Chapter 23
~Hudson~
My stomach starts to growl during my last interview, which thankfully is with a newspaper and not a TV crew, so no one other than the journalist hears it. Still, as soon as I finish in the press room, I head towards the hotel restaurant.
This is my first time competing at a Grand Prix final, and since it’s at home in Canada, we’re getting even more attention than usual.
Only the top six skaters on the circuit each year make it to the final, and though it’s no guarantee that I’ll make the top six at World’s later this season, it sends a good message to the judges that I belong there.
Keaton is still the reigning king, but there’s definite movement beneath him, with both me and Trevor McDavis pushing our way into the final this year.
The other three skaters are from Japan and South Korea, and the media is hyping up the North America vs Asia angle.
I don’t care about any of that, though; I just want to skate my best and enjoy this time with my friends while we’re here, especially Riley.
I’m so proud of her for facing her past head-on, and part of me can’t help hoping that after things are fully out in the open with Trevor, she’ll reconsider her stance about not dating anyone she skates with.
Maybe that’s too optimistic, but I’d rather live in hope than not believe in the possibility.
Not having had a chance to spend much time with her today, I’m not sure when she plans to speak to him, but I’ll check in with her as soon as I get something to eat. My stomach won’t wait any longer.
The casual pub-style restaurant hasn’t filled up for supper yet, and I’m on my way to the bar to place a quick order when I spot a familiar cascade of chocolate-brown waves.
My feet slow, completely forgetting their destination as I take in the full scene of Riley and Trevor sitting there, holding hands across the table.
He’s staring at her intensely and her shoulders are stiff, everything about her body language suggesting she’s uncomfortable.
What the fuck?
Without missing a beat, I change course and head towards their table instead.
“Hey, Riley.”
I give her a casual smile as I walk up, as if nothing is out of the ordinary. She immediately pulls back from Trevor’s touch, nearly spilling her cup of coffee in the process.
Since when does she drink coffee?
“I was just about to message you and see if you wanted to get something to eat.”
I turn to Trevor as if I hadn’t seen him there until just now.
“Hey, McDavis.”
“Baker.” He returns my greeting with the same chin jut I give him, his eyes moving between me and Riley warily. “You guys know each other?”
I’m her next boyfriend are the words that want to come out of my mouth, but I stop them before they can push past my teeth. “We’re at Riverbend together.”
“Oh, right. I forgot you trained there.”
No, he fucking didn’t. He knows Keaton trains there and he knows I train with Keaton. He’s just trying to make me feel insignificant. Even if I could disregard what he did to Riley, the guy’s still a jerk.
“Hudson’s my friend,” Riley adds, speaking up for the first time since I got here. Her voice wobbles and I’m tempted to throw a punch just for that, right at his stupid, good-looking face.
Attacking him in the hotel restaurant would certainly get me some headlines, just not the kind I’m after this weekend.
“I see.” Those two little words from him hold a world of judgement, and he glances back up at me, unsmiling. “We’re not done yet, so you should probably go ahead without her.”
No way in hell am I taking an answer from him, so I ignore that, waiting for Riley to tell me what she wants.
“We still need to talk more,” she agrees, her eyes moving from me to Trevor. “But I need to give Hudson a message for Rick. I’ll be right back.”
Though he doesn’t look happy about it, he doesn’t stop her from leaving. Only she and I know it’s a fake excuse. Riley and my coach aren’t in the habit of sending messages back and forth.
We head out into the lobby, out of Trevor’s line of vision, and I check that we can’t be overheard before asking, “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
Her lips tremble as she exhales. “I don’t know. He says there’s nothing between him and Evelyn, that he’s not even attracted to her.”
“Why did he sleep with her then?” I can’t help asking.
“He didn’t say,” she admits, her teeth dragging over her lower lip as the wheels turn in her head. “I think he’s embarrassed about it. He kind of implied that Evelyn had come onto him before, and maybe he was too drunk to fully appreciate what he was doing?”
She’s connecting a lot of dots I’m not even sure are there. “Are you making excuses for him?”
“No. I mean, not exactly. I’m just thinking: what if the situations were reversed? What if I went out and got drunk and woke up in bed with some guy I didn’t even like, barely remembering how I got there? Does that completely negate the two years we spent together?”
She wouldn’t put herself in that position, and neither would I, but I keep those thoughts to myself. “You’re the only one who can answer that, Riley. Would you really think about going back?”
“I’m not moving back to California,” she’s quick to assure me. “I’m happy where I am now. But maybe I should give him another chance?”
I bite my tongue so hard, my teeth almost pierce the flesh. “Is that what you want?”
Her lips twist into an unhappy grimace. “I don’t know. During these six weeks apart, I’ve rediscovered who I am without him, and I don’t think I miss him as much as I should. Even if I could get over the cheating, I’m not sure we’re right for each other after all.”
That sounds more promising. “Well, if your feelings have changed, then they’ve changed, and pretending they haven’t isn’t fair to either of you.”
“But what if I only convinced myself they’ve changed? He’s been such a big part of my life, and I don’t want to be the person who abandons someone they’re supposed to care about. That isn’t me.”
There’s steel behind those final words, a determination in her voice I haven’t heard before, and my heart sinks. “I guess you need to figure out if he deserves that kind of loyalty from you. No one else can decide that for you.”
Slowly, she nods, and my throat tightens even more when she looks up at me with her big, trusting eyes. “And we’ll still be friends, right? No matter what I decide?”
If she stabbed me in the chest, it couldn’t hurt much more than that question does.
Somehow, I manage to smile through the pain. “Of course. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
Riley smiles back, her shoulders finally relaxing. “Okay. I’m gonna go finish talking to him. You should probably eat without me. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
I don’t bother telling her that my appetite has completely vanished. I don’t say anything at all except “good luck” as she heads back inside the restaurant.
For a long moment, I remain in place, staring at the spot where she’d been standing. My earlier optimism about how this weekend might play out feels completely unrealistic now, not to mention foolish.
Did I completely invent the connection I thought was building between us? If she can go back to him that easily, maybe it was only ever in my head.