And Then There Was Us (And The There Was 2)

My heart was in my throat, but I stayed silent and just listened.

“But then she got sick, and it happened so fast. She passed away, and then it was just me.”

God, my heart broke, but still I said nothing. I didn’t know what to say, how to take that pain from him.

“I blocked everything else out.”

He disconnected from the world.

“I finished school with a degree, worked my ass off to save money, took out a loan, and the rest is history. The “rest” is called Lyrics.” He cleared his throat again. “My mother’s name was Lyric.”

Oh God. I felt tears prick my eyes. He named it after his mother.

I was pretty sure I just fell in love with Bishop at that moment.

“It’s obviously named after my mother, but also a play on her love of music.” He looked at me briefly then before focusing back on the road, a small smile playing on his lips. “I’m pretty sure she’d love that place. I tried to interject all the little things she once talked about wanting if we ever owned a bar.”

I quickly brushed tears away from my cheeks, trying to hide the movement. I didn’t want to show my sympathy. Some people didn’t want that. Sometimes that made things worse, so instead I reached out and placed my hand over his, which rested on his thigh. His entire body stiffened as if he were shocked by my move. Bishop glanced over at me, his expression unreadable.

I curled my fingers around his, holding his hand, because that was what I’d needed done for me many times in the past. That was what helped me when I was at my lowest, so maybe it would help him too.

It was times when you shared the hardest, darkest parts of your world with someone that you formed a soul-deep connection. It was in that moment you realized it was the realest thing you’d ever experienced in your life.

At that moment, I knew one thing. Bishop was always meant to be in my life, and me in his, whether either of us wanted it or not.

6

Bishop

I dropped Korrie off half an hour ago, and the entire time, all I’d been thinking about was how I should have kissed her good night.

I tossed my keys on the table, toed off my boots, and then just stood there. Despite the deep conversation we shared, I’d been uncomfortably aroused. My cock was still hard, not even going down an inch after I dropped her off and drove home. I liked the fact she wasn’t too far from where I lived, even if she was in the opposite direction.

I liked that I could see her easily, whenever I wanted. She made me feel whole, and for the first time ever, I felt like everything in life happened because it had all been leading up to meeting Korrie.

I exhaled and headed toward the hallway, needing a shower—a cold one, preferably. I didn’t bother turning on any lights until I was in the bathroom. I reached out and switched it on, the harsh fluorescent bulb kicking on, causing me to squint until my vision adjusted.

Bracing my hands on the counter, I hung my head and closed my eyes. My mother would have loved Korrie. Loved her so much that she would have told me to always treat her right and keep her happy, because women like Korrie only came once in a lifetime.

And of course she’d have been right. So right.

She lost her mother. So had I. But it wasn’t that similarity that connected us. I felt that before I knew anything about her. No, there was something deep down, primal, elemental that tied us together.

Soul mates.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Korrie, couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that I’d told her about my mother passing away. I hadn’t told anyone that in years, something I kept to myself no matter who was around or what was going on. It just usually dredged up old wounds that I was trying to let heal—ones that probably would never fully close—but nonetheless, I kept a tight lid on that part of my life.

Until her.

What would she think if she knew I hadn’t been with a woman in all too fucking long? How would she feel if she knew I just hadn’t cared about forming any kind of relationship?

Would she think that was weird? Would she think something was off about me, that maybe I was… damaged? I wouldn’t blame her. I was sure most people would think someone who hadn’t been in any kind of relationship, hadn’t even wanted to be with a female in a good fifteen years, meant they were cold and detached.

I exhaled again and opened my eyes, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

I felt weary, but it wasn’t the physical kind; it was mental. Although I wanted Korrie so fucking badly, a part of me held back—yet realistically I was failing in that regard. I knew a part of me needed to take things slow with her. And I sure as fuck didn’t want to go that route. I wanted to claim her fast and hard. Every male, alpha instinct in me said Korrie was meant to be mine and mine alone.