“Yes.” There wasn’t a time when we didn’t know where the other was or what the other was doing. “Wilder had a night terror.”
“Oh.” His pause was filled with so many questions.
“He’s fine, if you wanted to know.”
“Yes,” he replied absently. “That’s good.”
“What is it, Bishop?” I sighed.
“I don’t know. I just…” Bishop’s words trailed off, and he took a few deep breaths.
I looked down at Wilder sleeping soundly whilst curled up next to me and I was hit by this gut punch of need. I knew it was ridiculously animalistic but there wasn’t much of me that was beyond a base need. Wilder was mine, and I wanted to be his everything. “I need you to like him, Bishop.”
He sighed and I could hear him get out of his own bed, the covers rustling down the line. “I can feel how much you want him, Byron. I don’t doubt that you like him. My concern is for him, not you.”
“Concern?”
“You’ll never love him, Byron, and I worry that it won’t be enough for someone like Wilder.”
Why was Bishop being difficult about this? “That’s his choice, not yours.”
He scoffed down the phone. “Yes, but what happens when he leaves, and I’m left to deal with the fallout? Hmm? When you inevitably push him away because you’re too much or he wants more than obsession? Then what happens?”
A slice of pain cut through my heart at my twin’s words. “You think he’d leave?”
“Have you asked him to stay?” he countered.
I didn’t reply. I hadn’t asked Wilder to stay. I’d just stolen him and forced him to be with me.
But I did think he wanted to be here. He let himself be chained to my bed and when I’d given him the option to uncuff him, he hadn’t wanted me to.
What if I asked him to stay, and he refused?
What would happen to me then?
“I take it from your lack of response that you haven’t asked Wilder what he wants. Just be careful with him. I do think he’ll be good for you, Byron. I just hope we’re enough to make himwant to stay.” Then he hung up, leaving me with a myriad of thoughts.
Bishop was right. The reality was, that I came as part of a matching pair. Being with me meant being somewhat with Bishop, too. Did Wilder know that? Did he care?
Did he evenwantthat?
It wasn’t long before Wilder stirred, shaking off his morning nap. I could tell the moment he realised where he was. His whole body flinched and stiffened.
“Hello again,” I said as he looked up at me, his eyes back to their normal brilliant purple.
“I haven’t forgiven you,” he said as he narrowed his eyes at me.
“I know, baby.”
He huffed a disgruntled breath and snuggled deeper into my embrace.
I smiled down at the top of his head. He might not want to look at me, but he didn’t want to be away from me. I was going to take that as a small victory.
“We need to talk about your father,” I said as I stroked my fingers up and down his arm.
“Do we have to?”
“Mm-hmm,” I replied. “He’s up to something and I don’t like how close he’s been to you.”