Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
Presley
I knew one thing: I hated Hudson Evert. But if that were true, why was there a deep, insistent throb between my legs the moment he walked through the door earlier with his mother and stepfather? The shame was instant and undeniable. I despised myself for it—every heated second of it. I didn’t want his touch because it confirmed something terrifying: there was chemistry between us, a spark I couldn’t ignore.
The red numerals of my clock glowed in the darkness: 11:42 p.m. I groaned, burying my face into the pillow. I had to be up by 8, at school by 9:30. Tomorrow was packed—breakfast with the team and the booster club, followed by cleanup, and then the game at noon. I needed sleep. My body wasn’t cooperating.
The silence from my brother’s room was a relief. Neil would probably spend the game riding the bench, as usual. Unless Ryland’s team was killing it, then maybe he’d get a few plays in. I hated how Evan used Neil, buttering him up only to send him on stupid errands. And the more I was around Evan, the less I liked him. His charm was starting to crack.
Every time he dragged me to Randy’s house, it was the same. Up the stairs, to some empty bedroom, where he’d try his best to get me into bed. He’d whisper sweet nothings, about how hot I was, how committed he felt—but I knew his game. He was never really with me. His wandering eyes, especially during away games, gave him away. I’d catch him checking out other cheerleaders, thinking I wasn’t watching.
I rolled onto my stomach, squeezing my thighs together, trying to push away the pulse that wouldn’t stop. But it was useless. It wasn’t Evan’s face swimming through my mind; it was Hudson’s. His arrogant grin, the way he looked at me like he could see right through every wall I put up. I hated it. I hated him. And yet, my body refused to listen.
My breath quickened as I slid my hand beneath the waistband of my panties, fingers brushing against slick heat. The need surged, undeniable. I closed my eyes, and all I could see was Hudson. His intense eyes, his infuriating smirk, the way his voice sounded when he told me things I didn’t want to hear but couldn’t ignore.
I came quickly, a soft moan of his name slipping from my lips before I could stop it.
Panting, I lay still in the darkness, the weight of my own betrayal pressing down on me. Hudson Evert was like Pandora’s box. I knew that if I let him in—if I even cracked the lid—all the emotions I’d buried, all the things I didn’t want to feel, would come tumbling out, drowning me in chaos.
And I didn’t know if I was strong enough to stop it.
“Hey babe, want to grab me another blueberry muffin?” Evan’s voice dripped with that familiar cockiness.
I wanted to say no. He was perfectly capable of getting his own damn muffin, but this was just another one of his power plays, showing off how “obedient” his girlfriend was. Instead, I forced myself to walk over to the table and grabbed one, dropping it onto his plate with a heavy thud.
“Thanks,” he said, grinning wider. “I need all my energy for the game.”
I forced a smile. “Asterdale High isn’t that good. You could sit on the sidelines, and we’d still win.”
He chuckled, resting his hand on my knee. I tried to ignore it, but as he took a big bite of the muffin, his hand slid higher up my leg, fingers pressing too close for comfort. My skin crawled, but I didn’t push him away. Not yet.
“You’re coming tonight, right?” His eyes flicked to mine as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Coming where?”
“Randy’s party. You promised,” he said, as if it were an absolute.
I hadn’t promised. He demanded, and I hated when he acted like I was just supposed to follow orders.
“Can we talk about this later? You’re not the only one with things to do today.” I bit my lip, trying to keep my frustration from boiling over.
Evan barely acknowledged my words, turning to Bobby, one of the offensive linemen on the team. “It’s just cheerleading,” he said, his tone dripping with condescension. “It’s not like you’re going anywhere with it. You’re not gonna get paid millions to make the pro team.”
That hit a nerve. My chair screeched as I shoved it back. “You’re a jerk.”
Evan and Bobby burst into laughter as I stormed off, my face flushed with anger. Their laughter followed me, fueling my resolve. I needed to make a decision about him—and fast. Ever since football practice started and Coach dangled the possibility of a Division I scholarship, Evan had turned into someone I barely recognized. His arrogance was suffocating, and so was his relentless push to get me into bed.
I spotted Reagan packing up some bagels, her dark hair spilling over her shoulder. “What was that all about?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at Evan.
