WITHOUT BOUND

MAGNOLIA CREEK BOOK FOUR

RYAN MARIE

Copyright © 2024 by Ryan Marie

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact Ryan Marie at authorryanmarie@gmail.com.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Cover artwork by Renee Reynolds

Magnolia Publishing

Created with Vellum

For ladies who told the world to kiss it because you’ll do what you want, when you want, and how you want. Don’t let anyone keep you down.

And remember what Lenny said…

“We got to let love rule.”

“Love is gentle as a rose

And love can conquer any war”

-Lenny Kravitz

Let Love Rule

PLAYLIST

- “P.Y.T. (The Reflex Revision)” - Michael Jackson

- “Tempted to Touch” - Rupee

- “Other Boys” - Marshmello & Dove Cameron

- “If (Kaytranada Remix)” - Janet Jackson

- “Make You Mine” - Madison Beer

- “Be Your Girl (Kaytranada Edition)” - Teedra Moses

- “Butterfly” - Lenny Kravitz

- “She’s Like A Star” - Taio Cruz

- “Honey (Medasin Remix)” - KUČKA

- “Can’t Get You Off My Mind” - Lenny Kravitz

- “Me & U” - Cassie

- “You’re the One (feat. Syd)” - Kaytranada

- “Firefly (feat. NAO)” - Mura Masa

- “Intimadated (feat. H.E.R.)” - Kaytranada

- “Ain’t Nobody [Loves Me Better] (feat. Jasmine Thompson)” - Felix Jaehn

- “Motivation (feat. Lil’ Wayne)” - Kelly Rowland

- “Heaven Help” - Lenny Kravitz

- “I’m Not High, I’m in Love” - Bebe Rexha

- “My Bad” - The Chainsmokers & Shenseea

- “True Romance” - Tove Lo

- “Just Be A Woman” - Lenny Kravitz

- “Without You” - Lenny Kravitz

- “Kisses Down Low” - Kelly Rowland

- “More Than Anything In This World” - Lenny Kravitz

- “I Belong To You” - Lenny Kravitz

- “Just Be A Woman” - Lenny Kravitz

- “More Than Anything In This World” - Lenny Kravitz

A NOTE TO READERS

CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING

The book you are about to read contains themes related to dominance, age gap, student-staff relationship, and explicit sexual encounters between an older man and younger woman. If you find these topics emotionally triggering, please practice mindfulness and do not continue

The characters in this story are of many different ethnicities and backgrounds. You will encounter characters of Indian, Italian, Black, Latino, Caucasian and Mixed-race. Their skin tones are a variation of colors, as are humans. While I may not make constant reference to a specific race or color, please note that this book will contain people who are from all walks of life and it is their character that matters most.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Ryan Marie

1

BISHOP

Four Years Ago

Lights flash like an explosion of fireworks, and camera shutters click click click, capturing every step I take as I walk onto the stage and sit down.

I keep my head down, focusing on the cords that snake out from a series of microphones that are placed in front of me. They curl and twist and flow over the edge of the table, dropping into the unknown. Right now, I feel the same. I feel myself spiraling and slowly starting to fall into a wide unknown, and I’m terrified.

Not one person on earth enjoys the uncertainty of what will come after the fall. Where will the wind take you? How far is the fall? Will you crash and burn, becoming just a memory? And if you manage to land safely, what next?

The big, dark pit of the unknown is inevitable at this point. I just pray I’m strong enough to live through the crash.

With a deep inhale, I plaster on a smile and lift my head. The lights are bright and I’m forced to blink a few times until the spots clear. Beside me sits my agent, my coach, and the owner of the team, all there for support. As I scan the crowd I lock eyes with a few familiar pairs mixed in amongst the media.

Mom and dad sit side by side, holding hands, mom with tears in her eyes already, and not even a word has been spoken. Next to dad sits my best friend since childhood, Vaughan, who has been a huge support for me over these last few months while I wrestled with what to do and where to go. He gives me a nod then taps his nose twice before tugging his ear. Our sign that all is good.

With one last breath, I blow out my nerves and begin.

“Pop. C’mon. Can you turn that off, please?” My dad stands in front of the television, arms crossed over his chest and the remote clutched tightly in his fist.

“I’m just so damn proud of you, son.” He sniffs a little then swipes a small tear from under his eye. “You did good, Bishop. It was a spectacular career.”

It doesn’t feel spectacular, I think to myself.

My premature retirement from major league baseball has been the most difficult decision of my life. But after my injury, nothing has been the same.

Like I told the press, this game has been my heart and soul for over twenty years. And as much as I’d like to continue to play for another twenty, my body is telling me it’s time to hang up my cleats.

“I want to go out while I still have love in my heart for the greatest game ever played. I don’t ever want to fall out of love with it, and I know that the minute this dream turns into a job, that love will diminish. So, with that, today I officially announce my retirement from major league baseball.”

The television echoes the words I said just hours ago. I can still hear the gasps from the crowd, followed by a storm of questions. I told myself I wasn’t going to cry, that I wouldn’t pussy out like that. But when you say goodbye to the one thing that defines you, it’s inevitable.

The only thing that kept me from sobbing into my manager's shoulder was having my family there. Mom, dad and Vaughan.

Mom clicks off the burner on the stove, then crouches down to pick up a serving dish from the cabinet.

“Thank you again, brother, for being there today,” I say to Vaughan.

We sit perched on stools at my kitchen island while we wait to chow down on the delicious food mom has prepared for us.

My manager wanted me to put on a big hoopla shindig with trusted members of the press and everyone from the War Eagles organization, but all I wanted was a quiet evening with the people I love most.

“Of course man. I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else. Well, maybe somewhere a little warmer. But I’d happily freeze my ass off to stand by you.” He clamps a hand on my shoulder with a big bright smile.

His boy-next door look is so opposite of mine right now. I’m all scowling faces and sour puss attitude. Not at all my normal happy-go-lucky demeanor.

“Grow a pair. It’s not that bad. It’s only,” I flip my wrist to check the temperature on my watch. “Forty-one degrees.”

“Shit. It’s colder than I thought.” Vaughan shivers and I just laugh.

Aside from some traveling, good ole Texan Vaughan has resided in only sunny states. Texas to Florida, for what was a horrendous eight years, then back to Texas.

“What time will momma Max and Jim be here with my number one girl?” I take a long pull from my beer mom sat down in front of me.

“Any minute now. Mom said they were just doing a little souvenir shopping after some sightseeing, then they’d be over.”

“Darius,” mom calls out to my dad who is still pressing rewind and watching the highlight reel that accompanied my announcement. “Could you come help me for a minute?”

“What is it, ma? I can do it.” I press my hands flat against the counter and stand.

“No honey. You sit. Let me take care of my baby boy.”

“Francine, he’s a grown man who towers over both you and I. There is nothing baby about him,” dad replies as he comes walking into the kitchen.

“Oh hush. He’s my baby and always will be. Now get me that big jug in the cabinet over the fridge so I can mix some simple syrup in the tea.”

Dad grumbles something about me being a big ass mama’s boy, but does as mom asks.

I look over to see Vaughan chuckling at my parents who are basically his second set. We’ve grown up together and have been best friends since grade school. That means we were at each other's houses as much and as frequently as our own.

Both sets of parents call us son, and both sets scolded and disciplined us when it was warranted, which happened to be a lot.

The doorbell rings and I jump up from my seat, knocking it over but not wanting to waste one minute of seeing who I know waits on the other side of the door.

I swing the door open and see that bright smile that can turn a bad day into the best one. “There’s my girl.”

“Uncle Bishop!” Dagen yells and leaps into my open arms.

Vaughan’s eight year old daughter is a ray of sunshine, and right now I could use a big dose.

“It’s been forever since I’ve seen you,” she says, emphasizing forever.

“I know, my girl. Like a million years.” I tease her as her little arms squeeze my neck.

“A little dramatic Dagen Rayne. It’s only been four months since you saw Uncle Bishop. Quit squeezin’ him to death and get inside. It’s colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra out there.” Maxine, Vaughan’s mom, steps inside with his father, Jim, on her heels.

“Gran! You said tit. That’s a bad word.”

“Well darlin’, now you’ve said it. Who d’you think your daddy is gonna get mad at?”

Dagen’s face pales and I see her little lip quiver. I hug her tight to me and whisper, “Don’t worry. I got you.”

She nods her head and a tiny smile appears.

With Day still in my arms, I reach out and pull Max into a hug and kiss her cheek.

“Hi momma Max.”

“Hello son,” she says, hugging me back. “You did wonderful today.”

“You sure did, son. Proud of you.” Jim steps forward and reaches for my hand.

I let go of Max and he grips it, pulling me in for an awkward side hug.

I give them both a sad smile then escort them into the kitchen. Not that they need an escort since they’ve been in my home dozens of times, but it’s the polite thing to do.

With everyone settled, mom and Max set the table and we all gather around it where dishes with delicious food waits for us.

Our parents talk like they don’t see each other several times a month, and Vaughan and I listen to Dagen retell a story about a “meanie boy” who pulled on her friend's pigtail then pushed her down.

“Well. What did you do?” I ask her.

Vaughan gives me a listen to this shit look, and I wait for Day to give it to me.

“I told him his breath smelled like farts and that he should tell his momma to teach him how to brush ‘cause it was burnin’ the hairs in my nose. Then I gave him a wedgie.”

I spit the bits of un-chewed food out and choke on the pieces that were trying to work their way down my throat.

This little spitfire just turned this gloomy day around.

“Hells yeah, Day,” I tell her once I’ve stopped coughing, and hold my fist out to her.

She sits up straight and her eyes light with pride and satisfaction as she bumps me back.

“Hells yeah,” she whispers.

“Day,” Vaughan scolds from beside her.

“What? Uncle Bishop said it.” She holds up her hands with that innocent smile.

“Okay. Why don’t you tell Uncle Bishop what kind of trouble you got into for your little stunt.” Vaughan scoops up a forkful of momma’s chicken casserole and pops it in his mouth.

“Ugh,” she fumes, but before she can tell me about the unjust punishment she received, the shrill of my phone breaks the moment.

I pull my phone from my back pocket and look at the caller id.

“Sorry y’all. It’s my agent. I better see if it’s important. Be right back.” I stand and walk into the living room, then swipe the screen to answer and hold it up to my ear. “Hey Randy. Is everything okay?”

It’s odd that he would be calling me since all of the big decisions and little details have been handled.

“Nothing’s wrong. In fact, everything is just right. How’d you like to go back home?” He asks me.

“Back home? Like, for a visit?”

“No. Back home for a job.” I freeze and my heart skips a beat. “Seems that Rice University is looking for an assistant baseball coach, and your name came up.”

“Hold up. Isn’t O’Toole the head coach?”

“Yup. Your old coach from LSU is the head coach at Rice, and he called me and asked specifically for you. So, what’d you think?”

My jaw hits the floor as my eyes look over at everyone seated at the table. They watch with rapt attention, curiously.

I thought endlessly about what I would do after may pro career was over. I figured I’d go back home and maybe work with my dad at the mortgage company he owns. I have my degree in finance, so it was just assumed that would be the next step.

While that doesn’t seem like the most exciting job after playing in the MLB, it was the one I could see myself being good at, and it would allow me to be the kind of dad I had.

Always present. Always cheering for me.

But never in my wildest dreams did I once think about being a baseball coach. I assumed that once my career was over, that would be the end of baseball unless I was watching it as an outsider.

Standing here, looking at the faces of the family I love most, a whole newer world feels like it has opened up.

I look at my dad who scrunches his brows and mouthes, “what is it?”

On a deep exhale, like the one that started my day, I tell Randy, “What do I think? I think I’m coming home.”

2

ANAIS

Present day

“Anais Maria De La Cruz.”

My name is called and I make my way across the stage, stopping when I reach my principal. He hugs me, hands me my diploma, and we pose for a picture. I move to shake hands with the superintendent then make a quick detour to hug my favorite teacher, Mrs. LaSalle.

“You’re going to be someone amazing,” she whispers in my ear, and tears spring to my eyes.

Shouts and whoops ring out in the auditorium, and I search through the sea of attendees for my family. It actually isn’t all that difficult to find them because they’re the loudest and probably the most annoying ones out there.

Mom stands, one hand up in the air and the other holding a giant cardboard cutout of my smiling face. Next to mom is my gramma, holding the same sign as mom and cheering just as loud.

Uncle Nix is here and beside him is his fiancée, Vivian, who is the cutest darn thing I’ve ever seen. She’s also the feistiest and keeps Uncle Nix on his toes, for sure. By just the looks of them, you’d think they are quite a mismatched pair. Phoenix is tall and muscular with light brown skin that is a product of my black grandfather and caucasian grandmother. Vivian, in contrast, has fair skin with green eyes and gorgeous red hair that many women pay a fortune to replicate. She’s the lucky bitch who has it all naturally.

However, those aren’t the most drastic differences between them. That would go to the extreme height difference. Uncle Nix is a six-five beast and Viv is this teeny tiny thing that could fit in his pocket. She’s like, a sample size of what a normal sized human should be. Uncle Nix calls her Tink –which she hates– and her friends all call her a people McNugget and Fun Size.

Speaking of Vivian’s friends, her best friend Camille and soon-to-be husband, Vaughan, are here along with his daughter Dagen.

I met them last fall after Uncle Nix got traded to the Houston Wranglers baseball team. Vivian was still making him work hard to gain her trust, and her friends welcomed him in immediately. During the game, I sat with all of them and had a fun time talking with Dagen. She claimed me as her new best friend and I’ve been able to spend time with her when I’ve visited Uncle Nix.

Two people are noticeably missing, Uncle Nix’s best friend, Bishop Michaels, and my dad. Not that Bishop would have a real reason to attend my high school graduation, but I surely hoped he might anyway. And dad…well he should be here. But like many other of my milestones lately, he can’t be bothered to leave the poker tables to spend a few minutes with his daughter.

During the same first visit to see Uncle Nix in Houston where I met Vaughan and Camille, I also met Bishop. Since that day, he has remained the leading star in my every fantasy. He’s been nothing but respectful and nice to me every time we’ve seen one another, but the problem is I don’t want him to be. I don’t want just the nice guy who’s polite to his friend’s niece. And I most certainly don’t want him to be just a friend.

I want Bishop Michaels to go from the man of my dreams to the man of my reality. And yes, I realize I’m eighteen –nineteen in three weeks– and he’s thirty…ish, but age is just a number and to me, it’s one that doesn’t matter.

I applied and was accepted to Rice University almost solely because he works there as the baseball coach. Another deciding factor was my uncle and the distance I so desperately need to put between me and Slidell, Louisiana.

Sure Texas is only a couple hours away, but it’s a change nonetheless. The move means new people, new faces, and new chances. I won’t run into the same kids I’ve spent the last four years with, and that is a very good thing.

Living on campus means I’ll be close to Bishop, and Uncle Nix has already told me that I should definitely go to him if ever I need anything. This gives me plenty of opportunities to be alone with him. All I need to do is make him see me and not his buddies' niece.

Uncle Nix and Vivian moved to Magnolia Creek at the beginning of the year after Camille moved in with Vaughan and Dagen. Uncle Nix loved Cami’s house –the perfect place for pool parties I plan to throw– and Vivian was wanting to be closer to her best friends, especially after Vaughan suffered a near fatal accident and her other biffy, CeCe, was nearly killed by her fiancés pyscho ex-wife.

The girls –Cami, Vivian, CeCe and Cami’s sister, Cathia– are tight like sisters. The entire crew is more like a family than a group of friends, and I envy that bond.

So with all of them living a good thirty miles away from campus, that leaves Bishop as my go to for emergencies since he lives nearby. And since I’m new to the city and don’t know anyone or my way around the city, I think I’ll be calling on Bishop to be my own personal tour guide quite often.

They have all made it too easy for me. Now Bish, he’s the hurdle. He keeps me at arms length every time I see him no matter how hard I try to get close. I take one giant step forward, and he scurries four steps back. But I’m not worried. We’ll meet in the middle…eventually.

I’m so lost in my daydreams that I almost miss the announcement congratulating the class of twenty-twenty four and throwing my cap into the air. After hugging classmates and locating my cap, I push through the crowd in search of my family.

It’s Dagen who finds me first when I hear my name called out over the ruckus.

“Anais!” she shouts, and I spin just in time to see her barreling towards me. I catch her with an oompf, then carefully scrunch down to see her eye to eye. “Congratulations. Did ya hear us cheerin’ for you?

“I sure did. I think I had the loudest cheering section out there.” She smiles and leaps forward, wrapping her little arms around my neck and squeezing.

“Day. For cryin’ out loud,” Vaughan walks up behind us along with the rest of the family. “Will you let her breathe?”

“Sorry,” she pouts and I kiss her little cheek.

“It’s okay. Let me just say hello to everyone else, then we can go see about some cookies,” I tell her then turn to mom who stands waiting patiently.

“Congratulations sweetheart,” she sniffs before a tear begins trickling down her cheek.

“Aw mom. Don’t cry. This is a happy day.” I pull her into a hug and swallow down the lump that threatens to burst.

As excited as I am to leave Slidell, I am equally as sad. Mom and I have had our fights –what mother and daughter haven’t– but she’s still my best friend, and I’m going to miss seeing her everyday.

“I know. It’s just a lot. That’s all.” She takes a step out of my arms and swipes at the tears that have fallen.

Gramma pushes mom out of the way and takes her turn crying into my shoulder. “I’m so proud of you, my angel pie.”

“Thanks gramma.” I kiss her nose and she smiles.

“Okay, my turn!” Viv shouts and jumps to hug me. “Congrats beautiful.” She raises up on her toes and whispers, “I have some celebration champs for you, but we’ll have some girl time later to enjoy.”

I roll my lips between my teeth and giggle to myself. I feel like she’s initiating me into their little girl gang, and I couldn’t be more giddy about it.

Cami moves in to hug me and wish me congratulations as does Vaughan, leaving Uncle Nix for last.

“Congratulations Ana,” he says hoarsely, and I’m not positive but I think he may be crying.

“Why’re you crying?” I ask for only him to hear.

He snakes his arms around my waist and lifts me high, leaving my feet to dangle and my heels hanging on by my toes.

“I just can’t believe you’re all grown up. I swear it feels like yesterday that I was teaching you how to hit a ball.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean. It feels like yesterday that I was soaking up the blood from my busted lip from said baseball lesson,” I tell him, pointing to the small scar that remains from my very first set of stitches.

He gives me a crooked grin and sets me down on my feet. “C’mon y’all. We have reservations before Anais heads out with her friends to the grad party.”

“Yeah. I’m starved,” Vaughan whines, rubbing his belly.

“You are always hungry,” Cami tells him and smacks his arm.

“I’m a growin’ boy. What do you expect?” Cami and Viv roll their eyes, and everyone links arms as we walk towards the cars.

Dinner is wonderful and just like Viv promised, she, Cami and I have a private celebration congratulating me on my graduation, and welcoming me to the Magnolia Creek family.

3

BISHOP

I stand in line behind Phoenix and Vivian with CeCe on my arm and waiting for the DJ to start announcing the wedding party before the new bride and groom, Cami and Vaughan.

The day went by in a flurry of emotion. From pre-gaming it in the barn apartment, to tears during the vows –yes, I cried. I’m strong in my masculinity and not afraid to shed a few tears. I couldn’t hold them back as I watched my two best friends promise each other forever. A moment we all thought we’d never witness.

“Let’s hear it for the groomsman and bridesmaid, Phoenix West and Vivian Kelley,” the DJ calls out over the loud speaker inside the tent.

The crowd cheers, shouts and whistles ringing out, and Nix looks down at Viv and says, “C’mon, Peaches. Let's show ‘em.”

Without skipping a beat, he grabs her by the waist and hefts her up, setting her on his shoulder and walks through the tent door. Viv’s hands fly up in the air, waving to the crowd like a pageant queen, and Nix flexes his other arm because, well…he’s Phoenix fucking West.

A moment passes and the jeers quiet down enough for the DJ to announce CeCe and me. We pass through the tent but without the fanfare of Nix and Viv. Instead we smile and dance out onto the floor. I hold up CeCe’s hand and spin her around and look out to the sea of faces watching.

Dozens upon dozens of people are here, most I know but some I don’t, and acknowledge each one. Then my eyes land on her and my heart skips a beat.

Her eyes are bright as she stares right at me. Our gazes lock and I feel my smile fade. Not because I don’t like her, but because I do. I’m transfixed by this woman who’s barely a woman and it’s a struggle just not to tell Phoenix that his niece sends my body buzzing with need.

Anais stands in the crowd next to her mother and claps along with everyone else. She doesn’t blink or look away, and that plump lower lip finds its way between her teeth.

Goddamn. This girl knows what she’s doing to me and my will is holding on by a finger.

We stop circling the dance floor and stop next to Nix and Viv and wait as Hayes and Cat are announced followed by Dagen. Then the lights go down and a spot light begins flashing around.

Music booms through the speakers and Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy begins serenading the happy couple.

“And now for the main event. Put those hands together and give a big yeehaw to Mr. and Mrs. Vaughan McCallan!”

I bring my fingers to my mouth and blow a loud whistle. The moment the two of them enter, Vaughan scoops Cami into his arms and struts in, happy as a teenage boy in a whore house. Cami’s equally as happy, her big smile stretching from ear to ear. And once again, fucking tears cloud my eyes.

Thankfully I look over to find all my friends in the same boat, along with Vaughan’s and Cami’s parents. It’s difficult to find a dry eye in the house.

The music drops to a more acceptable volume and we follow the bride and groom to the large banquet style table where the parents, and Cami’s brother and sister-in-law sit, waiting for us so that everyone can begin eating.

Our plates are set in front of us and servers come by to fill our glasses. I sit across from Cami and Vaughan who are squished between both sets of parents, and beside me is CeCe with Luca to her left.

I watch as wine glasses are filled. All except Cami’s…and CeCe’s. I knit my brows together and wait for Cami to catch my eye. When she does, I give her a little look that lets her know I see what’s happening, and she shakes her head tersely with a wide-eyed panicked look to her.

Next I turn to CeCe and ask, “Are they bringing you a red wine instead of the white?”

She clears her throat, her eyes doing that shifty thing that guilty people’s do, and replies, “I don’t really feel like having a glass, right now. I’m so thirsty and I really just want to chug a whole bunch of water. I’ll have a glass later.”

I nod slowly and tell her, “Okay. I’ll be sure to toast with you at the bar.”

She gives me a nervous chuckle and my gaze wanders over to Luca who sits with a smug smirk on his face. For now, I let it go and decided it’s best to just eat and enjoy a few moments with my friends before the party really gets started.

Throughout the dinner, speeches are made and many laughs are had. The girls give tear filled speeches that have everyone sniffing, and the guys –including myself– make jokes at Vaughan’s expense and while we try very hard to keep it PG for Dagen, more than a few inappropriate words sneak through.

Once meals are mostly done and plates are cleared, music plays while Cami and Vaughan begin making their rounds to tables to greet and thank guests. They stop at the table where Phoenix’s family sits and I keep my eyes glued to Anais who stands to hug them both.

Her body is wrapped in what looks like lavender satin, and the color is beautiful next to her smooth tan skin. The dress isn’t the type I’ve seen girls around campus wearing. Instead of one that sticks to her body so tightly that I can see her stomach processing the food she eats, the bottom part drapes over her hips and cascades around her thighs. There is a high slit in the skirt and the top cups her breasts so they look like they’re being served on a fucking platter, but it is much tamer than I would’ve thought a nineteen year old would wear.

Nineteen. Fuck. I need to look away, but my eyes have other plans. They roam down her body, cataloging the curve of her beautiful legs, down to her lavender painted toes and silver strappy heels. They take their time going back up her body and stop when they meet her eyes. The eyes that are staring directly at me.

She smiles and gives me a small wave, and I quickly look away, clenching my jaw and berating myself for even allowing a peek at her.

I pickup my glass of water and chug the rest of it down, then search for the server because I could use an entire gallon at the moment. But it’s not the server's eye I catch this time. Viv comes stomping over from the bar with a drink in her hand.

“Get the guys. We have an SOS meeting in the barn apartment,” she orders me, and hurries off without giving any further details.

I see her grab CeCe’s arm, then makes her way to Cat. She says something to her, then Cat goes off and takes Cami by the hand and leads them out of the tent.

Vaughan stands there speechless and I decide I better do as Viv says or face her wrath later. I’d rather face a firing squad than a pissed off Vivian.

I walk up behind Vaughan and tell him, “we’ve been summoned. Viv said to get the guys and meet in the barn apartment.”

I jerk my head in that direction and we walk to where it is. On the way we grab Hayes, Luca and Phoenix, and continue our walk in silence. Once we reach the apartment door it swings open, Viv all fiery, and we step in. The door slams shut, and we all jump.

“Cecilia,” Viv starts and holds out the glass to her. “Drink this.”

CeCe looks at Luca then the rest of us then says, “I’m not really up for drinking right now. Once the dancing starts I’ll have one.”

“It’s your favorite, though. A manhattan with two cherries. Just the way you like.” She shakes the drink from side to side and a small bit sloshes over the side.

“Really, Viv. I don’t want it. Why are you being so pushy?” All eyes volley between the two of them, and I just know a fire is about to erupt.

“Why, you ask? Because you never turn down a drink and tonight, I have watched you turn down three. And earlier today when we were getting ready, you passed on the champagne, claiming you had a bit of a stomach ache. So my question is, which is it? Do you not want one, or is your stomach hurting?”

“I…I…,” CeCe looks frantically from one person to the other as if asking for help, but I kind of want to see where this line of questioning is going.

“Gattina,” Luca says, his voice low and tender. “Maybe it is time to tell them.”

CeCe gulps down a ball of what must be nerves, and finally gives Luca a small nod and defeated sigh.

“Cecilia and I are expecting,” Luca tells us as calmly as telling us the time, but us…we go ballistic.

We shout, we whoop, we pump fists in the air and a couple of us cry –not me this time. Vivian sets the glass down on the counter and leaps for CeCe. The little thing pops up on her toes and wraps her arms around her neck.

“You’re gonna be a mama,” she sobs into her shoulder.

CeCe gives us all a watery smile, and I look at Luca who stands with his hand smoothing circles over her back. While Cami takes her turn squeezing the life out of CeCe, I walk over to Luca and shake his hand.

“Congratulations, Luca. I know you both will be amazing parents.”

“Grazie, Bishop. It is quite unexpected but I couldn’t be happier,” he replies with a smile bigger than I have ever seen before.

“So I guess there'll be another wedding soon,” Vaughan chimes in and Luca’s smile immediately deflates.

“Th-there’s something else.” CeCe pushes out of Cat’s embrace and twists her fingers together nervously. “So, um, remember how Luca and I went to San Diego early to spend a few days alone last month?”

“Yes. You told Viv you guys wanted some alone time, and she pouted because she couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t want us to be alone with you two.” Cami snuggles up to Vaughan and wraps her arms around his waist and rests her head on his shoulder.

“Yeah. That trip. Well, you see, we weren’t entirely alone. My parents came along,” she goes on and it has us all scratching our heads.

CeCe takes a few steps back, reaching for Luca’s hand and gripping it tight.

“My parents came with us because…because we kind of got married.”

“What the fuck!” Vivian screeches, blasting me in the ear, and I wince.

“CeCe…how could you?” Cami asks, her voice full of sadness.

“Sunshine. That’s not fair.” Vaughan taps Cami under the chin, giving her a little kiss on the nose.

“Alright. Listen here, you big cannoli.” Vivian steps toe to toe with Luca and props a hand on her hip while the other points a long nail in his face.

In his face is a stretch for Viv. She more like points a finger up in the direction of his face. It’s quite cute, the way she looks, and it’s hard to take her seriously. But I swear I see smoke spilling from her nostrils and I eat my words.

“The only requirement we have all agreed on since we were little girls was that we would stand up in each other's weddings. We even figured out who would be whose maid of honor so that we all had a turn. Now you’ve gone off and stolen that away from us.” The tough girl exterior cracks and her lower lip begins to quiver.

“No babes. We didn’t take it away. We’re still going to have the giant Indian wedding with excess and–”

“And an elephant?” the little spitfire asks.

“No elephant Vivian,” CeCe tells her to which Viv replies with a pout.

“How about a horse?” Luca pipes up from beside his wife.

Viv blows out a breath and concedes, “Fine. I guess a horse will do. But I want the traditional three day shindig.”

Luca gives her a crooked smile and agrees. “Deal. Three days, a horse, and a special outfit for the occasion, on me.”

“Deal!” she replies with excitement and shakes his hand. “Sorry I called you a cannoli.”

“You’ve called me worse, so no worries.”

“But still,” Cat chimes in. “We would’ve loved to have been there for you. We’re all just a little disappointed that we couldn’t see how beautiful you were.”

“I know. But I need to explain.”

CeCe goes on to tell us that she and Luca just wanted a quiet, private moment for themselves after all of the craziness that has consumed them. Between CeCe’s “accident” in Switzerland, and Luca’s psycho wife of convenience shooting C in Paris right after they got engaged, I can understand why they needed something quiet and controlled.

“I never meant to hurt anyone, but we just really needed a moment without all the chaos. It was very short and sweet,” she turns to look over her right shoulder at Luca. “And exactly what we wanted.”

The girls grow teary eyed all over again, and it isn’t long before Cami’s tears turn to a sob.

“Don’t cry, Cam. I’m sure Luca will buy you an outfit, too,” Viv soothes.

“It’s-it’s not that,” Cami cries and lifts her head to reveal a wide smile and her eyes alight. Vaughan squeezes her hand and a wink and this time, I think I know where this is going. “I’m pregnant, too.”

“No. Fucking…way!” Hayes hollers then lunges to grab Cami. “I’m gonna be an uncle again?” He hugs Cami tight to him and spins her around.

“Woah woah. Watch it, man. You’re getting a little handsy with my pregnant wife.” Vaughan pulls Hayes to a stop and pries Cami from his arms.

Cami simply laughs and pats Hayes’ cheek. “Yes Hayes, you’re gonna be an uncle again,” she says, then looks at me and Phoenix and Luca. “And so are you. Uncle Bishop, Uncle Nix and Uncle Luca. Not to mention Aunt Cat, Aunt Viv and Aunt CeCe.”

“Zio,” Luca says. “I want to be Zio Luca. My niece or nephew will have to learn Italian early.” He winks at Cami and I swear I see a blush crawl across her body from her fingertips to her ears.

I guess when you’re an Italian billionaire you tend to have that effect on women.

Once again, hugs and kisses and congratulations are handed out and it seems like today really couldn’t get any better. Except I look over to see Vivian standing with her arms crossed over her chest and she stares out the small window over the small kitchen sink.

“What’s the matter, little bit?” I ask her.

She replies with a shrug and looks away from everyone. “Nothing. It’s no big deal.”

“Bullshit. That tells me it’s a big fucking deal. Spill it, Peaches. What’s wrong.” Phoenix slides up next to her and pulls her close to him, tucking her under his arm.

“It’s whatever. It doesn’t matter. Can we go ba–”

“We’re not going anywhere until you tell us what has you so upset. Are you not happy for us?” Cami approaches her tenderly like Viv is a rabid animal that may attack.

And I would say that assessment isn’t too far off for Vivian.

“What? No. Oh my gosh, I am so happy for you guys. It’s just…” her lips start the quivering thing again and a big fat tear falls from one eye. “I just thought we’d all be pregnant together and have babies that grew up best friends like us. And now my baby will have to miss out on all of that, and she’ll probably end up sad and lonely with no friends, while y’all’s kids will have all these inside jokes and stuff,” she spits out.

I snort out a laugh because that is just hilarious to me. Only women would think of those things. But I should expect no less with these four. They’ve had their entire futures planned out since they were thirteen. And while Cami has gone on to marry Vaughan, Viv did not end up with Derek Jeter and CeCe is no longer waiting for Brad Pitt to come sweep her off her feet.

“If you’re worried about babies, Peaches, we can go work on that right now.” Phoenix smiles and gives her a wink.

The girls console Viv –which seems backwards– and I decide it’s time to get the men out of this cry-fest.

“Come on, gentlemen. Drinks on me at the bar to celebrate the soon-to-be dads,” I tell them and we all file out of the apartment and back to the party that is about to get rowdy.

Damn. A secret wedding and babies. Helluva day to be part of the Mag Creek crew.

4

ANAIS

I scan the tent once more, looking for where Bishop went. One minute I was staring at his back while he talked with a few guests, and the next he was gone.

I’ve done well at trying not to make it too obvious that I’ve been watching him all night. Mom has warned me several times to leave him alone. After my failed attempts to make Bishop my new year's kiss, mom has barely taken her eye off of me each and every time we’ve visited Magnolia Creek or Houston.

But soon, there will be nothing she can do to keep me away from him.

I stand from my chair, deciding I need a little walk and perhaps I’ll bump into Bishop while out, but stop when I see all the guys walk in through the tent opening. They are all smiling and laughing as they make their way over to the bar in the corner. I take a look around to see where my mom and gramma are, and see them both talking with Cami’s parents, so I take it as my opportunity to get some one on one time with Bishop.

My feet carry me across the dance floor, that has been cleared for all the partying that is about to start, and I head in the direction of where the men stand.

“Hey Uncle Nix,” I call to him as I step up to the group. “I was looking for ya.”

“There’s my girl. What is it you need, Peanut?” he asks, using the nickname he gave me years ago.

The nickname that no one knows I have tattooed on my ribcage. It’s an homage to my favorite uncle, but that doesn’t mean that my mom wouldn’t kill me if she found out I had it.

“I was just wondering if you can save a dance for me when the DJ gets started? I’ve hardly spent time with you since I got here, and I just miss my favorite uncle.”

He arches a brow and gives me a pointed look. “Ana…I’m your only uncle so of course I’m the favorite. But to answer your question, yes, I will save a dance for you.”

I smile sweetly and play up the innocent vibe. “Good. In fact, I think I”ll need a dance from all of you gentlemen this evening.”

“Of course, darlin’. I wouldn’t dream of not taking a spin across the dance floor with you and Dagen. She’d shoot me in the eye with her arrow if I didn’t include her.” Vaughan lifts his glass to me with a wink.

“I’ll add you to my dance card, pretty girl,” Hayes says.

Luca –lord have mercy this man– gives me a smirk that I know he doesn’t mean to be sexy but from him, it just is.

“Assolutamente, piccola.”

Bishop stands with one hand in his pocket and a bottle of beer in the other which he holds up to his lips and drinks slowly from. I stare at him, waiting for him to confirm, as do the other men.

He finally drops the bottle from his mouth and says, “sure thing, Anais.”

His voice is flat and totally emotionless. He either really hates me, or is working really hard to make me think that he does. I smile at him because I won’t be turned off by his harsh attitude.

“Uncle Nix,” I draw out and step closer to him. “It would be so amazing if you got me a glass of champagne.”

He arches a brow at me once again, and slowly shakes his head. I immediately pull out the big guns and cross my arms over my chest and turn my mouth into a pout.

“Please Uncle Nix? I’ve been so good and I just want one little glass. I promise I won’t drink anymore than that.”

I clasp my hands in front of me and bat my eyelashes at him.

“Nah nah. Don’t pull that shit with me. You’re not ten anymore and I’m not going to fall for the whole sad girl routine.”

“Aw, c’mon Nix. She’s nineteen and it’s not like she’s never had alcohol. Just a little glass,” Vaughan says, coming to my defense.

“Yeah, Uncle Nix. One glass isn’t going to hurt her,” Hayes adds.

I look at Luca and he shrugs. “The drinking age is eighteen in Italy, so to me it is no problem. This is a call for Zio.”

Phoenix looks each of his friends in the eye, not seeing one of them coming to his defense, and gives them each a glare.

“Y’all really sold me out. Damn. Thanks,” he tells them. “One glass, Anais. Don’t go begging someone else for one. Got it?”

“Yes, Nixy,” I respond, using Viv’s nickname for him.

His nostrils flare and Hayes snorts a laugh before the rest of the guys follow suit.

“You’re a brat,” he tells me then turns to the bar where glasses of champagne are lined up and throws a twenty in the tip jar for the bartender, telling him, “she’s with me, but don’t let her con you into giving her another.”

The bartender looks at me, his eyes roaming up and down my body before saying, “you got it.”

“Quit looking at her like that before I take back this fucking tip,” Phoenix growls and I latch onto his arm and yank him away.

“He’s kidding,” I tell the poor bartender who is now pale. “Thank you.”

“No I’m not!” Uncle Nix shouts as I drag him away.

All the guys follow behind the two of us as we make our way through the guests and back to the tables that all of the ladies are now standing near.

“There you are, husband,” Cami says, an enormous smile on her face.

“Hello wife,” Vaughan growls in a deep rumble, then takes Cami in his arms, kissing her with an over dramatic flair.

All of the ladies smile with hearts in their eyes that I can practically see. Uncle Nix holds tight to Viv’s hand and CeCe and Luca are locked onto each other's waists. Cat and Hayes exchange guilty glances and it has me curious, and Bishop stares at the beer in his hand as he swirls it around.

He’s quiet and almost solemn as I stare, willing him to look at me. I want him to see me and to see that I could be his Cami or Viv or CeCe. I just need a look. One look is all it will take.

But he never looks and I go back to waiting for the day he’ll finally realize what we could be.

I throw my head back in laughter as Hayes pulls me in to him after twirling me out. The song is a fast country one, and he’s had me shuffling and two stepping all around the floor.

Once the party got into full swing, the dance floor has been non-stop. I’ve danced with all the guys –but Bishop– and the girls pulled me into a few “girls only” dances. Dagen has dragged me out a couple of times, and Cami’s dad tugged me to the center when one of his favorite Tejano songs came on.

The only man left on my list is Bishop, and he has found himself on the other side of the room every time I have tried to track him down. But as the night winds down, he is left without anywhere else to hide.

The song ends and Hayes gives me a hug. “Thanks for the dance, darlin’. Be sure to bring those cowboy boots with you. We have lots of line dancing to do at Billy’s.”

He winks and I melt a little. These men have got to be the hottest group of guys I’ve ever laid eyes on. No wonder these ladies were quick to snatch them up.

I walk over to the table where my mom and gramma sit talking with Viv, and reach for the glass of water, chugging it down in one gulp.

“Hayes wear you out?” Viv asks.

“Just a little. I have one more guy to go, then I think I’ve danced with every male at this wedding.”

Viv’s eyes flick to look at something over my shoulder and she says, “I think she means you, big guy.”

I spin around to see Bishop hovering at the edge of the dance floor looking unsure and like he wants to run.

“What do you say, Bishop? One quick dance?” I ask him.

He gulps, his large Adam's apple bobbing in his thick throat, and he dips his chin. “Sure,” he says and holds out his hand.

I slide mine into his and my body suddenly feels like it’s been set on fire. Every inch of me burns and it burns for one person.

The low rumble of an acoustic guitar sounds, and he places one hand high on my waist while the other grips tight to mine. He’s so big that I’m thankful I still have my heels on because I barely reach his chin with them.

Lightly I rest my free hand on his shoulder and the raspy, seductive voice of Lenny Kravitz begins singing a song I don’t recognize.

“It’s Butterfly,” Bishop says. The look on my face must be one of confusion because he repeats. “The song. It’s Butterfly by Lenny Kravitz.”

“I recognized the voice, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard this song before.”

“That’s because it came out before you were born,” he tells me, a small smirk gracing his gorgeous face.

Jesus, this man is so beautiful. Dark, flawless skin. A short beard that is beyond perfect, lines cut with precision. Muscles that bulge and stretch shirts to their very end. But the most impressive feature about Bishop is his smile. When he does, it’s the most glorious sight.

The way his face lights up, pure joy evident, is flat out the sexiest thing ever. It’s infectious and draws you in. Like a moth to a flame, to be cheesy about it.

The song plays on, the low hum of the guitar and voice setting a sensual mood. We don’t talk, just take turns glancing, trying not to get caught by the other. My eyes look quickly around the tent to see everyone enmeshed in their own conversations.

I let my fingers lightly dance on his shoulder that I can feel better with his suit jacket off and only his thin button up on. The top two buttons are undone and a gold chain shines against his chest. My eyes focus on that and his breaths turn deep and heavy.

“I’m really excited to start school,” I say as the song starts to draw to a close.

“Good,” he says, hoarsely. “I think you’ll really enjoy Rice.”

“Yeah. I think so, too.” My voice turns low and comes out just above a whisper.

Bishop’s eyes turn down to meet mine and they lock on each other. His jaw flexes as he clenches it, and I feel his fingers press harder into my waist. Our steps fall to a very slow sway.

I open my mouth to…say anything, but he quickly drops his hands and takes two steps back.

“Thanks for the dance, Anais. Good luck with the start of school.”

“But,” I call out as he rushes away from me and out of the tent.

I’m left standing in the middle of the dance floor by myself, wishing he’d give me just a moment of his time. That's all I need.

5

BISHOP

Loud squeals fill the air followed by the sound of large splashing. I shade my eyes and look up to see a shock of red hair breach the surface of the water. Vivian bursts up like the little mermaid, except this mermaid is not a happy one.

“Godammit, Phoenix!” she shouts, sluicing through the water to get to him. “I told you not to get this swimsuit wet.”

Vivian reaches the shallow end, walking up the beach style entrance to where Nix stands with his hands braced on his quads, laughing like a madman.

“Why the fuck can’t you get that swimsuit wet? Isn’t the whole point of a swimsuit…to get wet?” he asks through tears of laughter.

Red hair hangs heavy with water dripping from the ends and down Viv’s body, puddling at her feet. “Because this is Balmain, and you do not swim in Balmain. You wear Balmain.”

The laughter that had wracked Nix a second ago stops and he asks, “What the hell are you talking about? You wear a swimsuit so that you can swim in it. I don’t understand a damn word of what you just said.”

“Errrr,” she screeches and stomps her little foot. “This swimsuit cost six hundred dollars. You don’t just throw six hundred dollars in saltwater.”

“Uh oh. Better watch it, Nix. Ariel’s got her human legs and it looks like she’s about to use them to kick you in the balls,” I call out from my chair on the deck.

“Shut up, Bishop,” Viv shouts, fumes pouring from her ears and nose.

Everyone else snorts at my comment except for Vivian and Nix.

“Six hundr-you know what. The price doesn’t matter. What matters is you’re wearing a swimsuit that you’re pissed got wet. From the pool. Which is where you need a swimsuit. To swim.”

“This was my ‘for show’ swimsuit! My actual swimsuit is coming later! You big, giant jerk!” Tiny fists pound on Nix’s large, chiseled chest.

It’s like a fly trying to break through a cinderblock wall. A gust of wind could do more damage.

“Aw, Peaches. I’m sorry. Why don’t I come help you change? Will that make you feel better?” Phoenix asks with a calm, soothing voice.

The kind one may use to stop a rabid dog from attacking.

“No. Only you at the bottom of the pool will make me feel better.”

“Tink. You know how your threats of violence turn me on,” he smirks and this time, I let out a boisterous laugh.

Viv’s porcelain skin turns red like a ripe tomato and the hands that were pounding away at Nix drop to her sides and curl into white knuckled fists. Her jaw clenches and I see her cock her arm back, and with a strength I didn’t know that tiny human possessed, rams it straight into Phoenix’s gut, causing him to fold in half and let out a short, hard cough.

“Quit calling me Tink. You’re lucky you’re a good lay with a big dick or I would’ve kicked your ass to the curb.”

“Jesus Christ, Vivian,” CeCe says, walking up beside them.

“For the love of Dolly. There are kids here.” Those words come from the ever worrier slash figurative mom of the group, Cami.

Although, I guess now she really is going to be a mommy.

“I did not want to hear that about my uncle. Thanks Viv. I’m going to go bleach my brain now.” I look over my shoulder to see Anais standing halfway out the patio doors.

I inhale a deep breath and hold it as I try to suffocate these feelings that seem to strike me every time I look at her. Today is no different. Maybe even worse.

She stands with that long, beautiful hair that is usually flowing down her back pulled into two braids. The ends hang over her shoulders and they’re like directional bullets to her plump breasts. Firm breasts that are scantily clad in a lavender bikini top, two small triangles barely covering what should definitely be hidden away.

Her smile shines and the sun dims when she’s near. And that fucking dimple. Jesus it’s hard to look away from her. But then my mind wanders to my best friend and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach.

“My future daughter-in-law, ladies and gentlemen.” The voice of Phoenix’s mom rings out from where she lounges next to the pool, a large brimmed hat on her head and cocktail in hand.

“Sorry, mama West. But your son,” Vivian walks over, shaking her head and places a kiss on her cheek. “Let me freshen your drink when I go change.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. And yes, I know my son. I was surprised you said yes to that scoundrel.” She pats Viv’s hand and smiles.

“I’ll be back in a few. Let me go pry my body out of my ruined hostess outfit.” Viv throws Nix one last heated look, then slides past Anais and into the house.

All eyes turn to Phoenix who still stands near the pool with his hands on his stomach and the remnants of a smile on his face.

“What?” he finally asks.

“You better sleep with one eye open tonight, buddy,” CeCe tells him. “And if I were you, I’d also wrap that head of yours in a kerchief unless you were planning on shaving your hair sometime soon.”

Nix’s face goes from light and laughter, to dread and sheer panic.

“She wouldn’t do that,” he says, his voice shaking just the smallest bit.

“You’re right. She probably wouldn’t. She’s more likely to shave the words Viv’s Bitch over shaving it bald. She likes to make a statement.” Cat smiles over the rim of her margarita and the rest of us choke back our laughter.

Phoenix’s face grows slightly pale and he pushes out a quiet, “I’ll be right back,” as he shuffles quickly past us.

“Lord, I never thought I’d see the day my son would meet his match. But that wild thing bested him and put him right in his place.” Mama West cackles from her seat and everyone else goes back to enjoying the day.

With school about to start, we decided to spend another year together celebrating Dagen’s thirteenth birthday. She’ll have a party with her friends another weekend, but today is for family. And we’re all here.

Vaughan and Cami’s parents are here as they both now claim Dagen as their grand-daughter, along with Cami’s brother Drè, his wife Lisette and their two year old daughter, Madeliene. CeCe and Luca sit together on a lounge seat, her belly now protruding from her bikini. Luca smiles at her like she’s his world, and rubs his hand over where his son lays tucked safely.

Two weeks ago, Vivian bugged CeCe and Luca to their wits end about finding out if they were having a boy or girl despite them wanting to keep it a surprise. Viv also reminded Luca that he destroyed all their little girl dreams by marrying in secret, so he relented and caved to her demands. That’s how we came to know we’ll have a nephew in just a few short months.

Hayes is in the pool with Dagen, taking turns dunking each other. Cat whips up batch after batch of her famous margaritas, and Phoenix’s mom and Anais round out the guests. His sister, Sierra, went home to Slidell earlier in the week since she had to work.

I wasn’t here to witness the goodbye, but I heard it was a soggy mess when she left Anais. Phoenix said they acted as if they weren’t going to see each other in two weeks for his game, which is exactly what they’re doing.

Anais has been staying with Nix and Viv for the past few weeks, waiting to move into her dorm on campus. Viv offered up her condo that is currently serving as a rental, but Anais insisted she wanted the full college experience by living on campus. I’m sure she’ll change her mind once she realizes just how small her new living quarters are and the fact that she has to share it.

I have been lucky that I’ve been busy with my seniors and juniors workouts as we get ready for the school year to begin. It’s allowed me to stay away from Nix’s house as much as possible where normally we’d be spending every free moment all together. We’ve seen each other at Nix’s home games, but luckily there has been too much excitement to notice her.

That’s a bullshit lie. I notice her. All the time. But being around all our friends makes it a bit easier to focus on them and not how badly I want to feel her skin underneath my palm. Or how desperately I ache to taste her lips. How I wonder what it would be like to have that thick mane of hers, wrapped around my fist while I–

“Bishop,” I hear my name and snap out of my mental haze.

I look over to see the man who is more than just my best friend, holding a beer out to me.

“Where’d you go, man? I was calling your name,” Vaughan asks as I take the frosty bottle from his hands.

“Sorry, man. Just thinking about the babies that’ll be around when we celebrate Day’s birthday next year.”

Vaughan’s boyish crooked grin flashes and his eyes sparkle with joy. “Yeah. I can’t wait. All I’ve ever wanted was a family with Cami and now we have it. Cami, Day, me and one on the way. It’s wild.”

“Not to mention CeCe and Luca’s little boy, and I’m sure Viv and Nix won’t be too far behind.” A heaviness suddenly weighs on my heart when I think about my friends getting married and having their own families.

They’re moving on to the next stage of their life while I’m over here daydreaming about a girl who can never be mine.

“Yup. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you pull up the rear right behind them with your own baseball team.” Vaughan winks and taps his bottle on the lip of mine, causing the foam to rise and making me suck it down for dear life.

“Fucker,” I growl, which only makes him laugh. “Vaughan, I don’t even have a woman in my life. How the hell will I be having babies soon after y’all?”

“Aww, don’t be such a Debbie Downer. Your little lady is out there, just waiting for you to find her. Ya just gotta look.” He quirks a brow at me with a smile, but I don’t share his optimism.

“I don’t know about that. But I like your glass half full attitude.” I throw back my beer and when it comes away, my eyes land on the curves of a woman walking towards me.

Vaughan leans in and whispers, “That girl is going to be trouble. Phoenix is going to have his hands full with that one.”

I gulp hard and nod my head. Phoenix isn’t the only one who’s sure to have a hard time with Anais.

“Hey guys,” Anais sings as she steps up to where we sit. “Just wondering if either of you need anything. Uncle Nix said if I helped play hostess with Viv, that I could have a couple of Cat’s famous margaritas.”

“You know why he’s having you do that, don’tcha darlin’?” Vaughan asks, his southern twang thicker than just a moment ago.

Anais bites her plump bottom lip and shakes her head. “Because he wants me to earn my keep?”

“Nope. ‘Cause when Viv is stressed over making sure everyone has what they need, he tends to get in trouble a lot more. Your helping Viv allows Nix to stay on Little Red’s good side. I’d say if you do that, you’ve earned more than just a couple of margs.” Vaughan smiles and it’s infectious.

I watch Anais’ smile outshine the world around her. Her big round eyes sparkle, and she plays with the end of her braids, drawing attention to how close they are to her breasts.

“I’m all set. Thanks for checking, Anais,” I say quickly, and cross my leg over the other, hiding the fact that my body is reacting like a teenager to her presence.

“Well, if you need anything, just call my name and I’ll come running,” she says, her eyelashes waving at me as they bat.

She spins on her heel and makes her way over to the edge of the pool where Dagen swims up to the edge. I watch her laugh when Day gets close enough to splash her and Jesus Christ. If I thought looking at her in a swimsuit was difficult, trying to divert my eyes while she wears a wet swimsuit is the worst kind of torture.

“I think someone has a little crush.”

“What? Who? What do yo–what are you talking about?” I stutter.

Vaughan elbows me in the side and juts his chin out towards the pool. “Anais. I think she has a little crush on big ole teddy bear Bish.”

I roll my eyes and take another long pull of my beer to give me a moment to gather my wits.

“Nah,” I finally say after my brain comes up blank. “She’s just a baby. The last thing she’s looking at is an old, washed up baller who is twelve years older than her.”

“You gotta give yourself more credit, Bish. You’re a damn handsome dude and I see how women throw themselves at you. It isn’t out of reach to think a beautiful young lady would find you the same.”

“Does Cami know you’re flirting with me?” I tease. “Well that girl is a hell no. She’s too young and more importantly, she’s Nix’s niece. That’s the biggest no go if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Good. ‘Cause Nix would skin you alive if you ever laid a hand on Anais. Actually, he’ll probably do that to whomever she brings home. But at least it won’t be his best friend,” Vaughan tells me and takes another swig of his beer.

I laugh nervously and agree, “You got that right.”

I can keep my hands to myself. My thoughts-those are fair game. And that’s just where Anais will stay. In my thoughts and nothing more.

As the day turns into night, the music pouring from the speakers goes from light and fun pop, to harder beats that make everyone dance.

Anais has continued to torture me with strutting around, happy and laughing with everyone here. She’s danced with Day, lighting up that little girl's life, and has done a good job at helping Viv which in turn helps Nix.

She’s kind and caring and full of vibrance, and I’m here in the corner being a black cloud on everyone’s day. Pouting because I want something I can’t have, and kicking myself for wanting her.

Looking at her is sweet torture and I just can’t help myself. Thank God she has put on some clothes that cover her body because I was about to drop myself to the bottom of the pool and stay there until she either left or I lost the will to fight off these feelings, anymore.

A blare of horns sounds from the speakers and Anais’ face turns from happy to over the top elated. She runs off to grab the hands of all the women –and Day– then finds a spot they can all fit.

Reggaeton music –a song I recognize as Daddy Yankee because I’m old– plays and Anais begins swirling her hips in a sexy dance. Fuck my life. As if this day couldn’t get any worse.

She starts showing the ladies some moves that Cami is quick to pick up.

“Sweetheart. You’ve never been to a Villalobos family party. This is a cakewalk,” Cami tells her.

Vivian’s little body mirrors Anais’ and CeCe, with her small belly, follows suit. Dagen laughs as she tries to keep up with fast foot movements, and all of the ladies look as if they’re having the time of their lives.

Meanwhile, all the men look to be in pain. Vaughan’s eyes watch every small shake, roll, and bend his wife makes, and I can tell he wants to be anywhere but here. Nix is watching Viv with a smirk that says he’s about two minutes from throwing us all out on our asses. Then there’s Luca. The man who is king of masking his emotions, is clenching and unclenching his hands into fists like he’s about to slam them through a wall.

CeCe turns to him and curls her fingers, beckoning him closer. He wastes no time, eating up the distance between them in a few long strides, and pulls CeCe into his arms. The guy begins to move with his wife, matching her movements step for step.

Vaughan decides that is an open invitation for the men to join, and hurries over to Camille. Nix growls and scoops Viv up, smacking her ass, then placing her back on her feet to continue dancing. Cat looks to Hayes and I, and we both shake our heads. Unfortunately, that does not deter her.

“C’mon you two party poopers. I need a dance partner,” Cat says, walking up to us.

“Then Hayes should go. I don’t think my old man body can move that way,” I joke.

Cat reaches out and squeezes one of mine and Hayes’ hands in each of hers, and begins tugging us while shuffling backwards.

“Nope. That’s a lame excuse and untrue. I’ve seen your moves, Bish. Old men don’t move the way you do. Now let’s dance.”

We begrudgingly drag our feet, walking behind her, and Hayes immediately takes her hand in his and yanks her so that they are chest to chest. She smiles and begins swaying to the music.

The beat is fast and fun and everyone is smiling. Everyone but me. I stand stiff between them all with a scowl on my face and tension in my shoulder. I spin on my heels to return to my seat, but my hand is grabbed from someone behind me.

“Nuh uh. You’re not getting out of this. Dagen and I need a partner.” Anais looks at me with bright eyes, the effect of one too many margaritas.

