Page 24 of The Cheerleader is Off Limits

Honestly, I wanted to be close to family, and they lived here. I’ve never really been away from home in the sense of having my parents close by, so I just wanted some familiarity.

River:

That's fair. Do you see yourself here long-term?

Me:

Maybe. Kind of hard to say what comes next after the next four years. I plan to be here until I graduate, though. Do you see yourself here for a while?

River:

For sure. I love what I do and the kids I coach. Not to mention my brother and his kids are here. I like the area, and it’s a good place to raise a family when the time comes.

Me:

That’s what I hear! Is your house big enough for all the kiddos?

River:

No ha ha, I’d need to get something bigger. It’s big enough for me and maybe one child, but once that doubles, we’ll need more room.

A light tapping on the door followed by my cousin coming in pulls me out of my message with River. “I thought I heard you shuffling around in here. Want to go for a run before it gets too hot?” she asks as she slides a headband up over her darkhair. Delaney started dying her dirty blond hair a dark chestnut the second her parents let her, and chopped it to just above her shoulders, making me convinced that the bob look was made for her.

“Yes, definitely.” We are both going out for the cheerleading squad when school starts, and while it’s more of a formality for her since she was on the team last year and probably pretty easy for me given my fourteen years of gymnastics training, we are trying to stay on top of our cardio.

Me:

As much as I’m enjoying this conversation, I’m going for a run with my cousin. Text later?

River:

For sure. Enjoy your run.

“I am so stoked about this. Nothing interesting ever happens to anyone I know. I should have known having you back would spice up my life by proxy.” Delaney giggles while she continues to drag clothes across the rack. It’s later in the day, and we decided to go to the mall to start shopping for school clothes. Delaney has a summer job, but she took a few days off to hang out with me when I got here. I’m already dreading when she goes back to work, when I’ll be forced to keep myself entertained.

Delaney’s father is an emergency room doctor, so he works crazy hours, and her mom sits on the board of about ten different foundations and is always at a luncheon or dinner orplanning one, so her parents aren’t home often. She’s an onlychild, my guessbecausethey are rarely home, so I imagine I’ll be by myself most of the time. They’re not bad people. They are just not alwayspresent parents.Lucky for them, Delaney only pushes how far she can go with that alittle. She’ll throw the occasional party and might break curfew every once in a while, but she maintains impeccable grades despite the fact that no one is really around to make her study.

The fact that I’m nineteen is the only reason my parents were okay with me moving in with them. My mother and Delaney’s mother are sisters, so my mom knows how little parenting my Aunt Beth actually does, which is why I’m only staying with them conditionally. If, after a semester, my grades slip or I get into “mischief,” my parents will move home until I graduate.

I was homeschooled from the time I was 10 years old until now. My parents can be a little overprotective.

“Nothing may even happen. He may just want to talk.”

“Yeah, talk to your pussy.” She snorts as she holds up a navy strapless dress to her frame before tossing it over her arm.

“D!” I whisper as I look around, praying that no one is within earshot.

“Oh relax.” She briefly glances around before turning back to the rack. “There are no kids present. Has he texted since this morning?”

“No, but he may be waiting for me. I think I insinuated I’d text him later.”

“Go in the dressing room and send him a pic.” She gives me a sly smile, and I shake my head.

“We are not there.” Though the thought of exchanging spicy pictures with River does send a sizzle through me that ends with a flutter between my legs. Remembering his comment about his hidden tattoos has me thinking about all the places they could be.

Just above his dick.

His ass.