“He wants me to go to Randy’s party tonight.”
She raised an eyebrow. “It’s gonna be a blowout. His parents are in Europe for weeks. We could even crash there.”
“I’m not feeling it,” I muttered, stacking donuts into a box.
Reagan frowned, pausing mid-motion. “This is the first big party of the year. Why wouldn’t you want to go?”
I sighed, not bothering to hide my frustration. “I’m thinking about breaking up with Evan.”
She dropped the utensils she was holding. “Are you out of your fucking mind? There are girls who’d give their left tit to date Evan.”
“They can have him,” I said, tossing another donut into the box. “He’s turning into a real prick, and I don’t like the way he treats Neil like his personal errand boy.”
“It’s the start of the season! You really want to deal with all that awkward shit?” Reagan asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.
“What awkward shit? You mean going to parties separately? Please. I was popular before Evan asked me out. I don’t need him.” I crossed my arms, my mind made up.
Reagan snorted, tossing away some plastic utensils. “Fine, throw him my way.”
I almost laughed. Evan wouldn’t look twice at Reagan. She wasn’t a challenge; she gave it up too easily, and he craved the chase. He thought I was a virgin, and that’s why he wanted me. He had no idea about the game he was playing—or that I’d already won.
He didn’t know I’d found that disgusting little notebook he and his friends kept. Freshman year, they started keeping track of every girl they’d hooked up with—writing down their most personal, explicit thoughts. I stumbled on it one day over the summer while he was in the shower, thinking I’d just snoop around for fun.
I found the notebook buried in his desk drawer, hidden between a pile of pens, cinnamon candies, and some dirty playing cards. The handwriting varied with each entry, filled with disgusting details from him and his idiot friends. I only had time to skim through a few pages before I heard the shower turn off. I shoved the notebook back and stepped away just as he walked out, towel slung low on his hips.
Evan grinned and dropped the towel, revealing his large, cocky smirk in human form.
I turned away, pretending to be shy, though I’d already seen more than enough of him—and done more with Deke two weeks ago than Evan could ever imagine.
“You should get used to looking at my cock, you know,” Evan said, his voice oozing arrogance. “I plan to use it on you quite a bit.”
I stared at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes. “I’m not ready.”
He smirked, pulling on his shirt. “But you will be. Eventually.”
The confidence in his tone sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t bring myself to respond, so I pulled out my phone, pretending to be engrossed in Facebook, scrolling mindlessly to distract myself from the uncomfortable weight of the conversation.
“Pres?” Reagan’s voice snapped me back to reality. I hadn’t even noticed her standing there, her eyebrows raised in concern.
“Hmm?” I looked up, blinking away my thoughts.
“You should try to work it out with him,” Reagan said, folding her arms. “He could really make your year.”
I almost laughed. Make my year? I didn’t need Evan or anyone else to make my year. I had bigger plans—finishing high school and shedding every toxic part of these last four years like dead skin. High school had been nothing but a game to most of the guys, and I was sick of playing by their rules. I’d hit my stride when I sprouted breasts and gained a few inches in height at thirteen. That was when they started noticing me, and ever since then, it was like I became a trophy to be won.
“I’ll think about it,” I muttered, though my mind was already made up.
Evan and the rest of the players disappeared toward the locker room, their laughter fading down the hallway. The weight on my chest lifted a little, but the knot in my stomach tightened. Reagan and I finished cleaning up the cafeteria, and I forced myself to go through the motions as we spent the next hour practicing our cheers.
“You’re such a bitch,” Evan growled, his eyes narrowing as he slammed down his empty beer bottle.
The sharp clink echoed over the table, and without missing a beat, he grabbed another one from the ice tub, twisting off the cap with a scowl.
“Fuck off. I said no,” I snapped, crossing my arms as anger bubbled up inside me.
His jaw clenched, and his voice dropped, venomous but quiet enough to keep it out of earshot from our friends. “You’ve said no so much my balls are dark blue. The least you could do is suck my dick.”
I froze, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. For a second, all I could hear was the thudding bass from inside the house, mixed with the distant chatter and laughter from the party. The audacity of his words hit me like a slap.
