Chapter 13
SERENA
Returning home sounded like a terrible idea while the media was still in a frenzy over the possible end of my relationship with Hudson. So we extended our stay through the weekend, hoping the buzz would die down soon.
The paparazzi had been circling the house the last time I checked the security app, and I wasn’t ready to deal with cameras flashing every time I stepped outside with Avery.
The bungalow was quiet and private, which was exactly what we needed.
Avery was curled up on the couch with a blanket, scrolling through her phone with the volume off while a movie played in the background.
I sat at the small dining table, staring at the script Mara had sent, trying to focus on the words instead of the ache in my chest.
I hadn’t spoken to Hudson since I shut the door in his face, and it was so hard to resist the temptation to call him.
That was the toughest part about this situation.
Up until Maddie started causing problems, he’d been such a great boyfriend.
I’d been so certain we could get back to how we’d been before.
But I should have put a stop to his excusing her crap sooner instead of letting it go on for so long.
“I can feel you thinking from there,” Avery murmured without looking up from her phone. “Trying to talk yourself out of the script or thinking about him again? Or both?”
I heaved a deep sigh before admitting, “Him. But maybe the script a little too. Mara has texted three times already this morning.”
“You did tell her you’d give her an answer today,” my sister pointed out.
“I know.” I glanced at my laptop screen again. “I’m leaning toward yes.”
“Leaning schmeaning.” She wagged her finger at me like our grandmother would’ve done. “Stop second-guessing yourself and let her know you’re in. When you’re an Oscar award-winning actress, I’ll bring the statue to school to knock people upside the head if they gossip too much.”
Her teasing was half-serious, but I knew she’d never actually do that. Resorting to violence wasn’t Avery’s thing, and she wouldn’t risk breaking the coveted statuette if I managed to win one.
“You’re right.”
She beamed a smile at me. “I get that this is something you normally would’ve talked through with Hudson so you could weigh the pros and cons.
But from everything you told me so far, it sounds like a no-brainer.
The script is amazing, the producer is a hot commodity for all the right reasons, the director they’re talking to is one you’ve always said you wanted to work with, and Mara is excited enough to pester you. What are you waiting for?”
“Well, when you put it like that.” I picked up my phone and fired a quick text off to Mara to let her know she could move forward with the deal she’d been negotiating while I tried to make up my mind.
Just as I hit send, a soft knock on the door made both of us look up. When I got up and opened the door, the hotel staff member wheeled in a silver cart with a cake under a glass dome. The Hale & Honey logo on the box sitting next to it was unmistakable.
“Compliments of Mr. Holt,” he explained with a polite smile before leaving.
Avery sat up, her eyes wide. “He got Tessa to make one for you?”
“Apparently.”
“Whoa,” she breathed. “How did he manage that?”
I stared at the cake, my throat tight. Getting anything from Hale & Honey on short notice was nearly impossible.
I knew exactly what it took since I’d flown across the country myself for Avery’s birthday.
Not only had he put in some effort, but choosing this as his first contact with me after our argument felt like an acknowledgment of what had happened with Avery’s birthday party.
“Not just that, but how did he know where to have it delivered?” I asked.
“That one’s easy.” Avery stood and walked over to show me her phone’s screen.
“The press is making the most of our little getaway here, coming up with all kinds of theories from you’re waiting for a restraining order to come through on Hudson and Maddie to he cheated on you with her at our house, so you couldn’t stand to be there another night. ”
“Wow.” I let out a low whistle. “Talk about wild theories.”
“At least we got the best cake in the world out of all the drama.”
We lifted the dome together. Tucked underneath the cake was a handwritten note in Hudson’s familiar scrawl.
Serena,
I was wrong.
About all of it.
I’m sorry.
— Hudson
Avery read it over my shoulder and made a small sound. “That’s actually pretty good. Short and to the point. No excuses. But he’d better do a lot more than cake if he wants you back after everything he let Maddie pull.”
“Don’t worry,” I reassured her. “I’m not going to cave over one gesture, no matter how delicious it is.”
Another small envelope was tucked under the cake stand. When we lifted it, a second note fell out, this one in a feminine scrawl.
Serena,
I heard you might need a little sweetness right now. Hopefully, this lemon zest cake with lemon curd and raspberry compote will bring some sunshine into your day.
And my offer still stands—come visit me in Connecticut anytime. Bring Avery. We’ll make a day of it.
— Tessa
Avery’s eyes lit up. “Oh my gosh. Tessa Hale invited us to visit? How did I not know this already?”
“Sorry, Sis. I was a little distracted at the time.” I bumped my shoulder against hers. “And although the offer sounded genuine when she made it, I thought maybe—”
“She was just being nice,” Avery finished for me.
“Yeah.”
She tilted her head toward the note. “Now that we know the invite is real, we should go! She sounds awesome, and the cake she made for my birthday was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“We can definitely go sometime,” I agreed. “But not right now. You have school on Monday, and that speech and debate tournament is coming up. You’ve worked too hard to miss it.”
Avery shrugged, but her voice was soft when she murmured, “I’d skip all that if being gone is what you need right now. Seriously. You’ve always put me first. I’m happy to do the same for you, finally.”
I pulled her into a hug, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. “Thank you, Aves. That means more than you know. But I have stuff going on too, and it’s better if we remain in town. For now at least.”
She hugged me back tightly. “Okay. But if it gets worse, we’re leaving. No arguments.”
“Deal.”
We cut into the cake, and the first bite tasted like comfort and regret all at once. Hudson had remembered exactly what I loved. He had gone to the trouble of getting Tessa to make it on short notice. And he had written the most honest note possible.
The thoughtful gesture cracked something in my walls, just a little. The first tiny flicker of hope sparked in my chest.
But I didn’t let it burn too brightly because that was dangerous. Faith in Hudson had let me think he would finally see what Maddie was doing. Instead, it had only allowed her to wreak enough havoc in our lives to make it a headline.
I was terrified that believing in him again might break me completely.
Avery took another bite and watched me carefully. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “Yesterday was rough in so many ways that’ll be hard to come back from, even if he’s finally starting to wake up to the crap Maddie’s been pulling. That doesn’t take away from all the months he ignored all the giant red flags she was waving while I pointed them all out to him.”
Avery set her fork down and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “You deserve someone who chooses you every single time. No excuses. If Hudson can’t do that, then maybe he’s not the one.”
Her words were simple, but they packed a wallop.
I hugged her tighter, letting the tears I’d been holding back slip down my cheeks. “I know, but I still love him. And that makes it hurt even more.”
Even if he kicked Maddie completely out of his life, I was still worried Hudson might break what was left of my heart. I needed to figure out what I wanted my future to look like because I couldn’t keep being the only one willing to fight for it.