“Yeah, Uncle Bishop. Me and Anais want to dance with you.” Of course Dagen asks and I can’t deny that girl a damn thing.

She knows I’d give her the moon if she wanted it badly enough.

“You’re a stinker, Dagen Rayne,” I joke, and pull her up into my arms.

She’s getting bigger every day, and I may not be able to do this for much longer. She wraps an arm around my neck then holds out her other for Anais who steps into her hold.

“Okay, Uncle Bish. You hold on to one side of Anais and I’ll hold the other and we can all dance together.”

I close my eyes in so much pain, because the thought of having to touch her skin brings physical agony to my body. Anais doesn’t wait for a second invitations and slides her arms around my waist then takes Dagen’s hand.

They begin laughing and swinging their arms.

“You gotta move those hips, Bishop. I know you can.” Anais issues a challenge with an arched brow and cheeky smile.

Left without any other choice, I dance with the girls and pray for the song to be over.

Fuck. I pray for this entire night to be over because I need to be alone when I fuck my hand with thoughts of Anais on my mind and her vision in my eyes. Then afterwards I can punish myself for being a goddamn sick bastard.

6

ANAIS

Move in day came quickly, putting an end to my summer and kicking off my official life as an adult. I mean, I’m nineteen, so technically I became an adult last year. But stepping onto Rice University campus really makes it all seem official.

Uncle Nix and the guys heft box after box of my things up the three flights of stairs to my room, sweat dripping down their faces. It’s hot as hell today, and I keep waiting for Bishop to just rip off his shirt. The glimpse I got at Dagen’s pool party was hardly enough. He was in the water for only moments before he was out and slipping his t-shirt back into place.

That night, I Jill-ed off to thoughts of him in the water, no shirt and water rippling over his stomach and large arms. Uncle Nix is a big guy, but Bishop is big. His arms are thick and look as if they could squeeze the life out of a man. His legs are ridiculously delicious, and god do I love a man with thick quads.

He isn’t flabby by any means, but this man is more than just sculpted in the gym. The term teddy bear was coined for men like him. Large, sweet and caring, but you just know an animal hides underneath those layers.

“Fuck, Ana. Why’d you have to get a dorm on the third floor?” Uncle Nix asks after his third trip up.

“If I remember correctly, I told you that I could just get movers to help. But you wanted to check things out and make sure the guys knew to stay away from me. So you really have no one to blame but yourself,” I quip, opening another box to inspect its contents.

“She’s got you there, brotha. They have a Rice move-in crew, but you needed to growl at all the poor underclassmen as you pass each door.” Bishop grins a crooked smile and plops a bag that contains my pillows in it on the floor.

Vaughan and Hayes pull up the rear, walking in with the last of my boxes that I know hold my shoes and various knick knacks that I just couldn’t part with.

Hayes drops the heavy box to the ground with a thud. “I think that one holds a dead body ‘cause it’s heavy as fuck,” he complains.

“Well where else was I supposed to hide it? If Uncle Nix found out some guy flirted with me, he’d end up in jail for sure, and there goes his baseball career.” I joke and it makes the guys laugh and Nix growl.

“Someone flirted with you? Then he better hope he’s good and gone, or I’ll dig him back up just to choke that little fucker out.”

“Calm down. It was just a joke…I didn’t kill the guy. I just turned him down.” That little remark has Nix’s face turning red and steam billowing from his nostrils.

Bishop clamps a massive hand on his arm, prepared to hold him back, but a loud shriek breaks the scowl on his face.

“Oh…my…gaahhh! Did I just die and end up in hot guy heaven? Lord help me.” A girl who I assume is my roommate appears in the doorway and freezes, her mouth hanging open with traces of a smirk.

“Hi,” I call out from behind the guys and push my way past them. “I’m Anais. Are you Keyara? My roommate?”

Her mouth keeps catching flies and she nods her head. I can see her eyes are the size of boulders from behind her round glasses, and I’m pretty sure there’s drool falling from the corner of her mouth.

“Do they come with the room, or do we have to give them back at midnight?” she asks.

With a laugh, I explain. “This is my Uncle and his friends. They’re just helping me move in.”

Uncle Nix steps forward and holds out his hand. “Hey there. I’m Phoenix. These are my fr–”

A scream has us all shrouding our ears. “Holy fuck! You’re Phoenix West. I-I…I need to sit down,” she pants, out of breath.

I help her to the chair that sits at her desk and begin fanning her off. She twists her long braids around her hand and holds them up, using her other hand to wipe down her face.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Hell no. The best baseball player in the league is standing in my dorm room and you’re telling me he’s your uncle?” I nod my head and she continues to stare. “Please tell me the other ones aren’t related to you? I need to know which one I have a shot at.”

I think she thinks she’s whispering, but there was nothing hushed about her words.

“These are friends of my uncles. That’s Vaughan, he’s very married,” I tell her, pointing to him as he lifts his hand with a hello. “That’s his brother Hayes–”

“Wow! Two of you. Goddamn.”

“And this is Bishop. He’s actually the baseball coach here.”

“Hi Keyara. Nice to meet you.” Bishop holds out his large paw and she grips on to it with two hands.

“Did I mention I play baseball? Yup. Centerfield. Think I have a shot at making the team, coach?”

We all laugh and Bishop answers with a smile, “Sorry young lady. We’re all set at centerfield. Check back next season.”

“Oh. I will.”

“What the hell is going on in here?” A man's voice calls out.

We whip our heads around to see a man with glasses similar to Keyara’s standing with a bag from the bookstore in his hands.

“Jesus Christ, you’re Phoenix West,” he says, sounding very much like who I assume is her dad.

A petite woman steps up behind him and freezes for a moment. Then she takes a step back, gazes at the board hanging on the wall just outside our door, and steps back in. Her eyes wander the room, studying the face of each guy standing around her daughter.

“If I wasn’t so dead ass tired, I’d be asking a lot of questions. But we just drove four and half hours from Frisco and I just want to sit down and then find the nearest restaurant with the biggest margarita so I can drink myself into tomorrow when I have to leave my baby.” I snort out a laugh and quickly slap my hand over my mouth when Uncle Nix pokes me in the back. “Hello. I’m Shelleen, and this rude gentleman is my husband, Cameron. We’re Keyara’s parents.”

“Hello ma’am. I’m Phoenix. This is my niece Anais. We were just helping her move in.” Uncle Nix juts his hand out towards Shelleen and she takes hold of it.

“Lord, you have big strong hands,” she mutters. “And please call me Shelleen. I know ma’am is the thing here in the South, but it makes me feel so old.”

Uncle Nix smiles then introduces the rest of the guys. When he gets to Bishop, Keyara’s dad perks up once again.

“Damn. Phoenix West and Bishop Michaels in one room. Kirby is going to lose his shit when he finds out he passed up a chance to meet y’all.”

“Cameron,” Shelleen chides.

“Sorry. Kirby is our son and he was griping about sitting in the truck with all of Keyara’s belongings, so he stayed behind. He’s gonna kick himself now. We watched you two at LSU. Kirb couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve, and he used to talk about wanting to be a great catcher like Bishop Michaels.” Cameron shakes his head in disbelief and I let my eyes wander up and down the large body of Bishop.

A sheen of sweat covers his enormous arms and I inhale the scent of his sweat. It’s mixed with his body wash and he smells of musk and spice. My body tingles thinking about smelling him fresh from a shower, his chest bare with the short hairs covered in droplets of water, and a towel draped over his hips.

I squeeze my thighs together and can only cross my arms over my chest to stop my hardened nipples from showing themselves to the world. Or at least all the people that are gathered in this small room.

“Okay. It’s getting a little crowded. How about we leave y’all to settle in. Give you some time alone,” I tell Keyara and try to shove the guys out.

But, like perfect comedic timing, three more people show up at our door.

“Dayum. Ana’s already got a party going day one in the dorms.” I smack my head knowing that, though I can’t see her, that is definitely the voice of my future aunt, Vivian.

“Babe. No.” Nix shakes his head and side shuffles his way to the door. “This is Ana’s roommate's parents.”

“Oh. Oops. Sorry. I was just kidding. Hi roommate’s parents. I’m Vivian. This guy's fiancée,” she says, slapping Nix in the chest.

She pulls her hand away and her face pinches together when she feels his shirt soaked in sweat.

“We were just leaving to give them some time to unpack,” I try to explain.

“Well we stopped by to see if you five were ready to get some dinner. Luca said he was going to get us a table at Ranchero’s.” Camille smiles from where she stands and I see how it makes Vaughan light up.

“Yes, please. I’m starved,” Vaughan replies.

“Bro. You’re always hungry. I don’t know where it goes because at the rate you eat, you should be the size of a house.”

“I’m eating for three, Bishop. Geez. Rude.”

“Three?” I ask, looking at Cami. “Are you having triplets?”

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “No. I am not having triplets. Just one little McCallan. Vaughan says he’s eating for me and the baby and himself. Sympathy cravings, is what he calls it.”

“Excuse my friends. They lost their manners many years ago and I’m afraid the search was called off. I’m CeCe and we would love to invite you three to dinner if you’re interested in joining us. No pressure.”

CeCe takes advantage of her growing belly and pushes her way into the room and all the men take a few steps back.

“Oh, we couldn’t impose. It seems like there’s already a large party,” Shelleen waves us off.

“Not an imposition at all. My husband is just finishing up at work, and he has their daughter with them,” she points her finger between Cami and Vaughan, which means Dagen is waiting in the wings. “And we have one more friend who will be meeting us, so three more isn’t a big deal. But again, no pressure. Only if you want to.”

Shelleen looks at her husband who shrugs in response.

“Does the place you’re going to serve margaritas?” she asks.

“Only the best,” CeCe replies with a smile.

“Well, twist my arm. I guess we’re in.”

“Great. We’re going to take these stinky men to clean up at Bishop’s house and then we’ll head over to the restaurant. Would you like us to give you directions, or we can come back this way and you can follow us?” Viv rattles off at rapid speed.

“How about you just tell us where and when and we’ll see you there.” Cameron pulls out his phone and types in the address of the restaurant and we start exiting.

“I guess we’ll talk at dinner,” I tell Keyara.

She nods and says, “Hopefully.”

We all smile and say our goodbyes and shuffle out the door.

“Thank you for a wonderful night. We really enjoyed ourselves.” Keyara’s mom stumbles a little as we exit the restaurant. “Oops,” she giggles when she catches herself.

After the men freshened up at Bishop’s, we all met here at the restaurant where Luca and Dagen were waiting. CeCe had phoned Luca to inform him of our three added guests and when we arrived, the back room had been reserved for us.

I sat in between Keyara and Dagen which meant all of our talk was kept PG for young ears. But now that dinner is done and Uncle Nix and Viv are dropping Keyara and I off at the dorms, we’ll have plenty of time to talk and get to know one another.

“We’ll see you in the morning, sweetheart.” Keyara’s dad leans in and kisses her cheek. “Thank you for taking her back. This one needs to sleep off what is likely to be a hammering hangover. Yay for me and the long drive back.”

We laugh and say our goodbyes, then pile into Uncle Nix’s truck, and he and Viv have us laughing all the way back to our dorm.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks, Uncle Nix.” I lean between the seats and kiss his cheek. “You get some sleep Aunt Viv,” I tell her and kiss her cheek, too.

A small gasp sounds in the cabin of the truck followed by a shaky voice. “She called me Aunt Viv.”

Tears fill her big green eyes and a smile eats up her small face.

“Great. Now I’m going to have a drunk and crying Vivian all the way home. Will you go? I’ll call you tomorrow about the game.” Nix wraps his arm around Viv when she leans into him.

“Sure thing. Love you both,” I call out as I hop out of the back seat.

“Oh my gah. First she calls me Aunt Viv and now I get an I love you? Niiiixx,” Vivian cries harder.

“I know, Peaches. It’s a wonderful day.”

I wiggle my fingers at them and laugh as I skip over to where Keyara waits for me.

“Finally,” she says when I step up next to her. “I thought we’d never have time alone.”

I slip my hand through the crook of her elbow as we walk into our building. “I know. It’s like they knew we were dying to gossip and purposely ate and drank slower.”

Now that move-in day is pretty much over, the elevator is free of people hauling boxes, so we take advantage of it and ride to our third floor.

“Okay, first. Your uncle is as fine as he is talented. Sorry, but it has to be said.” The elevator stops and we step out onto our floor. “Vivian is so damn cute. They are adorable together.”

I swipe my keycard over the scanner and our door unlocks. I let Keyara walk in ahead of me and the heavy door closes with a thunk. I promptly engage the deadbolt and walk past our shared bathroom that is split between the two rooms in our suite. We have yet to meet our other suitemates, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

“She is hilarious. Viv definitely keeps my uncle on his toes.”

I kick off my sandals and fall back onto the bed that is only half made.

“I need to know more about that delicious man, Bishop. Dear Lord, that man is juicy.” I bite my lip and close my eyes, playing back every image I have memorized of him like a movie reel. “Uh oh.”

“What?” I ask, popping up on my elbows.

“You have a thing for him, don’t you?” I smile and flop back down. “Is there something going on between you two? Isn’t he your uncle’s best friend?”

“Yes, he’s my uncle's best friend,” I explain. “And no, there is nothing going on between us…yet.”

“What? Spill. Tea now, sleep later,” she insists.

I sigh and give her the rundown of my feelings for Bishop and how they are not reciprocated.

“But all I need is for him to just look at me once, just once, like I’m not a kid and I know things will be different. I can feel it, Keyara. Bishop and I are meant to be. We’re fated.” I finish telling her everything and look over to see her watching me with a doubting eye. “What?”

Her shoulders raise with a deep breath and she says, “Look. I don’t know you all that well but I can already tell you’re my new bestie.” She smiles and it makes me do the same. “And as your new bestie, I’m required to give you my full, unfiltered honest opinion. It’s a law. With that said, I think you’re asking for trouble, girl.”

I push myself to sit up tall and cross my legs underneath me. “Trouble? Why would you say that?”

“Let’s run down the very obvious reasons, because apparently it needs to be pointed out with big flashing lights. One, he’s your uncle's best friend. That is at the very top of the bad idea list. Two, he’s like ten years older than you.”

“Twelve,” I correct.

She arches a brow and purses her lips. “Exactly. Too old for you. And third, he’s faculty at the school we attend. I’m pretty sure there’s a rule about teacher-student relationships.”

“Okay. So now it’s time for my rebuttal. One,” I tell her, holding up a finger. “My uncle loves me like I’m his kid. He’ll get over whatever hurt feelings he may have. I mean, he trusts Bishop like a brother and says he’s one of the best guys he knows. What better person to trust your beloved and favorite niece to?”

Keyara gathers up her long braids and begins twisting them into a giant bun on top of her head.

“Two, age is so irrelevant. The world has changed and people are much more accepting of May-December romances. Practically every romance movie and book has the age gap theme running heavy through it. No one pays any mind to that.”

“We’ll see about that,” she mutters and I wave her off.

“And three, Bishop is not my teacher. He is employed by the university, yes, but he’s in the athletic department. I do not receive a grade from him, and I am not a part of the baseball program. Therefore, no one can assume I am receiving special treatment.”

Keyara wraps a scrunchie around her big bun and drops her hands into her lap. “I’m guessing there will be no talking you out of your delu-lu, so as your best friend I have no other choice but to support and protect you…it’s a law.”

I laugh and repeat, “It’s totally a law.”

We spend the rest of the night, and into the early hours of the morning, talking and laughing and living up to those new best friend titles.

7

BISHOP

The sun barely peaks above the horizon as I step out of my truck and walk over to the practice facility where I’m set to meet my team in twenty minutes.

Classes started two days ago and being the nice and awesome coach that I am, I gave them all off in order to get their schedules sorted. But break is over and it’s time for them to get their asses back to practice and workouts.

I walk through the facility that is so quiet that the squeak of my sneakers sounds like an amplifier is attached to it. I drop my bag and coffee on my desk and walk over to the window to flip open the blinds that lookout into the hallway leading to the team clubhouse.

We’re six months away from the start of baseball season but my guys know that workout days never end, and all of my returning players are always up and in the gym early and without complaints.

I pull out my laptop and fire it up, waiting for it to spark to life, so I can check my emails and any other notifications I’ve received since last night. My screen lights up just as I hear the loud clunk of a door shutting, letting me know that the first guys are making their way in.

I watch as they pass by the window and suddenly my captains are in my doorway.

“Hey coach,” my third baseman says, while my shortstop says, “What up, big man?”

I smile at their very different greetings. “Good morning. Y’all have a good first couple of days of classes?”

“Eh. You know. The usual. Syllabus handout, contact and office hours, and then spend the rest of the time checking out the new girls.”

“This asshole lucked out and ended up in a class with a bunch of hot freshmen. I don’t know how he managed that one.” My shortstop slaps the third baseman in the stomach hard enough that he makes a painful sound.

“I’m taking creative writing. It just so happens that it’s a popular class with the ladies.” He shrugs and I shake my head, thinking back to my college days and how I judged classes based on popularity amongst the women.

“Don’t forget to be respectful to the ladies. I’d hate to bench your ass for being a douche. Now go get ready. You two are leading the workout.”

They give me a “yes sir” then head off to their lockers to drop their bags and get ready to greet the rest of the team. The guys begin filtering in minutes later, and before too long, the locker room is bursting with players. The voices get lost in the many conversations that are being had.

I walk in, edging closer to my team captains, and hear one of them say, “Fuck dude. She was so hot. Small little shorts that barely covered that apple bottom. Her tits,” he rolls his eyes and bites his fist. “She had on this little purple shirt and I just wanted to bury my face in them.”

“Did you get her name?” another asks.

“It was kind of hard to hear with people talking but I think it’s like Inez or Anez. It won’t be hard to find her because she’s the hottest damn thing on campus. Just look for a little waist, light brown skin and a shit ton of curly black hair.”

My body tenses because I swear that sounds just like Anais. Perfect body, all that damn hair, the similarity in name. I feel my blood start to boil thinking of any of these assholes with their hands on her. I may not be able to have her, but I’ll be damned if I let one of them take her.

“Why are you still gossiping like old women? Get your asses in that gym before you’re running laps.” My voice booms through the locker room and the team falls silent.

I don’t normally yell at my team unless we’re in game time or their behavior calls for it, but my gut tells me they were definitely talking about Anais and it pisses me off. More than it should.

I tell myself it’s because I’m looking out for my best friend’s niece, but I know it’s bullshit.

The guys still mull around slightly so I yell, “Go! Now!”

They jump at my bark and quickly file out to walk down to the weight room, and I spend my morning with a scowl on my face and a guilty conscience on my shoulder.

I rub the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. The headache that started to build during this morning's workout now feels like a jackhammer pounding into my temples.

I look at the time and see it strike eleven-forty and decide it’s a good time to take a break.

Just then, a tap sounds at my door and I look up to find my conditioning coach standing there.

“You busy?” He asks.

“Nah man. I was just about to head over to the main campus and grab some grub. What’s up? Did you need something?”

I stand up from my desk and pocket my phone.

“Actually I was coming to see if you wanted to go grab a burger. Why’re you headed to campus? Got a meeting or something?”

I flip the lights off and close my door behind me, locking it up and double checking the knob.

“No. Nix’s niece is a student here and he’s asked me to keep an eye on her.” We reach the doors and push them open, exposing ourselves to what feels like a furnace blowing hot air on our faces. “Shit it’s hot.”

“Balls hot, man.” He adjusts his hat, pulling it further down to block the sun. “So West has you on babysitting duty?”

I press my key fob and the lights in my truck blink. “He’s real protective of her and just wants to know she’s fitting in well.”

The drive to the main campus is a short one, but we circle the lot for parking, finally finding one after several minutes.

We walk to the dining hall and each go to a separate line, picking a table to meet at once we have our food.

I step up to the salad bar and begin piling my plate with veggies. In my peripheral I see a group of girls step up and start doing the same.

“Oh my gah! Did you see that one with the backwards cap? He was seriously yummy.”

“I did. I also noticed that he couldn’t take his eyes off Ana.”

“Um, none of them could take their eyes off of her. I mean, look,” one says and I slowly and slyly turn my head to look over my shoulder.

In the distance I see Anais walking with the girl who I think is her roommate coming towards us. She smiles and laughs at something her friend says, her eyes closed and head thrown back. Her hair tumbles down her back and the ends brush across the top of her round ass.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to wash away the thoughts I just had, but they still remain when I open them.

“Hey Bishop,” a silky voice calls.

I look over and see Anais standing right next to me along with the group of girls who were talking about her just moments ago.

“Hello Ms. De La Cruz, and it’s Coach Michaels,” I reply with a voice that feels like it’s being squeezed out of me. “In between classes?” I ask.

She bites her bottom lip and nods. “Yeah. Keyara and I told the girls we’d meet them here for lunch before heading off to our next class.” She motions to the girls beside her and I glance at them.

They all stand silent but with smiles that speak a thousand words.

“How are your classes going? Everything okay so far?”

“They’re okay. I do have one class I’m hoping I can switch, but I haven’t been able to make an appointment with my advisor yet,” she answers and hefts her backpack up on her shoulder.

“Just send your advisor an email with ‘schedule change request urgent’ in the subject line. They put priority on schedule changes so you’ll hear back from them pretty quickly,” I explain.

“Really? Oh awesome. Thank you. I’ll do that right away. I, uh, I was wondering if I can catch a ride with you to the game tomorrow night?”

My immediate reaction is to tell her I can give her more than a ride to just the game, but I clench my jaw and swallow back my words.

“Of course. I can text you when I’m on my way over.”

“Keyara and I were going to go, um, shopping after our last class. Do you mind if I just go to your place when I’m done?” Her fingers reach up and twist a lock of hair, and it takes everything in me not to reach out and do the same.

“Uh, sure. That’s fine. Just send me a text when you’re on your way.”

“Great. Thanks, Bish-I mean Coach Michaels. See you tomorrow,” she says, and pops up on her toes and throws her arms around my neck.

My body stiffens, tongs in one hand and salad plate in the other, and I quickly look around to see if there are any staff members watching. Luckily, only the group of girls watches us with undivided rapt attention.

I close my eyes for only a moment to allow the smell of her perfume to soak in. Green apples, fresh linen, and a field of wildflowers. That’s what she smells like. And I’ve never smelled anything sweeter or more forbidden.

She releases me and I breathe a sigh of relief. A few more seconds and I was going to throw this damn plate against the wall and wrap my arms around her body and never let go.

She walks away with a smile and a wiggle of her fingers and I try not to watch her go but my eyes follow her on their own accord.

“Please tell me that is not West’s niece,” a voice says.

I look over and see my conditioning coach standing there, his eyes glued to Anais’ ass. Just like the rest of the male population in the cafeteria.

“It is. Why?”

He shakes his head with a slow exaggeration and says, “Shit. West is going to have a problem keeping that one out of the hands of these slimy college boys. He should lock her up and make her take online courses.”

His eyes don’t move as he continues to watch her as she moves about the room. I smack his chest, snapping him out of his inappropriate gawking.

“Cut it out. You’re acting just like those slimy guys you’re talking about.”

He straightens his shoulders. “Sorry man. Just…anyway. Ready?”

“Yeah. Let’s eat.” I follow him to the table but my eyes belong to those of a horny college boy because they can’t help but seek her out.

I find her staring right back at me, a shy smile on her face, and I hurriedly look away and tell myself that maybe keeping her locked up would be a good idea.

For her sake and mine. Not to mention my sanity.

8

ANAIS

“We’re going shopping, huh?” Keyara asks once we’re out of earshot of Bishop.

“Sure are. I think I need a new pair of panties and a bra. Something lacy…and purple. What do you think?” I play with the ends of my hair and look around the cafeteria for a table to sit at.

“You aren’t going to give up, are you?”

“Nope. Not until he’s mine.” I look over to where he stood and see him start to walk away. “Look up, Bishop. Look up,” I whisper to myself.

And just when I think hope is lost, his eyes meet mine, causing my stomach to erupt with flutters. The look on his face tells me all I need to know.

“Girl, you’re crazy.” Keyara laughs and I have to agree.

I am crazy for Bishop Michaels. And the only cure is to have him as mine.

“Thank you for going with me. I know it wasn’t what you planned, but I really appreciate it,” I tell Keyara as we walk through Rice Village, sipping on boba teas.

“I had fun. Thanks for forcing me to come with you.” She gives me a big cheesy smile with eyes closed and teeth big and bright. “Are you sure you don’t just want Bishop to pick you up at the dorm? It seems silly to pay for an Uber when he said he’d come get you.”

I shrug and slurp down the last boba. “I know but—,”

“But you’re gonna try and see how far you can push the poor guy before he breaks?”

“I mean, you make it sound so horrible. I’m not trying to make him break, just…realize what is in his subconscious.”

“Oh lord, that is some bullshit. But whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better about seducing the poor man.” She spots a trashcan and throws her empty cup inside and I do the same. “Okay. Well, I need to study. Barely the first week and these professors have us doing work like we’re at midterms. Be careful tonight and please don’t break that man.”

“Can’t promise anything,” I tell her, and kiss her cheek before she crosses the street to the edge of campus.

The sun is still high in the sky so I feel comfortable that she’ll make it back to our dorm safely. I pull out my phone and open my Uber app, requesting a car. Luckily one is only minutes away and in fifteen minutes, I’m walking up the stone paved driveway to Bishop’s home.

He lives in a very trendy area near campus. His home is taller than it is wide with three stories. The garage is the ground level and I move around it to the walkway that leads to his front door.

I ring the bell and wait to see his large shadow through the frosted glass door. Less than a minute passes when I finally see him. The locks click and the door is pulled wide, revealing a man that takes my breath away.

“Hey Anais,” he greets with a deep voice that sends tingles to my spine.

“Hi,” is the only response I can imagine.

My brain is on vacation at the moment as I look at this man who puts everyone out there to shame.

He’s wearing jeans and a white Wrangler t-shirt. Its sleeves are stretched to their limit over his thick, muscular arms. I look down and notice he has sneakers on, which immediately makes me sad.

“No motorcycle tonight?” I ask, remembering that he wears a pair of black steel toed boots when he rides.

“Nope. Nix would kill me if I let you on my bike, again. That was a one time only,” he says, motioning for me to come in.

I step past him and he closes the door behind me. I begin up the stairs that lead to the main living floor and look over my shoulder. “Awe, c’mon. He doesn’t need to know. It can be our secret.”

I hold his gaze and see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows. “I don’t,” he chokes out then clears his throat. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’ll take my truck.”

I flip my head and continue my walk up his stairs. It’s possible I put a little extra sway in my hips than is normally present. But I know he’s behind me and I just know he’s watching.

We reach the landing and I ask, “Could I change in your room? I didn’t want to wear my jersey to classes.”

“Sure. You can use the guest room down the hall. You remember where it is?” he asks me.

“Yup. Thanks. I’ll be done in just a few minutes.” I scurry off to the back bedroom and quickly get to work changing.

I peel off my leggings and oversized shirt that I wore to my early class, and step into the small athletic shorts that just barely cover my ass cheeks. Next I take out the new jersey I bought just for tonight. I button it up, leaving the bottom open, then tie the tails. My shorts rest on my hips and the jersey sits high on my waist, exposing my midsection.

I walk into the bathroom just off the bedroom and look at myself in the mirror. I don’t wear a lot of makeup normally, so it would be silly for me to put on a whole face now. Instead, I pull out my small makeup bag and swipe a little concealer under my eyes, brush a coat of mascara over my long lashes, and put on a layer of gloss.

My hair is starting to frizz from the ridiculous humidity, so I dig back into the bag and pull out my hair oil. I put just a few drops in my palm then gently run my palms over my curls to tame them.

When I’m all done, I take a few extra moments to study my appearance. I want so badly for Bishop to see me for more than just a friend. Hell, I’m not even that right now. I’m his friend's little niece, and he just can’t seem to see past that.

“Anais,” his voice calls from a distance.

I step out of the bathroom to see his back to the entry of the bedroom like he’s afraid of what he might find if he turns around.

“I’m ready,” I tell him, and he slowly moves in a circle until he faces me.

His eyes trail from my feet, up my legs, over my hips, pausing briefly on my exposed stomach and finally meeting my gaze. His jaw clenches and clicks and it’s then that I realize that he isn’t quite as unaffected as he appears to be.

He looks down at his shoes and grumbles, “We better get going,” and quickly moves down the hall, not waiting to see if I follow.

I heft my backpack on my shoulder and decide it’s best if I take it with me in case Uncle Nix wants to take me home after the game. There won’t be any arguing with him when it comes to things like that. He’ll give me the look and I’ll cave knowing that I respect him too much to argue.

I shuffle down the stairs where Bishop holds the door to the garage open for me and I pass with a soft “thank you.” He rushes past me to open the passenger door of the truck and takes my backpack from my shoulder, allowing me to climb inside.

He opens the backdoor and sets my bag down then quickly walks around to the drivers side where he slides in and cranks the engine. It’s loud and growls like an angry animal. It makes the sound that I imagine Bishop making in the heat of a lustful moment.

“How are your classes?” he asks as we back out of the driveway and onto the street.

“Um, they’re good. I was able to get the one class switched right away, so thanks for filling me in on the little secret of getting moved to the front of the line.”

The corner of his mouth twitches with the hint of a grin. “No problem. Sometimes every other request gets lost in the shuffle. Us adults tend to pay more attention when something is urgent or an emergency.”

“Us adults? Am I not an adult?” I ask, slightly annoyed with his insinuation.

“You know what I mean. You’re a new adult, still learning the ways of the world. I’m seasoned. I’ve been around the block a few times. I just know things that you’ll find out one day when you’re grown.”

I look at him with a look of something akin to smelling rotting garbage. “When I’m grown? Damn. Thanks. Guess now I know you think of me as a child.”

He opens his mouth, but I let him know I’m not in the mood to hear a lame explanation by turning my head and looking out the window.

I watch the city roll by as we maneuver in and out of the streets of downtown. I’m pouting like a child and proving Bishop’s thoughts about my maturity level to be correct. But his words cut because no matter how he may look at me, it’s clear he thinks of me as no more than a child.

We sit in silence as we near the stadium and I try to think of something to say that will wipe away the tense moments.

“Thanks for letting me tag along with you. I know I could’ve Uber’d–”

“But your uncle would have handed me my ass if you did that,” Bishop finishes my sentence. “It’s no problem. I promised both him and you that I’d be here if ever you needed anything.”

We pull into the reserved parking and I tuck my id and phone into my shorts, opting to leave my purse and backpack in the truck. I follow Bishop to the VIP entrance and we show our phones with the digital ticket and are allowed through.

When we arrive at the owners suite, boisterous laughter greets us. Stepping inside I see CeCe, her growing belly looking a little bigger each day, and Luca right by her side. He’s never too far from her and when he can’t be right next to her, his eyes are always following. Cami and Vaughan are laughing as they talk with Hayes and Cat, and Dagen sits with her nose pressed against the glass, watching the pregame action on the field.

A few other people I don’t recognize mill about, and I assume they are employees or guests. Drinks are in everyone’s hands –alcoholic and non, I assume– and they all look to be in good spirits. Heads turn and cheers ring out when they spot us.

“Ana!” Dagen shouts and comes running for me.

“Day!” I say back and hold my arms out to hug her. “How’s school going my little bestie?”

I’m sure most nineteen year old girls would be annoyed by a thirteen year old who always wanted to hang around and emulate everything they do and say, but I grew up as an only child with no cousins and Dagen has become a little sister, of sorts.

My dad is the only member of his family who decided to leave Puerto Rico when he turned eighteen. So although he does have family including nieces and nephews, we didn’t visit often enough for me to bond with them when I was younger. And now that sightings of my father are down to only a handful in a year, any relationship that I may have had with his side of the family is non-existent.

“Eh. It’s school. The only difference is the girls are meaner and the boys are dumber.” I snort out a laugh at her sassy mouth.

She may not have grown up around Vivian, but she sure does have her sassy attitude.

“Are you liking college? I bet it’s so cool. I can’t wait to go to college. I’m trying to decide if I want to go to Rice like you, or to Baylor like my mom and aunts,” she says, referring to Cami, Viv and CeCe.

“What about LSU or Florida like your dad and uncles?”

She scrunches up her nose and knits her brows. “Nah. I need to be close by in case mom and dad need me to help with the babies.”

“Babies?” I ask. “I thought your momma said they only have one baby cooking?”

“Mhm. But I already told my dad that I’m going to need more than one little brother or sister. Personally, I’d like at least two little brothers and one sister.”

“Why two brothers and only one sister?” I ask with a chuckle.

She shrugs. “I just think it’d be fun to teach the boys how to shoot and hunt and ride horses. I’m not so great at all the girly stuff, so if I had a sister, Cami could have the little girl she’s always wanted.”

“I already have the daughter I’ve always wanted,” Cami says, coming up behind Dagen, wrapping her arms and kissing the top of her head. “If this little one is a boy and if we have any more after and they’re all boys, I won’t feel like I’m missing a thing because I have you.”

Dagen cranes her neck back, looking up in Cami’s eyes and I just about sputter a sob with how completely precious this moment is.

“You two are the dang cutest.” I lean forward and hug Cami with one arm. “How are you feeling?”

Cami places one hand on her still flat stomach and says, “Ugh. Sick and hungry and tired all of the time.”

“Come whine to me when your little nugget is performing acrobatics all night long and demanding things like maple donuts and black cherry pie.” I hear CeCe’s voice behind me as she walks up to us.

“Mmm. Maple donuts and black cherry pie sound pretty darn good to me. You won’t find me complaining,” I tell her.

“You’d think, but he seems to want them all at two in the morning when there are no stores or bakeries open. That’s when it becomes a problem.”

We laugh and talk for a few more moments about their pregnancies and school for both Dagen and I. The conversation comes to a halt when CeCe perks up when a new woman steps inside the suite.

“Gabby,” she calls to the woman who looks at her and smiles. “This is one of my co-workers.”

“Hello mama,” Gabby says when she steps over to us.

“Gabby, these are my friends I’m always telling you about. This is Camille and her daughter Dagen. And this is Anais, Phoenix’s niece.” CeCe introduces us and we say our hello’s. “Stay here. I have someone else I want you to meet.”

CeCe strides away from us quickly and we’re left to make small talk.

“So you’re the famous niece,” Gabby says with a smile. “I think everyone in the ball club knows about Phoenix’s niece that he is so proud of. He talks about you to anyone who will listen.”

She smiles and it embarrasses me thinking of Phoenix walking around like a proud dad, bragging about his niece.

“Here I thought I’d have the cool uncle when I moved, but instead I ended up with an overprotective second dad,” I joke. “But he’s not so bad.”

Cami smiles and opens her mouth to add something but is cut short by CeCe.

“Gabby. This is Bishop. I’ve been wanting to introduce you two for so long.”

Bishop steps up next to her and smiles. “Hi Gabby. Nice to meet you. CeCe has told me so much about you.”

Gabby shakes his hand and smiles, her cheeks tinging pink. “Same.”

My teeth gnash together and I grind them with fury. She looks at him like I do, but what really bothers me is that he doesn’t look at me the way he is looking at her.

The game starts and everyone wanders between watching the game and talking. My chest hurts as I watch them talk and laugh throughout the game. My heart tries to leap from my chest and plop itself onto the floor and crawl under my shoe. I feel a loss and also a bit of betrayal from CeCe seeing as she is obviously setting them up on a date.

Speaking of Cece.

“So what do you think?” she asks Cami.

“They seem like they’re hitting it off. But I thought you said you wanted to introduce him to Melina from accounting?”

I gulp down my anger at hearing another woman's name.

“I plan to if this doesn’t work out. Gabby has been asking about him since she saw him at last year's World Series party. Girls been sweating him ever since that night,” CeCe explains.

My nerves have had enough so I get up to get myself a soda and of course –because FML– I have to pass Bishop who stands talking with Gabby.

“I’m a huge concert junkie. I saw almost everyone who came to the rodeo this year,” Gabby tells him.

“I wish I could go to the rodeo more, but it’s right at the official start of the season, so I rarely get away from the field until at least June. Then I get a couple months rest before we’re back at it.”

“Excuse me,” I clip as I try to move past them to grab a drink.

I’d give anything to make this soda a bottle of tequila right now.

“Ope. Sorry. I didn’t mean to stand right in front of it,” Gabby says, genuinely. “Anais. Bishop was just telling me you want to become a writer.”

My head whips from Gabby to Bishop, wondering how he knew that as I’ve never told him.

“Uh, yeah. That’s the plan,” I tell her, wiping the soda off with a napkin before attempting to crack it open.

“How exciting. What genre are you interested in writing? Or is it more of a journalistic endeavor like Vivian?”

“I…I plan to…” my thoughts are interrupted as I struggle to open the bottle.

I twist and twist the cap, but no matter how hard I try I only end up with a sore palm.

The bottle is pulled from my hands and I see Bishop reaching for an opener and popping the cap, bending it in half with his strength.

“Pop top,” he says, handing it back to me.

I smile at him, the crack in my heart feeling just a little bit healed, and tell him, “Thanks. I thought I could muscle it open.”

He replies with a crooked grin and chills race up my spine. We stare at each other for another moment before the clearing of a throat breaks our hold.

“Sorry. I’m interested in writing suspense but with spice.”

Gabby wiggles her brows and coos, “Ooo. Spicy suspense. I like it. Well if you ever have any work you need feedback on, send it my way. I love romance books.”

I tip back the bottle and take a quick swig. “Cool. Thanks. I’ll be sure to pass along anything to CeCe.”

I turn my back to them, ready to return to my seat, when I hear them begin talking again.

“So I have tickets for this new country band for next Saturday night if you’re interested in joining me,” Gabby tells Bishop.

My feet stumble and I freeze in place.

“Well, I’m not a huge country fan, but it sounds fun so why not,” Bishop answers and I feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.

I start walking again, the feeling of heartbreak taking over, and plop down into my seat. My soda bottle dangles from my fingertips and if it were to fall right now, I couldn’t be bothered to stop it.

My stomach roils in pain thinking about the two of them together on a date, and subsequently about how that date would end. With a kiss? Something more? My temples start to throb and I suddenly feel like I’m going to be sick.

He’s supposed to be mine. Not Gabby’s. Or Melina’s. Or any other woman. Mine. All he needs is a little bit of time.

I push to my feet, a little wobbly, and spot Cami talking with Cat. I move through the small crowd and I feel woozy. Like I’ve had one too many shots.

“Hey Cami,” I pant out. “Can you tell Viv and my uncle that I left early? I’m not feeling so well.”

“Oh sweetheart. What’s the matter?” Cami, channeling all of her motherly instincts, reaches out and touches my face.

“I must have eaten something that isn’t agreeing with me. I’m going to get an Uber but I don’t want Uncle Nix or Viv worrying about me. I’ll text them but he’ll probably talk to you all first.”

“The hell you are,” Cat adds. “Your uncle would skin us all alive if we let you go home by yourself, in a strangers car, only to be dropped off at the edge of campus by yourself. Not happening, chica.”

“I don’t want to bother Bishop. I don’t think he’s ready to leave,” I tell them.

“I’ll take you. I’m tired anyhow from a long day. I could use an extra hour or so of sleep. C’mon. Let’s say goodbye.” Cat tugs on my hand, but Cami pulls on the other one.

“I’ll call you tomorrow and bring you some medicine and soup if you’re still not feeling well. I know Phoenix is on a plane early in the morning.” Cami pulls me into a hug, and I blink back tears that start to build. “Feel better, sweet girl.”

“Thanks,” I choke out. “I probably just need some sleep.” I kiss Cami’s cheek then turn to Dagen who tells me I should just spend that night at her house so that “mom can take care of both of us”.

Seems she’s having an illness by proxy. I assure her that I’m fine and I will text her tomorrow.

When we reach where Bishop still stands talking to Gabby, his face fills with concern when he sees me.

“Anais? Are you okay?”

“She’s not feeling well. I’m taking her back to campus,” Cat answers for me.

“Your stuff is in my truck. I’ll take you. Just let me–”

“No,” I spit out. “I can get it later. I don’t have any classes until the afternoon so I can walk over to your office if you can just take it with you.”

He scrunches his eyebrows and looks at me like he doesn’t quite understand what I’m saying. “Yeah. Ok. Sure. I really don’t mind, Ana.”

I shake my head rapidly and reach my hand out to Gabby. “Nice meeting you. Have a good night,” I rush out and move quickly to the elevator with Cat hot on my heels.

She steps in and I jam the button for the lower concourse and cross my arms over my chest.

“Sweetheart. Are you going to be okay?” Cat wraps her arm around my shoulders and pulls me snug against her.

I shake my head no but reply, “Eventually.”

It’s a lie I tell both Cat and myself. Because if Bishop chooses Gabby, I’ll never be okay.

9

BISHOP

It’s been over a week of me worrying about Anais’ behavior at the game last week. It seemed like it came on so suddenly that it gave me whiplash. One minute she’s chatting with Gabby and I, and the next she’s running out the door like Cinderella leaving the ball. Except instead of her shoe, Anais left her school bag, which was picked up the next day like she said. However, it wasn’t Anais who came to get it.

She sent her roommate and when I asked her how Anais was feeling, she said, “She’ll be fine. Thanks,” then snatched her backpack from my hands before rushing away without another word.

I sent her a couple of texts throughout the week, but they went unanswered. I thought about making another trip to the cafeteria to see if I could spot her, and even made it halfway there before deciding against it and returning to my office.

I figured that if she needed something she would find me, but she never did.

My phone dings and I look to see a text from Gabby letting me know that she is on her way to Dosie’s Doe, the bar where the country band she wanted to see is playing. We decided to meet there since she has a friend who was also meeting up with someone. I told her I would take her home because there wasn’t any way I was letting her be a third wheel to her friend’s date.

I reply letting her know that I’m leaving and will wait for her at the entrance since I’m closer to the bar than she is. I stick my phone in my back pocket and flip off the lights in my kitchen before trotting down the stairs and into the garage, where I fire up my truck and wind my way through downtown.

I lay a twenty on the bar to cover the two beers and a tip before walking back to where Gabby and her friends stand. They sway to the music that the band plays, Gabby on her own and her friend with her date. I step up and hold the beer out to her that she takes with a smile and a thank you.

The night has been nice. Good music –despite not being a country music fan– Gabby and I have made easy conversation, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her. She’s beautiful, funny, we have a lot of things in common, but for some reason I’m just not feeling things click with her in the way I know she would like them to.

I stay for some reason, but I know exactly what the reason is. My body may be present in this bar with this woman, but my mind is on someone else. I’m distracted with thoughts of where she is and who she might be with. Is she feeling okay? Are there any problems with school? Does she need anything?

The questions run rampant, disturbing my peace that existed not too long ago, but now ceases to exist ever since Anais walked into my life.

The crowd cheers when the song ends and I clap along with everyone else. The band announces they’re taking a break and music filters through the bars speakers.

“So what do you think?” Gabby asks, leaning in so I can hear her more clearly.

I take a pull of my beer and nod my head. “Not bad, for a country band,” I joke and wink at her.

She smiles and bites her lip before swigging her beer back. “I’m having a really great time, Bishop. Thanks for meeting me tonight.”

“Yeah. Me too. I’m glad we did this.”

“You know, if you don’t want to listen to this band anymore, we can leave. Maybe go somewhere we can talk. Maybe my place.” Her voice is somewhat timid as she looks up at me through her lashes.

I swallow, trying to find the right words to say. I don’t want to lead her on, but I don’t want to hurt her by turning her down. I lick my lips, giving myself a moment longer before deciding it’s best if I just tell her the truth.

“You know, I–” my words are stolen from me when my phone rings. “Sorry,” I tell her and pull it from my back pocket.

The caller id lights up with the name of my team captain, and I decide to ignore it, figuring he’s either narcing on someone or just wanting to bother me about practices. I send the call to voicemail and stick it back in my pocket. I don’t even get one word out when it rings again.

I sigh and pull my phone out again and see his name once more. I furrow my brow, worried that this could be more than just an annoyance.

“I’m sorry. This is one of my players. He doesn’t call late like this, so I better see if he’s okay. Excuse me,” I tell Gabby.

“Of course. No problem.” She waves me off with a smile, and I find a corner of the bar that seems to be the quietest spot.

I swipe at the screen and bring the phone to my ear. “Someone better fucking be on fire for you to be calling me while I’m on a date.”

“Coach. I’m sorry, but this is an emergency,” he spits out, the loud sounds of music and too many drunk college kids blasting in the background. “It’s Anais.”

My spine stiffens and I square up my shoulders. “What about Anais?”

“She’s here. At a party. And she’s really drunk. I’ve warned off the guys, but she’s another story. She, uh, she went upstairs with some guy but her friend followed after them.”

My teeth grind and rage builds in my gut. “Where are you?” I growl.

“Greenbriar and Main. You can’t miss it,” he tells me.

“I’m on my way. You tell any player you see that they have ten minutes to get their asses out of there, or anyone I find is getting benched for the first game.”

“Yes sir,” he replies.

“Except you. You stay,” I add then hang up the phone.

I walk over to where Gabby still stands and decide to fudge the truth a little on why I have to leave.

“Is everything all right?” she asks when I step up next to her.

I shake my head. “No. That was my captain. I guess there’s a problem with another player and I need to go take care of it. I’m sorry, Gabby. I really hate to do this to you.”

Her smile shakes and she blinks, forcing her eyes not to show how disappointed they are. “Oh. That’s too bad, but I understand. Are you going to be okay to drive?”

I think back to the number of drinks I’ve had and realize I’m only halfway through my second beer of the night. I’ve been taking it slow knowing that I was going to be driving Gabby home later.

“Yeah. Are you going to be okay getting home? I can call you after I handle things and come back for you if–”

“No no. Don’t be silly. Felice will take me home. I don’t think her date is going so well.” She nudges her chin to where her friend stands, and I see her with a bored look on her face and a closed off stance, completely ignoring her date.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can grab a coffee sometime.”

The disappointment she was trying to keep at bay no longer stays hidden. “Sure. Sounds good.”

I lean in and give her a small kiss on the cheek. “‘Night, Gabby.”

“G’night, Bishop.” Her usually perky voice is solemn and quiet.

I turn and push my way through the crowd, stomping outside and to my truck, where I crank the engine with force and irritation.

I white knuckle the steering wheel all the way to the house party. I’m irritated at her carelessness of getting drunk at a party where college boys lose their ability to choose between right and wrong. It gives me flashbacks to the horror that Vaughan went through and that causes me to drive even faster.

My tires screech to a halt in front of a house where kids are spilling out, and I jump out, slamming my door and stalking up the walkway. Kids dive out of my way, clearing a path for the raging bull headed in their direction.

The door is already partially open, so I throw it the rest of the way and it slams against the wall.

“If there are any of my baseball players in this house, you have five goddamn minutes to get your ass out of this house and into your fucking bed!” My voice booms above all the chatter and music, and like a record screech, everyone freezes.

In the distance a door slams and I assume it’s a back door. Feet pound down the stairs, and a sophomore scurries past me, his head down and body slumped. I wait another moment and when I don’t hear any more movement, I make my way up the stairs in search of Anais.

I spot my captain and her roommate sitting on the floor, their backs to a closed door and I lose my motherfucking mind.

“Move!” I bark, and they scramble to their feet.

“We tried to get them to open the door, but they won’t budge,” he explains.

I stare him down then try to be civil, knocking and say, “Open the door. Now!”

No noise sounds. No rustling of clothes or soft taps of feet. The room is absolutely silent. My anger boils over and I have no regrets about what happens next.

I take two steps back, then lift my foot and slam my foot into the door swat style. The frame splinters and the door flies off its hinges. I search the dark room for signs of them but they’re not here. A light shines from underneath a door and I walk over, gripping the knob and turning it.

I push the door open and spot Anais bent over the toilet, some douchey prick hovering over her and holding her hair back.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I yell at him, and he jumps at the volume and bite of my voice.

“Sh-she’s sick and–”

“And what? You’re pissed because now you can’t take advantage of a drunk, defenseless girl?”

“No. It’s not like that,” he stutters.

“Bullshit. Get the fuck out of my sight before I break your goddamn neck.” He quickly drops her hair and rushes past me, his eyes full of fear.

I take three steps to where Anais kneels, her arms wrapped around the porcelain bowl and her head hunched over. I squat and brush her wild curls away from her face. Sweat lines her hairline, and the fine baby hairs stick to her clammy skin.

Even sick, she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever been up close to.

“Anais,” I say, my voice gentle. “Think you can stand up?”

She turns her head towards me and I see her eyes full of tears and glazed over from the alcohol. She nods and I grip her side, carefully helping her to her feet.

I walk her over to the sink and turn on the water. I cup my hand under the running stream and hold it up to her mouth. “Swish and spit, darling,” I tell her.

Her soft lips press against my hand as she draws the water into her mouth. Her cheeks fill up and I see them working the water around. She spits and I reach for a hand towel to dry her face before I think better of it.

I swipe the moisture away and tell her, “Wash your hands. They were on that toilet seat and I don’t know whose ass it belongs to.”

Once again, I turn on the faucet and pump some soap in her hands. Her movements are slow, so I take one of her hands in each of mine and help her, much like a parent assisting a child. We rinse and I use my shirt to dry them.

“Can you walk?” I ask and she teeters her head side to side.

I wrap my arm around her waist and steady her to take a few steps. They’re wobbly and her knees shake. So instead of watching her drunk walk her way through the house, I reach under her knees and scoop her up into my arms.

She rests her head on my chest, and in a small, scratchy voice says, “I’m sorry.”

I breathe deep and press a soft kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay.”

I walk out of the room to find my captain, Wagner, and Keyara standing with nervous energy.

“I’m taking her home. Keyara, do you need me to take you to your dorm?”

She shakes her head rapidly. “No sir. We were planning to stay at Mindy and Alyx’s apartment.”

Her body trembles and I can tell she’s afraid of my reaction to all of this. I want to rage. I want to scream at her for being so careless and allowing Anais to get this drunk. But I save it all for another day because all that matters right now is getting Anais out of here so she can sleep it off.

“She’ll stay at my place. I have a guest room she can use. I’ll have her call you in the morning. Does she have her phone?”

“Yeah. Should be in her back pocket,” she tells me.

I dip my chin taking her word for it because I’m not about to let my hand wander to that area. If my fingers touch her firm ass, they’ll never want to let go.

I say goodbye to Wagner and thank him for calling me then ask, “How did you know to call me?”

When I stop to think about it, I realize that I never told him I knew her and I wasn’t even sure if the girl he spoke about in the locker room that one day was Anais.

“She, uh,” he looks nervously at Keyara who immediately drops her eyes to the floor. “She was talking about you.”

I’m shocked still and can’t think of one reply that will assure him that it’s not what it seems. I simply give him a curt nod then quickly make my way down the stairs and to my truck. I reach the door and stretch my fingers to grab hold of the handle. I slowly open the door and place her cautiously in the passenger seat, belting her in and helping her lay her head on the center console.

I jog to the other side and get in. The truck starts up and the radio startles Anais when it blares from the speakers. I tap the button on my steering wheel to silence it, and shift into drive.

We ride in silence until I’m out of the neighborhood. We come to a red light and I close my eyes, going over how I’m going to tell Nix about this, or even if I should tell him.

I look over at her resting face and see her eyes are heavy but open.

“Why did you do this, Ana?” I ask her.

She doesn’t move an inch, just says, “I just want you to love me as much as I love you.”

My heart stills and the heaviness I feel in my gut makes me want to throw myself out the door and take up the some position Anais was in just moments ago. I feel sick and guilty because if she only knew the truth, she’d see that I’m holding onto my sanity by a jagged nail. One twitch and I fall and land totally in love with her.

10

ANAIS

A pounding in my temples wakes me from a hazy sleep. I fight the drowsiness to open my lids, but it’s like they’ve been glued shut.

I roll over and groan, my limbs feeling heavy. My stomach roils and I quickly slap my hand over my mouth to stop anything from making an unwelcome appearance. I finally pry one eye open and all that greets me is bright fogginess.

I blink, working to clear the grit from my eyes and refocus. When they seem to be adjusted well enough, I take a good look around the room to find that I am not in my dorm room. And this isn’t Mindy and Alyx’s apartment which I remember making plans to stay at.

A second longer and the familiarity of the room starts to sink in. I’m in Bishop’s guest room.

I lift the sheet to see that I’m wearing a very large t-shirt that doesn’t belong to me. I pull the collar to my nose and inhale. The scent of Bishop immediately washes over me and it’s an instant comfort.

I push to sit up and my head feels like it may roll right off my neck. My brain sits between a vise that is trying its very hardest to squeeze it right out of my ear. Or at least that’s what it feels like.

I flip the covers completely off and swing my legs off the side of the bed and slowly stand up.

“Woah,” I say when I wobble a little too much.

I give myself a moment or two before taking cautious steps towards the bathroom. My bladder is full as if I drank a gallon of lemonade. Then I remember the massive amounts of keg beer I drank last night and I’m emptying the contents of my stomach before my bladder.

I splash cold water on my face then search the cabinets and drawers for mouthwash or toothpaste to clear the lingering taste of vomit. Luckily Bishop is stocked with a toothbrush and toothpaste and I scrub my teeth like the dentist is waiting for me.

Tiptoeing through the room, I turn down the hall and towards the living room where I can hear the low hum of a tv. I approach and see Bishop's large back, his right arm draped over the back of the sofa.

I clear my throat and he whips around, looking over his shoulder.

Oh Christ, the man is wearing glasses. I didn’t think it was possible, but a new level of hotness has been unlocked. Fucking hell, I don’t know if my body can take it.

“Mornin’. How’re you feeling?” He asks me as I approach.

“Um. Pretty much like roadkill.” I push my wild hair out of my face and I see his eyes trail down my legs then quickly move to my face. “Thanks for the t-shirt.”

His chin dips and he rumbles, “You managed to dress yourself. Not sure how you did it, but I stood on the other side of the door listening in case you fell.”

I bite my lip, slightly embarrassed that he had to stand watch in case I hurt myself. “I don’t really remember much of last night. Aside from drinking too much and then…that’s it.”

He reaches over and places his phone down on the leather ottoman his feet were resting on, then stands. My jaw drops because hot damn. He wears navy blue sleep pants that hang low on his hips, and a plain white t-shirt. The tattoos that paint his dark skin pop next to the bright cotton and no lie, I drool as I watch him standing there.

He moves around the couch and while I know I should do something other than stare, my mind is fresh out of giving a fuck. Let him see me gawking. It’s a woman's god given right to stare when a man that fine passes in front of you. In fact, it’s probably a crime against womanhood if I don’t stare. And a man like Bishop deserves more than a passing glance.

“Let me get you some medicine. Would you like some water or juice? How about food? Are you feeling well enough to eat?” He walks into the open kitchen and reaches for a cabinet, grabbing a white bottle and popping the cap.

He pours out two pills in his palm and holds them out to me. “Water would be great. Thank you.”

He nods and spins around to the fridge, takes out a bottle of water and cracks the lid before handing it to me. I throw the pills into my mouth and wash them down with the water. A few droplets trickle from the corner of my lips and streams down my chin.

