Page 74 of The Foul Out

There were moments this week when I truly wanted to punch him. But his dramatic messages were also making me smile.

“You’re allowing him to talk to her?” Zara cocked a brow and lifted her tea to her lips.

She’d come over an hour ago with Grey and Starbucks, because apparently Kyle had told Asher that I was upset, and Asher had told her.

“I told you—I am not making this a thing.” I fidgeted with my hair and ended up redoing the messy bun on my head simply to keep myself busy so that I wouldn’t admit to watching a few of the videos after Piper had gone to bed. Kyle and his brother Ryan were hysterical, so it wasn’t shocking that Piper was laughing.

“I cannot believe you didn’t call me the morning after and tell me about it. When you left my party with Kyle, I was sure I’d hear all about a happy ending. I daydreamed about it all week while we were at Asher’s awful mother’s house.”

“You are dreaming if you think my happy ending is Kyle Bosco.” I tried to force a chuckle past my lips, because the truth of it was, I still found myself thinking about the annoying man. And his adorable smirk. And the kisses. Though I wasn’t happy about any of it. And I hated that he had been paying for Piper’s therapies.

Something I’d fixed.

“Why? I adore Kyle,” she pouted.

I cocked a brow. She couldn’t be serious.

“Okay. Okay. But he only hid one tiny thing.” She held her thumb and pointer finger an inch apart.

I loved that she called over a thousand dollars a month a tiny thing. A sigh escaped me at the thought. It wasn’t just the ABA and RDI that Piper was doing with Ashley either. Her equestrian and sensory therapy were starting next week, and that would add significantly to the cost.

“His heart was in the right place. You have to see that. And he told you before anything happened between the two of you.”

“Well, yes…” That’s what I’d been arguing with myself about. He should have told me from the start, but I could respect him for informing me before we crossed the line of being just friends. Even so… “But I can’t imagine Kyle Bosco settling down. Let alone with someone like me.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t like when people put down my friends.”

I blew out a breath. “I know Kyle is great…I just…” I backpedaled a little. I hadn’t meant to insult her friend. I just couldn’t see myself being enough for him.

“Kyle would be lucky to end up with a smart, caring, beautiful woman like you. Someone who challenges him and makes him smile.”

Oh. I blinked. She was upset that I’d putmyselfdown? Was it possible for a heart to sink and lift at the same time?

“Exactly.” She nodded, one corner of her lips tipping up when the realization hit me. Angling forward, she put a hand on mine on the table. “I’m also upset that you didn’t come to me for Piper’s therapy stuff. I would have helped.”

I shook my head, my stomach twisting. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not asking you for money.”

“What are friends for if not to help?” She frowned, her brow creasing.

Yes, we were friends, but we’d only just met. And even if we’d been friends for years, I couldn’t see myself ever asking for financial help.

“Asher just hired a personal shopper and spent a disgusting amount of money so I don’t have to worry about shopping on my own. She just brings things to our house,” she scoffed. “Heaven forbid I pick out my own clothes or the kids’ stuff. I have no idea what the idiot was thinking.”

Asher did tend to spoil her. But although I was pretty certain it came from a good place, it was obvious that Zara was bored.Rather than ask her what she wanted, he just kept doing these things, thinking that by making her life easier, he would make her happy. But what she really wanted wasn’t more free time or morestuff. She just wanted his attention. His time. The man was always busy.

“Our money would be better spent helping Piper,” she huffed.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I told you I took care of it.”

“By pawning your great grandmother’s engagement ring,” she chided, wearing a frown that etched lines on either side of her mouth and her forehead.

It was the only thing I owned that had any value, and it would pay for a few months of therapies. I hadn’t wanted to do it, of course. I’d always planned to give it to Piper when she was grown. Jace had wanted to buy his own ring when he proposed, so I hadn’t ever worn it. And my mom never married, so she hadn’t either. But it was a gorgeous antique, the platinum snaking between the small diamonds on either side of a big square stone in the center. But in the end, therapies were more important to Piper than a ring. So I went to the jewelry shop two blocks from Boston Lights and sold it for enough to pay for the next eight months of Piper’s therapy. In the meantime, I’d work on finding another grant for her. I had to.

“It had been sitting in a jewelry box for years, collecting dust.” I shrugged and shifted in my chair, sighing. “It means so much that you would offer to help. But I would feel like I was taking advantage of you or Asher or even Kyle if I let you pay for her therapy.”

Her shoulders slumped, but understanding shone in her eyes.

“So yeah, it was sad to sell the ring, but it’s metal and rocks. And what wouldn’t you do for your kids?”

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