Page 34 of Never Let Go

Those vivid greens swept across my face before he shook his head, a soft smile lifting the corners of his lips. “You know, I wish I’d known how you felt about me.”

I frowned, knowing we should get to business but too curious to leave this alone just yet. “What? Why?”

“Because I felt the same way,” he said. “I had such a thing for you, but I didn’t think you’d say yes if I asked you out, so I didn’t. It’s too bad, really.”

The shock filtering through my system floored me, and for a long minute, all I could do was stare back at him, so surprised that I was utterly speechless. Foster laughed. “What? You don’t believe me?”

I blinked a few times fast. “No, it’s not… I mean, I don’t think you’re lying or anything. It’s just hard to believe that you had a crush on me back then. You were a freaking superstar and I was just the weird nerd in the corner.”

He leaned forward slightly like he was about to share a secret with me, eyes shining with amusement. He shrugged. “We were all the weird nerds in the corner, and if anyone was the superstar, it was you. There was nothing you couldn’t do, Shelby. Everyone knew if they had a problem with any of their coursework, you were the one to go to. It was pretty damn impressive.”

I turned red, but then I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Thanks, but I always felt like you were the impressive one. Either way, it’s ancient history now, right?”

He gave me a long look before he finally nodded. “Yeah, I guess it is. This kind of makes me wish I could go back in time and ask you out, but I’m afraid I can’t do it now. I’m seeing someone pretty great and I don’t want to jeopardize it.”

“No, of course not,” I rushed out. “I’m seeing someone amazing. I didn’t tell you the truth because I was trying to make a move on you. I just felt silly for not telling you that I even remembered you last time and it felt like the right thing to do to be honest with you now.”

“I’m happy for you, Shelby,” he said sincerely. “I hope your amazing someone turns out well.”

“Thanks. I hope the same for you.” I exhaled deeply and smiled. “Right. Let’s get this paperwork signed, shall we? Did you have an independent lawyer look it over between now and our last meeting?”

“I did. He assures me it’s all on the up-and-up. I signed next to all your color-coded tabs, so thanks for those. What’s next?”

“Not much, actually. If you’re satisfied with the paperwork and you’ve already signed it, all you need to do is designate an account for the money to be transferred to and it’ll all be over. We’ll take care of all the legalities from our end and you get to go out and celebrate.”

His eyes grew huge. “It’s that simple?”

I shrugged. “It’s that simple. Your inheritance is straightforward, Foster. There’s nothing to worry about. Mr. Chesterfield had all his i’s dotted and his t’s crossed before he passed, and that helps a lot. You’re a beneficiary and that isn’t any work at all if your loved one had everything in order like your grandfather did.”

Foster seemed stunned, nodding absently before he let out a deep sigh. “Okay, well, let’s get it done, then. How do I designate an account?”

I passed over the forms I’d already printed and watched as he filled them. Then we shook hands again and he was gone. All without any muss, fuss, or regrets. It was incredible to think that after all this time, in just two dates, Tyler had made me forget about my feelings for Foster completely.

When I went home later that afternoon, I felt lighter than air, thinking only of Tyler and the sweet taste of him and not even caring a little bit that Foster had so much money now. Some things were better than money, and the chemistry I felt with Tyler was one of those things.

With him, I felt the kind of hope I’d never felt before. I felt comfortable and heard. Understood and more than a little bit turned on. The guy checked all my boxes in every way, and not even my former crush had changed that.

The knowledge made me grin. I called Ashley once I got home, curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea as it started raining outside.

She picked up on the first ring. “What happened to calling me immediately after your date? You didn’t only get home now, did you? It’s been days!”

I chuckled. “I didn’t only get home now. You know the rules. Even if I wanted to stay with him for days, I wouldn’t have been allowed to.”

Although spending a few days with Tyler sounded like heaven to me right now. Ashley sighed.

“So how was it? Are you only calling me now because it went so well, or because it went so poorly?”

“Don’t worry, it didn’t go poorly. It was amazing,” I gushed. “I just didn’t call you when I got home that night because my head was in the clouds and I got so caught up thinking about him that by the time I realized I was supposed to have called you, it was after midnight.”

“Ah, I remember that feeling so well. Head in the clouds. Hand in the panties. The good old days.”

I blushed so hard, I was pretty sure my skin got swollen. “Ash!”

“What?” she asked innocently. “I was talking about myself. Not about you. Unless—”

“I’m not talking to you about that.”

She laughed. “So your hand was in your panties then, huh? It’s okay, Shel. You don’t have to be so shy about it. Jeez. Everyone does it, and when you’ve got that kind of chemistry with someone and you can’t touch them, it’s like a survival instinct.”