Page 13 of Perfectly Wrong
EIGHT
TRISTAN
My ringing phone jolts me from reading my textbook. Trinity glances up as I gasp. “It’s Bishop.”
“Oh my god.”
“Hello?”
“Hey, babe.”
I smile, exhaling sharply. “Hi.”
“What are you doing?”
“Studying. You?”
“Driving around this little university town wondering where you live.”
“Oh my god.” My brow crinkles as my eyes shift to Trin. “You’re here?”
“I am. How do I find you?”
“I’m on Main and third. Horizon Sky apartments.” I can barely breathe. “Building four number 302.”
“Can I come over?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“Awesome. See you in about ten minutes.”
“Okay.” I hang up. “Fuck. He’s here. He’s coming over.”
“Shit. You need a shower, dude.”
“Yes.” I jump up. “What else?”
“I’ll straighten up. You shower. When he gets here, I’ll go so you guys can be alone.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
I hurry down the hall to the bathroom and take the quickest shower of my life, brush my teeth, and run some gel through my hair.
I throw on a pair of jeans and a clean white t-shirt, then nearly jump out of my skin when I hear the knock on the door.
When I come out, Bishop is standing near the door, holding a bag, and talking with Trin.
His eyes shift past her to me and he graces me with a stunning smile. “Hey, Tristan.”
I walk over to him, hug him, and kiss his cheek. “Hi.”
“Okay, boys,” Trin says. “See you. Call me when you can, Trist.”
“You’re leaving?” Bishop asks.
“Yep. We were wrapping up anyway. Good to see you.”
“You too.” Trinity leaves and Bishop turns to face me. “I brought some wine.”
“What are you doing here? This is amazing.”
Bishop sets the bag down on the dining table. “I woke up this morning, and thought I have questions that I can’t answer sitting here in my condo. I could only answer them by seeing you again. So I got in my car, and I just drove here. I hope it’s okay I didn’t call first.”
“More than okay. What questions?”
He fixes his eyes on me, stepping closer as he holds my gaze. His hair is longer than it was last time, and it’s so thick, it’s just perfectly styled. He’s dressed in a black t-shirt, jeans, and black boots. I want to touch him, but I’m dying to know why he’s here.
“I wanted to know what we’re like together when we’re not hiding. When we’re not in bed. When we’re just being us. I need to know if there’s more here than lust.”
I can barely swallow as a lump of emotion crowds my throat. “There is, Bishop. So much more.” I step closer. “But you don’t know yet?”
“Someone told me…” He pauses, taking my hand in his. “Someone told me I wouldn’t recognize love if it was handed to me. I’m not sure that’s true, but I’m not sure it’s not.”
“What are you saying?”
“I came here to spend the night with you, but I want to talk, and have dinner, and just hang out. I want to take whatever it is you’re handing me, but I want to give too.”
“You do give. Please don’t believe that you don’t.”
“Can we do that, Tristan? Can I just hang out with you?”
“Absolutely.”
He nods. “Good.” He leans in and kisses me softly, but I can feel the restraint in his lips. I press into him, but he pulls back. “Just hang out, babe.”
“Right.” I glance around. “My humble abode.”
“It’s nice enough. Good area.”
“Yeah, I can walk everywhere.”
“You look really good. Working out still?”
I nod. “Gotta stay hot to keep up with you.”
Bishop chuckles. “I’ll open the wine.”
“I’ll get glasses.”
As I open the kitchen cabinet searching for wine glasses, I’m in disbelief he’s really here. He came to see me. A smile tugs at my lips, but I smash it down, trying to be cool. He needs to see me as mature enough for him.
“Here we go.”
Bishop nods, filling the two glasses. He holds his glass up to mine. “To us.”
I nod. “To us.”
We clink glasses and take a sip. “What were you doing before I got here? Studying, right?”
“Yeah. Um, Trin was helping me. I’m, um, having a hard time in some classes, but she’s a good tutor.”
“What kind of trouble you having?”
