Chapter 25
Chapter twenty-five
Hudson
“Alright, Hudson, our time is almost up. Anything else you want to talk about before you go?”
I’m sitting on the floor in Maria’s office, my back against the couch. It’s my preferred spot when I have my appointments, though, I’m not sure why. Maria says it’s because the physical discomfort keeps me from fixating on the emotional kind. She’s the expert, so I’ve never questioned her.
She even sits on the floor across from me. “To keep things on my level,” she said.
The first day I came, I promptly slid from the couch onto the floor, too anxious and angry to sit still on the plush cushions.
Maria didn’t ask questions, didn’t even look funny at me.
Just grabbed her coffee mug, sat on the carpet across from me, and proceeded with our session.
From that, I knew I could be myself and open up to her instantly.
“Yeah, actually.” We’ve just finished talking about my perspective of yesterday.
I didn’t delve too much into what happened because that’s Cull’s story to tell, but I told Maria enough so she could talk me through the guilt Cullen’s breakdown brought me.
As always, she reassured me that guilt will come and go, but that I need to work on forgiving myself.
Some days are easier than others, but when it comes to how my actions have affected Cull? Those are the days I feel the worst.
“I’ve had this gut feeling lately that maybe Mason isn’t my stalker.” I gauge Maria’s reaction, but as usual, she keeps her professional demeanor.
“Okay, and why do you think that is?” Maria sits patiently, as she always does, while I gather my thoughts.
“Well, it just doesn’t make any sense.” It’s all I can come up with, because really, it doesn’t make sense.
“Can you elaborate?”
I go through all the reasons why the story doesn’t add up. How did he get into school undetected? How did he find out about Cull and me? How did he get our phone numbers?
“Am I crazy?” I ask when I finish.
Maria cuts me a look. She had to shut that line of thinking down on day one when all I could do was call myself crazy.
“Sorry, but I mean it hypothetically this time.”
She chuckles. “I’ll allow it this time only.”
I can’t help but smile. “But seriously. It hasn’t stopped bothering me since he got arrested, and I feel like I need to do something about it. What that is…” I trail off, shrugging.
“Well, I’m a therapist, not a psychic, so I can’t really tell you what the proper steps are to take. Have you talked to the detective on your case?”
I scoff and roll my eyes. “No. I don’t think he’d be interested in opening up the investigation again. We all kind of think he wasn’t really trying to find my stalker in the first place.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t say I disagree.” Maria frowns, her nose scrunched. Detective Whitfield is a lot less popular than he would like people to think.
“So, what should I do?”
“Just stay vigilant. If things begin to happen again while he’s in custody, that tells you something. Then you will have to talk to the detective. I know you don’t want to go back to looking over your shoulder, but better safe than sorry. And I’m here if it becomes too much.”
I groan and lay my head back on the couch seat. “Great. Just what I wanted to do.”
The alarm on Maria’s phone goes off, signaling the end of our session. “Alright, we're done for today. I’ll see you next time, but you can still call me if you need to. My line is always open.”
“Thanks, Maria.” I give her a wave as I exit her office, pulling out my phone to text Cull. His appointment is in an hour, and I know he’s anxious.
ME: I love you. You’ll be okay this afternoon. Sit on the floor, it helps.
CULL: Why the floor?
ME: Trust me?
CULL: I think we established my trust in you the first time you put a finger in my ass.
I let out a loud laugh right there on the sidewalk, the sound bouncing off the buildings.
An old woman walking a mangy little dog shoots me a disapproving look, so I blow her a kiss and give her a wink.
She clutches her chest like I’ve personally offended her entire bloodline and hurries off, which only makes me laugh harder.
ME: That’s a good memory. We should do that again. Trip to the mountains soon?
CULL: Hell yes. Can we go to your grandparents place, just the two of us?
My phone is knocked from my hand when a hard body slams into me.
“My bad.” The voice is gruff and slightly slurred.
I stoop down to grab my phone. When I look up, my eyes widen, and I stumble back a step.
“Mason?”
“Hey, Hudson. It’s been a long time. Sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you like that.”
He’s frail and pale. His hands are shoved into his dirty jeans pockets, and they tremble through the denim. There is a grocery bag hanging from his wrist, but I can’t tell what’s inside.
“You’re supposed to be in jail,” I state, my voice stronger than I feel.
“Uh, yeah… I made bail.”
My jaw drops. “I didn’t know murder suspects got bail.”
“They don’t.”
What the actual fuck is going on right now? Even if I don’t think Mason is my stalker, he’s still the prime suspect in Ella’s murder.
There is no reason why he should be walking free right now.
“You killed Ella.” I spit the words, my chest aching.
“No, no. I swear I didn’t.” He throws his hands up, his face flashing with panic. “My fingerprints didn’t match the ones they found. Yes, I was there earlier buying pills from her, but I never went into the house. She was very much alive when I left.”
My thoughts tangle. If not Mason… then who?
Feeling brave, I square my shoulders and step up to Mason. “Have you been stalking me?”
His brow furrows, his face confused. “No man. I keep to myself. I always respected you when we were in school together, and that hasn’t changed. My own life is a shitshow, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to feel this kind of pain.”
I search his eyes for a crack, a tell—anything. All I see is exhaustion. Grief.
I don’t know what to think.
Relaxing a little, I step closer. Mason watches me warily, but doesn’t move. “Why did you have to post bail if you didn’t kill Ella or aren’t my stalker?”
He scoffs. “Because that detective has been looking for a reason to put me behind bars. He hated my father, and by extension, me.” He holds his arms out wide, the grocery bag sliding down his frail arm. “I’m his scapegoat.”
My head spins as I study him, searching for the lie. “Are you telling me the truth?”
“Why would I lie? I have no reason to stalk you, Hudson.”
I stare at him for a few beats before nodding.
“Any idea who it could be?” I ask.
“Sorry, no. Like I said, I keep to myself.” He shrugs and shoves his hands back into his pockets.
“Are you okay?” The question comes from left field, but it feels like maybe Mason needs someone to care.
His smile is broken, shadows haunting his features. “Are any of us ever truly okay?”
Damn. That hits deeper than I expect. “I’ve had my fair share of struggles, so I get it.”
He nods and steps around me to leave, but not before placing a hand on my shoulder. “I heard about what happened. About the river…”
I lift my chin, ready to defend myself. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. Glad to see you failed at something.”
A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. “Yeah, me too.”
He walks backward, adding one last thing. “Tell your boy his aim sucks.” He taps his bicep. “If he’s going to keep you safe, he needs to learn how to keep a steady hand.” Then he turns and disappears around the street corner.
I stare after him, confused—then it clicks.
“So that’s what Cull has been hiding from me,” I murmur to myself.
It makes sense. What else would have triggered his panic attack that day he went to Mason’s house? No wonder Cullen was green at the police station the other day when the detective mentioned Mason’s arm wound.
I have so much I need to talk to him about, but it’ll have to wait. I’m not going to stress him out before his appointment, but it’ll have to be a conversation sooner rather than later.
Because if Mason isn’t my stalker, that means someone is still watching me, and we’re back to square one.