Page 102 of All the Ugly Things
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We climbedout of his truck eventually and yet I did it feeling ten pounds lighter. Like somehow, pouring all that out to him helped me shed the weight of condemnation that wasn’t necessary for me to carry anymore. My eyes were still wet, and I was certain I looked a mess. Tonight had been rough.
It had also been beautiful.
Hudson gave me that, like he’d so easily given me so many other things, but him listening to me, understanding, was the most precious gift of all.
Now, he was the one who had turned quiet as we rode the elevator and walked down the building’s hallway and while he waited for me to dig out my keys.
“Thank you for tonight. And I’m sorry if that… well, if that got weird in your truck.”
“It wasn’t weird. I feel honored you trust me with that story.”
Of course he did. Because that’s who he was. Honorable. Worthy of it as well.
“I had fun being with your family. And Jenna, even if she is a little bit crazy.”
“I warned you.” His lips twitched. “But you handled yourself well with her.”
“She made it easy.” I looked up at him. His tall frame, tousled hair, and chiseled jaw. It was probably illegal in forty-two states to be this attractive, and as we stood there, neither of us moving, I remembered the last night we stood like this.
When he kissed me. Would he…
“I should get home,” Hudson said.
He popped the memory of Friday and it fell to the floor with the weight of a lead balloon. “Right. Sure. Busy day tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
It was awkward. This was awkward. We hadn’t yet had awkward. “Hudson—”
“I should go,” he repeated and took a step back.
“Wait.” I found myself reaching for him. My hand curled around his forearm and a sizzling spark traveled up my arm, straight to my chest.
I wanted this. And he’d said he did too, right?
Maybe this was a bad time. Maybe I looked like a raccoon and I’d smear mascara all over him.
But I’d lost six years of my life and after having a renewed vision from tonight’s memory, I was tired of wasting time, of wasting moments I’d fill with regret if I missed too many more.
“Lilly—”
I didn’t give him time to finish that thought. I rolled to my toes and pressed my lips to his, kissing Hudson for the first time.
And oh God. His lips were warm. Soft. Full and it was the last thought I had before two large and warm hands dug into my hair, held me to him and hekissed me back.
Ferociously.
Powerfully.
He kissed me like he was starving himself of this very moment for a lifetime and he could no longer resist.
My back hit the wall. His body caged me in at the front and still he kissed me, pressing his tongue to my lips, seeking entrance. I gasped against him, my mind whirling with nerves and my body sizzling with excitement.
It’d been so long, so long since I fumbled with first kisses and counting bases in back seats of cars, a shiver of nerves rolled down my spine, but I gave him what he sought.
Me. My mouth. Entrance into me. Our tongues slipped against each other and I was pretty certain I was floating on a cloud, headed straight to outer space.
