Page 123 of Necessary Roughness
“I know it’s unconventional,” I finally said. “But I care deeply about your son, as well as Logan and Roman. What we have just sort of works.”
Knox’s parents had swung their heads from one speaker to the next, blank-faced. I waited for their reaction, however judgmental it might be.
“I read a book about polyamory in my book club last year!” Darlene said, grinning and blushing at the same time. “Back in my day, a woman would be slut-shamed for keeping her options open. I’m so glad your generation is a lot more understanding. In fact, I was teased for dating two boys at the same time my senior year of high school. The three of us dated for the entire school year, from September to June! I would’ve kept doing that, but then we all went off to different colleges.”
I felt my jaw falling open in shock.
Robert reacted the same way. “Darlene, you never told me this.”
“It was long before I ever met you.”
“Notthatlong! We met at freshman orientation!”
Darlene gave me a look. “See what I mean? A generational difference in opinion.”
“Let me tell you, students aren’tthatmuch more accepting these days,” I replied. “This past week around campus has been rough.”
“Hopefully the championship win helps soften your reputation,” Roman said.
“Maybe,” I said doubtfully.
55
Sloane
Roman ended up being right. When I walked to my first exam on Monday morning, the treatment I received was completely different than it had been a week ago. Some people waved as if they knew me. One student gave me a high-five in passing and said, “Conference champs, baby! Wooo!” as if I were a member of the football team.
Mostly, the Westview College student body ignored me. Football season was over, and the basketball team was getting a lot of attention. Not to mention the women’s swim team was apparently one of the best in the nation.
I was just another faceless student going about her day.
I grinned when I reached my exam classroom. That was exactly how I liked it.
My final exams proved to be trivial for me. I crushed that first exam on Monday, then two more on Tuesday. I spent the rest of my free time studying in the apartment I shared with Morgan, but it was mostly a formality. I knew this material, and it was easy to focus now that my love life was stable again.
After my last final exam on Friday, I moved all my stuff back over to the football house. “How did your exams go?” Iasked Knox as he met me by the curb. Bryson had an exam this afternoon, but he’d lent me his truck so I could transport everything in one trip.
“All Bs and a C,” he replied. “No problem at all.”
“What was the C in?” I asked.
“Art History,” Logan answered for him while joining us. He lifted a box out of the truck bed, peeked inside, then added, “You distracted him.”
“I did not!” I replied.
Knox smirked. “I may have missed some crucial lectures because I was busy stealing glances at you.”
“Don’t even joke about me being a distraction! That’s not funny!”
“GPA doesn’t really matter for us,” Roman said from the front porch. “As long as Knox is passing his classes, the teams in the draft won’t care.”
“Roman aced all his exams,” Logan muttered to me while carrying a box inside.
“And he’s been bragging about it nonstop,” Knox said.
Roman looked offended. “I’ve done no such thing. You’re the one who just brought it up to Sloane, completely unprompted.”
Knox leaned in close and whispered, “Roman posted the grades on the fridge. Like a six-year-old.”