Bishop watches with undivided attention and I stick my tongue out to wipe the moisture on my lips.

He gives himself a visible shake of his head, then opens the fridge again. “I’ve got some fruit, eggs, bagels. I have pancake mix but I’m afraid it’s a protein mix and I don’t use syrup, so you may not like them.”

I nervously place one foot over the other and crack my knuckles. It’s a habit I’ve taken to recently as I approached finals, and it’s the only thing that seems to bring me a little calm when my head fills with chaos.

“Could I…do you mind if I have some fruit and maybe a fried egg? You know, to soak up the alcohol?”

“You know that you can’t really soak up the alcohol, right? You basically just need to replenish your body of what it lost last night. And that was a lot,” Bishop tells me, moving towards the refrigerator.

He pulls out a couple of brown eggs, a pint of blueberries and a…

“You keep your bananas in the fridge? That’s weird.”

He looks over his shoulder at me, a crooked smile on his lips, and I have to steady myself on the counter to keep me from fainting and splitting my head on his tile. What a wonderfully embarrassing moment that would be to add to my list of vomiting and fumbling to undress.

“I like them cold,” he says, and goes about cutting up the banana and washing the blueberries before plopping them in a bowl. “Here. Eat these while I make you an egg. The banana will help with the dehydration, and blueberries are good for inflammation. They fight off the ‘puffiness’ of drinking.”

“Thanks,” I whisper and take the fork he offers.

I get a couple of pieces in my mouth when I see him slide a glass of a murky, clear-ish liquid. When I look up at him with a puzzled look, he says, “Coconut water.”

“You got any coffee?” I ask.

“I do. But first, coconut water.” He turns his back to me once again, effectively ending that discussion.

I take a cautious sip of the coconut water, then immediately chug it down once my tastes buds approve. It quenches my parched, sore throat and gives me a little more clarity than I had just minutes ago.

The last blueberry is popped in my mouth when a plate with two fried eggs is set in front of me. “There is no way I can eat two of these,” I tell Bishop.

“You can and you will. You need the protein. I fried them in olive oil. Eat up,” he orders, and I just have to act like a brat and respond.

“Geez. Okay, dad. Bossy.”

His back stiffens and I see the vein in his neck bulge and pulse. I gulp down the oh shit that is bubbling to the surface, because it’s obvious I upset this Hulk-like man. And by Hulk I mean one minute he seems sweet and unassuming, and the next he could rip a man’s head clear off his shoulders with his hands.

Bishop doesn’t respond to my outburst, and goes about cleaning up the dishes. I quietly eat my eggs as instructed and without further argument. The sound of the water running fills the kitchen and it gives me a few moments to gather my thoughts and bravery to ask what I need to.

“Hey Bishop,” I call out so he can hear me above the clanging of the dishes.

He shuts off the water, drying his hands on a towel and turning to face me. His massive arms cross over his chest and he leans back, resting against the counter.

I take a deep breath and ask, “Did anything…um, do you know if anything happened last night? While I was at the party?”

His nostrils flare and his eyes turn black. “If you have to ask a question like that, then you have no business drinking like you did. You put yourself in a dangerous situation, and you’re lucky one of my guys was there and knew to call me. Otherwise, who knows what would’ve happened. I don’t think your friends could’ve helped you out. Anais…I kicked open the fucking door.”

I drop my eyes to my empty plate and feel tears flood them. I was careless and irresponsible, I know, but I was so upset over the date he made with that woman. I was sick thinking about him kissing her at the end of the night, and maybe even more. All I could do was drink until the images of him with someone else faded away. Apparently it took a lot of alcohol to drown them out.

“I’m,” I choke, the words stuck in my throat. “I’m sorry. I know it was stupid. I’ve never let myself get so out of hand before. I just—”

My words are trampled by the stampede of sobs that pour from my mouth. My shoulders shake and I drop my head into my hands, ashamed that I put myself in that position, and embarrassed that Bishop was the one to find me.

The chair moves, pulling me away from the table, and big arms wrap around me. Bishop’s hand goes to the back of my head and he tucks it into his shoulder. His other hand runs up and down my spine and the deep timber of his voice soothes me.

He lets me cry for a couple minutes when I finally push away and wipe away the tears from my cheeks and sniff my nose. Bishop stands and rips a paper towel from the roll on the counter and hands it to me.

“Thanks,” I tell him, and use it to dry my face. Looking up into his eyes, I ask, “Are you going to tell my uncle?”

His shoulders rise and fall in an exaggerated motion and rubs his hand on the back of his neck. “No. We’ll both end up in trouble if I tell him. He’ll yell at you for what you did, then yell at me for not calling him even though he’s in Toronto.”

“Okay,” I breathe out in a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“And as long as you don’t pull this shit again, I won’t ever have a reason to tell him. Got it?”

I nod, gulping. “Got it.”

“Swear to me Anais. I don’t ever want to find you in a situation like that again. I’ll help Nix pack your shit and move you into his guest room if you do that.”

“I swear,” I tell him, meaning it, and hold out my pinkie. “Pinkie swear.”

He looks from my pinkie to my eyes and back to my pinkie. He finally links his with mine and I lean forward, kissing the pad of my thumb and holding it out for him.

“What’s that for?” he asks.

“That’s how you seal a pinkie promise. Kiss your thumb then we press them together. Sealed.”

He arches a skeptical brow and shakes his head.

“C’mon. You have to or it doesn’t count.”

He rolls his eyes with a small smirk then does just as I told him. When our thumbs meet, a tingle rolls up my spine feeling his callused skin against my smooth. We freeze, our thumbs pressed together and our eyes locked. Blood whooshes in my ears and everything around Bishop blurs.

I feel like we’re experiencing a moment, but all too quickly he pulls away and turns back to the sink to finish the few utensils remaining.

“I washed your clothes. They’re folded on the dryer. And the bathroom has fresh towels. There should be plenty of shampoo and body wash in there for you to use. I have to get cleaned up real quick, then I can take you to your dorm,” he rushes out, then speeds away, up to his third floor suite.

I watch him disappear until I can only hear the pounding of his footsteps and then the snick of a door closing. I wait for a couple minutes, then slowly tiptoe upstairs. I reach his door and tell myself not to do it. I scold myself that it’s wrong, but my desire to know more about Bishop overrules my sensibility.

I carefully push the door open and pad as quietly as possible to the bathroom. The closed door muffles the sounds of the running water. Hopefully it will be loud enough to drown out the creaking of the door as I push it open.

But before I can do so, I hear a deep groan rumble over the sound of water splashing on the tiles below. The groans grow louder and deeper and then I hear, “Fuck, Anais,” and I’m carefully sliding the door open.

I peek through the small slit and see the most beautiful sight I think I will ever witness with my own eyes.

Through the water soaked glass shower doors, I see Bishop’s large body standing under the spray, streams flowing over every corded muscle. His head is thrown back, eyes closed, and his muscles bulge. I follow the line from his neck as it pulses and moves across his shoulder, down his thick arm inked with art, and stopping at his massive hand that’s wrapped around his equally massive dick.

My breath stutters when I see his impressive length and girth. His hand moves back and forth, working himself closer to his release and again my name falls from his lips. The trembling in my legs is the only thing that stops me from running into that shower and dropping on my knees to finish what he’s started.

He tugs harder and I can see his chest rise and fall rapidly. My eyes dance between his face that is covered in rapture, to his pulsing cock. I lick my lips just thinking about what he tastes like. My nipples harden and my pussy begins to tingle, wetness seeping into my underwear. Then he finally explodes, ropes of cum pouring from his engorged head, and I move away, fearful that he will sense me watching.

I move speedily to his door that I practically burst through, remembering to shut it behind me, and race down the stairs and straight into the guest room. I set my shower to steaming and peel myself out of my clothes and proceed to bring myself the same euphoric end with visions of Bishop playing on repeat.

11

BISHOP

I stare out at the guys as they run drills, but can’t process anything that is happening in front of me. My body is physically here, but my mind has been in its own world for the last couple of weeks. The one night Anais spent in my house has fucked with my mind.

Seeing her in my t-shirt, sitting at my table, eating the breakfast I made for her. It was a vision that I could see playing out forever. Waking up on Saturday mornings, rushing to get all the kids packed up for a day at the little league fields. Cooking up a big breakfast for my family as they all cheer for pancakes with chocolate chips. It’s a scenario that I’ve always dreamed of. A loving wife, a brood of kids, and a happily ever after.

I just never thought that the woman I could envision sitting next to me would be my best friend’s niece.

“Coach,” I hear in the distance and blink to see the guys standing with their hands on their hips and breaths heaving from exertion.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Just working out a plan for next week. Why don’t you head into the weight-room for the rest of the time.” I blow my whistle and they run past me and straight to the weight-room.

I slowly follow behind them and practically run face first into a whole group of them who are clogging up the doorway.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“Uh Coach. You might want to see this.”

I push my way through, easily parting them like sand, and hear a squish under my feet. I look down to see an inch of water covering the expensive floor.

“What the fuck?” I curse, and look around to see where the problem may be coming from. “Can one of you go into my office and phone Director Fielding and give him a heads up of what’s going on. He’ll get things moving. The rest of you, grab towels and start soaking this up.”

The boys all move with hurried purpose, just as concerned about their equipment as I am. Wagner rushes off to call the Director, and within minutes he’s at my door, coordinating with maintenance to come and take care of the problem.

“Where are we going to workout, now?” one of them asks.

I blow out a breath and hang my head, trying to figure out where my guys can go without disrupting anyone else’s schedule. I decide I can’t ask any of the other programs because they are either in the thick of their season, or preparing just like we are.

“I’ll talk to the student union. We’ll just plan to workout there on the off times until this is fixed. I’m sure it won’t be long.”

They all nod and communicate that they understand, and I tell them I’ll text them with a time to meet. The guys shuffle out to the showers and go on about their day.

I look at my watch and see the time flip to six fifty-nine. The team has exactly sixteen minutes to make it into this gym before I start blowing up phones.

It only takes another two minutes for the first of them to start trickling in, and then the gym is crawling with baseball players.

“We couldn’t have the gym all to ourselves, but this is the slowest time aside from ten p.m. and y’all need your sleep. So please be mindful of others who may be in there and remember to be courteous.”

They break off into their smaller groups and start their routines. I stand in one corner of the gym to watch over them, and lean against the glass that separates the weight-room from the studios.

A few minutes pass when I see the guys whispering then turning to look just beyond me. They see me watching and divert their eyes around the room like they weren’t caught looking at something they probably shouldn’t be.

After more of the guys follow suit, I decide I need to put a stop to this. I turn around and spot Anais and her friends stretching, their asses up in the air as they bend over.

“Shit,” I mumble under my breath and look back at the group that is now staring at the sight just on the other side once again. “Get back to your workout or I’ll have you in here at five a.m. when it opens.”

Weights clang as they return to what they should be doing, and I walk out and over to the room where temptation waits just feet away.

I step through the doorway and a remix of Janet Jackson’s If blares from the speakers. Giggles mix with the lyrics and I try clearing my throat to grab their attention. When the first attempt doesn’t work, I decide to just use my coach voice.

“Anais,” I bark, and the girls all gasp and spin around.

“Bish–I mean Coach Michaels. What are you doing here?” she asks.

I scratch my forehead as my eyes find those of the girls who openly stare at me. “Our weight-room flooded from a burst pipe, so my guys are in there.” I motion to the giant window where all the guys stand watching our interaction.

The girls do that giggly thing again and wiggle their fingers at the guys. My players wave back and I make myself known by stepping up to the window. I glare at them and turn my finger in a circle, telling them to turn around and get their asses moving.

“Do you mind if I close these blinds? Clearly my guys won’t be able to focus with you ladies here.”

“Sure,” Anais answers, and sways over to where the cord rests to lower the shade.

She struggles to move them down smoothly, so I step over and take the cord from her hand and maneuver them into place, ending the guys feature show.

“Thanks,” I hear her say, but it’s her breath on my arm that clues me in to how close she’s standing. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you since, you know.”

I think back to the night I rescued her from the party and her subsequent sleepover. I’m ashamed of what I did in the shower that morning, but it was either that or pin her to the wall and sink into her.

“Good. Just busy getting these guys back on track.” The bass of the songs grows deeper and the words circle in my mind.

It’s as if they’re a tease straight from Anais’ mouth to my ears.

If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you

I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to

If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you

But I'm not, so I can't

Then I won't

But if I was your girl

My mind goes to dark places thinking of all the things she could do to me. For me. With me. A tremble runs through my body, and I clench my jaw to stop me from physically shaking.

“I know I’ve thanked you several times, but I really am grateful for your help and for not telling my uncle.” I dip my chin, letting her know it’s no problem. “So I was thinking, maybe we could meet up for lunch or dinner sometime. Let me treat you to a meal as a thank you.”

“That’s not necessary,” I tell her.

She places her dainty hand on my bicep and says, “Oh c’mon. It’s just a meal.”

My eyes travel down my arm to where her delicate fingers touch my hot flesh. My skin, though heated, erupts with goosebumps.

“How about we’ll see?”

Her smile grows, bigger and brighter, and light shines in her eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I smirk and shake my head. “You’re stubborn. Just like your uncle.”

Her plump lip gets caught between her teeth and she gives me a little shrug. “We promise to keep the blinds closed. We don’t want to distract your players.”

With a wink she pops up on her toes and places a soft kiss on my cheek. My body freezes and I feel the blood drain from my face. She walks away and I close my eyes, hating that I loved it so much and despising myself for wanting more.

I quickly nod to the rest of the girls and scurry out of the studio and back into the gym. I walk over and push one of the guys off the bench press and take over. I need to sweat out these feelings.

I lose track of how many times I throw the barbell from my body, or how much weight hangs from each end, but I’m focused and trying to clear my mind of Anais. Cheers begin to erupt around me and I blink out of my daze.

“Fuck, Coach. You’re benching three-fifteen.” The guys clap and encourage me to keep going.

I press four more times before my arms grow weak and my shoulders burn. I struggle to get the last rep up and the guys help me rack the barbell. I sit up, out of breath and drenched in sweat, and drop my eyes to the bench.

One after another, the guys come up and slap me on the back and praise me for such a heavy set. When I look back up, I spot the big brown eyes of the woman who I can’t seem to rid myself of.

She stands at the doorway, that same fucking lip bite, and this time the look in her eyes is full of desire. I glance at her rising chest and notice the hardened points of her nipples. I feel the twitching of my dick and jump up from the bench, rushing over to the water fountain and sticking my face under the cold stream.

If I can’t work her out of my head, maybe drowning will help.

12

ANAIS

“Girl, yes! You have to wear that. Your waist looks tiny and it makes your boobs look even bigger. Ugh. So jealous.”

Keyara goes back to looking at her reflection and playing with her hair, debating on whether she should tie it up or leave it down.

“Keyara, what are you talking about? You have a fabulous ass, long legs –those of which I am lacking– and your skin is freaking flawless. Please. Let’s just agree that we both look amazing and should definitely score tonight.” I walk up next to her, squeezing into the view of the mirror and bump her hip with mine.

A small smile brightens her face and she throws her arm around me and kisses the top of my head. “I love you Houston bestie.”

“Excuse me? Just Houston bestie? Ruuude!” I joke and poke her in the side.

My phone dings with a text and look at the screen to find a message from our friends. “Come on. Mindy and Alyx are waiting for us downstairs.”

I slip my feet into my shoes and grab my small purse.

“Fake?” Keyara asks, doing a last check.

“Got it.”

“Perfume?”

“On.”

“Condoms?”

I arch my brow at her then open my purse wide. She peeks in to see the strip that I always carry but have no intention of using them with anyone.

“Good girl. Let’s go.”

We flip off the lights and shut the door, tugging on it to make sure it’s locked. We hit the bottom floor of our dorm and see Mindy and Alyx dressed to kill and ready to party.

“Dayum. Bitch you look fabulous.” Mindy grabs my hand and places it in the crook of her arm. “You know, that one guy from the baseball team was asking about you in PoliSci. The one in the gym a few weeks ago.”

I shrug, not really caring. “Eh. He’s okay.”

Mindy skids to a stop and Alyx runs into the back of me with an oof.

“Just okay? Girl, you need your eyes checked. That boy is foine!! Maybe it was all the lust in your eyes from staring at Coach Michaels that blinded you.”

“The untouchable Coach Michaels,” Alyx adds, shoving my hair out of her face. “Damn, Ana. You have so much freaking hair. How do you not strangle yourself at night?”

We begin walking again to where an idling car waits at the curb. “Um, a silk bonnet. Duh.”

“Front seat. Not it,” Keyara rushes out and sticks her finger on her nose.

“Not it,” I shout, repeating the motion as does Alyx, leaving Mindy as the shotgun rider tonight.

“Ugh. You guys suck. Get in bitches.”

We open the doors and pile in, ready for whatever the night holds.

The words to one of my favorite songs plays on and on. My hands are high in the air and my eyes are closed as I let the beat take me away.

I dance with a guy I’ve seen around campus, while Mindy, Keyara and Alyx dance with each other. The night has been spent alternating between dancing with each other, with guys, and taking shots at the bar. I’ve been wise to not go as hard as I did a few weeks ago, but I’m still enjoying the night.

A hand rests on my waist and I place my arms on his shoulders, keeping them straight yet relaxed. I open my eyes to see him staring at me. He’s cute. Blonde hair, warm brown eyes and a nice smile. He’s not super tall, but he’s taller than me and that’s the important thing.

He leans closer and nuzzles his nose into my hair, the tip running just along the shell of my ear. I shiver when the soft touch tickles and a laugh works its way as the alcohol flows through my veins.

“Do you want to go back to my place?” he asks.

I pull back, looking into his eyes and tell myself this is the kind of guy I should be with. Someone young and carefree with his entire life still ahead of him. But nothing about a guy who is still figuring out what classes he wants to take next semester attracts me. I may only be nineteen, but I’m a mature nineteen and I know that I want a man. Not a boy who chugs beers from a funnel with his bros.

“I don’t know you, and my mom told me to never go home with strangers.” I play coy and bat my eyelashes at him.

The flashing lights throw a variation of colors across his face and he smirks. “Well then let’s get to know each other better and I won’t be a stranger anymore.”

He slides his hand across my jaw and it tangles into my sticky strands. Our eyes search one another and I swallow, deciding to let whatever happens happen. He moves closer until our lips are centimeters apart. I close my eyes and feel his mouth take mine.

Our tongues twist and I taste the beer that lingers on his tongue. His kiss is neither soft nor hard with just enough pressure to make me moan. I feel his hands splay across my lower back, his fingertips brushing the top of my ass. I take a step back, breaking the kiss and put room between us.

“Just let me go to the restroom. Then we can talk more. ‘K?” He answers with a smile and I step past him and off the dance floor.

The song changes and I stumble, listening to the words and taking it as a sign that the guy waiting to take me home for a mediocre fuck is not the one I want to waste my time on.

I pull my phone from my pocket and send a text. A link, no other words, with hopes he’ll follow.

Me: <Teedra Moses - Be Your Girl (Kaytranada edition)>

I hit send and watch as the text shows delivered. I wait for him to read it but after a few minutes, the status doesn’t change. I push my way to the bathroom, stepping behind a line of girls who all giggle and sway where they stand.

The line moves slowly as girls probably take their time talking from one stall to the other and fixing their faces that are melting from the heat of too many bodies crammed into one place takes effect.

My phone buzzes and I quickly pull it out to see a response from Bishop.

Bishop: What is this, Anais?

I bite my lip and type back.

Me: A song. Did you listen?

Bishop: Yes. I know that. But why are you sending it to me?

I toy with the idea of playing it off like I just heard it and thought he may like it, but I say fuck it and tell him the truth. I’m sure it’s the alcohol making me brave, but I’m tired of pretending like I don’t need him.

Me: Because it’s what I feel…for you.

Bishop: Anais, you can’t say that.

Me: Why? Why can’t I, Bishop? It’s how I feel. I know you want me.

A tap at my shoulder pulls me away from my fixation on the phone screen and I look over my shoulder. The girl points ahead of me to show that the line has moved while I’ve been standing, and I tell her to go ahead and move to the side, suddenly needing to finish this conversation more than I need the restroom.

Bishop: Stop it. You’re nineteen. You’re my best friend's niece.

Me: The age excuse is played out. And I don’t hear you denying it.

Minutes pass without a response, so I pocket my phone, realizing I pushed too far. I get back in line but then decide to try once more.

Me: I heard you. In the shower when I was at your place. I heard my name, Bishop.

This gets the dots bouncing. I wait with anticipation to see his response.

Bishop: Where are you?

Me: Why? You gonna come get me?

Bishop: TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE

The all caps can either be a good thing or a bad thing. He’s either really excited about what I told him and wants to ravish me, or he’s pissed and I’m about to regret every word in this text.

I give him the name of the bar but he doesn’t reply. I start to feel sick and push my way to the closest trashcan and throw up the anxiety that is eating at me.

Needing a drink, I rush to the bar and ask for water with lemon and immediately chug it down. I look for my girls because I just want to get back to having a good time and not think about what may be waiting for me once Uncle Nix learns of this.

I spot Keyara on the dance floor along with the guy I was dancing with, and decide he’s the best way to help me forget about what I just did. I make my way over to them, smiling as he spots me, and I fall into his arms. He wraps his arm around my waist and tugs me close.

I rest my arms on his shoulders and his leg finds its way between mine, his thigh rubbing up just where I need friction. We dance with his hands moving to my waist and over my ass, and I lose myself in him, pushing all thoughts of Bishop out of my mind.

He leans close and whispers, “You want to leave?” His warm breath tickles my ear and I shiver.

I move my lips to his ear, repeating his movements, and tell him, “Fuck yes.”

His mouth crashes against mine and for a minute I feel bad because I threw up. But I sucked the shit out of that lemon, so I quickly drop the guilt.

I tangle my fingers in his thick hair and he moans. His dick stiffens and presses up against my stomach. I grow more excited about going home with him tonight. When his hand squeezes my ass, my nipples harden.

He bites my lip as he pulls away and I tell him, “Let me tell my friends and then–”

My breath is stolen when my body is jerked backwards, robbing me of my words.

“What the fuck, man?”

I start to smack the arm that is holding me tight against a big, hard body. It’s dark, but a flashing light illuminates the hand and I recognize one of the tattoos that sits at the wrist.

“Bishop!” I yell, flinging my head to look at him standing behind me.

His face is wrenched tight with anger, but it isn’t directed at me. His eyes flare and burn with intensity as they stare directly at my dance partner.

“It’s time to go home, Anais,” Bishop growls.

“Exactly. That’s just where we were headed. To his home.” My voice is laced with sass and irritation.

“The fuck you are.” He sets me down and grips my hand. “We’re leaving.”

I’m tugged through the crowd and look back to see the other guy standing there completely dumbfounded over what just happened. Honestly, I feel the same way. One minute Bishop is shouting at me in all the caps and the next, he’s dragging me away from the fun I was having.

The girls see me going, Alyx and Mindy standing with dropped jaws, and Keyara smirking over the whole incident. She wiggles her fingers and blows me a kiss with a wink. I stumble out on the sidewalk that still has a line of people waiting to get in, so I’m not sure how Bishop was able to bypass all of them.

We reach his motorcycle and he literally picks me up and plops me down on the seat like I’m a child, my ass smacking against the leather.

“Ow,” I whine.

“Sit there, Anais. You know,” he props his hands on his waist and drops his head, a deep sigh leaving his mouth. “I fucking tried. I told myself you are not a good idea. I stayed away, but you just keep fucking pushing.”

I gulp and blink back the tears building in my eyes. “I’m sorry. I–”

“You what, Anais?” He leans into my space so close that our breaths mingle. “You want a chase, little butterfly? Well then you better fucking run.”

His voice is low and dangerous and before I can think to respond, his lips collide with mine in a furious kiss.

He shoves his hands into my hair, the strands gripped tightly between his fingers, and the pull of my scalp burns. I groan into his mouth and throw my arms around him, pushing down on the pegs to stand, trying to get closer to him. I fall deeper into our kiss and rub my breasts against his chest.

Just as quickly as the kiss started, it stops with equal fervor. He takes my arms in a vice-like grip and pushes me away from him. His eyes are bewildered and I can tell he immediately regrets what he’s just done.

“Fuck,” he curses. “Sit down.”

I drop back down on the seat and he throws his leg over and reaches back, grabbing a helmet and shoving it in my stomach.

“Put it on and hold tight.”

I do as he says and wrap my arms around him, pressing my head against his back. I close my eyes and inhale, imagining what he smells like. His skin is dotted with sweat from the hot night and from all that has happened. I can feel the perspiration through his shirt and I vow not to wash my skin or my clothes.

The bike roars and we take off with a jerk. I hold tighter and splay my fingers over his taut abs. He tenses but slowly relaxes after a few minutes. I glue my body to his and sigh, reveling in the fact that he’s come to the same conclusion as I have.

We were meant to be.

13

BISHOP

I slow my bike as we enter the parking lot, and turn it off when we reach the curb, engaging the kickstand. My helmet is yanked from my head and I turn to help Anais out of hers.

“Wha…I thought we were going back to your house.” She looks around and notices we are at her dorms, not my house.

“I said we were leaving. I never said we were going to my house. Go to bed, Anais.” I grip her small waist and lift her up and off my bike much like I did when I sat her on it back at the club.

“But my friends are at the bar,” she continues to pout.

“You’re right. They are. So lock your door and just go to sleep.” I look down into her eyes and they’re glazed and glossy from alcohol.

She presses her hands flat against my chest and pushes me with all her might. “You know, I was having a wonderful time until you came and ruined my night. That guy was going to take me to his place, and you just stomped in like a cranky bear and ruined it.”

Her feet stumble and she quickly recovers before her butt plants to the ground.

“Oh yeah? You were having fun? Is that why you texted me?”

Her jaw clenches and her eyes burn with fire. It’s that type of animosity I want to see living in her. I need it to remind me that she is a forbidden fruit. One that I ate from tonight, and it was better than I imagined it to be.

“Goodnight, Anais. Sleep off the alcohol and I’ll check on you tomorrow,” I tell her and stow away the helmet she was wearing.

“Fuck you, Bishop. I don’t need you to check up on me like I’m a child.”

“You are a fucking child! How did you get into that bar tonight, huh? Was it with your legal, over twenty-one ID?”

She throws me the bird then searches through her purse for her keycard. “A fucking child you kissed. What does that make you?”

“A goddamn idiot. And it will never happen again. Get inside.” I pull up the kickstand and pop the clutch on my bike to start it up, silencing any other argument she has.

We stare at one another in a standoff before she spins on her heels and stomps her way to her building and through the doors. I wait to see that the door closes and locks behind her, then I tear through the streets to my house where I spend the rest of my sleepless night reliving that kiss and reminding myself of what a fool I have been.

The sound of my doorbell wakes me from the hazy sleep I was finally able to fall into after many hours of staring at the ceiling fan as it whirled around and around. I turn my head and squint my eyes to make out the time on the clock that sits on my nightstand. The bright white numbers read ten fifty-two, and I groan. I missed church and no doubt it’s mama coming to yell at me for skipping out.

I push up on my elbows and rub the sleep from my eyes, then reach over for my glasses. They’re just reading glasses, but my head is already pounding and straining my eyes in any way will only make it worse.

The bell rings again and I throw the sheets off of myself and slam my feet down on the hardwood. I grab a t-shirt off the edge of the bed as I make my way out and trudge down the two sets of stairs to the front door.

I swing it open, already apologizing for missing this morning's service.

“I’m sorry, mama. I didn’t slee–” my words die when I realize it is not my mom at the door, but rather Anais.

She stands there looking timid and almost embarrassed, her eyes cast downward. She has her hair in two braids like she did at Dagen’s pool party, and she wears a slouchy sweatshirt and a very small pair of athletic shorts. You know, the kind that costs a hundred dollars and barely has enough material to qualify as an article of clothing.

“Anais?”

She lifts her eyes to meet mine and bites down on her lip. “Hey. Um…can I come in? I brought coffee.” She holds up two cups, one in each hand, and looks shyly at me.

“How’d you get here?” I stick my head out of the door and take a quick look up and down my street.

Only a few people mill about, walking their dogs or taking a morning stroll.

“An Uber. Well, I walked to get the coffees, then took an Uber from the cafe here,” she explains.

I realize I’m still standing here with my front door wide open in only my boxers and a white t-shirt.

“Come in,” I tell her, taking the coffees from her hands and standing aside so she can enter.

I follow her up the stairs with my eyes focused on the stairs as my feet hit them, instead of staring at her ass like the last time. She reaches the landing on the second floor and looks back at me.

“Why don’t you have a seat on the couch. I’m going to run up to my room for just a moment.” I point towards the brown leather sofa where she walks over and plops down on.

I set the cups down on the coffee table, then grab two coasters and reposition them back down. “Be right back.”

I quickly jog upstairs and grab a pair of athletic shorts and rush to the bathroom to relieve myself, wash the lack of sleep from my face, and brush my teeth. I make it back down in five minutes and see Anais staring at her twined fingers.

I clear my throat and she sits up tall, lifting her head to meet me. I sit down, leaving a few cushions between us because after last night, I need the space from her. I reach over and pick up the cup with my name on it and take a sip, thankful for the caffeine that begins to hit my bloodstream.

“So,” she starts. “I first want to apologize for my behavior. Yes, I was drinking, but I wasn’t drunk. I was just inebriated enough to lose the filter on my mouth.”

I watch as the expression on her face changes from embarrassed to ashamed. This morning she is fresh faced with only gloss on her lips. Compared to last night when she was fully done up, she looks every bit the nineteen year old she is.

The coffee instantly grows sour in my stomach and I set it down.

“But despite losing the filter, everything I said to you last night is true.” My eyes fling up to hers.

“Anais. Please stop. You don’t mean that,” I tell her.

“Yes I do. I meant every word of it.”

I sigh. “It’s a silly crush. Once you find someone your age, it’ll quickly fade away.”

“I don’t want a boy my age. I want a man. One man.” She slides over the cushion that separates us and places her hand on my knee. “You. I want you.”

I jump up from the sofa, pushing her hand away like it’s fire. “No you don’t. Stop saying that. You’re nineteen. You don’t know what you want.”

Anais jumps up from the couch much like me, and advances on me. My feet shuffle backwards as quickly as she moves.

“Quit bringing up my age like it’s a barbed wire fence you can’t climb. Look me in the eyes and tell me that if I wasn’t nineteen you wouldn’t want me the way I want you.”

I open my mouth to give her just that, but I can’t. I want her, plain and simple. I want her despite who her uncle is. I want her without bounds.

“You can’t say it, can you? What’s stopping you? And if you say my age, I swear to God I will kick a hole in your wall.”

“Your uncle,” I say. “He’s my best friend and I could never betray him. He would never forgive me. His friendship means more to me than a young woman that will probably be on her way the moment she realizes she doesn’t want an old man who’d rather spend his evenings watching movies cuddled in bed than out partying and getting drunk.”

“I love cuddling in bed,” she purrs and walks closer.

“Who have you been cuddling with? Your teddy bear?” I sneer, trying to get her to back off. And if I can’t do it with reasoning, then I’ll just have to be a condescending asshole.

“No. Only one boy cuddled with me, but he was nothing like the bear I’d like to be wrapped up in.”

My jaw clicks and the irrational part of my brain says to track this fucker down and wrap my hands around his puny neck until the life drains out of him.

While I’m plotting the death of the boy who dared to touch Anais, she stepped toe to toe with me and pressed her hand to my chest over my thundering heart.

“Bishop,” she whispers, her eyes looking up at me and fuck, I want her. “Why don’t you want me like the other boys do?”

I swallow and reach for the wall behind me, trying to grip it and not Anais. “I never said I don’t want you. I said I can’t want you. I can’t have you. I think you should go now.”

“Of course you can have me. I want you to have all of me. Please, Bishop. I need your hands on me.” She drops her hand and reaches for the hem of her sweatshirt, gripping the edge and slowly pulling over her head.

I close my eyes, begging God to pull me from the dream. This can’t happen. I need to be strong and resist this girl who is rushing to be a woman.

I feel her soft skin as she takes my hand in hers and my eyes fly open, watching in horror as she guides my fingers to grip her pert breast. I’m frozen in shock and can’t pull away. Not even when she does the same with my other hand. When she drops her arms to her sides, I’m left there, my back against the wall and her firm tits in my palms.

“Have me, Bishop.”

Keeping my eyes locked to hers, I rub my thumbs over the hard points of her nipples. She drops her head back, a sensual moan falling from her mouth. I massage her breasts and my dick grows impossibly hard. The slender column of her neck is itching to have my mouth on it, and her tan skin is perfection.

A devil and an angel are warring on my shoulders, one urging me to dive in and the other pleading with me to walk away. My brain steps into the argument and studies the situation then says, “I’ll see you in hell”.

I slide my hands around her and drop my head, taking her neck with my mouth. I kiss and lick her tender flesh, while her hands hold my head to her. She gets so close that she’s practically climbing me.

I pepper open mouth kisses down her neck, across her collarbone until my lips are clamped tightly on her nipple. I roll the hard nub between my teeth and she purrs. My hands circle around her small waist and I lift her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around me.

I spin us and press her up against the wall, just as she takes my face in her hands and locks her lips to mine.

She tastes so good, yet so forbidden, but it doesn’t stop me from indulging. I kiss her slowly and not like the animal that lives inside me that’s dying to ravage her.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” she murmurs against my lips. “I dream about you, Bishop. About us and the moment I finally get to call you mine.”

My eyes fly open and my mouth freezes. Those words have me hitting a brick wall, not just stopping me but shattering the serenity I was lost in.

I gently place her back on her feet and take a step back. She watches me as I reach down and pick up her sweatshirt.

“What are you doing?”

“You need to leave, Anais. This is wrong. Please just…get dressed and leave,” I beg her.

I toss her the sweatshirt, afraid to get too close to the fire, and retreat to the kitchen.

“Bishop,” she calls out. “Bishop. Stop!”

My fists pound on the counter and I look up at her. “What? This can’t happen. Here,” I reach into a drawer and dig out the spare keyfob to my truck. “Take my truck back to campus. The tag will let you park anywhere. Just take it and go.”

I lob it over and she barely catches it, her breasts still hanging out.

“Are you serious right now?” she asks, completely flabbergasted.

“As a fucking bullet to the head. Put your shirt on and go back to school. I’ll get my truck tomorrow.”

I speed past her and jog up the stairs to my room where I close the door, pressing my ear against it to hear her leaving. The door to the garage slams and I hear the roar of the engine. I step to the balcony where I watch her squeal out of my driveway and down the street, until she disappears around the corner.

I breathe a sigh of relief that she’s gone, then scrub my teeth again, trying to wash her taste from my mouth. But nothing will ever take away the deliciousness of her body.

It’s a curse I will have to live with, but at least I will live, which is better than the alternative. That being Nix finding out and putting the aforementioned bullet between my eyes.

She’s not worth it, Bish, I tell myself. It’s laughable because I really don’t know if that’s the truth. If anyone is worth losing it all for, it may be her.

14

BISHOP

The roar of the crowd drowns out the conversations in the suite when Nix catches a hard hit that flies back at him on the mound. I stare out the glass windows, hidden by the glare because I’m afraid he’ll be able to see the guilt written all over my face.

I have purposely avoided him for the last week, claiming I was busy with the team or not feeling well. When today’s game came, I couldn’t put him off any longer, so I swallowed my regret along with my shame, and manned up to be here.

A hard clap lands on my shoulder, and I turn my head to see my brother –as I refer to him– Vaughan.

“Hey man. You feelin’ alright? You seem distracted. Lost, almost,” he asks with a heavy dose of concern in his eyes.

If there’s anyone I can tell, it’s Vaughan. I’ve never hidden anything from him. We know all of each other's secrets. All of the high’s and lows and everything in between. I decide that I need to relieve myself of some of this weight that is suffocating me and tell him.

I shake my head, “Nah man. I’m not alright.”

He pulls his brows tightly together and his fingers squeeze my shoulder. “What’s up? Are you okay health wise? Like, you didn’t get some bad news or something. Did you?”

“My health is fine, but my life may be in danger.” He stiffens and I watch the color drain from his face. “Let’s go out to the mezzanine to talk. I can’t do it here.”

He nods his head and leads me out of the room, but not before telling Cami that we need a minute alone. She looks at me with the same concerned expression and squeezes my hand as I pass by. I squeeze it back, reassuring her that I’m okay, and follow Vaughan out of the suite.

Once we’ve made it past the suite level and on to the busy spectator level, he says, “Okay. You gotta tell me, Bish. I’m getting worried.”

“I did something stupid and I don’t know what to do. It’s Anais,” I say and the tension in his face retreats and is replaced with disappointment.

“Bishop,” he drawls.

I start at the beginning when she first visited last year, and how I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. The words tumble from my mouth as I begin telling him about the obvious flirting she throws my way, the house party and the club. I show him the text messages she sent that day and everything since. The last one she sent was just yesterday and all it said was, “You're a coward Bishop Michaels.”

“Shit, man. I don’t,” he shakes his head. “I don’t know what to say. Of course the words I should tell you are to stay away from her, but Bish…I’ve never seen you so tormented by a woman before. Not even when you and Emily broke up after she told you she wanted to get married.”

“Fuck. I know, Vaughan. I’m disgusted with myself. How could I do this? Nix is never going to forgive me. I don’t even know how to tell him.” I grip my stomach, feeling the drinks and food from today start to climb their way back up.

“Hold on, Bish. Before you step in line to be executed, let’s talk about this.” Vaughan comes to a stop, then quickly pulls me off to the side and out of the way of the crowd. “What do you really feel for Anais?”

My throat clogs with a lie and the truth, and I wait to see which one will find their way into Vaughan’s ears.

“I can’t quite pinpoint my feelings. I know I look at her as more than just my friend's niece, but I don’t know if any feelings directed at her are lust or more than that. I don’t want them to be more, but…”

Vaughan watches me intently, trying to read my true feelings, but this is about as clear as I can give him. I’m so confused and torn and I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.

“I love you man. You’re my brother and I will always have your back. I just really don’t know what to say to this. She’s young,” he says, listing it like I don’t already know. “And this would cause a huge rift between you and Nix. But I don’t think, for one second, that you would’ve done what you did if there weren’t some underlying, true feelings for her. You’re not a careless or reckless person. You don’t just do things on a whim without any worry of consequences.”

I nod my head, staring off into space at nothing in particular.

“You need to sit with your feelings and figure out what they really are. Before you talk to Nix about any of this, you need to find out if this is real or not. Don’t end a decade-long friendship that could be nothing more than a case of infatuation.”

He clamps his hand on my shoulder and I let his words sink it. Infatuation. It has to be that. There’s no way the flutter in my stomach when I see her is real. It’s a crazy notion that the lightness in my heart comes from the sound of her voice. And it’s absolutely ludicrous that the face I see when I think about my future wife is hers.

“You’re right. Thanks, man. Let’s get back to the suite.” I pat his back and we walk back together in silence, my blaring thoughts drowning out any conversation I could be having.

We spend the rest of the evening enjoying the Wranglers win, then I go back to my house where I stare at the ceiling for eight hours before I finally pull myself out of bed and try to have something close to a productive day.

I flop back onto the couch, utterly exhausted and cranky from my lack of sleep. I gave my guys the rest of the week off because frankly, I need a break from everything right now, but baseball is the only thing I can control.

My stomach growls and while I know I should get up and make myself some dinner, I don’t have the energy or desire to move right now. My eyes close and I feel my body begin to sink into peace when it’s shattered by the ringing of my phone.

I blink my eyes open with a frustrated sigh, and dig the phone out of my pocket. The screen flashes with Anais’ name and I debate on letting it go to voicemail as I have since the Sunday she showed up at my house.

The ringing stops and the screen fades to black while I’m having my internal battle. I drop my head back again, the phone still clutched in my hand, and this time when it rings again, I answer without a second thought.

“Hello,” I say, my voice gruff.

“Bishop?” Her voice is small and it causes immediate alarm.

I jack-knife up from the couch, suddenly wide awake. “Anais. What’s wrong?”

I hear her sniff back her tears. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so forward and I promise not to do it again if you’ll just stop ignoring me. I can’t handle you pretending I don’t exist.”

I rest back, the panic leaving my body now that I know she’s okay.

“I’m not pretending you don’t exist, Anais. It’s impossible to do that. I just needed to put some distance between us. What happened, it shouldn’t have.”

“But why?” she cries.

“Anais,” I sigh. “We’ve gone over this already. The list is so long it could be a book. You know it, I know it. Let’s not rehash it all again.”

“That kiss didn’t feel like a mistake. And neither did your mouth as it sucked on m–”

“Stop! I don’t need a reminder of how bad I fucked up.” The thought of hearing her finish that sentence sends me into a tailspin.

“It wasn’t a fuck up, Bishop. It was an awakening. Your awakening to the realization of how much you want me. I could feel it in that kiss.” The tone of her voice quickly turns from sad girl to sultry vixen. “Tell me you didn’t like it and I’ll hang up. You won’t hear from me anymore.”

My heartbeat is thundering in my ears, making it difficult to hear or speak or even think. The rebuttal sits on the tip of my tongue, but I just can’t say the words.

“Say it, Bishop. If you want to be rid of me, just tell me you didn’t like feeling my lips against yours.”

I swallow and croak, “I can’t.”

I slump down, my head falling into my hand, and I feel like I can now easily answer Vaughan’s question.

My feelings for Anais go far beyond lust or infatuation. I feel something for her so deep down in my bones that I’m afraid of the shell of a human I could become if I were to have and lose her.

“Bishop,” she whispers. “The morning after you rescued me from that party, I snuck into your room when you were showering. I saw you. Through the glass, I saw and heard you.”

I hadn’t forgotten about the text that she sent me telling me that much. I just chose to pretend that it didn’t exist.

“And when I went downstairs to shower, I used my fingers to make myself come to that very image of you.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to picture her doing that, but it’s a foolish act because that thought is an impossible feat for even the strongest of men.

“Keyara isn’t here right now. Do you know what I do when she isn’t here?”

My voice cracks when I say, “Wha-what do you do?”

I hear a faint buzzing sound and a heavy sigh leaving Anais’ mouth. “I think about how much better you would feel than this vibrator.”

I stop breathing. The world comes to a shrieking halt when she says that, and my dick comes alive.

“How many times have you come all over your hand when you’re thinking of me, Bishop?” she asks.

My athletic shorts show a visible tenting and with a slow hand –and guilty conscience– I slide my hand under the waistband of my shorts and briefs, and fist my hard cock.

“A lot,” I answer, letting my head fall to the back of the couch and languidly begin to stroke my hand up and down my shaft.

“Yeah? Tell me what I’m doing in your fantasy.”

Visions of her that I play on repeat flash behind my closed lids. “You’re wearing that little swimsuit. The purple one. And your hair is wet as you walk out of the pool.”

The thoughts of her stepping out of the water, rivulets of water cascading over her full breasts and her hardened nipples poking through the soaked fabric, add fuel to my burning fire. My dick throbs as I choke it.

“I walk towards you and untie it, one side at a time until I’m naked. Do you want me bare, Bishop? I have a small strip right now, but if you want my pussy bare I’ll shave it.”

“No,” I groan. “Leave it.”

“I need your hands on me. Touch me,” she moans.

“Your body is perfect, Anais. I want to taste every inch of it.”

A small mewl pours from her mouth and her breathing picks up. “I want to suck your cock, but you’re so big.”

I picture her on her knees, gagging as I feed her my dick. “You want to choke on my dick? Would you know what to do, or will I have to teach you?”

“Teach me, Bishop. Show me what you like.”

“Tell me the name of the guy that touched you, butterfly, so I can kill him.”

“He doesn’t matter,” she says and I feel my blood boil. “Only you and I. Just think about me gliding my tongue across your dripping head. Mmm. You taste so good.”

The murderous thoughts quickly vanish when she purrs, and I stroke harder and faster.

“Get rid of that vibrator and tell me what your pussy feels like.” I hear the buzzing come to a stop. “Are you touching yourself?”

“Yes. I’m so wet. For you. And-ooooh god, that feels so good.”

“I bet that pussy is tight. I’d have to spread you wide to fit, and I’d watch your sweet little cunt swallow me up, inch by inch.” I circle my thumb over the head of my cock, spreading my precum.

“I’m getting close,” she pants.

I pull my hand away and spit into my palm before grabbing my shaft once more and working it harder.

“Is your pussy warm?”

“So very warm. Warm and wet and tight and aching for you to fuck it. Will you fuck me, Bishop?”

“God, yes. I want to bend you over and spank that beautiful ass of yours for doing this to me. Then I want to feel your walls clench around me.”

“You’re so big. It’s going to hurt, but I want it. I want you to fuck me hard.”

“You want it hard, little butterfly? You want me to shove my dick in your tight cunt and tear it to pieces?”

“Ye-yes.” Her words are breathy.

“I’d lift those gorgeous legs over my shoulders and watch your face come undone. Do you feel me? Can you feel how I split you open?”

“It hurts so good. Keep going. Don’t stop.”

Faster and harder, up and down, I pump my fist and feel the tingle in my balls as my dick pulses.

“I’m never going to stop. I’m going to fuck you forever. Your pussy will wear only my name. You’ll come with only my name falling from your lips. Do you understand me?”

My vision turns spotty and I feel a buzz race up my spine.

“Only ever…oh yes. Yes. I’m coming. Bishop. I’m …”

Her words are my undoing, and I shoot off in my hand, cum dripping down my arm and falling onto my shorts. With every one of her moans, my body releases more and more cum.

I grunt and she whines and together we come down from our high. Our labored breaths fall into sync as we try to regain consciousness. We both fall silent and I wait for the guilt to overwhelm me, but all I feel is relief. Relief that I finally admitted that I want her. I need her. It’s my life’s mission now to make her smile everyday, for the rest of my life.

“So damn good,” I tell her, my chest still heaving with labored breaths.

“Bye Bishop. Have a good night.” Her voice is soft and sated, much like I am.

“G’night, Anais.” The line goes quiet and my screen turns black. “Fuuuck,” I whisper to myself.

What the hell am I going to do now?

15

ANAIS

I tap at my phone hurriedly, trying to send a text before my uncle returns to the table. I almost make it, too, but jump when I hear the deep timber of his voice.

“Who’re you texting so sneakily over there?” Uncle Nix pulls out the chair from the table we sit at in the back of the restaurant he brought me to for lunch.

The Wranglers are in the Wild Card playoffs with hopes of winning and moving on to the next round, and hopefully end the season with their second World Series Championship. Uncle Nix’s schedule has been crazy as has mine with classes. So aside from a brief hello and good game and congrats after the games, I haven’t had much quality time with my favorite uncle.

So when he called me last night asking to take me to an early dinner, there wasn’t any way I was about to turn him down.

“Oh. Um. Just Keyara. We’re making plans for this weekend,” I lie through my teeth.

He plops down into his chair, his baseball cap pulled low, and rests his elbows on the table. “Oh yeah. What are you ladies up to? Not getting into trouble, I hope.”

I shrug and smirk at him. “Aw, you know. The usual. Hookin’ on the street corner for tuition money, then we’ll probably stay in our room doing intravenous drugs.”

He reaches across the table and pinches my nose. “You little turd. Now I’m going to have to install cameras and a security system in your room.”

“Welp. Good thing we’re staying at the crack house then, huh.” This time he wads up his napkin and tosses it at me, hitting me square between the eyes.

What do you expect from a top rated MLB pitcher?

“Peanut, I am so proud of you. You’ve become an amazing young woman, and you’re doing so well in your classes, and I’m just so damn lucky to get to call you my number one gal. Well, number one and a half because Viv would wear my nuts around her neck if she wasn’t sitting first.” I snort out a laugh because that is a cold, hard fact.

I don’t mind sitting number two to Vivian. She’s a badass and I hope to be half the boss bitch she is when I grow up. Status wise. Size wise I’ve already surpassed her.

“I’ve talked to your mom and after much convincing, she’s decided to let you have your car at school.”

My mom was incredibly worried about me bringing my vehicle with me to school. She was afraid that it would get stolen, or that I would get lost in this big city or worse, that I would get drunk and wreck it. I was devastated to have had to leave my little Maggie the Mini Cooper, but I wanted to be a good and obedient daughter, so I only sobbed until she said we’d talk about letting me have it after semester.

“Really? Oh my gosh! How is Maggie getting here? Do I need to fly out there and drive it home?” My heart was jumping with anticipation to see my little car.

“Well, that’s the other thing. I didn’t want you driving back here by yourself, and I have to be away for games and your mom is busy at work. So…” he reaches into his front pocket and pulls out a keyfob with a red bow tied to it.

He underhand tosses it at me and I barely snatch it out of the air before it slams into my face. I hold it out in my palm and look at the four interlocking circles on the fob and squeal.

“You got me an Audi?” I push back from my chair and jump up, leaping into my uncle’s arms. “How’d you get mom to agree to this? She threw a shit fit when you said you were going to buy my first car for me.”

He hugs me back in a tight embrace then kisses the top of my head. “Eh. I laid some younger brother guilt on her. I told her it hurt my feelings that she was denying me the opportunity to spoil my only niece when I had the means to do so.”

“You’re the best, Uncle Nix. Thank you.” I kiss his cheek and drop to my feet, wiggling around in a little happy dance.

“You’re welcome, Peanut. Anything for my number one and a half girl.” He winks with a laugh and wraps his arm around my neck. “C’mon. Let’s go and check out this car of yours. It’s waiting for you at school.”

I reach over and grab my purse that is hanging on the back of the chair and walk side by side with Phoenix out the door.

I text Keyara after I’ve had a thorough freakout over my new car.

Me: Biiiiitch! Get down here. NOW! Parking lot.

It only takes her a moment to respond.

Key: Do I need to bring rings?

Me: WTF?

Key: Are we fightin’ and if so, who’s the ho?

I snort a laugh and roll my eyes. She’s ridiculous and I love it.

Me: No one. I have a surprise.

I pocket my phone then lay my head on the car, spreading my arms wide. My eyes are closed and my smile is wide. I’m in love with my little A5. The blue exterior is eye-catching. Let’s just hope it doesn’t catch the eye of police officers should I be going a tad bit too fast.

I hear a clomping behind me and lift my head to see Keyara running over to where we stand, rubber boots on her feet.

“Why are you wearing those?” I ask her, staring at her bright red covered feet.

“I didn’t know what to expect, so I just grabbed these,” she says with a shrug.

“Did you think I was taking you fishing?” She smacks my arm. “Look what Uncle Nix bought me!”

She circles the car, inspecting with a close eye, and whistles. “Fancy wheels there, Nixy.”

Phoenix’s lip curls and he gives her a faux evil eye. Ever since Keyara found out that Vivian calls him Nixy, she refuses to call him anything else.

“Isn’t it beautiful? We’ll go for a ride after your last class. And after you change those ugly ass shoes. You can’t ride in my car with them.” She flips me the middle finger and continues to look at every detail of the car.

“I better get back to the stadium. I have to meet with my masseuse. I’ll text you before I leave tomorrow. Love you, Ana.” He reaches over and pulls me into a hug. “Proud of you.”

I close my eyes, squeezing him back and a smile on my face. “Thanks, Uncle Nix. Love you, too.”

He kisses my head and releases me, turning around and marching straight for his truck.

“Love you, too, Nixy,” Keyara shouts, her hands cupped around her mouth.

Phoenix just shakes his head and proceeds to hop in his truck and drive away.

“This is fucking nice. Is it your birthday, or something?”

“No. He just said he wanted me to have it. He thought it would be better that I have a vehicle instead of taking Ubers or the shuttle. Guess he finally got my mom to agree.”

I unlock the doors so she can peek inside when I hear voices behind me.

“Who’d she sleep with to get that?” the first voice says.

“Probably the baseball team. She’s always at their parties and hanging out with them at lunch. She must be the season's catchers mitt.”

My back stiffens but I don’t immediately respond because there’s nothing to say that they’re talking about me.

“That guy that just left, he’s an MLB Pitcher. She’s in the big leagues. I doubt she has to fuck around with college guys.”

“What even is she? Is she black? Hispanic? Her name is like Mexican or something, but she doesn’t look like any Mexican I know.”

Now I know it’s me and I’m trying to keep myself calm, because I really don’t feel like getting in a fight. I’ll bring out the Slidell if I need to, but I’m having a really good hair day and I’d hate to ruin it.

“Those little bitches,” Keyara hisses, and stands up.

“I got this,” I tell her and make my approach. “Hi. It’s obvious you wanted me to hear your little discussion, so let me address things.” My tone is sugary sweet and the smile on my face says I’m harmless.

“First off, that MLB pitcher is my uncle, Phoenix West. You can look it up. You can call him. I’ll give you his number or his fiancées number. They’ll both verify. Two, the baseball team that I’m always ‘hanging out with’ is coached by said uncle’s best friend. Coach Michaels has been incredibly nice and as a favor to my uncle, asked his guys to simply look out for me. Make sure no one fucks with me. Like you two.”

My finger wags between the two of them, and they stand with their arms crossed over the their chests with snooty looks on their faces.

“And finally, I’m Afro-Latina. That means I’m mixed race of African American and Latina. My dad is from Puerto Rico, and my mom is mixed. But all you need to remember is that I’m a person. And everything you just said is extremely rude and closed minded. I will also tell you that you know nothing about me and should watch your mouth before ever saying another word about me. I’m not above kicking a bitch’s ass. And trust me, I know how.

“So…there you go. The answers to all of your questions since you’re dying to know about me.” I click the button on my keyfob and the lights on my car blink, letting me know the lock is engaged. “Oh. I almost forgot. Eres un pinche cabrona, y tu madre es una putá. Adios.”

I grab Keyara’s hand and pull her away. We strut our way past them, me waving and Keyara flipping them off as we go.

Once we’re out of earshot, Keyara asks, “What did you say to them?”

“I said, you’re a fucking bitch and your mom is a whore.”

Keyara is silent for a moment before she bursts out laughing, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Girl, you are savage.”

We laughed all the way to our room, talking about the look on their faces and the fact that they were probably trying to figure out how to spell the words I said in google translate.

“Ok. I gotta run. Let’s go to dinner when I’m back. You drive, I’ll buy.” Keyara picks up her backpack and kicks off her rain boots, exchanging them for sandals.

“Deal. See you later.” We blow each other kisses and she’s out the door in seconds.

I undo the buckles on my wedges and flop back onto the bed, smiling over the day’s events. I decide I need to share the news with more people and pull out my phone.

Me: Soooo, my uncle just gave me a little gift. I’d love to show you if you’re home.

I hold the phone and stare at the screen waiting for an answer. After a few minutes pass with no response, I decide to change out of my cute lunch outfit and into something perfect for pizza with my girl.

I slide out of my skirt and top and hang them up in my small closet. I flip through my clothes, standing only in my lavender bra and panties –the ones I bought when I went shopping with Keyara– trying to decide what I should wear, when my phone pings I practically hurdle the end of my bed to get it.

B:Does this surprise have anything to do with four tires and a horn?

