“I think you recall me saying I broke up with my boyfriend?” I nod my head and she continues. “Well, he liked for me to dress that way. This is the way I always dressed until I was with him.”
“But didn’t you say he was in a band?”
“Oh, he is. He’s in a jazz band. He’s an economics major, and a couple of other guys and him have a band together. It’s not serious, just something they do in their free time. He wants to be a senator someday, so he wanted me to play the part.”
“You looked more senator’s wife before, but I prefer this look better. It suits you.”
Nodding her head, she thanks me and we get in the car to head out to lunch. Now that all of that is cleared up, I’m on edge, worrying about seeing Chloe tonight. Will she want to come with us? Or is she going to hate me forever?
***
After lunch, Clare and I come back to the house and start getting ready for the party. I’m not sure if anyone will even show up at this late of notice, but we still treat it like any other party Jax and I have had in the past. The kitchen counter is covered in liquor bottles and mixers. The surround sound is set up with a Christmas playlist, and now we’re just hanging out.
After people slowly start trickling in, Clare and I park ourselves on the couch, and that’s where we’ve stayed ever since. Occasionally I get up to refresh our drinks, but I don’t want to move somewhere else and potentially miss Chloe’s arrival. So here we are.
“When are you supposed to be back for school?”
“Classes start back again the second week in January. Why?”
She has no idea where I’m going with this, and I smile as I say, “We’re flying out to Vegas for a New Year’s Eve show and going on Flynn’s Dad’s jet, and I was wondering if you want to go with us? We’re all heading out there tomorrow for rehearsals, interviews, and all of that stuff, but I thought I’d offer it up to you if you want to join us.”
Tapping her finger to her chin and cocking her head to the side she says, “Let me get this straight. I could head back to school tomorrow and hang out in my dorm for the rest of winter break, or I could fly out to Vegas and hang out with a bunch of rock stars and spend New Year’s Eve there. You know, I’m going to have to think about that for a bit.”
“Don’t be such a smartass,” I reply with a chuckle.
She jumps slightly in her seat. “Hell yeah I want to go with you guys. That’s awesome! But wait.”
“Yeah?”
“Won’t Chloe have a problem with that?”
After tonight, there’s no way Chloe will have a problem with that. After we get everything straightened out it will all be fine. It can go back to normal, and Chloe and I will be back together again. “Don’t worry about it. I plan on fixing our problems and she’ll be right there with me.”
“That’s great for you. But is she going to be okay with you inviting another girl along?”
I shake my head. “You’re my friend, Clare, and she’ll understand.”
She doesn’t look like she believes me when she adds, “If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Um, is that Chloe over there?” She’s pointing at a crowd of people gathered near the front door. I don’t see Chloe anywhere.
“Where?”
“The girl that just stormed out? The gorgeous blonde?”
Shit. It couldn’t be. How did I get so wrapped up in our conversation to miss her? “Hey, I’ll be right back.”
“Go get your girl. I’ll be fine by myself.”
I take off running toward the front door. It’s more like a speed walk as I push myself through the small crowd that has conveniently gathered near the front door.
Chapter 29
Chloe
This morning Ashtyn received a text from Flynn for the three of us to get all fancied up and head over to his house where a surprise was waiting. Ashtyn got the surprise of her life when she found Flynn waiting there for her. I’m truly happy for her, but I’m not sure how to feel about myself right now. Apparently Hudson, Jax, and Jude are throwing a party right now, and that’s where Abbie and I are headed. Her face is full of pity as we both climb into Ashtyn’s Jeep. I turn to her as we’re buckling our seatbelts and say, “I’m not going to drop you off there. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that. But I will stop in with you.”
She pats my arm and replies, “I know this is hard for you. We’ll just stop in real quick. I’ll just make Jude leave with us.”
