This Is Love

8

“Right before that, she was reading the book she wrote. All the pages about Tyler were on top of the coffee table when I got home. She remembers him. She remembers him and she doesn’t remember me.” My voice broke. “She doesn’t remember me, Hailey. She doesn’t want to remember me. But Tyler? Apparently she wants to remember him.”

Hailey’s face softened. “She can’t help how she remembers. Getting amnesia wasn’t something she asked for.”

“I’ve tried everything to jog her memory. Everything I could think of. And she reads a few pages about Tyler and runs to him?”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“When did he leave to go on a run?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “About an hour ago.”

See. Wasn’t that proof enough? “Does he usually go on runs this late?”

She didn’t look convinced of my theory at all. “No. He usually goes before work. But we were running late this morning. It’s just a coincidence.”

Was she blind? “They’re together right now. We need to go find them. We need to stop them before Penny breaks your family apart too.”

She drew her eyebrows together. “Tyler loved Penny in that way once. But he doesn’t now. He’s not stuck in the past like Penny is right now. Even if she makes a pass at him, he’ll shut her down. He’ll remind her that she loves you and only you. You’re worrying about nothing.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Because I know Tyler. I know him better than anyone in the world and he’s not the kind of guy that cheats on his wife. Or steals someone else’s wife, for that matter.”

“He asked Penny to run away with him the day before our wedding.”

“Oh, you mean the wedding that you called off? If you ask me, that was kind of on you. And he was in a bad place. He’s been through so much. He was in pain and he was just trying to find comfort in the wrong place. Because he hadn’t met me yet.” She gave me a small, sad smile.

It was right after our wedding that Tyler and Hailey fell in love. Right after Penny rejected him. Couldn’t she see that there was a hole in her logic? The only reason Tyler was with Hailey was because Penny had turned him down. She was his second choice. And right now, I wasn’t Penny’s any choice. She didn’t even like me, let alone love me.

“Then call him,” I said. “Prove me wrong.”

“I will.” She walked into the living room and picked her cell phone up off the coffee table. She pressed a few buttons and put her phone up to her ear. After several seconds ticked by, she pressed her lips together and looked down at the ground. Maybe a tiny bit of doubt was getting into her head. “He didn’t pick up. But he listens to music when he runs. He probably just has the call function turned off or whatever.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’m a tech guy. I do know that. A cell phone’s primary function is to you know…be a phone.”

“God, you’re such an old man. If anything, a cell phone’s primary function is for texting. Well, that and watching cat videos on YouTube.”

I glared at her.

She glared back.

“Then text him,” I said.

“He can’t run and text.”

“You’re making excuses for him. I’m telling you that he…”

“James, I’ve been patient with you. But I will not have you stand in my home and insult my husband. And insult me. I’m sorry that you’re hurting. I’m sorry that Penny doesn’t remember you. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. If you’d like to talk about it, I’m here to listen. But if you say one more thing about Tyler I’m going to…punch you.”

“You’re going to punch me?” Was she serious? I just stared at her. All Stevenses were the worst. Even the ones that were married into the family.

“Yes. And it’s going to hurt. I have a mean left hook.” She held up her hand in perfect form. Most people who had never punched anyone would tuck their thumb underneath their other fingers. But she was doing it right. No thumbs would be broken if she decided to collide her fist into my jaw.

“My dad taught me how to defend myself. And I know to use words first, but you’re testing my patience. So you best be getting ready for a beat down if you say one more thing about Tyler.” She made a fist with her other hand too and started moving them in the air in a gesture that could only be seen as playful.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The thought of her attacking me was too humorous.

And she started laughing too.

“I’m sorry, James.” She dropped her hands as she approached me. “Really, I can’t imagine the hell that you’re living. My heart aches for you.” She threw her arms around me. And for the second time tonight, I let myself be hugged by someone who had never hugged me before.

Hailey knew what it was like to lose everything she loved. Her father died a few years ago. He was her only family. Tyler was there to catch her when she fell from that loss. And it was f****d up of me to think that he’d suddenly stop being there for her. Just because Penny thought she was a teenager, it didn’t mean Tyler had suddenly forgotten the past several years. And he loved Hailey. I knew what love looked like. I used to have it. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said into my chest. “I’m sorry I threatened to punch you.”

I laughed. “It’s okay.”