I smile wide at the screen.

Me: You knew?

B:Who do you think helped him get a deal? It was my contact at Audi. Otherwise you might’ve ended up with a minivan.

My nose scrunches upon reading that.

Me: A minivan?

B: Yeah, because no guy would want to talk to you in a minivan. Skewed thinking since I had to remind him that a minivan gives you lots of space to lay down.

Me: Well thank you for saving me from the fate of lonely minivan driver.

A saucy idea comes to me, and I stand from my bed and walk over to the full length mirror hanging on our door. I fluff up my hair a little, and find the perfect pose. I first try just a basic standing straight, but it’s too boring. Then I cock my hip and prop my hand on it but that’s overused. After a few more tries, I finally decide to pop out one hip and hang an arm over my head, putting my breasts on full display and a hint of ass.

I hold the camera over my face and snap photos until the lighting and pose are just right. I quickly send it and bite my lip, waiting for his response.

Me: <image>

I get nervous thinking that I shouldn’t have done that. Maybe he’ll see it as childish. Do women his age send naughty selfies? I’ve never done this before so I don’t even know that I did it right.

My screen flashes with an incoming FaceTime from Bishop and sprint to my bed and position my pillows so that I’m sitting back.

I tap the green button and his face fills the screen. “Hey,” I breathe out.

“Fuck, Anais. I’m in my office and I had to get up and close the door so one of my coaches didn’t walk in and see me sporting a chub.” His eyes are dark and intense, and I fully believe that if he were here right now he would ravage me in a way I never thought possible.

“Oh yeah? Care to show me?” My nipples turn rock hard and I feel a tingle between my legs.

“I think that could be dangerous. Maybe I better stay buttoned up.”

I knit by brows. “Dangerous? How?”

I see him stand from his chair and move about his office. The soft snick of a lock clicking into place sounds, then he’s taking a seat back in his chair

“Dangerous because if I show you my dick right now, I’m going to want to fuck you. And since I can’t do that, I’ll end up with my dick in my fist, and that’s pretty inappropriate for a work day.”

I think about whether or not I locked my bedroom door and remember doing so right after Keyara left.

“And what’s wrong with that?” I steady the phone in my hand and slowly pull down one strap of my bra, letting it hang off my shoulder.

“Anais. What are you doing?” he asks.

“Just getting comfortable.” My voice teases as I drop the strap on the other side.

I spot my small monogrammed pillow in the corner of my bed, and lean over to get it. I know my boobs are magnified on the screen, and I get giddy thinking about what his face looks like.

I adjust the pillow and set the phone against it, checking the distance to make sure that most of my body can be seen.

“That’s better,” I say with a sigh.

“How is that better, and what is it better for?”

“It’s better for me to do this.” I reach around my back and unclasp my bra.

It slides down my arms and I toss it aside. I watch his Adam's apple bob in his throat. Next, I carefully wiggle my hips and guide my lace panties over my butt, thighs, and down my legs until they hang from my toes. I kick my leg, sending them lofting through the air. When I sit back against the pillows, my knees are pressed tightly together, hiding my wet pussy from his view.

“You’re trying to kill me?” he chokes out.

“No. Just trying to make you feel good. Since I can’t do it in person, I figured this is the next best thing.” I drop my knees open, letting them hang open, and giving him the perfect view of where I wish he was right now.

I stick two fingers in my mouth, soaking them with saliva, and slowly slide them down my body. I spread my lips wide, then begin rubbing up and down my seam. I flick my clit and feel the spark rush through my veins. I moan and let my head fall back.

“Anais. Look at me,” he demands.

I lift my head and stare straight into his eyes, waiting to see what he’ll say next.

“Seems like you wanna play games. Then let’s play.” This time I’m the one swallowing down my nerves. “Put two fingers into that wet pussy of yours.”

I circle my opening a couple of times, then plunge two fingers deep inside. I slide them in and out then still when he says, “Enough.”

My eyes pop open and he growls. “Taste them. Tell me what you taste like? I need to know.”

I pull my fingers out, hooking them as I do and gathering up all the dampness. I show him just how wet I am, then slowly lick my fingers. I lick up one side then part them, darting my tongue between them.

“How does it taste?” he asks, his voice husky with desire.

“Musky and a little sweet. You should come try it for yourself,” I tease.

“I can’t. This is already too far.” My face falls when he says that, making me believe that this is all it will ever be. “Rub those wet fingers over your nipples.”

I do just as he’s instructed and watch the camera shake as he fidgets in his seat. When the phone finally stills, I see the camera flip. The next thing I see is his impossibly big and hard cock, his hand sliding up and down.

“Look what you’ve done, Ms. De La Cruz. We’re going to need to do something about it.”

“Yes Coach Michaels. Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Fuck your hand, you naughty girl. Let me see those fingers slide in and out of that tight little cunt.”

The words don’t even finish spilling from his mouth before I’m doing just that. I lean back on my hand then use the other to pump in and out of me, my palm pressing against my clit. As badly as I want to close my eyes and get lost in the feel, they stay glued to my screen as he jacks himself harder and faster.

“God I want to fuck you so bad. Feel how tight you are.” His groans spur on my moans and have me moving deeper.

I need more so I take a third finger and insert it. I’m tight and it stretches me wide.

“Then fuck me, Bishop. You can have me.” My body tingles as I draw closer to release.

“I can’t have you, butterfly. You’re not mine to keep and that’s exactly what I’d want to do.” I can hear his shallow breaths.

“I am yours. I’ve already given myself to you. Please. I only want to be yours.” My palm rubs harder and I go faster. “Oh my god. I’m going to come. Are you close?”

“Yes,” he pants.

“Watch me. Watch me come on my hand for you,” I tell him as I feel my heart speed up and the buzz in my body reaching a crescendo.

My breath is stolen from my lungs for just a second before I hear the rush of my blood whooshing in my ears.

“Oh my god, oh my GAH! So good,” I cry and then my body stills, the weightless sensation taking over.

My body grows slack and I feel boneless as I sag against the mattress. A loud grunt pulls my attention back to my phone and I open them just in time to see cum spurting from his engorged head.

“Fuck. Anais. Jesus,” he says, over and over.

The cum rushes over his fist and begins dripping down his hand. The sight has my pussy buzzing all over again.

“If I was there I’d lick your cock dry, Bishop. Can I do that, please?” I beg.

The camera spins around and I’m staring at the ceiling fan as it whirs. When I see him again, his shirt is off and he’s breathing rapidly.

“Bad girl, my little butterfly. Now I need a new shirt.” The smile on his face is lazy and his eyes look glossed over, almost as if he’s high except I know he’s not.

“Want me to come over and help you clean up?”

His head shakes from side to side. “No, Anais. That’s not a good idea. Even this is a bad idea, but I can’t seem to stop myself. I think it’s best if we don’t see one another in person.”

“Why? I don’t understand. Don’t you want me?”

His chair creaks as he adjusts himself and leans forward.

“Of course I want you. That’s the problem. If you come anywhere near me, I won’t be able to stop myself. And that just can’t happen.”

I reach behind me and start yanking the covers down until I can maneuver underneath them, not wanting him to see my body when I’m feeling so vulnerable.

“I don’t want you to stop yourself. I want to be with you, Bishop. I’ve told you that.”

“And I’ve told you that can’t happen. We should stop this all together. It’s only confusing things, so it’s best if we only talk when everyone is around.” His voice changes from sated to annoyed in the blink of an eye.

“Fuck you, Bishop. You can’t just use me up then toss me aside. You’re an asshole,” I shout then kick my foot, launching my phone into the air and hear it land with a crack.

I flop back against my bed and begin to cry. I’m not going to be his toy that he plays with, only to be thrown away when he gets bored. My eyes grow heavy and I curl up, thoughts of Bishop and I together the last thing I remember.

16

BISHOP

I’ve punished myself for the last few days over how I treated Anais the last time we spoke, but I’ve let things get too far and they need to stop.

I’m making my way across campus in search of her to apologize and let her know that we can’t continue whatever this is anymore, knowing it’s her lunch time and it would be better to talk in person with a crowd around.

The weather is already starting to change and a slight breeze is in the air. It’s still hot and humid, but the temps are finally starting to tick down a bit. More students mill about as I walk from one end of campus to the other. I would normally drive but I decided to enjoy the day and take a stroll.

Laughter rings out from students but one stands out above the others. The sweet sound is like music to my ears and I instantly recognize it. I look to my right where I hear it coming from, and spot Anais and one of her friends standing with a group of guys.

My feet carry me closer and closer to where they stand until I’m towering over them, imposing with my size and the heat that pours off my body.

“Anais,” I growl, surprising myself when her name comes from my mouth.

Her head spins and her hair floats through the air.

“Oh. Coach Michaels. Hello,” she says, her voice sounding very displeased.

“May I speak with you for a moment? I need to ask you a question regarding the game.” I turn on my heel and head for the closest tree, assuming she is following.

I clench my jaw, trying to keep my emotions under control, and hear her come up behind me.

“Why would you need to talk to me about the game?” she asks as she steps closer.

“What are you doing?” My tone is harsh and the words bite.

“What am I doing?” Her arms cross over her chest and her face hardens. “I’m talking with my friends. Why do you care?”

“All of those guys are your friends? Guys like that aren’t ‘friends’ with girls like you.”

Her head flings back as if she’s been hit. “Girls like me? What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means you're nice and sweet and naive, and those guys are looking for one thing, Anais.”

“Oh I’m guilty of being naive alright, but only where you’re concerned. I was naive to think you actually liked me. I had no clue you were just getting your rocks off.”

My chest aches at the thought of her thinking I was using her.

“That’s not how it was, Anais, and you know that.”

“No. I don’t know that. What I do know is that one minute you’re coming all over your hand because of me, and the next you’re telling me to stay away from you. You said I play games, but you’re the biggest fucking player I know, Coach Michaels.” She spins, putting her back to me, and I grab her arm.

“Anais. I’m sorry–” I start to apologize.

“Please don’t touch me. I can’t handle you being nice to me. Not anymore.” Her eyes flood with unshed tears.

“Butterfly.” I drop my hand and soften my voice.

“Don’t Bishop. Just leave me alone.” She swipes at her eye and gives me a parting look before turning around and calling out, “Hey Dex. What are you doing on Saturday?”

A pain in my heart has me clutching at my chest as I watch her walk away, carefree and happy. But not because of me.

I stare out the large glass windows and down onto the field as the game draws closer to a win. A win that will send the Wranglers to the playoffs for the second year in a row. I’m happy for my best friend, but my mood is sour as I listen to Anais’ laughter every time that douchebag Dex opens his mouth.

What the fuck kind of name is Dex, anyhow? Sounds like the name of a privileged little prick, and I want to kick his ass just for being him.

“He seems like a nice kid,” Camille says, bumping my arm with her shoulder.

I look down at the woman that I call sister, and try to smile as she beams up at me.

“Hmpf,” I reply. “How’re you feeling little mama? My niece giving you a hard time?”

“We don’t know it’s a girl, Bish.” She rubs her hand over her small belly that you can barely see under the Wranglers jersey she wears.

“Eh. I have a feeling,” I say with a wink.

I hang my arm over her shoulders and turn my attention back to the game as the pitcher throws another strike, putting the Wranglers just one away from the win.

“You need to talk to him, Bishop.”

I look down at her, confused. “What are you talking about?”

Her eyes float over to where Anais stands and I follow her lead. “Anais. You need to talk to Phoenix about her. Clear the air and see where he stands.”

My jaw clicks when I grind my teeth together. “Why would I need to talk to Nix about her?”

She deadpans me with a look. “Stop acting daft.”

I swallow and nod my head. “There’s nothing to talk about. It was misplaced feelings. I think I was just feeling a little lonely because of the engagement and weddings and now babies. I thought I liked her, but it was silly. She’s a child.”

“You may be able to lie to yourself but you can’t bullshit me, Bishop Michaels.”

I squint my eyes and pretend to be annoyed. “Get out of my head, girl. And tell your husband to keep his big trap shut.”

“Vaughan didn’t have to tell me a whole lot. I already had a pretty good idea of things. It’s just something I picked up on. A feeling, you know? Maybe it was my mother’s intuition kicking in already.”

I pinch the tip of her nose and she bats my hand away. “I don’t know, Cami-girl. She’s just a kid and Nix is my best friend. He’d never forgive me.”

“Are you sure about that?” She asks and I nod emphatically. “Did you sleep with her?”

“No but…,” I look away, the guilt making me sick. “I kissed her. Twice. And other stuff. But not in person. You know, it was…” I can’t find the words to explain what we did.

“You had phone sex, didn’t you?”

“Jesus, Camille. Shush your mouth.” I look around the room full of people, nervous someone heard us and put two and two together.

“Oh my gosh. You guys are so prudish. If you could be a fly on the wall during girls brunch, y’all would probably drop dead. Especially listening to Viv. That girl could make a sailor blush.”

I laugh knowing how true that is.

“It doesn’t matter. I told her we were asking for trouble and let her know it was best if she stayed away and quit calling me.”

“How many times have you almost called her?” I fold my lips between my teeth and look down. “Wow. That many, huh? Why are you punishing yourself? Talk to her. But talk to Phoenix first.”

“No. Not gonna happen. It’s done. I’m going to move on. And it’s obvious she is, too. Plus, she should be with a guy her age. Not some old man.”

“Will you shut up with the old man crap? I bet you could walk across campus and get more of those young co-eds to fall at your feet than those young boys could. You’re hot, Bish, and don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m pretty sure at some point, all us girls have had a crush on you.”

My face heats up, thinking about these ladies I consider sisters having thought of as anything other than a friend.

“Lie,” I tell her

“Not a lie. Truth. CeCe most of all.” She winks at me and I laugh, embarrassed. “But it wasn’t just your looks, Bish. It was you. You’re kind and intelligent and caring. You make people laugh and feel special without even trying. It’s no wonder that girl would fall for you. And she’s equally as amazing. Just look at how she is with Dagen.”

I look over to where Anais stands with her date along with Dagen, laughing and acting goofy with her.

“You two are like each other’s twin half. Together, you’re one.”

I think back to Vaughan when he called Cami his twin flame and without her, he’d die out.

“She’s too young, Cam. It would never work. Mainly because I’d be dead before it ever got started. Nix would run me down.”

“Stop it with the age thing. Luca is eleven years older than CeCe. You don’t see anyone making a big deal out of it.”

I counter, “I’m twelve years older, and she’s still a teenager. Big difference.”

Cami sighs, turning her attention to the game as it ends with cheers with a Wranglers win. I study her face, trying to figure out what’s going on in that head of hers. She’s a wealth of knowledge because she’s endured so much in her young life. From the breakup with Vaughan when they were so young, to losing her husband years later, and then finding out the truth behind what tore her and Vaughan apart thirteen years ago. She suffered so many heartbreaks only to come back stronger with each renewal. Now she and Vaughan are married, she and Dagen have formed a bond that no one can break, and soon their family of three will be four.

So when she speaks, I tend to listen a little bit closer than I would with others.

“I lost a lot of years with Vaughan by being so stubborn. Yes, I had an amazing life with Robbie and loved him so very much. I’m grateful for the time I had with him. But despite loving Robbie so much, there was always a part of me that remained with Vaughan. Don’t waste time being stubborn. Talk to Phoenix. Allow yourself the right to be happy. You deserve it, Bishop.”

Cami pops up on her toes and kisses my cheek, then walks over to where our friends are all celebrating. Joyous laughter and hugs are passed around. When I look over at Anais, she’s celebrating herself, hugging Dex and smiling. His arms are circled around her as he lifts her up and spins her around. When he places her back on her feet, he stares at her with stars in his eyes.

Seeing him touch her sends a wave of jealousy coursing through my veins. And while I want to stomp over there and rip her away from his arms, I know that letting her go is better than keeping her to myself.

You can’t trap a beautiful butterfly. A creature that awe inspiring must be allowed to roam free. I’d only suffocate her if I held on too tight.

17

ANAIS

All night long, I have done everything I could think of to get Bishop’s attention. I flirted with Dex all throughout the game. I touched his arm frequently, I laughed a little too much at his stupid jokes, I smiled and batted my eyelashes anytime I thought Bishop was looking my way. But no matter what I did, he never budged.

I expected him to lose his shit, much like he did on campus a couple days ago. Instead of stomping over like a caveman, he stayed stoic and silent. Only smiling or laughing when one of his friends would engage with him.

We’re at the same bar as last year when the team won the World Series, and I’m allowed in with Luca’s approval and under the agreement that I would not drink. I had no problem because I was driving my brand new baby, and I wasn’t stupid to think I could drink and drive back to campus. Plus, Uncle Nix is watching me like a hawk.

Dex is underage and even though I begged Uncle Nix, he wasn’t about to “let someone else’s kid in a bar and get arrested”. He said I was his responsibility but he didn’t know this “kid” from a houseplant, so he couldn’t come.

He told me he was going to a house party and I should call him later and maybe meet up there. When I said I would, I meant it. But now that I’m sitting here, watching Bishop ignore me, I just want to crawl into my bed and cry.

I finish my sparkling water and set the empty glass down on the table I’m sitting at with various people. Viv is close by –I know this because I can hear her– but I’m not sure where everyone else is. I decide to find Uncle Nix and tell him goodbye and head back to my dorm. Maybe Keyara is back from her date and we can binge Netflix and ice cream.

“Is this seat available?” A voice asks from beside me.

I look slowly over my shoulder then up and up until I meet the blue eyes of a beautiful stranger.

“No. I mean yes. The seat is available.” I blush at his dazzling smile, feeling a little starstruck because I’m pretty sure this guy plays with my uncle.

“Thanks,” he says, pulling out the chair and sitting down right next to me. “I’m Cole.”

He holds out his hand to me and I shake it. “Anais. Congrats on the win.”

A crooked grin marks his handsome face and it makes him look younger than he probably is.

“Thank you. I didn’t get much play time because I’m a rook and these big wins go to the vets, but it’s pretty damn surreal.”

“I’m trying to place your position. Centerfield?”

He nods, the smile growing wide. “Yeah. You watched the game?”

“Of course I did. My uncle would kill me if I didn’t watch it long enough to give him a rundown on the big plays.”

“That right? Who’s your uncle?”

“Phoenix West,” I tell him, and I watch the guy's face turn pale and his smile fall.

“You’re Nix’s niece? Uh, I better go–”

“No. Don’t leave. Please. We’re just talking.” I place my hand on his as he begins to stand. “C’mon. He’s really a softie. He only looks cranky.”

Cole’s eyes are large. “Um, didn’t he beat the shit out of two guys last year? Rami and Manny? His teammates.”

I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Yes, but they were talking shit about his girl. What would you do if you heard two guys –teammates or not– saying some pretty bad shit about your girl?”

Cole rests his elbow on the table and brings his bottle to his mouth. “I don’t have a girl but if I did, I’d kill ‘em with my bare hands.” His eyes sparkle and he bites his lip before taking a long pull of his beer.

I mirror his lip bite and feel the apples of my cheeks heat up.

“Would you like a drink, Anais?”

I shake my head and decide to keep the fact that I’m only nineteen a secret. “I’m driving tonight. No drinking for me.”

He leans in close and whispers, “Are you sure it’s not because you’re not old enough to drink?”

I laugh, pushing on his shoulder. “If you knew I wasn’t twenty-one, why’d you ask if I wanted a drink.”

He shrugs and throws back another swig of his beer. “I wanted to see what you would say. See if you’d tell me how old you really are.”

I arch a brow and purse my lips. “You trouble maker.”

He looks down at his beer bottle as he plays with the label. “So. How old are you? Please tell me you’re over eighteen because if not, I’m going back to my apartment and pout that the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen isn’t even old enough to vote yet.”

“I’m old enough to vote.” I steady him with a look and roll over the lie that I’m almost twenty-one in my head before deciding just to tell him the truth. “I’m nineteen.”

He bobs his head up and down for a moment, his eyes wandering around the club, then looks at me again.

“I’m twenty-three. I’m a rookie playing my first major league season with the Wranglers. I graduated from Oregon State last year and headed to farm league before getting pulled up. I don’t smoke or do drugs. Never been married and never been in trouble with the law. You’re the most jaw dropping woman I’ve ever laid eyes on and I’d love to get to know you. Most importantly, do you have a boyfriend?”

He rattles off his personal stats like they’re his baseball stats and it makes me giggle. My eyes search for Bishop and see him talking with a player, laughing and not giving two shits about me.

“I do not have a boyfriend,” I tell him, and he beams. “I’m from Slidell, Louisiana. I’m a freshman at Rice. I don’t smoke or do drugs –yay for us. I’m addicted to reading romance novels and unlike my uncle, I am horrible at pitching. I’m more of a second baseman.”

We keep exchanging facts and smiles as we continue to talk, and he quickly helps me forget all about Bishop. Well…maybe not all about him, but enough that I genuinely have a good time with Cole.

“So do you think your uncle would kill me if I asked you to dance?” He slowly begins to stand, his tall body unfolding from his chair.

I look over where Uncle Nix hangs over Viv as they do something that looks like dancing, but it’s pretty wobbly and they look more than a little toasted.

“Well seeing as he isn’t my dad and doesn’t speak for me, I would say that I’d love to dance.” I hold out my hand to him and he takes it, gently pulling me from my seat and escorting me onto the dance floor.

He’s so handsome and nice and sweet, and I could definitely use someone like him to help me get over Bishop. I just don’t know if I could use a guy like that and not feel bad about it.

A club mix of Music Sounds Better With You and Fake ID booms from the speakers and my body rolls and sways. Cole places a hand on my waist and pulls me closer. Not too much to be deemed inappropriate, but close enough that I can feel the heat coming from his body. I slide my fingers along his arm and feel goosebumps spread across his skin.

He leans down and whispers, “I really like you and I don’t want to seem forward, but I would love to go somewhere without all the onlookers.”

He pulls back and I blink, debating on what to do. Honestly, I don’t want to be here any longer under the watchful eye of my uncle and all his friends. I need to get away from Bishop and any thought of him.

I take another look at Uncle Nix and Viv who are lost in their own world, then search for the others who are doing much the same. My eyes begin to wander the room for Bishop, but I stop myself and force my eyes back to Cole.

“Let’s get out of here,” I tell him and take his hand, pulling him off the dance floor and away from the crowd.

When we make it to the elevator banks then I grab his shirt and tug him to me just as my back hits the wall. I pull his face down to meet mine and raise up on my toes, locking my lips to his. It only takes him a moment to unfreeze and quickly wrap me in his arms.

My feet are lifted off the floor and I’m pressed to the wall. My legs climb his body until they circle his waist and my feet lock as I rub up against his tight stomach like a cat scratching a post. The dampness between my legs grows as does the ache.

“Is your apartment close?” I mumble, our lips still locked tight.

He nods, “Yeah, but I didn’t mean that when I asked if you wanted to leave.”

“I did.” I release his kiss and look him straight in the eyes. “Let’s go to your place. My car is in the parking garage.”

“You sure?” He pushes my wild curls from my face and I nod, sliding my hands across his chest. “Okay,” he chokes out.

The bell dings and the elevator doors open. We hurry in and just as the doors are about to close, a hand slams between them, stopping them from shutting and pushing them wide open.

I step further back into the lift and take Cole’s hand in mine, pulling him to me. My heart lodges in my throat when Bishop steps in. His eyes are full of fire and he doesn’t even pass Cole a glance.

“Holy shit. Bishop Michaels,” Cole says, stunned.

That snaps Bishop out of his trance and he looks up at him.

“He’s my uncle's best friend,” I tell Cole. “Can’t you wait for the next lift? We’re in a hurry.”

“Nah. It’s okay. I’m sure we’re all riding down to the same floor,” Cole tries, but I squeeze his hand and yank him back until his back meets my chest.

“Nix wants me to make sure you get home okay,” Bishop says, his intense gaze focused back on me.

“Cole’s already taking care of that. I’ll be just fine. You can stay.”

His head moves slowly from left to right. “I promised him that I would get you home safe and I never break a promise.”

“Well then I’ll guess you’ll be seeing me safely to Cole’s apartment because that’s where I’m going.” I lift my chin in a challenge, daring him to follow knowing what’s going to happen when we get there.

His nostrils flare and I hear his knuckles crack when he rolls his fists tight. The lift is silent and I feel like it’s the calm before the storm. He stands staring at us, his back to the doors, and I circle around Cole to stand in front of him.

I turn and look up, dragging his attention down to me. “Did you drive?”

“No. I was planning to get a ride home since I was drinking.”

“Well good thing I didn’t drink.”

That crooked grin appears again and I tell myself, yeah tonight is happening, and it’s happening with Cole.

“You didn’t drink because you’re only nineteen,” Bishop snaps.

“He knows how old I am. It doesn’t bother him,” I say, snidely.

I don’t turn around, but I can hear his thick breaths as he fumes.

Cole’s eyes flick to Bishops with worry written all over his face. When they return to me, he says, “You know, we can always meet up another time if it’s a problem.”

“No,” I rush out. “There’s no problem. Just a guy who thinks I’m not able to handle things on my own.”

I play with the buttons of his shirt, lightly scraping my nails down his stomach, and he visibly shivers under my touch. The elevator reaches the floor for the connected garage and I link my hand with his.

“I’m parked down here.” I pull him behind me but hear a second set of feet keeping pace with us.

I keep my attention focused on finding my car and completely off of the stewing giant behind me. When I see my little blue car sitting at the end of the row, I tap the auto start and the lights come alive.

“Nice car,” Cole says with a whistle.

“Thanks. Phoenix bought it for me. It was a gift.”

“A graduation gift. Graduation from high school,” a grumpy voice calls out, his voice echoing in the concrete building.

“Will you stop? We already established that he knows my age. Why are you so fucking hung up on that?” We reach my car and I unlock the doors, and pull the passenger side open. “Get in Cole. Let’s go.”

Cole holds the door, looking from me to Bishop…me…Bishop. “I don’t know–” he starts.

“Don’t worry about the old grumpy man. He’s just sad because he’s going home alone tonight.” I round my car, sliding into the driver's seat without giving Bishop a second look.

Cole hesitantly follows suit and I quickly lock the doors, throwing my car into reverse before peeling out, my tires squealing as they go.

“Where do you live?” I ask him.

He’s quiet for a moment. “The Atrium. Are you sure everything is okay there? It seems like there’s more to the story.”

I look in my rearview mirror and see Bishop standing with his arms across his chest. “Nah. He just likes to treat me like a child. It’s fine. Tell me where to turn.”

He gives me directions and it doesn’t take long for us to arrive at his place.

“Where should I park?” I ask him.

“Just pull up to the curb,” he replies and points to an open spot.

I slow down and sidle up next to the sidewalk without scuffing my rims.

“Will it be okay to park here overnight?”

“Listen Anais,” he starts, and I know nothing good follows those words. “I really like you, but I get the feeling things are a lot more complicated than you are letting on. I’d like to continue this, but not if this is a game to you.”

“Not at all,” I reassure him.

“Good. Then how about I give you my number and you go sleep on it. If you still feel this way in the morning, I’ll take you out on a proper date tomorrow night? Okay?”

I feel the sting of tears in my eyes and I blink them away. Cole reaches over and slides his hand across my cheek until it tangles in my hair. He licks his lips then proceeds to kiss me slow and hard. We moan into each other's mouth and I find myself promptly trying to crawl over the middle console.

Too soon, he pulls away. “Give me your phone.”

I pull it from my purse that I hastily draped over my seat and unlock. He types in his information then hands it back. I get one more chaste kiss, and he’s opening the car door.

“G’night beautiful. Drive safely.” He winks and shuts the door, jogging towards the entrance.

He disappears through the doors and my mood immediately sours. Once again, Bishop has ruined a hookup with his behavior. He’s giving me whiplash. Pull, push, kiss, ignore, orgasms, stay away.

I’m going to have to grow a spine and tell him no more because right now, his attitude is all I don’t want you, but I don’t want anyone else to have you.

Something has got to change, and I guess it will have to be me.

18

BISHOP

I slam my foot into my kickstand and start up my bike. Anger rages through my body. At Anais for leaving with that guy. At that guy for existing. And at myself for being so upset by the whole thing.

I’ve repeated the words let her go over and over again. I keep trying to convince myself that what I feel for her is misplaced. But seeing her tonight when I turned that corner, the two of them locked in a passionate kiss, made me realize that the only thing misplaced is my denial.

I weave in and out of the lanes, bypassing cars without a care for my safety. My mind is swirling with images of her in his arms, in his bed, and my anger reaches epic proportions. I black out as I drive and when I come to, I find myself sitting in the parking lot nearest Anais’ dorm.

I know damn well she isn’t here, but I still search the sea of cars for hers, but there’s no sight of the little blue car. I drop my head back, breathing in the thick and humid air, and war with myself over what to do now.

The smart thing to do is start this bike back up, drive home and bury every memory I have of Anais, never to be revisited. I just can’t get my body to do what my brain tells me to. I sit there, perched on my bike for five more minutes then decide it’s time to go home.

I replace my helmet on my head and take one last look around before starting up my bike. In the distance, a pair of headlights comes into view and begins circling the lot, looking for a place to park. I watch it and when the street lamp hits it, illuminating the bright blue, I pull my helmet off and begin stomping my way towards it.

The car finally comes to rest near the back in a dark corner, the most dangerous spot for a young woman to park, and the engine falls silent. I wait for the door to open but after a minute of no movement, I decide to approach.

I step up to the driver's side door and spot Anais with her head resting against the steering wheel, eyes closed and mouth moving as if she’s talking to herself. I tap on the window and it has her yelping with fright.

She looks at me and glares, grabbing her purse and flinging the door open.

“What are you doing here?” she seethes.

“I don’t know.” My voice is far louder than it needs to be, and I dial it back. “What are you doing here? I thought you went home with baseball boy.”

She begins walking away, the lights on her car flashing, and says, “Well that was the plan until you came and fucked it all up. He told me to go home and think about it because he won’t be played. Funny thing, I’m the one being played like a fucking fiddle.”

I follow closely behind her as she makes her way closer to her dorm.

“Smart man. I’m sure you would have woken up and regretted your decision.”

She screeches to halt and spins around. “The only decision I regret is thinking you cared about me. You’re a bastard, Bishop Michaels, and you used me. You used me then tossed me aside like I didn’t even matter.”

A lone tear trickles down her face and on instinct, I reach out to wipe it away. She slaps my hand away and takes two steps back.

“Just go away. You’ve done enough damage. Why can’t you just leave me alone?” She rushes forward and begins pounding on my chest, her tiny fists striking blow after blow.

She cries angry sobs and I let her get it all out before taking hold of her wrists and stopping her.

“You think I used you? That I don’t care for you? I wish I didn’t care so goddamn much, but I do. I think of you morning, noon, and night. I wonder where you are, what you’re doing. What’s making you smile? Who’s making you laugh? And it eats me up that I can’t be the one to do that.”

“So because you can’t be the one to do all of that, you’ve decided no one else can either?” Her head moves side to side. “Well I’m sorry Bishop, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. I’m done with you.”

She yanks away from me and spins around, ready to stomp away. But I’ll be damned if it ends like this.

“You wanna fucking bet.” I reach out and snatch her arm again.

Her body flies backward and I catch it, facing her towards me and claiming that damn smart mouth with mine. She tries to speak but her words are no more than a jumbled mess. I grip her face, my large hand squeezing her cheeks, and it silences whatever was to come.

I feel her small hands glide up and over my chest, then wrap around my neck, her nails digging into my scalp. I moan and heft her up into my arms and perch her firm ass on my forearms.

Our kiss is furious as we claw at one another, trying to crawl inside the other’s skin. She bites my lip and the sting has my eyes flying open, only to see a devilish smirk on her face.

“I’ll let that one slide, but try that shit again and I’ll bend you over my knee and spank that ass,” I tell her, only semi embellishing.

“Promise?” She asks. “You sure know how to make a girl feel special, Coach Michaels.”

“Only you, Anais. You’re the only one I want to make feel that way.” Her eyes are dazzling even under the harsh fluorescent lights. “Come home with me.”

Her smile drops and she studies my face. Those big brown eyes of hers searching for the answer to the question I can see written all over.

“No more pushing and pulling. I promise,” I assure her.

I begin to worry when she looks around, like she’s trying to find someone to give her the answer.

Finally, she eases my nerves by saying, “Okay. But please Bishop, don’t do it if you’re just going to kick me out again. I don’t think I can take it a second time.”

I run my thumb across her bottom lip and tell her, “Not a chance, my little butterfly.”

Without putting her down, I stride over to where my bike is, and set her down gently. Our eyes remain locked as I settle my helmet on her, having forgotten the extra one I have. Once it’s securely in place, I climb on, her hands immediately wrapping around my waist, and smile a sigh of relief.

I pull my bike into the garage and barely get the kickstand down before Anais is yanking off the helmet and trying to climb off.

“Hold on a minute. I got you.” I have some difficulty sliding my leg off without hitting her, but I get it done and swiftly lift her up.

Her small purse is still flung across her body and I take it from her. She watches me with a keen and questioning eye as I gently hold it by the strap.

“What are you doing?” she finally asks.

“I don’t want anything to happen to it,” I explain.

“Why would something happen to it? Is there a burglar waiting just inside to snatch it from me? That’s what you’re here for. Protection big guy.” She smiles and winks and it melts my damn heart.

“Nah. No burglar sweetheart. I just don’t want it breaking or something like that when I do this.”

I crouch down, my shoulder pressing against her thighs, and wrap my hand around her legs as I stand to my full height.

“Bishop!” she yelps hanging with her ass next to my face and her torso bent over my back.

Her hand immediately grabs my waist and she smacks my ass with the other. I slam my fist into the garage opener and it rolls down. Pushing through the door into the entryway, I take the stairs two at a time, reaching the main living space in no time. I don’t even give it a second look as I rush past and over to the second set of stairs that leads to my third floor master suite. Anais laughs as she bounces when I move so fast that my feet barely touch the ground.

“In a hurry, Coach?”

“You have no idea.” I reach my door and burst in like a fire is chasing me.

The room is dark and I flip the switch nearest the door to illuminate the space. My steps are heavy and echo over the hardwood floors as I hurry towards my bed. I slide Anais gently down my body, every inch of her touching every inch of me, until her feet are firmly on the ground.

Her big round eyes stare up at me, wild with anticipation. I run the back of my fingers across her soft skin, her eyes closing as she leans into me. My mouth aches to taste her. Her neck, her lips, her skin. Every inch of flesh that I can lay my mouth on.

“Are you sure you want this?” I ask her, praying to God she doesn’t say no because at this moment, I may die if she does.

“I’m positive.” Her voice is confident and sure and leaves me no room to question her true feelings.

I urge her to sit back on the mattress, but end up scooping her up and plopping her down after she struggles to easily sit on the tall bed.

I pat my thigh and point at her foot. Her white sneaker covered foot lands softly, and I slowly untie it. I slip it off along with the sock, then move to repeat it on the other foot.

“I bet if you go a little slower, I may turn one year older by the time I’m fully undressed.” She bites back her smirk and I pinch her side.

“Little brat. I can move faster, but I didn’t think you’d like me ripping your clothing to shreds,” I challenged.

Her small smile falters, then she says, “Rip it off. All of it.”

I swing into motion, tearing her clothes off without literally ripping them, until she’s left in soft pink lace. She leans back on her elbows and brings her knees up as if she’s hiding behind them.

I know better by now that my little butterfly is a tease. I’ll let her play for a bit, let her have her fun, but I’ll say when enough is enough.

She rubs her legs against each other, beckoning me to caress her smooth skin, and my fingers twitch to do just that. Two can play this game and I can give as good as I get.

I reach behind my neck and pull my shirt off, balling it up and throwing it to the corner of my room. My belt whips through the air with a crack when I pull it with one hand and toe off my boots. I flip the button open, her eyes watching every flick of my fingers as they move.

My jeans hit the floor and I step out, leaving me in just my boxer briefs and a fucking hard-on that has a mind of its own. I hear Anais’ breath stutter as if her lungs can’t fit in all the air she’s inhaling.

I rest my fists on the mattress and move closer before remembering a condom. I reach over, stretching as far as I can like my old catching days, and grab a row. I toss them on the bed and look back at Anais whose body is quivering.

“Anais. I need you to be honest with me.” She swallows and nods her head. “Are you a virgin?”

“No. I’ve…I’ve done it before,” she whispers and I feel my blood pressure rise, my ears burning hot with anger.

“I’m not going to think about that right now otherwise I’m likely to track down the fucker and squeeze the life out of him. I just wanted to know how careful I need to be.”

“I, uh, only did it once so…” her words trail off as her eyes turn in embarrassment.

I take her chin between my thumb and forefinger and lift her face to meet my gaze.

“Look at me, baby girl. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but I am glad you told me because now I know to take my time with you.”

“No. It’s okay. You don’t ha–”

“Baby girl. You’re going to want me to go slow. We don’t want to rush this. As badly as I’d like to ravage you right now, we’ll save that for another time. But tonight we’ll take our time.” I lean down and place a gentle kiss on her lips and her body immediately relaxes, her arms and legs circling me and tugging me closer.

My body reacts, poking at her, and she rolls her hips.

“Let’s get you ready, first.” Her eyes fly open, shining under the light, and she bites her lip.

“Can you turn off the lights?” she asks.

“Fuck. No. There’s no way in hell I’m going to miss one second of seeing this gorgeous body or what your beautiful face looks like when you come. Lights stay on, baby girl.”

I push back, standing to my feet, and take her hands in mine and pull her to sit. She stares up at me as I reach behind her and undo the clasp of her pink bra. It pops open and turns slack. I slowly guide the straps down until I have freed her arms and toss it onto the floor behind me. Silently I take the same care with her underwear, carefully removing them and throwing them aside, leaving her naked in front of me.

“Jesus Christ,” I grit between my teeth.

This woman is a goddamn masterpiece. Her small waist that leads to her round hips and the plump ass she sits on, and tits that are beckoning me to suck on them. She clamps her legs closely together, trying to hide herself from me. My hands slide between them, pushing her legs wide and splaying her open for me.

“Don’t hide from me. Show me that tight, little pussy. I want to see my meal before I devour it.” My eyes lick across her body and stop at the glistening spot at her apex.

I hiss at the sight, and part her pussy lips with my thumbs, readying her for a taste. I dip my head and swipe my tongue right up her seam, closing my eyes and sighing at how sweet she is.

“Oh fuck,” she moans, and I know exactly how she feels.

I lick again, coating my tongue so I only taste her, and bury my nose between her legs. My mouth has never had anything so good before, and I could spend hours eating her.

One hand glides up her body until her breast is gripped firmly in it. I pinch her nipple and her hips buck. Gently, I push two fingers inside of her and curl them, slowly stroking her as I work to bring her to her first orgasm.

“Oh my god, Bishop. Keep doing that,” she pleads.

“With pleasure baby.”

I set forth a punishing pace, barely giving her a chance to breathe much less move an inch. My dick grows harder and harder, begging for release as precum drips from the head. But I remind myself of how much better it will feel when she can open up to me fully and enjoy how my dick strokes inside of her.

I double down my efforts and am rewarded with her small mewls. They turn faster and her breaths grow shallow. I can feel how rapidly her chest rises and falls and I continue to alternate between nipples, pinching and soothing.

“There,” she shouts. “There…there, yes.”

Her legs clamp tightly to the sides of my head and she bears down, rubbing her clit against my face as she falls into her release. I feel her turn from damp to drenched as I drink her down. When her whines cease, I push up and see her eyes closed, still lost in bliss, and a smile wide across her face.

“Did you like that, my little butterfly?”

“Ye-s. So so much,” she pants.

“Good. Ready for more?” I pray she is because I’m dying to feel her wrapped around my cock.

“I think so,” she replies, still not opening her eyes.

“There’s no thinking. I need a yes or a no. You have to be sure about this, because there is no turning back. Once you let me inside that sweet pussy, you are mine. Forever. My dick will be the last one you ever know.” My tone has her opening her lids, her eyes clear and confident.

“I am so ready to be yours and only yours. That's all I want.” She moves around until she’s kneeling in front of me, her hands smoothing all over my body.

“I’m already yours, Anais. I think I have been from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

19

ANAIS

I smile hearing that he’s as gone for me as I am for him. It’s a comfort to finally know we are in this together. I’ve been thinking this attraction was a one sided feeling, so hearing him say he’s already mine makes my heart flutter.

I slide my hands from his strong shoulders and over his hard chest and down. His body is so big, not just muscular but large and imposing. Many don’t know he’s truly a teddy bear who will burn the world down for the ones he loves. I know this because I’ve heard how Cami and Viv and CeCe talk about him. I’ve seen how protective he is with those he loves.

Maybe that now includes me. Or at least, someday.

My hands slip inside of his boxers and I reach around to grab his hard ass and dig my fingernails into his skin. He stands still and strong, letting me explore. When my nails scrape up his spine I watch as his body trembles. The effect we have on one another is evident in its equality. And when I dip back under the elastic band and grip his cock with my hand, my fingertips barely skimming each other, I hear more than see his jaw clicking as he clenches.

“You’re so big, Bish. I don’t know if you’ll fit.” My legs squeeze together and the walls of my pussy quiver, thinking about being stretched beyond its limit.

Bishop’s hand slides over mine and together we move up and down his steel shaft. “I’ll fit, baby girl. I have a feeling that it’s perfect.”

He releases my hand and pushes his underwear down over his thick thighs. I don’t know where the underwear goes or if it even makes it down to his feet because my eyes stay glued to where my hand is still holding tight.

I saw him in the shower that day and could tell he was thick, but up close and personal tells me that was just a small glimpse. With my thin hand wrapped around him, his girth and length look double the size it did when he was holding it. Once again it not only worries but terrifies me as to how much it might hurt.

“Lay back, Anais. You just relax and I’ll take care of you.” His voice is low and gravely, sending chills erupting over my body.

I do exactly as he says and lower myself until I’m on my back, my knees bent and feet planted on the mattress. He reaches out and rips a condom from the strip he laid on the bed.

“You don’t have to wear one. I trust you,” I tell him.

He tears it open, ignoring me and says, “Yes I do. If I feel your tight pussy grip my dick bare, I’m going to want to fuck a million babies into you. You have school and a lot of other things that need to happen before you even think of babies. But fuck,” he groans and runs his hand over my flat stomach. “You’d look so beautiful with my baby in your belly.”

Forget heart flutters. My heart passes the fuck out only to wake up and faint all over again. I’d give anything for those words to be true and not just something said in the heat of the moment.

The sight of him rolling a condom catches my attention and I watch until it’s securely in place. When I look up, he’s staring right at me. His body crawls over mine and then he grips the base of his cock and runs the latex covered head up and down my sex.

I feel him nudge at my entrance and inhale a shaky breath. Slowly Bishop begins to push in, the engorged head breaching my opening before leaning down and taking my mouth with his. The kiss takes me by surprise but more surprising is him pushing inside of me, my walls burning with the sudden intrusion.

I whine into his mouth and he pulls away. “Shh, baby. I got you.”

His fingers push back the wayward curls that cover my forehead before sliding across my cheek.

“I’m going to go a little deeper. Give you a little more, okay?”

“What? You’re not all the way in?” I say in a panic.

He smirks. “No. About halfway. I’ll go slow. If it hurts too much just tell me and we’ll stop.”

I shake my head from side to side rapidly. “Don’t stop. Please.”

He nods. “Okay. Just relax for me.”

I exhale and he moves in another inch and then another. I wince with the pain and he kisses me softly again, pulling my mind from one thing to the other. I squeeze my eyes shut then hear him groan when he’s finally fully seated in me.

“Shiiit. You feel better than I ever imagined.” He rests his forehead against mine with his eyes closed tight. “Give me a few seconds before I start moving. I’m gonna fucking blow my load if I don’t calm down.” I giggle at him as he struggles. “No no no. Don’t laugh. That only makes it worse.”

He begins taking deep breaths before I feel him slowly start to move. Even with the condom I can feel every ridge and vein of his dick. I’m sensitive from the first orgasm he gave me, and I don’t think it will take much to have me seeing stars a second time.

Languid movements, in and out, tease the orgasm that is just out of reach. I feel tingles when he grinds against my clit, and I dig my heels into his ass, needing more and faster.

“Fuck me harder, Bishop. I’m so close.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he grunts out.

“You won’t. I promise,” I assure him and he growls and slides a hand behind my knee before pumping deeper and faster.

He captures my lips and kisses me, bruising my lips. His rhythm is hard and he rolls and thrusts with precision until he brings me to the edge of what feels like a white cliff. One moment I’m standing on the edge, and the next I’m floating through the air, light as a feather.

My back bows and my head presses against the mattress as I try to tether myself to something grounded. Otherwise, I feel as if I may float away and never come back. The sensation is rapturous.

His pumps turn unyielding and I feel his dick pulse inside of me. “Baby, I’m gonna come.”

That’s all the warning I get before he thrusts once more, hitting me deeper than I ever thought possible, and exploding. His voice roars with his bliss and his hand, unknowingly, anchors to my throat. He doesn’t put pressure on me or squeeze, his hand is just there. Almost as if he needs something to tell him this is real.

He stills with his head thrown back, his Adam's apple bobbing, and I watch how gorgeous he looks. Then think about the fact that I did that. I put that look of peace, of elation, on his face.

I reach up and around his neck and pull him down to me, kissing him with all of the passion he just showed me. I feel him sigh into my mouth and then his weight rests on me and it’s a comfort.

He pulls away and begins peppering my face with soft kisses. My eyelids, my cheeks, my forehead and my nose. All of it gets special attention. When he finishes he pushes up on stiff arms and smiles at me. My heart soars and I think, this is it. We’re never turning back from this moment.

“Are you okay, baby girl?” he asks and I nod. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then bed. I’m exhausted and the sooner we sleep the sooner we can wake up and do this all over again.”

My cheeks hurt from the wide grin on my face and I whisper, “Okay.”

He slowly pulls out, holding on to the condom as he goes, and I wince. I can already feel the effects of his size and I doubt walking will be at the top of my list of things I want to do tomorrow. The condom is removed and tied off at the end before he scoops me up.

“My legs work, Bishop,” I tell him with a roll of my eyes.

“Sure about that?” He has a knowing look and I decide I don’t want to test that theory.

I let him carry me to the bathroom where he passes me a warm washcloth to clean up then pee –because he said he doesn’t want me getting a UTI and I didn’t even know that was possible– and he carries me back to bed.

Bishop pulls back the covers and tucks me in before sliding in behind me and spooning me in his arms. He brushes my hair away from my face and kisses my neck before breathing deep.

“Good night my little butterfly. Tomorrow we talk.”

I close my eyes and nod my head before falling into blissful sleep.

“Bishop,” I whisper and poke at his big muscled shoulder.

He moans but doesn’t move an inch. I whisper and poke one more time and it leads to another groan but no movement. I get an idea and move to straddle him. I rub my sore pussy along his slightly hardened cock and lean over, lapping at his nipple.

I make my way up to his neck and kiss it, then flick his earlobe with my tongue before taking it between my teeth.

“Hey big guy. Wake up,” I try once more and the combination of rubbing and licking has him cracking one eye open.

“You’re going the right way for a hard fuck, baby girl. If you’re sore I suggest you roll that sweet ass over.” His voice is rough and good Lord it makes me tingle.

But there is no way I am in any condition for a dick down by Bishop. It might swell shut if he tried again, so I slowly climb off of him and snuggle into the crook of his arm instead.

“Woman, your hair is everywhere.” He pushes his way through my messy mane like he’s combing through heavy forest brush.

I help him out and take it in my hand, twisting it into a messy bun as best as I can. A rubberband sits at the bottom of my purse, I’m sure, but that’s not the most pressing concern.

“I’m hungry,” I tell him with a pout and big eyes.

The look that always gets me what I want, per Uncle Nix.

“It’s the middle of the night, baby girl.”

I look at his bedside clock and see that it says four twenty-three.

“Nuh uh. It’s almost four thirty. It's early morning and my tummy is growly. I need you to feed me, big guy. Pleeeeeaase?” I beg.

He runs his hand up and down my bare back and it comes to rest on my ass. A hard squeeze and slap has me yelping, and I reach over and pinch his nipple.

“Anais,” he warns and I giggle. “Alright. I’m up. Let’s feed you. Then you’re going to feed me for waking me up so damn early.”

He takes my hand and slides it down his body and places it on his incredibly hard dick. I run my fingers against the steel velvet and he pushes his hips up.

“I don’t think I can do that again, but I’m sure you have other ideas. You can tell me all about them…over pancakes.”

“Jesus. You’re killing me. C’mon. Pancakes for my little butterfly.” The sheets get tossed off and the cool breeze from the fan kisses my body.

Goosebumps erupt across my skin and I shiver. “Cold,” I say.

He walks over to his dresser and grabs a t-shirt and pair of boxers. He slips his large legs into the openings of his boxers and walks over to me with the t-shirt. I lift my arms above my head, wiggling my fingers and waiting for him to dress me.

“Sit up, baby girl. I’ll be happy to dress you but I can’t do it while you’re lying down. Up,” he orders and I push to sit up. “Goddamn,” he whispers, his eyes roaming over my body.

The shirt slides down my arms and floats over my torso. The shirt smells of him and I never want to take it off. I lift the collar to my nose and inhale. He holds his hand out to me and I take it. He lifts me up and leads me out of the room and down the stairs.

The house is dark, only illuminated by a few lights that are recessed into the wall as we pad down, one step at a time. We reach the second floor and he flips the light on. I squint from the bright intrusion, but blink until my eyes adjust.

“Are you sure you want pancakes? I told you last time they’re not your run of the mill kind. And I don’t use syrup.” Bishop opens a tall door, revealing a large pantry that is stocked with every healthy food imaginable.

I walk up to him and run my hands up his back and around to his chest, where I finger the short coarse hairs. I place a kiss between his shoulder blades and rest my cheek against his hot skin.

“Yeah. I’m sure. Buuuut,” I start. “Can I have blueberries?”

He looks over his shoulder, his eyes downcast and finding mine. “Of course, my little butterfly. You can have whatever you want.”

I smile wide and kiss his back again before releasing him and making my way closest to the cooktop.

Bishop goes about combining the pancake mix and water and eggs, and whisks them together.

“Baby girl,” he says and I look him in the eyes. “Can you open that drawer and pull out the cast iron griddle and just plop it on the stove?”

I follow his line of sight to a large drawer. I open it and see an incredibly organized collection of pots and pans. I spot the large griddle and do exactly as he has asked. I take it a step further and turn the burner on then search his countertops for butter.

Like we’re on the same wavelength, he nudges his chin in the direction of a tray that sits on the counter with a butter dish, napkins and salt and pepper. I retrieve it and wait until he’s ready to pour the batter on the hot griddle.

We move together like fine choreographed dance, him pouring and flipping, me stacking and plating, until everything is ready. I take our plates to the long counter and set them down in front of two barstools. He steps up behind me and places honey, a container with blueberries and forks next to the plates. I grab a couple of napkins, he grabs glasses of coconut water –per my request– and we settle into our seats.

Bishop scoops a handful of blueberries and piles them on my stack of pancakes, then pours a heavy helping of honey over them all. I lick my lips and wait for him to do the same to his, then pick up my fork and dig in.

“Ohmigah,” I mumble through a mouthful of deliciousness.

I pile another large bite into my mouth and can barely keep my lips closed as I chomp down. I groan and close my eyes with each bite. At one point I open them to find Bishop staring at me, not even having touched his food.

“Why aren’t you eating?” I ask him between bites.

“I like watching you.”

My tongue swipes over my bottom lip, gathering the honey left behind and leaving a sticky coat. I set my fork down and pick up his. I cut into them and poke at a bite of pancake and plenty of blueberries, then bring it to his mouth.

He slowly opens his mouth and I slide the fork between his full lips. Those lips wrap around the tines of the fork and I slowly pull it away. He chews and swallows and I do the process all over again. The third time a drop of honey sticks to his bottom lip and without thinking, I lean over and lick it clean.

“Mm. Tastes better that way,” I tell him.

“Hm. I better try it for myself.” He slides his finger through the puddle of honey on my plate and wipes it all over my mouth.

He sucks on my lips and swipes his tongue between them. I taste the sweet honey lingering on his tongue when ours touch. My eyes are closed so I don’t see it when he swirls his fingers through the honey once more. But I do feel it when he draws a sticky line down the column of my neck.

His tongue follows the same path and when he’s done licking me clean, he says, “You’re right. It does taste better that way.”

We go on feeding one another bites and exchanging kisses under the guise of helping clean up, until our plates are empty and our tummies are full. I push the empty dishes aside and tip back the last of my drink.

“That was yummy. Thank you,” I say and move to stand.

I don’t make it far when his large hands circle my waist and he picks me up and plunks me down on the counter in front of him.

“It was. But I’m still famished. So spread those beautiful thighs and let me get my fill.”

My hands come to rest behind me and I languidly spread my legs, torturing him with small movements. When my legs are just wide enough, he tugs me to him, resting his arms under my knees and titling me up to his mouth, and I fall back against the counter.

Filthy sounds fill my ears as he buries his face between my legs, and sensations overwhelm me. I drop my head back and my hair hangs over the edge like a waterfall. My body feels like water, free and flowing and charged.

“Best fucking meal,” he growls, and doesn’t come back up for air until the sun rises above the horizon and he’s taken me back to bed.

20

BISHOP

Dusk begins to push the day away, and Anais and I still lay here in bed after eating and napping and sleeping and eating again. I thought it best to give her a break to recover and after eating her on my kitchen counter, so it’s been strictly talking and laughing since then. But I have a feeling that may change as darkness takes over.

“We’ve avoided this long enough, little butterfly.” I pause and close my eyes with a deep breath, the words I need to say clogging my throat. “We need to talk to Nix about us. He’s not going to be happy, but I don’t want him finding out any other way.”

Anais jumps from where she lays nestled in my arms. “No. We can’t tell him.”

“Baby girl, we have to. It’s best to just get it over with and deal with the consequences. For you it will probably just be a lecture. I don’t want to think about what he’ll do to me.” Her head shakes rapidly, her hair flying around her, and her eyes are full of fear.

“We’ll tell him when the season is over. We don’t want to upset him going into the series. Just a few weeks. But not right now. Please?” Tears well in her big browns and her lip trembles with a sob that she holds back.

“Anais. Don’t cry, baby girl. It’ll be okay.” I take her face in my hands and kiss her forehead.

“Bishop,” she chokes out. “He’s going to be so mad.”

I nod and twist my mouth. “I know. He will, but we knew this. Now we just have to deal with it. If you want to wait until after the season is done, then we’ll wait.”

Her inhale and exhale of breath is shaky and inside, I’m feeling the same way. Nix is going to be pissed and who knows if our friendship will survive. It’s just one more thing to add to the list of ‘this is a really bad idea’ that has been piling up since I first saw Anais.

“We should be going soon. I don’t want you walking across campus so late, and I can’t very well pull right up to your front door.” My finger traces the outline of her brow and down one side of her face and up the other.

