Missing Pieces - Chapter 43
Hailey
Thursday
"Tyler, what's wrong?" His face had suddenly changed.
I wanted him to be in this moment with me.
But I could tell his mind was somewhere else completely.
And the look on his face worried me. Was he upset about tomorrow?
He didn't have anything to worry about. He was brave and so much stronger than he realized.
"I just, I don't want you to regret spending one more day with me."
I laughed. "I couldn't possibly."
"You know what I mean." He put his hand on my hip and pulled me close enough to feel his body heat. His words and his actions always seemed to contradict each other. He was trying to push me away, yet pulling me closer.
"My dad is going to be okay. He's going to fight this just like he has everything else. He's going to be fine. Why are you pushing this?"
He scratched the back of his neck. He slowly looked back down at me. "I'm sorry." He leaned his back against the railing and folded his arms across his chest.
I wasn't sure if it was intentional, but it felt like he was shutting me out. For the first time in a long time, he had made me feel like I could rely on someone. I wanted him to feel that way about me too. "You're not alone either, Tyler."
A small smile crossed his face. "I know. I have you."
"Which means you can talk to me." I felt like I was on the cusp of finally getting to know him better.
I didn't want him to hold back. I wanted him to trust me.
I had finally put all my worries and fears out there.
If he could do the same with me...maybe we really would have a shot here.
Distance wasn't an issue as long as we were completely open with one another.
"I miss him. My dad, I mean."
So that's why he was being weird. He missed his dad.
He didn't want me to experience his pain.
"I'm so sorry, Tyler." I stepped forward and put my hand on his chest. I didn't really have any other words to express what I felt.
But I wanted him to know that I understood.
That he was living my biggest fear. "If you want to talk about what happened. .." I let my voice trail off.
Something flashed across his eyes. It was only for a moment though. And it was too fast for me to be able to tell what it was. "I have a better idea." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms.
I laughed as I steadied myself by putting my hands on his biceps. He was really good at distracting me. If his piercing blue eyes weren't doing it, his muscles certainly were. "And what is your great idea?"
"Crepes." The smile was back on his face.
"Crepes?"
"Yeah. There's a great place like a block from here."
I laughed. "When in the world did you do all this research about Venice Beach?"
"I thought it was going to be my last day to have fun for a while. I wanted to make it count."
He had planned a send off party for himself. I didn't care if he had originally pictured me here or not. I knew he wanted me here now. And I was going to give him the best send off ever. "What else is on your list?"
"I want to check out the Santa Monica pier. Apparently the views from the Ferris wheel are amazing."
"Honestly, I'm a little scared of heights."
"Last time I checked, you were damn good at facing your fears, Hails. Besides, I'll be right there with you."
Just that thought alone warmed my heart. I slipped my hand into his. I truly felt like together we could face anything. "Come on then, we don't have much time to waste."
***
"I'm not drunk enough yet."
Tyler laughed.
God, I was going to miss his laugh. I put my chin in my hand as I took another sip of the ridiculously huge drink I had ordered.
"I'm pretty sure it'll be even scarier if you're drunk."
"How would you know? You're not scared of heights. And stop making me talk about it behind it's back. You're going to jinx everything."
Tyler turned around and glanced at the Ferris wheel. "Hails, you can't talk about an inanimate object behind it's back. It can't hear you." He raised his eyebrow as he stared down at my drink and then back up at me.
I took another sip. "Maybe I've had enough to drink," I said with a laugh. But I continued to take another sip.
"Delay it all you want, I'm still making you do it."
"Right, right." I smiled to myself. "I guess we might as well get this over with then." I slowly stood up as he pulled out his wallet. "If you can catch me first."
"Hailey!" he shouted after me.
But I was already running down the pier.
The sound of my flip flops on the wooden boards, the seagulls calling, and the waves crashing in the distance were my new favorite sounds in the world.
I felt alive. I looked over my shoulder.
Tyler was quickly gaining on me. Right before he caught up to me, I jumped off the pier and into the sand.
I may not have loved the smell of the ocean, but I absolutely loved the feeling of sand between my toes.
