“Okay, smartass, and what do I think?”
“I don’t know.” He looks down at me, and I snuggle into him more. “She was a means to an end. That’s all you need to know for now.”
“So many secrets.”
“You have no idea.” He squeezes into me more and kisses the top of my head.
“So I take it The Elite Kings Club is very much real?”
He laughs this time, squinting out at the lake. “True, but Madison?” He looks back to me, pulling me on top of him until I’m straddling his waist. I fight the urge to kiss him or grind on him, because apparently, I have zero self-control. He tilts his head. “This is not a joke.”
“I know,” I whisper softly, though I actually don’t know, because he won’t tell me much. I appreciate what he has already told me though, knowing that alone was a brave move for him.
“God, there’s so much you should know,” he whispers, his hands falling on my hips.
I inch forward and run my lips over his ever so softly, fighting to suck on his plumper lower lip. “Just tell me, Bishop. Tell me what it is.”
“I can’t, baby. Even though I want too, both Nate and I want to, we can’t. It’s not safe for you to know, and will only leave you with more questions.”
I sag against him, curling into the crook of his neck. “Fine, but one more question?”
“Yeah, go for it, kitty.”
“Is this real, what’s happening between me and you? Or is it all part of one of your games?”
He pauses for a second and then looks at me. His eyes fall soft, a softness I have never seen the whole time I’ve known Bishop. “Yeah.” He clears his throat. “Yeah, fuck, I think it is.”
I WALK BACK INTO THE house with Nate next to me, dropping my bags onto the ground. “Dad?” I call out, throwing the keys to his Aston Martin on the table in the kitchen.
Nate opens the fridge and pulls out the OJ, twisting the cap off and taking a long swig. “Mom!”
Elena comes into the kitchen in her gym gear. “Hey, you two. Have fun?” she asks with a smile, before scowling and walking toward Nate, swatting his hand off the orange juice and placing it back into the fridge. “You!” She points to his chest. “Need some more etiquette training.”
“Old dogs and all that,” I mutter, taking a seat on the stool.
Elena grins. “Very true, Madison.” She walks to the sink and fills up a glass of water. “Your father is out at the moment but will be home a little later. Are you okay?” She turns to face me, taking a sip of her water. She truly is beautiful. She has dark auburn hair, blue eyes, and soft milky skin. She doesn’t look forty-one, that’s for sure. She had Nate young, and I’ve never really asked about Nate’s dad, but I gather it’s a dark story since no one has bought it up. Elena Riverside—her name alone holds more substance than Nate’s lack of ability to turn down a lay.
“It’s okay.” I shake my head. “We had a great time, thank you.” I stand up from the stool. “But I’m dying for a shower.”
Nate grins at me, taking a bite out of a leftover roasted chicken leg. “Yah, I just bet you are.”
I narrow my eyes. Elena rolls hers. “Nate, leave her alone. You could do with a shower too.”
I laugh, poking my tongue out at him. His lip curls and I walk out the kitchen, picking up my duffle bag and walking up the stairs. I slip into my bedroom, dash into the bathroom—locking Nate’s side—shower, and then quickly shuffle into some loose gray track pants that hang off my waist and a relaxed white shirt. I loved being out in the forest, but damn it’s nice to be home.
I’ve never wanted to get attached to any of our houses before, but I don’t know. Something feels like this is it for us. I hope I’m right, because I will seriously be thinking about letting Tatum’s parents adopt me if my father thinks he can pack us up again and leave. I lotion up my hands and feet before slipping on some socks. Picking up my duffle bag, I rip through all my clothes until the tips of my fingers skim over the familiar brown leather book. My phone vibrates on my bedside table, but it’s too late. I’m already flipping the cover and skipping to the chapter I’m up to.
4.
The tomorrow
What happens when everything you possibly thought you knew, everything you were educated on, was suddenly nothing at all?
Choosing a husband to bear my children wasn’t easy for me; my parents chose him, and at the time, he seemed like an appropriate fit. He was hardworking, charming, and well-spoken. I thought he was everything I ever wanted in a companion, everything a girl ever needed in one, but it’s only lately I’ve started to realize just how distant and out of touch my judgment may have been.
Lying Damien back into his woven crib, I hummed to him softly while continuing to rock the little crib in hopes of not waking him.
“Katsia, there seems to be an awful racket going on out there tonight.”
I nodded, stepping away from the crib. “I hear that, too. Fear not, it shouldn’t go on much longer.”
Maree looks at me as if she was waiting for some sort of confirmation. I bobbed my head in understanding. She wouldn’t let this go unless I spoke to my husband, and rightly so. Maree has a new-born baby just like I. And where Humphrey holds his gatherings, it so happens to be right beside her home.
“I won’t be long.” Giving her a curt nod, I walked past her and out the door, the soles of my flats pitter-pattering across the dusty forest floor. The moon was setting behind the overgrown forest
