Free The Boyfriend Deal by Charity West Page B

colleges she did?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “And if you’re both accepted to the same schools?”
    “Then I’ll go wherever Hadley goes. I asked her the other day if she saw herself renting an apartment with a boyfriend in college, but she never gave me a direct answer. I don’t think she believes I’m serious about following her to college, and she thinks our relationship has an expiration date on it.”
    “I know you’re young, and even if you do go off to college with Hadley, there’s a chance you might not stay together. But I have to ask … when you look at my daughter, what do you see?”
    “An angel.” I answered honestly. “She’s beautiful, smart, talented … and way too good for someone like me. I’ll be honest. I don’t have the best reputation around school. I’m kind of known for chasing one girl after another, and not keeping any of them for very long. But I can assure you things are different with Hadley. I noticed her the first day I walked into pre-K, and I’ve noticed her every day since. It wasn’t until she kissed me in the hall the other day that I thought I might have a chance to actually make her mine, and now that I have her, I don’t want to let her go.”
    Mr. Ryan patted my shoulder. “Good answer.”
    Hadley moaned softly and her lashes fluttered as her eyes slowly opened. “Where am I?”
    “You’re still in the hospital,” I said.
    I watched as she looked from me to her dad and back to me. “Are the two of you guarding me from something?”
    “I’m on night duty while your mom gets some rest,” Mr. Ryan said. “And I think your young man here is protecting you from the girl who put you in the hospital.”
    Her brow wrinkled. “I don’t understand.”
    I squeezed her hand, knowing that by admitting my ex had tried to kill her I might lose her forever. “Alicia sent the gift basket. She poisoned the muffins inside. At least, that’s what we believe. Your dad is waiting on conclusive evidence and an arrest. It seems we have more in common than we thought … exes in jail.”
    Her eyes went wide. “She tried to kill me?”
    “I’ll understand if you don’t want me here, Hadley. In a way, it’s my fault you’re lying in this bed. I knew Alicia wasn’t quite right in the head, but you have to believe me when I say I never thought her capable of killing someone.”
    “Your ex put me here?” Her eyes welled with tears. “I almost died, Tyler. If Mom hadn’t come home when she did, I wouldn’t be lying here now. I’d be downstairs in the morgue.”
    “I know, Hadley, and if there was any way to undo the last few hours, I would.”
    “Don’t be too hard on him, Hads,” Mr. Ryan said. “He’s been here since he found out what happened, and I’m guessing he hasn’t left that chair the entire time.”
    She looked from me to her dad and back again. “Tyler, I appreciate that you came here, but I think I need to be alone right now.”
    My heart constricted. She was kicking me out? Was she just shutting me out of her hospital room or out of her life? I wasn’t sure I would survive without her.
    “Hadley, please don’t do this. I know I seriously screwed up. If I hadn’t strung Alicia along for the last three years, then none of this would have happened. The only thing I can figure is that she thought we’d end up together … then she saw you and me together and knew it would never happen.”
    Tears trickled down her cheeks. “And why wouldn’t it ever happen? You don’t really want me, Tyler. Remember, I’m just a means to an end. I’m sure your mom will back off on the military school thing. You don’t need to pretend to be interested in me anymore.”
    “Don’t you get it, Hadley? I was never pretending.”
    “You told me yourself we were going to strike a deal. A temporary arrangement to get Hunter to back off me and get your mom to forget about military school. I think we’ve accomplished those things. You’re free to go your own way