Page 76 of Without Bound
“She is of sound mind and more than capable of making her own decisions. What is bothering you most about this? Her age, or the fact that you can’t play happy matchmaker to put me with someoneyouthink is best for me?”
“She’s your best friend's niece!” Her voice is shrill and matches the look on her face.
“And you’re my best friend! You can either support me and help me when it comes time to break this to Nix, or you can leave me be. You go on with your merry life and I’ll go on with mine. But I won’t stand here and listen to you tell me all the ways this is wrong. It’s not. This is the most sure I’ve felt about anything in my life.”
I wait, hoping and praying that CeCe will understand and support me. But she stays still and quiet and a small piece of my heart breaks. I shake my head and move past her, back into the suite where I spend the rest of the night trying to ward off Melina’s unrelenting flirting with the help of my friends. At least those who want to see me happy no matter the consequence that may come my way.
25
Anais
I slam my book shut and rub my eyes. The words are starting to blur and I can’t take one more minute of studying.
It’s a Saturday and an away game for Nix, so I’m trying to catch up on some school work that I fell behind in attending the first two games. Bishop said he has some home chores to do, so I thought it was a good time to get some quiet studying.
Keyara sits across the room from at her desk, doing the same. We haven’t really spent much time together since I started seeing Bishop, and I feel guilty for ditching her.
“Hey Key,” I say, interrupting her focus. “Wanna do something? I need a break.”
She shuts her book and puts down her highlighter, then turns in her chair to face me. “You mean you don’t already have plans with Bishop? That’s a shock.”
I sit up and spin so that my legs hang off of my bed. “I know. I’m sorry. You know we can’t really spend time out in the open, so staying at his house has really been the only option for us.”
Keyara watches me with a discerning eye and I wonder what’s rolling through her mind.
“And you’re not going to ditch me the minute he calls?” she asks.
“No ditching,” I assure her.
She pushes up from her chair and tucks back under her desk. “Fine. Mindy and Alyx wanted to grab some pizza this afternoon. I told themIwould join, but I’m sure they’d be happy if you came along.”
Keyara is the only friend who knows about Bishop and me, so I’m sure they’re wondering where I’ve disappeared to.
I hop off the bed and search for my white Nikes. “Are they ready now?”
Keyara looks at the clock on her desk and it reads one-ten. “I’ll text them to meet us at The Brick House in fifteen.”
I smile and take a quick look in the mirror. Baggy sweats and a crop t-shirt with the Wranglers logo. Eh, it’ll do. I’m not going to impress anyone, and the stretchy waistband will prove helpful when gorging on pizza and salad.
I grab my keys and phone and decide to send Bishop a text to let him know I’m thinking of him.
Me:
I slide my phone into my pocket and follow Keyara out of our room and down to the parking lot where my car sits. As we get closer, I feel my phone buzz and take a quick look.
??: It’s one day, baby girl. Tomorrow.
The smile on my face is hard to miss and Keyara asks, “Uh oh. Am I losing you already?”
I unlock the doors and we get in. “Nope. Just a text.”
I start up my car and click on the link then quickly add it to our playlist. The song count is climbing higher and higher as Bishop loves sending me songs when he hears something that reminds him of me, or if it’s something he wants to say but a song conveys it better than his words can.
We laugh and talk all the way to The Brick House and pull up to see a hoard of cars in the parking lot.
“Woah. Guess everyone had the same idea,” I tell Keyara.
“I think it’s the weather. Everyone is taking advantage of the sunshine before the cold weather hits.”
