The Boyfriend Deal(15)

"Isn't it getting kind of cool out for that?"

"There's a blanket in my truck."

She swung a narrow-eyed glare my way, and I held up a hand.

"It's not what you think! I stuck in there the other day thinking I'd  take you on a picnic if the weather didn't get too cool or rainy."

"Are you sure you're not seeing someone else?"

It took me a minute to realize she was kidding. I tickled her, kissed  her neck, and then wrapped my arms around her. She was the most precious  thing in my life, and I couldn't imagine spending a day without her by  my side. We hadn't talked more about the future, but I knew we would be  soon. Maybe even today. Lookout Point was a great place to ask her the  most important question I'd ever asked anyone in my life.

After lunch, the rest of the day flew by. Hadley was waiting at her  locker when I walked up. Taking her bag from her, I walked her out to my  truck and helped her inside. Once I'd stashed our bags in the backseat  and climbed behind the wheel, I headed for Lookout Point and tried to  still my racing heart. This wasn't going to be just another day; this  was going to be the day that decided whether or not Hadley was part of  my future.

The Point was an isolated area off the Cumberland River, and the main  make-out area for our small community. The fact Hadley had never been  there thrilled me. It was something we should share, even though I'd  been there with other girls. Now I wished I hadn't. If I'd have known  that one day Hadley would be mine, I never would have dated all those  girls-especially Alicia.

I parked the truck, grabbed the blanket out of the backseat, and then  spread it in the bed. I put my hands on Hadley's waist and lifted her  into the back then followed her in. As I laid down, I pulled her against  my side and cuddled her close. Dappled sunshine filtered through the  trees overhead as a cool breeze blew over us. Hadley shivered next to  me, and I flipped the edge of the blanket over her.

"Thank you for bringing me out here," she said.

"Hadley, where do you see us a few years from now?"

She snuggled closer and played with the front of my shirt. "I don't  know. I'm struggling with school because it's so hard to read the words  or notes on the page that I doubt I'll go to college. Without a college  degree, it isn't like I'll ever have a great job. I mean, if I could do  something creative that would be different, but my only talent is  playing the flute."

"But you see us together, right?"

"I'd like to think we'll still be together. But what if you get tired of  me, Tyler? I'm not the same girl you started dating. Eventually, it's  going to get tiresome that I don't see things very well. The doctor said  there's a chance my eyes will continue to worsen until I can't see at  all. Apparently, I ingested a lot of the poison."         

     



 

"Baby, you know I don't care about any of that. I still see the same  vibrant, sweet girl that kissed me in the hall that morning. When I look  into our future, I see you going with me to college and us renting a  small apartment, and then when I graduate, I see you planning our  wedding."

She giggled. "A wedding?"

Digging in my pocket, I pulled out the small jewelry box and clutched it  in my fist. "Hadley, there's something I need to ask you."

I looked into her eyes and brought the box up for her inspection. When I  popped the lid open, her eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped.  She looked from the white gold ring to me and back again.

"Tyler  …  what? I …  Are you for real?"

"Hadley, I told you I loved you, and I meant it then just as much as I  do now. Would you consider wearing this ring until we've known each  other well enough for me to exchange it for an engagement ring?"

Tears gathered in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. "A promise ring?"

"Yeah, Hads. It's a promise ring. Because I promise to always love you,  and one day I want us to join our lives together, at some point in the  future after college and jobs. I know a lot could happen between now and  then, but I want you to know how much you mean to me."

She rose up and placed her hands on either side of my face before  kissing me. Her lips and tongue teased and tormented me as I waited for  her answer. Or was the kiss her answer? When she stopped kissing me, it  took a minute for our racing heart to calm, and then I pulled the ring  out of the box and slid it onto her finger. She started crying again and  threw her arms around me.

"I love you, Hadley."

"I love you too, Tyler." She kissed me again, softly this time, and then pulled away. "Make love to me?"

My heart nearly lurched out of my chest. "What?"

A smile played around the corners of her lips. "You heard me."

"Hadley, I … "

Before I could utter another word, she'd pulled her shirt off and tossed  it aside. She was beautiful and everything I'd ever wanted. In that  moment, I made a decision to give her whatever she wanted, and to make  sure I became the type of man who would deserve someone like her. As the  dappled sunlight surrounded us, I made love to her, showing her just  how much I loved and cherished her. It was the most magical moment of my  life, and I knew nothing would ever compare to it.





Chapter Nine



Hadley



I'd been back at school for over a month and things had been going  …   well, I wouldn't say they were great. I could barely read my textbooks  and music. Tyler came over every day after school to help me with my  homework, but I felt like I was being unfair to him. He should have been  out with his friends and going to parties, not stuck at home helping  his nearly blind girlfriend figure out her assignments. The ring on my  finger felt heavier and heavier as each day passed. Had I been wrong to  accept it? Was I ruining Tyler's life by staying with him? I felt  selfish.

"Are you staring at me?" I asked Amber.

"Maybe."

"Whatever you're thinking, you can say  …  you don't have sit there and hold it in."

"All right. Why have you been pushing Tyler away?"

I snorted. "I haven't been pushing him away. He's at my house every day.  If you hadn't promised to help me with my homework today, he'd be here  right now."

"Hadley, no one can deny that he helps you, but you've been distant with  him lately. You hardly hold hands with him in the halls anymore, and I  can't remember the last time I saw you kiss him at lunch. What's going  on with you?"

I stared down at table. "I just think maybe he'd be better off without me."

"Why would you think that?" Amber asked softly. "Can't you tell he's crazy about you?"

"What kind of future can I offer Tyler? He has two scholarship offers,  and he's going to turn down both of them because he feels like he needs  to take care of me. I don't want to be a responsibility to someone,  Amber. I can't go grocery shopping by myself; I can't drive, and once  this year is over, I don't think I'll be playing the flute anymore  either. At least, not in an academic way. I'll still play for me,  because it's something I love to do, but reading the music is just too  damn hard."

"Why do you think he feels you're a responsibility?"

"He brings me home every afternoon and we do homework; he stays for  dinner, and then goes home. I can't remember the last time he asked me  out on a date, or invited me to a party. I'm sure he doesn't mean to,  but he treats me differently now. It's like he's afraid I'll break, or  that I won't be able to make it outside of school or this house."         

     



 

"Have you told him how you feel?" Amber asked.

"No. He says he loves me, and I believe him, but maybe he shouldn't. If  he didn't love me, then he wouldn't feel obligated to sit around the  house with me. He'd go hang out with his friends and have fun."

"Maybe he thinks hanging out with you is fun."

Tears gathered in my eyes. "Did you know that the day he gave me this  promise ring we made love? It was my first time, but he made it magical.  And he hasn't touched me since. Not once has he asked to take me to the  Point, or anywhere we might be completely alone. He feels sorry for me,  and I'm sure he regrets ever giving me this ring."

"Hadley … "

"Just forget it. One day he'll wake up and realize what a mistake I am." Tears slipped down my cheeks.

I heard a noise behind me and stiffened. Had someone been listening to our conversation? I hastily wiped away my tears.

"Amber, would you excuse us?"

Tyler! Had he heard everything I'd said? Was this the moment he broke up  with me and went back to his regular life? A life where he didn't have a  handicapped girlfriend.

A chair scraped against the floor and I watched as he took a seat next to me.

"How long have you felt that way?" he asked. "How long have you doubted my feelings for you?"

"Tyler, I … "