Page 92 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

"I think I'm good with just the one." Hailey was all I ever needed. "Bye, Penny."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and opened my eyes. I wasn't going to stay in touch. And I was never going back to New York. It was time to start over. The marines. Hailey. This was my life now. Sometimes it's best to keep the past in the past.

I glanced once more at the waves crashing against the rocks. I had this peaceful feeling that wherever Hailey was right now, she was thinking about me too. I didn't need to wait for a letter from her. She was the air I needed to breathe. And for some crazy reason, I was that for her too. We were going to figure this out together.

Chapter 49

Hailey

Friday

Even though it felt like I left a part of myself in California, it was good to almost be home. Just seeing normal trees again from the plane window in

stead of palm trees was relaxing.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the plane touched down. Flying had been a relatively terrifying experience. But takeoff and landing were definitely now my two least favorite things in the world. For some reason I just feared that we had been lucky the whole flight and the plane would just explode as soon as it all came back in contact with the ground. I exhaled when the plane slowed. Disaster averted. Everything was going to be okay. For the first time in a long time, it really felt that way.

For a moment I let myself think about what Tyler was doing. I had seen a few movies about people joining the army. He was probably standing in a line right now getting yelled at by his commanding officer or something. I just hoped he was okay. I hoped he knew that he could count on me too. I pulled the picture of us out of my pocket. Before I turned it over, I noticed something written on the back. I smiled at the words. "We ain't ever getting older," I whispered to myself as I ran my fingers across the inscription. To me it meant that we could stop time. That in three years we'd still be the same. That we could really make this work.

The pilot came on and said it would be a minute before we pulled up to a terminal. I smiled and slid the picture back into my pocket. I needed to schedule an Uber to pick me up. I hit the button to turn my phone back on. I couldn't wait to see my dad and tell him the good news. He'd be thrilled about me being home. But the money? He'd be ecstatic. I couldn't wait to tell him about the Grand Canyon and the Pacific Ocean. And one day he'd be able to see those things now. Thanks to Tyler.

As soon as my phone turned on, it started buzzing. I had dozens of missed calls, voicemails, and texts. At first I thought Tyler had changed his mind and decided he wanted to hear my voice. But then I saw that everything was from Anna, the assistant manager from my dad's bar.

I could almost hear my heart thumping as I hit play on one of the voicemails and pulled the phone to my ear.

"Hails, it's Anna. Where are you, hon? I really need to speak to you. No one knows where you are. Please call me back as soon as you get this. It's urgent." The voicemail clicked off.

I wanted this to be about her raise. But I knew it wasn't. Anna wouldn't call me about that. She would have just talked to my dad. Something must have happened to him. I clicked on another of the voicemails.

"Hon, you need to come home. I was trying not to startle you in my other messages, but your father has taken a turn for the worse. It's not looking...good. He's asking for you. Please call me back."

I pressed on her name in my phone but there wasn't any service in the plane. Damn it.

I pressed on another voicemail. "Hon, your father..." Anna tried to stifle a sob. "You need to come home as soon as you get this message. Where are you?" The voicemail clicked off.

My father what? My father what?! I wrapped my arms around myself. Please don't let me be too late. He was supposed to have four months. It had only been a week. I was only gone for a week! But it didn't matter what I told myself. The guilt was already swallowing me whole.

As soon as the plane pulled into the terminal I pushed my way past the other passengers. I clicked on Anna's name.

"Oh, Hailey, thank heavens!"

"Anna what happened? How is he?"

"We're at the hospital." There was a long pause. "He's not good, hon."

"But he's awake? He's alive?" I started running through the airport.

"He's been holding on, waiting for you."

Waiting for me for what? This wasn't the end. He had four months. "I'm going to be right there, okay? I'm coming now." I didn't have time to wait for my Uber. I waved down a taxi instead. "Tell him I'm coming. Tell him I got the money."

"Hails it's too..."

"Just tell him, okay?" I hung up the phone as I climbed in the cab. I couldn't hear the rest of what she was going to say. Because I already knew what it was. I was too late.

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