Sloane saw pictures online of Ben with his girlfriend. She studied the picture and decided the woman was everything she wasn't. She had Ben's arms around her and his hand on her waist. Worst of all, she had curves like Tori. Why couldn't Sloane have taken after her mother too?

Sloane spent much too long looking at Ben. When she found an article to go along with the picture, she felt disappointment grow in the pit of her stomach. Kenzie led her to believe he wasn't serious, but according to the article, they were close to becoming engaged.

'The all star first baseman joked that he hadn't asked yet. Looks like it's only a matter of time until this eligible bachelor is off the market for good.'

For the first time in two years, she hoped the team would pick up a new player she could call her favorite, because her current favorite wasn't working out.

When she saw her phone screen lit up with his face, she answered it. Her brother never called when she was working. "Teddy, is everything okay?" She stood and walked away from her desk.

"I met your friend yesterday."

She entered the public space and stood by the elevator doors. "What friend?" She only had one or two Teddy didn't know, and Dom was with her.

"I played golf with your player."

"Golf! You hate golf!"

"It was a charity thing. He's only slightly better than me, but he was a lot of fun."

"Are you talking about Benjamin Lynch?"

"Yes." He drew out his one-word answer.

"He's an outstanding player and amazingly cute, but he is not fun."

"I thought he was. When I told him my sister was a crazy fan, he implied he has a bunch of them. Looks like you aren't unique."

Sloane didn't think he gave any others a ride in his car. "Did you tell him my name?"

"Not that I remember. I told him I had a waiting list for condos."

"He wants one of your condos?"

"That's what he said, but his chances are slimmer than slim."

She imagined Ben finding out she lived where he lived. He would accuse her of stalking him.

"Maybe. I don't know. Could you just offer him mine?"

"Why would you give up your condo for a guy who thinks you're crazy?" Teddy was close to yelling.

"You'll never understand. I love my team and its players. Doing him a favor makes me feel good, but I wouldn't want him to know it was me."

"How does he not know you're my sister?"

"He doesn't know my last name."

"I think you need to think it over, besides he may not even call. I need something more than him telling me on the putting green he's interested."

"I can find someplace else or stay at home."

"I'll let you know if I hear from him. Oh, and Sloane, I might know of an apartment."

"Really. I don't have to own. Where is it?"

"I'll have to let you know about that too."

Teddy sounded secretive, but it wasn't new. Ted shocked Sloane the first time he danced with Mia. She hadn't realized they were more than acquaintances. She loved Mia because she brought Teddy back. Did this new secret have anything to do with Mia, who lived next to Ted? Maybe he wanted Mia to give up her apartment. Sloane would love to live in the Victorian, not that she really lived anywhere but hotels.

When she returned to her desk, Dom looked up at her. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, actually he was telling me the apartment next to his might be available."

Sloane didn't tell him about Ted meeting Ben or the condo. She wished Ben wouldn't think of her as crazy. Maybe she needed to walk over to Bea's garden again.

On Saturday evening, Sloane put on an evening gown for a summer party given by the Whitbys. When she knocked on her parents' suite to let them know she was ready, she heard her father complain.

"This thing won't tie!"

"Relax. I'll do it for you." Her mother stood in front of him. She must have smiled because his frustrated face faded and washed over with affection. Sloane felt a pang when her father rested his hand on her mother's hip.

Although Sloane enjoyed her life, she often felt lonely. Dom was a wonderful friend and companion, but she wanted love. Her parents married for love and were pleased Ted was happier now his first marriage was over. She had once heard her father telling her mother he regretted pushing Ted to marry for a business deal. Maybe she was luckier because her parents had never dictated who she could see or not see.

Grace smiled. "Sloane, you look beautiful."

She smiled at her mother, who was the beautiful one. Victoria was lucky to take after their mother, while she was a female version of her father.

"Daddy, I can't believe you can't tie your own tie."

Grace waved her hand. "He can, but he lacks patience."

Edward winked. "I prefer your mother to do it, my girl."

"Where is your sister?" Grace's voice had a hint of impatience.

Sloane shrugged. "Probably still getting beautiful. I swear whenever we go out she hopes Tommy will miraculously show up."

Grace shook her head. "That boy may never come home. The judge was never easy on his sons."

"You're lucky your old dad is a softie."

"Dad, remember Elaine?" Sloane reminded him he had arranged Ted's marriage.

Grace sighed. "I'm looking forward to seeing Mia. You girls need to protect her from Elaine's crowd."

