Page 22 of No Going Back

Tyler: What kept you up?

Mira: I think you know what kept me up.

Tyler’s smile broadened.

Tyler: Guess it kept us both up.

“What’s got you smiling?” Donnie taunted.

Tyler didn’t even look up, giving him the finger.

“Yeah, like we don’t know,” Donnie teased.

That made Tyler look up. “What that’s supposed to mean?”

“Come on, it’s obviously a certain lady friend.”

“What it is, is none of your fucking business.” Tyler knew he sounded pissed, but he refused to trash talk about Mira with these guys. No fucking way.

Dex and Sam joined them.

“Everything OK here?” Dex asked, looking between Donnie and Tyler.

“Yeah. Tyler’s just got his knickers in a twist about his girl.” Donnie grinned.

“Drop it, Donnie. I mean it.” Tyler wasn’t finding it funny. It had been a shit day, and he was not in the mood to be pushed.

“Jesus, what’s wrong with you? I’m just messing.”

“Well, I’m not in the mood for messing, OK?”

Donnie raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, lover boy.”

Tyler jumped up, his chair scraping across the floor. “Cut it out Donnie, I fucking warned you. You’re—”

Dex cut him off. “Enough. Tyler, go home.”

Tyler saw Dex looked deadly serious. He stormed out of the room. Fuck them all.

Inside his jeep, he unlocked his phone, hoping to see another text, but Mira hadn’t come back. Fuck, this op had screwed with his head and the one person he’d like to talk to about it was Mira. But he couldn't. Instead, he typed.

Tyler: Goodnight babe. Try and get some sleep xx

Her response was instant.

Mira: Goodnight Ty. You too xx

He hesitated, contemplating his reply. He wanted to ask to see her. He wanted to have her in his bed. Cursing, he threw the phone on the passenger seat and started the engine.

Just friends. Get used to it, Tyler.

***

TYLER WILLED HIMSELF to wake up. He knew it was a nightmare, but there was no escape as the scene played out before him. His mom’s scream, the loud bang. He was huddled in the closet, his hands over his ears and eyes squeezed shut.

No, he didn’t want to go back there, didn’t want to see his mom laying there on the bed.

“Wake up, mommy, please!” he’d begged, sitting next to her in the pool of blood. But she didn’t wake up. Not even when he’d hugged her tight, tears streaming down his face.

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