Page 103 of Without Bound
“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 hishero 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, myfamily, 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 haveslowed 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.