I walk over to the couch and Bishop follows. “I’m just not finding a groove. It’s so much reading and papers and bullshit. I don’t feel like you learn shit except how to follow a bunch of rules.”
“Don’t you like reading?”
“Yeah, for fun. I don’t like reading about gross profit margins in China.”
“Hmm.” He sips his wine. “Have you considered changing your major?”
“I’m too far behind in credits.”
“What do you want to do?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I don’t want to disappoint my dad, so I just keep trying. My grades have come up a little with Trin’s help.”
“Good.”
“But I wish I could just go out in the world and get a job and learn life by living it. You did it and turned out amazing.”
“I got lucky.” He cups my chin. “If you were my son, I would want you to go to school too. I would want your path to be easier than mine. That’s all he wants too.”
“I know.” I smile. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Like what?”
“I want to know things about you. What do you do to relax?”
“I like to take baths. I’m not good at reading, but I love watching design shows and reading design magazines. I’m always trying to improve myself. I want to be the best in my field.”
“Dad says you already are.”
Bishop smiles. “That’s kind. I’ve done well, but I have competition.”
“That’s good though, right? It keeps you growing.”
“Exactly.”
“What’s your favorite movie?”
Bishop twists his lips for a moment. “Hmm, probably Goodfellas. I love mafia shit.”
I laugh. “I like those movies, but I like comedies more. I just like to laugh. Even if it’s dumb.”
He studies my face for a moment. “Maybe what Trinity told us is true. Maybe you’re the yin to my yang. My opposite. Even though our situation is wrong, maybe we’re meant to be anyway.”
“It’s only wrong in one person’s eyes. It’s perfect to me.”
“Perfectly wrong?” A smile gleams in his eyes. “That’s almost poetic. Despite the odds, I can’t seem to let you go, Tristan. I don’t want to.”
“That sounds like poetry to me.”
“You haven’t met anyone?”
“No. I’m too focused on studying and you. Have you?”
“No. I’m too focused on work.” He smiles. “And you.”
“Shit, Bishop, my heart feels so full right now. I can’t believe you came all this way to see me. It feels so good to know you want me as much as I want you.”
“I always have.” He leans close and kisses me softly. Briefly. Too briefly. “And as much as I want to tear you up right now, I’m not going to.”
“That’s cool too.”
“Well, what do you say we pick out a good comedy to watch?”
“And then a badass mafia flick?”
“Perfect.”
The next morning, I open my eyes to an empty bed. When I sit up, Bishop comes in the room carrying two mugs of coffee.
“Morning.”
I smile. “Morning.”
He hands me a mug and kisses my forehead. “I have to go soon.”
“I understand. Thank you so much for coming.”
“My pleasure.” He sits on the bed across from me and sips his coffee. “Sleeping with you last night was really nice. I liked the feeling of your body next to mine. My bed has been cold for too long.”
“Stop, babe. You’re so romantic and sexy.”
“I’m being honest.”
“Thanks.”
“Do something for me?”
“Anything.”
His brow furrows. “Please do your best in school. It’ll make things easier when it comes time to tell your dad about this.”
My eyes widen. “We’re gonna tell him?”
“Someday I assume we’ll have to if…” His words trail off but his eyes give me so much hope I almost cry.
“I’ll do everything I can.”
“Good. I wish I could stay and just spend the day getting to know you even more.”
“You know me, Bishop. You know me deeper than you think.”
“You give me hope that maybe I’m not broken at all. I can absolutely see what’s being handed to me, and I can honor it, and cherish it, and god, I hope, someday I can return it.”
My breath catches in my throat. “I know you can. I’m sure of it.”
Bishop sets his mug down, then leans in and presses his lips on mine. “I’m gonna head out. If you want to text me, it’s okay. Just a quick hello or an I miss you would be nice.”
I nod. “I will.”
“See you soon, lover.”
“Bye.”
Once he leaves, I fall back on my bed with the biggest grin on my face. I’m in love with him and even better I think he’s falling for me too. Fuck yeah.