When we reach the kitchen, I grab the tea kettle, fill it up with water, and set it on the stove. I turn the burner on and pull the French press out of the cupboard. I go to grab the coffee beans when Chloe asks me, “What are you doing?”
I look down at my hand on the pantry door and look back up at her. “What do you mean?”
She picks up the French press and looks at me again. “Well, what is this?” She points toward the coffee maker on the counter in the corner of the kitchen. “Are we not using the coffee maker?”
I chuckle and grab the ceramic container of coffee beans as well as the grinder out of the pantry and place them on counter. “When I’m in a rush in the mornings for school, I use that to make my coffee. But if you want a perfect cup of coffee, you use the French press. So I started out by putting the tea kettle on the stove to heat the water up, and I grabbed everything out of the pantry I would need. Are you following so far?”
Her eyes are slightly glazed as she takes everything in and she slowly nods her head. So I take that as my cue to continue. I open the container of coffee and the aroma immediately fills the air around us.
I take a big whiff and hold it in front of Chloe to do the same. “Wow, that smells amazing.”
I place the canister back on the counter and add, “Wait until you drink a mug of this. You’ll never want one of your frou-frou drinks again.” She laughs lightly and I grab a measuring cup out of the drawer.
“I usually only fill the container half full, but since I want you to try some and I know Jax will come running once it starts steeping, I’ll fill it all the way up. Since we’re filling it up, you want to measure out half a cup of beans.” I hand her the measuring cup and she scoops them up. “Next you want to put them into the grinder. Jax will tell you it was fancy schmancy and a waste of money, but to get the beans perfectly ground up, you want to use a burr grinder.” I hold that up and she dumps the beans in and gets the grinder going. While she’s doing that, the tea kettle starts whistling and I remove it from the burner.
Holding up the grinder in her hand, she asks, “Okay, what now?”
“Now you put the ground beans into the French press. After you get all of that coffee goodness poured in, you want to add the water from the tea kettle.” Very gently, she pours the coffee and slowly adds the water. She’s treating it like a delicate science, which is kind of hot.
“So what do we do with this thingy?” she asks while holding up the press.
“You’re very technical with your terminology. I’ll remember to call it a thingy in the future. That part is actually the press part of the French press. After the water and grounds steep for sixty seconds, you’ll slowly press it down into the coffee.”
She diligently presses the coffee down and unknowingly brings her body down with it so her eyes are perfectly level with the counter. She studies the coffee for thirty seconds before bringing her attention back to me. “And then?”
Handing her a mug, I pour her and myself a cup. “And now we drink.” She takes a sip and her eyes light up. “Wow, that’s the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.”
I give her a wink and ask, “No more frou-frou drinks?”
“Hell no. Not anymore.”
Not even a minute later, Jax comes wandering into the kitchen. “Are we having coffee?”
“Told you he’d come running once he smelled the coffee. I was just showing Chloe how to use the French press.”
Mid-reach to a coffee mug in the cupboard, he stops and turns around. “Should I trust it? Maybe I’ll pass this time.”
Chloe playfully smacks Jax on the arm and says, “Of course you should trust it. This coffee is delicious.”
Shrugging his shoulders, he grabs the mug and fills it up. He sniffs it and hesitantly takes a sip. With a thumbs-up, he turns and heads backs upstairs.
“Hudson, your mother and I would like to have a conversation with you for a minute, alone.”
I glance over at Chloe, and she smiles at me and nods her head before heading upstairs with her mug of coffee to my bedroom. They aren’t oblivious to the fact that she’s been staying here, but they also haven’t felt the need prior to right now to say anything. It’s not like either one of them spends much time here themselves anyway. Mom’s been gone, which I’m not supposed to know, and Dad’s always working. I’ve never complained because I’ve got Jax. “Yeah, what’s going on?”
Mom plasters on a fake smile and steps forward. “Sweetie, we know that this band of yours is fun and all, but we wanted to talk to you about all of your options.”
Oh, so this conversation has nothing to do with Chloe. Maybe they don’t even care that she’s been staying here? But I’m not sure where this conversation is even going. “What other options? We signed a contract.” I turn my attention to Dad and my heart drops a little. “Dad, what is she talking about?”
He clears his throat a little and has the gall to look uncomfortable. “Son, you need a backup plan in case—”
My entire body is shaking and I clench and unclench my fists repeatedly. Standing up, I shout, “In case what, Dad? There is no backup plan. Why the fuck aren’t you having this same conversation with Jax?”
Calmly and without emotion, my mother says, “Honey, watch your language please. You could do anything in the world. You can go to college and become a doctor or a lawyer—”
“If you truly knew me, you’d know I have no interest in anything like that. This isn’t about the money and never has been. If I spend the rest of my life in the band but never make money, then I’ll truly be happy. I don’t even understand where this conversation is even coming from. Dad, you went over the contract with us.”
Leaning back in his chair, he runs his hand over his face. His eyes are sunken in and he looks defeated. “We just want what’s best for you. I have an old friend that works at the university up in Eugene. Your mother and I are going up there for a weekend trip and we want you to come with us. Tour the campus. Meet some people. You never know, you might love it there.”
