Chapter 53
~Riley~
Sutton checks in with me on Sunday, as promised.
When her text comes in, I’m at the club, struggling to keep my energy levels up after a late arrival and a night spent tossing and turning and worrying about Hudson.
We’re not supposed to have our phones on the ice, but I tucked it into my pocket anyway.
When it buzzes, I excuse myself to run to the restroom and read the message in private.
Hudson decided to pull out of the gala and is flying home with us today.
His therapist recommends taking a few days off, so my dad is going to take him to the family farm for some peace and quiet.
He’s also taking time off from his phone, so you won’t be able to contact him.
But he said to let you know he’s okay and he’s sorry he didn’t see you yesterday. I’ll text again when I have more news.
My emotions rise and fall like a rollercoaster as I read through the lines again.
He really must not be feeling well if he won’t skate in the gala.
The unscored exhibition, just for fun, is a highlight of any major competition.
And taking time off from training when he just earned his spot on the World team?
Each new revelation makes me more concerned.
And even though I know it’s selfish, I’m disappointed that he didn’t tell me any of this himself.
Sure, he gave Sutton a message for me, but it isn’t the same as hearing from him personally.
Is he putting some distance between us on purpose?
If he kept this hidden from me in the first place, were we ever as close as he led me to believe we were?
A hundred potential scenarios and hidden meanings play out in my head as I go through the motions for the rest of the day, completing all my sessions without my heart truly being in any of them.
The next day isn’t any easier. Some of the skaters who were at Canadians have returned, and at the morning session, the coaches congratulate everyone who medalled and those who had personal bests. Hudson’s absence is more noticeable than ever when they praise his silver medal.
“Why didn’t Hudson skate in the gala?”
Natasha’s question in the locker room between sessions comes out of nowhere, and I glance around to see if there’s someone else she might be talking to.
We’re alone, though, which makes it even weirder.
The ice dancer and I haven’t spoken to each other very much one-on-one.
She’s a couple of years older than me, very confident and outspoken, and although she’s never been mean to me, we just don’t seem to have much in common.
Except that she defended Hudson once before, I remember, when other people were gossiping about him. At the time, it struck me as such a personal issue for her that I even asked him if they’d dated before. He assured me they hadn’t.
“You guys are together, right?” she continues when I don’t immediately answer. “Where is he?”
I ignore the first question because I honestly don’t know how to answer it right now. We are, but maybe not for long? Rather than saying that out loud, I stick to her second question instead as I open my locker, grabbing the clothes for my afternoon weight-lifting session.
“He needed a bit of time off after the stress of Canadians. He’ll be back soon.”
I steal a glance at Natasha through the mirror on the inside of my locker door. She’s staring right back at me, her arms crossed and one hip jutted out, looking like a mom whose kid has just told a flagrant lie. “Hudson doesn’t get stressed out by competitions.”
Normally, she’d be right. “I guess this one was different.”
“Why?” she demands, but before I have a chance to formulate a response, she throws in another question. “Does it have anything to do with Sophie?”
My feet pivot, spinning me around to face her in an instant. “What do you know about her?”
“So, I’m right?” she guesses, her lips pressing into a tight, unhappy line when she takes my silence as confirmation. “What happened?”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I remind her. “What do you know about Sophie?”
I’m not about to share any of Hudson’s private information with her unless she gives me a damn good reason to.
With a sigh, Natasha uncrosses her arms and takes a seat on the bench beneath her locker. I stay where I am, trying to maintain at least a little control over the situation.
“I was there when Hudson found out about Sophie. It was the first senior national competition for both of us and we flew home together. He offered to drop me off at home and Sophie’s house was on the way, so he stopped there first to give her the gift he bought for her at Canadians.
When we arrived, the whole family was there. They found her that afternoon.”
The muscles in my legs go slack and I sink down onto the bench after all.
My imagination quickly fills in the broad strokes of the scene and my stomach knots as I try to comprehend what he must have felt at that moment.
I can almost feel the cold January air against his skin and the sinking pit of disbelief in his chest. “That must have been awful.”
“It was bad,” Natasha confirms bluntly. “Not only was everyone devastated, but Sophie’s sister screamed at Hudson, blaming him for not being there.
She obviously needed an outlet for her anger, and he was a convenient target.
I’ve never seen anyone look the way he did that day.
I ended up taking him home since he couldn’t drive and he didn’t come back to the club for months.
No one else knew why. I never told anyone what happened. ”
Her impassioned defense of Hudson that other day makes a lot more sense now.
“We never talked about it again,” she continues.
“When he came back, he thanked me for taking him home that day and said he didn’t want to discuss it.
I respected that, and I respect the hell out of him for how he’s moved on and the positive attitude he has about everything.
But when I saw him go out to get his medal the other day, the look on his face took me right back to that afternoon, and I had a feeling something must have happened.
I’ve never seen him look that way any other time. ”
With each new detail, my heart aches for Hudson even more than when Sutton first told me the story.
One detail in her story stands out above the rest. “What was the gift?”
Natasha’s brow furrows at my seemingly random question. “What?”
“You said he brought her a gift. What was it?”
“A coat. This big, puffy pink thing.”
Of course. Somehow, I had a feeling she was going to say that. No wonder the sight of a coat just like it in the crowd threw him off.
More than ever, I wish I could do something to help the man who’s helped me so much, but I’m at a loss about what would make him feel better. I don’t even have a way to get in touch with him right now, and I don’t know if he even wants to hear from me.
After how open Natasha has been with me, I decide to return the favour. “I’m not sure exactly what happened at Canadians, but it’s connected to Sophie somehow. He’s taking a few days off at his therapist’s request. Hopefully, he’ll be feeling better and ready to come back soon.”
She nods in acceptance before giving me a brief smile. “You’re good for him, you know. I’ve never seen him as happy as he’s been these past few weeks.”
Although I try to smile back, I’m not sure how convincing it is. As much as I’d like to believe her, the longer I go without hearing from Hudson himself, the less sure I am that I’m any good for him at all.