“Keyara already knows so it’s not like she’ll say anything.” Her admission has me sitting up and clutching at my chest.

“What do you mean Keyara already knows? Knows what?” My tone is harsh, though I don’t mean it to be, and it has her jumping.

Anais’ face turns ashen and a bit frightened as she moves away from me. “I texted her earlier. I didn’t want her to worry about where I was.”

“And what exactly did you tell her?” The tears that barely had time to dry reappear, completely eviscerating my heart. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I just…I need to know what you told her. I need to know what she may tell others because you’re a student and I’m staff and this isn’t really an ideal situation for either of us.”

Her fingers twist together and she begins to wiggle where she sits. “Um, I just told her that-that I was staying here and I’d see her later. That’s all.”

“She didn’t question why you were staying at my place? Without your uncle?” She shakes her head and I continue. “What’s the rest of the story, Anais?”

She falls silent and chews on her lip and I can see the cogs turning in her head.

“Please just tell me.”

Her chest rises with heavy breath and then she says, “She knows that I like you. I’ve told her all about you and my feelings for you, so I’m sure she put two and two together once I told her I was staying the night.”

I count to ten in my head to keep myself calm because I can already tell she’s on the verge of a full on sob fest, and if my next words are harsh they will for sure send her into one. I roll my thoughts over and also recall the policies of the university when it comes to staff-student relations.

“Okay. It’s okay. We’ll just…I’m going to speak with the AD about what and to whom I need to disclose this to. You’re not a graduate student, and I’m not a professor that has any direct or indirect effect on your grades, so I think we’ll be okay.” I talk out loud more for myself than for her.

I have to assure myself that neither one of us can be in jeopardy if I’m upfront about it. I wish the same could be said for Nix.

The tears that I thought could be avoided by choosing my words carefully come anyway and I find myself reaching out for her and pulling her into my lap.

“It’s okay my little butterfly. We’ll handle it one at a time. Together.” I kiss the top of her head and feel her nod.

She sniffs and asks, “Why do you call me butterfly?”

I smile and squeeze her tighter to me.

“Because you are a beautiful creature. People can’t help but stare at your wonder when you’re around. You’re unique and jaw-dropping and it’s impossible for anyone to take their eyes off of you.”

She snuggles deeper into my hold and begins kissing my chest. Mine, I think. My butterfly, and I’ll do whatever I need to keep her.

I walk out of the AD’s office, feeling better after informing him of my situation. Like I thought, because I’m not her professor or advisor or coach, and she’s not an athlete in any department, we are allowed to have a relationship so long as it has been disclosed and I don’t use my position to influence her grade or status.

I told him that would not be a problem because I am not in the business of putting my career at jeopardy nor Anais’ academic career.

I make my way into my office, ready to text Anais the news, but my phone rings before I can do so. Phoenix’s name flashes on the screen and my good mood immediately sours.

I stare at it while it rings two more times, then decide to get this over with and answer it.

“Hey Nix. What’s up man?” My voice cracks and I clear it, trying to rid myself of the cyclone of nerves that is currently wracking my body.

“Not much. You snuck out early on Saturday and I haven’t talked to you since. Just thought I’d check in. Everything all right?”

I swallow and nod, even though he can’t see me. “Yeah. I’m good. I was so tired after a long week with the team so I thought I should get home and get some rest. I figured you and Viv would be celebrating late, and I didn’t want to bother you yesterday.”

“Well I won’t deny that fact. You know, Viv,” he says with a chuckle.

“No. Not like that and I am perfectly okay not knowing that about her. She’s like a sister and I think I’d have to murder you if I had to listen to what you do to her, brotha. Just being honest.” I plop down into my chair and lean back, putting my feet up on the desk.

“I hear that. It’s how I feel about Ana. In my mind she’s still a twelve year old little girl who thinks boys are stinky. I don’t know what the fuck I’ll do when she brings a guy home. Probably choke the fucker out.”

My heart drops to the pit of my stomach and I practically fall out of my chair when I lean all my weight back on it. All I can picture is Nix’s hand wrapped around my throat and the fury in his eyes as he squeezes the last breath out of me when he finds out about Anais and I.

“Speaking of Ana. I was wondering if you could stop by and check on her? I tried calling her yesterday and again today but she hasn’t answered me. I saw her talking to Cole the other night and then saw them leave. I don’t know if I really want to know where they went, but I’m just a little worried about her.”

“Yeah,” I choke out. “I’ll see if I can swing by her dorm to check on her. I’m sure she’s just busy with classes and being a college kid.”

Jesus Christ. She’s a kid. What the fuck am I doing?

“I kind of figured. I just get so worried that she’s going to fall into the arms of some punk and I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her. I feel like she’s my own kid, sometimes, with her dad in and out of the picture. And I’m really fucking grateful for you. I appreciate you looking out for her. It just shows what an amazing friend you are.”

I throw my arm over my eyes to stop the sting behind them and hopefully smother the headache that hits me. If he only knew the truth he’d be singing a different tune for sure. The guilt sits like a mountain on my shoulders and I know I’m going to have to choose between my best friend and the one woman who very well might be my end game.

It’s not a fair fight and I don’t know if I’ll survive losing either one.

“Anything for you, Nix.”

“Thanks, brotha. Anyway, sorry to get all chick flick on you. I actually called to see if you wanted to come over this weekend? We’re going to have a pre-series celebration since I’ll be nose deep with practice and games next week.”

“Of course. You know I’ll be there. You don’t even have to ask.”

“I know, but I never want to assume. Plus, Viv said I needed to call you and tell you to pack a bag because y’all are having a sleepover.” I chuckle thinking about our little Red setting up the guest room for a slumber party.

It makes me think of all the times we’d all find ourselves home in Mag Creek for breaks during college, and the girls always insisted on having one sleepover with me because I was the honorary fifth “sister”. I would pretend to be bothered by the moniker but in actuality, I loved being brought into the girls’ circle. Honestly, I assumed that once Cami and Vaughan broke up, that would be the end of my friendship with them. But those girls refused to let me go.

They would spoil me with my favorite foods and movies and by the end of the night, all three of them –sometimes four if Cat was invited– would be piled up on or by me fast asleep and keeping me close like I was their security blanket. The way they took me in when they could have easily written me off is the reason why I’m so protective of them to this day.

Remembering the ways they confided in me and trusted my advice makes me think that it’s my turn to lean on them. I’m not quite sure if Viv would be a go-to for advice on how to handle my relationship with Anais, but Cami pretty much already knows and no doubt she and CeCe have spoken. Now is the time I need my “sisters” to help me out.

“Oh boy. That should be an interesting night,” I joke.

“I’m nervous to find out about these infamous sleepovers, but she assured me it was just a lot of gossiping and eating junk food. Hey, will you tell Ana if you see her today? I’m going to text her but just in case.”

“Sure. No problem.”

“Thanks a lot. I’ll call you in a few days.”

“See ya,” I tell him, and sit with the phone pressed to my ear, the words I slept with your niece rolling around in my head.

Thankfully he’s already hung up the phone and the words stay tucked away. I begin to send Anais a text that reads “Call me. We need to talk” but figured that would have her jumping to the wrong conclusions. Instead, I sent her a text that would explain how I feel about her.

Me: < Michael Jackson - P.Y.T >

I hit send and pocket my phone and wait for her to respond.

I start scrolling through emails when I feel the phone buzz in my back pocket and when I remove it, the screen lights up with a text from my little butterfly.

🦋: < Cassie - Me & U >

The butterfly symbol is saved instead of her name just in case, and it makes me smile every time I see it. I kick my feet up on my desk and lean back and reply back to her with another song.

Me: < Drake - Best I Ever Had >

I don’t take my eyes off my screen until I see her text pop up.

🦋: < Tweet - Oops (Oh My) >

I choke on the simple air in my lungs thinking about the words to the song and imagining Anais masterbating in front of the mirror, much like she did on the phone that one night.

Me: Jesus Christ, Anais. I’m at work.

🦋: And I’m in class. What’s your point? < Kelly Rowland - Kisses Down Low >

The wheels on my chair give and I fall back, slamming against the floor but even that doesn’t cause me to blink because, fuck me. This girl. Two can play this game.

Me: < Jeremih - I Like (feat. Ludacris) > I’ll be home by six. Be there waiting. Garage 4492. Alarm 3705

🦋: Whatever you say, Coach Michaels.

My dick twitches and I adjust myself after righting my chair and composing myself. I focus on work for the next five and a half hours and each and every minute is pure torture.

21

ANAIS

Bishop’s house is dark as I walk up the stairs to the main living area. I had to use the flashlight on my phone when I was entering the number on the keypad to his garage because the street lamps weren’t on yet and darkness was already setting in. The days are already getting shorter, and his North facing house had only a hint of the setting sun casting a shadow on it.

I reach the second level and bypass it and go directly to the third floor where his bedroom is. I enter the dark room and flip on the light. I look around to find his room pristine. The four poster bed that sits up high is done up like it’s in a home catalog. The leather and metal bench has a blanket stylishly draped over the corner, and his lounge clothes are folded neatly at the corner of his bed.

I walk around, looking at the pictures that sit on his dresser and the art hung on his walls. I admire photos of him with his family, both blood and found, and trace the lines of his face in one where he stands proudly in his uniform with his parents.

He looks younger but just like the Bishop I know. Strong and tall and broad and with a smile that lights up my body. His muscles are much leaner compared to how he looks now. Back then he was fit but thinner. Now, he’s thick with bulging muscles and a body that says he does more than catch a ball.

I step into his closet and rake my fingers over his shirts and jeans. The entire closet smells of his cologne and laundry detergent and I bury my nose into one of his sweatshirts. My eyes close when I inhale, and I want to be buried in his scent.

I get an idea and start stripping off my clothes. I gingerly step out of my leggings and pull off my crewneck. My bra and underwear come off as well, and I finger through the shirts hanging, looking for the perfect one. I can’t find the right one, but I do come across something even better.

I step back out into his room and open the drawer where I saw him pull out a pair of boxers and grab some. Then I quickly peek in the other drawers and find a pair of socks that will go perfectly. I go back into his closet and put my outfit together.

I take a look at what I have and come to the conclusion that he shouldn’t be too upset to lose a nonessential clothing item, so I go into his bathroom and dig through his drawers until I find a pair of small scissors. They’re a bit difficult to use, but eventually I get the job done.

I finish dressing then quickly step into his room to turn off the light and flick on the lamps on his bedside tables. I play with laying on the bed and sprawling across the bench seductively. I even try to sit on top of his dresser but think better when the items start to jiggle. I go for standing against one of the poster bed rails, my hands behind my back and gripping on to the steel.

I steady my breath and wait to hear the beeping of the alarm as Bishop told me to reset the alarm once I was in. It only takes a few more minutes to hear the repetitive beeping of the alarm. The house falls silent only to be disturbed by a booming voice.

“Anais,” he bellows.

“In your room,” I call out as loud as I can.

The faint footsteps turn heavier as they draw closer and my heart begins pounding to the beat of his steps. I chew on my lip nervously as I wait for him to enter. I start to rethink this whole scenario, wondering if it’s childish or if he’ll think I’m being immature.

Unfortunately, there is no time to change anything about this setup because just as I think I should run into his closet and change, the door swings open. A large brooding body stands in the doorway.

“Heaven help,” I hear him groan, and my nerves quickly turn to anxious energy.

“Hey Coach Michaels. I’m here for tryouts,” I tell him, my voice extra sugary sweet.

He takes slow, menacing steps towards me and his face moves further into the soft glow of the lamp. His eyes are wide and his mouth hangs open as his tongue smooths over his full bottom lip. I notice his fingers wiggle and his hands pump in and out of fists.

He stops right in front of me, his eyes trailing up and down my body before saying, “Well I’m sorry, Ms.De La Cruz, but tryouts are over and I’ve got a full roster.”

My cheeks rise high as my smile spreads like wildfire. I find the words to keep our little game going.

“Are you sure you can’t make an exception for me?” I squeeze my shoulder blades together, pushing out my breasts, and tilt my head to look up at him.

In his closet I saw a stack of plain white undershirts folded on a shelf, and found a white tank sitting right on top. I cut the hem so short that it barely covers my nipples, and the bottom portion of my breasts are exposed, just like the color of my nipples that peeks through the fabric. I grabbed a pair of his boxer briefs and rolled the waistband, making them as useful as the shirt was at covering up certain parts of my body, and slipped my feet into a pair of tall socks I found.

He fingers the hem of my t-shirt and his knuckles brush against my sensitive nipple. Chills erupt and I press my thighs together when I feel myself grow damp between my legs.

“I guess I could make an exception, but you have to be the best of the best. What position do you play?”

“Catcher. I’m great at giving signs, and I always give my pitcher a wide target to aim for. I can also spend a lot of time on my knees without getting tired.” I smirk at him, hoping he’ll get all of the innuendos I just threw out.

“It sounds like you’ve got all of the qualifications. I’d like to see you in action. Do you have time for a quick hands on demonstration of your skills?” His large hands smooth down my torso, over my ribs and rest on my waist.

“It doesn’t have to be quick. I have plenty of time to show you all of my skills.”

“Hm. But do you have your equipment?” he asks, and I let my fingers trail down his chest and stomach and over the bulge in his jeans.

I cup my hand over his stiff erection and whisper, “I’ve got everything I need right here.”

A low growl rumbles from his chest and his entire body vibrates. So does mine. With anticipation and a small dose of doubt. Is this something I can really do? For the first time, no less. I try to put those worries out of my head and tell myself that everything will be fine.

My fingers slide under the hem of his shirt and crawl up his hard chest. I flick his nipples and watch his nostrils flare. He helps me in getting his shirt off and I let my tongue lick a trail from his pecs, over the ridges of his abs, and lay a kiss just above the waistband of his jeans.

I work his belt undone and flip the button on his jeans. “Would you like to see my form? Maybe guide me to make sure I’m doing it right?”

His shoes get toed off and I begin pulling his jeans over his thick quads. God, I love his legs. They’re so big and strong and his skin is so dark and smooth. It’s a silly thing that it turns me on, but I get wet whenever I think about the muscles flexing as he walks.

When his pants are laying in a heap on the floor, I take a deep breath and do the same to his boxer briefs. His hard cock bobs when it’s freed and my palms turn sweaty. I’ve never given head before, though I’ve watched plenty of porn with oral sex. I don’t want to disappoint him, so I’m praying that my video research is good enough.

I bite my lower lip and wrap my hand around his shaft. Like his legs, it’s thick and veiny and now I know why I have such an obsession with his legs. My tongue peeks out and I dip my head and lick the precum that beads up at the tip. I hum when saltiness touches my tongue.

“Have you done this before, baby girl?”

With my hair covering my face I shake my head and mumble, “No.”

I’m embarrassed by my inexperience and afraid that he’ll decide I am too much of a child to bother with.

“Thank fuck,” he sighs and I lift my head, my shocked eyes meeting his mischievous ones. “I thought I was going to have to break the dicks off any douche that touched you.”

I smile up at him and raise up on my tiptoes. Placing a soft kiss on his lips, I tell him, “You’re it, Bishop. There has never and will never be another. I feel it in my heart.”

“Me too, my little butterfly.” His knuckles glide gently across my cheek before he returns my kiss, deep and passionately.

I break my mouth free with a pop and slither down his body. My eyes stay locked on his as I grab his hard dick again, and run my hand up and down. I run through the scenes I watched in porns like a rolodex of ‘how to’ and lick my lips, readying them for the stretch that will no doubt feel like I’m being sliced open.

“Do you kno–” he begins, but I steal his words when I wrap my lips around the engorged head and swirl my tongue. “Fucking Christ, Anais.”

I tease him, taking him shallow then a little deeper before sliding back and flicking my tongue. I hollow my cheeks and start taking him until he hits the back of my throat. I breathe in deep through my nose and relax my throat to take in more.

“Baby girl, you don’t have to do–goddamn, that’s so good.” I continue to move up and down, feeling him twitch and grow harder.

His fingers weave into my hair, a little too gently, and I pull off long enough to tell him, “I’m not made of glass, Bishop. You don’t have to be gentle,” then return to sucking him and barely missing a beat.

The grip tightens slightly but still much too softly. I can tell he’s holding back a beast, but I won’t push him. Instead I continue to work him, my lips pulled tight and the sting in my jaw growing with each passing second. Still I persist because I want to be everything for him. I want to be the one to bring him the most pleasure. I want to be the only one who matters.

I squeeze my eyes and take a deep breath then hold it as I slide him back as far as I can. I gag but force it back down.

“I would love to fuck this mouth of yours, baby girl, but I want to fuck that tight little pussy even more. Would you like that, Ms. De La Cruz? Do you want my dick to split your other lips wide open?” His hand grips my jaw and he pulls out gradually.

“Yes, Coach Michaels.” A crooked smirk flashes on his face, and then he’s taking my hands and helping me to stand.

He takes a couple steps back and damn, is he beautiful. His deep brown eyes gaze over my body, and I can almost feel them tracing all the lines. With my hand still gripped in his, he spins me around to take in the full outfit.

“I don’t know where you got this from, but it’s hella sexy.” He lifts me up and sets me on the bed, then begins peeling me out of my makeshift uniform.

He rolls down one sock, pulling it off and throwing it over his shoulder, then does the same to the other. The half shirt doesn’t meet the same fate as everything else. Bishop grips the jagged cut hem with both hands and rips it in two. I hear the threads cry as they are separated. The fabric hangs open, exposing my breasts to him, and he plays with my sensitive nipples.

“I love your tits,” he says, not blinking or taking his eyes off of them for even a second. “They’re fucking perfect. And one day I’m going to slide my dick between them until I come all over them.”

His words have me fanning myself. No man has ever spoken to me or about me like that. Of course there’s only been one guy and he was so focused on not jizzing too soon that all he could say was, “Is that good? Are you okay? I hope it doesn’t hurt. Am I hurting you?” I faked that O so quickly because I couldn’t stand to listen to his whiny voice anymore. Two seconds after I “finished” he did as well, leaving no time for dirty talk.

Bishop kisses my neck and down my throat until he reaches my nipples. He licks, sucks then bites as he stretches them. I whimper from the pain, but will die if he stops what he’s doing. I cup the back of his head and hold him to me while he continues worshiping them.

A puddle builds between my legs and I lift my hips, wanting to feel him and ease the ache. He works his way from my breasts to my navel, and hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his underwear and guides them down my legs.

“I need a little sample before I sink into you.” His head dips between my legs and he sucks me into his mouth.

He pulls my pussy lips and clit in like he’s sucking down a sweet drink. He finishes with a soft nip and a pop, then inhales my scent.

“Mmm. So good, baby girl.” He stands tall and takes the base of his cock in his hand.

He pumps himself a couple of times before running the head of his dick between my lips and pulling away, the tip glistening.

“Don’t stop. I want to feel all of you,” I beg, but he only shakes his head.

“No. I’ve already told you why.” He leans over and reaches into his bedside table for a condom.

He rips it open and begins sliding it over his hard length. My eyes devour every inch and I lick my lips. My legs spread a little wider to make room for him, and my body buzzes as I remember what it felt like to have him stretching me wide.

He nudges at my entrance and pushes the head in. Then he grabs my wrists, raising my arms above my head, before sliding all the way in.

I moan and close my eyes, the feeling better than I remember, and he begins to move. His hips roll and he connects with my clit sending a sensation that I can only explain as a free fall. My body feels weightless and I grow lightheaded with each spark.

He releases my wrists and straightens his spine. With his feet still on the ground, he tugs me closer to the edge then throws my legs over his shoulder. My tailbone is lifted into the air and his hands wrap around my thighs, anchoring me to him as he pumps faster and harder.

My tits bounce with each thrust and my body shifts on the bed. He grunts and drops his head back. I become lost in the feel and can sense my body getting closer to its release. He rights himself, flips my legs off his shoulder to one side, and holds them tightly together.

My fingers dig into the comforter covering his bed, searching for anything to keep me from flying away. Breathing becomes harder to do, my muscles grow weak and within a moment, I’m careening over the edge.

“Bishop,” I shout as I soar through bliss.

His thrusts turn harsh and I hear the slapping of our skin when it connects. My muddled thoughts turn clear when my orgasm fades away, and I blink my eyes open to see Bishops fixed on me.

My hips flexors burn with how tight they are pressed together, but relief comes quickly when he unbinds them. He yanks his still hard cock from my pussy and rips off the condom. His hand glides up and down his shaft and I watch, waiting for the moment his cum comes pouring out.

“Get on your knees,” he growls.

I blink up at him, not understanding what he means.

“On all fours. Get on your hands and knees and open that beautiful mouth of yours. I want you to drink me down.”

I scramble to my knees and drop my hands in front of me. I’m eye level with his cock and I open my mouth, sticking my tongue out and ready for him to feed me. I see a bead of cum form and I know he’s there.

The first salty spurt hits my tongue and he grunts, “Wider.”

I stretch my mouth as wide as it will go and he pushes in, his cum pouring down my throat and I swallow, gulping like it gives me life. His body turns limp and he falls from my lips. I finish with a lick of my lips before Bishop claims them for himself.

His hand holds me tight to him, not leaving a breath of air between us. My body, though limp and drained, feels better than it ever has. Or maybe that’s my heart because this feeling is new but somehow I know it’s the best one I’ll know in a lifetime.

We separate and it takes me a moment to roll my eyes open. I want to live in this bliss and not step back into the reality of who we are and the hurdles we’ll face along the way. Bishop’s eyes scan over my face and his fingertips ghost over my skin, sending shivers across my body.

His voice is gruff and low when he says, “You’re the most beautiful creature to walk this Earth, Anais. I want to make you mine in every way.”

Yup. It’s the heart. It’s his and it’s the best feeling in the world.

“I want to be yours in every way, Bishop.”

His crooked grin is so heart stopping that I just can’t help myself and reach out to brush across his lips.

“Let’s shower, baby girl. Then we have stuff to discuss.” He hefts me up in his arms and I wrap my legs around him as he carries me into his big shower where he sends me into the now familiar bliss one more time.

22

BISHOP

We sit on my couch, Anais wrapped in a giant hoodie of mine with her wet hair pulled into braids, and I sport the matching sweatpants and wrap a blanket around us. She snuggles in close and rests her head on my chest.

After the best fucking welcome home and equally as amazing shower, I fed my girl because it seems she’s always hungry. I already had chicken marinating in the refrigerator, so I whipped up a quick honey garlic chicken and jasmine rice bowl. I smiled every time she moaned with each bite.

“You love food, don’t you butterfly,” I told her. She responded with a huge bite of broccoli and rice and chicken and a muffled, “mhm”.

Now we flip the channels on the tv, vetoing one show after the other.

“So Nix called me today,” I finally address the main reason I asked her this evening.

Her body goes rigid and she freezes. “Wha-what did he want?”

I set the remote down and pull her into my lap. “Just that he and Viv are having a little get together this weekend before he gets lost in practice and games.”

“Oh,” she says, visibly relaxing. “Yeah. He texted me about that. I told him I’d be there. Did you…did you say anything else to him?”

“No baby girl. I told you we’d wait until after the series was over to talk to him and I don’t break promises.” I kiss the tip of her nose and she preens under my touch. “Did he tell you to pack a bag?”

“Yeah. What’s that all about?” Her face scrunches up in confusion. “It wasn’t even a ‘maybe pack a bag in case you’re too tired to drive back to campus’. It was ‘pack a bag and tell your roommate you won’t be back until Sunday. You’re staying over’. No please, or anything?”

“It’s Viv,” I tell her with a chuckle. “In college the girls started inviting me for their sleepovers. I was always the only guy allowed. But when Cami moved away, those stopped except when the girls went to visit. Now that everyone is back, Viv wants to resurrect the sleepovers. But I guess Nix and Vaughan weren’t having any of it and wanted to go, too. So it’s going to be a big ass cluster fuck of a sleepover.”

Anais’ eyes light up. “And I was invited? Like I’m part of the group?” she asks, her bottom lip wobbling.

I wrap her tightly in my arms and bring our noses together. “Of course, baby girl. You’re one of us now, whether you like it or not.”

Her smile quickly fades. “What about when they find out, Bishop? What will happen to us?”

I sigh. “I don’t know. I can’t say. We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we get there. But let’s not worry about that right now.”

She nods, her face suddenly solemn and while I put on a happy face for her, I can’t help but feel the same way.

What will happen when they find out? Will this break up our little family, or will it just be me they leave behind?

I pull up in Viv and Nix’s driveway behind Cami and Vaughan and throw my truck into park. I take a look around at the cars already parked and notice Anais’ is pulled closest to the house. We decided the other night that it would be best not to drive together. We thought about telling Nix it was just to save gas since we are both in the same area, but I didn’t want to set off too many alarm bells.

Luckily Vivian asked for her help in setting things up, so she got here this morning.

I step out from the driver's seat and open the back door. I grab hold of my overnight bag then carefully pick up the dessert that Vivian asked me to bring. It’s one my mom makes often and Vivian said that Cami and CeCe have been craving it. So instead of my normal small batch, I made a triple batch of mama Francine’s banana split pie.

I kick the door closed with my foot then click the locks and make my way straight to the backyard since I can hear voices pouring into the front. I come up around the side of the house and see the gate is closed. I could walk back around to the front door, but that just seems like unnecessary work. I decide to break out our old call sign.

“Hootie Whoooo,” I shout at the top of my lungs and wait for someone to hear me.

In response I get a, “Hootie Whoooo,” and recognize Vaughan’s voice.

I say it again until he peeks around the corner to see my head just above the fence line.

“What’s up, man?” he asks as he comes closer.

“My hands are full and I was too lazy to go back around,” I tell him and lift the dish in my hands.

“Oh shit. Is that what I think it is?”

“Yup,” I tell him and walk through the open gate.

“You’re about to make two cranky pregnant women very happy.”

“I heard that Vaughan Asa McCallan!” Cami shouts from across the yard.

“And her hearing has turned supersonic,” he mutters. “Sunshine, I was just telling Bish how beautiful you are.” She glares at him and throws him the finger before spinning on her heel and stomping inside.

“Ouch. I’d say you better go deal with that and I’ll stick this in the fridge.” I hold up the dish and watch as he scurries off after his wife.

Nix calls out my name, and heads turn in my direction. Viv, CeCe, Luca, Hayes, Cat and finally, Anais. I smile at them all as I walk closer, but my eyes stay focused on my butterfly. She’s stunning and it’s near impossible to blink away from her beauty.

Her thick hair is full and she has one side pinned back behind her ear where I can see small butterfly earrings shining. She wears a pair of bright yellow pants that are loose and move with the light breeze. Her top is a matching yellow and cropped, tying right between her breasts and giving the most amazing view of her cleavage.

My dick starts to grow hard just thinking about sliding between those beautiful breasts. But those thoughts come to a screeching halt when I feel a large hand slap my shoulder.

“Hey man. I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks,” Nix walks up beside me and pulls me into a back slap.

“Dude. I saw you a week ago.” He shrugs and throws his arm over my shoulders.

“Let’s go put this food inside and then you can drop your bag with the rest of them,” he tells me.

“Wait,” I snap, putting a stop to his redirection. “I need to say hello to my best gals.” I pass off the food to him and walk over to where all of the girls stand.

“There’s my favorite guy,” Viv calls out.

“Peaches? You wound me,” Nix feigns hurt.

“Oh shut up. He brought my favorite dessert. When’s the last time you made me cobbler?”

Nix smirks and opens his mouth, but is stopped when CeCe says, “Hell to the No. I do not want to hear about y’all’s dirty food sex. I am in no mood to listen to that shit today.”

I bend over and kiss Viv on the cheek then hug her and lift her off the ground. “Geez. Someone is a Cranky Carrie today.”

I set her down and look over at CeCe who shoots daggers at Viv. “Just wait until your uterus is being stretched big enough to fit a kayak, you have to pee every five minutes, you crave crap that you’ve never even thought should go together, and your vagina feels like a tree is trying to plant roots in it. Then you can tell me who’s cranky.”

I stutter step and practically trip into CeCe when I hear her. I’m nervous about upsetting her by accidentally hugging her the wrong way or even breathing, so I approach her cautiously.

“Hi mama.” My worries are unfounded as she opens her arms wide and folds me in. “How’re you feeling?”

“Tired. Hungry. Cranky and huge,” she replies with a kiss to the cheek.

“You are gorgeous, and I can’t wait to meet my nephew that you’re cooking.” She smiles wide and blushes.

I give Cat an equally big hug and shake Luca and Hayes’ hand before finally stepping up to Anais.

“Hey Anais. How’s it going?” I try to play it cool, but it’s like I’m the lead role in a really bad, low budget movie.

I reach out and hug then inhale her sweet, sweet scent. Jasmine fills my nose and it’s a mixture of innocence and intoxicating. The perfect description for Anais.

“Hey Bish,” she replies and wraps her arms around my neck. I feel her tongue dart out and quickly lick my neck then she whispers, “I can still feel you from last night.”

My body tenses and memories of the all night exploration of Anais’ body with my fingers, mouth and cock fill my mind. I let my fingers graze over her ass as we pull apart, her with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“I, uh, I’m gonna go help Nix get that in the fridge and grab a drink. Be right back,” I say quickly and rush off to follow Nix inside and grab a cold beer and chug it down.

Vaughan returns from wherever he was, trying to calm Cami and does the same as me and grabs a cold brew. Eventually Cami joins us and I give her a bear hug, holding her just a bit longer than the others.

Cami is like my soul sister and the bond we share has only grown stronger over the years. As a result, we can both sense when something is slightly off with the other. And with her being pregnant, it seems her senses are heightened.

“Hey Bish. Will you help me with the theater room real quick? I just want to make sure we have everything for the sleepover.” She motions for me to follow her in the house.

Vaughan calls out after her and asks, “Need my help too, Sunshine?”

“Nope,” she replies, putting a loud pop on the P. “You stay there and think about what you said.”

I look over my shoulder at him, my brows knit in bewilderment, and Vaughan can only shake his head with an equally perplexed look. I follow Cami through the living room and kitchen and up the stairs to the large theater that houses a dream setup for movie watching.

A massive room with a projector screen on one wall, and a tiered floor with four, three seat loungers are placed for optimal viewing. In one corner I see a popcorn machine set up along with loads of candy. Sodas sit in a tub next to all of that and it looks like a good old fashioned sugar fest.

I continue to look around the room but see nothing that seems out of place or is in need of setup.

“What did you need help with, Cami-girl?”

“I need help understanding why you’re hiding something from me.” Her arms are crossed over her chest and her brow is arched.

“What are you talking about? I don’t–”

“Don’t play the dumb game with me. You’re way too smart for that Bishop Michaels. So…are you going to come out with it and give it to me straight, or do I have to pull it out of you?” She plops down in one of the lounge seats and clicks a button on the side of it.

The whir of a motor sounds and soon Cami is laid back, her feet elevated by the footrest of the chair. I sigh and take a seat next to her, deciding it’s best to tell her the truth.

“I’m with Anais,” I say, simply.

“You’re with Anais. How do you mean?”

“I mean, she and I are together.” Cami stares at me silently for a moment, then slowly her mouth begins to slack and drop.

“Bish. Please tell me you're not sleeping with her yet.”

“I can’t, Cami.”

She blows out a big gush of air and drops her head. I feel like a kid sitting in front of his disappointed mother. This was not the reaction I thought I would get from her. Especially after the talk we had.

“And I’m assuming you haven’t spoken with Phoenix?” she asks and I shake my head confirming her assumptions. “Oh Bish.”

I can’t take it any longer and drop my head into my hands. While the weight on my chest has eased just a fraction after confessing to Cami, I still feel like I’m suffocating by keeping Nix in the dark. But I made a promise to Anais and I refuse to go back on my word.

Cami drops the footrest and pushes to the edge of her seat. She wraps her arms around me, my head on her shoulder and she rubs my back.

“I know I told you I thought you two were each other’s twin flame, and I still believe that’s true, but I really wish you would’ve talked to Phoenix about this.”

I rise up from her shoulder and meet her eye to eye. “I know I should’ve. It just all happened so fast and Cami I…I had no fucking control. I was pissed off because I thought she was going home with that teammate of Nix’s, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting at her dorm.”

She stares at me for a few moments, taking it all in, then says, “Is she worth possibly losing your friendship over?”

I swallow, the lump in my throat feeling like a mountain, and reply, “I know this is going to sound crazy but yeah, I think she is.”

A slow smile spreads like a growing fire on Cami’s face and soon she’s popping up from her seat.

“Bishop! Oh my gosh, this is amazing. You’re in love.” She yanks on my hands and I have to calm her excitement.

“Woah woah woah, Cami-girl. Let’s slow your roll. No one said anything about love. It may go that way, if I don’t end up dead by the hands of Nix first. But love is definitely not in the mix.”

She pats my arm, the smile not dimming. “Oh it’s love, for sure. I just know it. Eeekk,” she squeals and bounces on her toes.

“Calm down, little mama. You’re jumping way ahead. I’m barely stepping out of the dugout and you have me rounding third.”

“You and Phoenix with your baseball analogies. But I get it. Come on. We better get back down there before they come looking for us.” She moves towards the door but I stop her before she can go any further.

“Cami, I need you not to say anything to Vaughan.” Her jaw drops and her eyes grow wide as she begins to slowly shake her head. “Please Camille. I’m going to talk to Nix about us, but not yet. And I know you don’t keep secrets from Vaughan, but I really need you to keep this one. No one else can know. I would never ask something like this if it wasn’t crucial.”

I watch as her face turns solemn and I really hate to ask this of her, but I can’t have anyone else knowing about us until I can talk with Nix. There’s too much on the line, for both Anais and myself. I have to protect us.

“Please talk to him sooner than later,” she says, pointing her finger at me. “And if Vaughan guesses, I won’t lie.”

“Fair,” I tell her and scoop her in my arms. “Thank you, Cami-girl.”

“Only for you, big guy.”

I set her down on her feet and hold the door open for her. We return to the party and I try my damndest to keep my eyes from undressing Anais all night.

23

ANAIS

We all pile into the theater room and grab our snacks that Viv, CeCe, Cami, Cat and I set up this morning. Only for the men to come along and completely destroy it. Trays are piled with popcorn and everyone’s favorite candy, and we all balance sodas as we walk to find a seat.

Viv and Uncle Nix immediately sit in the front row. Across from them sits CeCe and Luca. In the second row, Vaughan sits closest to the wall and Cami sinks down into the middle seat, while Cat sits directly to her right. That leaves Bishop, Hayes and I to sit in the final row of chairs.

“Do you mind if I sit in the middle?” I ask them.

“Not at all, darling. Bish, slide that beastly body of yours in there. I need to sit at the end. Potty breaks,” Hayes says with a wink and a smile.

Bishop sighs and moves to the end of the row. I promptly follow behind him and situate myself to sit between the two men. Once we’ve all settled with our drink and snacks, Viv starts the movie and we all grow silent.

Lights from the screen flash across the room, and the speakers boom with every action scene. I eat a few of my snacks and soda and decide I’ve had enough for now.

I start to stand from my seat when Hayes notices and jumps before me. “I got it. You sit. I need to make my first visit to the little cowboys room, anyway.”

I chuckle and hand him my tray with a thank you. He winks –Lord, those green eyes are really something– and I settle back down. I rub my arms when a chill spreads across me, and I’m really wishing I would’ve changed into my sweats before coming in here.

“Are you cold?” Bishop whispers in my ear, amplifying the chill bumps popping up on my skin.

I nod, “A little.”

He stands and walks past me, returning a moment later with a blanket and pillow. He hands me the pillow and drapes the blanket over me before returning to his seat.

“Thank you,” I tell him in a hushed voice.

Hayes returns and we go back to watching the movie. I grow restless, seeing the other ladies cozied up with their men, and I wish I could do the same with Bishop. I get an idea and readjust myself to be more centered in my seat.

I stretch my arm out until I can slyly tap on Bishop’s thigh. He looks down and I splay my hand open wide, palm up. His eyes flick to mine and I give him a bite of my lip and begin to pull my hand back under the blanket. He looks around at everyone, but they are fully engulfed in the movie. With a quick glance at Hayes, he slowly and carefully moves his hand to meet mine under the blanket, our fingers entwining with each other.

I fold my lips between my teeth to hide my smile. Bishop’s thumb grazes across my hand. Back and forth, the callused skin of his fingertips scratches my smooth skin with every pass. I release his hand and let my fingernails gently scrape up and down the inside of his arm. His eyes close and I hear a faint groan as I continue to glide.

We spend the rest of the movie just like that, but quickly separate before the lights come back on.

Everyone stands and stretches and Viv makes an announcement.

“Alright everyone. Time to go off to your respective rooms. Ladies, we’ll be in my bedroom.” Phoenix throws her a look and she rolls her eyes. “Correction. Mine and Phoenix’s room. Fellas, you’re off to the guest bedrooms. You can split however you like, or y’all can pile up in the living room with blanket palettes. Up to you.”

“What?” Vaughan cries. “No one told me about separate sleeping arrangements. I don’t like this.”

“Babe, relax. It’s one night. I think you’ll manage. Plus, if we coupled off into room, that leaves four singles out and that wouldn’t be fair,” Cami tells him, trying to calm his sudden panic.

“Vaughan, you weren’t around for our sleepovers, but us girls always shared a room and that’s how it is now,” Viv explains.

“Woah. Wait a minute. Bishop attended some of those sleepovers. Where did he sleep?” Hayes wonders.

All eyes focus on Bishop who grows uncomfortable under the stares.

“I slept in the, uh, same room. But it was different,” he tries to defend.

“What?”

“Nuh uh.”

“Cazzo.”

Three of the men cry out with their dislike but unless he was sleeping, like sex sleeping with them, then I don’t see what the big deal is.

“Were you having sex with all the girls?” I ask and like the sound of brakes before crashing head on into a brick wall, the room comes to a screeching halt. “What? If he wasn’t having sex with them, I don’t see what the problem is.”

The shocked stares turn from me to Bishop, silently asking him the same as I just did.

He throws his hands up in front of them and says, “Hell no, I didn’t have sex with them. That’d be like sleeping with a sister. C’mon guys. You know me better.”

“Yeah. You jerks,” Vivian punches Uncle Nix in the stomach and he folds. “Let’s go. Everyone to bed.”

She grabs CeCe’s hand who grabs Cat’s hand who grabs Cami’s hand who grabs mine. And like an unbreakable chain, I follow the ladies out of the theater room and off into the master suite.

Pillows and blankets are set up all over the room, and we all break off into separate parts to change into our pj’s and prepare for bed. CeCe wears an elegant black nightgown, the silky fabric cascading over her round belly. Cami has on a simple satin set with cream colored pants and matching top. Vivian is drowning in an oversized Wranglers t-shirt that I assume is Nix’s along with a sleep mask that reads ‘Only wake for sex’ propped on her forehead. And Cat has on cute fluffy sleep pants covered in calculators and a top that says ‘Silently Creating a Spreadsheet’.

I laugh at the extreme differences between these ladies' choice of sleepwear then look down at myself. Sleep shorts with purple butterflies, rolled at the waist so that they just barely cover my ass, a cropped t-shirt that hangs off one shoulder, and knee high socks that have three purple stripes at the top cuff. I look up from where I stand and find the four of them staring at me.

“I think you forgot the other half of your outfit, Ana,” Cat jokes.

“Oh hush. Don’t you remember what it was like to have a perfect body and high metabolism?” Cami asks.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean remember? Bitch, I still look fabulous.” Vivian tosses her long red hair over her shoulder and smiles. “Okay everyone, find a place. The two preggos are sleeping on the bed.”

Cami and CeCe climb up on the bed and sit at the end, pillows propping them up, and the rest of us grab a comfy pillow and blanket setup.

“Gossip time. Who has something juicy?” Cat sits criss-cross on her blankets and rubs her hands together.

“Oooh. Me.” Cami’s hand shoots up. “So the other day at the ranch, I heard Hayes talking on the phone. He was being super secretive so naturally, I had to eavesdrop. I heard him say something like, ‘I want to see you again too. I miss your sweet’ and then I sprinted off because I did not want to hear my brother-in-law say what I thought he was about to say.”

CeCe gasps and says, “Do you think he has a girlfriend? Or boyfriend, no judgment.”

Cami nods her head. “Oh, I think he definitely has a girl he’s keeping secret. But don’t worry, my super sleuthing skills will get to the bottom of it.”

“Sooo,” Vivian diverts. “Ana. Any boys on campus catch your eye?”

“Oh. Uh,” I my bottom lip and my eyes jut from face to face.

They all look at me very curiously. Except Cami. She brings her fingers to her mouth and starts chewing on her nails, like she’s trying to hold back a secret. The pit of my stomach turns sour and I know she knows.

“There’s a few guys here and there, but none are really catching my attention.”

“Didn’t you leave with Phoenix’s teammate Cole last weekend?” Vivian’s eyebrows dance on her forehead, disappearing and reappearing from underneath her mask.

“Yeah, but I just dropped him off. I think he’ll be a good friend, but I don’t know that there is anything there,” I lie.

There could’ve been a lot there. But in order for that to happen, I would have to put Bishop out of my head and that is just not possible.

We carry on with talking and laughing until yawns start rippling from our mouths. We decide to call it a night and we all break off into our beds.

It isn’t long before I hear snoring coming from close by. I prop up on my elbows and let my eyes adjust to the dark, searching for the grizzly bear who has found its way into our girls' den. I don’t find a bear, but I do see Vivian with her mouth hanging wide open and an ungodly sound spilling from it. The other ladies must be well acquainted with her chainsawing because they don’t flinch. I, on the other hand, can’t seem to block out the sound.

I carefully crawl out of my blankets and move on my hands and knees and make my way over to where I know my phone sits plugged into the wall. I bring the screen to life and immediately lower the brightness. I type out a text then click the silent button on my phone, waiting for a response.

♟️: Shouldn’t you be asleep?

I smile wide when I see the symbol I have changed his initial to, thankful he’s still awake.

Me: I should, but Vivian is sawing logs. Meet me in the kitchen.

♟️: I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Me: Pleeeeeeasee? <pleading emoji>

The dots dance on and off and finally get the reply I’m wanting.

I do a little happy dance and crawl my way to the door. I carefully turn the knob and open it just enough for me to squeeze through the crack, then close it just as quietly.

I stand and follow the faint lights that are randomly lit in the house until I reach the kitchen. My eyes search for Bishop but it seems I’ve made it down before him. I step further into the space when I feel a hand cover my mouth and a large arm wrap me up from behind.

“Shh. Just me, baby girl.” I spin around to find Bishop looking down at me, shrouded by darkness. “Come this way.”

We tiptoe through the kitchen and to a closed door that I know is the laundry room. I move to turn on the light but Bishop stops me.

“No. Leave it off.” I nod and he picks me up and sets me down on the long counter. “Hi,” he whispers.

“Hi.” My fingers scratch at his scruffy beard. “How’s the sleepover going?”

“About as well as yours. Nix sounds like he’s blowing a horn. No wonder he doesn’t notice Viv’s snoring.” I chuckle and he holds a finger over my lips. “We have to be quiet. I don’t want someone to wake up.”

I purse my lips at him. “Big guy, the door is closed and the rooms aren’t even close. Plus, with Viv and Uncle Nix competing to see who’s the loudest, I doubt anyone would hear if a marching band came through.”

He shrugs as if to say true, and I scoot to the edge of the counter, wrapping my arms and legs around him.

“Plus, I can think of a few things we can do that don’t require talking,” I tell him.

“Oh yeah? What’s that, my little butterfly?”

I lean in and softly kiss his lips. He slides his hands from my back to my hair, and parts his lips, letting me in. Our tongues twist and I can taste the mintyness of his toothpaste.

I feel myself grow damp between my legs and take one of his hands in mine, and shove them down my shorts.

“Fuuuck, Anais.” He rubs slow circles over my clit before plunging two thick fingers inside of me.

My mouth pops when I release him, and my head falls back. I swallow the moan that so desperately wants to cry out and roll my hips to meet his rhythm.

I slide my hand into his sleep pants and grip his cock that throbs for release. I stroke him, up and down a few times, and feel the vibrations of his moan when his lips clamp onto my neck.

“Bishop. Fuck me. Please,” I beg.

He shakes his head and says, “No condom.”

I rip my hand from his pants and pull him from my neck.

“Just once. Please? I promise I’m on the pill and I’ve never missed a day. I’m not trying to trick you, I just really need to feel your cock deep inside of me.”

The rumble of his chest is low and ominous and all I see are the blacks of his eyes. He lifts me by the waist, one arm banded tightly around me, and rips my shorts and underwear off in one swift move.

I’m spun around and he walks until my back hits the wall.

“Be very quiet, baby girl,” he warns, and I nod my head.

Bishop slides his pants down just enough to free his massive cock and runs the head up and down my seam. My eyes close and I long to call out for him.

He pushes slowly inside of me and I feel fuller than ever before.

“Oh god,” I hush. “Your dick is so big. You feel so good, Bishop.”

He buries his head into the crook of my neck and begins to rock in and out of me. My back slinks up and down the wall and I grip him tighter. Around his neck, waist and dick.

He hisses and starts pumping faster. My breaths are falling heavy and I’m feeling the weightlessness start to come in. He connects with my clit and I grind my hips for more friction.

“Like that. More,” I plead.

One of his giant hands slips under my shirt and up to my breast. He tweaks my nipple and it sends a shock straight to my pussy.

I fall into oblivion and whine with pleasure.

“Shh,” he shushes in my ear, then clamps a tight hand around my mouth.

I let my voice free now that the sound is muffled, and moan and mewl. His accuracy at hitting my perfect spot over and over draws out my orgasm until I feel like I may pass out from lack of oxygen. It’s either the orgasm or the fact that his hand is clamped so tightly on my mouth and part of my nose that barely a wisp of air can pass.

My eyes fly open when I reach the pinnacle then let them fall shut again when I climb down.

Bishop’s body begins to jerk and his thrusts dive deeper. “I’m going to pull out.”

“No,” I tell him, though it’s mumbled. He drops his grip on my mouth and I beg, “No please. I need you to come in me. Let me feel you.”

His eyes lock on mine as he continues fucking me. I see and feel the moment he reaches his peak. His body goes tense and his cock throbs inside of me until I feel his hot cum pouring out.

He groans and bites my neck. I suffocate the scream with my hand until his hold on me relaxes. His forehead rests against mine and our chests rise and fall at the same rapid pace.

“I’m sorry. Was I too rough, baby girl?” he pants.

“No. I want more of it.”

He grins, sated and happy. “Not tonight. Next time. We better get back to our rooms before someone wakes up and notices us missing.”

He sets me down carefully then grabs my shorts while tucking himself in. He kneels at my feet, holding open my shorts for me to step in.

“I need my panties,” I insist.

“Nuh uh. They’re mine now.” He opens his mouth and clamps his teeth onto the lace, letting the panties hang from his mouth.

I laugh at him and step into my shorts, adjusting them when they sit on my hips. With the stealthiness of a spy, he opens the door, peeks out, then quickly ushers me out. We stop at the bottom of the stairs where he kisses me once more then smacks my butt.

“Off you go. Sweet dreams my little butterfly.”

“ ‘Night big guy.” I wink at him and pad softly to the room. As I near it I see the door open and I freeze in my tracks.

A shadowed figure steps out and when she moves into the dim glow of the nightlight, I see Cami’s face with the same look as earlier and approach her with much more caution than I normally would.

I meet her in front of the door and chew on my lip as my fingers twist nervously together. Cami reaches out and pushes my wild curls from my face and gives me a tilted grin.

“Be careful, okay?”

“I don’t–” I try to deny, but it’s useless.

“I talked with Bish, so there’s no use in trying to tell me you were getting a drink of water.” My lip trembles and my eyes fill with tears.

For as cool as Cami is, I doubt she’ll hide something this big from my uncle.

“I’m not going to tell Phoenix. As long as you two come clean after the series. Okay?”

I breathe a sigh of relief and nod my head. “We will. I promise. Thank you, Cami.” I reach out and hug her, taking care not to squish her belly.

She hugs me back and says, “Now I’m off to find a snack. This kid decided he’s hungry and wants pickles. I know. Weird two a.m. cravings.”

My eyes light up and I ask, “It’s a boy?”

“I don’t know. I just feel like it is. Seems a little weird to say this, but I feel like someone is coming back into my life in a new way.” I watch her eyes glisten before she bats away the tears. “Good night.”

“Good night, Cami.” She moves past me and I watch as he walks out of sight.

I slide the door open and crawl back to my spot where I sleep like a baby.

24

BISHOP

It’s just a normal Wednesday night for me, which means watching tv and binging 30 for 30 I have recorded. Except there’s one small difference tonight. A beautiful girl with wild hair spread out on my lap is the best interruption to my mundane night that I could think of.

Anais flips through her Kindle, reading one of her text books she has downloaded. Her thick mane is draped over my thighs and I run my fingers through it, as best I can with all its wildness. She wears only my old Magnolia Creek High School baseball t-shirt. It’s a hundred years old, but it’s worn thin and so comfortable.

She found it when I was sorting through a stack of shirts for her to wear. She begged for me to let her wear it, which was unnecessary because she can have anything she wants. She simply has to smile and I’ll rope the moon for her.

“Ugh. I don’t understand this. It’s like a foreign language.” She drops her device on her stomach and throws her arm over her eyes.

“What is it, baby girl?” I mute the tv and grab her Kindle from where it rests.

I scan the page and agree. It feels like decades that I was in college and this all looks like Sanskrit and nothing I’ve ever seen.

“What class is this for?”

“The Art of Mathematics,” she says with dramatic flair. “I assumed because the description said the focus is on the process of thinking and not formulas that it would be easy. Clearly, it is not.”

I bring my lips to her forehead and kiss it tenderly. “Want me to call Cami? She’s a math genius. She and her husband ran a holdings company and she ran a lot of the financials and day to day operations of all these other businesses. I don’t even know exactly, other companies bought or managed other companies.”

“Maybe,” she whines. “I think I just need to rest my brain for a bit. Hey. I have an idea.”

She pops up, practically slamming into my face, and turns towards me. She crawls her way over and straddles my thighs.

“I’m in need of a tutor. Know of any good ones?” Her teeth pinch the corner of her lip and she gets a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“What subject are you needing help in?”

“I’m studying Anatomy. By braille.” She takes my hand and slides it under her t-shirt.

My thumb rolls over her taut nipples and her body visibly shivers.

“Well, you see, when I do this,” I lick the column of her neck and nip at her jaw. “It makes these,” I say, pinching her nipples. “Harden. That’s a chemical reaction.”

Her head falls back and her eyes close when I continue to kiss her neck.

“And when those harden, they send a signal to your–” The doorbell rings and we both jump, this time actually smacking our heads together.

I scramble for my phone and open up the camera and see CeCe standing at my door.

“It’s CeCe,” I tell Anais, who is already panic grabbing items lying around. “I’ll go see what she wants, you can go up to my room.”

She freezes like a deer in headlights then rushes up the stairs so quickly you can almost see the little cartoon dust as she goes. I pound down the stairs and take a deep breath before opening the door.

“Hey C. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” I pull her into a hug and escort her inside.

“Can’t I just want to visit my favorite guy for no reason?” She begins her way up the stairs and sweat beads on my lip.

“I’m not your favorite guy, babe.” Her heels click on the hardwoods as she steps into the living room. “But I won’t complain about getting a visit from you. Want something to drink?”

“Sure. Just water,” she says and sits down on a barstool at the kitchen counter.

“I have cherry flavored sparkling water.”

“Since when do you drink that, Bishop Michaels?” I grab a bottle and pop the top before filling a glass with ice and setting them both in front of her.

“I saw it at the grocery store and thought I’d try it,” is what I tell her, but the truth is that Anais brought them over.

“So…what’s up mama?”

CeCe pours the water into her glass and takes a small sip. “Ooo. That’s good. I have a friend who is coming to game one and she really wants to meet you.”

A chill spreads across my body because how I am supposed to explain that there is no need to introduce me to any woman ever again.

“Oh? It’s not Gabby, is it?” I ask, trying to play it cool.

“No, it’s not Gabby. She told me she thinks you weren’t interested.” I give her an apologetic grin. “It’s okay. She actually met a guy at a friend’s wedding and it sounds like it’s working out.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah. So, my friend. Her name is Melina, she’s super cute, a little bit younger than you, and so smart. I think you two would really hit it off. Of course she heard Gabby and I talking about you, and immediately went to my socials to check you out. Like every other woman with two working eyes, she said you’re gorgeous and needs to meet you ASAP.”

I gulp down the words that are dying to break free. Instead I tell her, “Um. Well, I’m not really looking to get into a relationship or anything right now.”

“I didn’t tell you to marry her. Just meet her and see what you think. She’s going to be in our suite so I think it’ll be a perfect time for you two to get to know one another.” CeCe chugs down the rest of her water and stands.

“Why are you so insistent on setting me up?” I ask her, truly curious.

CeCe sets the empty glass in the sink and turns, resting her back against the counter. “Because we all want to see you with someone. And not just anyone but the one. You’re the last one in our group and we want to see you happy and in love.”

“I’m not the last one. You’re forgetting about Hayes and Cat,” I remind her.

“Our high school group. It was always the five of us and now we’re one person shy of a married group of friends.” She takes a few steps to meet me and places her hands on my biceps. “We want to raise our families together so that they can have the same bond that we do.”

“And you think this Melina is the one for me?” I ask, skeptically.

She gives me a shrug and a, “Maybe. Guess we’ll find out in two days.”

I throw my arm over her shoulders and walk beside her as she makes her way back towards the stairs. Before she can start to descend, a loud thump sounds from the third floor.

“What was that?” Her body swings in the direction of the ascending stairs and I have to think quickly.

“Uh, I think I left the balcony doors open. Wind probably knocked something over. No big deal. I’ll check it later.” I grip her shoulders and redirect her back to her original destination and we make our way to the front door.

I open it for her and she steps one foot out before turning back to me.

“See you in a couple days. And Bish,” she calls out. “Keep an open mind, okay. You never know when your soulmate will pop up.”

I give her a dip of my chin and kiss her cheek before following her out to where her car sits parked and wait until I see the tail lights fade out of sight. I rush back inside, taking the stairs three at a time and burst into my room to see Anais sitting in the middle of my bed, her legs crossed and her chin resting in her hands.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I slowly sit down on the edge of the bed but she won’t meet my eyes.

“Did you really mean what you said? That you aren’t looking for a relationship?” she pouts.

I grab her and haul her into my lap, cradling her close. “Anais, you know that isn’t true. I had to tell CeCe something and it couldn’t be that I already found my person. That’s you, in case you didn’t figure it out.”

Her eyes lift to meet mine and I brush my thumb across her smooth cheek.

“You’re not embarrassed by me?”

“What? Are you serious?” she nods her head and I shake mine. “Listen to me and take notes if you need to. When I said there would never be others, I meant it. I know it’s still early in our relationship, but I feel it in my soul. Cami said it best when she said I found my twin flame. It didn’t make much sense at first, but now I get it. We burn for each other. Others will only snuff us out, but together we burn bright and hot.”

