“Of course.” He pulls back, wiping his eyes. “You have my blessing. You’re one of my favorite people on this planet, and if you’re willing to open your heart to my son, he’s a lucky man. I’m actually proud of you for letting him in despite the odds.”
“Thank you. It means the world to me.”
“We’re good then, right? You forgive me for the things I said?”
“Nothing to forgive. You made me explore my heart, and I needed to do that to get to this point with Tristan.”
“You know he wants the fairy tale ending? He wants marriage and maybe kids and shit.”
I nod. “I know. We’ll need to talk about all that. I’ve never been against marriage. I just never had a reason to consider it.”
“Take care of him, Bishop. He’s got a big heart.”
“I know. I’ll be careful with it.”
TWELVE
TRISTAN
I look up from the couch when Bishop walks in. I’ve been a nervous wreck since he left. He walks over, his impressive gait making his way to me. I can’t believe all that man is for me. He sits next to me, taking my hand in his.
“It was rough at first,” Bishop begins. “I told him we were in a relationship, and he told me he knew.” My eyes widen. “Since Thanksgiving.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, but he still wasn’t okay with it. He still thought it was just sex.”
I nod. “And you told him...?”
“That I wanted to love you. My heart is open, and I’m ready.” He presses the back of my hand to his lips and kisses it softly with his eyes closed. “A long time ago, Tristan, I loved a man. I was all in. I thought he was the one.” He opens his eyes, fixing them on me. “He didn’t feel that way about me. He thought I was just a toy to fuck around with. When I told him I loved him he laughed and told me I was way off base. He just threw me away.”
“I can’t imagine someone not wanting you.”
“It was a long time ago. I had a lot to learn about confidence and love. But he left a bruise. He made me think it was toodangerous to put my heart out there. So I never did again, and I hurt people who cared about me because I was too afraid to let them in.” I nod. “Your dad knew that about me, and it made him worry for you. It was a fair concern.”
“I get it.”
“But you didn’t give me a choice, did you?”
I smile. “No.”
“Thank god. I needed someone brave enough to bust down the door and demand entry. I needed you to come along and show me…” Bishop cups my face, a sweet smile on his lips. “I needed you to show me that opening your heart is the bravest thing a person can do. Far braver than hiding it.”
“I’m insane over you, Bishop. You are brave and beautiful and perfect. You’re more than I ever could’ve hoped for. I want everything with you.”
“Your dad said you want the happy ending. You want marriage and kids. I need time to think about things.”
I smile. “I’m twenty years old, Bishop. We have time. Like a decade at least. I want to build a career for myself and enjoy life. I want to travel and experience everything I can. I want to do all of it with you.”
“I want that too.”
“How did it end with my dad?”
“He gave me his blessing.”
My mouth falls open. “No way. No way, Bishop.”
“Way.” He pinches my chin. “He said he needed me to be a man about it and show him it was real.”
