Chapter Nine Ella
CHAPTER NINE
Ella
The drive to Stardust is cozy, to say the least. We stopped back at our place to grab some blankets, but now I’m wedged in the center seat between Hudson and Levi. The others have successfully folded themselves into the jump seats at the back.
It’s not just about size; as a flyer, I’m lighter and more compact. Gabi and Sammy, on the other hand, boast the solid muscle that comes from years of tumbling.
Despite what may or may not be going on between Sammy and Levi, it was a universal vote for me to sit up here. At the creamery earlier, I could’ve sworn I saw a quick cheek kiss exchanged between them, but Sammy was quick to laugh it off when I asked her on our way out.
“Oh, that? Levi’s just being Levi,” she said with a dismissive wave, as if a peck was the most natural thing in the world between friends. I decided then not to dive too deep into the murky waters of other people’s love lives. Deciphering my own is confusing enough.
I’m still sorting through all my emotions. Jamie’s been on my mind more than I care to admit, and it’s hard not to feel wary. After everything that happened, I’m not exactly eager to let anyone get too close again. I’m not sure I trust myself to.
But at least, for now, I have a front-row seat to the Hudson show. And what a show it is—jaw sharper than my wit on a good day, and is that hint of stubble? It’s doing things to me. Let’s not even start on the whole thigh-pressing situation.
Warmth seeps through the fabric of our jeans, an unintended intimacy that sends a flutter through my stomach. I hastily reach for the radio, needing a distraction from the closeness, from the thoughts swirling inside my head.
As my fingers brush against the dial, the cabin fills with the opening chords of a Miley Cyrus song.
The volume is loud enough to make us all jump, and Hudson’s face colors with a flush of embarrassment as he scrambles to turn it down.
But it’s too late; laughter bubbles up from all of us, breaking the tension.
Levi leans forward, trying to catch Hudson’s eye from over my shoulder, still chuckling. “Pop music, huh?”
“She’s more than just pop,” he grumbles.
“That’s true,” I chime in. “Did you know she was actually born with a heart condition?”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mm-hmm, tachycardia.” I twist my fingers in my lap. “She said that she worries about her heart every time she performs. My, uh, my mum has the same condition.”
She was also born with it, and it’s been the cause of more than a few hospital stays over the years. But the Davies women are nothing if not resilient.
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret bringing up the topic.
My mum’s heart condition is something I’ve always struggled to talk about, and it’s definitely too personal to share with relative strangers.
A brief silence envelops the truck, and I brace myself for the pitying looks and awkward “I’m sorry”s.
But Hudson simply nods, his gray eyes thoughtful. “That makes her success all the more impressive,” he says, then adds, “Your mom must be pretty amazing, too.”
I breathe a laugh. “She’s alright.”
In truth, the two of us are not very close—we never have been—something that has made it difficult to open up to others about her in the past. Until Jamie.
Before I can deflect, Levi cranks up the music.
The opening chords of Luke Bryan’s ‘Country Girl (Shake It for Me)’ fill the cab, drowning out any potential for awkward conversations.
This time Hudson doesn’t bother to turn it down. And for that, I’m grateful.
Soon enough, the theater comes into view, bringing a whole new wave of excitement with it. Drive-ins aren’t as common back in England. I’ve only been to a pop-up cinema in the park once. It was nothing like this, though—sprawling with rows of cars and a massive screen beneath an open sky.
There’s something so nostalgic and thrilling about it, like stepping into a scene from one of those classic American movies. The perfect escape from everything I’ve been carrying lately.
Hudson maneuvers the truck into a relatively secluded spot near the back. The screen is still clear from here, but it gives us some privacy from the bustling crowd. Once we’re settled in, Levi dramatically shoves his seat forward, allowing Gabi and Sammy to escape from the back.
Hudson, with a bit more decorum, swings his door open and extends a hand to help me down. His grip is rough and warm, the skin toughened by years of handling a football. “There we go,” he offers in a soft tone as I step onto the gravel.
His eyes meet mine for a moment, lingering just long enough for a flush to creep up my cheeks. Then he’s turning away, striding towards the back of the truck where Levi and Sammy are arguing about the best way to arrange the mountain of pillows and blankets we’ve brought.
“Rookie,” Gabi says in my ear, having snuck up beside me. She waggles her eyebrows and nudges me with her elbow. “Are you reconsidering the Hudson Fox already?”
I scoff. “No. He’s just … attractive.”
Her grin widens. “To say the least.”
“Why don’t you go for him, then?”
She bumps me on the shoulder. “I’m enjoying being single at the moment. And besides, I’m more into women these days.”
“Well, I’m enjoying being single myself. In fact, this is the first time in years that I’ve been on my own. Shouldn’t I take advantage of that?”
“I think,” she says, “you should do whatever the hell you want to.”
“Tonight, I think I’d like to just … watch the film?” It’s a half-hearted statement, I know, but right now it’s all I have.
Gabi winks at me before striding off towards the boys and the blanket-covered truck bed. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of my embarrassing thoughts. Yes, I’m attracted to Hudson—painfully so—and that’s exactly why I need to stay away.
The smell of popcorn wafts over as I head towards the concession stand. Despite the crowd, the line moves quickly and soon I’m heading back to our spot with two large tubs of buttered popcorn and a ridiculous amount of sweets.
As I approach, Hudson meets me to help carry the food, his hand brushing against mine as he relieves me of one of the popcorn tubs. A spark of electricity shoots up my arm, catching me off guard. I nearly jump at the contact.
