The Boyfriend Deal(29)

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.