call in another couple of days.”

“Be safe,” she calls out just as I hang up the phone.

Sloan must’ve heard because a smirk graces his beautiful face. He crawls over me on the bed. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to go back home and not have any one of them less than a hundred yards away from me at any given time. Now that we’re all on pretty solid terms, having them around has been nice. It’s like before when they actually wanted to spend time with me. “Are you telling all our secrets to your bestie?”

I toss my phone to the small table by my bed. “No,” I say, drawing the word out. “She barely likes you guys.”

His mouth pinches. “No? Wasn’t she hot for Christopoulos not too long ago?”

“Yeah, then you guys ripped away my dreams and stomped on my heart.”

“Oh that,” he says, a small smile coming to his face before it washes away instantly. “I wish I could go back, Daddy’s Girl. I’d change my own mind.”

“Aren’t those lyrics to a Taylor Swift song?”

He shrugs. “Got me.”

I hit him playfully on the shoulder. “Come up with your own material, Ivy.”

“Fine. How about I’m really sorry, Dale. Next time I stomp on your heart you have my permission to kick me in the balls.”

I hold my hand out and make him shake on it. If that happens, I’m holding him to it.

Once the levity fades, I peek up at him. He’s still hovering over me. I have to tell him what Dawn just told me. I can’t let him be blindsided about it if he doesn’t know yet. “So,” I start, trying to come up with the right words. It would be easier if I knew exactly what the scandal was. I should’ve asked before I hung up the phone.

“Out with it, Tessa,” Sloan says.

He looks at me carefully, and I sigh. “Dawn told me she saw your parents on the news.”

He blinks at me. Then, he sighs and falls back on the bed. He runs his hands through his dark brown hair. “Did she say for what?”

I shake my head. “I can ask if you want,” I tell him, automatically reaching for my phone.

He pins my arm with a look, so I stop. “Don’t bother. I’m sure I’ll hear about it sooner or later.”

Seeing Sloan upset makes me feel uneasy. He’s usually the light-hearted one. Even when he’s not, he’s playing at being the light-hearted one. “I’m really sorry.” I sit up and sit in front of him with crossed legs.

An unfeeling smile passes over his lips like an unwanted memory. “Did you ever think the Rock Ballers were this fucked up? One’s hooked on Oxy, one’s parents are complete pieces of shit,” he says, talking about himself. “One’s scared of his own temper, one—.”

“Who’s scared of their own temper?” I ask.

“Hayes. You haven’t figured that out yet?”

I look down at my lap. “No. I didn’t know I needed to.”

“You do remember when he walked away from the playful lacrosse game we were having that turned out not so playful, right?”

“Well, yeah, I just thought…” I trail off. I don’t know what I thought. “Why?” I ask.

“If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you.”

I agree with the sentiment, but it’s super fucking annoying that it seems like every Baller has a secret hidden away. I grab Sloan’s hand. “You’re not your parents, Ivy. This will blow over.”

“The only thing I’m happy about is the fact that I’m not home right now, so I don’t have to live through the fucking turmoil of it all. The phone ringing off the hook from the media. The fucking cameras outside the door. It’s ridiculous.”

“A price to pay for fame,” I say, looking away and remembering my dad’s own little shit starters that kicked up over the years. Sloan and I can relate to one another on that front.

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