“You’ll laugh at me.”
“Never. I mean, maybe if you said you want to be a stripper or a circus performer, but anything else, no laughing. Promise.”
Tristan grins, shaking his head. “Still hilarious.”
“It’s important to laugh at life. It’s important to laugh in love too.”
Tristan searches my eyes. “Your laugh is the best sound in the world, Bishop. It’s my favorite sound. Even more than that growl you give me when you’re pounding my ass.” He grins. “But that’s a runner up.”
“You’re so sexy, baby.” I lean in and kiss him. “But don’t distract me. What would you be?”
Tristan takes a sip of wine before meeting my eyes again. “Trinity and I talked about starting a flipping business.”
“Flipping? Like house flipping?”
“Yeah. She loves design, and I’m good with my hands. I could learn what I need to make it happen.”
“What’s holding you back?”
“I have no idea where to start. I have no money. Trinity is still in school, and I was supposed to be. I don’t know where I’m living or what to do for money in the meantime. My dad will shit. Just those things.”
I chuckle, pulling his hand into mine and kissing the back of it. “Well lucky for you, I happen to have a few connections in the construction business.” He starts to speak but I shake myhead. “If you’re open to a third business partner, I can be your investor.”
“You would do that?”
“I’ve been interested in flipping for a long time, but I don’t have time to do the labor myself. We can work out a deal that financially benefits all parties involved.”
“Why would you take a chance on me when I just told you I don’t know what I’m doing?”
“Because I needed someone to take a chance on me, and they did. I needed to learn my way through life, and I did. I needed someone in my corner to believe me in, but I didn’t have that. I only had myself, but you, you have me.”
“Fuck. I’m gonna cry again.”
“Happy tears this time?”
“Yeah.” He wipes his eyes. “You’re so amazing.”
“I’m not. I see a strong, smart, intuitive man in front of me. You’ll figure it out, and I’ll be here to help you.” I scoot closer, wrapping my hand around the back of his neck. “You can stay with me as long as you want. In fact, I want you to stay here.”
“You do?”
I nod. “I do. And I want to come clean to your dad.” His eyes open wide. “At first, I thought we should let the dust settle from this situation, but on some level, he knows. He called me looking for you. He knew I would know how to contact you. Now with me helping you get going and staying here, it’s just obvious.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“He told me if I could come to him and tell him it was love he would try to understand. I think we need more time to know if we’re in love, but I can look him in the eye and tell him…” I pause, surprised when emotion chokes my words. I clear my throat. “I want to tell him that I want a relationship with you. One where we’re not hiding. And I hope, god I hope, we do fall in love, but we need the time and space to do that.”
“You need it, Bishop. I don’t. I was already falling, but since I walked back in this morning, I finished it. I’m done. I was done the day I kissed you.”
“Are you telling me you love me, Tristan?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
“Say the words.”
He exhales. “I’m in love with you, Bishop. Completely. I want to spend my life with you. I don’t care what I have to do to make that happen. Now I just need you to finish falling for me.”
I lean in and kiss him softly. “Almost there.”
