The Boyfriend Deal (6 page)

“Mom always said if I ever got a pet it would have to be a gift because she refused to purchase an animal, even from the shelter. I told her we’d be giving a home to a cat or dog that might otherwise die, but she hasn’t budged on it. I think she just really doesn’t want me to have one, and since no one has ever given me a pet, it hasn’t been an issue.”

“We had a dog when I was growing up, but he died this past spring. He was old though, and he’d had a good life.”

“I’m sorry, Tyler.” I placed my hand on his. “You must miss him.”

He nodded. “Mom offered to get me another dog, but I’m going to college next fall and she’d be stuck taking care of it.  Didn’t really seem fair.”

“You have a good point. Maybe it’s a good thing no one ever gave me a pet.”

“Have you thought about what next fall is going to bring? Are you staying in a dorm, or would you consider renting an apartment with someone?”

I shrugged. “I don’t really know anyone going to the schools I applied to, not anyone I would consider rooming with anyway. And how would I pay rent? I mean, I guess I could get a part-time job while I’m taking classes, but wouldn’t it be better to stay in a dorm?”

“What if you had a boyfriend attending the same school?”

“But I don’t.”

His thumb stroked the underside of my wrist. “I printed off the applications for UT Austin and UT Knoxville last night. I’m filling them out this weekend and getting them turned in by Monday morning. Mom agreed to express mail them.”

“Tyler, why are you doing this? You’re confusing me. I thought what we had was just for pretend, but you’re giving me mixed signals. There’s no one here to impress right now, so why act like a real boyfriend? Or are you just remaining in character?”

I thought he was going to answer me, but Mom walked in the room and he snapped his jaw shut. Whatever he’d been about to say was lost to me now. Why did Mom have to decide
now
was the time to check dinner? Or maybe she was checking on us. Either way, she’d ruined the moment and my one chance to figure out what the heck was going on. I doubted I could get him to talk about it again, at least, not today.

“Are you kids finished studying?” she asked.

“We still have a little more work to do, Mrs. Ryan,” Tyler answered. “My mom will be impressed I’m finished before midnight for a change. I’m usually up all night working on it.”

“How is it you’ve been able to bring Hadley home two afternoons in a row? Don’t you have football practice after school?”

I watched his cheeks flush. “Yes, ma’am, I do. I’ve kind of blown off practice this week to spend time with Hadley.”

My jaw dropped. “You’ve done what? What about the game on Friday?”

“Coach will still let me play, but he told me today I’d better be at practice tomorrow or else. I don’t suppose you’d like to stay after school tomorrow and watch me practice? I could run you home afterward.”

“Tyler, I think Hadley needs some time with her friends. I’m sure she loves spending time with you, but maybe the two of you should take a break tomorrow,” Mom said.

I wasn’t sure I liked her interfering, even if the thought of football practice did scare me. I knew the girls who went to those practices, and they would not be pleased to see me there. Especially since I was dating Tyler, the one boy every girl wanted for herself. But Mom did have a point. I hadn’t spent any time with my friends, had barely spoken to them since this boyfriend deal with Tyler. Maybe a little girl time would be good for me, even if they did grill me about Tyler the entire time. And I knew they would.

“Maybe I’ll go to Amber’s tomorrow,” I told Mom. That seemed to appease her and she left the room just as quickly as she’d entered it. It furthered my suspicion that she hadn’t come to check on dinner, but had been coming to check on me. Mom might seem okay with Tyler hanging out, but I knew she was nervous that a boy this cute would have me making bad decisions before she had time to put a stop to it.

Tyler looked bummed, but I hoped he understood. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to spend more time with him, but Mom was right. I was neglecting my friends, and they would be around forever while Tyler was just temporary. I couldn’t afford to alienate the people who had stood by me all these years just because I was feeling a little boy crazy at the moment.

“Are you mad?” I asked.

He seemed surprised. “Of course not. I had hoped you’d get to come to practice, but it’s no big deal. It’s not like she said you can’t come to any practices, just not the one tomorrow. I’m sorry if I’ve made you neglect your friends.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure they understand that I’ve been busy. Yes, we have lunch with them, but I haven’t really had a chance to talk to them much lately. Even our phone calls have been short and texts have been few and far between. It will be nice to have a little girl time.”

He winked. “And talk about me?”

My cheeks warmed. “Maybe.”