“I think we’re done,” I said firmly, throwing my cup of punch into the trash with a decisive thud. My heart was pounding, but I couldn’t let him see that he got to me.
Without waiting for his reaction, I turned on my heel and walked away, my pace quick and determined. I didn’t care how I looked storming off; I just needed to get out of there. Evan had driven me to the party, and I knew most of the people here were either too drunk to drive or didn’t care enough to help me. Randy’s house was out by the lake, miles away from home, but I’d figure it out. Call an Uber or crash somewhere alone for the night.
I pushed past couples making out on the porch, the scent of cheap beer and cigarette smoke hanging thick in the air. The front lawn was a mess of sprawled-out bodies—some drunk, others whispering on blankets under the warm September sky. The whole scene made my skin crawl.
I did a quick U-turn, heading down the slope toward the lake, my sneakers crunching over the damp grass. Randy’s parents had a boathouse by the water, and I remembered there were couches upstairs. I could hole up there until morning, avoid the drama.
The music faded behind me as I reached the dock, the soft lapping of water replacing the pounding beat. Then, a faint glow cut through the darkness—a cigarette ember burning bright. I froze, my heart skipping.
“Presley,” came the low voice.
I shivered. It wasn’t just the cool breeze coming off the lake; it was him. Hudson.
I inhaled sharply, the scent of his cigarette mixing with the cool night air. “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice harder than I intended.
“Randy invited me,” he replied, his tone casual, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “At least he remembers me. Where’s gorilla boy?”
I dropped down onto the smooth wooden boards next to him, feeling the warmth of the night seeping into the wood. “We’re done,” I muttered, almost relieved to say it out loud. “I’m sure that makes you happy.”
In the dim moonlight, I could just make out the smug grin stretching across his face. “It does. Now I don’t have to watch you.”
I snorted, kicking at the edge of the dock with the toe of my shoe. “I don’t need your help, Hudson.”
He took a long drag from the cigarette, the ember flaring orange before he flicked it into the water. “Do you need a ride?”
I glanced at him, surprised. “When?”
He stood up, brushing off his jeans as if the answer was obvious. “Now. Are you hungry?”
I hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah… I could eat. There’s nothing for me here.”
Hudson held out his hand, and for a moment, I stared at it, unsure. But I took it, feeling the roughness of his palm as he helped me to my feet. He looked down at me, his grin now more of a smirk.
“School just started,” he said, shrugging as we began walking back up the dock. “It can’t be that bad.”
I scoffed, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets. “Yeah, it is.”
He glanced at me, his dark eyes searching my face. “We can talk in the car,” he said softly, and without another word, we headed toward his truck, the weight of everything I’d left behind suddenly feeling lighter.
Sitting in Hudson’s old pickup truck, we devoured greasy burgers and fries from Fromby’s, the smell of fried food mixing with the scent of the worn leather seats. The quiet hum of the parking lot filled the silence between us.
"Why do you date that moron?" Hudson asked, dipping his fries into ketchup and shoveling them into his mouth, barely pausing between bites.
I shrugged, taking a smaller bite of my burger, trying to buy time before answering. "Do you remember him?"
He glanced at me, brow furrowing. "Not really. Did he go to our school?"
"No, he went to prep school until his mom got sick. They pulled him out to help her recover. She’s better now."
Hudson leaned back against the seat, casually tossing another fry into his mouth. "Then no, I don’t remember him."
I sighed and dropped the burger into its crinkling paper. "He was around the neighborhood when we were kids, but he didn’t notice me."
Hudson’s grin spread slowly in the dim light from the parking lot. "That was his first mistake."
I couldn’t help but smile a little at that, but the weight of the past dragged it down. There was something I’d been holding onto for years, and now it burned at the back of my throat, begging to be let out.
"Why didn’t you answer my letters?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. I hadn’t meant to bring it up, but here we were.
Hudson’s smile faltered, his hand pausing mid-air with the fry he was about to eat. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, a shadow passing over his face. "I want to explain."
I leaned back against the truck door, bracing myself. I had been waiting for this moment, waiting for him to break my heart all over again. The ache in my chest returned, the familiar fear that he’d say he found someone else. But what he said next left me speechless.
"I’m ready," I whispered, though I wasn’t sure I was.