I open my mouth, but Mom cuts me off before I even have the chance to get a word out. “This isn’t a debate, Hudson. You will be coming with us tomorrow. And you will be coming alone. Don’t even think you can bring that little girlfriend of yours. I’m well aware that she’s been staying with us, but I haven’t said anything. It’s just a little high school relationship that will fizzle out just like your little band. Take your future seriously, Hudson.”
“You have got to be kidding me. My little band? You can’t force me to come with you.”
Coldly, she says, “You’re still a minor. We can and we will. You will be coming with us tomorrow, so stop trying to get out of it.”
“Fine, Mother, if you want me to go on your stupid trip, then I’ll go. But I guarantee you I will not be going to school next year. That isn’t where my future is headed and that is a fact.”
“Hudson, I just want you to take your future seriously. You’re making a lot of bad decisions right now, and that little girl upstairs is one of them.
Never in my life has the thought of hitting my mother ever crossed my mind until now. If she continues talking this way about Chloe, then I can’t control what I may or may not do. “You don’t know anything about her. And stop calling her a little girl. She has a name, and it’s Chloe.”
“I know a lot more than you think. But it doesn’t change the fact that she’s toxic and I don’t like her for you.”
“I don’t care what you think. I’ll go on your stupid trip this weekend, but after this, no more talk of college. This is my life, not yours.
She purses her lips and crosses her arms over her chest. “Hudson—”
I don’t even let her finish before cutting her off. “No. I’m ending the discussion now. Like you said, this isn’t up for debate. I’m compromising for you and whether you like it or not, that’s my final decision. In a few months I’ll be eighteen and you’ll have no say in this anyway.”
“I’ll h
ave a say if you want to keep your trust fund.”
“First of all, I don’t care about money. And second of all, you and I both know you can’t touch my money. Grandpa left us that and you have no way of accessing it.”
“He’s right, Barbara,” Dad says. He’s been pretty quiet this entire time, but I guess he chose now to speak up and put Mom in her place. I know what it took for him to do that and I know it wasn’t any easy choice to make.
She doesn’t even let him finish before storming out of the house. The tires on her Mercedes squeal out of the driveway and Dad cringes beside me. “Well, that went well.”
“Dad, you need to get your marriage shit under control. Your problems are starting to bleed over into my life and that’s not okay. I’ll be down here bright and early for this dumb trip, but it’s pointless. I won’t be going to college next year.”
“I know that, son.”
“As long as you know that.”
I head upstairs to my room and find Chloe passed out in my bed with a different Marilyn Monroe movie playing on the TV. I must have been gone a lot longer than I thought. I won’t be going to bed anytime soon, so I settle in to spend the rest of my night with Marilyn and next to my girl. No matter what Mom says, this is not something that will ever fizzle out. Chloe’s the one for me, and that won’t be changing anytime soon.
Chapter 17
Chloe
Rolling over, my hand runs along the coldness of the bed beside me. Where is Hudson? I open my eyes and see him quietly packing a small bag at the foot of the bed. Is he leaving?
“Hey, where are you going?”
Startled, he looks up at me. “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up. I thought I was being quiet enough.”
I let out a little yawn before replying, “You didn’t wake me. I rolled over and didn’t feel you beside me. What’s going on?”
He sighs heavily as he zips up the backpack he was just packing. “My dad has a client meeting up in Eugene. My mom and him want me to go with them.”
“Okay. I don’t get it.”
“They’re not one hundred percent sold on the band. They still think of it as a hobby.”
Well, that sucks that they aren’t more supportive. If my parents were still here, they would support me no matter what I chose to do. I guess I can see from a parent’s perspective that a band isn’t the most lucrative career aspiration. Especially when you have such a successful lawyer for a father. That still doesn’t answer why he’s going on the trip.
“So what’s in Eugene?”
He looks out the window as he answers me. “I’m supposed to be looking at colleges.”
Just hearing that makes me crumble inside. That makes sense for any normal senior in high school. Hell, if I were still normal, I’d be doing the college weekend thing too. But the word normal can no longer be used to describe me. I’m so far from normal, I don’t even remember what that looks like anymore.
“From your parents’ perspective, I get it, but why didn’t you just tell me?”
“You were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you up to make you feel any worse than you already do. But now that I say that out loud it just sounds dumb. I made you feel worse by not telling you.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have been very excited waking up in an empty bed and you gone.”
He looks sheepish when he tells me, “They didn’t give me a choice. We’ll only be gone for two days max. I swear.”
I plaster a fake smile on so that he can’t see what I’m feeling. Two days shouldn’t feel that long, but it feels like an eternity to me. So much can happen in such a short amount of time, and I’m terrified of one thought. What if he doesn’t come back to me? I’m not even thinking extremes here, but what if he meets some great college girl and realizes my drama is too much for him?
“Two days is no big deal. I’ll just stay holed up in your room the entire time.”
He cringes before stating the obvious. “So it looks like it’s going to be you and Jax for the next couple of days. Since my mom is coming too.”
