When I came out, I had my wet clothes in my hand and Boone was talking to Weaver with his arms crossed over his chest.
Weaver caught my eye as I started to head toward the door.
“I’ll bring your clothes back to you, I promise,” I said. “They look expensive.”
“They’re just sweats.”
“Then I’ll keep them, and move into them, because they’re hella soft.” I smiled at him as I headed toward the door. “Have a nice life, Weaver Grant.”
His eyes gleamed. “You don’t think we’ll see each other again?”
I shrugged. “I never make assumptions.”
I got down to Boone’s truck and was unsurprised to find the front seat waiting for me.
As much space between them as possible was the best thing for the two of them.
“Thanks for the ride, Boone,” I offered.
“Thanks for the ride, Boone,” Nettie mocked.
Boone ignored her and started talking to me. “How’s work?”
I smiled. “It’s going good. This new group of girls is going to be the death of me, though. They’re all on club teams, and very unbending when it comes to my coaching style. I think their coach hates me, too.”
“Sounds like fun.” Boone chuckled. “How are your parents?”
There was silence in the car and then all the words just blurted out of me, spewing forth like the devil’s vomit.
The truck cab was utterly silent for a long moment before Boone said, “I was wondering why you were back mid-season, Antoinette.”
I sighed.
“What do you think we should do?” I wondered. “I think they’ll be super suspicious if I come in and try to do the same thing over again.”
Boone tapped his fingers against the steering wheel before saying, “You said Apollo was on this?”
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“Then let him figure it out,” he said. “Stay out of it. If we need to step in, we will. But you don’t need to be a part of it.”
I sighed. “You think that it’s going to go like that? The moment that they’re suspected of anything, the congregation is going to close around them in support. My parents are loved. Their cult-like following won’t believe a word until it’s right in front of their face. It’s all going to blow up.”
“Then let it.” Boone shrugged. “You’ve done everything that you can to distance yourself from them. You’ve been a vocal non-supporter of their church since you turned eighteen. The outrage from them is still talked about.”
“This’ll affect her anyway,” Nettie pointed out sullenly from the back seat. “Half the population has been trying to get her kicked out of her coaching position since she started. They constantly question her morals. What do you think they’re going to do when they find out that our parents are fuckin sickos? She’ll be lucky to keep her job.”
That was definitely a possibility.
“She’s taken them to state almost every single year since she’s started coaching. She’s not going to get fired from her job,” Boone pointed out.
From his mouth to God’s ears…
“We’ll see,” Nettie muttered. “Maybe you should just quit and move to Miami, Eddy.”
“No,” Boone said. “Stay.”
I looked over at Boone and saw the desperation there.
