I shake my head. “Going to Mexico with friends.”
“Summer?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back in June.”
“June, huh?” Bishop brushes my hair off my face. “Seven months.”
“Yeah.” I sit up slightly. “Does that mean you’d want to see me again?” I see the expression of conflict wash over his face again, reality sneaking back in. “Bishop?”
“I do, but…”
“Let’s just deal with it in seven months.” He nods. “But I can promise you, I’ll be saving myself. Just like you said, I’m yours and yours alone. I’ll wait as long as I have to.”
“You shouldn’t do that, Tristan. I was just talking shit. You could miss out on someone great.”
“I already have someone great.” I sit up, holding his hand to my heart. “Don’t you want me to be yours?” I climb onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Think about it. Noone could ever touch me again. Just you. My ass, my mouth, my body, all for you. Would you like that, Bishop?”
He searches my eyes for a moment. “Yeah.”
“Good, because that’s already how it is.” I kiss him softly. “Are you mine? Just mine?”
Bishop grips the back of my neck, pulling me in for one of his long, sensual kisses. After a moment, he leans back. “I am.”
An hour later,I’m sitting in my dad’s living room in front of the fireplace reading a book. Trinity is lying next to me, sound asleep. I glance up when my dad comes in carrying hot chocolate. He hands me a mug, nodding in Trinity’s direction.
“She okay?”
“Tired. We drank too much and were up late.”
“You want to tell me about that?”
I sip my hot chocolate. “I was pissed at you and Bishop. Trinity and I hit a few clubs and got wasted.”
He nods. “And how did Bishop get involved?”
“Trinity called him because I wouldn’t come out of the bathroom. She picked him because she thought you might be mad. Plus, he lives downtown.”
Dad takes a drink from his mug. “I’m sorry, Tristan. I never want to be the reason you’re unhappy.”
“I know.”
“I just can’t see it working out? Bishop is fifteen years older than you. He doesn’t want to settle down or get married or have kids. You might still.”
“Why does it have to be at that level? Why can’t we just have a physical attraction?”
“So you fuck and then what? You go back to school and Bishop just does his thing? You fuck whenever you’re in town?”
I shrug. “Why not?”
“What happens when he meets someone? Or you do? Or worse, you fall in love and he doesn’t. I have to pick my son or my best friend and we both know who I would pick. It would break my heart to lose him, but it would rip me apart to see you hurting.”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I know where you stand. Bishop does too.”
He pats my back. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about Bishop anymore, but can you promise me one thing?”
“Yeah.”
“If something does happen, guard your heart.”