He reached across the seat, grabbing my hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles over the back of it. The touch was comforting but also terrifying. I wasn’t prepared for what came next.
"Everything was great for a while. We moved into a new house, had more money, and I was doing well in school. But then..." Hudson’s jaw clenched, tension rippling across his face. "It all turned to vapor. One night, my dad didn’t come home."
The words hit like a punch, and I sucked in a breath. "What happened?" I barely managed to ask.
He swallowed hard, voice strained. "He died. A road rage incident."
The air left my lungs in a rush. "Oh my God, Hudson…"
Hudson’s grip on my hand tightened, his voice thick with emotion. "They found a dent in his fender and a bullet in his chest. He didn’t stand a chance. Just slumped over in his car on the side of the road. All because someone was pissed off in traffic."
Tears pricked at my eyes, and I squeezed his hand. "Did they ever catch who did it?"
He shook his head, letting out a bitter laugh. "No. One pull of the trigger, and my entire life blew apart. My mom couldn’t afford the house anymore. We had to sell it before the boxes were even unpacked. Everything changed."
My throat tightened, the tears finally spilling over as I whispered, "I’m so sorry, Hudson. I liked your dad. He was always so nice."
Hudson let go of my hand and ran his fingers through his hair, the frustration and grief etched on his face. "Shit got hard after that. We moved into this tiny apartment, and I had to switch schools because my mom couldn’t afford to keep me in the same one. I just… couldn’t bring myself to talk to anyone. Not even you."
The pain in his voice broke something inside me. I wiped at my own tears with the back of my hand, wishing I could’ve been there for him. "I wish you’d told me."
He reached over, brushing the tears from my cheeks with his thumb. "There wasn’t anything you could’ve done. I’m sorry for not answering your letters. I didn’t feel like discussing it back then."
I sniffed, wiping my eyes on the sleeve of my shirt. "But I missed you, Hudson. I even begged my mom to take me to your house, but she always said no. I think she knew something was wrong."
Hudson tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Things are better now. My mom met Alex, and he treats her well. We moved here because of his job. Life is finally back on track."
I wiped away the last of my tears and tried to smile for him. "I’m glad things are better now."
He studied me for a moment, his gaze softening as he brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "You’ve changed too. You’re different from the girl I knew."
"Well, I’m not a gawky nerd anymore," I muttered, trying to laugh it off. "The summer after you left, I kind of… grew up. Guys started noticing."
Hudson’s fingers lingered at the side of my face, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "I didn’t need all that to notice you."
Heat crept up my neck, and I slapped my hand over my mouth, realizing what I was about to say. "You’re… you’re gorgeous," I mumbled, mortified.
Hudson chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "You think I’m gorgeous?"
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I didn’t mean to say that out loud."
He just laughed, his hand dropping to rest on my knee. "Well, now it’s out there. Guess I’m not as forgettable as I thought."
"Not to me," I whispered, looking up at him again, my heart pounding. "Are we friends again?"
Hudson’s grin softened into something gentler, more real. "Yeah. We’re friends again."
Hudson's words hung in the air as he turned onto the main road, the soft hum of the truck filling the silence. I stared out the window, feeling the weight of his comment pressing on my chest. He liked that girl. The one who wasn’t afraid to be herself. The one who didn’t care about popularity or fitting in. The one who wouldn’t have been caught up in this mess with Evan.
“I don’t even know who that girl is anymore,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Hudson glanced over at me, his brow furrowing. “She’s still in there, Presley. You just buried her under all this other crap.”
I swallowed hard, the knot in my throat growing tighter. “You make it sound so easy.”
“It’s not.” He slowed the truck as we approached a red light. “But I’ve been through enough to know that trying to be someone else never works. It just... hurts more in the end.”
I shifted in my seat, my fingers playing with the edge of my phone case. Hudson didn’t know what it was like now—how fragile everything felt. One wrong move, and it could all come crashing down. Evan was proof of that. He held power over me, the kind that made you feel trapped.
Hudson seemed to sense my thoughts, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “You don’t owe him anything. Don’t let him control your life just because you’re afraid of what people might think.”
I bit my lip, staring out into the night. Easier said than done.