Jesus Christ, you touch-deprived woman, get a hold of yourself .
His eyes dart towards mine, a hint of amusement glimmering in them. “Careful there,” he teases, the corners of his lips tugging upwards into a smile.
I swat at him before setting down the rest of the food in the back of the truck. The second movie’s about to start and everyone’s settled in their chosen spots. Levi and Sammy are snuggled together in a corner of the truck bed, while Gabi is stretched out on a pile of pillows.
Hudson, as if understanding my indecision about where to place myself, gives me a small nod and sets up a spot for us in front of the tailgate. With a sigh of resignation, I settle down next to him.
“Cold?” he asks.
“A bit,” I say as a shiver runs down my spine. It’s a warm August night, but there’s something in the air that’s chilling my bones. Or maybe it’s just the presence of this man—off-limits and yet impossible to ignore—that’s affecting me.
His brow raises, a small smirk playing at the edge of his lips. He doesn’t reply verbally, but instead reaches for a neatly folded blanket nestled behind us. He shakes it out a few times before draping it over us both.
I glance at him, his face bathed in the soft light from the screen. “Thank you.”
He nods, his eyes trained forward. “Of course.”
I don’t know how much time passes—maybe an hour, maybe more—before he stirs. His arm stretches out next to me, fingers brushing against my waist for a brief moment. At first, I stiffen, but then I slowly let myself relax. He’s not making a pass at me; he’s just making himself comfortable.
“You need anything, Ella?” he whispers, turning to face me. “Think I’m gonna go grab a Coke.”
“A blue ICEE. I, er, I could come with you to get it?”
He blinks at me, a slow, lazy smile spreading across his face. Strikingly handsome, as usual. “Sure thing,” he says, letting the words linger in a low drawl.
He waits for me to get up clumsily from the ground, our cozy blanket falling in a heap at our feet as I do so. I can already feel the chill creeping back as I wrap my arms around myself.
We walk together towards the concession stand. The movie is background noise now, its sound muffled by the crunch of gravel under our feet and the soft hum of conversation around us. It’s comfortable, a lot more than I’d expected it to be, and I’m happy that things are normal between us.
“So, you and Levi? Have you known each other a long time?” I say, breaking our easy silence.
“We met here at Whitland,” he replies.
“Neither of you are … from here, then?”
“From Nashville?” he asks, and I nod my confirmation. “Levi grew up in a small town near the Carolina border, but I’m from Texas.”
“So, why’d you choose Whitland?”
“I could ask you the same.”
“You first.”
He scratches at the back of his neck. “I always wanted to go to a Southern Ivy, and Rice isn’t as focused on Humanities.”
“So, you didn’t choose it because of football?”
“Hell no.” He laughs, a rich, warm sound that makes my stomach flip. “I mean, I love football. But I’m here for a Classics degree first and foremost.”
“That’s …” The word “unexpected” dangles at the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it back. It’s not fair to assume things about Hudson based on what I think a quarterback should be like. “Impressive.”
“Your turn.”
“Cheer. Coach Morgan, in particular. I spent pretty much all my teenage years watching Whitland’s routines at Daytona. And, well, there was Jamie …”
“Is that your ex? The one who dumped you the day we—”
“Right,” I cut in. “The very same.”
The mention sparks a brief flicker of irritation rather than a deep, inescapable ache. It’s not that it doesn’t hurt—it just feels more like a lingering bruise now, one that’s slowly healing. Maybe the sting of rejection is starting to fade, or maybe I’m learning to let go.
Either way, it doesn’t consume me like it did at the start.
He casually runs his fingers through his hair, tipping his chin in acknowledgment. “I see. He’s an Oxford man.”
“Mm-hmm, but he’s actually here now.”
“What do you mean? Here in Nashville?”
“He’s studying abroad at Whitland, too. All year. And we haven’t spoken since the morning I got on the plane to come over here. I have no clue what he’s been doing so far this summer, and I honestly don’t care to find out.”
There’s a sharp look in his eyes. “Then why did you mention him?”
“I was just answering your question.” I shrug, trying to play it off.
He studies me for a long moment, thumb tracing along his bottom lip. “Was Jamie the only other guy you’ve been with?”
I purse my lips, my stomach bottoming out. “That is … frankly none of your business.”
Now that he’s asked the question, I’m immediately concerned.
Did it seem like I was inexperienced? Was I too eager, too boring, too naive?
He’s opened a floodgate of insecurities I thought I’d dammed up.
That night was impulsive, a break from the calculated decisions I’d made thanks to years of rigid planning.
It wasn’t just a divergence from my relationship with Jamie; it was a divergence from my entire self-concept.
And despite me lying through my teeth with that four-star rating, I thought it was actually quite good.
Some of the best sex I’ve ever had, in fact.
So, the idea he could sense my inexperience is grating.
He raises both hands in surrender. “Hey, fair enough.” He clears his throat, an unspoken apology in his eyes. “Didn’t mean to pry.”
As we near the concession stand, our conversation pauses, and I take a moment to steady my rapidly beating heart. Hudson steps up to place our order while I hang back, sensing a subtle shift in the atmosphere between us.
I don’t know what it is about this man that keeps me so on edge. How he can say a few measly words and take me from complacent to high-strung without so much as a warning.
He returns with the drinks, handing me an ICEE with a sheepish smile. “Peace offering?”
I take the drink, meeting his gaze. There’s a genuine warmth there, something that eases the tightness in my chest. “Okay,” I say, swallowing my pride. “Peace accepted.”