Hearts Without Chains

44.

~Only you and I, only you and I, my love, listen to it~ Pablo Neruda

Song of the chapter- Lost in you by Three Days Grace (I've always loved this song so much)

Josephine-

My too short of fingernails tap away on the top of the table at the booth I sit in. I click the button on my phone every minute to see if I have any messages.

So this is what day four feels like. I wonder what day five will be like, ten, eighteen. I can't imagine it, because I already feel lost and confused enough. After hearing the diners door ring, and every time looking over my shoulder to find everyone but Tyler, I don't look anymore when I hear the bell.

I order a water and am in the process of taking a drink of it when a blonde haired, green eyed somebody slides into the booth across from me.

"Hey." Tyler smiles.

"How long have you been here?" He asks before I can say my own greeting.

"Not long." I tell him.

"How are you?" His eyes flick back and forth from my own, to my facial features, trying to read me.

"I'm fine." I say, knowing he won't catch me lying, because that's the truth.

He studies my face a few seconds longer before nodding his head.

"Now, what are you getting?" He asks me, lifting his menu off the table.

I shrug my shoulders, peering at my own. I'm not very hungry, having eaten some toast not long before I came here. And lets be honest, there was more peanut butter on it than bread.

"Jo." I hear Tyler say my name, and absently look up to see him with raised eyebrows.

I raise mine back, and he rolls his eyes. "I can't stand seeing you like this! All mopey and un-you." He motions his hands towards me.

"I told you I'm fine." I laugh a little.

"If I'm being honest here. If I were in your place, with, you know, liking him and all. Well in my case a she," He laughs a little.

"I would be pretty bummed and upset to if they up and left and moved back home." He says.

I pick at the corner of my menu, still looking at Tyler.

"He didn't up and leave, you know?" I ask him.

"He went for a reason, an important one. And I'm proud of him for doing it, too." I say as if I need to defend Harry.

"Then what was it for?" He asks me, as if needing to have an absolute reason to not hate him.

I hesitate on answering this question. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person he's told about his mothers cancer, and I don't know if Harry would appreciate Tyler knowing. But if it's what it takes for Tyler to realize Harry is a good person, I'll do it.

"His mother has cancer, and he went because his sister was going to just take his mom there for this good doctor that's there. And he wanted to spend what time she has left with her." I blurt out, still picking at my menu.

"Oh." Tyler murmurs, his hands folding in front of him.

"Yeah." I mutter back.

We sit in silence for a minute or two, and when Tyler suddenly stands up my eyes shoot up to look at him.

"C'mon." He flicks his head towards the diners door.

"What?" I ask.

"We're going to go do something fun, something that will let me see a smile on your face again."