I sighed and refused again. “I’m not paying this $50,000.”
Ryan’s face instantly darkened.
Claire quickly pulled me aside, speaking in a low voice:
“Ethan Carter, Ryan might have gone a bit too far this time, but he’s still young. Don’t let this ruin his future. Why don’t we just help him this once?”
“And besides, this means he considers you family. You should be happy about that.”
I stared at her. “Claire, why didn’t you tell me about this before we came here?”
She nervously brushed her hair behind her ear. “I wanted to surprise you.”
A surprise?
I almost laughed from anger.
Ryan overheard our conversation and raised his voice:
“What? I’m kindly letting you practice on my son so you won’t mess up raising your own kids with my sister in the future. Shouldn’t you be happy about this? Shouldn’t you be paying up?”
“When I get discharged, the kid will stay with you and my sister. Oh, and that downtown condo of yours with the great school enrollment spot—perfect for my son when he starts school.”
Ryan got more and more carried away. “If it’s too much trouble for you, I can move in with my girlfriend too. We’ll help babysit when we have time.”