Her breathing grew labored as she shot daggers my way, and suddenly, without warning, her face softened. She glanced up at Hudson with more love and affection than I’d have liked to have seen.
“I know you still love me, baby,” she cooed as she nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. “You said you did last night, remember?”
“Ava,” Hudson sighed. He had to do some damage control and quick. “I said a lot of things last night. You were threatening to kill yourself. I had to get you to calm down.”
“But you admit you said it, right?” she said. She was talking to him, but her eyes were on me. She wanted to see me hurt, but I refused to let her. “Hudson, let’s just quit with the games. You know you and I are going to end up together again eventually. Ship Miss Corn Fed Iowa back to the farm she came from and let’s just get on with our life, mm-kay?”
“Now, Ava, that’s just uncalled for,” Hudson said. He finally jerked away from her and her drunk, limber arm fell into her lap. “You’ve got to stop with all this.”
Ava wasn’t about to throw in the white towel anytime soon. His words were only making her want him even more. I could spot a girl who loved a good challenge from a mile away.
“You’re delusional if you think for one second that you and I are ever getting back together,” he said. “I’m with Brynn. That’s who I want to be with. Nothing you say or do will change that. Know that. Please.”
Hudson was getting more and more agitated, and seeing him defend me first hand was getting me a little turned on.
“We have to go now,” he said as he stood up and reached for my hand.
Ava’s face fell at first and then twisted into a conniving smile.
“You’ll be back,” she snickered. “You always come back.”
He led me outside as fast as he could.
“I told you it was going to be pointless for you to talk to her,” he sighed.
“I at least wanted to try,” I replied. “She didn’t faze me. I swear. She’s downright psychotic.”
“She needs help,” he said. “A lot of help.”
We pulled out of her driveway and sped as fast as possible to the Pacific Coast Highway.
“That was so freaking bizarre,” I mused as I stared out the window at the ocean besides us. “All of it. Has she always been that dramatic?”
“Not always,” he said.
“I see,” I said. “So who dumped whom? Just out of curiosity.”
He bit his lip, as if he didn’t want to answer but he knew he had to.
“She dumped me actually,” he said. He almost seemed embarrassed about it.
“So you were holding onto crazy all that time?” I asked.
“I was trying to help her get better,” he said. “I thought I could bring the old Ava back. The Ava I first met. By the time I realized it was a lost cause, she’d cheated on me with one of her co-stars and it was over.”
“And now you have me,” I said. I wanted to remind him that he had moved on to greener pastures. I didn’t have an ounce of the kind of crazy that Ava had in me.
“Yes,” he said as he turned to me and smiled. He reached for my hand and our fingers interlaced.
Cozying deep into the smooth leather of the passenger seat, I refused to let Ava have any more of my perfect day. I got to see my mom. I saw Hudson stand up for me in front of Ava. And now I was watching the sunset over the ocean. Ava didn’t get to steal any more of my day than she already had.
***
Saturday night Hudson made us reservations at a hot new restaurant in town called Ava y Rosa. It was some kind of Spanish-Italian fusion cuisine, and he’d heard nothing but amazing things about the food but tables were booked out for weeks in advance. Hudson, of course, pulled some strings and got us in right away.
I soaked for a solid hour in his big bathtub surrounded by millions of subtly scented bubbles. I sipped champagne and listened to music from my iPod. It had been far too long since Hudson and I had had a proper date, and the past week had been rough on our relationship.
I took my sweet time getting ready, slathering expensive lotions and creams over every inch of my body. I wanted to be as smooth and soft as possible when we made love that night. Just the thought of sex with him got me hot with anticipation.
As I inhaled the scents of luxury and elegance, Hudson’s reflection appeared in the mirror behind me.
“Hey,” I said as he came up behind me and wrapped his hands around my hips. I pulled my towel tighter around me. “Save this for later, okay?”
“I don’t know if I can wait,” he whispered in my ear while he nibbled it.
“I can’t wait to go out tonight,” I said. Alec had helped me pick out the perfect date night outfit earlier that day, and I’d just had my hair done that morning, so it worked out perfectly. I figured there would be paparazzi out there, and this time I was going to be more than prepared for their glaring flashes and off handed comments.
“I can’t wait to get you back home,” he replied.
I smiled as I watched our reflections in the mirror. In many ways, I hardly recognized myself, but in so many other ways, I loved the woman I was becoming. She was fearless, adventurous, and beginning to let go of the ideals she’d once clung to out of sheer comfort and fear of the unknown.
“Reservations are in an hour,” he said. “I just came in to remind you.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” I teased. “If you want me to look good, it takes time.”
“You always look amazing, Brynn,” he smirked as he looked me up and down before exiting the bathroom.
I hurried up, did my makeup, and got dressed, donning a black jumper with an insanely deep, plunging neckline. I slipped on a pair of diamond stud earrings and spritzed on some gardenia perfume. After searching high and low for the perfect pair of red-bottomed shoes, I was finally ready.
“There she is,” Hudson said as I walked out to the kitchen. He’d been standing there for a while, waiting, and talking to Flor.
Flor looked me up and down and said nothing, only offering a polite smile.