Sloane rolled her eyes. Why did they always socialize with the same people over and over?

Ed looked at his watch. "We'll be fashionably late now. Go find your sister."

Sloane walked towards Victoria's room but stopped when she heard her name. Looking over the balcony railing, she saw Tori in the front hall. "Where is everyone? I thought you left without me."

"No, I'll tell Mom and Dad you're ready."

"I've been ready." Victoria whined.

She turned only to see her parents behind her, so she continued to the staircase. Tori, as always, looked beautiful. Sloane felt lacking and thought Ben would prefer Tori over her if they ever met. It wasn't fair how she had to compete with her little sister and older brother.

The Whitby home was nearby and others were arriving when their car pulled into the circular drive. Tori walked ahead and snatched a flute off a tray. Sloane chose not to as she scanned the crowd for her brother and his girlfriend. He saw Teddy in conversation with his friend Trey. Tori noticed too and immediately walked over. She was probably hoping for an update on Trey's little brother, Tommy.

She saw Mia talking to Sage and walked towards them, but Monty Whitby stopped her. "Sloane, you look ravishing." He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Can I ravish you?"

She smiled and looked into his eyes. She was level with him because of her heels. His eyes sparkled with amusement and she could tell he was still sober. She would bet anyone he wouldn't be by the end of the night, not that there was anyone stupid enough to bet against her. Sloane suspected even his own mother wouldn't.

He put his arm around her and she let him. They dated when they were sixteen and seventeen. Back then, his drinking never bothered her because they all experimented with alcohol. At seventeen, she hadn't even noticed he was a spoiled, unmotivated child, because everyone in their crowd was the same. She broke up him when his drinking caught up to him. While she was celebrating high school graduation, he was in his first stint at rehab. Her focus was on attending MIT, but he planned to take a gap year. His gap year never ended. She cared for him, but he would never have his hands on her intimately again.

She laughed because he tried every time they saw one another. Waving her finger in his face, she smiled. "Ancient history and that is Sage's expertise, not mine." Sage had a doctorate in the subject.

"Sage is married. Where's Victoria?"

"Stay away from my little sister. How about Taylor? I heard it devastated her when the relationship she conjured up with Ted evaporated like the hot air that comes out of her mouth."

Monty smiled. "You're wicked and vicious. Are you positive? We were good together."

"We were teenagers."

He shrugged. "Taylor, you say." He looked around the room and stopped when his eyes found her. He sounded as if he were talking to himself. "I wonder if her breasts are real."

Sloane laughed. "Not unless she developed at twenty-three because they appeared overnight."

Monty stepped away and Sloane walked over to Sage and Mia. "What did he want?"

"The usual. To reminisce. I'm not interested in remembering old times."

Mia bit her bottom lip. "Old times?"

"They were 'the' couple at seventeen."

Mia said, "Celia tried to fix me up with him, but I told her I wasn't interested in a man-child. I spent two years with a man who couldn't commit."

Sage smiled. "Teddy will." Mia's face blushed as it lit up with a smile. Sloane wanted to glow because of a man someday. "He asked her to move in with him."

It didn't surprised Sloane. "Are you going to?"

Mia nodded. "He said you might want my apartment."

Sloane nodded just as Teddy and Aidan joined them. Her brother looked down at Mia with a soft expression which before Mia, he had reserved only for his son. "Did you tell her?" Mia nodded as Ted looped his arm around her waist. "So you can move into the Victorian. Assuming you don't want the condo, because I received that call."

"Let him have it. Your place is great. I'll be a quiet neighbor, since I'm never home."

"You won't vacuum at eight in the morning."

Sloane laughed. "Vacuum! I won't vacuum at all."

Ted smiled at Mia and again she felt jealous they had each other. Sage and Aidan too, although Sloane wouldn't want to be pregnant. Even though Sage still looked amazing.

She turned to Mia. "You don't have another brother, do you?"

"No, just our older sister. She's married with her second baby on the way."

Teddy said, "Sloane, you'll find someone worthy of you. It's Tori, I'm worried about."

Sloane said, "She's in denial. If he still loved her, he would have come back for her." Sloane frowned. "What did Trey say?"

"Nothing. He never hears from his brothers, but his mother does. So she went to see if she could find out something from Vanessa."

She and Tori were both in love with men who didn't love them in return. Tori's love started at sixteen, but Sloane was acting sixteen being infatuated with a celebrity she hardly knew. She smiled because she would soon know where her secret heart throb lived. Sloane wasn't certain Tori's old boyfriend was even in the country.

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