Chapter 10
Ten
Hudson
Thursday afternoon rolls around, and my insides are twisted into knots. I’ve thought about canceling on Ella more times than I can count, but I figured I’d just get guilt-tripped into rescheduling anyway.
Maybe if I go tonight, get it over with, and admit I don’t feel a spark, everyone will drop it.
Fingers crossed.
I haven’t even told Cullen about the date, or the little pharmacy Ella keeps in her purse. After the whole drugging accusation, it’d just pour gas on an already simmering fire.
But Cull isn’t stupid and knows something’s up. My mood’s been garbage all week, and all my frustration’s been aimed at him. He’s called me out on it, too, but I just blamed it on midterms. Not a total lie. If I ace my exams, I’ve got Valedictorian locked in.
Maybe if I told him about the random texts I’ve been getting, it would redirect his suspicions of why I’ve been a moody bastard.
I’m packing up my bookbag at my locker when someone grabs my ribs from behind. The zing of electricity and fresh scent of evergreen automatically lets me know it’s Cullen, but it doesn’t stop my anxious ass from jumping two feet in the air.
He’s laughing when he steps in front of me, but I’m so on edge with everything that I pop off at him. “What the hell, dude? That was fucking unnecessary.”
He holds his hands up like I’m about to shoot. “Chill, man. What crawled up your ass and died?” He leans against the locker beside mine, arms crossed over his chest, and brows drawn tight.
“Just stressed about midterms. I already told you that yesterday,” I snap.
“I call bullshit, Hud. You knew the material before the teachers did, and now they’re over. What’s really going on?”
“Nothing.” I slam my locker and storm down the hallway, trying to get outside before I snap again. I just make it out the door when Cull grabs me by the arm and spins me around.
“Lay off me, Cullen,” I growl, yanking my arm away.
“What the hell is going on with you?”
I open my mouth to speak, but someone calls my name. Ella runs over and wedges herself between Cullen and me, forcing him to drop his hold on my arm.
“Sorry, Cullen,” she giggles over her shoulder, then dismisses him by looking at me.
“I’m so excited for our date tonight,” she beams, her voice a little too chipper. “I know this was kind of out of the blue, but we’ll have a great time.”
Shit. Guess that cat is out of the bag.
I glance over her shoulder to catch Cullen’s reaction. His face is passive, but there’s tension in his shoulders and the muscle along his jaw feathers. His eyes are hard as he walks around us and heads to his truck.
The silent anger hits harder than any punch would.
Ella places her hands on my chest to pull my attention back to her, but I catch her staring at Cullen's back as he walks away, a tiny smirk playing on her lips. Her eyes drift back to me, excited energy wafting off of her. “What time should I be ready for you to pick me up?”
There’s an uncomfortable static where Ella’s hands rest on my chest. It’s nothing like the electricity Cullen pulls from me.
Her touch feels wrong, and I’m trying not to be a dick and shove her off.
Instead, I take a generous step back and kneel to tie my shoe, even though the laces are already knotted tight.
“How about six? I was thinking Melvin’s and mini golf.”
I’ve put some thought into our “date” and picked something quick that doesn’t require us to be in each other’s space the whole time.
I nixed a movie right away, too much opportunity and expectation to be close or hold hands.
So were any restaurants that would require longer than half an hour to eat.
Melvin’s is somewhere between fast food and casual dining, and mini golf, if the courses aren’t packed, should take an hour. Tops.
“Oh, I was hoping we could go to a movie.”
I figured she might, so I already came up with a lie. “Sorry. I’ve had a headache all day, and I think the theater speakers would turn it into a full-blown migraine.”
Her nostrils flare before she smiles wide, stepping forward and putting her hands on my chest again. What’s with all the touchy-feely today? It’s making my skin crawl.
“Okay, then mini golf will be perfect!” She gives me a kiss on the cheek, then saunters off to her dark green Camry.
I let my head fall back and release a breath.
What a fucking mess.
I pull my phone from my pocket and try calling Cullen while heading to my car. It rings once, then goes to voicemail.
“It’s Cullen—you know what to do.”
Great. He’s ignoring my calls.
I don’t bother leaving a message. I toss the phone into the cup holder and drive home in silence, dreading the night ahead.
***
Time always speeds up when you want it to slow down. One second, I'm peeling out of the school parking lot, dreading the evening ahead, and the next, I'm parked in the Hackfords' driveway, nausea twisting my gut.