Tyler laughed and leaned over to kiss me. It was a quick kiss, but it still packed quite a punch. If he didn’t stop kissing me, he was going to short circuit my brain. I’d already determined he was hazardous and I should proceed with caution, and yet every time we were together, I threw caution to the wind and just lived in the moment. If I wasn’t careful, I’d end up a teenage statistic. Not that Tyler had fathered any children, that I knew of, but there was always a first time, and I was determined it wouldn’t be me.

“You look serious all of a sudden,” he said.

“I just realized I don’t seem to have any self-control when I’m around you, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. I don’t want to do something stupid I might regret later.”

“And being with me like that would be stupid?” His voice was tight with anger and there was a flash of pain in his eyes that he quickly masked. I wanted to take the words back, but it was too late; they were already out there and had done some damage.

“I didn’t mean stupid, exactly, but what if things did go that far between us and something happened? You’ve obviously been careful up to this point, but accidents happen, Tyler. If there was a baby, then you’d be tied to me forever, and we could probably both kiss our chances at a future goodbye. Or at least I could. No way I’d be able to have a baby and start college in the fall.”

“Whoa! Whoa! Hang on a sec. No one said anything about you getting pregnant. And I never said I was going to push you to go that far, but if something did happen between us, I’d like to think I’d do everything I could to keep you safe. You’re right, an accident could happen to anyone, but I also don’t like calling my potential kid an accident.”

“You know what I mean.”

He pulled me closer. “Let’s take things one day at a time. You’re worrying about something that may never happen.”

I knew he was right. I was so worried I would screw up that I was inventing problems that weren’t there. From this point on, I’d live in the moment and enjoy this relationship while it lasted.

Chapter Six

Tyler

Where the hell had that conversation come from? Did Hadley really think I was the type of guy who would be careless when it came to sex? More importantly, when had she started thinking about having sex with me? While I had to admit the idea excited me, I knew it would be better if I kept my pants zipped this time. Hadley wasn’t like other girls. I liked the fact she’d saved herself all this time. For me, I hoped, but not necessarily right now. If I played my cards right, we’d go off to college together, and as our relationship grew, we could explore becoming more intimate with one another.

If any of my friends knew what I was thinking, they would recoil in horror. I was the party guy, the guy who jumped everything in a skirt, and here I was talking about waiting until Hadley was ready, even if that meant waiting years. Oddly enough, I was okay waiting for her. I knew she would be worth it, because I’d discovered she was the one. I’d just never known how to pursue her before now, or if she’d even had an interest in me. Not until that kiss.

I’d relived that kiss a thousand times, and it made me smile every time. Who knew one bold move on her part would kick-start something so fantastic? I had to admit, this was probably the best idea I’d ever had. I wasn’t sure if Hadley even believed the relationship was for pretend anymore, even though she brought it up on occasion. I figured it was more as a reminder to herself to keep her distance when things started getting hot and heavy between us.

Friday was fast approaching, and Hadley would be in the stands for the first time this year. Possibly the first time ever. It excited me more than anything had in a long while. I was going to play the game for her, win it for her. With her cheering in my corner, I knew anything was possible, even defeating our rivals, a team that had slaughtered us the last time we’d played. I wasn’t worried though. My teammates were. I could tell, despite their snarky comments, that deep down they were scared to death we would lose again. It was up to us to keep the school spirit going, and if we lost, morale would tank.

Thanks to missing practice the last two days, coach had me doing suicides. Before starting them, I’d already done three reps of one hundred sit-ups and the same for push-ups. My lungs ached and my legs burned as I worked my ass off, but I knew better than to piss off the coach this close to game day. One wrong word on my part, and I’d be riding the bench for the game, and I’d heard there would be scouts in the stands. No one was saying from which schools, but just knowing potential scholarships were out there was enough to create a buzz in the locker room.

Coach blew his whistle and I nearly collapsed where I stood. My teammates had long since finished practice, having actually gotten a chance to play while I had to deal with my punishment. Coach came over and put his hands on his hips.

“Son, I know girls seem like the most important thing in the world right now, but have we learned anything from today’s activities?”

“Girls don’t come before practice, Coach.”

He nodded. “You can hang out with your girlfriend all you want, on your own time. But practice is
my
time, and I own you during those hours. Make sure you’re on time tomorrow after school, or you won’t play in Friday’s game. I don’t care how much you think you love this girl you’ve been dating. When it comes to football, she takes a back seat.”

“Understood, Coach.”

