28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hudson
Trey has only been home for a week, and he’s already preparing to leave again. He told me he travels a lot for work, but I guess I didn’t realize what that meant. He’s hardly here at all, and though it doesn’t make me regret my decision to be with him, it does suck.
I miss him all the time. We talk and video chat, but it’s just not the same when he isn’t here.
He’s mentioned trying to look for a different position, one that doesn’t require so much travel. I told him he didn’t have to do that, because he loves his job, and his response was to tell me that he loves me too.
Which wasn’t the first time he said it.
It’s not that I don’t want to say it back to him, it’s just that when I do, I want to make sure I mean it fully.
I have a lot of feelings for Trey. Big feelings.
Feelings I don’t understand. And that very well could be love, but I don’t want to say it if I am not one thousand percent sure that it’s true.
I remember the conversation I had with Trey about love and how I told him it wasn’t real, that it was just a chemical in your brain. Which it is… but I’m slowly starting to think that it’s much more than that, too.
Trey should be here any minute now. I invited him here for when I get out of work, but little does he know I took a half day today to prepare for everything.
He’s leaving early tomorrow morning, so I want tonight to be memorable.
We also need to have an important conversation about Austen and Cameron’s wedding because that’s been an elephant in the room for months now.
I didn’t want to push the issue, since he’s been busy, and it’s not exactly a phone conversation type of thing.
Now, there’s only a few weeks before the wedding, and we need to discuss our plan of action.
Telling our friends, despite knowing they won’t judge us, is a big step.
We haven’t told anyone important to us yet.
Being out in public together is getting easier by the day and the stares don’t make my skin crawl like they used to.
But telling our group of friends? My parents?
His mom? That’s a big step. A serious step.
One that we can’t rush into, but one that also gets harder the longer we’re together because neither of us want them to feel like we’ve been hiding it.
Which we haven’t, but also maybe we have a little.
Maybe we’ve both been avoiding it because things work when it’s just us.
When we don’t have to overthink things. It’s all the outside stuff that makes everything such a mess.
And of course, we can’t make something work if we have to be alone all the time, but… one step at a time, I guess.
I hear the front door open, and a moment later, “Huds?” is called out. I don’t answer, but turn to head toward him. He hurries toward me, leaving his suitcase by the couch. “You’re home already?” He glances at the clock on the wall behind me. “How?”
“I took a half day.” I smirk.
“You… took a half day? Why? Are you sick?” He looks me over like I may actually be ill.
I laugh. “No, I’m not sick,” I say. “I can’t just take a half day?”
“You? No, absolutely not.”
I laugh again, then kiss him quickly. “I spent the afternoon getting everything ready for tonight.”
“Tonight…”
“For us to spend time together before you leave. Come on.” When I step into the kitchen, I realize he isn’t following me. “Trey?”
“You took a half day at work to prepare things for me ?” he says in disbelief.
“Yes. Now come on.”
His smile is a mile wide as he finally comes into the kitchen and wraps his arms around me, pulling me against him.
“It smells so good in here.”
I can’t help but smile. His body’s warm and solid, and I want nothing more than to just soak up this moment, but I do have things I need to do. Like make sure the food doesn’t burn.
“I found a recipe for lasagna. I don’t know how good it’ll be, but we will find out together.”
“You planning on spoiling me all night?” he asks, his lips grazing my neck.
“Actually, yes. I’m feeding you. I got your favorite beer. We’re going to watch your favorite movie and cuddle on the couch.”
He leans in, kissing me and then burying his face in my neck. “You’re the best.”
“I know,” I say with a laugh. He shoves me and helps get the plates and silverware all set for when the food is done.
We sit at the table to eat, drinking beer and talking about our day.
We eat until we’re so stuffed we can barely move—the beer isn’t helping—but we still clean up the mess, put the leftovers in the fridge and make our way to the couch where neither of us plans on moving for the rest of the night. Until he has to leave, that is.
“So, what movie are we watching?” he asks, narrowing his eyes.
“You think I don’t know your favorite movie?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Do you?”
“Of course I do.” I grab the remote and navigate through the streaming apps and find The Princess Bride .
He smiles at me with so much love in his eyes it makes my chest warm.
“Before I put this on, though. Can we talk about something?”
“Of course, Huds. What’s up?”
He turns on the couch to see me a little better and I do the same.
“It would be a lot easier on me if we could come up with a plan for this wedding.”
“Like getting there?”
“No, travel plans are simple. I know you’re working until Thursday, but I mean telling everyone. Showing up there together. You explaining that I’m the fiancé, only not really the fiancé because when you told them you were engaged, you lied.”
“Oh, right. That.” He huffs out a laugh. “Forgot about that, I guess.” He shifts his position, the movement putting him closer to me.
“Well, what do you think would be the best way to do that?” he asks.
“I’m not really sure.” I scratch my head. “I don’t think they’ll be upset. I think they’ll understand, but how do we start that conversation?”
“Walking in together would be a start.” He twists his lips. “I mean, it’s not like it’d be that weird, they know we’re… close.” He lets out a soft sigh. “We’ve always been close.”
His gaze drifts from my eyes to my mouth, and I note the slight tension in his shoulders. I get this is a bit nervewrecking for him, but if we have a plan, I think it will be a lot easier for the both of us.
“Knowing Alex, he’ll start screaming about your fiancée and where she is.”
“Yeah, good point.” He chews on the inside of his lip. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to tell him to shut up.”
I bark out a laugh. “You tell Alex to shut up? Can you imagine how that would go?”
He laughs too. “Would make for a funny story.”
“That it would. So, we’re just going in together? I don’t know if that’s enough.”
“What do you mean?” His eyebrows furrow a bit.
“You said it yourself. The guys know we’re close, and Alex aside, it’s just…”
“What?”
“Different. I mean, unless we walk in there holding hands or something…” I clear my throat, trying to read his expression.
Trey nods. “I’ll let them know that we’re there together,” he says carefully. For a moment, it’s quiet as those words settle between us. He licks his lips, his gaze finding mine once more.
“You will?” I ask, my voice almost a whisper.
Trey nods.
“Yeah. I’ll tell them that I got ahead of myself before, and said I was engaged even though I wasn’t, and that we are not only there together but… together together.”
I sigh. “Theoretically, that works. But you never know how those guys are going to react.”
“We can’t control other’s reactions, Huds. We just have to go in there, knowing what we will do and say. I’ll handle the chaos if it ensues.” He plays with the edges of my hair as he gives me a soft smile.
“Thank you,” I say, leaning over to kiss him. When I pull back, he pulls me to him again, kissing me even deeper.
I smile against his lips and we get comfortable laying together, and then we start the movie.
We don’t leave each other’s side until he has to leave to get to the airport. And that… really sucks.