Read Online The Boyfriend Deal by Charity West - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charity West
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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,
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,
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