Leaning up in bed, I motion him over to me with my finger. When he makes his way over, I pull him down onto the bed with me. I run my fingers through his hair before pulling his face down to look at me.
“You have absolutely nothing to worry about between your brother and me. I want to be here with you. I spend my nights in your bed, not his. You should know by now that this is where I want to be.”
He nods his head and his cheeks heat up a little with redness. My mouth is incredibly dry, so I run my tongue along my lips to create some moisture. Hudson’s eyes zero in on them and darken with desire.
“You’re right. I know that, I do. I’m still baffled by the fact that I got the girl.”
“Well, you better get used to it. This girl isn’t going anywhere.”
I pull his head down and lightly press our lips together. I flick my tongue out and tease his bottom lip as he releases a deep groan. We tangle our tongues together like we’re devouring one another’s mouths.
Moving his body in between my legs, he grinds his hardness into me, causing me to moan his name. Trying to add a little more pressure to me, I wrap my legs around him as he continues his tortuous grinding.
Who knew that dry humping could feel so good?
I’m panting and I can feel both of our hearts racing. I want nothing more than to feel him inside me. I reach for the button on his jeans and he quickly gets the idea. Swiftly removing his pants, he settles back between my legs. The only barrier between us now is the thin fabric of our underwear.
Slowly and lightly, he runs his fingers across my stomach. Back and forth. Over and over again. Each time his fingers drop a little lower, teasingly playing with the top of my underwear. Unable to handle the torture any longer, I push up from the bed, forcing us closer together. Looking into my eyes, he smirks and continues his torture.
Throwing my head back, I groan in frustration and look back over at him. “Please, Hudson.”
“Please what, babe?”
“I can’t take it anymore. I need you to touch me. You’re leaving for two days and I want you so bad.”
That’s all it takes and he slips his hand inside my panties.
He lets out a tortured groan and says, “You’re already soaked. How am I supposed to leave you for two days?”
I give him my own smirk right back and say, “And to think you were going to just leave and not get a proper goodbye.”
“Obviously I’m a fucking idiot.”
I let out a small laugh that turns into a moan, causing me to lose all train of thought. My whole body is on fire as he continues bringing me closer and closer to what I need.
“Hey, bro, Mom and Dad are—shit, sorry.”
Hudson jerks the blankets over us and attempts to cover me.
“What the fuck, Jax? Don’t you know how to knock?”
Jax just looks annoyed when he responds, “I stood there knocking for a solid minute. You obviously couldn’t hear me.”
Jax looks over at me and winks. I feel my face heat up with legit embarrassment. I slink under the covers even more, successfully covering my face.
“What do you need?”
“Mom and Dad are waiting for you in the car.”
“Shit. Already? Tell them I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Sorry, Chlo, is that all he’s good for?”
I don’t even understand Jax. He can be a sweet guy when he wants to be. I think that’s why I originally liked him. He showed me his softer side. His real side. Ironically, the side that makes him more like Hudson. But for some reason he never shows it to anyone else. At least from what I’ve seen.
“You’ve officially killed the mood. And not that it’s any of your business, Jax, but your brother is a fucking rockstar in bed. So trust me, your apologies are not necessary.”
If it’s possible, I think I actually shocked the silence into Jax. He stands there dumbfounded for a minute before saying,
“Well, I’ll tell them you’re just finishing up and will be right down.”
Before either one of us can say anything, he turns around and leaves, closing the door behind him. We both sit there staring at the door a little longer than necessary before turning our attention back toward each other. Looking into my eyes, Hudson leans down and sweetly pecks me on the lips before getting up from the bed.
“I’m sorry for that. I wish I had more time, but if I don’t get down there soon, the next person through that door will be my dad, and I don’t think either one of us wants that.”
I cringe just thinking of that. It’s one thing for Jax to walk in on us, but their dad? No way. Not a conversation I want to ever be a part of.
“It’s okay, I know you have to go. Besides, I wasn’t lying when I told Jax the mood was killed.” I nod down at Hudson’s boxer briefs and the lack of fullness that was just there. “It was obviously killed for the both of us.”
Angrily pulling his jeans up, Hudson says, “I’m seriously going to kill Jax when I get back.”
I let out a small laugh, get up from the bed, and saunter over to where Hudson is still struggling with his jeans. I reach forward and put my hands on top of his, and they still with the contact. I move his hands away to zip and button his jeans for him.
Leaning up on my toes, I plant my mouth on his and softly whisper into his mouth, “I get you first, then you can kill him. Just make sure you make it back to me.”
Shit. Did I just say that? If I keep letting all this needy shit come out, he’s going to run far, far away from me. I can’t lose him too. Fuck! When did I turn into this kind of girl? I never used to care or form attachments with guys. Things were so much easier then.
Pushing back from me, Hudson looks into my eyes and I close them up tight. I don’t want to see whatever he’s feeling.
“Chloe, open your eyes.”
I look like a two-year-old as I shake my head no.
“Please, just open your eyes for me. I need to say something and I want you looking at me when I say it.”
Falling for Hudson (Marlowe series Book 2) Page 12