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“Don’t let this ruin your party,” mom said with a smile. “You’ve been waiting weeks for this thing and running yourself ragged in the meantime. Let loose a little, kid. Find Kara—or better yet, Bishop.”
“Bishop’s been pissed at me for almost a month.”
“He didn’t look pissed when he carried you inside,” she said with a smile.
“Who would’ve guessed he’d be so disturbed by a little blood,” I said casually.
“I don’t think it was the blood,” my mom said sarcastically. “And neither do you. The two of you are like magnets. It’s ridiculous to watch.”
“I’ve got my hands full right now, mom,” I reminded her. She and my dad were the only people who knew what I’d been dealing with since I’d finished school. I was too embarrassed and confused to tell anyone else.
“Your hands aren’t full tonight, Charlie Bear. Go get him.”
I shook my head as she walked away. “You’re not like any other mom I know!”
“That’s because I’m a cool mom,” she said, waving her hand at me.
I sighed and looked around the room. Kara, Draco and Bishop were standing by the pool tables talking to Will and Molly. My mom was right, me and Bishop were like magnets. Or maybe it was just him. He was the magnet and I couldn’t help but be drawn toward him. He didn’t seem to have a problem staying away from me.
How many times had I gotten home late and stopped outside his bedroom door, chickening out at the last second? How many times had I made excuses to myself about why I didn’t just knock on his bedroom door? How many times had I paused outside his open doorway when he wasn’t home? Too many to count, if I was being honest. I’d spent so much time staring at his bed, that I’d noticed the small teeth marks I’d left on his headboard when he’d fucked me to oblivion.
The stress of trying to make my new business successful had completely drained me. It felt like I was unable to make decisions about anything else—even Beauregard Augustus Bishop.
I finished my drink and set it down on the bar.
“You just going to stare at him all night or are you going to go over there?” my sister-in-law Trix asked with a grin as she scooted in beside me.
“Probably just stare,” I replied honestly, making her laugh.
“Life’s too short for that nonsense,” she said, reaching out to pat my back. “He’s a good boy.”
“He’s all man,” I muttered, making her wrinkle her nose in amused disgust.
“Don’t wanna know,” she replied. “You could do a lot worse, though.”
“I know,” I said with a sigh as Jacob—no, that wasn’t right—put another drink down in front of me. Jesse! “I’ve just got a lot going on at the moment. Hey Jesse, could I just get a water instead?”
“If you wait until you don’t have anything going on, you might miss your chance,” Trix said, running her hand over my hair. “And his name is Jake.”
“Fuck,” I muttered. “Sorry Jake!” I turned to Trix. “You’re kind of a downer today.”
“I’m a ray of fucking sunshine,” she said, pointing at me. “I just tell it like I see it. Someone is going to snatch him up. He looks like a damn Adonis statue.”
“It’s nuts, right?” I asked, shaking my head as I grabbed my water glass from the prospect with an apologetic smile. “How is anyone that good looking?”
Trix laughed. “Looked in a mirror lately?” she asked dryly.
I snorted.
“He’s kind,” she said quietly. “And respectful. Helpful. Funny. He loves Draco almost as much as Curtis does. All of that goes a lot further than the way he looks.”
“I’m aware,” I said, just as quietly.
Trix shrugged. “Maybe he’s shit in bed and it amounts to nothing. But you never know until you—” she paused when she saw the look on my face. “Okay, well, maybe something else will turn you off. Who knows. You’re young. Just don’t be afraid to try, kiddo.”
“Did my mother send you over here?” I asked suspiciously.
“Nope,” she said as the prospect switched out her empty beer bottle for a full one. “It was Cecilia.”
I looked around the room until I found my sister, staring at me smugly. I flipped her off.
“I’m going,” I snapped to Trix. “Tell my sister to mind her own beeswax.”
I made my way through the room, running my fingers over my Aunt Callie’s back as I passed her, elbowing Kara’s brother Brody in the side, and high fiving my nephew Grey as I went. I loved being surrounded by family—it was one of my favorite things—even when I was pissed at the men and honestly, the whole damn club they belonged to.
“Where’s Reb?” I asked nonchalantly as I reached the group by the pool tables.
“Bathroom?” Will said.
“I think she went outside,” Kara countered. “She got a phone call.”
