Page 58 of Race to Me

Foster looks me over. “What is it?”

Flashbacks of the night before seep into my mind, with Foster shattering my phone on the marble floor being one of them. “Kate probably thinks I’m dead. I don’t have a phone anymore.” I groan, not annoyed with him but annoyed in general.

Foster shrugs, looking unfazed. “Already called her.”

“Oh,” I say, wide-eyed. “What did you say?”

“Your business isn’t mine to tell, but friend to friend,” I deflate at his words, and he kisses my forehead. “Sorry, weird way to phrase that. But you’re going to have to let me ease into whatever this is, since it’s all new to me.” A beat of silence stretches between us. “You need to tell her. She won’t judge you. No one would, Sky.” His deep voice slips over me like a silk dress.

I shake my head. “I don’t want to air it out.”

“Okay,” he replies simply.

I bend my head down, and he lifts it back up. “Is that okay?” I ask.

Foster looks at me intently. “Of course. You can do whatever you want, okay? This is your world, and you control every single aspect of it.”

I knew he was special, I always did, but I never knew the extent of his heart. I breathe a little easier. “So, can I text her from your phone to make sure she’s okay?”

“No,’ He deadpans, sliding his phone away from me.

“Okay?” I raise a confused brow.

He opens his nightstand drawer, pulling out a rectangular box and grinning from ear to ear. “You don’t need to because I got you your own.”

My eyes gloss over at the gesture, but I shake my head. “No, I can’t accept that.”

“You need a phone, right?” Foster asks.

“Yeah,” I admit, but I don’t want him to pay for it.

He slides the box in my hand. “Okay, then you can and will accept it.”

It’s the best gift ever because it’s from him. I open the brand-new iPhone, and guilt washes over me as my eyes pan to his older phone. “Why don’t we switch?” I suggest.

“I don’t need more than this. I went to the store before you woke up and got this. If I wanted a new one, I would have gotten it then. Please, don’t be difficult and just accept it.” Foster pleads.

I jump into his arms, knowing how lost I would be without him but also knowing how much power he makes me feel. “Thank you,” I say with a small smile. “But you’re not buying me one single thing today!” I gently demand, pointing a finger in his face. Foster laughs, nipping at it.

“And I did take the liberty of giving you a new number.” he mumbles.

“Oh,” I look at the phone, shrugging. “That’s fine. But why?”

“I didn’t want them contacting you. So, now you have that choice if you want to contact them, but they have no way to call you.”

I nod, thankful. “This means a lot to me.”

“Okay, now get up. We’ve got to pick up Kate.”

I perk up. “Really? She’s coming?” I squeal. Although I’m not ready to tell her what’s happened, I’m happy to see my best friend.

∞∞∞

After quickly getting ready, we hop into Foster’s car. It feels weird not having a car of my own, but I know with the support system I have around me, I’ll be okay.

We pull up in front of the dorms, and Kate jumps into the backseat, throwing her arms around the chair and me. “I was so worried. What happened to you? You practically ran out of the hospital!”

I give a nervous laugh, looking over to Foster. “I didn’t eat yesterday.” I shrug uneasily.

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