I grimace, but I can’t tell her no. It’s Christmas, after all. Nodding my head, I turn the car on and back out of Flynn’s driveway. This is the last place I thought I would be heading ever again, but off to the Hartleys’ we go.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m not sure which applies right now, Flynn’s house is just down the road from Hudson and Jax’s house. Of course, Flynn’s house is a lot more modest in comparison, but there’s only one of him. I park on the street in front of their house, fully preparing myself for a quick exit. Abbie leans over and squeezes my hand, and I unbuckle my seatbelt. Letting out a small breath, I reach for the door handle. Well, I guess this is it. When I turn my head, Abbie is looking right at me and she hasn’t moved to get out of the car.
“What’s going on?”
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay before we head in. You’ve been on your phone like crazy lately, so I know you’ve seen it.”
I fake confusion and say, “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about. What have I seen?”
“The video. The show they played in L.A. was televised.”
“Okay, what about it? Yeah, I’ve watched it.” I’ve watched that video so many times I have it playing on repeat in my head. They played flawlessly, and Hudson looked happy. Shit, they all looked happy and I can’t blame them. They’re making their dreams come true and it’s got to feel good. I just wish he wasn’t doing it all without me by his side.
“How many times?”
I lay my head on the steering wheel and let out a frustrated sigh. “Too many times to count. What’s the big deal?”
“There is no big deal. I just wanted you to know that I’m here to talk if you need me.”
“That’s very sweet of you, Abbie, but I don’t need anyone to talk to.” She opens her mouth to say something, but I shake my head and get out of the car before she can say it. I’m not in the mood to talk my feelings to death about stupid drama right now. I’d rather just get this over and done with so I can go back home and curl up with a bottle of whatever I can find.
As soon as we open the front door, we’re blasted with music. There aren’t a ton of people here, and I’m sure the holiday is to thank for that. It is still Christmas after all. Surprisingly, there are still roughly fifty people here, so it’s not empty and I can easily conceal myself. Once Abbie spots Jude, she flits away from me and I’m left alone to wander.
In the hopes to avoid everyone, I head straight for the kitchen. Jax, of course, is surrounded by a crowd of girls all vying for his attention. Once he spots me though, he leaves their sides and comes up to me. He wraps his arms around me and lifts me off the floor, spinning me around. I start laughing but stop when he whispers in my ear, “I’m so glad you came.”
He puts me down on the floor and I reply with a wink, “Not now, but maybe later.”
He throws his head back with a laugh that ripples all the way down his body. “There’s my girl. Where have you been all my life?”
With my finger, I motion him closer to me and whisper, “Why don’t you make me a drink and I’ll let you know.”
“For you babe, anything.”
He reaches into the fridge and grabs a container of something. Grabbing a random mug, he fills it up and hands it to me. Peeking down into my mug, I see a frothy white drink and I take a sniff before looking back up at him. “What the heck is this?”
Bringing his finger to his lips, he quietly says, “It’s eggnog. The real deal. My mom makes it every year, liquor and all. Don’t
let anyone know though. They all get the cheap shit.”
I raise my mug, and the milky drink slides down my throat. I’m usually an eggnog hater, but this is delicious. I can’t hide the grin that is immediately plastered on my face, and I take another giant gulp. “Don’t drink it too fast. It’ll catch up to you.” I nod my head at him and say, “Thanks for the drink. My lips are sealed. I think I’m going to wander and find Abbie. I’ll find you later.” He smiles and I turn around with my drink in hand.
It doesn’t take me long to find Hudson, and I’m not prepared for the rush of air that leaves my body. He’s not alone. He’s leaning back on the couch, drinking a beer while a rocked-out redhead sits on the arm next to him. She keeps giggling like a fucking hyena at everything he says. I’m far enough away that I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I distinctively see the name “Clare” leave his lips. The mug leaves my hands and shatters on the hardwood floor in front of me.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
I feel kind of shitty leaving Abbie, but I know Jude will take care of her. He’s a sweet kid and he would never fuck around on her. I hit the driveway when I hear footsteps pounding behind me.
