Page 51 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

I laughed. "How eloquent."

"Your words, not mine."

"Let's just see where today goes. I just want things to be normal between us again." I stared at him, waiting for his reaction.

"Sounds good to me."

We passed a sign signaling that we had just entered New Mexico.

"Let's pretend Texas never happened," I said.

"Tell my wallet that."

I laughed. "You said you didn't mind. If you want I can pitch in. I'm really, really sorry about your car."

"I'm just messing with you. Really I'm just glad we're both okay." He gave me a small smile.

I bit my lip as I thought about what Josh had said. Some accident that he was in. He physically seemed okay. Like, really, really okay. Perfection in human form. But emotionally, it almost seemed like he was as messed up as I was. I knew he had lost something. I just wasn't sure what.

***

I stared out the window until it was completely dark. And then even a little longer before I turned my attention to Tyler. All day I had convinced myself that I shouldn't ask him any more questions. We were at peace. I didn't want to ruin that. But there were still so many things I was dying to know.

"I think I still have some more questions left in the game," I said.

"Probably a few, yeah."

"Okay." I shifted in my seat so I could look at him. "Josh mentioned that you were in an accident a while back. What happened?"

I watched his knuckles turn white again as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. I looked up at his face. He had lowered both his eyebrows and was staring straight ahead. Josh was right. I was right. Whatever had happened had really messed him up.

"Is it okay if I pass on that one?" His voice sounded strained.

I had definitely hit a nerve. "Yeah, of course." I continued to stare at him. His demeanor didn't change at all. "What's your biggest fear?" I asked instead.

"Dying." He didn't even hesitate. He said it like it was a matter of fact.

Someone so young would only be scared of death for one reason. He must have lost someone close to him in that accident. I knew better than anyone that life could take a sudden turn for the worst. Tyler knew that. His heart ached. Mine did too. I swallowed hard.

Tyler cleared his throat. "If you were given a choice of living in your hometown forever or anywhere else in the world forever, which would you choose?" He scratched the back of his neck when he asked. It almost seemed like he was nervous to hear my answer.

I wanted to lie. I so badly wanted to tell him I'd go wherever he was. But that wasn't true. It would also be crazy. "My hometown."

He nodded.

"Have you ever deliberately broken anyone's heart?" I asked.

"I don't think anyone's liked me enough to get their heart broken," he said.

"I'm sure that isn't true."

"I don't ever want to hurt someone. I'd never do it intentionally."

I folded my arms across my chest. Just unintentionally. Like Josh's ex girlfriend? Probably like any girl he had dated since meeting Penny?

"What's the strangest place you've ever had sex?" Tyler asked.

I laughed. "Hmm..." I bit my lip as if I actually needed to mull the answer over. "There was this one time where I had sex with a guy I had just met in his car on the side of Route 66."

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