“Ready?” he asked as he extended his hand and helped me into his car. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to walking in five inch heels.
The restaurant scene was hopping. There were throngs of patrons, tourists, VIPs, and wanna-bes all standing outside the building or coming and going. Two spotlights lit up the earth above us as their beams crossed against the backdrop of the night sky.
We valet parked and hurried inside, quickly ushered to our table in a dark corner away from most of the action. Hudson always knew how to get the best seats in the house.
The place was dark and a single candle in a simple crystal glass lit the space between us, illuminating Hudson’s devilishly handsome face.
“You look beautiful tonight, Brynn,” he said. “I can’t stop staring at you.”
I blushed, though I was sure he couldn’t see it in the dim lighting of the restaurant.
“Thanks,” I smiled. “You look quite handsome yourself.”
His eyes twinkled as they locked onto mine, like he was envisioning some sort of play-by-play he had planned for me later that night.
Our server came to take our drink orders, and Hudson ordered us a bottle of some kind of red wine I’d never heard of before.
“Will you excuse me?” I asked him. The champagne from my bath earlier was beginning to fill my bladder and I couldn’t fight it off any longer. “I’m going to run to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”
“Of course,” he said. He stood up from his chair when I stood up. A true gentleman.
With my clutch in hand, I navigated my way to the ladies’ room for a little relief. But the moment the door swung open, I was faced with the last person I expected to see.
As we nearly collided, she quickly took a step back and placed her hands firmly on her hips.
“What are you doing here?” Ava asked, as if I was intruding on her turf.
“I
’m on a date with Hudson,” I replied, not that it was any of her business.
She stared me up and down with a mean girl smirk on her face.
“That’s funny,” she said. “I told him I was coming here tonight.”
She’s just trying to get into my head, I told myself. Don’t listen to her.
“Whatever, Ava,” I said as I tried to push past her, but she wouldn’t get out of the way. She stood with her feet cemented firmly in place.
“You know what’s funny to me?” she said, her eyes piercing into mine. “You’re so fucking dumb that you don’t see what’s going on. We’re actors, sweetie. That little scene at my place the other day? An act. I’m not suicidal. Not even close. It’s all an act to give Hudson an excuse to spend time with me.”
“I don’t believe you,” I said to her. I could feel my lip quivering and prayed she didn’t notice she was starting to get to me.
“Well that’s too bad,” she smirked. “If you want to live in la-la-land with Hudson and believe everything he says, then go for it. Just know you’re not the only girl he’s fucking.”
“You’re delusional, Ava,” I sighed. She still wasn’t going to let me pass behind her, and the urge to go had suddenly left me. I spun around and headed straight back to the table where Hudson was sitting and waiting patiently for my return.
“What’s wrong?” he said the moment he saw how distraught I was.
“Let’s go,” I said. “Now.”
His eyes scrunched. He didn’t understand. He looked around the room as if to search for some sign of chaos or paparazzi or something that would’ve ruined our perfect little date night, but the patrons around us were in their own little worlds, enjoying their quiet, romantic dinners the way we should’ve have been.
I didn’t have time to give him an explanation. I wanted out of there. It was only going to be a matter of time before Ava found another way to get under my skin. At any moment she was probably going to saunter past our table and make a snide remark or throw a sexy glance over at Hudson. I didn’t have to put up with that. I refused.
Hudson chased behind as I practically ran out of the restaurant.
“Brynn,” he called out. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
I couldn’t answer him. I didn’t want to talk until we got in the car. Who knew what the people around us would hear and who was desperate enough to sell a story to a tabloid for a few bucks.
“Can you just get the car?” I begged.
Hudson approached the valet and returned to me, massaging his hands on my bare shoulders.
“What is it?” he asked again.
I opened my mouth to simply say the word “Ava”, but before I had the chance, she came sauntering out the front door of the restaurant. Surrounded by a posse of mean girls, she walked right up to us.
“Well, well, well,” she said as her gaze honed in on Hudson. “Funny seeing you here.”
Hudson rolled his eyes. “Ava, why are you doing this?”
“I should ask you the same,” she snipped. “You knew I was coming here tonight.”
“That is not true at all,” he said. He didn’t try to hide the anger in his voice.
The next several seconds were a blur filled with the flash of paparazzi cameras that seemed to come out of nowhere and the feeling of Hudson’s hand on the small of my back, ushering me to his car the moment the valet driver pulled it up.
As soon as we were safe inside the confines of his Range Rover, we sped off for safer ground.
“What did she say to you?” he asked.
“What didn’t she say?” I replied as I stared blankly ahead at the millions of stoplights that were upon us. “She was just saying stuff. Ava stuff. Just trying to get to me again.”
“Like what?” he pried.
“That her suicide attempt was an act,” I said. “That you’re using it as a reason to see her. That you two were acting at her place the other day.”
“Brynn,” Hudson seethed. He reached over for my hand. “You know none of that is true, right?”
“Yeah,” I said. But like Alec told me, people lie all the time to get what they want.
“If I really wanted to be with Ava, I would be with Ava,” he added.
“I know,” I said.