“Wait. Chloe, wait.”
Tears are still pouring down my face as I stop in my tracks. I don’t turn around, but rather I wait for him to come to me. Ashtyn owes me for this. I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea, but I wanted to be a better friend than I have been. What good would it do? Hudson wasn’t sitting here pining away for me. No, instead he just moved on to the bitch who broke us apart. Moved on without even a backward glance. Seeing them sitting on the couch together killed what little part of me was left inside.
From any outsider looking in, the whole exchange looked innocent enough. They were just sitting there chatting. She had this twinkle in her eye, and she kept throwing her head back in laughter. All I was wishing was that I was her. I want Hudson to make me laugh again. I want everything the way it used to be. He didn’t notice, but she kept finding a way to touch him. A brush of her hand against his arm. Pushing his flopping hair out of his eyes. If I had the power, I would have burned her hands with my eyes so she couldn’t touch him ever again.
He sounds out of breath when he finally reaches me and he turns me around. “Why did you run off? Wait, why are you crying?”
Is he kidding me right now? He’s flaunting his new relationship in front of anyone who cares, and he’s asking me why I’m crying? I guess I thought he would be as broken up as me. Maybe I did fall in love with the wrong Hartley boy after all. “If you don’t know why I’m crying, then you didn’t know me at all, Hudson.”
I turn to walk away, but he turns me back toward him. “Wait. Don’t leave. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Why, so you can show off your new girlfriend? Make me jealous? Well, congratulations, you got just what you wanted. So please let me leave.”
“No, I won’t let you go.”
I start to tell him to let me go because he’s holding my arm kind of tight, but I look up and see the determination in his eyes. Maybe they aren’t together? Maybe it was an innocent interaction and I read too much into it. Can that be it?
“Jax told me everything.”
My breathing gets quicker. Where is this going? “What did he tell you?”
He bows his head and lets out a low sigh. “He told me about the phone call. That you two started to hook up and stopped. That you were heartbroken and a complete mess. Everything.”
I nod my head. “Yeah, I guess he did tell you everything. So is that it?”
“That’s not even close. Because while Jax knows the rest of the story, you don’t. You’re the one person that needs to know the rest of what happened that night. I didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone and waited until we came face to face.”
I don’t think I can handle any more details. I don’t want to know that they got drunk and it was an accident that will never happen again. Or whatever lame story he has prepared. He cheated and that’s the end of it. If there’s one thing I cannot forgive, that’s a cheater. “You can save whatever story you have to tell me. I don’t want to hear it.”
I start walking away again, and this time he lets me. I get about fifty feet away when he says, “I didn’t cheat.” I stop dead in my tracks. There’s no way I heard him right. Is there? I turn around and look at him when I ask, “What did you just say?” He’s looking like a broken little boy when he replies, “I didn’t cheat.”
He didn’t cheat? What does he mean that he didn’t cheat? “Please explain.” And he does. He tells me everything about what happened that night. All about Clare and her boyfriend. The party. Her throwing up all over him. He never knew I called. The long-ass bus ride back down. And ending with him only thinking about me the entire time to find me asleep, half naked, in his brother’s bed.
When he finishes, I don’t know what else to do. I fall to the ground and break down. If anyone is at fault here, it’s me. I cheated. My perfect sweet Hudson only had me on his mind and never did anything wrong. I can’t breathe as the realization of everything hits me. I’ve been in the wrong here. I’m not the victim, Hudson is. What the hell have I done?
He wraps his arms around me and I try to get away. He can’t be comforting me right now. I should suffer in the pain and guilt I’m feeling right now. I’m the horrible person who did this, not him. Not sure what else I can say in this moment, I say the only thing that comes to my mind. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
He walks us over to a bench that I didn’t even know was there. He pulls me onto his lap and holds me close. He’s rubbing my back while telling me everything will be okay and it’s not my fault. How can he even say that? I push back slightly and look into his eyes. He really means it. How can he forgive me? “Hudson, it’s not going to be okay. I cheated.”
