Page 116 of All the Ugly Things
“He lied.”
“I know. I wasn’t driving that night. I didn’t… I called Josh and I should have known he’d be partying. It was the weekend and he always was, but I didn’t think.”
“You were scared and you leaned on the one person who was always there for you, Lilly. That’s all you did. You went to who you trusted.”
“And now he’s dead. And I’m still alone.”
I lost my hold again, sobbed and cried until my bones ached and I had no tears left.
Only then did I fall asleep, with Hudson’s arms wrapped around me, his hands cupping my head and holding me to him.
* * *
“Oh, God.”I groaned and peeled my eyes open. They were stuck together. I might as well have rubbed them with sandpaper and then doused them with bleach for as much as they burned.
Memories of the night before returned to me, flickered in pieces and then scrolled like a nightmare.
Oh God.I’d told Hudson everything. And he’d held me. I’d fallen asleep right before the movie ended in my memory banks and the last thing I remembered was him kissing the top of my head, telling me it was okay to cry. I vaguely recollected Hudson waking me at some point. He’d carried me to my room, handed me a shirt and then kissed the top of my head in such a tender way I’d fallen against him, hugged him until he told me to change.
I rolled, searched for the alarm I kept on the other side of my bed so I couldn’t hit snooze easily and rolled right into the man who comforted me.
Hudson.
He stayed. Despite the burn in my eyes, a grin broke out on my face as I took him in. In mybed. The sheets were shoved down, giving me a view of the curves of his chest, the delineation between his abs. He had one hand shoved under the pillow, arm cocked toward me.
His eyes flickered and then opened. Lips turned into a smile. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Like crap,” I admitted. My throat was rubbed raw. My chest hurt. I wouldn’t be surprised if I bruised ribs from the force of my sobs. But also… “I feel better too, though. Thanks for listening.”
He rolled to his side and tucked me into him, draping an arm over my waist and my head to his throat. “Anytime. I get the sense you needed to unload that.” He kissed the top of my head like he did last night while I cried and a warm, pleasant shiver of comfort rolled down my body.
“Thank you. For everything.”
He hummed in response and held me tight.
I stretched against him and groaned. The clock behind him said it was six-thirty. My first class was at eight. “I need to get moving. Get ready for school.”
“You should stay home and rest.”
“No. The last thing I want to do today is be alone with memories.”
“You’re not alone. Not anymore.”
I was beginning to realize that. The rest would take time.
“Come on.” Hudson groaned and rolled and lifted us in a move so liquid and quick, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, him next to me, before I could blink. “Let me at least get your coffee ready while you shower then.”
“Are you telling me I stink?”
“No. I’m saying you’ll feel better once you’re clean and refreshed.” He bumped his shoulder into mine. All of him was droolworthy. Firm and toned, but not overly so. He had a smattering of hair over his chest that ran down the center of his stomach, thickening right before it disappeared beneath the sheet. The photos of him I’d seen on the internet in swimsuits were nothing compared to the reality in front of me.
“You’re killing me with the way you’re looking at me right now,” he said.
My cheeks burned crimson and I glanced up at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. And while I would love to know what you’re thinking with that sexy little look on your face, today isn’t the day for that, not after last night, so get moving before I stop being a gentleman.”
Hmmm. Hudsonnotbeing a gentleman. I tried to picture it in my mind.
