Page 39 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

me know if you need anything else."

"This place is seriously amazing," Hailey said as I closed the door. "You didn't mention that your friend was rich." She ran her fingers across the pristine white comforter on the bed.

"I didn't think it mattered."

She gave me a weird look. "It doesn't. I was just making an observation."

I wasn't sure what I was so pissed off about. Josh flirted with everyone. I'm sure he didn't actually mean anything by it. And Hailey wasn't exactly flirting back. I sighed. Honestly, I did know why I was upset. It was because no matter how much I knew it wasn't true, there was always something nagging me in the back of my head. That suspicion that Penny hadn't chosen me because I wasn't rich like her husband. And I knew it was ridiculous. Penny wasn't a gold digger. I knew it was about more than that. But the issue of money was something that I could focus on instead of the fact that she just didn't like me for me. And it wasn't like I didn't have any money. I was doing fine for myself. I had money in the bank. But I certainly wasn't rich. And I'd never be as rich as Penny's husband.

"Hey," Hailey said and put her hand on the center of my chest. "How about you come take a shower with me?" She raised both her eyebrows in the cutest way possible.

I wasn't even sure why I was thinking about Penny. I should have been focused on what was right in front of me. Why couldn't I let this go? Hailey deserved more than that. "I'm actually just going to change into dry clothes."

"Yeah, of course." She moved her hand off of me and laughed awkwardly. "No big. Just thought it would be good to save some water, that's all. Forget I even mentioned it." She grabbed her duffel bag out of my hand.

The last thing I wanted to do was upset her. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back to me. "It's just a rain check, Hails."

She smiled. She looked even more beautiful when she smiled.

I placed a soft kiss against her lips.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Tyler Stevens."

I watched her walk into the bathroom and close the door behind her. I quickly changed and walked back into the hall. I wanted to clear the air between Josh and me. He had been one of my best friends in school and I felt guilty about losing touch with him. It felt like I was busy all the time when I was in New York. But what the hell was I actually doing? I should have at least invited him to come visit. Even more than that, I felt guilty about dating his ex. It shouldn't have really mattered, but it did. I was the ass here, not him.

I looked out over the balcony. Josh was sitting on the couch in the living room. I made my way down the stairs and walked over to the couch. "It's really good to see you, man," I said to him.

He nodded. "Tonight's going to be awesome. It'll be like we're back in school again."

I laughed as I sat down beside him on the couch. "The good old days?"

"Something like that. So what are you doing here, Tyler?".

"My car ran off..."

"No. I mean, what are you doing here? I haven't heard from you in over a year. Why didn't you tell me your were coming to Texas?"

"I didn't really know until a few days ago."

"Does this have anything to do with Penny tying the knot?"

"I figured you had heard about it."

"Yeah, I don't exactly live under a rock." He gestured to his enormous living room.

"Your business must be booming."

"It is." He stared at me for a second. "Dude, I don't get it. What the hell were you thinking shacking up with Melissa? I mean, Penny's best friend of all people? You had to have known that it wouldn't end well. Especially since you were still clearly hung up on Penny."

"I don't know. Melissa and I have been friends for just as long. It just turned into something more. Neither of us meant for it to happen. I hope there's no hard feelings."

"Besides for the fact that you broke bro-code by banging my ex and cut me out of your life when I moved here? No, no hard feelings." He smiled.

I laughed. "It wasn't intentional."

"Well that's good to know. We're supposed to be brothers, man. It would be nice if you'd give me a call when you start fucking my ex. That's all I'm asking."

"Next time I'll be sure to do that," I said with a laugh.

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