I frowned. “Are you not going to your parents’?” Or spending it with Jax and her daughter?
“They’re going to New York for a few days to visit with friends and watch the parade, so it’ll be a chicken potpie for me, then, of course, the big soft opening with friends.”
I opened my mouth to invite him to our house, but then snapped it shut.
He noticed and laughed. “Don’t tell me you were about to invite me over to your folks’ place.”
I shrugged and let out a weak chuckle.
“Stop by my place on Thanksgiving—we can talk then,” he said.
He dropped some money on the table and then turned and walked away. I closed my eyes and placed my hand over my heart. I hated the way he looked at me. I hated that I was the reason
he had that look of utter defeat in his eyes.
I looked at the two twenties sitting by his plate. He’d paid for both of us and then some.
Tess walked up to the booth. “What are you doing?”
I jerked my head up. “Excuse me?”
She slowly shook her head. “Slide your bum out of that booth, Abby Boyer, and go after him.”
“I…I don’t think he wants to talk to me, Tess.”
She lifted a single brow. “That’s why he ate breakfast with you?”
I looked down at our plates before grabbing my coat and purse. I slid out of the booth and started for the door. Stopping, I turned and hugged Tess. “I’ve missed you, Tess.”
She chuckled. “I’ve missed you, too, honey. Now go.”
Rushing out of The Coffee Pot, I stopped and looked both ways while I put my coat on. Bishop had gone right and was walking down Chestnut Street. Without even thinking, I went after him.
His grandfather’s old truck was parked a block away on the corner of High Street and Chestnut. It had started snowing while we were eating breakfast, so a light layer of white covered the bare tree branches and the sidewalks and street. It literally looked like a winter wonderland.
Bishop reached his truck, and I called out his name. “Bishop!”
He had opened the truck door but stopped, turning toward me. I started to jog. Right before I got to him, I slipped, and Bishop’s arm shot out and caught me.
I felt the familiar fire the moment he held me in his arms. When our eyes met, I swore I saw it burning in his. He felt the connection as well.
He let go of me and took a step back, nearly causing me to fall again. I steadied myself and fought to keep my heart from beating right out of my chest. “I’m sorry, and it kills me that you look at me like you hate me.”
Bishop closed his eyes. “I don’t hate you, Abs.”
“Bishop. I was just…I was so lost and confused.”
“And you think I wasn’t?”
I sniffed and wiped my nose with my sleeve. “I know you were…and I’m…I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
He looked away, fighting to keep his own emotions in check. At least that was something—he wasn’t staring at me with an emotionless expression anymore.
“I know it’s too late for us, Bishop, and you’re with someone else now.”
He jerked his head back to me.
“But…but…” I stammered.
“But what, Abby? What?” he yelled.
I brought my hand up to my mouth, trying like hell not to cry. I dropped it and decided to take Aiden’s advice. “I’ve never stopped loving you, and I’ll always love you, whether you choose to forgive me or not. But I don’t want to lose you as a friend, Bishop. These last two years without you have been pure hell. I promise I’ll leave you alone…” I had to stop and take a breath between my damn sobs. “But I still want to talk, and all I can wish for at this point is that we can at least be friends.”
God, I hated how weak and pathetic I sounded.
His eyes filled with tears, and for a moment I swore he was going to close the distance between us.
My heart hammered in my chest as we stood there and stared at each other. Bishop lifted his hand and pushed a loose strand of hair back behind my ear. Something in his eyes changed, and he used the back of his hand to wipe away my tears. “I’m not dating Jax anymore.”
I sucked in a breath. I gave him a questioning look, and Bishop ran his hand down his face and let out a short, sober laugh.
“I need to figure out a few things, and it isn’t fair to keep Jax waiting. So I told her I couldn’t see her anymore.”
All I could do was nod. I couldn’t deny his words made me happy—even if I didn’t deserve that happiness—but at the same time, I knew he was trying to deal with me being back in town.