“I’m sorry I eavesdropped. I was worried that maybe Cami told CeCe and she was coming to tell you that she was going to Uncle Nix about us.”

“Was the thump I heard you?” I tap her chin.

“I tripped rushing back up the stairs.” Her face turns red with embarrassment.

With a small laugh and I press my lips to hers and move her so that she straddles my waist. “I’m hungry. I think I need a snack.”

She tilts her head and furrows her brow. “Bishop. We ate like an hour ago. You’re hungry again?”

I nod. “Yes, but not for the kind of food you’re thinking of. I need a taste of this.” I slide my hand under her shirt and across her stomach and down until I reach her hot cunt that is already dripping with want.

I dip my fingers into her underwear and plunge two fingers inside of her. I curl them, giving her a small sample of what’s to come, then remove my fingers and stick them straight into my mouth.

“Mm. Perfect.” I lift her up and toss her onto the bed, then roll over on top of her. “My favorite.”

She spreads her legs wide and I bury my head between them, then spend the next hour reminding her she’s mine.

I watch Anais from across the owner’s suite as she talks animatedly with Cat and Cami. Game one of the series is set to start soon and the suite is quickly filling up with friends and family. We have yet to see CeCe or Luca as they are making their rounds speaking with business associates and giving last minute wishes of luck to the team.

“Think they’re going to do it again?” A voice asks just as a hand clamps on my shoulder.

I look over and see Vaughan standing there with a smile. “Hell yeah they are. You doubt our boy? I’m putting money on Nix throwing a no hitter”

“He is throwing hotter than ever. Maybe it has something to do with that fiery little redhead by his side.”

“It’s possible,” I agree.

We continue to chat about the game when cheers divert our attention to the new arrivals that walk through the door. Luca steps in, holding tight onto CeCe’s hand, both with huge smiles on their faces. They’re dressed to the nines in Wranglers colors but that isn’t what stands out most. It’s the beautiful woman who comes walking in behind CeCe that has many people doing a double take.

All except me as I immediately turn to Anais. My eyes find hers already staring at me and they glisten with moisture. She quickly looks at the woman walking in then back to me, her eyes blinking rapidly. I give her a discreet shake of my head that I hope will let her know she is not to worry.

She spins around, her thick mane swirling around her, and I’m left staring at her back.

“Bishop,” CeCe calls from behind me.

I look over at her and see Luca and the woman flanking her side.

“Hey beautiful. How are you?” I lean in to give her a hug and kiss her cheek. “Luca. You ready to win another one?”

He shakes my hand with a firm grip and a nod. “Assolutamente.”

“Bish, I want you to meet my friend,” CeCe interrupts. “This is Melina. Melina, this is Bishop.”

I hold my hand out and Melina grips it. “Nice to meet you, Melina.”

“Yes. Absolutely.” She bats her lashes at me and gives me a saucy smile that does absolutely nothing for me.

It’s not that she isn’t beautiful, because she is. Smooth brown skin, amber colored eyes and a dazzling smile. The thing is, there isn’t a person walking this Earth that could match the beauty, inside and out, of my butterfly.

“I’ll be right back. Let me say hello to the rest of the crew.” CeCe winks at me and saunters off to where Cami, Cat and Anais all stare at me. Cat is smiling with a twinkle in her eye like she just witnessed a love match. Cami’s face is hard and her gaze cold like I’ve betrayed her, and my butterfly looks like I shot an arrow straight through her heart.

I want so badly to just tell everyone that searching for my match is useless because I’ve already found her. I’m ready to march down to the field and lay it all out for Nix right now, but I know Anais is still working up the courage to spill the truth.

“So, Bishop,” Melina purrs, drawing my attention away from my girl. “CeCe tells me you played baseball.”

“I did. I was a catcher but I’ve been retired for about five years now.”

She bites her lip, overtly sexual and I want to tell her to just stop.

“Wow. You still look like you could play ball right now. Maybe you should talk to Luca about putting you behind the plate.” She reaches out and touches my arm and I jerk back like I’ve been burned.

“Excuse me. Hey. Hi. Can I borrow Bishop for a moment?” Cami stomps right over and takes my hand, yanking me away without waiting for an answer.

I’m practically thrown into a corner and witness Cami’s face turn from sweet and caring to the wickedness of Medusa.

“What the fuck are you doing, Bishop?” She grits through clenched teeth.

“Woah. Why’re you cussing, Cami-girl?” My ears can’t believe what they are hearing as Cami very rarely cusses.

“Don’t Bishop Jermaine. Anais is over there looking like you just ripped her heart from her chest and stomped all over it.”

“Hey. Calm down a moment. I had nothing to do with the woman being here or talking to me. That’s all your girl, CeCe. She’s trying to help me find my soulmate. I told her not to bother but apparently she’d already told her friend I was available.”

Cami smacks my chest and I flinch. “Well she wouldn’t need to do that if you’d come clean to everyone about you and Ana.”

My arms hang heavy at my sides and I drop my head back. “Don’t you think I would if I could? I promised Anais I’d wait until after the series. We both decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea to drop this in Nix’s lap during the most crucial time of the season. You know it would fuck with his head, and I couldn’t forgive myself if I screwed up his shot at a second title. We are six games at max away from telling him. Until then, I can’t tell everyone but him. He’s already going to put me in the hospital when he finds out. Let’s try to avoid relying on a breathing tube if we can.”

“What’re you two doing over here? Bishop, you left Melina all alone.” CeCe sneaks up behind us, surprising both Cami and me.

“Tell her, Bishop,” Cami growls and I plead with my eyes to let it go.

“Tell me what?” CeCe stands with her arms resting on her belly while Cami stands stiff with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Cam…” I try, but she only arches her brow and purses her lips.

“Did we miss the party invite?”

“Jesus Christ,” I moan when Vaughan and Hayes come walking. “Why don’t I just get on the fucking loud speaker and make an announcement?”

“That would work,” Cami sasses.

“What’s going on? What’re y’all talking about?” Vaughan looks between me and the girls, waiting for someone to answer.

“I have no idea. I just walked up right before you.”

“Goddammit, Camille. Out in the hallway. All of you, now,” I bark and march off without checking to see if they follow.

“Should I get Luca and Anais?” CeCe asks and I simply nod my head.

I push my way out into the quiet hallway and turn so that I face the group. CeCe, Luca and Anais are the last ones to join us and now seven sets of eyes stare at me.

“So what is it that you have to tell us?” Vaughan asks, impatiently rubbing his hands together.

My eyes catch Anais’ and she gives me a short jerk of her head. It’s too late now. The ball has left the pitcher's hand and all I can do is give it a wide target and hope it lands safely.

“I am seeing someone, so I need you all to quit trying to set me up on dates,” I say plainly.

Gasps sound amongst the group with CeCe being the first one to speak up.

“Well who is she? When can we meet her?” Her smile is wide and the light in her eyes is pure happiness.

“You already have met her. In fact, you know her quite well.” Everyone goes silent, each one searching the face of the others for the slightest clue.

Cami looks straight at Vaughan whose eyes slowly grow bigger and bigger until his jaw drops with a, “oh shit.”

“What? What’s oh shit?” Cat asks, her head flinging between Vaughan, Cami and I.

I look over to Anais who is chewing her lip, and Cat follows my eye line to Anais then back to me. Then back to Anais.

“Oh…my…God,” she finally says.

“Can we stop with all the veiled guesses? Who is it, Bishop?” CeCe stomps her foot and Luca rubs her lower back and whispers something in her ear that has her exhaling a slow breath.

I pull in a gulp of air and say, “Anais and I are together.”

Like a scene straight out of a movie, they all move as one as they turn to watch her reaction for either confirmation or denial. Her response is to shrug her shoulders and smile tensely.

“Are you kidding me?” CeCe screeches.

“Shhh, C. Please. I was not planning on telling you any of this tonight, so I’m sorry about the delivery of the message.”

Anais pushes her way through to come stand by my side and takes my hand in hers.

“Uncle Nix doesn’t know yet. And neither does Viv.”

“No. Anais. What are you doing?” CeCe reaches out to her as if she’s going to tug her away from me, but only touches her hand.

“What we’re doing is giving up the fight to stay away from each other, and giving in to what seems so right. And we plan to tell Uncle Nix, but we’re waiting until after the series. What do you think would happen if we told him something this big right as he’s working towards his second title?” she asks.

“He’d quit baseball, kidnap you, take you to a remote corner of the world, and lock you in a tower,” Vaughan quickly spits out. “Just spitballing here. As a dad.”

“Look. We’re going to tell him but until then, can you all just keep it quiet? We want him to hear it from us.” It’s a big ask, I know, but it’s the one I need from them most of all.

“We won’t tell him, but you better do it soon,” Cami warns, pointing a finger in my face.

I nod and they begin to file out of the hallway and back into the suite. I usher Anais ahead of me and before I can step back in, CeCe comes charging at me, pushing my chest until I’m smacked against the wall.

“What the fuck are you doing, Bish? This is nuts. She’s a child.”

“She’s not a child, C. She’s younger, yes, but she’s an adult. Remind me, how much older is Luca than you?” I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for her to realize her error in judgment.

“That’s different,” she sneers. “We were both adults when we came together.”

“She is of sound mind and more than capable of making her own decisions. What is bothering you most about this? Her age, or the fact that you can’t play happy matchmaker to put me with someone you think is best for me?”

“She’s your best friend's niece!” Her voice is shrill and matches the look on her face.

“And you’re my best friend! You can either support me and help me when it comes time to break this to Nix, or you can leave me be. You go on with your merry life and I’ll go on with mine. But I won’t stand here and listen to you tell me all the ways this is wrong. It’s not. This is the most sure I’ve felt about anything in my life.”

I wait, hoping and praying that CeCe will understand and support me. But she stays still and quiet and a small piece of my heart breaks. I shake my head and move past her, back into the suite where I spend the rest of the night trying to ward off Melina’s unrelenting flirting with the help of my friends. At least those who want to see me happy no matter the consequence that may come my way.

25

ANAIS

I slam my book shut and rub my eyes. The words are starting to blur and I can’t take one more minute of studying.

It’s a Saturday and an away game for Nix, so I’m trying to catch up on some school work that I fell behind in attending the first two games. Bishop said he has some home chores to do, so I thought it was a good time to get some quiet studying.

Keyara sits across the room from at her desk, doing the same. We haven’t really spent much time together since I started seeing Bishop, and I feel guilty for ditching her.

“Hey Key,” I say, interrupting her focus. “Wanna do something? I need a break.”

She shuts her book and puts down her highlighter, then turns in her chair to face me. “You mean you don’t already have plans with Bishop? That’s a shock.”

I sit up and spin so that my legs hang off of my bed. “I know. I’m sorry. You know we can’t really spend time out in the open, so staying at his house has really been the only option for us.”

Keyara watches me with a discerning eye and I wonder what’s rolling through her mind.

“And you’re not going to ditch me the minute he calls?” she asks.

“No ditching,” I assure her.

She pushes up from her chair and tucks back under her desk. “Fine. Mindy and Alyx wanted to grab some pizza this afternoon. I told them I would join, but I’m sure they’d be happy if you came along.”

Keyara is the only friend who knows about Bishop and me, so I’m sure they’re wondering where I’ve disappeared to.

I hop off the bed and search for my white Nikes. “Are they ready now?”

Keyara looks at the clock on her desk and it reads one-ten. “I’ll text them to meet us at The Brick House in fifteen.”

I smile and take a quick look in the mirror. Baggy sweats and a crop t-shirt with the Wranglers logo. Eh, it’ll do. I’m not going to impress anyone, and the stretchy waistband will prove helpful when gorging on pizza and salad.

I grab my keys and phone and decide to send Bishop a text to let him know I’m thinking of him.

Me: <Miss You - Cashmere Cat, Major Lazer, Tory Lanez>

I slide my phone into my pocket and follow Keyara out of our room and down to the parking lot where my car sits. As we get closer, I feel my phone buzz and take a quick look.

♟️: It’s one day, baby girl. Tomorrow. <I Belong To You - Lenny Kravitz>

The smile on my face is hard to miss and Keyara asks, “Uh oh. Am I losing you already?”

I unlock the doors and we get in. “Nope. Just a text.”

I start up my car and click on the link then quickly add it to our playlist. The song count is climbing higher and higher as Bishop loves sending me songs when he hears something that reminds him of me, or if it’s something he wants to say but a song conveys it better than his words can.

We laugh and talk all the way to The Brick House and pull up to see a hoard of cars in the parking lot.

“Woah. Guess everyone had the same idea,” I tell Keyara.

“I think it’s the weather. Everyone is taking advantage of the sunshine before the cold weather hits.”

“And by cold weather you mean the high sixties that won’t hit until January?” She makes a face and points at me as if to say facts.

We walk in and find Mindy and Alyx standing in line.

“Hey. How’d y’all beat us here?” Key asks.

They spin around and lunge towards us. With big hugs, Mindy answers, “We were already at Fondren Library and it closes at noon, so we were just hanging around.”

“Where have you been stranger?” Alyx asks.

I shrug and tell her, “Just busy and spending a little time with my family.”

She nods her head but doesn’t seem like she totally buys my story. It doesn’t really matter because, though I’ve left out a few details, it’s the truth.

We get in line behind them and place our orders one at a time when we reach the counter. We grab our cups and numbers, and head off to fill our drinks and grab a table. We immediately begin catching up when we sit and are quickly interrupted by a boisterous voice.

“Hello ladies. Mind if we bring this table over to join you?”

I look up to find a few guys from the baseball team standing by our table, and recognize one of them as the guy in my class. He’s a flirt but nice, so we invite them to sit.

“Hey Ana. How have you been?” He asks me, and damn if I can’t remember his name.

“Good,” I tell him, his name finally coming to me. “Just been busy, Blake.”

“It sure seems like it. You’re always rushing off the minute class is over. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but you’re always gone by the time I make it out of the classroom.” He leans closer towards me, resting his arm on my chair, and I move back slowly.

“I’ve been trying to squeeze in as much studying as possible because of my Uncle’s games. I like to be at as many as I can, and we usually do dinners the night before and hang out afterwards, so it takes up a lot of time.”

“That’s right,” he exclaims, sitting tall and giving me some room to breathe. “You and Coach are related to Phoenix West.”

“Well, technically only I am by blood. But he and Bishop have been best friends since college, so they consider the other family,” I explain, easing a little more into our conversation now that he seems harmless and maybe just a space invader.

We continue to talk about Bishop and Uncle Nix, then move into making fun of our professor who can’t seem to understand what a toothpick looks like because he walks in everyday with a piece of food stuck between his teeth. Half the time we’re watching that dangling morsel, trying to figure out what he had for breakfast that day, and end up missing half of the lecture as a result.

Our laughing draws a bit of attention despite the bustling restaurant as our table grows boisterous in the many conversations that seem to be going on at once. It feels good to just be a college student and not have to worry about hiding in the shadows for fear of someone seeing Bishop and me.

I want a relationship with Bishop more than anything, but I think I’ve forgotten who I am outside of it. Not that Bishop has asked that I sacrifice anything for him. He’s just not that type of man. It’s more so that I want so badly to be everything for him that I’ve neglected what I want.

I go back to focusing on my friends and I don’t notice how close we’ve all moved, trying to be heard over the chatter, until Blake’s arm is around my shoulders. His fingers are playing with the ends of my hair when I hear my name called over the loudspeaker.

“Anis your order is ready,” the woman calls, and of course she mispronounces it.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell the group and push up from my chair.

I turn around, a carefree smile on my face, and look up into the eyes of a man who looks like someone ran over his cat.

“Hey Coach. What’s up?” One of the players at our table calls out to him.

I approach him slowly, nerves building in my throat and practically choking me.

“Bishop. Wha-what are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d grab your favorite pizza and ask you to come by for a late lunch. Take a little study break.” His voice is low and a bit wounded.

“We were just taking a quick break and I–”

“What brings you here, Coach?” Blake walks up next to us and throws his arm around my shoulders, again, and I quickly move out of his space.

“Getting food. Isn’t that why people normally go to restaurants?” Bishop’s eyes never leave Blake’s arm from where it rested on my shoulder to where it now hangs limply at his side. “Anais, you should go get your order,” he tells me, the intensity of his eyes frightening.

I swallow and nod my head before walking to the pick up counter and then back to our table, setting the tray down.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell them and move quickly through the restaurant as I see Bishop walking through the doors. “Bishop,” I call out, chasing after him as he speed walks through the parking lot.

He doesn’t slow down or even acknowledge my presence behind him when I catch up with him.

“Hey. Stop for a minute.” I reach out and grab his hand and he quickly yanks it back.

“You should go back to your friends, Anais. Anyone could see us out here.” He unlocks his truck and pulls open the door. “It’s not a good idea for us to be seen together in public.”

“What you saw in there, t’s just a group of us hanging out. That’s all. We had no idea those guys would be here. Just coincidence. And Blake was only talking to me,” I explain.

“Yeah, and hanging his arms around you and playing with your hair like you’re his girl.” My heart thumps against my chest, the pain palpable.

“But you know I’m not. Let me go grab my food to go, and I’ll follow you–”

“No, Anais. Stay. This is where you belong. With friends and guys your age. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He climbs into his truck and I try desperately to stop him from shutting the door on me.

“I don’t want to talk tomorrow, Bishop. I want to talk and see you now. I’m coming over and you can’t stop me.”

“I can if I’m not there. Bye, Anais.” The door slams shut and he cranks his engine.

I jump away from the door as he speeds off and I stand there, watching him get as far away from me and fast as he can. I watch the spot where his truck sat before walking back inside to a quiet table, everyone’s eyes on me as I approach.

“Is everything okay?” Blake asks.

I nod, choking back a sob. “Mhm. Just needed to talk to him about something. Let’s eat. I need to get back to studying.”

The table returns to their conversations, and I pretend that my heart isn’t crying out in pain.

26

BISHOP

I sit in the dark, staring at a full glass of Blanton’s but not in any mood to drink it. After seeing Anais in that pizza joint, Blake’s arm around her and his fingers twirling her hair, I could see that is what she needs. A guy and group of friends her age. Not a man whose knees ache when the weather turns cold.

I knew she’d make good on her promise to show up at my place, so I drove south to a secluded spot where I sat in my truck, looking out at the port and the cargo ships coming in. When the sun had set and the calls and texts from her had stopped, I decided it was time to lick my wounds and crawl into bed.

A glass of liquor sounded like a good idea when I walked into my house, but I soon found that it was the last thing I wanted. What I really want is my butterfly snuggled up in my arms, her hair all in my face and her limbs tangled with mine. But she’s where she should be. And as much as it’s going to hurt like hell, I have to let her go.

I stand up and take hold of the full glass, walking it over to my sink and dumping the contents down the drain. I drop the now empty glass into the basin and stomp through the dark kitchen to the stairs that lead to my room.

One foot lands on a step when my doorbell rings, immediately followed by pounding on the door.

“Bishop! Open up!” Though muffled by the door, I can still hear Anais’ voice.

I turn to walk down and open it but instead, I return to dragging myself up the stairs. The doorbell rings again and again, and I block out the sound by turning on my shower and stripping off my clothes.

I step into the steam filled shower and let the water pour over me, trying to drown out the thoughts of Anais and how much I’ll miss her.

The short time I’ve had her has been the best of my life. Without any doubt, I can say that. No other woman has ever made me feel with my whole being. Our story started over a year ago, and I think I was slowly falling in love with her then. My brain just didn’t get the message that my heart was trying to send it until I had her in my hands.

I squirt some face wash into my hands and scrub up and down my pitiful looking mug. I’m startled when the door to my bathroom flies open, slamming against the wall with a harsh bang. My sud covered eyes open and through the fog, I can see Anais standing in the doorway.

“How did you get in here?” I bark at her.

“Did you forget I have your garage and security code?”

I drop my head back, frustrated with myself for forgetting that little fact. I turn my back to her and continue to wash up, ignoring her and hoping she gets the message that I don’t want her here and hope that she leaves.

I should know better, however. My girl is stubborn and does what she wants, when she wants, and how she wants. So I shouldn’t be surprised when the shower door is flung open and she steps into the shower, completely nude.

I have to close my eyes to stop them from drinking in every delicious curve of her body. My hands fist so they don’t reach out for her and hold her close, never to let her go.

“Look at me, Bishop,” she bites out. “Quit being an asshole and just look at me!”

Her screeching has me doing exactly what she wants, and I look at her. The face I’ve memorized is blanketed in outrage. Her eyes burn into mine, and her nostrils flare with heavy breaths.

“What are you doing? Why are you pushing me away?” Her hands smooth up my stomach and I flinch like she’s scorched my skin with her touch.

“Anais, seeing you this afternoon, with people your age and Blake’s arm around you, made it clear that I’m not what you need. You need to be with those people. I’ll only hold you back.” A loud smack rings out in the small space followed by a sting on my chest. “What the fuck was that for?”

“For being an idiot. You’re an absolute idiot, Bishop Michaels. Yes, you are partially correct. I should spend more time with my friends. I’ve neglected them and it’s important to keep my identity. But you’re a fool if you think I’d rather be with a boy who doesn’t know the beats of my heart. A boy who has no clue how to make me see stars. A boy who has no idea what love feels like.”

I gulp when the four letter word falls from her lips. My thoughts are stolen from me as if she crawled inside of my mind and scooped them in her arms. There isn’t another woman on the face of this Earth who could bring me to life with just a smile.

“But he’s a boy who will become a man and learn to love. Loving you isn’t difficult, Anais.”

The water splashes at our feet onto the tiles, and the it gurgles as it swirls down the drain and is amplified over our silence. Our eyes search each other, waiting to see who will be the first to break. I watch as tears fill her beautiful browns and a slow smile creeps across her face.

“Is that an admission?” She steps even closer and I can feel her pert nipples brush against my skin. “Because I have one of my own. I love you, Bishop. I’ve loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. I love how you smile when you talk about your friends. I love your big heart that cares for your family, blood and chosen. I love your dedication to your team and how invested you are at seeing them succeed in every aspect of their lives. I love your tenderness equally as much as I love when you take control. I love that you make me feel like I’m the only one you see. I love you, clear and simple and without any bounds. Now tell me you love me too because I can see it in your heart that you do.”

Her hands roam until they clasp behind my head. She rises to her toes and brings her lips within an inch of mine. Her breath skates across my cheek and my pulse thrums in my neck.

“Say it. Tell me you love me too, Bishop.” Our lips brush and the now familiar feeling of my heart sparking to life charges through me.

“I love you too, Anais,” I finally admit and crash my mouth against hers.

She jumps into my arms and wraps her legs around me, my hard cock the only thing between us. She climbs higher in my hold until my head faces up to meet hers. Our kiss turns ravenous and I can’t get enough of her. I want to pull her into my lungs so that I breathe her. I want her to live in me, be the one who keeps me alive, and do the same for her.

Her nails scratch my head and my fingers dig into her luscious ass. They wander to her wet, slick slit and glide up and down. The vibration of her moan sends a signal straight to my dick and he can’t wait any longer.

I wrap one arm around her small waist and hold tight as I grip the base of my dick and slide the head through her seam before plunging deep inside.

“Fuck,” I groan, my forehead resting against hers when I feel her bare, tight pussy suck me in.

She whines and drops her head into the crook of my neck as her hands slide over my shoulders and drape down my back. Her nails tickle me when they scrape, but nothing could distract away from how phenomenal she feels right now.

I press her back against the cold tiled wall and begin to move in and out of her, gently at first then harder with each pump. Her arms crawl the wall, searching for purchase as she slides now that my thrusts come faster and with more force.

“Oh god. Don’t stop,” she begs as the water pounds against my back.

“Never,” I reassure her.

Harder, faster, deeper, my thrusts are punishing but I can’t ease up. I need to imprint her with the feel of me, the shape of me, and make sure she remembers she belongs only to me.

“Oh, oh fuck. Right th–yes. Fuck!” she screams when I take her to the place that only I ever will.

The bite of her nails into my skin has me hissing, the pain spurring me into action even more. I grip the back of her head, protecting it from crashing through the tile, and fuck her into a second orgasm.

Her body buzzes and her listless arms and legs give out. My mouth latches onto her neck and I begin to suck and bite and push closer to my release. It comes on fast, and soon I’m roaring with bliss.

I feel my dick start to empty inside of her and quickly pull out, finishing until my cum drips down her leg. She hangs limply in my arms, but I don’t release her. Instead, I grab the shower sprayer and let the jets wash away the evidence of our sex.

When the last of it falls down the drain, I gently place Anais on her feet and set about washing her clean. Her eyes stay glued to me as I run the soap over every inch of her, making sure to wash tenderly between her legs.

I turn off the water and push open the shower door, sticking my hand out and grabbing the two fluffy towels that hang from when we last showered together, just yesterday. We seem to find ourselves standing under the warm spray of this shower quite a bit. Something about the trickling water makes my girl wanton.

We step out onto the bathmat and I pick her up, setting her down on the counter facing me. I reach into a drawer and take hold of a wide tooth comb, then run it through her long tangled tresses.

Her eyes close, a small smile gracing her face, and continue until all the tangles are free and her waves begin to curl up.

“You’re so beautiful, my little butterfly,” I whisper and kiss her jaw. “Let’s go to bed.”

I take her in my arms again and pull off our towels, leaving them in a heap on the floor. I walk us to the bed where we tuck in and I pull her close to me. I lock my arm around her and lay sweet kisses on her bare shoulder.

“I love you, sweet butterfly.”

“I love you too, big guy.” She rubs my arm then twines her fingers in mine, falling into a sound sleep.

“How did you know I was home last night? I could’ve been gone.” We lay in bed until the early morning hours, talking about yesterday's events.

“Well, I came by after I finished eating and took Keyara back to our dorm. There was a package on your doorstep and after ringing the doorbell a few times, I figured you were gone. When I came back after studying, I noticed the package was missing. My best guess was that you were finally home and hiding inside.” Her wild hair tickles my chest and stomach where she lays her head.

“Very good deduction, Ms. De La Cruz.”

“So what did you get?” She asks me.

“What are you talking about?”

She places her chin on my chest and looks up at me. “The package. What did you get?”

I push up to my elbows and tell her, “I’ll show you.” I slide out from under her, still naked, and walk over to my bookcase, that holds my vinyl player and collection of albums, and pick up the box that lies just at the bottom.

I carry it carefully over to where Anais is still stretched out in bed and hand it to her.

She looks at the box then back at me and asks, “You want me to open it?”

“Yes, baby girl. It’s for you.”

Her eyes light up and she bites her bottom lip as she takes the box out of my hands, her arms giving a little not realizing just how heavy the box is. She inspects it before she takes her nail and slides it right through the thin tape. She pulls open the flaps and begins pushing the filler paper aside. She reaches in only to pull out another box, but this one has a picture on the box to tell her exactly what it is.

“A record player?” She asks, her brow knit.

I shake my head. “No. Not a record player. It’s a vinyl player. It’s for vinyl albums. I thought, since you like mine, that you might want one of your own.”

She places the box down and crawls out of the sheets and over to me, rising up on her knees.

“I love it. Thank you.” She presses her lips to mine and my body, as it usually does with her, immediately responds. “Now I need to start building my vinyl collection.”

“Good girl.” I kiss the tip of her nose then, with her arms still gripped tightly around my neck, crawl onto the bed and take her with me.

Her body lays flat and I hover above her. “I thought we might go to this little shop that sells vintage albums. It’s out of the way in Old Town Village, and I was thinking we could go there before we go to the stadium for the game.”

Tonight will be the last game of the series and it’s tied three to three. Nix asked that we all be there as early as possible, and with the game starting at seven, we agreed to all be there at four to watch warm-ups and take in all the pregame festivities.

“Okay. I like that.” She kisses me again but before we can get lost, she pulls away, a serious look on her face. “I want to talk with you.”

I lean all of my weight on my forearms where they rest on either side of her face and steel my features. “What about?”

She wiggles underneath me and circles my back with her arms, her nails scraping up and down. “We’re not doing this push and pull thing anymore. I’m not a toy that you can put on a shelf and take out whenever you want to play.”

“Anais. No. I–”

“You seem to want to push me away every time you think about our age difference or where we are in our lives, and it’s not fair. I know what I want. I don’t have to think about it. But if we’re together, no more of this you should be with someone your age or I’m old, you don’t want me. I’m not hearing it anymore. Got it?”

Her words are full of confidence and I absolutely agree, but her face is so damn beautiful that it’s difficult to be serious and not smile.

“Got it. No more being a jerk. We’re together. Me and you and no more age crap.”

“That’s better. Now, make it up to me for being a first class jerk. I’ll take my apology in the form of orgasms.” I dig my fingers into her side and she laughs.

“Anything for you, my little butterfly.”

This is it. No more bullshit. Anais is mine, and I’m hers.

Without any bounds.

27

ANAIS

Confetti swirls in the air and for the second time we’re all down on the field, celebrating the Wranglers World Series win. Everyone is hugging and kissing one another, and exuberant smiles are passed from one person to the other.

Bishop hugged me as much as he could without drawing attention when the ninth inning ended and the Wranglers were victorious. And while I’m happy, I can’t get this afternoon’s events off of my mind or the weight of what could come of it off my chest.

After Bishop made us breakfast, I went back to my dorm to change and grab an extra set of clothes for tonight’s game. Keyara was already gone, making me feel guilty once again, but after what happened in the restaurant yesterday and seeing the look on Bishop’s face when he saw Blake with me, she understood my need to make sure things were okay with us.

When I was done, he was waiting for me in the parking lot, his bike revving and my helmet in his hands. I looked around the lot, but it was late Sunday morning and there weren’t many students around. I climbed on, buckled my helmet into place, and we sped off towards the record store.

We probably spent two hours there, searching through stacks of albums, listening to songs in one of the music listening rooms, and picking out albums for one another. Some were spot on in music tastes, but others were funny and had us laughing out loud.

Bishop ended up buying me several albums to start my collection –RAYE, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Bebe Rhexa as my choices, and Lenny Kravitz, Michael Jackson, Otis Redding and Dr. Dre as his picks. It was a pretty eclectic mix, but it was us to a T. Some of these albums contained the songs we’ve sent to one another as there are many. But the one that got me the most was when he played Butterfly by Lenny Kravitz in the booth. He remembered it as the song we danced to at Cami and Vaughan’s wedding and said it’s the song he hears playing in his head every time he sees me.

Talk about a swoon moment. It gets better. He said the lavender dress I wore struck him so strongly that he went out and bought a lavender dress shirt the next weekend. He said he wasn’t sure if he’d ever wear “the darn thing,” but he sees it when he walks into his closet each morning and it makes him smile to start off the day thinking of me.

I swear I melted right then and there in the store. Pieces of me are still lying amongst the stacks of albums where he admitted all of this.

It was a great morning. I had the promise and love of Bishop, and mind blowing morning sex which is always the best way to start the day. We had worry-free time together outside of his house where we could be us and share moments that meant something. It all lasted until we walked out through the doors of the store.

Our purchases were in a bag that Bishop held in one hand, while his other arm was wrapped around my neck as he pulled me in for a kiss. When we parted, shock and dread filled my belly.

“Coach?” We heard and spun around to see Blake and a few other guys from the team, watching us with dropped jaws.

“Hey. Uh, what’re you guys doing down here?” he asked them. But the real question was, what were we doing together.

“Lunch,” one of them said, holding up a paper cup.

“Is this why you weren’t interested in a date, Anais?” Blake asked me.

My stomach felt sour and my eyes fell to the floor with guilt. The day prior Blake had asked for my number and wanted to know if I’d go out with him sometime. I was still reeling from seeing Bishop that I told him I’d love to be friends, but I really wasn’t looking for anything other than that with anyone. I explained that I just wanted to focus on my studies before I thought about adding a relationship to the mix. He said he understood, but I saw a little bit of pain in his eyes.

Bishop immediately tried to defuse the tense situation by explaining the administration was aware of our relationship, but we preferred to keep it quiet so as not to affect my standing with any of my professors. He didn’t want them to be swayed in any way. He asked that the boys keep it just between us and while they agreed, I got the feeling it was all lip service. My gut told me that by the end of the week, the entire baseball team would know about us along with a few other departments.

Bishop took my hand in his and pulled me away, leaving the guys standing in shock on the sidewalk. I looked over my shoulder at them and saw Blake staring at us with a mixture of hurt and resentment on his face.

A loud horn blares and I’m brought back to the celebration. Dagen has bounced between everyone and now she comes barreling towards me.

“Ana!” She shouts. “Isn’t this amazing?”

I open my arms and pull her into a tight hug. “It is! But were you really worried that Uncle Nix couldn’t pull it off?”

“Nah,” her face scrunches and she shakes her head. “Besides Uncle Bishop, Uncle Phoenix is the best baseball player in the history of the world.”

We laugh and hear Vivian’s voice fill the stadium.

“Get over here Phoenix,” she says, waving him over to where she stands with the microphone. “Another year, another championship. How does it feel to be a two-time World Series champion and league MVP?”

“It feels amazing. The only thing that could make this moment better is if you finally agree to a set wedding date.” Uncle Nix smiles the biggest smile ever, knowing Vivian hates when he puts her on the spot.

Last year, he dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him. She agreed, tears streaming down her face, but she sure did let him have it later for doing it on national television. I have a feeling that this will be no different.

In fact, everyone laughs when she smacks his chest and says, “You just had to do that, didn’t you? Fine. March. Take it or leave it, buddy.”

“Take it!” he shouts and grabs her with two hands, lifting her off the ground and kissing the life out of her.

I feel a little tug at my heartstrings as I witness this moment and look around, only to catch the watchful eyes of Bishop. He looks lovingly at me and winks discreetly. A warmth crawls over my body from my toes to the tips of my ears. The most simple thing from him can set me on fire. It gets harder and harder each day to hide this from people. But now that the series is over, we can tell Nix and Viv and it will all be over.

But what is it that will be over? The weight of holding the secret? The relationship between Bishop and I? The friendship that has spanned over a decade and is more of a brotherhood? I worry myself sick just thinking about it.

The fans remaining in the stands shout and clap, whistles blaring in the vast stadium. Families wait for their guys to climb off the stage to continue hugging and sharing tears of joy with them. Our group of friends begins to crowd together, closer and closer, until we all stand shoulder to shoulder.

Bishop finds his way to me and while we all press our bodies together, he reaches over and latches his pinky with mine. They’re hooked together and hang between us, the eyes of everyone fully focused on what is happening on stage and allowing us to have our moment.

I feel a tap on my arm and look to my left to see Dagen with a grin that you could see from Dallas. She crooks her finger at me and I lean closer to her.

Her lips brush against the shell of my ear and she says, “If you marry Uncle Bishop, will I call you Auntie Ana, or just Ana?”

I feel all of the blood drain from my face and it’s suddenly very hard to breathe.

“Um. I…”

“It’s okay. I heard mommy and Auntie Cat talking about it. But I promise I haven’t said a word to anyone.” I try to give her something that resembles a smile and nod my head.

She goes back to watching everything that’s going on around us, and the dread that was brewing is now boiling over.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” The deep timber of a voice I know so well pulls my attention the other direction.

“Day knows,” I tell him, simply.

I see his chest fill with a deep breath and deflate when he blows it out. “It’s okay. Day’s my number one girl. She loves her Uncle Bish and I’ll talk to her about keeping a secret.”

“I thought I was your number one girl,” I tell him from the side of my mouth, trying to keep my expression neutral.

“You’re my number one girl in a much different way.” My eyes lock on his, and tell him the words that I wish I could say at this very moment.

“Ana!” someone shouts, and in my peripheral I see Uncle Nix jogging in my direction.

I quickly put space between Bishop and I as I leap into his arms when he’s within a foot of me. Our celebration continues on through the night, as we move the party from the club rented out for the team, to Luca and CeCe’s downtown penthouse for a more intimate gathering.

The black and red decor gives off a Dracula vibe, and creeps me out a little. When I tell this to CeCe, she laughs and shares it with Luca. He counters with, “at least that is better than what you told me”.

I excuse myself to use the restroom and feel a presence behind me. I look over my shoulder to see Bishop coming up quickly behind me. He points his chin in the direction of the restroom and I move inside, flipping on the light which gets shut back off immediately.

The door closes and the lock clicks into place, as I’m spun around. I blink trying to adjust my eyes to the sudden darkness, and smell the muskiness of Bishop’s cologne as he draws closer.

“Why are you looking so sad tonight, my little butterfly?” he whispers.

I run my fingers lightly over his face, caressing the contours I love so much. “I’m worried about talking to Nix and Viv.”

His hand lays over mine as I smooth across his jaw. “I know, baby girl. But it will all be okay. We’ll do it together and deal with whatever happens.”

“Can we wait just a few more days? You know, to let him rest and ride out the high of the win?”

Bishop’s silence stretches on as he thinks. “This weekend. Okay? We will tell them this weekend. We’ll go to dinner. Someplace public and neutral, so that Nix doesn’t murder us with witnesses around.” He laughs but I don’t find it the least bit funny.

“That’s not funny,” I pout and press my head to his chest.

“I’ve got you. Don’t worry. Okay?” He taps me under the chin, lifting my face to his, then says, “I know how to make you feel better.”

He lifts me up and sets me down on the counter and stands between my legs. Our eyes have adjusted and now we stare at one another, our features shrouded in darkness. His hands smooth along my jaw and his fingers dive into my hair. The roots are tugged and my head is jerked back until my neck stretches to look up at him.

“Do you want me to make you feel better, baby girl?”

“Yes,” I whisper and Bishop licks my lips.

He growls when I stick my tongue out to meet his, the tips brushing against each other. I lean into him and lick a line up his neck much like he did mine. I do it again and finish with a bite to his earlobe.

My hair is fisted in his hand and he yanks my head to the side. “Are you hungry, my little butterfly? I can give you something to lick if you are.”

I bite my lip and slide off the counter and straight down onto my knees. My hands smoothly pull his zipper down and he watches me with eager attentiveness. The jeans fall open and I reach inside of his boxers and circle my hand around his thick cock.

I stroke him and he hisses his pleasure. I grip the base and bring him to my lips. My tongue swirls around the throbbing head, swiping at the bead of precum that has leaked. The saltiness thrills my taste buds and I want more.

My lips spread wide as I take him in as far back as I can. The bite of pain makes me wet and I squeeze my thighs together. I moan and he twitches in my mouth. My head moves and glides back and forth, saliva dripping from the corners. I set a pace and hear Bishop’s breathing turn shallow.

“Do you want me to pull out?” he chokes out between groans.

I shake my head no but don’t stop even for a second to answer with words. I take a deep breath then slide down, down, down until my gag reflex reacts. I swallow him down and use my tongue to massage the sensitive underside.

Bishop’s body grows tense and then a large palm lands on either side of my face. I drop my grip on him, relax my jaw, and let him fuck my face until he’s coming down my throat. I drink him until he’s drained and his body relaxes. He’s barely pulled himself from my mouth when I’m being lifted from the floor and pulled in for a deep kiss.

“God, I love you,” she mumbles against my mouth.

I smile and my heart beats triple time. “I love you, cariño.”

He pulls back and finds my eyes in the dark and asks, “Are you okay?” I nod and he swipes my bottom lip. “We better get back out there before someone comes looking for us. Remember. There’s nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine.”

He tucks himself into his pants and with one last kiss, he slowly opens the door, looking out into the hallway before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

I search the wall for the switch and flip it on. I look in the mirror and immediately scrunch my face when I see my haggard reflection. The small bit of makeup I was wearing is smeared under my eyes. I wipe it clean and then put on some lip gloss before washing my hands and stepping out from the bathroom.

“Woah,” a voice says when I smack straight into a body.

“Sorry,” I breathe and look up into the judging eyes of CeCe.

She stares at me with a hardened expression and it’s nothing like the caring ones she gave me just a couple of weeks ago. I wait for her to say something but all she does is exhale a heavy breath and side steps past me.

I hang my head, my heart aching at what seems like her rejection, and shuffle back into the living area where everyone congregates.

I put on the best smile I can manage for the rest of the evening then say goodbye under the pretense of going back to my dorm, when I really drive straight to Bishop’s where he meets me ten minutes later.

His home is our haven and the only place we don’t face judgment. I want to live here forever.

28

BISHOP

I light the last candle and check that everything is perfect before starting the music. Candles are lit, flowers are placed in several vases around the room and large pillows arranged on the floor and either side of the ottoman. I set a large wooden tray on top of the ottoman to steady the food that I will bring out once she’s here.

I dim the lamps and step over to my record player and carefully drop the needle. Heaven Help by Lenny Kravitz begins to play a soft melody and I rub my hands together, knowing everything is set for a surprise for my little butterfly.

This week has been exhausting for her with midterms already upon us. I insisted that she stay in her dorm this week and just focus on her studies. She wasn’t very happy about it, but I promised her a surprise when she was finished.

I check my watch and see that she should be here any minute. I rush up to my bedroom and swish some mouthwash one last time. I hear the doorbell ring before my foot can hit the last step to the second floor.

I bounce down the steps curious as to why she didn’t just use the code and come in like she usually does, but when I open the door, Anais isn’t the one standing there.

“Nix?”

“Geez. Think you could wipe the disappointed look off your face?” Nix smacks my shoulder then pushes past me into the small entryway. “I was down at the stadium clearing out all my gear and thought I’d drop in and see if you want to go grab a beer with me.”

“Uh, well I kind of have plans,” I tell him right as he hears the music playing.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry. Got a date upstairs?”

“Nah. Not yet. But I do have someone coming over any moment,” I tell him, hoping he’ll sense the urgency in my voice and leave before Anais pulls up.

Hopefully she’ll recognize her Uncle’s big ass truck and keep driving.

“Yeah? Who is it? Anyone I know?” He waggles his brows with a cheeky grin on his face.

“I don’t-I, um. It’s new. I’ll tell you about her when I know where things are going,” I lie.

He studies me with narrowed eyes, his mouth working back and forth like he’s rolling around the words he wants to say.

Finally he says, “Is it that chick Melina that CeCe introduced you to?”

“No, man. Not her. I promise to tell you when the time is right.” Sweat starts to bead at my hairline and my pulse is racing as he continues to stand here.

“Cool. I get it. Well then, guess I’ll head out. I just miss you, brotha. Seems like we haven’t had much time to hang out. We need a guys night soon before you get busy with your season. Yeah?” He leans in for a hug and slap on the back before turning to open the door.

“For sure. Let’s talk to Vaughan and Hayes, maybe even see if we can drag Luca away from C. The guy barely lets her walk. I can’t imagine he’d be too thrilled about leaving her alone for a few hours.”

“Eh. We’ll get the girls to go over to her house and it’ll be good.”

I follow him out to his truck to make sure he leaves as soon as possible. He opens his door and just as he turns his back to climb in, a blue streak catches the corner of my eye as it goes speeding by.

“Damn. That car was going fast,” Nix says when he hears the rush of the engine.

“Probably some stupid kids. Hey, get home safely. Okay?” Nix starts up his truck and rolls the window down.

“Oh. One last thing. I heard Viv talking with Cami about having a Halloween party. Probably at the ranch but I’m not positive. I’m sure they’ll text you about it since you’re an ‘honorary’ member of their girl group.”

I roll my eyes, laughing at him every time he talks about the college sleepovers.

“Man, you gotta get over that. It was a long time ago and aside from the party at your place, I haven’t had a sleepover with them since we graduated college.” I tap the door two times then tell him, “You get a sleepover every night with Red, so I don’t understand why you’re still complaining.”

A devious look crosses his face and I don’t even want to know what is about to spill from his mouth.

“Best fucking sleepovers I’ve ever had. The other night she–”

“NO! I don’t want to hear it. Viv is like a little sister and any mention of you violating her is too much,” I tell him, backing away from his truck.

“Me violating her? She’s the one that does all of the violating. She’s feisty.” He turns up the volume on his radio and begins backing out. He pops his head out of the window and calls out, “But the way she can deep throat…fuuuuck.”

“You asshole. Get out of here.” He cracks up laughing and drives away.

I watch until he turns the corner then quickly rush back inside. I look for my phone that I left on the kitchen counter and see a series of texts from Anais.

🦋: Oh my god! Why is my Uncle at your house?!

🦋: Does he know? Bishop! Did you tell him?

🦋: I’m waiting down the street.Text me when he leaves. Unless he kills you because you’re fucking his niece.

🦋: NM. Erase that. I don’t want that out in the universe. Oh god. Please hurry!

I send her a text and tell her he’s gone and run back down the stairs to open the garage. I’m breathing heavily from all of the up and down the stairs I’ve done in the past few minutes. I throw up the kickstand on my bike, hit the clutch and move it to the back of the garage to make room for Anais to park her car inside. Just in case anyone else decides to make an unannounced visit.

The beams from headlights illuminate the garage as her car pulls into the driveway. I wave her in and she slowly pulls her car into the garage. She shuts off the engine and I immediately close the door, locking us in and out of sight.

“Oh my god. I thought my Uncle was here to kill you!” She leaps into my arms and begins peppering my face with kisses. “I wasn’t sure if I should leave or call the police.”

“I’m fine, baby girl.” I squeeze her tightly in my arms and nuzzle my nose into her neck. “He stopped by unexpectedly. I was trying to get him out of here.”

She wraps her legs around me and I carry her in the house and up the stairs. Aside from the song that has now changed, everything is still as it was before Nix came by.

She slides down my body with a gasp and asks, “Is this for me?”

Her head whips between me and the scene in front of her, and I notice her eyes glisten. She moves her way further into the living room to admire the set up. I sneak up behind her and wrap my arms around her small waist.

“All for you,” I whisper into her ear.

I take her hand and pull her over to the cushions and help her to sit. The music plays on and the smile on her face is electrifying. If I was a dying man, the intensity of her smile could bring me back to life.

Her eyes continue to search the space, stopping at each bouquet.

“Wildflowers,” she muses.

“Because butterflies dance in fields of wildflowers. So I thought I’d bring the wildflowers to my butterfly.” She bites her lip and pats the seat next to hers.

I kneel to kiss her and feel my body ease. She brings a peace to me that I never thought possible. I realize that our relationship is going to cause some waves in the bonds that I have with my friends, but sometimes love is worth sacrificing everything for.

“Let me get our food. Then we can pick this up later.” We separate and I step into the kitchen where the food sits in the oven to keep warm.

“I’ll help,” Anais says and grabs a set of oven mitts. “Where do you want this?”

She takes the dish with the rosemary potatoes from me and I grab the roasted chicken. “Just put it right on the tray. I’ll get the vegetables and then come back for the rest.”

I follow her to where the plates are set up and we place the dishes in the middle. I go back for the zucchini and squash and grab the bottle of wine, as well. Anais takes the bottle from me and I squeeze the vegetables into the last open space, then lower myself on the cushion.

My knees pop as I sit. Just a little souvenir from baseball that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my days.

By the time I’ve settled myself, Anais has served us each a piece of chicken and reaches for the potatoes. We work together like a couple that has been doing this for years, and finish plating our food and pouring the wine.

She takes the first bite and moans, her eyes rolling in delight.

“How are you such a good cook? You know you’re going to be in charge of all of the cooking for our family, right?” She shovels a forkful of potatoes into her mouth and chews like she didn’t just drop my every dream into my lap.

“Our family?” I ask her and she slows her eating to look up at me.

“Um,” she forces the chewed up bite down her throat and takes a sip of wine. “I guess, I mean-I was just thinking out loud.”

She shrugs and I tap the tip of her nose. “I like the way that sounds. But you’ve got a few years before that can happen.”

Her smile returns as she stabs at her zucchini. “Yeah? Are you going to be a stay at home daddy? Take care of kids and do school drop off in a minivan?”

I practically choke on my food and have to pound my chest. “School drop off, daddy duty, dinners and lunches, I’m on it. But I’ll carry ten kids on my back all the way to school before I drive a damn minivan.”

“What the fuck? Ten? Bishop, I’m not a baby factory.”

“We’ll work out the exact number later. We have some time before we need to nail it down.” I take a bite of my chicken and wink at her.

“So how do you see this confession to Nix going down? Because to be honest, I think we should just keep it between us and hide away from the world.”

I set my fork down and rest my elbows on the tray. “You know we can’t do that. Besides, I want to be able to show you off. Let everyone know you’re my girl.” She bats her lashes and the apples of her cheeks tinge pink. “I’ll be honest. I don’t think he’s going to take it too well. He’s going to be pissed at me for sure, but you’ll be fine. I’ll just have to wait out the storm until he comes around.”

The mood grows a little tense and Anais crawls her way over to me.

“Like you said before, we’re in this together. We’ll wait out the storm and we’ll be here when it all settles.”

I take her face in my hands and kiss her. “Together,” I murmur against her lips and dive in deeper.

I carefully lay her back until she’s laid out on the plush rug. My body hovers over hers as my hands work to peel the clothing that hides her beautiful form. I roll down her leggings and tug the sweatshirt over her head and find her in nothing more than white lace panties and bra. Small purple flowers are sewn into the lace that covers her mound and her nipples. I run my nose down her neck and trail it down to her wet pussy.

“Smelling the roses?” she asks with a hint of playfulness.

“I wish I could swim in a field of these flowers.” I blow a hot breath over her sensitive area and watch chills roll across her skin.

I suck on her through the thin lace and taste her muskiness. I slide her panties to the side and flatten my tongue, licking her clean. My tongue flicks her clit and she arches her back, her delicious breasts lifting higher. I let my tongue nudge at her opening before dipping it in to drink her down. I work in and out of her, adding my fingers to bring her to the edge.

Her legs clamp to the side of my head and I hear her breathing speed up.

“Oh god. Fuck, right there,” she whimpers when I hit her g-spot.

Her moans turn loud and her soft pleas turn to cries when her orgasm overwhelms her. I work her through it all until I feel her tense body turn slack.

I move her panties back into place and rise to my knees. Her eyelids remain shut but her sated smile tells me everything I need to know.

“Good, baby girl?” I lick my lips, taking in the last drops of her, and run my hands up the silky skin of her legs.

“So good. Better than good. I know there’s a word for it, but my brain can’t process it right now.”

I carefully stand, leaving her to bathe in the afterglow, and change the album. Another song’s slow melodic beat sets the mood back to the carefree yet intimate moment we were living in.

Anais raises to her elbows, resting her weight back on them and letting her wild mane cascade around her.

“Didn’t your mama teach you to never eat dessert before dinner?” She coos.

“She did. But she also taught me to live life to the fullest and only do the things that bring me joy. That,” I flick my eyes to the space between her legs. “Brings me immense pleasure.”

With a smirk she shakes her head and moves to her knees. When she reaches for her clothes I rip them away before she can grab ahold of them.

“Hey! I’m hungry and want to finish eating. Give me back my clothes so I can get dressed and finish.”

“Nope. You wanna finish eating, you eat like that.” I eye her up and down, wanting to put her on my plate and feast once more.

“Oh, but you get to wear that? Not fair.”

Without another word, I reach behind my head and tug my shirt off my head. I stand and undo my jeans and let them fall to my feet before kicking them away. When I’m done, I’m left standing in only my tented boxer briefs.

“Better?” I ask.

She looks up at me, lust in her eyes and nods her head, jaw hanging open.

“Oh much better.” She crawls over to me and up my body, where she devours dessert and doesn't finish her dinner.

29

BISHOP

Vaughan and Cami’s house is buzzing with last minute touches for the Halloween party before everyone goes to change into their costumes for the evening. It’s another first for the crew as we haven’t had a real Halloween celebration since Vaughan and Cami first broke up.

Last year we were all hanging by a thread, praying for Vaughan to recover from his horrible accident. So the insistence that everyone be together tonight wasn’t a hardship. Dagen’s grandparents –both sets– are chaperoning her and her friends to trick-or-treat since this neighborhood consists of Vaughan and Cami.

We’d all be happy to pour loads of candy in their bags, but I don’t think it’s quite the same.

I was roped into helping set up since two of our ladies are on minimal effort as they get further along in their pregnancies. Cami was quick to tell Vaughan, “shut it. I’m fine,” and CeCe didn’t have a leg to stand on. Luca gave her a look and she resigned to cutting up fruit.

All of us men were responsible for setting everything else up under the supervision of Vivian, Cat and Anais. We were told where to place the tables, the decorations and how to make the food set up look aesthetically pleasing. I don’t know why the food needs to be set on top of different risers, but that is what they insisted on.

“I think we got it all. Thanks,” Viv dusts her hands as if she did more than yell at us. “Y’all better go get your costumes on.”

I roll my eyes because that was another insistence. Costumes were mandatory. For the ladies, it’s easy. Slutty baseball player. Slutty nurse. Slutty maid. Hell, slutty monkey trainer. Whatever it is, make it a short ass dress and add some high heels and they’re done. It’s the guys who really suffer.

One year I got roped in by Dagen to be the Scarecrow when she was Dorothy. The costume had real damn straw. My ass was itching for a week. On the bright side, at least I didn’t have to be the Tin Man like Vaughan. It took him weeks to be rid of the silver paint.

So choosing a costume for this evening was pretty difficult. But I shuffle off to the barn apartment where I have my things and put together what should be rather interesting.

I make my way back into the main house and run smack dab into Hayes who is dressed as…I don’t really know.

“What the hell is that costume?” I ask, still eyeing him up and down.

“What? You can’t tell? I’m a bag of M & M’s.” He proudly lifts his arms and spins around in a circle, showing off his black trash bag shirt covered with photos of Eminem.

“You’re serious?”

“As serious as a bull on castration day.” I contort my face because this guy has the strangest analogies.

Cat comes walking up at that moment wearing an Adidas tracksuit, red sneakers, and a bucket hat on her head. On her jacket are wrappers pinned all over the front.

“And what are you? Run DMC?”

“Close,” she says in delight. “I’m a candy rapper.”

“Oh my lord. You two have one half of the same brain.” I shake my head and begin to walk away when Hayes calls out.

“Okay then. If you’re so smart, then what the heck is that costume because I gotta tell ya, it just looks like a bunch of tissue.”

I look down at my white t-shirt covered in exactly what he thinks, tissue.

“I’m a box of tissues…blow me,” I tell them with a waggle of my brows and cocky smirk.

It earns me a loud guffaw from the two of them, and draws attention from the others.

“What’s so funny over here?” Vaughan asks, with all his boy-next-door looks and thick as syrup country twang.

“Bishop's costume,” Cat chokes out between her spurts of laughter.

Vaughan eyes me like I’m some weird creature when, mind you, he’s dressed as Tom Hanks from the movie Castaway.

He wears a scraggly wig and beard and it looks like he’s rolled around in dirt in the barn. He’s shirtless and has a pair of shredded shorts on and that’s all.

“Are you a box of jizz filled Kleenex?”

“What the fuck, Vaughan? Why does it have to be jizz filled?”

He shrugs and says, “I dunno. I just thought it looked like the floor of a teenage boy’s bedroom after he jacked off to a nudey magazine.”

“Wow. The way you McCallan brothers' minds work.” I shake my head. “You’re partly right. I am tissue…blow me,” I repeat the phrase I told Hayes and Cat, and Vaughan has the same response.