I laughed as Tyler wrapped his arms around me, pulling us both down into the sand. In a matter of seconds he had me pinned beneath him. I thought I had felt alive a moment ago. But now all my senses seemed heightened.
"Gotcha," he whispered against my lips.
All I wanted was his lips on mine. "How about instead of going on the Ferris wheel, I just seduce you in the sand?"
He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against mine.
The teasing gesture sent shivers down my spine.
"Are you trying to get me arrested so I can't join the marines?"
"If that's an option...then yes." I squirmed beneath him as he laughed. God that laugh. That would be one of the things I missed the most. "I'm going to miss you so much."
"Then we better make tonight memorable." He smiled seductively.
"By getting arrested for public indecency? Deal."
He laughed again. "No, by facing your fears and seeing this amazing view before the sun sets completely." He gave me a chaste kiss and pulled me to my feet.
I could feel the buzz of the alcohol coursing through me.
I felt brave and safe and whole. Because of him.
I really would miss him. The feeling of his hand in mine and his arms around me.
The intensity of his blue eyes. The way he looked so surprised by some of the things that came out of my mouth.
Like I was embarrassing, but he loved me anyway.
Love. I stole a glance at him as we made our way back onto the pier.
Was this really love? Was that crazy? It felt real to me.
"Hey, look," I said and pointed to a sign in the middle of the boardwalk. "Santa Monica. 66. End of the Trail." I pulled him toward it. "We have to get a picture!"
"You're just procrastinating."
"No, I just realized I didn't take a single picture this whole time. My dad's never going to believe I was here," I said with a laugh.
Tyler pulled out his phone. "Okay, I'll ask someone to take one for us."
"Don't bother strangers, we can take a selfie."
"Don't bother strangers? Since when did that become your motto? I'm pretty sure you jumping into my car last week was bothering a stranger."
I lightly hit his arm and tried to resist wrapping my fingers around his bicep. "I don't think I was a bother at all. Look how far we've both come." I pointed to the sign again.
Tyler laughed. "Fine." He held out his phone in front of us.
"Wait, I have a better idea." I stepped up onto the bench next to the sign and climbed onto Tyler's back.
He started laughing again. I really did love his laugh. It instantly made me smile. He snapped a picture with our cheeks pressed together cheesing for the camera.
"It's perfect," I said. I couldn't remember the last time I had looked so happy.
"Now it's time for the Ferris wheel."
"If you insist." Before I could slide down his back, he started walking back toward the pier.
I tightened my hold on his shoulders and nestled my face into his neck.
I don't think anyone had ever carried me piggyback style in public.
Besides for when I was a kid with my dad.
There was something so comforting about it.
I loved how carefree Tyler was. He didn't care about what anyone else thought.
He just wanted to make me happy. I closed my eyes.
I wanted to remember this moment. I couldn't think of a better way to sear it into my memory than by focusing on how whole I felt.
When we came to a stop in the line next to the Ferris wheel, I slid down his back. I didn't even bother to look up. No matter what, I knew I was safe when I was with Tyler. There wasn't anything to be scared of.
"You don't seem hesitant at all anymore," he said as he smiled down at me.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe you're rubbing off on me."
He laughed as he scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I don't know about that."
"What? You're probably the bravest person I know."
"You do remember that a few days ago you called me a coward, right?"
"Which I didn't mean. Obviously. Really you were just being an asshole and I was mad at you."
He raised both his eyebrows. "I don't know which one is more offensive...being an ass or being a coward."
"It doesn't really matter. You're neither of those things." I cleared my throat. "Speaking of being brave, you're going to be careful right?" It had suddenly hit me just how dangerous his new career was. I'd be worried about him.
"We're up," he said.
I didn't have time to focus on the fact that he hadn't answered my question. Because as soon as I stepped up to the ride, my stomach seemed to drop. How was the flimsy looking bar supposed to protect me from falling to my death? I gripped Tyler's hand even tighter as we sat down.
"Trust me, you're going to love this, Hails."
Him calling me by my nickname soothed me slightly. But I felt like I was going to be sick when the cart swayed forward and we started rising into the air.