He stared at me for a second, then narrowed those beautiful green eyes. “Is your heart not dying a little bit each day right now?”

I shook my head. “Never date a Bishop, that’s the rule. Bishops always get a soulmate⁠—”

“Or die before they get one.”

My stomach turned. “What does that mean? You’re not dying.”

“I already died, Savannah. Asmodeus killed me. You and Riah brought me back.” He licked his lips and stared at the ground. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, like even he didn’t want to hear it. “What if that death was my destiny, and therefore I was never a soulmate. What if my soul has always been only mine, never shared with another person?”

I shivered. “Bentley said⁠—”

“Bentley was a child. An innocent child who’d spent the majority of his life with Tegan. There’s a reason he’s as devious as her. What if Bentley knows I’m going to die without a soulmate, and he just said that to give me hope or something?”

Oh God, no. I can’t even THINK that. I can’t. My heart can’t handle that idea. Tears pooled in my eyes, then slid down my cheeks. I licked my lips and tasted the saltiness. “What if he wasn’t lying and your soulmate is coming still?”

He shrugged. “I won’t know until either I die or she shows up, and I don’t want to live like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m hoping it’s death because being marked for someone else feels worse.”

I exhaled and rested my head against the door. “You’re just saying that right now. When she comes, you’ll be happy. Look at Tenn’s parents. I’ve heard the story. She was in love with Julian and then Micah came and she’d never been happier.”

“And from what I’ve heard she always loved Julian.”

“And Julian suffered so badly he tried to kill children⁠—”

“Years later. After the deaths of the only family Julian had left. It doesn’t matter that that wasn’t the truth, it was the truth to Julian.” He ran his hand through his short blond hair. “Besides, Julian was blindsided by Micah. He didn’t know he was going to lose her.”

My eyebrows rose. “Knowing I’m going to lose you is supposed to make it easier?”

His eyes glistened like he was fighting back tears. “Nothing’s going to make this easier, Savannah. Nothing.”

“Then why are you here saying things you shouldn’t?”

“Because this already hurts more than we can bear. Doesn’t it?”

I nodded and tears splashed onto my chest.