“How-how are we supposed to know that? You need a tagline written on your shirt.” Vaughan continues to snort.

“Really? You want me walking around with the words ‘blow me’ on my shirt when your almost teenage daughter comes walking through here?”

He immediately stops his chuckling and turns straight faced. His eyes bulge and despite being covered in dirt, his face pales.

“Yeah. You’re right. Just tell people to blow you when they ask. Where’s my wife?” he says quickly and scurries off to find Cami.

The rest of the crew slowly filter, all wearing costumes. Cami is the Wilson to Vaughan’s Chuck with her belly exposed through a t-shirt and painted white with the infamous red hand face, and a pair of red high heeled booties.

Vivian walks in with a full on peach costume. She wears a round apparatus covered in peach covered felt. A head band fashioned with a giant green felt leaf sits on her head, and she has red heels on her feet. Nix is right behind her dressed as a box of Fruity Pebble cereal. The time these two put into creating their giant boxes is really something.

CeCe appears dressed as black cat –a very pregnant black cat– and she wears a diamond collar around her neck, and I’m pretty sure it’s real. The only thing not black on her are the red heels on her feet.

I’m starting to see a theme amongst the gals and make a note to ask them about it later.

Luca, as usual, is right next to CeCe. He holds her hand and isn’t quite as dressed up as the rest of us. And by not quite as dressed up I mean not at all. He wears a pair of what are no doubt ridiculously expensive jeans, what looks like a green cashmere sweater and brown loafers. It’s no different from what he wears when we are all just hanging out on any given night. It’s his casual look.

I sometimes wonder if he owns a pair of sneakers or sweatpants.

Cami’s brother and sister-in-law show up, having left their daughter with her parents, and a few of the workers from the ranch. There’s only one person who is missing. And as if my thoughts summoned her, my butterfly appears. And she is quite literally a butterfly.

She floats down the stairs in a lavender dress that looks like layer upon layer of sheer gauze. The dress is short and is held up by two tiny straps that look like they could barely hold air, much less all of that material.

Her feet are adorned in shoes that look to be made of rhinestones and they wrap and tie all the way up her legs. Half of her hair is pulled away from her face and is decorated in small flowers. The most mesmerizing part of her costume are the elaborate and enormous butterfly wings.

They’re iridescent, so every time she moves, the colors shift and change, from light purple to a beautiful turquoise. Intricate detail is painted in black and I don’t know how in the hell those things are attached to her.

She watches me with a twinkle in her eyes and I literally want to drop to my knees and worship every step she takes. The girls all rush up to her and begin talking about all of the details. I don’t give a shit about her eyeshadow or what earrings she’s going to wear. All I want to know is when can we get the fuck out of here because I need her in my arms immediately.

She makes her way to everyone, saying hello and talking about their costume until she gets to me. I gulp down my anxiousness and try to build some moisture in my suddenly parched mouth.

“You look…spectacular, Anais,” I gush then lean in quickly to whisper, “You are a real life dream, and I wish I could tell everyone you’re mine.”

I straighten my spine and fix my face. We have yet to tell Viv and Nix about us because, well, I guess it just hasn’t been the right time. There’s always studying to do, schedules to be made, classes to attend, meetings to head. There just hasn’t been a right time.

“Thank you. And you’re a…” Her big brown eyes wander up and down my body, taking in every detail. “A bunch of ghosts?”

Everyone else laughs at her guess, then Vaughan says, “He’s Kleenex. Bish, tell her your punchline.” I shake my head frantically, my eyes practically popping out of their sockets. “C’mon man. Tell her.”

The rest of them chime in, encouraging me with their words and taunts.

With a sigh, I hang my head and my shoulders sag. “I’m Kleenex…blow me,” I mumble.

The room falls silent for a moment, then a burst of laughter breaks free. Anais snorts and swipes at her eyes as tears of hilarity fall. She’s bent over, her arm cradling her side, and she can hardly catch her breath.

“Okay. We get it. Bad costume,” I mutter and cross my arms over my chest.

Anais stands up and takes deep breaths in and out.

“I-I’m sorry. That is just really…good,” she cracks. “Do you mind if I borrow one of these?”

She reaches out and plucks a tissue from my shirt and begins patting her face dry.

“You’d be great to have at a wedding or funeral or maybe even walk around during cold season,” she adds and I can’t help but smile.

“You little brat,” I tease then dig my fingers into the side that I know is her weakness.

We laugh and wiggle around, forgetting that there are people around us, and play like we’ve done so many times. The clearing of a throat stops us in our tracks and we hastily separate, scrambling as far away as we can get.

We look up to find the faces of our friends closely watching us, most with gaping mouths and only one with a scathing look. Surprisingly it’s not Nix. CeCe, still the lone disapproving friend, stands with her jaw clenched. I just don’t understand what her problem is, and it really pisses me off. Not to mention stabs at my heart.

“Well, um, I better get going. I need to get back to campus.” Anais smooths out her dress and straightens her wings.

Speaking of said heart, it falls with disappointment. I knew she’d be going out with her friends tonight and I really encouraged it. She’s young and should spend a night like this out with friends her age and not a bunch of people who want to be in bed by eleven. But now that the time has come, I’m really regretting my insistence that she go.

She takes the bag that is sitting near her feet –that I didn’t even notice because I was so transfixed by her– and tries to slug it over her shoulder.

“Maybe you should take off the wings,” Cami suggests, then helps her in taking them off.

“Thanks. Okay, bye. You kids don’t be too crazy,” she says with a wave and a wink.

Nix follows her to the door to say goodbye and more than anything, I want to be the one to do that. She walks out, shutting the door behind her and my mood sours. Less than thirty seconds pass when the door opens and she stands there once again.

The light from the front porch lights her up and she looks like an actual angel walking the earth.

“Sorry. But Bishop, you’re parked behind me. Do you think you could move?” She hitches a thumb over her shoulder, and I dip my head.

“Of course.” I reach inside my pocket and come up empty, forgetting that I left my keys in the barn apartment. “I left them in the apartment. Let me go grab them real quick.”

I take off through the back doors and jog to where I left them. I throw the door open and rush to the bedroom where I know they sit with my wallet. I spin around, running out the door, and almost plow down Anais.

“Woah. What’re you doing?” I ask her.

“I couldn’t leave without this.” Her voice is husky and she leaps up to wrap her arms around my neck and kisses me with a fury.

I slide my arms under her ass and lift her off the ground, pouring myself into our kiss. She moans into my mouth and my arms squeeze tighter, like boa constrictors wrapping their prey before devouring it.

That’s exactly what I want to do to her. I want to devour her so that she can never leave me, until she becomes one with me.

We hear the sound of dry grass crunching under the feet of someone and I drop her to her feet. She swipes at her mouth as do I, but it’s in vain.

“That’s pointless because I can see gloss all around your mouth, Bishop. Not to mention the flower stuck to your kleenex.”

I look down and see one of Anais’ flowers hanging onto my shirt. The fear that has built in my throat is difficult to push down and my gut fills with dread.

“Viv, listen–”

“You know,” she starts, interrupting me. “I thought I was being crazy when I saw you two interact last year. Anais obviously had stars in her eyes and you were physically holding yourself back from her. But I told myself it was a little crush that would fade once she started college.”

“Vivian, you're right. I wanted Bishop the first moment I saw him. And he tried hard to push me away, but how do you tell your heart to stop loving the one you were made for?”

“Love? Are you kidding me, right now?” Viv’s face turns a shade of red that matches her hair and it tells me we’re all in for it.

“We should’ve told you and Nix. But like we told the others, we th–” I start.

“Everyone else knows? Bishop.” The look of disappointment on her face is like a sharp dagger to my side.

“They-we told them because they were starting to figure it out. We planned to tell you and Nix after the series. We didn’t want to throw off his game. And then it’s just been so busy we haven’t had time.”

“Please Vivian,” Anais pleads, rushing to Viv and taking her hands. “Don’t tell Uncle Nix yet. Let us do it. Please. I know he’s going to be upset, but we need to be the ones to tell him.”

Viv stares at Anais then turns to me. I can tell she’s warring with herself over what the right thing to do is. I don’t blame her. I’d feel the same if the tables were turned, but they’re not and I need her to keep this secret.

“Do you even understand the position you are putting me in? How would you feel if he held a secret from you?” She juts her chin at me and I watch Anais’ eyes fall. “Exactly.”

She drops Anais’ hands and takes a few steps back and begins to talk to herself while walking in a circle. I rush to Anais’ side and pull her into my arms. Small tears have begun to leave glistening tracks down her cheeks, and I wipe them away with my thumb.

“It’s okay, baby girl. We’ll be fine. Together, remember?” I remind her and she presses her forehead to my chest and nods.

“Two weeks,” Vivian spits. “I’m giving you guys two weeks to come clean to Phoenix. After that, I’m spilling the tea. Got it?”

She repeats a similar threat to the one the rest of the crew uttered to us.

“Got it,” we say in unison.

“I’ll text him on Monday and ask about going to dinner.” I move Anais to stay tucked under one arm, then tug Vivian to me and hug her under the other as best I can with her giant peach costume. Kissing the top of her head, I croak out, “Thanks, Red.”

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.” She hugs me back, her tiny arms barely reach my belly button and I can’t help but chuckle.

“You’re the cutest damn angry peach I’ve ever seen,” I joke.

She socks me in the gut, much like the ones she administers to Nix on the daily, and now I know that he isn’t joking when he doubles over in pain. She’s small but mighty.

“I’m going back inside. And you two better hurry it up before Phoenix comes looking.”

We nod our heads and I give Anais one last kiss before sending her off for the night with a plea to be careful.

I’m able to enjoy the festivities with everyone, but only because my butterfly sends me a flurry of texts throughout the night.

🦋: <I’m Not High, I’m In Love - Bebe Rexha>

🦋: <On my Love - Zara Larsson & David Guetta>

🦋: <True Romance - Tove Lo>

Each one brings a bigger and brighter smile to my face and I tell myself that no matter how hard it’s going to be, the sooner we tell Nix the better. Then I can walk proudly with my girl by my side.

30

ANAIS

“So you two are pretty serious, huh?” Keyara and I lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, having girl talk.

“I mean, as serious as I’ve ever been. I dated a few guys in high school but only really did anything with one guy. And we didn’t even date all that much. But there’s just this way he makes me feel. It’s a high I’ve never known before. Euphoric, really. So to me, the feeling that I have tells me it’s pretty real.” I try to explain, however, I don’t think it’s the exact words.

There are no words to explain my feeling for Bishop. Yes, there’s the fact that I love him, but it’s more than that. And to ask me how I know since I’ve never been “in love” is difficult to answer. The words can’t express it adequately and since they can’t reach inside my chest and feel the way my heart beats for him, this is all I have to give.

“Shit. He has you using words like euphoric and high. Those aren’t fuck around words.” She rolls over to her side, propping her head on her fist and looking at me. “When are you telling your Uncle? Seems like he’s the only one who doesn’t know.”

I close my eyes and blow out a hot breath. “I dunno, but I know we need to do it soon. Viv gave us two weeks and it’s already been four days since then. I should just go down to his office and sit there while he calls Nix. Every time he says he’s going to do it, we get…distracted.” Keyara smirks and rolls her eyes. “At least in his office, we have no other choice than to call him.”

“Oh c’mon. You mean you’ve never been to his office and got busy on the desk? That I don’t believe.”

“Well believe it, chica. I have never been to his office. In the beginning there was never a reason to go all the way over there. It’s not like I have a class by the baseball fields. And now, I just go to his house. We just seem to get distracted there. So I see the office as a neutral place.”

She shrugs and rolls back on the mattress. “Why don’t you go down there now since our class was canceled. We have that lab later.”

I pop up off the bed when she reminds me of our lab. “Oh shit. I forgot about that. Okay. I’m going down there and should be back in about thirty minutes.”

“Suuure, thirty minutes. Twenty bucks says you take an hour and get busy on the desk.” She holds out her hand and I smack it away.

“You better have a twenty in that wallet because I’m not waiting for you to go to the ATM to get my money.” I grab my keys and stick my driver’s license in the back pocket of my jeans. Just before I walk out I sing, “Bitch betta have my munay!”

I laugh all the way to the practice fields where Bishop’s office is. I’ve never actually been here, so I don’t know if I need an escort or pass to get in, so I decide to text him once I’m parked and standing outside.

Me: Hey big guy. You busy right now?

I watch as it immediately goes from delivered to read and then watch as the dots dance on my screen until it buzzes in my hand with a response.

♟️: I’m never too busy for you, baby girl. What do you need?

Me: Go open the front door of your building.

♟️: ????

Me: Just do it. <tongue sticking out emoji>

I pocket my phone and stand bouncing on my toes for him to open the door.

When it finally bursts open, I hold my arms wide and say, “Ta-da!”

The look on his face is one of confusion, but it only takes a second for it to light up. I skip over to him and jump into his arms. I plant big sloppy kisses on his face, happy to be showing my affection out in the open instead of locked behind closed doors.

“Hola mi cariño,” I murmur against his lips.

“Hi baby girl. What are you doing here?” He sets me down on my feet and takes my hand in his, twining our fingers together.

“Well, it’s twofold really. One, I missed you and needed my teddy bear hug.” He kisses the back of my hand and leads me through the doors. “By the way, I wasn’t sure if I needed like, an escort or something to come in.”

“You don’t. The doors are open when I’m here.”

“Cool. I’ll remember that. And two, I think we have some business we need to take care of.” We walk into his office and he closes the door behind him.

I look around his office for the first time and see that while there are some typical items you’d find in a coach’s office, there are also a lot of personal touches. He has pictures of all of his friends mixed in with baseball pictures and memorabilia. I see a pic of him and a toddler Dagen, and one with an older man that looks just like him and a gorgeous woman.

“Are these your parents?” I ask, pointing to the picture.

He nods with a “mhm.”

“Well hell. If that’s what I have to look forward to when you’re that age…sign me the fuck up.”

He smiles that charming and carefree smile that has me melting like a popsicle on the sidewalk on a hot summer day.

“C’mere, baby.” He sits in his big chair and pats his lap for me which I quickly take. “What business do we have to take care of?”

I inhale, puffing up my cheeks, then blow it out. “We need to call Phoenix and set a date for dinner. It’s time we tell him.”

Bishop’s body turns stiff and his fingers fist around my sweatshirt. He closes his eyes and presses his forehead to my shoulder.

“I know. Aside from Viv’s ultimatum, he deserves to know. And he should hear it from us. Not anyone else.” I scratch my nails over the back of his head, the freshly shaved fade prickling the tips of my fingers.

“So…you wanna call him and pick a day for dinner? Don’t tell him I’m going. I think it’s best not to have him stewing over why I am going. We’ll just show up, which will probably be all he needs to figure out what's going on, but at least he won’t be fuming for days over it.”

“That’s smart. Okay. Let’s do that. What evening is best? Want to do this Friday?” His fingers twirl and wrap around my curls as he stares into my eyes.

“Friday is good.” My voice is but a raspy whisper as I feel my body begin to light up.

Our breaths grow heavy as does the air around us. I move, sliding my legs so that I’m straddling him as he sits in his chair. I trail my eyes all along his face, taking in his neatly trimmed beard and the scar on his right cheekbone from when a baseball to the face busted it. I land on his lips last and capture them with mine.

His hands move to my ass and he squeezes while opening his mouth to me and caressing my tongue with his. My hips start to roll and I rub up against him like a cat begging for a scratch.

Damn. I’m going to owe Keyara twenty bucks.

Bishop rises from his chair with me still attached to him, and sets me down to sit on his desk. His big, rough hands slide under my sweatshirt, skating over my ribs until they each hold a breast in them.

While he’s consumed with me, I consume myself with him and stretch the waistband of his pants, sticking my hand inside. His thick cock pulses with need and I slowly begin to stroke him. The growl that crawls up from his chest rumbles and roars, sounding almost dangerous. But I know my man. He’s a cuddly bear wrapped in a hard shell.

His mouth works its way over to my neck and nips at the sensitive skin. I stroke him faster and he rips the sweatshirt over my head. The cups of my bra are pulled down and he latches onto my peaked nipples. His tongue laps at me and the dampness between my legs grows.

“Are you going to fuck me on your desk, Coach Michaels?”

He takes my nipple between his teeth and clamps down, the bite of pain rippling over me.

“Oh, Ms. De La Cruz. I’m going to do more than fuck you. I’m going to ravage you. Every inch of this body will bear the remnants of my ruination.”

My body shivers with his words and under his touch, longing to be ravaged by only him. I reach around to unclasp my bra when a loud knock sounds at the door.

We both freeze, looks of sheer panic written all over our faces.

“Yo Bish,” the voice calls and I feel the life drain out of me.

On the other side of the door stands my uncle, unknowing of my presence. I jump off his desk and tug my sweatshirt back on just as another knock sounds. I’ve barely set it in place when the door opens, Phoenix standing there with a smile.

“Ana?” He says when he spots me.

My chest rises and falls with rapid speed and I swear I can hear Bishop’s teeth rattling beside me.

“What are you…” he looks at me and then towards Bishop.

When the excitement of seeing me fades and anger ripples over, it’s the moment my world comes crashing down.

“Why are you here, Ana?” I fumble with my words, wondering why my voice won’t work. “Answer me!” he bellows.

“Nix. Calm down and I’ll explain.” Bishop approaches him slowly, his hands held out in front of him. “We were just talking about calling you because–”

“Oh? You were talking? Really, because it looks like you were taking advantage of my niece!”

Phoenix lunges for Bishop, reaching for his throat, but Bishop dodges out of the way.

“Please, Uncle Nix. Just listen,” I beg.

“Shut up and get out of here, Ana” he bellows.

“Don’t you fucking talk to her like that.” Bishop roars so loud, it feels like the door shakes on its hinges.

“I’m going to murder you, you goddamn bastard.” Phoenix jumps at him once more and this time, Bishop fails to move fast enough.

Phoenix’s fist connects with Bishop’s face and I watch his head fling over his right shoulder. He stumbles back but doesn’t fall, and holds his hands out in front of him again.

“Nix. I’m sorry. Just listen,” Bishop tries again.

“How could you? She’s my niece and you’re my best friend.” Phoenix takes advantage of Bishop softening his guard and rushes him.

I yelp when Phoenix’s head barrels into Bishop’s gut, and plows him straight into the wall. The sound of cracking drywall has me screaming. Their bodies hit the floor and Phoenix’s arms begin flying out of control.

“Stop it!” I screech, but it does nothing to calm his fury.

“Fight back, motherfucker,” Phoenix yells at Bishop, hitting him again and again.

I see spurts of blood as they splash on the wall and I cry louder.

“I’m not…not fighting you.” Bishop grunts and I hear the crunching of bone on bone.

“You piece of shit. She’s just a kid.” Phoenix heaves but never stops his attack.

All Bishop can do is hold his hands up to guard his face, but even that is a failed attempt.

“Someone. Please help me!” I begin screaming at the top of my lungs for someone to hear us.

There is no way I can stop Phoenix on my own, but aside from the sounds of his fists pounding into flesh, I hear no one.

“Hit me. Give me one more reason to rip your spine out with my bare hands.” Phoenix continues to shout while throwing punch after punch.

My crying is blurring everything together, but I can make out the blood that covers Phoenix’s hands and paints the wall and floor.

“Sto-stop,” I wail.

With no other choice, I jump on Phoenix’s back but catch an elbow right in my eye, throwing me back onto the floor where I land with a thud. My head smacks the hard surface and for a moment, I see stars.

“Anais.” Phoenix realizes what he’s done and seizes his bludgeoning of Bishop. “I’m sorry.”

I hear Bishop coughing and work to push up on my elbows. Phoenix rushes over to help me but when his bloody and busted hand reaches out for me, I scramble further away from him.

“Bishop,” I cry and crawl over to where he lays.

Blood is pouring from his nose or mouth or, I don’t know. His face is a complete mess. So much that I can’t even make out his features.

“What did you do?” I sob.

My hands shake as they hover over him, my fear of touching him stopping me from throwing my body over his.

“Get away from him, Anais,” Phoenix barks but I don’t even acknowledge him.

Against my better judgment I finally lay my hands on Bishop and try to wipe away some of the massacre on his face.

“It’s okay, cariño. I’ll get help.” Only grunts and groans come from him as does blood when it flies from his mouth when he coughs again. “Bishop. I’m sorry.”

My words hiccup as the force of my crying takes over. My hands continue to wipe at the blood. When my hands slip, I pull my sweatshirt off and use it to mop him up.

“You were my brother, now you’re nothing. You’re nothing more than a dead man walking,” Phoenix spits.

“Shut up! You asshole. Get out of here before I call the cops and have you arrested. I hate you. I hate you!”

I jump to my feet and rush at him much like he did to Bishop. I pound on his chest and the shrill of my screams is like nothing I’ve ever heard.

“Ana,” Phoenix grips my wrists, squeezing them between his powerful hands. “He’s the one going to jail. He’s finished. Hear that, you worthless piece of shit? You’re finished here.”

“The school knows about us. Everyone knows about us. Let me…go.” I yank free of him and push at his large body. “Everyone knows about the two of us. Even your precious little Vivian. We were going to call you today to ask you to dinner so we could tell you.”

Phoenix takes slow steps backwards, shaking his head in disbelief.

“No she doesn’t. Vivian wouldn’t hide something like this from me.”

“Well she did! They all did. But everyone is too afraid of the hothead Phoenix West. Who do you think will be done once I go to the police about this? What do you think the doctors are going to ask when Bishop shows up like he is?”

I turn back to Bishop who lies silent and curled up on the floor. I can see blood pouring from a cut above his eye and I’m pretty sure his nose is broken, at the very least.

“I’m calling an ambulance and we’re going to get you to the hospital. Together. O-okay?”

I pull my phone from my back pocket and tried to open it, but all the blood just has my fingers sliding all over the screen. I have no choice but to either ask for Phoenix’s help or use the phone on his desk. It means I have to leave his side, but I stand and walk over to the phone on the corner of the desk and pick up the receiver. I dial 9-1-1, then stretch out the cord as far as it will go so I can return to Bishop’s side.

“9-1-1. Do you need fire, medical or police?” the voice asks when it answers.

“Medic and-and police. Please hurry.”

I answer her questions –where is the emergency, what happened, who’s in need of assistance– and do the things she tells me. I check for his pulse which is strong, and though his breathing is labored, it’s steady.

“We have someone on their way. I’m going to stay on the phone with you until they get there.”

“Th-thank you,” I tell her, and lay down next to Bishop. “They’re on their way, baby. Just a few more minutes.”

Not caring about the flesh and blood, I kiss his lips, tears pouring down my face. Bishop’s body is bruised and battered and if someone could see my heart, it would look the same.

This is beyond my greatest fear. I never thought for one moment that my Uncle could be capable of such destruction. Destruction to a man he called a brother.

“You need to leave Phoenix unless you want to get arrested.” He stands, unmoving, in the doorway.

“How could you two betray me?” His voice is choked with emotion, but I really don’t care what he’s feeling right now.

“How could you do this to your best friend? And to me?!”

“He’s not my best friend. He’s not the man that I thought I knew.”

“Yeah, well neither are you. Bishop’s not done, I’m done. With you.”

I turn my back to him once more and don’t lift my head again until the EMT’s are pushing their way in the small office.

They put him on a gurney and I look over to where Phoenix was standing, but he’s gone.

It’s best that he is because if anything happens to Bishop, he’s the one who should be scared for his life.

31

ANAIS

“Don’t you think we should just bring the bed down and move your office stuff into the garage for now? I don’t want you walking up and down the stairs.” I have my hand lightly wrapped around Bishop’s torso on one side and Vaughan does the same on the other.

“Baby girl, I do not need y’all moving things in and out of the downstairs office. I’ll be just fine. I’ll stay mostly in my room and only come down to eat.” Bishop puts some weight on the two of us as he takes the first step.

“Man, I agree with Ana. Hayes and Luca and I can move things around. It won’t be a problem.” Vaughan takes the lead in front of Bishop to take more of the weight as we move upstairs.

“It is a problem. I don’t want to put you guys out for something that will be fine in a couple of days. I didn’t break anything and yes, I’m sore. But I can manage going up and down the stairs,” he says with a loud grunt.

“A couple of days?” I ask, skeptically.

When we arrived at the ER the other night, it was sheer madness. I was being asked question after question. My mind was a muddled mess because while I wanted to spill everything and throw Phoenix under the bus, he’s still my Uncle and I love him despite all of this. I tried to tell them it was a blur, but they began rushing him off to a room. I wasn’t allowed back and I had to beg them to come get me when they had news. I think they thought I was his family in some way, but in that moment I didn’t care. I just wanted to know every detail and for him to be okay.

It was a few hours before they let me back and I ran as fast as I could down the hall. Just as I had assumed, his nose was broken and his left cheek was fractured. He had a huge cut above his eye that had been stitched up as well as on his lip. His face was swollen –one eye completely shut– and he had some sore, but not broken ribs.

They kept him there for two nights just to be sure he was fine, but he insisted on coming home on the third day, which is today. He’s not big on people fussing over him. The only people I called were Bishop’s parents. I was so angry with Phoenix that the others were on my shit list by default.

I did have to reach out to Vaughan for his mom’s number as I didn’t have it or Bishop’s phone. When he asked why I needed it I told him, “Because I do”. I think my attitude was enough for him to just comply.

It was the next day when everyone else started to show up, but by that time I had informed his parents about what happened –after introducing myself as Bishop’s girlfriend– and I begged them not to let anyone else back.

His mother, Francine, was quite hesitant at first, but finally agreed after deciding he needed to rest and heal before the gang descended. To say that they weren’t happy is an understatement but again, I don’t care.

My phone was blowing up after they found out what happened. The fact that Phoenix returned home with busted and bloody hands was a giveaway that something bad had happened. I only answered my mom’s calls and she wasn’t really thrilled over the revelations.

“Anais. What did you do?” She asked.

“What did I do? Why don’t you ask your asshole brother that question?”

“Hey. He is still your Uncle and you will not disrespect him.”

“Momma, if you saw what he did, you’d say the same thing.”

I explained to her in extreme detail what happened and even sent pictures of Bishop’s face. She was appalled and even cried when I told her how Bishop wouldn’t even lift a finger because Phoenix is a brother and he refuses to hurt him.

She was upset that I was dating a much older man and not at all happy about how our relationship had progressed so quickly, but she has known Bishop for many years and knows exactly the kind of man he is.

We talked it out, I told her how I feel, how Bishop feels, and let her know that if she didn’t support us, she could join her brother in the ex-family line. Happy to say that she’s here for me. For us. Now I have to talk to my gramma, but I have a feeling she will not need to be won over. She’s all about my happiness.

We make it to the top of the stairs and we’re greeted with smiling faces. Francine is right there ready to practically pull Bishop into her arms, and the rest of the ladies all stand silently happy. I’m sure they’re all relieved to see that he is okay but in all honesty, I don’t want to see any of them. I just want to hide away with Bishop and shut them out.

“Oh my baby boy,” Francine says, rushing to his side.

She reaches up and gently takes his face in her hands and looks at him with unshed tears in her eyes.

“Mama, I’m okay. Please don’t cry.”

“Francine, how many times do I have to tell you? He is not a boy. He stopped being a boy when he was twelve years old and grew taller than you and sprouted a mustache.” I snort at his dad, Darius.

Francine bats his comments away and I just freaking love them. I hope we’re like that when we get older.

“Hey Bish,” Camille says apprehensively. “Come sit on the couch. We brought plenty of food for you. All your favorites.”

“He’s going to his room. The doctor gave him painkillers and he needs to take them and get some rest,” I snap at her and walk right past all of them. “C’mon big guy. Up one more flight.”

“You know son, why don’t you stay in the guest room so you don’t have to climb those stairs?” Darius tells him.

Again, I chuckle because the look Bishop gives his father is clearly full of annoyance.

“We tried that, Darius. He wasn’t having any of it,” I tell him with an apologetic shrug.

“Hey. I have a great idea. How about I speak for myself?” We all look at Bishop, a little surprised by his tone. “Sorry. I’m just tired and don’t want you all going out of your way for me.”

I slide my hand to his and lace our fingers together. “We’re just worried about you, big guy. That’s all.”

He squeezes my hand then brings it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it.

“I know, and I appreciate it. I’m just used to doing things on my own, so it feels strange having others do it all for me. Especially talking.” He gives everyone an arched brow as somewhat of a warning.

“Sorry, son. It’s difficult to turn off mom mode when all I want to do is hold you and bandage you up like I used to when you were just a boy. But you’re right. We’ll back off…a little. You’re crazy if you think we’re going to leave you alone. We’re staying, but maybe not hover so much.” Francine gives him a loving smile that reaches her eyes.

“Thanks, mama. However at the moment, y’all are the ones who are correct. I’m pretty tired and could use some sleep.”

Vaughan and I wrap our arms around him like we did before, and help him upstairs to his bedroom. I turn down his bed, then rummage through his drawers for lounge pants and t-shirt.

“Anais. I can do that. You don’t need to.”

“Well maybe I want to do it, okay.” I arch my brow at him and as best as he can with a busted lip and swollen face, he smiles.

Vaughan helps him sit on the edge of the bed and I ask him to grab his medicine and a glass of water while I help him get comfortable. Once he’s changed and propped up on his fluffy pillows, I kiss his forehead and place the half full glass of water on his nightstand.

“Go to sleep and then I’ll fix us some dinner when you wake up.”

“You’re gonna make us dinner?” he cracks.

“No, you jerk. I will warm up the food that has already been made. I’m sure your parents will want to stay and have dinner with us, so I’ll get the living room set with some trays.”

“Babe–”

“Hush. I wasn’t asking.” I place a finger tenderly over his lips to silence him. “I’m putting your music on low, but I bet you’ll be asleep in less than five minutes.”

I give him one last kiss and turn to set his music, but he grips my arms and swings me back around.

“Thank you, baby girl. For helping me and for being by my side. You really didn’t need to do all of this.” His eyes are soft and sincere, and it starts my waterworks all over again.

“I love you, big guy. There isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be than by your side. Always.”

He tugs me to him and I plant my hands on the bed, not wanting to give him my weight or hurt him. He kisses my lips softly and intimately. I lay my head gently on his chest, listening to the way his heart beats, and he combs his fingers through my hair.

“I love you, too,” he whispers with a yawn, and I slowly stand up.

“Sleep. We’ll talk more, later.” I caress his face and he closes his eyes, nodding his head, already drifting off.

I turn on his music and walk back downstairs to find all eyes on me.

“All good, dear?” Francine asks.

“Yeah. I’m sure he’ll sleep for a while so we can have dinner with him when he’s up.”

“Oh that’s a good idea. I think he has a fold out table we can bring up,” Vivian begins, but I put a quick stop to that shit.

“Actually I meant only Francine, Darius and me. He doesn’t need a lot of people around right now. In fact, y’all can leave. He’s sleeping. I’ll make sure he checks in with you in a few days.”

Vivian’s jaw drops to the floor and the look on everyone else's face is quite amusing.

“Excuse me, but I think we have a right to stay. He’s our friend,” Viv throws back.

“Yeah, and it’s your fucking fiancée who put him in this condition. Why are you even here, Vivian? Go home and take care of that asshole because I’m sure he needs someone to lick his wounds now that he lost his best friend and his niece.”

“Anais,” Camille gasps, but I roll my eyes at her.

“I think that’s inappropriate,” CeCe chimes in.

“I don’t give a flying fuck what you all think. Especially you, CeCe,” I growl, pointing a finger in her face. “All he has asked for was your support and you have done nothing but judge him. You look down your nose at he and I, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out what I did that is so awful. I know he was right there for you with Luca. He has always been right there for every one of you, supporting you through heartbreak and happiness, and all he asked was for you to be happy for him.”

I’m suddenly full of rage and my chest heaves with anger. They all look back at me with ashamed faces and some –aka CeCe– don’t look at me at all. Tears begin to build in my eyes and I refuse to let them see me cry.

“Excuse me,” I say and rush past them and up to Bishop’s room where I climb into bed with him and cry myself to sleep.

“Ana.” The whisper of my name causes my eyes to flutter open.

The light is fading in the room and I stretch my limbs out, rolling over to see what it was that woke me. When I turn I see the smiling face of Francine. She pushes my wild hair away from my face and lays her soft hand on my cheek.

“Hi doll. Why don’t you come down and have some dinner.” I look over my shoulder and see Bishop still sleeping hard.

I face Francine again and nod my head. “Okay,” I agree just as my stomach gurgles loudly.

She laughs and stands back to allow me to climb from the bed. I follow her downstairs where Darius sits at the table amongst plates and dishes of food.

“Should we wake Bishop?” I ask them.

“No. Let him sleep. Plus, that boy has plenty of meat on his body. He’ll be okay missing a meal.” Darius winks, standing from his chair and holding mine out for me.

I thank him and sit, picking up the glass water that sits in front of me and quench my parched mouth.

Francine plates some food for me –macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, a dinner roll and a slice of ham– and pushes it in front of me.

“Thank you.” I pull the plate closer and stab my fork right into the macaroni and cheese, only now realizing how hungry I am.

With all of the chaos of the last two days, I didn’t eat much more than a protein bar and a few too many sodas. The protein bar was shoved into my hand by Keyara as I grabbed my backpack and an overnight bag that she packed for me. She was playing mother hen and insisted I eat something because how could I take care of Bishop if I couldn’t care for myself, first.

When I called her after contacting Bishop’s parents and told her what had happened –breaking down into hard sobs– she told me she would pack some things for me and have them ready to pass off.

“I apologize for how I behaved earlier. I guess I was a little overwhelmed,” I say, humbly.

“Sweetheart,” Francine sets her fork down on her plate and reaches over, placing her hand on mine. “Don’t apologize. What you did was give those friends of his a swift, hard kick of truth. And the truth isn’t always so pretty when it hits you in the face.”

“My brilliant wife is correct. You told them exactly what they needed to hear but didn’t want to. Bishop has been everyone’s number one fan for all of the happy moments in their lives, and he’s also been there to console and support them through the lows. When he needed them the most, they weren’t exactly as supportive as he has always been.”

I swallow back a ball of emotion that builds in my throat.

“After you walked off, I gave them all a talk of my own. I had to bring out momma Frannie and boy did they revert to the fourteen year old kids who had just been caught ditching school.” Francine chuckles at what seems like a memory. “I think what it comes down to is their desire to see Bishop happy and having all of the things he deserves. What they failed to see was that with you, that is exactly what he has.”

My nose stings and I clench my jaw to stop from crying. I’ve done more than enough of it over the past few days to last me a couple of years.

“The majority of them told us they were on our side, but it never really felt like it. I get that we were keeping a pretty big secret from the one person who deserved to know most of all, but no one offered to be there for us to come clean to him. Everyone knows how Uncle Nix’s temper can be, but not one of them said they would stand with us. All we got were ultimatums to tell him or they were going to do it. They know exactly how he would react to having news like that thrown in his face. Why didn’t one, just one, say hey, let us go with you to tell Phoenix? Give us some extra strength in numbers that we’d need to face him. But they all turned their backs, feeding us bullshit and topping it off with ‘you do it or we will’ threats. Pardon my language.”

I stop my rant and run the back of my hand over my soggy eyes.

“You really love that boy, don’t you?” Darius asks with a smile only a father could have for their child.

“Very much. It’s quick and silly and maybe even a little naive, but it’s real and that’s all that matters.”

“Doll,” Francine says, placing her folded hands on the table. “Let me tell you a little story about a boy and a girl who had that same kind of fast and consuming love. I was twenty, just about to enter my junior year of college, when I began seeing this boy.”

“A child is more like it,” Darius throws in.

Francine shakes her head and continues. “We had been dating for about three months and I foolishly thought it was love. One day, a friend from back home in Houston came to pay him a visit. My boyfriend thought it would be great to introduce me to his childhood best friend. We met this friend for dinner and low and behold, who walks in?”

“Me.”

“Darius.” The two say in unison.

“It was like an electric shock to my system the minute she touched my hand. All of a sudden I hated my friend for taking a woman that was meant to be mine.” Tears build in my eyes once again when I hear Darius talk about his first meeting with his wife.

“I had a similar feeling, but didn’t know what to do about it. How was I supposed to tell my then boyfriend that I felt a connection with his friend? Needless to say, the breakup wasn’t a good one. A friendship was lost and a lot of tears were shed. Some of my friends abandoned me, and the place I once loved was now somewhere I couldn't stomach being.

“Darius and I began dating just six weeks after our first meeting. We talked in secret and wrote letters to one another. And when the semester ended, I made the decision to leave Ohio and transfer to Houston. By January, Darius and I were engaged and by the start of our senior year, we were living as husband and wife.”

“Boy, our families were shocked,” Darius adds with a whistle. “But when they saw how serious we were, they knew it was either get on-board or stand back because we were moving fast and nothing was stopping us.”

“Our Bishop came four years later, and thirty-five years later we still mostly like each other.” Francine laughs.

“So you see, Ana, we understand what it feels like more than most. I won’t deny that you’re young –younger than most people deem appropriate– but when you find the one, you shouldn’t let anything or anyone get in your way.”

I breathe deep as I try to calm my racing heart and look between the two of them. Why couldn’t everyone else understand this? I’m not after Bishop’s money, I’m not using him to help me advance in school, and he isn’t some fling that I need to work out of my system, and then brag that I was with an older man.

All I want is to love him and build a life together, one day. Why is that so hard to accept?

“What did you two say to make her cry?” Bishop’s voice is strained and I look up to see him struggling down the stairs.

“Bishop,” I exclaim, and fly out of my chair and up to the step he has stopped at to help me. “Why didn’t you call for me? I would’ve gone up to help you.”

“I wasn’t about to scream your name like you’re my beck and call nurse.” He grips the railing a little tighter and I come up beside him, dipping under his arm and wrapping my arms around him. “Hi baby girl.”

“Hey big guy.” I look up at him, my eyes aglow, and he releases the railing for just a moment to touch my face. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” he growls, and I enlarge my eyes to let him know to cool it in front of his parents.

“Baby, come sit down and eat. I’ll fix you a plate.” Francine is already buzzing around, filling his plate and getting him a glass of water.

We walk carefully down the stairs and Darius meets us to help assist him to the table. We all sit down, and Francine begins sawing at the ham, cutting it into smaller bites.

“For the love of God, Fran. You gonna spoon feed him, too?” Darius watches as she does everything but feed him.

I laugh and look over at Bishop who is already staring at me, a cracked smile on his face and I just know…I know it’ll all work out. With or without our friends behind us. And it won’t matter because we’ll have each other and that’s the only thing we need.

32

BISHOP

“Anais, Go! To. Class. My mom is here and I’ll be just fine. You don’t need to miss any more days or assignments.” Anais begrudgingly brushes her teeth after eating a wonderful breakfast my mother prepared for us.

“Buwaifuneemetoelpusower?” she mumbles through a mouth of foaming toothpaste.

“Babe, rinse then talk.”

It’s been one week since the day Phoenix found out about us, and my parents have been staying here with Anais and I, since I came home from the hospital.

None of them will leave my side and I gotta say, I could really use some breathing room. Not because I don’t love having them around, but because they won’t even let me stand up without hovering.

“I said,” she calls out, wiping her mouth clean. “What if you need me to help you shower? You really want your mom doing that?”

“I’ll wait until this evening and you can help me then. You need to catch up with your assignments. Finals will be here in no time and you cannot afford to fail.”

She plops herself down on the bed, a cute pout on her face, and says, “If that happens then I’ll just figure something out. I can go to a different school or I ca–”

“Absolutely not, Anais. You will not sacrifice your education at an elite university because you’re afraid to leave me for a few hours. It’s a non-negotiable. I have some things I need to catch up on for baseball now that I can see through my eye. So it will be good to have a little alone time.” My fingers dance along her smooth cheek and I run my finger over her plump bottom lip. “Besides, my mom is here and you know she’s not going to let me do much more than walk downstairs. I’ll be fine…I promise.”

She blows out a breath, her cheeks puffing up, and concedes. “Fine. But you better text me if anything comes up.”

“Of course, baby girl. Now get. Also, go have lunch with your friends.”

“What? Bishop, n–”

“Please. For me. I need you to do that. It’s the only thing I’m asking of you.”

She glares at me and crosses her arms over her chest. She tries to pull out the face that usually works to get me to cave, but I’m not having it this time.

“That’s not going to work.”

“Ugh. Why are you so bossy?” She throws herself back on the bed, her arms spread wide out to her sides.

“Because you like it.” I waggle my brows at her, and she tries miserably to hide her smile.

“Sometimes, not always.” Her cheeks heat to a rosy red and I know exactly what she’s thinking about because I’m thinking about it, too.

“Up. Go. Now.” I stand and take one of her hands and tug her up and off the bed. “You’ll be done in no time.”

I kiss her forehead and smack her ass, urging her forward and downstairs.

“Bye, you big bossy pants. Class, lunch, and then I’m coming home,” she shouts. I gulp when the word home leaves her mouth.

I have had dreams of Anais calling this her home. I want her here, with me, and one day I want us to buy our first home together. The home we’ll raise our children in. I understand I may be jumping ahead a few hundred steps but I just know, deep in my bones, that she is the last woman I will ever love. All I need is her.

I listen to my mom say goodbye to Anais and the door closes as she leaves. Soft footsteps pad their way up the stairs until mom appears in the doorway.

“Can I do anything for you, son?” She walks gingerly to my side and rubs her hand over my forehead as if she’s checking for a fever.

“I’m good ma. I’m just going to do a little bit of work, check in with the team and work on scheduling.”

“Okay, well try not to push yourself too hard. I’ll bring you some lunch in a few hours. I’m going to do some laundry and plan dinner.” She kisses my forehead and smiles before walking back downstairs.

I get comfortable in bed and pull my laptop over to start working.

The feeling of soft lips on my neck stirs me from my sleep. They trail up my neck and lick my earlobe. A sultry voice whispers, “ Quiero hacerte sentir bien.”

“Hm?” I mumble, not understanding what the voice said.

A hand slides down my body and into my sweats and it grips my hardening cock. My eyes roll open and I see my girl hovering above me, looking like an angel sent to carry me away to nirvana.

Her mouth follows the path her hand did and I know I should stop her because my parents are downstairs, but it feels too good. Her hand slides up and down my dick, now fully alert and ready to play. My back arches and my head digs into my pillow. Her mouth descends on my dick and I feel like I could melt.

“Fuuuck,”I hiss, my lungs suddenly growing tight. “Baby, my parents.”

Her mouth releases me with a pop and I miss it. “They’re not here. They needed to run some errands and I told them to go because I was home for the night. It’s just us, and I locked the door.”

She immediately returns to sucking me and my hand finds its way into her hair that sits on top of her head in a giant bun. Like a handle for me to grip while I fuck her mouth.

My hips roll in time with her mouth, growing harder and more needy with each swipe of her tongue.

“Get up here. I need to fuck you,” I growl and reach down, grabbing under her arms and pulling her up to me.

My mouth takes hers in a hard kiss and I let my tongue explore hers. I can feel her hot pussy as she gyrates, and my hands grip her ass to pull her closer and give us more friction.

“Take off these fucking pants, Anais, and get on my dick. I want you to ride me.”

She scrambles to yank her pants and underwear free and grips the base of my cock before slamming down on it.

She moans when I stretch her wide.

“Does that feel good, baby girl? Do you like the way my fat cock stretches that tight little pussy wide?”

“Yesss,” her moan is breathy and a ripple of shivers rolls over my body.

She plants her hands on my chest and immediately pulls them away, her eyes flying open.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No, baby girl. You’ll only hurt me if you stop.” I grip her hips and start to rub her back and forth.

She reaches up and pulls her hair free, the curly strands cascading like waterfall over her shoulder and down her back. Her delicate fingers grip the hem of her t-shirt and slowly lift it up, like a seductive dance. Her bra remains and she quickly frees herself of that, leaving her gloriously naked.

Her hands return to my chest and she moves faster, going deep, and I feel her wall clench around my dick. The bounce of her tits is mesmerizing, and I watch them like a hypnotist's watch.

“You’re so goddamn sexy, Anais. And you’re all mine.”

“All…yours.” Her nipples are hard and I know she’s close.

I pinch one and roll it between my fingers the way I know she likes. I feel her grow wetter, the sounds of us colliding a perfect soundtrack.

“Fuck, Bishop. I’m gonna come.” She throws her head back and the tips of her hair brush against my thighs.

Her hips move faster, her tits sway, and I lick my thumb and press it to her sensitive clit. She gasps, as if taken by surprise, and her body curves as her orgasm takes over. I see the pulse in her throat beat fast and faster still. Her body tightens like a coil then just as suddenly, it releases. Her limbs grow weak and she collapses on my chest.

“Feel good, baby girl?” I rumble in her ear and she nods her head that rests in the crook of my neck.

I grip her waist tightly and flip her over in a flash and roll with her. I stay buried deep inside of her and feel the throbbing of her pussy around me. My brain says to go slow and draw this out for as long as possible, but my body can’t be patient.

My hips piston and I pump in and out of her, maybe a bit too aggressively. She whines as I drive faster and her fingernails dig into my forearms. I scoop one leg under her knee and pull it up, resting it on my shoulder. My appetite for her is voracious and I don’t ease up until I’m seeing stars and she’s crying out with reprieve.

I drop her leg, her body limber and loose, and I work hard to catch my breath. Anais lies with her arms spread wide and her eyes closed. Her face looks passive but then it slowly starts to change. A small smile cracks her lips and it doesn’t stop until it stretches across her entire beautiful face.

I drop down on the bed next to her on my stomach, and she turns her head to the side, her eyes popping open to look at me.

“Hey, big guy,” she pants.

I reach over and push a curl away from her face. “Hi, my little butterfly.”

Her smile, her eyes, her thirst for life, her ability to make me feel at peace…these are the gifts that make every other loss in life worth it.

A phone rings, shattering our bubble of bliss. “Nope. Not getting it,” Anais says, and rolls over and lays her arm across my back.

“What if it’s important?”

“Nothing is more important than this moment. But, we should get dressed because your parents will be coming back soon.”

Like we didn’t just wear each other out, Anais hops off the bed and grabs her clothes, slipping them back on in record time. As she’s putting herself back together, her phone rings three more times.

“Baby girl, I think you should answer it.”

“Ugh,” she groans and stomps over to where her purse sits.

She rummages through it and comes free with her phone. With wide eyes, she stares at the screen of her phone completely unmoving. I grow worried and roll off the bed, tucking myself back into my sweats before walking up beside her.

“What is it?” She turns the phone to face me and I see three texts and four missed calls.

All from Phoenix.

“Why don’t you see what he wants?” I suggest.

Her jaw clenches and her nostrils flare. “No way. He can go to hell.”

“Hey. C’mon, baby. Don’t talk like that. He’s still your uncle. Please see what he wants. It must be important if he’s called that many times.”

Her face turns sour and you can really see that young lady coming out. The one who wants to stomp her feet and slam her arms in frustration. I give her a look of my own, using the one that says more than any words could. I see the moment she backs down and resolves to call Nix.

She taps the screen and holds the phone up to her ear. “What?” she sasses like the little brat she can be.

Her face grows bored as she listens to whatever it is he’s saying.

“No thanks. If your apology comes with conditions I don’t want it. You can shove it straight up your a–” I jut out my hand and cover her mouth before the word can leave her mouth.

She looks at me and I shake my head. Her eyes roll and I drop my hand.

“I don’t want anything to do with you. What you did is unforgivable. I’ll never forgive you, Phoenix. So quit wasting your breath.” She pulls the phone away from her ear and hits the end button.

“I’m assuming Nix wants you to go down to his house.” She nods and crosses her arms over her chest. “I think you should go.”

“What? You’re crazy. There is no way I’m going over there. He said he wanted me and me alone, and that won’t fly with me. He owes you an apology and then some. Until he gives it, I won’t even consider making up with him.”

I rest my hands on my hips and let my shoulders sag. From the very beginning, this is exactly what I wanted to avoid. Breaking a family apart is not something I want to be the root of. There are only two ways I know that can fix this. Either break up with Anais, or never see my friends again.

The question is, which one won’t shred my heart when I let them go?

The answer, I lose either way. I either lose the one I know I’m meant to be with, or friendships that are thicker than blood.

33

ANAIS

I stand on the front stoop, building up the courage to ring the doorbell. I gave myself a pep talk the entire drive here, and called Bishop a couple of times to beg him to let me turn the car around.

I take one last deep breath in and out, then ring the bell. I take a step back, putting a little more space between myself and whomever answers, and wait. The locks click and the door swings open to reveal Phoenix standing in front of me, looking like he hasn’t slept in weeks.

“Hey Peanut,” he greets and reaches out to hug me.

I stick my hand out in front, stopping him before he can even touch me, and harden my stare.

“Phoenix,” I reply coldly, not bothering to address him as Uncle.

His smile drops and he steps aside. “Come on in. Viv made some dinner for us.”

I cross the threshold and keep moving past him and straight into the kitchen where I don’t plan to eat. I’m here to ‘talk’ as he said, and nothing more.

“Hi Ana,” Vivian calls with a smile, really working on her happy housewife routine. “I’m glad you could come. Are you thirsty? I have tea and lemonade and so–”

“No, thank you. I'm fine.” I have a seat at their kitchen table and fold my hands and rest them on top. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

I keep my tone flat and cold but it isn’t that hard since that’s all I feel for them at the moment.

For the last week, Cami, Vaughan, Hayes and Cat have called or texted Bishop and I daily to check in on us. If CeCe and Vivian have texted him, I wouldn’t know, and they surely haven’t bothered with me. Even Dagen has phoned her Uncle Bishop, worrying about him.

But Phoenix…not one. Damn. Word.

“How are you doing?” He asks me as if he didn’t just beat the shit out of his best friend.

“Good.” I glance at his knuckles that are scabbed and still bruised, then shoot daggers back at him.

“So, um, I want to apologize for how I spoke to you. I was angry and let that get the best of me.” He pauses waiting for me to accept his half-assed apology, but he should look elsewhere because he won’t get it from me. “Right. Well, how is school? You like your classes and everything?”

“They’re going well. I’m preparing for finals right after Thanksgiving. Is this what you called me all the way over here for? To ask me about school and give me a shitty apology? Because honestly, you could’ve done that over a text and saved me the time away from helping Francine with things around the house.”

Phoenix’s eyes burn red and his jaw hardens to stone. “Are you staying at his house?”

“He has a name and yes, I have been staying there. In case you didn’t know, since you and your fiancée don’t seem to care much, he needs assistance with some things. His eye was swollen shut, Phoenix. Sore ribs, fractured cheekbone, broken nose, cuts and bruises. It was more than a fat lip,” I hiss at him with equal fire.

“Alright. I’m just going to come out and say it. I’d like for you to transfer to LSU. I’ve already spoken with a few people I still have connections with, and with your grades and current status with Rice, I think they would offer you a full scholarship. You’d be closer to home, and I really think–”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? You want me to transfer to LSU? Why?” I wait to hear the words that I know are on the tip of his tongue, but they don’t fall. “Say it! Why?”

“Because I want you away from here and away from Bishop! He’s no good for you and you’ll see that once you’re away from him.”

I slam my hands on the table and stand, my chair falling to the floor with a loud crash. “You hate your best friend of almost fifteen years so much that you’d take away his happiness? My happiness? What is wrong with you? And you,” I say, directing my anger at Vivian. “You and CeCe talk about nothing but how you want Bishop to find someone to love and have a future with. Yet, when he finds it with me, it’s not good enough. Vivian, I thought I was being accepted by all of you. The women I have come to admire and look at as a group that I could hope to be a part of one day. I’ve dreamed of having friends like you. But now I understand you see me as nothing more than a child, relinquished to the kiddie table with Day.”

I reach down and yank my purse from where it lays tangled with the chair. I tug at it a few times before it comes free, then fling it over my shoulder and turn my back on people I thought were family. Tears sting my eyes, but I won’t dare let them see how much this is affecting me.

A strong hand squeezes my arm and spins me around. “You’re not going anywhere, Ana. Sit down, eat and listen to me. You’ll see that moving back to Louisiana is what’s best for your future.”

I tug on my arm, but his grip is iron clad. “Don’t touch me!” I screech and continue to try and free myself.

“Ana, please just listen to your Uncle. He knows what’s best,” Vivian rushes to our side just as I break away.

“Fuck you, Vivian. I don’t have an Uncle anymore.” She pulls back like I’ve hit her and I see her lip quiver.

“Hey! Don’t you–”

“Don’t what? Treat the person you love with such disrespect? Guess it runs in the family. Except, you’re no family of mine. I hate you, Phoenix West, and I will never forgive you. You may be able to order your little ‘Peaches’ around, but I’m not under your spell. Shame on both of you for treating Bishop this way. You’re no friends, you’re evil in disguise and you’ve broken his heart. Why don’t you go ahead and write me off the way you did to him because your treatment is harsher than any punch you could hit me with. I’ll have someone follow me over here one day to leave your car for you.”

“Ana, that is yours. I bought it as a gift.”

“And I want nothing from you! Not your gifts, not your apologies, and not your love. I’m finished with all of you. Bishop and I have one another and if that’s all we have, then I’ll live happy knowing someone loves and cherishes me without bounds.”

I quickly barge through the house and out to where my tainted car is parked.

“Ana. Please wait.” I unlock my door just as Vivian comes running out the front door. “Just wait. I’m sorry. We were only doing what we thought was best for you. Let me talk to him, okay. I’ll get him to come around. Maybe one day he’ll forgive Bishop but for now, I think you two should give the relationship a break.”

“Maybe one day Phoenix will forgive Bishop? You’re seriously delusional. You have it all wrong. Maybe one day Bishop will forgive the two of you for betraying him. You make me sick. Treating someone you’ve called family for decades like a perverse predator. Join your fiancée and forget you know me.”

I yank the door open and start up my car. I throw it in reverse and squeal out of the driveway without a second look back.

We don’t need them. We don’t need anyone. We’ve got each other and we’ll do this life together.

“Mama, I know you really want me to turn the other cheek and have this happy family Thanksgiving, but it’s just not going to happen. I have studying to do, and Bishop is just now starting to feel like himself. There’s no way I’m going to ask him to sit squished on a plane when his ribs are finally healed, only to ask him to sit in my car for six and a half hours back.”

It’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving and my mom just isn’t pleased that I’m not going home to celebrate with them. My hope was that she would come to Houston and drive my car so that I can have a vehicle.

A week after my blow-up with Phoenix and Vivian, Keyara came with me for one last drive in my cute little Audi before dropping it on their doorstep. I parked right in the middle of their driveway and tucked the keys under their doormat. I texted to let them know the car was there, then blocked both Vivian and Phoenix from contacting me.

It was childish, I know, but Phoenix broke my heart thinking he could ship me off and I’d just forget about Bishop. It was a cut so deep, the scar will never fully heal. I’ll live with the reminder every day.

“Anais, this is ridiculous. You and your Uncle are more than just that. You two have always shared a bond that I’ve never been able to penetrate. This cannot be the thing that tears you apart. And before you ‘but mom’ me, I know he messed up. I’m upset with him, too. But he loves you and was only doing what he thought was best. That’s what people do for the ones they love.”

