Page 48 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

"Of course."

"Good. I worry about you, you know."

I nodded, as if she could see me. She was the only person in the world who worried about me. She was all I had. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too." There was another awkward pause. "I'm sorry, but are you sure this is what you want? It just seems like you made this decision without really even thinking it through. It's not like you. I thought you loved your job. I thought..."

"Mom, we've already talked about this. It's done." There was a lump forming in my throat.

"But..."

"It's only for three years."

"Three years is a long time."

I knew that better than anyone. "I'm going to be okay."

"Just be careful. Promise me you'll be careful?"

I looked back out at the nothingness in front of me.

Someone cleared their throat from beside me. I turned to see the owner of the repair shop holding up a clipboard, trying to get my attention.

"I have to go. I'll call you again soon, okay?"

"Promise me, Tyler."

Instead of responding, I pulled the phone away from my ear and pressed the call end button. I wasn't going to make a promise I couldn't keep.

"We're all set," the man said. He looked down at the clipboard. "It took a little longer than we expected. It's going to be $750 for the repairs and labor."

"That's fine." I followed him back into the building. I wasn't going to haggle with him over a price. The only thing that mattered was that Hailey and I were both okay.

***

The voices I had heard when I opened the front door were suddenly hushed. I walked into the kitchen where I had originally heard them talking. Hailey and Josh both looked over at me. I'd have to be an idiot to think they hadn't just been talking about me.

"What's up, guys?" I said.

"Just telling Hailey your life story," Josh said with a smile.

I laughed it off. I wasn't that interesting. "You all set, Hailey?"

"Yeah." She didn't make eye contact with me at all. "Let me just go grab my stuff." She excused herself from the kitchen.

"Seriously, what were you two talking about?" I said and sat down next to Josh.

"She was asking why you were still hung up on Penny."

I found that interesting. I thought she wanted nothing to do with me. But now she was asking questions about me? "What did you tell her?"

"I said you liked Penny because she was unavailable and you just needed a distraction when you met her."

"That wasn't why." Fuck, was that why?

"Whatever you say, man." Josh placed his coffee cup down on the counter. "I think you two still have a lot to talk about."

"I don't think she's really that interested in talking to me anymore."

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