Chapter 22
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 o ver 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.