Page 24 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

He stared down at me and for a long time he didn't say anything. I watched his Adam's apple rise and fall.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said, almost too low for me to hear over the music.

"Why? You could just pretend that I'm her." It spilled out of my mouth before I even realized what I was saying.

"Who?"

"The girl you're in love with."

His eyes suddenly looked sad. "I don't want to pretend with you."

"Then don't pretend." I stood on my tiptoes and placed a kiss against his lips.

He didn't pull back.

I let my tongue dart against his lips. But he didn't part his for me. He didn't let me in. Instead he took a step away from me, and my hands fell from his neck.

"You're drunk, Hails."

"But I wanted you before I even had one shot."

He shook his head.

God, I was so embarrassed. I put a smile on my face. I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. And that it was his loss. But his rejection stung. I blinked away my tears. I didn't want to think about anything. My dad, the bar, him. Seriously, fuck him. I didn't need this. I already had enough shit to deal with without whatever the hell this was. "Awesome. So, I'm going to go drink more and sing another song without you." I turned away and then quickly turned back to him. "And you know what? Don't bother waiting for me, I'll find a ride with someone else. Just leave my bag at our table. I really hope you find whatever it is you're looking for. And just for the record? You're being a coward for not going after her. Grow a pair." I turned on my heel and walked away from him.

Chapter 12

Tyler

Sunday

I watched her walk away from me and tried to swallow down the anger brewing inside of me. She was drunk. She was slurring her words. She didn't walk in a straight line up to the stage, despite there being a clear path. What did she want me to do? I wasn't going to take advantage of her. Of course I wanted her. But not like this. Not when she thought I was only doing it to forget about someone else. Not when she was drunk out of her mind.

She didn't really mean anything she said, but it still made my blood boil. She didn't know shit about me. I pushed my hair out of my face. Didn't she realize that I was being the bigger person? All I wanted to do was push her up against the wall and fuck her. I didn't care about the people around us. But I did care about her. Which is exactly why I didn't do that. I was trying to be respectful. And her reaction? To throw accusations at me.

So, fuck her. I didn't need this. Forgetting for one night had seemed like a good idea. But there was no forgetting. I turned away from the stage.

I had given up because I did love Penny. Not because I was a coward. Not because I needed to grow a pair. But because I wanted Penny to be happy. And she was happier without me. No one needed me. Hailey certainly didn't need me.

The beat to Toxic by Britney Spears started pumping through the restaurant. I let my eyes gravitate to the stage. Hailey was swaying her hips to the music staring directly at me.

"Baby, can't you see, I'm calling," she sang with a flip of her hair. "A guy like you should wear a warning. It's dangerous, I'm fallin'."

She was definitely wasted. But I couldn't seem to look away. Not when she was so blatantly singing at me. Albeit angrily, still directed at me. She dipped her hips low and shook her ass at the crowd. What was she trying to do to me?

"With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride. You're toxic, I'm slippin' under." She shimmied. "With a taste of a poison paradise." Her hips swayed again.

She was the sexiest girl I had ever laid eyes on. And for a second I did forget about Penny. I let myself get completely lost in the beautiful brunette running her fingers through her hair in the most sexual way possible.

"I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're toxic?" She ran her fingers down her neck and between her breasts. "Intoxicate me now. With your lovin' now."

She was wrong. She was the toxic one. And I was in a little over my head.

She dropped the mic on the ground and threw her hands up in the air to the sound of the roaring applause. She slowly made her way back over to me. The flirtatious nature of the song was over. She was now giving me death stares.

"I told you to go get my bag. We're done." She gestured between the two of us as she sat down in the booth.

"How about you sleep on it?"

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