“Chloe, you’re a bit of a wreck right now. I’ve been trying to tiptoe around you, but it’s true. I’m sure another girl answering my phone in the middle of the night looked horrible. I know I would have been pissed. I get it. But—”
“But what?”
He brings his hand up to his neck and rubs it. I know there’s something he wants to say, but either he isn’t quite sure how to say it or he isn’t sure if he wants to say it. I tense up, thinking the worst.
“I need to know that you choose me, Chloe. I can’t take it if one day Jax decides he wants you and you go. I need to know this is never going to happen again.”
“There was never a choice, Hudson. I was in lust with Jax. And he’s way more screwed up than I am right now. But with you…I fell completely and head over heels in love with you.”
He clenches his hands into fists and scowls. “Why? What makes me so much better than him?”
“Everything about you, Hudson. I can walk into a room and I’ll know you’re there because my heart starts racing and my body feels like it’s on fire. You’re sexy, incredibly smart, passionate, and you’ve helped heal me. I’m broken, Hudson, but you make me want to be better. Like I have a reason to live, and I don’t ever want that feeling to go away.”
He leans forward and gently kisses my forehead. “I don’t want you to feel broken, Chloe. That’s the last thing I would ever want for you. I only want you to be happy, whether or not that’s with me.”
Before he gets the chance to say anything else, I slam my lips down on his. If he doesn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth, then he better believe my actions. And oh, have I missed these lips on my own. He’s hesitant at first and returns my kisses with soft, gentle ones. We have been apart too long to go slow and gentle. I nip his bottom lip, which causes him to let out a shocked yelp. Taking the opportunity, I push my tongue into his mouth and explore what I’ve been missing. His tongue tastes of beer, and I relish the feeling of his against my own.
I let out a small moan as his hands tangle in my hair and slightly tug on the ends. I involuntarily rock on his lap and immediately k
now he’s right there with me. He groans into my mouth and I start clawing at his shirt. I’m unaware of our surroundings until some loud catcalls come from behind us. I break the kiss and start to move off him when his hands lock around my back.
“Don’t worry about them. Stay.”
I see the determination in his eyes and stay right where I’m at. He doesn’t need to tell me twice. A slight breeze flows through the air, and I realize it’s freezing outside. With the snow on the ground, I should be shivering right now. Fortunately, the hot makeout session and shared body heat is keeping me perfectly warm right now. I’m focusing on the snow and the serenity around us—the cat callers already made it inside—when Hudson pulls my attention back to him.
Reaching into his pocket, he says, “I actually have a surprise for you. I’m sure Flynn has already given hers to Ashtyn, but I wanted to be the one to let you know.”
I can’t hide the shock on my face. “You got me a present?”
He kisses me on the nose and I melt a little in his lap. “Of course I got you a present. This one is sort of a group present from the band, but I have another gift waiting for you in my room. I told you, Jax told me everything, and I had every intention of winning you back tonight.”
“I love you, Hudson.”
“I love you too. Now open your present.”
I let out a small giggle and take the small box from his hands.
Chapter 30
Hudson
Chloe opens the small box painstakingly slowly. I’m on edge thinking I should have given her the other present first. What if she doesn’t accept the invite? After she finally gets the envelope open, she lets out a small giggle, no doubt at my expense. She peeks inside the box, and with a look of confusion, she dumps the whole thing onto her lap. One by one, she picks up each item, seeming even more perplexed. As I watch her, I feel like this was a bad idea. I thought it would be cute in a cheesy way, but it doesn’t work if she doesn’t understand.
“I’m guessing these are all clues, so let me think about this real quick. Can you offer me any hints?”
Falling for Hudson (Marlowe series Book 2) Page 20