“Hit the showers. If you go anywhere near her smelling the way you do, you’ll be single again.”

I snorted and jogged off the field on legs that felt like jelly. The locker room was empty save for Robert, who was lurking for some reason. He looked worried, and I wondered if it was about the game or something else.

“Shouldn’t you have taken off by now?” I asked.

He glanced my way and shook his head. “Man, I don’t know if I should say anything or not.”

“About what?” I asked, pulling my shirt over my head. I snatched a clean towel off the counter and headed for the showers, where I finished stripping out of my clothes.

The water came out hot, steam billowing around me. Robert hadn’t followed me, so whatever was on his mind couldn’t be that important. Still, I showered quickly, dried off, and wrapped the towel around my waist. Balling up my dirty clothes, I went back to my locker and shoved them into my gym bag.

“You look like you’re going to have a stroke,” I said. “Whatever it is, just spit it out. It can’t be that bad.”

“It’s about Hadley.”

“Hadley?”

“I tried to stop her.”

My brow furrowed. “You tried to stop Hadley?”

He shook his head. “Alicia.”

“What did Alicia do? She already got detention for putting yogurt in Hadley’s locker. I thought she’d learned her lesson.”

“She’s pissed about the detention. And she’s even more pissed about how cozy you’ve been with Hadley. You never held her hand going through the halls, and she’s noticed. You’ve made an enemy of her.”

“What’s she planning?” I asked, not sure I wanted to hear, but knowing I had to put a stop to it if at all possible. Hadley didn’t deserve to be tormented by my psycho ex.

“She left a gift basket on Hadley’s porch this afternoon. I don’t know what was in it, but…”

I was about to punch him if he didn’t get to the point.

“My phone was blowing up with texts while we were in practice. Someone said Hadley was taken to the hospital this afternoon. I don’t know what Alicia did, but it’s bad.” Robert looked sick. “I heard Alicia planning something earlier today, but I just thought she’d pull another prank like the yogurt thing.”

My stomach dropped. Hadley had gone to the hospital? I quickly jerked my phone out of my jeans pocket and scrolled through the missed calls and texts. I didn’t recognize the number, but I had a voicemail and four missed texts from Hadley’s friend Amber. I snatched my bag off the bench and ran from the locker room, with Robert on my heels. When we reached the parking lot, I jumped into my truck and gunned the engine so hard I fishtailed out of the parking lot. I could see Robert’s car in my rearview and wondered if he was following me to the hospital. With any luck, no cops were around because I was breaking every speed limit between the high school and the hospital.

The parking lot was full at the hospital, and I had to park a long ways from the door. I’d listened to the voicemail on the way here, my heart pounding as Hadley’s mom told me Hadley was being admitted. I couldn’t remember the last time something frightened me this much. What the hell had Alicia done to Hadley? Or was it merely a coincidence that she was being hospitalized the same day Alicia left her a gift? I could only hope that was the case. I knew Alicia was crazy, but she’d never done anything like this before.

I ran to the front desk, Robert right behind me, and skidded to a stop.

“Hadley Ryan was admitted recently. Can you tell me which room she’s in?” I asked the harried looking woman behind the desk.

She tapped on her keyboard a moment. “Room 207.”

Robert and I ran to the elevators, getting dirty looks from the people we passed, and then rode up to the second floor. We followed the signs to room 207 and paused outside. The door was partially open and I knocked before entering, not wanting to catch anyone unaware. Hadley’s mom sat in a chair by the window, her face pinched and pale.

“I tried to call you, Tyler,” she said, as she stood to greet me. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Robert. He’s on the football team with me.”

Mrs. Ryan shook Robert’s hand then gestured toward Hadley, who was lying still and pale on the bed, her eyes closed and lips slightly parted.

“The doctor isn’t positive, but he thinks it was some kind of poison. They pumped her stomach and are giving her some meds, but he’d like to keep her overnight for observation, just in case there are still traces.” Mrs. Ryan reclaimed her chair. “I don’t understand how she could have been poisoned. I’m very careful about the things I purchase for her snacks.”

“I think I know what happened, Mrs. Ryan,” Robert said. “I overheard a girl at school today talking about leaving Hadley a gift basket on the porch. She’s Tyler’s ex-girlfriend and the one who put yogurt in Hadley’s locker.”

Mrs. Ryan’s eyes went wide. “You think she hates my daughter enough to kill her? The doctors said if I hadn’t been so quick to react I would have lost her today.”

