Four Letter Word (Love Logic #2) - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,76

distracted and forgot.” I brace myself for Bishop to hate me, for him to tell me I’m selfish just like Leo did.

“Oh, Huds,” he sighs. “That was a shitty thing to do, but you were eighteen for fuck sake. You’re sorry, aren’t you?”

“Extremely sorry,” I answer. “I told him I’d do anything to make it right. If I could go back and do it differently, I would.”

“I know you would.” Bishop keeps his eyes on the road but reaches over to put a hand on my knee. “You’re a good man, Hudson, even if you are a bit of a dumbass from time to time.”

I snort a laugh, which makes my throbbing nose sting. Some of the tension inside me eases. “Do you think Leo will ever forgive me?”

He sighs again. “I don’t know. I hope so, but we both know how much his pride gets in his way sometimes.”

“What if he never forgives me?” I ask, almost afraid to hear the answer. I would never make Bishop choose between the two of us, but would Leo?

“I don’t want to think about that. Everything feels like it’s coming together for the first time; I want to think positive for now.”

“Okay,” I agree, putting my hand over his and squeezing it.

When we get back to my place, Bishop grabs a rag and a gel ice pack from my freezer and leads me over to the couch. He settles next to me, his warm body pressed against mine as he gently holds the ice pack to my nose. I hiss at the spike of pain, and Bishop laces his fingers through mine, resting his head on my shoulder.

“I love you, Bish.”

He risks a quick glance in my direction, a tight smile on his lips. “I love you too. I really, really do.”

His words comfort the restless place inside me. I can’t make Leo forgive me, but I can try to show him I’m not that same thoughtless asshole I was when I was eighteen.

Riot

“I’m not going to get in the middle of all that mess, but you realize that was a stupid fucking move to clock Hudson, right?” I say once Leo and I are in my apartment. Neither of us said anything on the drive over. I figured I would give him time to calm down before I said my piece.

“He completely fucked me over. You know, all these years I wondered if I was overreacting and holding a grudge unfairly. I almost reached out to him so many times. And I never told Bishop what he did because I didn’t want to come between the two of them. But it was even worse than what I was thinking. I trusted him with something important and instead of being there for me as my best friend, he forgot me the second some guy he was crushing on came along? That’s bullshit,” he rants. Guess the ten minute drive wasn’t enough time for him to calm down.

“You’ve never done anything stupid for a cute guy?” I challenge, raising an eyebrow. Leo grumbles an indistinct answer, and I bite back a laugh. “Do you want a drink?” I offer.

“Anything alcoholic,” he answers with a sigh, plopping down on the couch.

“Coming right up.”

I head into the kitchen, pour two glasses of rum, adding a splash of Coke to each, and then return to the living room.

He takes the drink from me, lifting it to his lips and taking a sip immediately.

“Can we talk about something other than Hudson?”

“Gladly. What do you want to talk about?”

“Tell me what you were like in high school,” he prompts.

I laugh, taking a sip of my own drink, the alcohol burning against my lips and warming my throat.

“I was a major nerd,” I confess. “I was happier spending my lunch period with my nose in a book than trying to make friends. I was in the AV club and chess club. I think my mom thought I’d be a virgin for life.”

“You’re lying,” he says, his eyes lighting up with humor, the tension from his body finally relaxing as his drink is slowly drained. “You’re so confident. You exude sex with everything you say and do.”

I preen a little at his words. “I do, do I?” I tease, and Leo blushes.

“Shut up, it’s not like you don’t know that already.”

“No, tell me how sexy I am,” I flirt, setting my glass down and scooting closer to him.

“You’re so self-assured. The way you move, the way you smile, your shameless