Missing Pieces - Chapter 22
Tyler
Monday
What the hell was going on? Before we had shown up at Josh's, Hailey was completely into me. We were in a good place. Yeah, we had a lot to talk about. But I never thought she'd be trying to hook up with my friend right in front of me. What was her problem?
"Just a second," she said. She leaned over and whispered something in Josh's ear and they both laughed.
If this was some kind of jealousy game, it was working. The problem was, I had no clue why she wanted to make me jealous. This afternoon I had thought we were on the same page. Clearly I was a few chapters behind her and I had some catching up to do.
I watched her put her hand on Josh's arm, just like she had with the guys at the bar the first night I met her.
I didn't know what was real and what was fake.
I slid out of the booth. There was no way I was going to ask her twice.
Either she wanted to talk to me or she didn't. I walked toward the restroom. She didn't follow me.
I leaned against the wall. The fact was that I didn't really know Hailey.
Really, one of the only things I did know about her was that she needed money.
Could that be what this was? Was she really flirting with Josh because it would be convenient to fall for someone who could fix her problems with a snap of his fingers?
Fuck that. I wasn't going to put myself in a situation again where I lost a game I couldn't win.
Hailey wasn't Penny. But right now, it sure felt the same.
"What's up?" Hailey said.
I hadn't even heard her come over. Something about the casual way she asked me that made my blood boil. She had this way of crawling under my skin. I didn't need this right now.
"Never mind, it's nothing. I'm going to get an Uber back to Josh's. I'm beat. Have a good night." I brushed past her.
"Really? That's how you're going to play this?" she said to my back.
I turned around to face her. "Play what? I think it's pretty clear what's going on here."
"And what is that?"
"You know he's loaded. And you're in debt. It's easy to connect the dots."
She shook her head. "You think I'm hitting on Josh because he's rich?"
"Yeah. I do."
"God." She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not a hooker. I don't need anyone's handouts. I'm flirting with him because you're an asshole!"
The people sitting near us were starting to stare. I walked back into the small hallway where the restroom was and pulled her with me. "I'm an asshole? You're the one flirting with my friend mere hours after we had sex. Take a look in the mirror, Hailey."
"And what will I see? The sharing a bed type of friend?" She put air quotes around the word friend. "A ten in bed? A conquest?"
Shit. So that's what this was about? She had overheard me talking to Josh? That was just guy talk. She had to know that.
"I was starting to really like you, Tyler.
I thought that we could be more than whatever this stupid road trip is.
But obviously I was wrong. I've always been a shitty judge of character.
It's great to know that all you think I care about is money, though.
I'm so glad you have such a high opinion of me.
" She stormed past me and into the women's bathroom.
Fuck. I glanced back toward the restaurant. No one was on their way over. I had just called Hailey a gold digger. I needed to clear the air. Now. But just because no one was on their way in, it didn't mean the bathroom wasn't already occupied by other women. Damn it.
I walked back over to our booth to prevent myself from following her.
"If you hadn't already slept with her, I'd totally call dibs," Josh said as I sat back down.
Every part of me wanted to punch him in the face. But this wasn't his fault. It was because Hailey had overheard a conversation between us.
"Could you back off a little?" I said.
"She's all over me. What do you want me to do?
You know, you act like the world gave you a shitty hand.
Hot girls line up for you and all you care about is the one you can't have.
You dated Natalie when you were in love with Penny.
You dated Melissa when you were still in love with Penny.
And who knows what you've done in between that, because you sure haven't been calling me with updates about your life.
So the question is, what are you going to do to Hailey, huh? "
"It's not like that."
"Really? Because I think it's exactly like that. And maybe she sees it too. You're pissed about coming second in Penny's life and then you treat every girl you meet second best because of her."
Fuck. "I don't do that."
"You gave me so much shit for breaking up with Melissa before graduation. But I did that because I knew we couldn't make it work long distance. And I didn't want to hurt her. I did that because I respected her. I'm not the ass here, Tyler. You are."
"I'm not trying to hurt Hailey. She's different."
"But the situation isn't different. And if Penny calls you, I know you'll go running back to her. You always do."
I suddenly felt exhausted. "The situation is different. Penny's married." It sounded so weird saying it out loud. "There is no going back."
"I know, man. I'm sorry. But don't jump down my throat because some girl that you'll never actually commit to is being a little flirtatious. That's not on me."
I shook my head. He was right. Maybe I had been using Penny as an excuse. Maybe the problems were deeper than that. Commitment issues wouldn't be so off base. I was terrified of losing someone I loved. It had happened before and almost killed me. I was so sick of hurting.
"Did you at least tell Penny the truth?" Josh asked.
"Tell her what?"
Josh shook his head. "That you're still in love with her, man."
I folded my arms across my chest and leaned back in the booth. "The morning before their wedding, I told her how I felt. I actually told her I wanted to run away with her." I laughed, but it came out forced. "She didn't feel the same way."
"That's rough."
I shrugged my shoulders. "It is what it is.
But I like Hailey. A lot." The whiskey was making me not quite as tight lipped as I usually was.
"I don't have anything to go back to. That was part of the reason why I enlisted.
But if I hadn't, I don't think I'd even hesitate to go back to Indiana with Hailey. "
"Why are you telling me this instead of her?"
"Because I did enlist. I've only known her a few days. The whole thing is insane. Plus she's furious with me."
"What did you do?"
I wanted to say I didn't do anything, but that wasn't true. "She overheard the end of our conversation earlier. About her being a ten in bed and just a friend and shit."
"So that's why she's flirting with me? Well that's an ego boost for me. Not." He smiled.
"And I may have insinuated that she was a gold digger."
"Dude, chicks liked me before I was rich. Don't you forget it."
I laughed. "None of it really matters though. We barely know each other. Like you said about Melissa, long distance never works. And you two had been dating for months."
"It was more than that, though. We had fun, but I couldn't imagine being married to her.
And I'm pretty sure she felt the same way.
There was nothing for our relationship past college besides tons of fights on the phone.
My advice to you is to tell Hailey the truth and let her help make the decision. Don't make it for her."
He had a point. But I would never ask Hailey to give up three years of her life waiting for me to be done with the marines. I had done it willingly for Penny, and I would never get that time back. That feeling of being stuck. That wasn't a way to live. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.