I wasn’t sure my legs would hold me much longer. I snagged a chair and pulled it over beside the bed, then took Hadley’s hand in mine. She was cool to the touch and I wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I squeezed her fingers and lifted her hand, placing a kiss on the back of it.

“I’m here, Hadley. Can you open your eyes for me?” I asked.

She didn’t move.

“The doctor said she might not wake for a few hours,” Mrs. Ryan said. “It was a fast-acting poison. Within a few hours, she’d have been dead.”

I looked over my shoulder at Robert. “Call the police and tell them you have information for them. I want Alicia arrested.”

He nodded and pulled out his phone, stepping into the hall. Mrs. Ryan looked shaken, and I wanted to offer her comfort, but I wasn’t sure how. All that mattered was getting Hadley well enough to go home. And if she was staying in the hospital overnight, then I would too, even if Mrs. Ryan kicked me out to the waiting room. Football be damned. I didn’t care anymore about the scouts coming to Friday’s game. If Hadley wasn’t there, I didn’t care if I played or not. There would be other opportunities, but there was only one Hadley.

“Mrs. Ryan, I’d like to stay with Hadley, if that’s okay with you.”

“You can stay as long as you’d like. As much as I’d love to be here until she goes home, my husband has already told me to go home for the night and he’d come sit with Hadley for a while.”

“He’s a police officer, right?”

She nodded.

“And he knows Hadley was poisoned?”

“Well, I told him she’d ingested Hemlock, but we had no idea how she’d gotten any.”

“Mrs. Ryan, I know you don’t want to leave Hadley, but you should probably look for that gift basket and the items it contained. There may still be traces of Hemlock that would prove Alicia poisoned her.”

She stood slowly. “If you promise not to leave her for a minute, I’ll call my husband and ask him to meet me at the house. We’ll do a thorough search for it. If we find something, he can call the crime lab and have everything processed as evidence.”

“I swear I won’t leave this room.”

Mrs. Ryan picked up her purse, paused by the bed long enough to kiss Hadley’s cheek, and then she quietly left the room. Robert came back in and claimed the seat Mrs. Ryan had just vacated.

“Why didn’t you tell me Hadley’s dad was a cop?”

“I didn’t think about it. Mrs. Ryan was about to call him. They’re going to search their home for the gift basket and see if anything in it contains Hemlock. But even if there isn’t any evidence, I’m convinced Alicia was behind this. Where the hell else would Hadley have gotten Hemlock?”

“Maybe you should be asking where Alicia got it.”

“Probably from her aunt. She runs one of those spiritualist shops and has all kinds of herbs and stuff in there. If anyone knows how to get Hemlock and hide it in food, it would be her Aunt Esther.”

Robert leaned forward, bracing his arms on his knees. “So Hadley is going to be okay?”

“As long as they got it all out of her system. I guess they’ve given her something to counteract it, like antivenin when someone is bitten by a snake. I wish she’d open her eyes though. I’d feel so much better if she’d talk to me.”

“Want me to stay with you a while? I can call my parents and tell them what’s going on. I should probably hang out until Mr. Ryan gets here. I need to give a statement, even though I told him over the phone what I’d overheard. Of course, he said it’s my word against hers, but at least they have a direction to go now.”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” I asked. “If I’d known before practice that Alicia left something for Hadley, I could have warned her.”

“I just thought it was a harmless prank. I’m really damn sorry. I can’t tell you how sick I feel knowing Hadley could have died because I didn’t say anything sooner.”

I could tell he was tormented and let the matter drop. There would be plenty of time for finger pointing later, and really, the only person to blame was Alicia. I didn’t know what I was going to do about her. Maybe Mr. Ryan would be able to pin the poisoning on her, and she’d be punished. Although, I had a feeling she’d face jail time since she nearly killed Hadley. It sickened me to think my ex was capable of such a thing. Just what kind of people had I been hanging out with? Did that make me as bad a person as Alicia?

Robert eventually left and I remained with Hadley, holding her hand and talking to her softly. I told her about practice, told her how beautiful she was, even in a hospital gown, and just rambled about nonsense so she could hear the sound of my voice. It was quite a while later before a man stepped into the room, wearing a worn gray tee and jeans.

“You must be Tyler,” he said, as he approached the bed. “I’ve heard a lot about you, mostly from my wife since my daughter doesn’t talk to her old man about things like boys.”