We traveled past iconic streets, touristy areas, and downtown scenes. Everyone was out having fun. Everyone was out living it up except us. My stomach rumbled as we passed by restaurant after restaurant. We couldn’t go to another nice place because everywhere required reservations, at least for the more secluded tables. We couldn’t go to a McDonalds’ or a diner either. It would cause too much of a scene. The night was a bust.
“Ava is not your responsibility,” I told him as we walked into his house. “From now on you need to ignore her. Let her go.”
“Brynn,” he said. He closed his eyes. “It’s not that simple.”
“No, but it is!” I practically yelled. “It’s really that simple.”
“She needs help,” he said. “Serious mental help.”
“Again, she’s not your responsibility,” I said. My mom wasn’t his responsibility either. I felt like a hypocrite in that second and the irony was not lost on me.
He sat down on the bar stool that rested by the marble island looking defeated. The poor guy was just trying to do the right thing, yet he couldn’t win. He couldn’t win with Ava. He couldn’t win with me.
“Hudson,” I said as I climbed onto his lap and wrapped my arm around the back of his neck. “I am crazy about you. I want this to work. But you’ve got to cut Ava loose. I really hate saying this, but it’s her or me.”
His eyes moved to meet mine and he looked as if he’d just heard the words he dreaded the most. Fear coursed through my veins as I waited for his reaction, but he said nothing. He gently pushed me off his lap and headed down the hall to go to bed.
CHAPTER 23
Saturday morning I sat quietly poolside, sipping some hot English breakfast tea and noshing on some scrambled egg whites with spinach and feta. The sound of the birds chirping in the trees and the smell of the lush greenery that surrounded the backyard helped center me and gave me an overwhelming sense of calm.
I loved my new life. Every day felt like vacation in paradise. I loved being with Hudson and I hated giving him an ultimatum, but I was going to fight for what I wanted. I may have been just some country girl from the Midwest, but that didn’t mean that Ava got to stomp all over me.
“Hey,” I heard Hudson say as the sliding door opened behind me.
“Hi,” I said, cautiously, as I tried to gauge his mood. He seemed to be in better spirits as he took a seat next to me with a steaming cup of black coffee.
“It’s nice out,” he said, making small talk.
“Very,” I replied.
I hated the tension between us, but I was beyond thrilled that he was making an effort.
“Have you given any more thought to what I said last night?” I asked, addressing the elephant in the room.
He took a sip from his mug and then pursed his lips before staring deep into my eyes.
“It’s you,” he said. “It’ll always be you.”
My lips curled into the biggest smile as I leaned over and kissed his coffee-flavored lips.
“Thank you,” I cooed. I kissed him again. I couldn’t stop.
Half of my problem was fixed, now I had to figure out a way to get Ava out of our lives for good.
“I’ll be right back,” Hudson said as he stood up. I couldn’t help but notice he’d left his phone sitting right next to his mug on the table.
With watchful eyes and a tiny bit of crazy in me, I grabbed it the moment he was out of sight and searched for Ava’s number. I air-dropped it to my phone and sat his phone down before he had time to come back and catch me red handed. It was a little risky, and maybe a little irrational, but I was going to call her. I wanted to meet with her, woman to woman, and put an end to her nonsense once and for all. I didn’t s
ee any harm in having an adult conversation with her.
The slider opened once again and Hudson returned. I thanked my lucky stars he didn’t see what I’d just done. It was so unlike me, but it was necessary. It was just something I had to do.
“So what’s your plan today?” I asked him. He looked so damn sexy with his bedhead. I could’ve jumped him right then and there.
“My trainer’s coming over in a little bit,” he said. “Should be here any minute actually. Nothing after that. You?”
I shrugged. “I feel like getting out. I might go do some shopping or something. Maybe I’ll call Alec and see if he wants to go.”
I raked my fingers through my hair and tucked it back behind my ears. Hudson watched me as if I were some sort of mesmerizing creature. He loved me even when I had unkempt hair and without an ounce of makeup. I loved that about him. I loved everything about him really, which was why I had to talk to Ava.
“Oh, looks like he’s here,” Hudson said as his phone vibrated on the table. He stood up and kissed my forehead before heading inside.
I waited until Hudson and his trainer were deep in the midst of their session before heading to a quiet spot in a seldom used room in his house. My fingers shakily dialed Ava. I blocked my number, not wanting her to know it, and astonishingly she still answered.
“Ava,” I said. “It’s Brynn.”
“Brynn?” she said with an evil laugh. “Oh, God. What do you want?”
“I want to meet with you,” I said. “I want us to have a civilized, woman to woman conversation.”
She was quiet, probably calculating which words she could use to get under my skin in that moment.
“Okay,” she said, much to my surprise. “If that’s what you want.”
“I’m serious, Ava,” I said, trying to keep my voice stern. “Completely civilized. No name calling. No lies. No games. Woman to woman.”
“Okay,” Ava snickered. I didn’t quite believe her, but I had to take a chance.
“I’ll reserve a private tea room at the Grandeur Hotel for one o’clock,” I said.
“How chi chi of you,” she said with rampant sarcasm in her voice.
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