Page 24 of Pool Girl - An Instalove Possessive Age Gap

It’s a relief, but it’s no relief at the same time.

I just want dad to be well again, but at the same time, if he hadn’t come to the hospital, if he hadn’t been sick in the first place, I might never have met Will.

We would never have…

I can’t think like that though. Dad’s fine and that’s all that matters.

I have no idea how we’ll pay Will back for the hospital bill though, how we’ll manage with a lot of things if dad is gonna be in here for a few days.

Hospitals are expensive. And despite what my dad tells me, the pool cleaning game isn’t a million dollar job.

I watch Will walk down to the room my dad’s in, wondering why he was so distant, but the nurse’s look explains a lot as she looks over the folder with the payment details Will’s filled out.

“So, your uncle and you, pretty close huh?” she asks, looking at me with narrowed eyes.

I don’t like her, and I know Will doesn’t either.

I open my mouth to automatically correct her, to tell her Will’s not my uncle but in a split second, I figure Will’s put himself down as my dad’s brother.

That’s what Will would do.

It’s my turn to give her a piercing look. “What’s that got to do with my dad’s treatment?” I ask her, watching her flush and humph as she flips through the papers, turning her back to me.

Leaving me alone after a moment, she storms off down the hall in the opposite direction from dad’s room.

Hugging my elbows, I feel a chill again, suddenly fearful I might have contracted something myself when I fell in the pool today.

Hospitals always do this to me, two minutes in one and I’m convinced I have something wrong with me.

I suddenly come to my senses again, with nurse Ratchet gone, who says I can’t go back down to dad’s room to see him but more importantly right now, to see Will too.

I get about halfway, almost turning back when I think I hear that nurse coming back, but it’s not her.

It’s two men’s voices, trying not to shout, hissing at each other.

As I get closer to dad’s room, creeping now, I realize it’s him and Will.

It sounds like they’re arguing but trying hard not to shout.

As soon as I’m convinced it is them, I freeze. I mean, talk about awkward.

I don’t want to rush in and interrupt them, but at the same time, the man’s just had a heart attack. He shouldn’t be getting excited about anything.

But, I also trust Will as much as my dad. It’s a maddening moment, but suddenly they both go quiet. Finally, they start talking normally and I debate again whether to even go in there or not.

I creep up a few more steps, hearing my dad sigh and say something about how Will’s always done right by him.

I can’t go in there. It’s none of my business what they’re talking about. It’s probably about the hospital bill. That’s what it is. Dad doesn’t want to have Will pay for his hospital bills.

As if we have a choice right now.

A door bangs down the hall, making me jump and I turn to see that nurse walking back over to her station. Before she has a chance to spot me, I know I have to go one way or the other.

In two long steps, I’m back inside dad’s room. Will turns in surprise and my dad looks up at me, and then at Will.

I can tell they’re both wondering how much I heard.

“Sorry,” I whisper. “That nurse…” I explain, but they’re both still staring at me. My dad’s gaze is more intense than ever, almost accusing compared to Will’s who only looks surprised that I suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

His shoulders relax and he gives me a small smile, keeping his eyes on me, not on my dad.

I want to go to him. I feel like it’s where I belong, but the look my dad’s giving me is unsettling.

“What? What is it, Dad?” I ask, hearing a tremor in my own voice, feeling suddenly like I’ve gone from the pan into the fire by coming in here.

“Will says he helped you do the pools today, that you fell in one at his place,” he finally says, forcing a laugh.

But his laugh has an edge to it.

An edge that makes my belly start to twist with nerves.

He knows. Crap! He knows.

It’s strange how our parents just know some things, like when we’ve been bad or when we’re lying. Even if we have the best intentions, even when we’re trying to protect their feelings.

I don’t want to get into it with my dad, not now and maybe not ever. Even though I know the day will come when Will and I have to talk to dad about us, I just don’t want it to be right now.

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