“And I’m doing what I need to do for the one I love. I’m standing by Bishop’s side. His friends have all gone silent. Only Vaughan and Cami bother to check on him, but it’s just not the same. I don’t know that things ever will be again. I can’t abandon him after he’s sacrificed so much for me. I won’t be another person who leaves him.” Mama grows silent, thinking about my words.

I can only hope they’re powerful enough to get her to understand that this isn’t some fickle relationship that will be over in a year. This is the real thing. The kind of love people search their whole lives for. I won’t let it slip between my fingers, and I won’t leave Bishop standing alone.

With a sigh she finally says, “Fine. Gramma and I will fly down there. Just like you won’t ask Bishop to sit in a car for six hours, I won’t do the same to her. You’ll have to figure out something when it comes to a vehicle. I’m sorry. And you know your grandmother is going to want to see Phoenix.”

“I figured you both would. You’re more than welcome to stay with them and even spend part of Thanksgiving with them and come see me afterwards, but I won’t be sharing a meal with that man.”

She mumbles under her breath and I think it’s something like, “Jesus Christ, help me.”

“It’s short notice so we’ll be there Wednesday. Now I need to go buy flights that will cost a fortune at the last minute.”

I smile. “Thank you, mommy. You might want to ask your brother to pick you up from the airport since, you know, I don’t have a vehicle.”

“You are a pain in my ass.”

“I know, but you love me anyway. Bye mama.”

We say our goodbyes and hang up. I walk back into the kitchen where Bishop sits at the table, eating breakfast.

“Sweetheart, come eat. I made a ton of food.” Francine sets a plate down with biscuits and gravy and sausage and eggs.

“Francine, you didn’t have to do that. I feel guilty that you’re always cooking for me.” I sit down and take a deep whiff of the delicious smelling food.

“Oh hush. I love cooking for my baby again. And since you’re now part of this family, you’re my baby too.”

The fork freezes on its way to my mouth and I look up at her. “Part of your family?” I ask.

She takes a seat across from me and reaches out, placing her hand on mine. “Of course you are. The way you have taken care of my son, the way you love him, that’s family, dear. For as long as you love him, you’re part of this one.”

Tears build in my eyes and the fork clatters to my plate. I cover my face with my trembling hands and cry into them. A big arm wraps me up, and I bury my soggy face in his shoulder. I hear the screeching of a chair across the tiled floor and feel a softer embrace from behind me.

“Don’t cry, baby girl,” Bishop whispers and kisses the top of my head.

“I-I guess I didn't realize how much I nee-needed this. Just everything with Phoenix, and now I feel like I’m tearing my family apart,” my words get caught in my throat as I sob.

“Oh sweetheart. I imagine this has all been so difficult for you. Do you think you’d feel better if you just accepted his apology and get some peace in your family?” Francine asks.

I shake my head as best as I can. “No. I’ll never forgive him. What he did to Bishop is unforgivable. If Bishop can’t forgive him, neither can I.”

“I never said I couldn’t,” Bishop adds and I’m shocked.

“What? You can’t be serious?”

“Yeah. I am. He’s been a brother to me for fourteen years, and despite what he did, I can’t hate him.”

I can’t believe my ears. After the beating he endured at the hands of Phoenix, Bishop is still willing to be his friend? I just don’t understand.

I’m speechless as I stare at him when the trill of a phone breaks the silence.

“I think that’s mine.” Bishop pulls himself from my arms and walks over to the counter where it sits. “Hello…Hey Cami. How’s it going?”

He listens, adding a ‘mhm’ or ‘I understand’ here and there. The look on his face is crestfallen. Like a boy who has found out his hero is really a villain. He swallows down a hard lump and nods his head.

“Yeah. Okay. Talk soon. Bye.” He pulls the phone from his ear and presses end.

He places it back down on the counter and rests his palms flat against it. His shoulders sag and his head falls.

“What? What’s wrong?” I jump from my seat and rush over.

“She, uh, she thinks it’s best if I don’t come to the Friends-giving on Friday. Vivian said she and Phoenix will be there and I guess after the fight you three had, she said it would be uncomfortable for everyone.”

I throw my hands up in the air and grip, “So she just automatically picks Vivian over you? You’re disposable and that’s just it?” Hot breaths pump from my nose. “They’ve all turned their backs on you, Bishop. Phoenix is the one in the wrong yet he’s the one they welcome in. How is that fair? Still don’t hate him?”

I spin on my heel and stomp my way upstairs where I walk into the room and slam the door behind me. Rage courses through my veins. How could they do this to him? They’re all heartless jerks. When he needs them most, they’ve left him standing alone, his poor heart in his hands.

I guess there is only one solution to this turmoil. Leave and never see Bishop again and he gets his family back. But me? I lose everything. I lose family and friends and Bishop. And without him, what is left of me?

34

BISHOP

Thanksgiving came and went, and Friends-giving was celebrated without me. I told Anais that it really didn’t matter. I understood where they were coming from. She and I showing up would have made everyone uncomfortable, and I didn’t want that.

But it was all an act. I was devastated. My friends, my family, had drawn the line in the sand. I was on the outs and Phoenix was in, taking my place like I never existed. For the first time since retiring, I cried. I closed myself off in the shower alone, and cried until my chest felt like it was going to cave in.

I dunked my face in a sink full of cold water before walking out to see Anais. I didn’t want her to see how affected I was by this. So I put on a smile, sat with my parents and Anais for dinner, as well as her mom and grandmother. The next day, everyone gathered at Cami and Vaughan’s, including Anais’ family, and enjoyed laughs amongst friends.

Everyone but us.

Anais and I stayed in, watched movies and ate dessert until we felt like we were going to burst.

Vaughan texted me to please not pay any mind to what Cami had said and to just go up there.

Vaughan: Please man. This isn’t the same without you. I miss my best friend and no one can take your place. Cami was just trying to appease Vivian. You know how worked up Red can get.

Me: I don’t think that’s a good idea. Anais doesn’t want to see Nix and I won’t put her in an uncomfortable position, or leave her alone.

He tried a few more times to convince me to go, but I wasn’t budging. When I told Anais that I couldn’t hate Nix I meant it. But the anger I have towards him is very real. Vaughan is the only one I spoke to about that and he agreed that what Nix did is not something he could easily forget or forgive, but he begged me to be the bigger person and be in the place where I belonged. With our friends.

I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The girls will always stick together, no matter how close we’ve always been, and betraying Vivian –or at least what they see as betrayal– would never cross their minds.

Anais and I have kept busy. Her with upcoming finals, and me preparing for baseball season. We’ll soon be so busy that we won’t even be thinking of Nix or any of the heartbreak he has caused us.

Christmas is drawing closer and Anais is fighting me on going home to be with her family. She’s terrified of leaving me alone, but I have mom and dad and I’ll be just fine for a week or two. But that isn’t the only thing holding her back.

Her mom informed her that Phoenix and Vivian will be visiting for Christmas this year. Last year they stayed with Vivian’s family and decided they needed to split the years, hoping the following year that everyone would join them here.

Vaughan reminded me that them being gone meant I can spend Christmas Eve with the crew, but that no longer has any appeal. Vaughan calls me everyday, but the calls and texts from Cami have slowed and communication from CeCe and Vivian is pretty much non-existent.

I dwell over all of this as I sit at my desk in my office, staring at papers that have laid in front of me for over an hour. I can’t tell you what they say because despite reading it over and over, nothing is sticking.

A soft knock sounds on my door and it slowly opens. A riot of curls pops in and is followed by the most beautiful smiling face my eyes have ever seen.

“Hey big guy. Can I come in?” Her voice is soft.

“Baby girl, did you really just ask that? Get your ass over here.” I pat my lap and she comes skipping in and practically jumps into my arms. “What has you so happy? Besides me, of course.”

Her eyes make a slight roll but the big grin remains. “Well you, mainly but also, I took my last final. I’m free!” She holds her arms high in victory.

“Congratulations. I know these last few weeks were tough, and I’m so proud that you pushed through.” I kiss her pink lips and immediately feel like I could ravage her.

With my mouth devouring her neck, she throws her head back and asks, “Does that mean I can stay with you again?”

While she was studying and preparing for finals, I banned her from sleepovers. I knew that a sleepover meant more than just that. It’s impossible to keep my hands off of her, and having her warm body laying next to me all night would lead to us being up all night.

“Yes, baby girl. Until you leave for Louisiana, you stay with me.”

She pulls back from me and rests her hands on my shoulders. “Are you sure you won’t come with me? I could really use the backup.”

“No. I just can’t. I want to be there for you, but this shit with Nix and Viv is at a not turning back point. They’ve all made their decision and I won’t impede on that.”

Her jaw hardens and her breaths grow heavy. “I hate that man. You’ve been a part of that group since you were a kid. And yet he shows up, does what he does, and just because he’s about to marry Vivian he gets a free pass? Unbelievable. I want to scream at them. I don’t think they fully understand what they’re missing. Maybe,” she pauses, chewing on her lips and says, “maybe it would be best if I did move back to Louisiana. Then you’d have your friends back and all of this mess would be over.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely not. There is no way in hell that we are giving this up after fighting so hard for it. It’s not even an option, so put it out of your mind right now.” I cup her jaw in my hand and gently swipe my thumb over her lip. “Do you need a reminder of who we are and why we will always fight for us?” Her head moves slowly up and down. “Go lock the door Anais.”

She stands up and saunters over to the door, clicking the lock and turning to press her back up against it. The last time we were in this office together it didn’t end so well. I want to wipe that horrible moment from her mind and replace it with a memory that will only bring her excitement and longing.

I curl my finger and beckon her to me just as I stand and begin pulling my sweats down. She eyes me, already hard and aching to feel her, and licks her lips. My sweatshirt is tossed over my head and I stand there with my throbbing dick in my hand.

The sweatshirt that is cut wide and hangs off one of her shoulders is pulled down once she’s within arms length. I tug her to me and hear the fabric strain, but I’m too busy sucking her honeyed nipple into my mouth.

Her hand reaches out and covers mine as it strokes my cock. I growl around her breast and clamp onto her sensitive nipple with my teeth. She gasps for air and I twist her around and press my hand on her back, her chest connecting with the desk.

I take her hands and move them to hold on the edge of it and dip my fingers into her sweats and tug them to her ankles. My hands smooth up the back of her legs to her perfect and plump ass. I rub circles over it, soothing her pebbled flesh before raising my hand and coming down with a hard smack.

“Ow,” she jumps.

“That’s for even suggesting we end this. Don’t do it again.” I stand behind her and line myself up.

Condoms blew right out the window the moment I felt her bare pussy around my dick. I trust her to not lie and stay vigilant on her birth control until she’s graduated. Then I’m going to put so many babies in this belly of hers that you’d think I was trying to build my own baseball team.

I gather the dampness that has built in her dripping pussy and use it to act as lube, spreading it around the mushroomed head. I breach her gently until the tip rests inside, then slam all the way in.

She mewls and I move faster and harder and deeper. “Are you ever going to bring that shit up again?” I grunt into her ear when I pull her head back by her thick mane.

“No. I promise.”

Another thrust, another whine. “Do you understand that you belong to me and I belong to you.”

“Yes. Yes I under-stand.”

“Good. Don’t forget it. Now kiss me, baby girl, until this pussy runs dry.” I turn her head and capture her mouth with mine.

Our lips move and my tongue invades her mouth just as my dick does to her sweet, tight cunt. I refuse to let her out of this lip lock and kiss her senseless, all while fucking her until it all becomes too much and she comes, screaming for me to never stop.

I release her from the hold I have and finish pumping as my orgasm hits me. I fill her with my cum and chills spread over my body thinking about when the day arrives that I can do this to make a walking, talking, breathing version of us.

“What are you-thinking of?” she asks, her chest heaving with exhaustion.

I gently pull out of her and kiss her neck up to her ear and whisper, “About you. Always about you.”

I take a tissue from the box that sits on the cabinet behind me, and wipe her clean before helping her right her pants.

“You were thinking about procreating, weren’t you?” She chuckles softly and stands as I tuck myself into my pants.

“Procreating? That sounds so clinical. I was thinking about making a little you with a little bit of me.”

She pops up on her toes and throws her arms around my neck. “You kind of have a breeding kink, don’t you?”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

Laughing she explains, “A breeding kink is when the guy wants to knock up the girl and make tons of babies. It’s a pretty popular trope in the book world.”

I knit my eyebrows together and blink over and over, trying to put it all together because I felt like she just spoke in latin.

“Kink and trope? I have no idea what you’re talking about. The only words that made sense were make tons of babies. And yes, I want to do that. A bunch of little Anais and Bishop’s running around.” I give her a quick kiss on the lips and give her a little butt tap. “But that is years away. Now c’mon. Let’s go home. I’m not getting anything done.” We finish dressing and she twines her fingers with mine.

“Ok. Let’s go home.”

35

ANAIS

Today is the day I’ve been dreading for the last three weeks. Vivian and Phoenix are arriving today, just two days before Christmas. I’m home with mama and they’ll be staying with gramma, so at least I won’t have to worry about running into them when I’m drinking my morning coffee. But I will have to stomach through spending Christmas with them.

My mom and I drive in silence to gramma’s house. I need the quiet to think about something other than seeing them. I think about Bishop and the beautiful gift he gave me before I left.

I touch the necklace resting just below my suprasternal notch. The double chain holds a small diamond heart that hangs just above a diamond butterfly. When I opened it I cried. And when he told me the meaning, I sobbed.

Music played in the background –Lenny, of course, because that’s his favorite– and we sat curled up in front of the Christmas tree I helped him decorate. He pulled out a box of ornaments that his mom has saved for every year he lived in their house. From newborn to college graduation –even though he didn’t live with them through college– twenty-two precious ornaments were placed on his tree.

When he placed all of them and more that he had on the tree, he brought out two boxes, one small and one larger and flatter.

“Open this one first,” he said, handing me the square box.

I gasped when I saw it for the first time. I pulled out a glass butterfly with beautiful purples and blues covering the wings. The thorax and abdomen were covered in crystals and when I held it up to the light, colors danced across the walls.

“This is gorgeous. Thank you.” I lunged at him and wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing the breath from him.

“Go hang it on the tree,” he told me.

“What? No way. This is your tree. I don’t want to add a girly ornament to your manly tree,” I laughed.

Bishop stood and picked me up, holding me under my butt. My bare ass rested on his forearms as I was dressed only in his t-shirt. He walked me over to the tree and said, “Put that ornament on our tree and next year we’ll add another.”

My poor heart felt like it was going to burst, it was so full. I found the perfect spot for my butterfly and hung it. The bright white lights of the tree made the colors on the wings dance and shine. It was like a sun catcher on a summer day.

He kissed me then carried me over to the couch where we sat –me on his lap– and he handed me the second box. If I thought the first was too much, this one was extraordinary.

“You have my heart, my little butterfly. I want you to know that you will always have my heart. No matter what happens, where the future may take us, it is yours. Whenever you think life is too hard or that we can’t possibly weather this storm that surrounds us, just touch this and know that I am with you. Through all the good and the bad, we’ll do it together.”

“Together,” I replied, sniffing away the tears that had begun to fall.

We pull into my gramma’s driveway and I blink, realizing I was so lost in my memory that I didn’t have time to panic.

The car stops and I take a deep breath before opening the car door. I step out and see the front door open and gramma standing there with a smile and twinkle in her eye. I make my way over to her and pull her into a tight hug.

“Hi my precious girl.”

“Hi gramma.” I kiss her cheek then take her hand as we walk inside the house.

We clear the foyer and step into the living room. There stands Phoenix and Vivian, both with big grins on their faces.

“Hey Peanut.” Phoenix makes like he’s going to step towards me, but I put a stop to that when I glare at him, ignoring his greeting.

Vivian gulps and decides to keep her mouth shut. Wise of her since I’m sure she was about to greet me with a sugary sweet hello in an attempt to calm the waters.

“Gramma. Is it okay if I grab a soda?” I ask her, walking into the kitchen.

“Of course. Help yourself.”

I open the large door on the fridge and see rows of soda and tea and water. Gramma is always stocked with my favorites. I close the door and jump when I see Phoenix standing behind it.

“Jesus. What the hell, you creeper?” I place my hand on my heart and nearly drop the can in the other.

“I can’t take this anymore, kiddo. I miss you and I hate you being mad at me. Please Ana, forgive me. I overstepped and I’m sorry.” He touches my arm and I quickly pull away.

“Never. I will never forgive you for what you did. You hurt me thinking you could just ship me away and all would be forgiven and forgotten. But what hurt me most was seeing how Bishop has mourned the friendship he has lost. Friendships because everyone has forgotten about him.”

I feel the sting in my nose and the lump move up my throat as tears build.

“Can’t you see that I just want what’s best for you? You don’t see it now, but in time you’ll thank me.” I look at him in utter disbelief.

“Thank you?” I snort. “I hate you. I’m sickened by your behavior. The man you once said was the most genuine and caring soul is now your mortal enemy. You beat him, Phoenix. With my own eyes I saw how you wanted to not just hurt him but eliminate him. You broke him!” I scream and choke as the emotions finally win.

“Anais,” my mother calls.

“No, mom. I am done with all of this bullshit, half assed apologies. They mean nothing to me. You,” I shout, pointing at Vivian. “You should be ashamed of how you all have acted. Was it not Bishop who was ready to jump on a plane and fly halfway around the world to check on CeCe when she was in her accident? Did he not stand by your side through all of the crap with this asshole?” I hitch my thumb at Phoenix, as if she didn’t know who I was talking about.

“He held Cami’s hand when she grieved for the loss of her husband, and again when Vaughan’s life was hanging by a thread. You guys are the worst kind of hypocrites. Do you know,” I start pacing around the room. “When I told him I hated you and he should, too, he said he could never hate you. You’re his brother and always will be and that maybe one day you’d forgive him. You forgive him. For loving me! For taking care of me. For wanting nothing but the best for me. He is the one who pushed me to come here and told me to reconnect with you because our bond is too important to lose. All of this from a man you left bloodied and bruised, lying on the floor as I cried and held him.”

I stomp over to where I left my purse and rip my phone from it.

Me: I need to come home and I need to leave NOW!

I pocket my phone and angrily swipe the tears away from my face. I fling my purse over my shoulder and square my shoulders.

“I love you gramma and I’m sorry, but I cannot be in this house with those two. They make me sick,” I sneer. “There are gifts for you under mama’s tree. I love you so, so much, and hopefully you’ll come visit me this summer.”

I squeeze her to me and kiss both cheeks. My phone buzzes in my back pocket and I pull it out to see a text from Bishop.

♟️:I’ll book you a flight for this evening. I’m sorry, baby girl, but I’m glad you tried.

“Mom, I’ll get an Uber back to the house but I’m leaving.” I kiss her, fat tears falling, and guilt weighing on me because this is not her fault.

I hate pushing her away, but being in the same city, much less the same house, with that man is too much.

“Please don’t do this to your uncle, Ana,” Vivian calls out.

“Then you please quit hurting Bishop. Be the friend he thought you were and help him. He’s a broken man, Vivian, and it’s at your hands. Let that guilt sink in when you and your friends are all gathered around the table, talking and laughing. Look around and see that an important piece of your puzzle is missing. Without him, you will always be incomplete.”

I leave it at that and walk away.

My steps are brisk as I walk through the terminal. I move closer and closer to the main part of the airport and begin weaving in and out of people. I just want out of this place and into Bishop's arms. I feel like I can’t breathe, like I might choke to death, thinking of all that has happened over the last few months.

The high’s and low’s of it all really set in on the plane ride. I popped my earbuds in and closed my eyes, listening to the soundtrack that is Bishop and me. With every song that played, another memory of he and I and a reminder of what he’s lost because of me. What he gave up just to be with me.

I touched my necklace and let silent tears fall when I listened to our song. Butterfly played on repeat for about twenty minutes before I finally moved on.

I see the exit from the terminal into the baggage claim area and see a beast of a man, with a heart of gold, standing there with his hands in his pockets. My smile grows wider than I ever thought imaginable and I take off running, pushing through the mass exodus of IAH airport.

When I’m within a foot of him, I drop my bag and leap into his arms. My legs and arms engulf him like a constrictor, and I burst into tears.

“Hey. Don’t cry. It’s okay,” he soothes, stroking through my hair and kissing any part of me he can get to while I have him locked in my hold.

“I’m sorry, Bishop. For all the grief I’ve caused you, the problems that have followed from being with me, and I’m just sorry you lost so much. But I promise I will never leave you. I’ll always stand by your side even if it means it’s just you and I. I love you.”

I hear a gulp work its way down his throat. “I love you too, baby girl. And you haven’t caused me any grief. You’ve brought me a happiness I never thought possible. So instead of saying you’re sorry, say you’re welcome.” I nod into his shoulder and his giant arms practically crush me with how tight he holds on. “Can I put you down so I can get your luggage?”

“No,” I mumble.

He lets out a low laugh and says, “Okay, my little butterfly. I’ll carry you to the moon and back if that makes you happy.”

“You make me happy Bishop Michaels. Everything else is just a bonus.”

A crooked grin slowly spreads across his face. “Same, baby. Same.”

36

BISHOP

Christmas with Anais was the best gift I could’ve asked for, but I know it was difficult for her. Not being with her mom and gramma was tough. I told her I’d fly her right back if she wanted to see them, but she refused saying she needed to be away from the madness that would come with being there.

So we spent Christmas Eve with just one another, watching Christmas movies and wishing it would snow. Fat chance since it was still sixty-five degrees out. The next morning we woke early and I made my girl her favorite breakfast. Pancakes with blueberries and honey. Then we showered together, had some extra fun with the bubbles and powerful shower head –totally worth the investment– and headed over to spend the day with my mom and dad where we ate too much and opened too many gifts that my parents bought for us.

Mom spoiled Anais with pajamas and blankets and an expensive purse and a gift certificate for the two of them to have a spa day. Anais cried and hugged her for about ten minutes straight. I later thanked my mom for making her day better.

And when the last gift was opened, and the last slice of pecan pie had been eaten, the two of us went home and crawled into bed and played dirty Santa and naughty Mrs. Claus.

Now it’s the morning of New Year’s Eve, and Anais is taking an hour-long shower to prepare for our date to the ballet because she’s been bugging to see the Nutcracker, followed by an elegant dinner and ringing in a new year together. Just the first of many.

My phone buzzes and I bring it to life only to freeze with my heart in my throat.

Day: Hi Uncle Bishop. I want to thank you for my amazing Christmas gift. I wish I could’ve seen you because I miss you and Ana tons. Maybe soon. I love you Uncle Bishop. Bunches and bunches.

I inhale, warding off the tears that threaten to fall, and reply.

Me: You’re welcome Day. And I miss you too. Oodles and oodles. I promise I’ll see you soon. Cross my heart. I love you. Bunches and bunches.

I watch as dots bounce on the screen but I’m interrupted from seeing her response when my doorbell rings. I look around, confused, because mom and dad said they were going to stay home tonight when I invited them with us.

I shuffle down the stairs and fling open the door, figuring it’s a delivery. Imagine my surprise when it was not a delivery.

“Nix. What-what are you doing here?” I look beyond him and see Anais’ car in the driveway, Vivian standing by it with her hands tangled together in front of her.

“Can I talk to you for a moment? I promise, I just want to talk. I brought Viv to be a referee,” he jokes, but I don’t laugh.

I dip my chin and hold the door open, moving to the side to allow them in.

Viv walks timidly towards me and before stepping in she says, “Hey Bish,” then wraps her arms around me in a quick hug.

“Hey Red,” I tell her with a short pat on her back.

I follow them upstairs and invite them to sit down.

“Would either of you like a drink?”

Vivian shakes her head, “No thank you. I’m good.”

Phoenix, however, says, “Yes. Please. I could really use some water.”

I grab one of Anais’ beloved mineral waters from the fridge and pop the top before handing it to him.

He takes a big gulp, practically drinking it all down in one swig, and says, “Thanks. I needed that.”

“Sure thing.”

He sets the bottle down and begins breathing heavily. Viv rubs his back, urging him to say what he came here to say. When he lifts his head, I see his eyes glistening and I almost fall over.

“I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry for thinking you were taking advantage of Anais. I’m sorry for laying my hands on you. I’m sorry for ever thinking you were anything but a friend. And I’m sorry for all of the turmoil I’ve caused.”

I sit quietly for a minute, thinking and processing. I war with myself over instantly forgiving him, forgetting all that has happened just to have my brother back. But the hurt is so deep, a scab that has barely begun to heal, I just do not know how to move forward.

“You know I didn’t plan for this to happen? I never wanted to jeopardize our friendship, but sometimes your heart doesn’t listen to your brain when it comes to the person you love.” I shrug because that’s all I have to give.

Then I think about the way his fist flew at me, not caring who he was hurting or how, and my anger starts to boil. I’ve had plenty of time to think about that day, and while I know I can forgive, I don’t know that I’ll ever forget. This has the words pouring from my mouth.

“Am I not good enough for her? Would you rather her meet some punk that really would take advantage of her? Shouldn’t it be enough that I love her so much that I’d lay my life on the line for her? Because that is exactly what I did. I went into this knowing you’d be angry, but I also knew that I’d do anything for her. I’d never lift a finger to you. Yet you had no problems destroying me. My heart, our friendship. Did it ever cross your mind just to stop and listen?”

“I know. I was just in shock and then upset because everyone hid it from me and I just…I lost it.” He pauses and drops his head into his hands, scrubbing his face. “You’re my best friend, Bish. You’re my brother and I’m hurt that you would pursue a relationship with my niece, and then hide it from me.”

“He didn’t pursue me. I just wouldn’t allow him to not see me.” I look over Nix’s shoulder to see Anais standing there, her hair in smooth waves and her makeup done to simple perfection.

I see Nix’s jaw click, realizing she has obviously been staying with me. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment, then opening them to see her again. She walks over to the table, dressed in nothing more than a Rice sweatshirt and leggings, and sits in the last open chair.

“Do you know how many times Bishop acted like I didn’t exist but I did everything in my power to make him notice me. I willed him to look in my direction. I tested his limits, and pushed him far beyond what any other man could handle. I told myself I wouldn’t stop until he broke because I knew, in my heart, that we were meant for each other.”

She places her hand on mine and my first instinct is to pull away. But I’m tired of cowering in the dark, so I flip my hand over and lace our fingers together. Nix watches with a keen eye, and I can tell he’s biting back the words he so desperately wants to say.

“It’s going to take me a little time, okay? This isn’t easy for me.”

“You think it was easy for me? Hiding something this big from my best friend? I wanted nothing more than to share this with you. The way you shared your feelings for Viv with me, I wanted the same. I finally found the one, but I couldn’t celebrate the fact because I knew how you’d react. Everyone knew. We all have to tiptoe around you, man. And I’m sorry that she just happens to be your niece, but I won’t apologize for loving her.” My chest heaves and Anais rubs my arm, reminding me that if nothing else exists, we have one another.

Nix rubs his palms over his face and Vivian lays her hand on his back for support.

“Fuck. I know you’re right. It’s just hard to process it all. To admit that the little girl whose hand I held when she was scared is grown up. To realize that she’s in love with my best friend and that I hurt him. I know the kind of man you are, and I know you don’t do anything without thinking about it first. The pros, the cons, the what if’s. And yeah, I’d sure as shit want to kill some punk for laying his hands on her. But in that moment, all I saw was how you two betrayed me.”

“Just like always, you can’t see past your anger,” Anais adds, only adding to the guilt he carries.

He looks at her, emotion swirling thickly in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Peanut. The way I hurt you, it’s an indescribable pain. All I’ve ever wanted is to protect you. But now I see just how I’ve hurt you. It hit me when you walked out right before Christmas. It was the first time we didn’t celebrate as a family. I didn’t have my niece that I’ve spent eighteen Christmases with to witness the joy in her eyes when she opened her gifts. I couldn’t hug her or laugh while we made a mess in mom’s kitchen. No leaving cookies for Santa and writing a silly letter, asking for outrageous gifts. Then I thought about what it would be like to have Bishop there with us, celebrating and creating new memories as part of our family. And it hurt knowing that I may have ruined all of that. Forever.”

I watch his throat work up and down to swallow back the emotions that clog it. My heart that I had convinced didn’t need anyone but Anais, suddenly reconsiders its stance on shutting everyone else out.

“I’m sorry, too. To both of you. Ana, you were right to call me out. I acted horribly to a guy who’s always been our protector. I couldn’t see past Phoenix’s anger long enough to realize that he finally found what he had been looking for all of these years.”

I observe her and see a sight that the tough gal Viv rarely shows. The emotional, vulnerable side proves that the hard exterior is simply a coat of armor. A tear falls and I can’t take it anymore. I slide my chair back and go to Viv, scooting her chair back and picking her up in a big bear hug.

She hugs me back, as tight as her little body lets her, and she quietly cries into my shoulder. She’s my best friend and I can’t stand to see her hurt.

“I’m sorry, Bish. I was a bad friend and I will never do that again. Please forgive me because I can’t stand the distance and I miss my friend. The girls all miss their fifth sister. Gossip time just isn’t the same without you.”

“What?” Nix is loud but his face reflects the hurt he feels. “You all let him gossip with you? Damn, Peaches. Do I mean nothing to you?”

Vivian rolls her eyes then smarts, “Oh my god. You are so needy. I’ll add you to the gossip chain. But don’t come bitching when Cami and CeCe start talking about all the crazy sex they’re having with their husbands.”

His eyes grow large and his normally olive skin looks slightly puce.

“Never mind. I’m fine being out to the loop.” He looks at me as if to ask if I’m okay with that?

I hold up my hands and tell him, “Hey man, I don’t love knowing some of this shit, but I’ve gotten used to it. I just try to block it out. Especially the shit Viv says about you two.”

This has Nix smiling wide and proud. “Oh yeah? What’s she saying?”

I shake my head because there is no way in hell I’m repeating those words.

“So do you forgive me or what, Bish? I’m not one for groveling on my knees, but I’ll do it if I have to.”

I chuckle and it rumbles deep in my chest. “Getting on your knees isn’t necessary. I’m not sure Nix would like that too much.” I pull her back into my arms and rest my chin on her little head. “I missed you too, Red. And I forgive you. I did a long time ago. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”

“And Phoenix? Do you forgive him? Do you think you’ll be able to get past this enough to go back to the way we used to be?” she hiccups, the remnants of her crying still hanging on.

I inhale and exhale a deep breath and close my eyes. What Nix did hurt me like I never thought he was capable of doing. I understand to a point. His best friend dating his much younger niece. I think I could feel a pretty deep sense of betrayal, but never enough to raise a hand to my friend the way he did.

“I do, Nix. I forgive you. But you gotta understand, nothing has hurt me more than the man I consider family thinking I would ever take advantage of anyone, much less his niece. Be angry. Yell at me. But fuck man…your fists hurt my heart just as much as they did my body.”

I watch his nostrils flare and his breathing turn faster but it isn’t in anger. It’s guilt and shame I see written all over his face.

“I understand. And as long as you can forgive Viv, then I can learn to accept that we just won’t ever be us again. I deserve it.” His jaw flexes and his throat moves, working to push his emotions away.

“I didn’t say we’d never go back to us,” I tell him. “I just said I need some time to get over it. The injuries have healed, but the pain still remains.”

“Okay,” he says, nodding his head. “I’m okay with that.”

We stare at one another for a moment longer when I finally break the stand off and step forward, giving him a hug. He claps my back with one hand while holding tightly with the other. He sniffs and I take a step back and he quickly wipes his eyes.

“So, uh,” he says, clearing his throat. “Peaches and I finally set a date for the wedding. I’d love it if you could be there. As more than a guest, but I know that’s something you need more time to think about. But it would be really great if you were there to protect me from what this one might say or do.”

Viv smacks his stomach and hisses. “You jerk. You better hope I show up at all. I have half a mind to make you wait another year.”

“Like hell, Vivian Rhona. You’re marrying me in March if I have to tie you up, dump your ass in a wheelbarrow and push you down the aisle.”

“Oh Romeo, oh Romeo, how you woo me with your sweet words.” She rolls her eyes and I smile because that’s the Viv I know and love.

“Of course I’ll be there. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else than beside my best friends.”

We hear a sniff and turn to see Anais in tears. Without a second thought, I reach out and pull her to me, wrapping her up in my arms.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” I kiss the top of her head and squeeze tighter when her arms loop around my waist.

She shakes her head and burrows deeper like she’s trying to crawl inside me.

“Peanut,” Nix calls out. “Can you look at me please?”

She wipes her now ruined makeup across my shirt and reluctantly turns her head to look at Nix.

“I’m sorry. A real and genuine sorry. Not an apology with exceptions or conditions. You own part of my heart, kiddo, and it doesn’t beat the same without you in my life. I hope one day you can find it in you to forgive this–what did you call me?”

Anais tries hard to muffle the laugh, but it comes out anyway.

“Uh, which time? What I said to your face or behind your back?” she teases.

“Ouch,” Nix stabs at his chest like he’s been wounded. “Fair enough.”

“I forgive you…a little. I just need more time.” She holds her index finger and thumb just millimeters apart, one eye closed.

“So, I’m guessing you two have plans for tonight?” Nix rocks back on his feet.

“Yeah. We’re headed to the ballet soon, and then we have dinner reservations.” Anais’ smile has returned and I feel lighter. Like the pile of bricks that sat there have been cleared away, one by one.

“The ballet?” Nix scrunches his face and earns yet another smack from Viv. “I mean, cool. The ballet.”

“Well, if you guys are free afterwards, maybe you can stop by Cami and Vaughan’s to countdown the new year? Like last year?” Viv shifts her weight from side to side, and I am still shocked by this side of her that I’ve never witnessed before.

I’m not sure if I like it. I’m used to the spitfire who speaks her mind and isn’t afraid of anything or anyone.

“We’ll try and stop by,” Anais answers for us.

Nix smiles and Vivian wears one to match.

“We’re going to dress up like last year,” Viv adds. “But you guys don’t have to since it’s last minute.”

“Oh. We’re dressing up. We already had it planned for tonight.” Anais’ eyes light up and something of mine lights up as I recall the vision of her spinning in a circle for me as she tried it on at that store.

I clear my throat and make a slight and hopefully unnoticeable adjustment. “Yeah. We’ll definitely try and make it.”

We talk for a bit longer, Viv going upstairs with Anais to show off her dress and Nix and I talking baseball, before they leave to help Cami and Vaughan prep for tonight’s party.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed the ballet. Or maybe it was that I enjoyed seeing how much Anais enjoyed it. Dinner was another amazing experience.

I had a large bouquet of lavender roses dotted with white baby’s breath and a single gold butterfly sitting amongst it all delivered to the restaurant. I made special arrangements to have it sitting on her place setting when we arrived. Of course she cried and had to excuse herself to the ladies room, but came back to the table looking like the smokeshow she is.

We talked about whether or not we wanted to spend the remainder of the evening with the crew, and ultimately decided it would do us some good to be with our friends again. A great way to kick off a new year.

We were both nervous pulling up to the house and it took us several minutes before getting out of the car and making our way to the front door. I barely took my finger off the doorbell when it flew open and an excited looking Dagen stood there.

“Uncle Bishop! You came!”

She shouted and jumped up into my arms. I had to tell myself to keep it together to stop from crying.

“There’s my favorite girl.” It felt so good to see her after so many weeks.

Now I understood how Nix was feeling not having Anais there to see anytime he wanted.

“I missed you too, Ana.” I put her down and she hugged Anais, now almost as tall as her.

“I missed your face.” Anais kissed her cheek leaving behind a shiny set of lips.

“Woah! Your shoes are so pretty.” Day gushed over the gorgeous shoes that were perched on my girls’ feet.

She was wrapped in a short lavender satin dress that gathered here and gathered there. The sleeves hung off her shoulders and billowed until they gathered at her wrists. But her shoes, those were another level.

Shiny heels danced under the lights with each step she took. They looked like crystals wrapped delicately around her slender feet. The best part of them was the butterfly that sat on the back of her heel. It was beautiful with intricate, laser cut wings that looked like they were fluttering as she walked.

We were greeted by cheers and hugs and kisses when we entered the party. Cami hugged me like she was holding onto a life saving raft.

“I’m so sorry, Bish. You’re my best friend and I should’ve been there for you. I promise to never let you down again.” She kissed my cheek and I kissed hers back before reminding her that I loved her. Then I rubbed her growing belly and breathed a sigh of relief that I’d get to be here for him. Or her.

I released her only to be tugged into Vaughan’s arms. Though we had spoken often, we hadn’t seen each other in some time. It was too hard to see him and not see all the others.

Greeting the rest went pretty much the same. Hugs, apologies, tears, kisses and smiles. When I got to CeCe, she looked timid and ashamed. Besides Nix, she was one who opposed our relationship the most. It was the one that hurt me the most.

Her belly was huge with my nephew growing inside. She was a month away from bringing him into this world and I was anxious.

I approached her and she gave me a watery half smile and shrug. “I’m a jerk. What more can I say other than I’m sorry, I missed you and I love you.”

As best as I could without squishing her belly, I took her in my arms and reassured her we were good. “You’re not a jerk. You were just concerned. Thank you for looking out for me.”

After more talks about what assholes they had been -I won’t totally disagree with that- enough was forgiven that we could have a healing point to grow from. Some may think I forgave too easily, but these people are my family. Everything good and bad in my life I’ve experienced with them. We all make mistakes, choose the wrong direction every now and then. What kind of brother would I be to hold it over their head when they already feel so much guilt. I love them and we’ll always forge through the bumps and twisting turns of life as a team.

And now that team includes Anais.

“What are you thinking about?” I whisper in Anais’ ear as I come up behind her and snake my hands around her slim waist.

She looks over her shoulder and smiles at me. “Just thinking about this time last year as we stood on opposite sides of this very room. I was pining for you then, wishing you would look at me.”

“I was looking, baby girl. I was just chastising myself for doing so.”

A noise maker goes off in the distance and it brings our attention to the people around us, all gathering together for the countdown.

I take Anais’ hand in mine and pull her closer to the television that has the numbers flashing on the screen. The clock hits ten seconds and we all count along. When it strikes zero, I lift Anais in my arms and look into her gorgeous brown eyes. They twinkle from the lights above. Or is it the lights twinkling from her eyes?

“Happy New Year, my little butterfly.”

“Happy New Year, mi cariño.”

She kisses me hard and I restrain myself from going further out of respect for Nix.

When we separate I caress her face and remind her, “We’ll always do it together.”

“Together.”

EPILOGUE

10 YEARS LATER…

“I don’t understand why we both have to be here. Isn’t this shi-stuff usually for girls?” Bishop grumbles when we open the front door to Cami and Vaughan’s house.

“Will you quit being a grumpy old man? I didn’t even care if we had one or not, but you know the girls. They insisted on it. Then Vaughan started whining which made Nix pout and before we knew it, the entire crew and all of their minis were coming, too,” I explain, and smooth my hands over his chest and rise up on my toes to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

But of course, nothing with Bishop is chaste and soon our small kiss turns passionate.

“Eeeewww,” little voices call out and we break.

“You ew,” Bishop jokes, crouching down to pick up a kid in each arm.

“My mommy,” Alfie pouts and points to me.

“No. My mommy.” Farrah whines and reaches over to smack Alfie.

“Hey. No ma’am. You do not hit your little brother, Farrah. Not okay.” Bishop looks at her with the most serious face he can make which is actually quite laughable.

The moment Bishop Michaels held his baby girl in his arms, he turned from teddy bear to complete mush. That little thing just bats an eyelash and he says “anything for you, my little beauty” and gives in to whatever she’s asking for. I can’t even begin to tell you how large her doll collection is because every time she sees a new one, all she has to say is “daddy” and he jumps. No, not jumps. He leaps.

Then there’s Alfie. Alford Darius Michaels. The name sake of his grandfather and great-grandfather. The little boy his daddy and uncle call a future hall of famer. The kid is two and a half and he can already swing a bat like nobody’s business.

“Daddy,” Farrah cries and buries her head in his shoulder.

“C’mere, Alfie. Let’s go see your cousins.” I pull him into my arms so that Bishop can comfort his princess. Probably with promises of a new pony.

We finally make it to the living room where adults are congregating and they cheer.

“There she is,” Vivian sings. “The woman of the hour.”

“What about me?” Bishop says as he walks up behind me with Farrah hanging tightly to his neck.

“Well, when you’re eight months pregnant with yet another kid, we’ll cheer and dance for you. Until then, shut it.” Viv sasses, and rolls her eyes.

“There’s my man. Come here, Alfie.” Uncle Nix comes walking in from outside and holds out his arms.

“Nix. Nix,” Alfie shouts and wiggles out of my arms.

His little legs carry him as fast as they can and straight into Uncle Nix’s arms. If there is anyone whose love for Alfie can rival Bishop’s, it’s Phoenix West.

“I missed you buddy.” Nix spins him around and his chubby legs float behind him. “Wanna go see your cousins?” Nix asks, and Alfie nods his head so hard I’m afraid it may topple off his little neck.

Nix bursts through the back door and I hear a chorus of voices shout Alfie’s name. All the kids are here and that is a hell of a lot.

Vaughan and Cami have Sloane and Autumn Jade —who everyone calls AJ— , and of course Dagen who is a woman now. CeCe and Luca have just one, Naveen, but the boy is never short of family. He and Sloane are only a few months apart and they’re as tight as brothers.

Then you have Nix and Viv’s girls. There’s Cassiopeia, —known lovingly as Cassie— Genevieve, —little Genie— and Sutton. Her daddy calls her Tink because she is the tiniest of the bunch, just like her mom.

Cat and Hayes have the twins, Burton and Maverick, and our two round out the group. Well, almost three.

Our newest little man, Jackson Bishop Michaels, will be here in a few short weeks. Jackie, as Bishop calls him, is named after is favorite baseball player. That was the deal. We both agreed on Farrah, decided to name Alfie after his grandfathers, and any that came after had to be named after Jackie Robinson. Girl or boy, the name was going to be Jackie.

“Do you want to go play with Genie and Tink and AJ?” Bishop asks Farrah and she nods emphatically.

He puts her down and gives her a little pat on the bum as she runs off.

“Let’s go sit,” he tells me, grabbing my hand and leading me to the couch.

I’m seated in the big leather sofa with a pillow for my lower back, and Cami rushes over with a glass of water for me.

“Hi Ana.” She leans in and kisses my cheek.

Like Bishop, Cami has become more like a sister over the last decade. She’s helped me get through a lot, especially when Farrah came along.

Just like Bishop said, he knocked me up the second I finished my masters. We got married shortly after I graduated with my Bachelor’s and got pregnant almost immediately after grad school. Thankfully for me, my wonderful husband works hard to allow me to write from home and be there for the kids.

I say hard, but the guy sneaks away every chance he gets to see his littles.

“Hi. Where’s Day?” I ask, not seeing her around.

“They had to drop off a custom bike, but they should be here soon,” Vaughan answers as he approaches us. “Hi darlin’.”

I get another kiss and then another and another as everyone makes their way over to greet me.

We all start talking when the chatter is broken by a wail. We turn to see Naveen walking through the back door carrying a sobbing Cassie in his arms.

“Zio,” she wails. “Naveen tripped me.”

“It was an accident, papá. I turned around when I heard my name and we bumped right into each other,” Naveen explains.

“My knee, Zio Luca.” She continues to cry and points to the very small cut on her knee.

“Oh Piccolo Fiore. Let me see.” Luca walks over to where they stand and pulls Cassie from Naveen’s arms.

“Papá, I swear it was an accident. Mi dispiace.” Naveen’s face is crestfallen.

“Non preoccuparti, figlio mio.” Luca reassures him with a kiss on his head, and carries Cassie off to bandage her cut.

“She’s a drama queen, Luca. Tell her to suck it up,” Viv shouts.

“Hm. I wonder where she gets that from?” Nix muses as he walks back in.

Viv takes a quick look around then flips him off when she sees no little eyes around.

“Okay okay. Enough. Are we going to open gifts or what?” Cat bounces in her seat, as anxious as a kid.

“Yeah. Let’s do this. My stomach has been bothering me for the last day and I may need to lay down if it gets worse.” Bishop sits next to me and takes my hand in his, kissing the back then holding it tight between his.

“Are you okay? Was it something you ate, or are you coming down with a cold?” Nix rushes over to me and begins feeling my forehead.

“Will you stop? I’m not a child. You don’t need to check my temperature,” I say and bat his hand away. “It’s probably just some indigestion. I’ll be fine.”

We all settle in and I begin opening far too many gifts than one child could possibly need. Every now and then I feel a cramp in my side and rub it out.

“Babe, are you sure you’re okay?” Bishop whispers in my ear.

I nod with a plastic smile because I really am not okay.

I open another couple of gifts when the pain has me bending over in agony.

“That’s it. I’m taking you to the hospital,” Bishop says as he jumps up from the couch.

“I’m fine. It’ll pass in a bit,” I tell him.

“Uh, Ana. I hate to tell you this but you’ve been having ‘indigestion’ every five minutes for the last hour.” Vaughan looks at his watch.

“Oh shit. You’re in labor. Go! We got the kids,” Viv jumps up from her seat and moves this way and that way like a chicken with their head cut off.

“You guys. I am not in—oh my god,” I groan when I stand up only to fall back down.

“Let’s go.” Without another word, Bishop scoops me up and carries me to the car.

He places me gently inside and buckles me up, before running to the drivers side and jumping in.

Nix knocks on the window and I roll it down.

“We’ll be right behind you. The girls will stay here with everyone else and I’ll call your mom.” I sigh, relieved that he remembered about mom. “Love you, Peanut.” He leans and kiss my forehead before we squeal off in the direction of the hospital.

My body is weak and tired from working so hard to bring Jackson Bishop into the world. But he’s here, happy and healthy. And ridiculously large.

The kid is three and a half weeks early and came out nine pounds, seven ounces. Any longer and he would’ve just walked right out.

Francine and Darius sit close, holding Jackie in their arms. Mom and gramma are on their way and will be here soon. The rest of the crew is all parked in the lobby, waiting impatiently to come in.

Bishop told them to give us some family time before they came barging in. The only one not here is Dagen as she volunteered to watch all the kids. Bless her. But we texted and agreed we wanted alone time without the buzz of everyone else around.

Even though she’s their cousin, my kids call her Auntie Day.

Bishop sits next to me on the bed with his arm resting on my shoulders.

“He’s perfect, Anais.” Bishop has tears in his eyes as he watches his parents hold our new son. “Look at all of that hair,” he muses and he’s right.

The kid has full coif right out of the gate. I smile then find myself quickly pulled into a kiss.

“Thank you,” he says when we separate.

“For what, big guy?” I stroke his beard that now has a sparse speckling of grays in it.

“For making all of my dreams come true.” Now it’s me with tears clouding my eyes.

“Same, cariño.”

He smiles at me and says, “Is it too early to ask for another one?”

“Let the poor girl catch her breath before you start adding a new bedroom to that house,” Darius says, making me laugh.

“Let’s get this one out of diapers first, then we’ll talk,” I quip.

He leans in, whispering in my ear, “Who’s got the breeding kink now?”

And he’s right. I’d have ten little ones running around if Bishop asked. As long as we do it together, it’s the only thing that matters.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Well, the crew from Magnolia Creek has bid their farewell and I am not okay.

I hope you enjoyed your time in Magnolia Creek as much as I loved taking you there.

This series started out as just one book, The Pieces Left Behind. There was a cast of great side characters that I really had no intentions of extending beyond the first, and what I thought would be the only book. But it wasn’t far into my writing that these characters started to come alive and whisper in my ear “I need my own story”. (Yeah, yeah. I know. My husband has already told me, there’s medication for that.) The gang started to take on a life of their own and before I knew it, I was typing The End on the final book in the series.

Bishop started as a small nudge when I began writing West Bound. By the time I hit the publish button for that book, Bishop was full on demanding. Then Trust Bound began as I already had it planned to make that book 3, but Bishop was having none of it.

Every chance he had, he was stomping in feet and tapping my shoulder saying “yeah, this one isn’t going the way you want. Just write me. You know you want to”. And oh how right he was. He was the loudest, most demanding character and he had my heart right from the get go.

I cried, for various reasons, writing this one. The heartache that Bishop and Anais endured, the turmoil amongst the friends and finally, the end of it all.

This series has also brought me so much joy. It started my publishing career that I never thought would actually happen. It brought some of the most amazing humans into my life (Gucci Hoochies and Red Heel Ladies for life), and it sent me words of praise and validation that I will forever be grateful for.

I told people from the start that Bishop was my favorite and I could almost guarantee he’d be their favorite, too. So I’m anxious to know…did he live up to the hype? Lord, I hope so.

Now you may be wondering, “Ryan. Why so many damn Lenny Kravitz songs?” The answer is simple; the man is a poet whose songs speak the words that many times we cannot. He was the first voice I heard when I thought about music for this book. And as many of you know, music helps me set my mood for each book and is just as important to me as the words on the page. Lenny is pure genius and if I ever come across him, I will fall to my knees and thank him for so many songs that have contributed to the soundtrack of my life. Then I’d beg him to please let me live in his fabulous Paris home and cuddle under that giant ass blanket he calls a scarf.

So now, the part of the book many skip but I’m hoping will stick around to read a few thank you’s that are a must.

Always first and foremost, my family.

My husband. When Anais talks about how hard Bishop works to provide for his family that allows her to be home and write well…that’s my guy. For seventeen years he has gone to the office —sometimes begrudgingly— to do all that he could so that I could be home for our kids. He’s never missed a game or a practice or a single achievement that our kids received. He’s always in the front row, cheering for them and letting them know just how proud he is. He’s the most giving man and never asks for anything in return. Without him and his dedication to our family, these books would not have even come life.

My beauty, my peanut, my sweet princess. BrookeLyn my dear, you are the motivation that I have needed many days to keep pushing through this. To keep pushing through life in general, some times. She listens to all of my crazy ramblings with a smile on her face and when I achieve things I only dreamed of, the joy on her face always makes my heart feel like bursting. She’s my best friend, my support, my encouragement, and the shoulder I have needed when hope seemed pointless.

My little dude who is not so little anymore. My buggy, my Bro. He never misses a chance to tell anyone who will listen that his mom is an author. He’s sure to add in that they are book just for adults, but he’s plenty thrilled that they include baseball. Both of my kids are incredibly gifted with musical talent. But this kid is something else. His music inspires me and wow’s me, and maybe one day I’ll have his song included in my playlist. One day, my bug sat down and began writing and I couldn’t believe my eyes. He said “I want to be an author like you, someday”. Talk about an ugly face cry.

These three humans make my life worth waking up each and every day. Thank you and I love you the mostest.

To my Gucci Hoochies! Cami and Gabby, you are my spine many days when I just want to fall and throw in the towel. The imposter syndrome sets in deep sometimes, and you two are always right there to tell me not to give up…or you’ll kick my ass. The love and support you have given me, I will never fully be able to repay. It is immeasurable. Thank you for telling me, “Nuh uh. You’re not quitting.” Thank you for encouraging me to keep moving forward and bringing my stories to life. And most of all, thank you for constantly throwing more and more ideas at me that I feel like I will never sleep or eat again. But guess what…Totally worth it. Love you both my besties and thank you. Always and forever, for life, ride or die, here to stay.

Mindy, my wonderful beta turned editor because your talent is far too amazing to just read. Your friendship means so very much that I can’t even put it into words. Our friendship brought about some shady people who wanted to cut that bond off from the get go. But I trusted my gut because I knew, I knew, you were a lifetime type friendship. You’re genuine and caring and real and I thank you for all that you have added to my words and my life.

Beta team assemble! (Said in the tone of Ron Burgundy) Keyara, Kinsley, and Joleigh. You wonderful, amazing, talented, hilarious, and beautiful friends. When I asked you to beta read, it wasn’t just because I liked you and thought you’d do a good job —yes, partially— but I wanted you on this journey with me because you add so much value to my writing and my life, every day. I love celebrating the high’s with you, and I’m so grateful when you’ve been there for the lows. I promise that one day we will talk cornbread, cause havoc across the UK, and maybe I’ll learn to crotchet a stuffy or two and babysit some ridiculously cute nuggets. Love you all so freaking much.

My red heel ladies! Gosh, I can barely think of y’all without crying. The laughs, the support and the love you share is something I cherish from here to eternity. I’m gonna try to name y’all but just know, if I missed someone I’m sorry. I promise I’ll get ya in the next book. Maybe you’ll end up falling in love with an MMC of your dreams. Tammie, Alyx, Lakshmi, Shani, Shalini, Meggie Moon, MaryAnn, Lin, Ryann, Theresa, Jackie, Kendra, R.Vesper, Erin, Karla, Natalie, Zoe, Sky, Kari, Tori, Anais, Victoria, Holli, Erin, Natoria, Cassie, Maz, Megan, Jessica, Dawn, Donna, & Brittany Brooke. I think I got everyone. If I didn’t just come yell at me.

And finally but NEVER last, JHutch. Okay, I’m trying not to cry but I know I will fail miserably. I don’t know how you came into my life, but the thing I do know is I am so damn grateful. The talks, the laughs, the stories and even the tears we have shared will live in my mind and my heart forever. You are the calm to my chaos and I think that without each other, we wouldn’t thrive. It’d be like a flower without sunshine. Like thunder without lighting. Like—oh, you get it. Our separate paths have brought us to a shared path I am can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. Thank you for being the Thelma to my Louise. Or you can be Louise, if you want. It really doesn’t matter as long as we fall off the cliff together. Love you, friend.

To the Indies out there who work their tails off everyday, lend their support to the community and just make this author life less lonely, thank you for being an inspiration.

My time has come to an end —actually my word count is creeping— so one last thank you.

To the readers who always say just one more page and show your love for me and every other author out there, thank you. You are who we do it for.

I hope that you found something or someone to connect to in my stories, and beg on my knees, pretty please, that you’ll come back for more.

Love you all a million.

Ryan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Marie is a big city girl living in a small town literary world. An avid reader of all things romance, Ryan enjoys cuddling up in bed with a steamy book. When she’s not busy being mom, you can find her building the next Happily Ever After with diverse characters who are everyday people. She is a firm believer that parents should embarrass their kids (usually with superior dance moves), likes telling herself she’s a fitness enthusiast, and spends hours dreaming up everyone’s next book boyfriend. But during football season, you can find her on the couch, screaming at the television and rooting for her beloved San Francisco 49ers.

Ryan lives in a suburb of Houston where she’s killing it at the mom gig to three awesome kids, laughing far too much with her husband and high school sweetheart (a man with the patience of a saint), and her two giant dogs.

Catch up on all things Ryan Marie at www.authorryanmarie.com

ALSO BY RYAN MARIE

The Pieces Left Behind, Magnolia Creek Book 1

West Bound, Magnolia Creek Book 2

Trust Bound, Magnolia Creek Book 3

Through the Fire, a marriage on the rocks novella

Coming soon…

The Dare Bros. Series