I feel like I’m about to walk to the gallows, so I pop open my glove box and pull out my extra bottle of pills, then swallow half a dose. I take a second to breathe, then head to the front door.
I’m walking up the front steps when raised voices hit my ears. It’s hard to make out the words, but it’s clearly Ella losing her shit. I hesitate, unsure if I should knock or turn around, but lingering on the porch like a creep feels worse.
Trying to keep my breathing even, I knock, the noise dying instantly. I can hear footsteps on the other side of the door before it’s ripped open and Ella’s beaming face appears.
“Hi! You’re right on time. Let’s go.” She steps out and slams the door behind her, but not fast enough to hide Mrs. Amy’s red, tear-streaked face on the other side.
“Um, is everything okay?”
“Couldn’t be better,” she tosses over her shoulder.
She hops into the passenger seat and stares at me through the windshield, her expression unreadable. I slide in, start the car, and pull out of the driveway toward town.
There’s a weird vibe hanging in the air, so I crank up the radio to drown it out. I’ve never felt uncomfortable around Ella before, but now that there’s some kind of expectation between us, I don’t know how to act.
“You look pretty tonight,” I voice out of nowhere.
It feels like the right thing to do, make a little effort. She’s excited, and I guess it wouldn’t kill me to try and have a decent night. Even if I already know I’m going to let her down easy before it’s over.
She looks down at the turquoise wrap dress she’s wearing, then beams at me. “Thank you. I had a hard time deciding, but I thought this one matched your eyes, so I went with it.” She smooths out the pleats and folds her hands in her lap.
“You look handsome, too. We kind of match,” she laughs softly.
I glance down at the blue polo I’m wearing that’s only a shade darker than her dress.
My grip tightens on the steering wheel as I take a steadying breath.
Mom had insisted I wear this shirt, and now I know why.
She must’ve talked to Ella’s mom, and together they set up this little scheme.
I don’t know what matching outfits were supposed to accomplish, but the interference is seriously pissing me off.
I sigh and loosen my grip on the steering wheel. Maybe this is my karma for the stupid condom lie and the perfume joke.
I’d deserve it if it is.
“What a coincidence.” My response is flat as I pull into Melvin’s parking lot. I find a spot near the front door and cut the engine.
She shifts toward me as I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Listen, I know you were kind of annoyed our moms pushed this on us, but I’m really glad we’re here. I hope you give this a chance.”
Ah, shit.
She’s looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes. A lump forms in my throat that I’m unable to swallow. I can’t let her think there’s a future here, but I also can’t wreck her night right out of the gate.
“Let’s just see how the night goes,” I say.
Her brown eyes narrow for a split second before her face softens into a smile. “We can do that.”
I get out and open her door, then usher her into the restaurant. We find an open booth near the back and slide in. The air is charged with crackling electricity, and I’m scanning the dining room before I can stop myself. My gaze lands on a pair of burning green eyes, locked on me, his jaw set hard.
Cullen, Hadley, and her two besties are sitting at a table across the way, directly in view of our booth. Hadley’s too busy talking to her girls to notice us, but Cull is locked in.
He looks so damn hot in the backwards black baseball cap and green Henley that makes his eyes pop.
I offer a weak smile and a half-hearted wave, but all I get is a disappointed shake of his head. Then he curls an arm around my sister and pulls her in, planting a kiss on her temple.
Guess their fight is over.
When he looks back at me, it’s like he’s trying to prove a point. I don’t know what the hell the point is, but it leaves me feeling guilty and confused.
I should’ve told him I got pushed into this date with Ella. At the time, I was worried he’d ask questions, but I thought I could go on this one date, then never talk about it again. Dumb of me to think I could live in denial of it happening.
Ella catches where my attention is and snaps. “You’re here with me, Hudson. It’d be nice if I had your attention.”
My eyebrows shoot up, surprised by her anger.
Her face twists with contempt as she sneers in Cullen’s direction.
Of course, that’s when the waitress chooses to come over and take our drink order.
The perfect timing to piss Ella off even more.
She barks out a “Sprite” at the poor girl, who visibly stiffens before turning to me.
“I’ll have a sweet tea, please.” I give her a small smile, hoping to soften the tension. She heads off toward the kitchen, disappearing behind the swinging black door and leaving me alone with a fuming Ella.
“Were you just flirting with her in front of me?”