“I thought you were doing it to get my attention,” he hissed, rubbing the back of his neck. His shoulders were pulled taut, aggressive waves bouncing off him.
God, he was big-headed.
My nose scrunched at his inflated level of self-esteem. “You think I’d try todrownmyself to get your attention? Conceited much?”
Hudson nodded smugly. “Much,” he confirmed with an arrogant tilt of his chin.
Lowering my body in and out of the water to take off the chill, I snapped, “You’re unbelievable. I can’t believe how wrong my first impression of you was.” Moodinessswamthrough me. Oh, the irony.
Hudson copied my movements, splashing water over his shoulders. He didn’t ask me what that was; he just stated, “That’s why I don’t believe in first impressions.”
“You don’t?” I questioned, wringing my hair out and pulling it down one side of my neck. It was almost like we were in the bath together.
“Nope. They’re highly overrated, English.” Even though he was antagonised, his voice rippled over my skin like silk.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I shot him the deadeye. “Please, can’t you just call me Molly?”
His eyebrows rose to his hairline at my tone. “Believe me, there are a ton of names I should be calling you right now: reckless, stupid.... Should I go on?”
Uncrossing my arms, I smacked my hand against the water in annoyance. “I get it. But I didn’tthrowmyself into the swimming pool, did I?”
“You shouldn’t have been here in the first place!” he yelled.
There was a brief silence before his eyes narrowed, and he asked, “Were you looking for me?”
I almost laughed out loud at that one. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, I didn’t come in herelookingfor the mighty king of Harbor Heights. This lesson was on my schedule.” I paused for breath before adding. “And I wasn’t coming here to ‘service’ the swim team either.”
My dig caused him to snort angrily. “You may not have beenlookingfor me, but that didn’t stop you eye-fucking me across the water. Shit. You were standing so close to the edge that even a saint would have been tempted to push you in.”
“So, it’s my fault that I got dunked in the pool? It wouldn’t surprise me if you put her up to it.”
“And byher, you mean?”
“Youknowwho I mean Hudson, Storm Summers,” I said, giving him a shitty look. I wasn’t sure, but it had to beoneof them, and I didn’t know Tate’s surname. “Did you put her up to it so you could swoop in as the caped hero?”
Hudson scoffed, clearly amused. “Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but I don’t do capes.”
“Hmm.”
There was a lull, the only sound to be heard was the lapping of the water before Hudson cleared his throat and promised. “Look, if that’s true. Stormwillpay for her actions.” His tone of voice was calm but threaded with certainty.
“Whatever,” I said moodily. I couldn’t imagine anyone coming forward about what had happened. That would mean going against the mean girls and for whom? Pathetic Molly Miller, the principal's kid.
Hudson released a breath of frustration as he stretched his arms over his head.
I couldn’t believe how beautiful he was when he had so many tattoos and looked so unhinged. His reaction to what happened suggested he was pissed that his minions had gone behind his back. Hudson had not given the order, and that gave me a satisfying feeling of relief.
I ignored the ‘I get what I want when I want’ vibe radiating from him. Taking a small step towards him, I asked, “So, you’re going to deal with someone who tried to hurt me? But you don’t like me. Shouldn’t you be patting them on the back?”
Hudson looked horrified, and he washed a hand down his face. “You could have been seriously hurt. What type of guy do you think I am?”
My shoulders slumped, and I stepped away, my back touching the side of the pool. “I don’t know, Hudson. We’ve barely even spoken.” It was the truth, even though it felt like I’d known him longer. I knew there were two sides to this boy, and my feelings towardsbothcaptivatedandterrified me simultaneously. We were standing so close. Yet we were miles apart.
Don’t think for one second that you know this boy.
“I’m many things, Molly, but I wouldneverput someone else's safety at risk. Even yours.”
It annoyed me that we were at an ‘even yours’ stage so quickly.
