Page 26 of Pool Girl - An Instalove Possessive Age Gap

He knows.

“You always have plenty of money, don’t you Will? Plenty of shit to rub my fucking nose in. Well now you have the greatest pile of all, don’t you? Don’t you!” he practically shouts, and I move closer with both my hands up if only to try and calm him down. Stop him from having another heart attack.

But his outburst has weakened him, he slumps back onto his pillow, and I feel like the worst man in the world once I see the single tear run down his cheek.

“I suppose she couldn’t stay a little girl forever. She’s been so grown up for years. College and now this,” he reflects, ignoring me and telling himself.

“She’s a woman now, not a child. But dammit man, I thought I could trust you with her, the one thing I had that you didn’t, the one thing I did right in this life. All by myself, without your meddling. Without your stupid money!” he finally hisses, and I get it.

I understand why this hurts him so much.

“I never wanted to hurt you, Guy,” I tell him truthfully. “This all happened so fast, but it’s real. I love Piper. I’m gonna take care of her, but I don’t want you thinking, not for one second that I did any of this to hurt you. Ask her yourself. She feels the same way I do.”

We stay silent for a while, then he sighs again. “I don’t need to ask her, Will. I could see it in her eyes just now. Before you came in here. She looks happy for the first time in her life. You’ve given her something she’s never had, confidence. Confidence in herself.”

I don’t know what to say, so decide to say nothing, but Guy reminds me again, a little more accepting this time.

“You always did good by me, Will. Both of us. You’ve helped more than anyone would or even should. And I know, as much as it pisses me off right now, that you’re the only man that can give my little girl the life I know she deserves.”

It’s as close as a blessing I’m gonna get, but before I can shake his hand, Piper’s suddenly in the room, and not long after, that damned nurse tosses us both out.

Piper’s looking worried sick, but I practically drag her out of the hospital, not making any sense until we get back in her dad’s car that we borrowed to come down to the hospital.

“Will,” she says nervously. “You’re scaring me. What’s going on? Does he know?”

Her look softens as I smile, but she’s still looking slightly panicked.

Good old Piper, I know that like me she just doesn’t want to hurt her dad’s feelings.

I take her hand in mine. If it was the right time for me to claim her then it’s the right time to ask her this one question.

But she won’t let me.

She’s talking right over me, full of concern about her dad and worried about me too.

God, I just love her so much.Chapter NineteenPiperI can hear my voice getting louder, higher in pitch.

It’s like the more words I spill out, the more frantic I’m sound.

Why is he smiling? This is serious.

Will has practically dragged me out of the hospital and into the car, scaring me and confusing me. And now he’s smiling?

My mind is racing faster than my mouth too, and before I get too much out, I’m crying hysterically.

Will leans over and puts his strong arm around my shoulders, pulling me gently toward him as he does that thing I like so much. How he strokes my hair and kisses my head.

Telling me it’s alright. Telling me he loves me.

Will had his mouth open like he wanted to ask me something, but I have more questions than I know what to do with myself right now.

Sensing all this and more, Will calmly waits until I’ve settled down, just a little.

“Your dad’s gonna be fine, Piper. We’re gonna be fine too. But I know you have a lot to ask me and I think it’s only fair I answer all your questions before I ask you mine.”

He loosens his arms enough for me to look up at him. I can feel my eyes opening wider, his smile is so disarming, so confident.

“Does my dad know, about us I mean?” I ask question number one.

“Yes,” Will says, his grin only broadening.

I gasp a breath in and start to carry on again, but Will’s finger presses against my lips. “Questions, Piper, let’s just stick to questions and answers for now, okay?” he asks, showing the patience of a saint.

I feel confused, but arrange my thoughts to include everything I want to… everything I need to know about Will.

“How do you know my dad, really?” I ask.

“We were raised in the same boy’s home as orphans. I was fostered, your dad wasn’t.”

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