Page 40 of For Crosby

“What hoopla are you referring to?” my dad asked.

Sasha opened her mouth to explain, but Aunt Pat cut her off. “The whole Parks scandal.”

My mom tilted her head. “Parks scandal?”

“That Texas couple who’d been embezzling millions of dollars from their investors for years.”

My mother shrugged. “Guess we missed it.”

“It was all over the news,” Aunt Pat said. “When people wanted to cash out their investments, their earnings had been substantially lower than expected. They started asking questions and it became this huge scandal. People lost millions of dollars. Families lost homes. Companies went bankrupt.”

“So, what’s that have to do with Sasha?” my dad asked.

Sasha opened her mouth to explain, but Aunt Pat cut her off again. “Their boy went to Sasha’s school. Big time hockey player.”

My ears pricked up at the mention of a hockey player.

“Camera crews were camped out on campus,” Sasha explained. “The poor guy couldn’t go anywhere without reporters hounding him. He finally up and disappeared.”

“Geez,” my dad said.

My eyes bounced between Sasha and Aunt Pat. “Where’d he go?”

Sasha shrugged. “His parents were sent to prison, and no one’s been repaid the money that was stolen from them. So, there are a lot of angry people out there. Seems his parents were trying to keep him away from those determined to get what was owed to them.”

The thumping in my heart told me what I already knew. “What’s his name?”

“Crosby,” Sasha said. “Crosby Parks.”

I choke-coughed.

My dad handed me a glass of water. “You okay?”

I waved him off as I looked to Sasha. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Sasha’s eyes expanded, brimming with intrigue. “Do you know him?”

I pulled in a deep breath, finally understanding why Crosby ended up at my school. Why he was so angry. Why his mood changed at the drop of a dime.

“He’s in Alabama?” Sasha persisted.

I nodded.

“He’s got no other family besides his parents who are in jail,” she explained. “Someone in Alabama must’ve taken pity on him.”

The new information about Crosby whirled around my head, answering so many questions I’d had about him. Explaining so many things.

“Isn’t he so stinkin’ hot?” Sasha said, interrupting my thoughts.

Everyone burst into laughter, never expecting something like that to come out of her mouth.

“All those tattoos. Gah,” she continued. “You’re so lucky he’s at your school.”

I thought back to the feel of those tattooed arms around me on the dance floor and the way his chest pressed to my back sent chills through my body. Then I remembered how that dance ended. “So, his parents are really in jail?”

Sasha nodded.

Knots of unease formed in my stomach as guilt crept into my chest.

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