Eloise #3
Hudson’s lack of response surprised me. The silence in the cab was deafening and for a moment, I felt guilty for my reaction before I swept that emotion under the rug.
There was no reason for me to feel bad about anything.
He was the schmuck here. He was the one who’d made choices and was now running from them.
My resolve to wait for him to speak began to waver and finally, I gave in and peeked over at him.
His jaw was set and his gaze was razor focused on the road.
His left hand was gripping the steering wheel while his right elbow rested on the divider between us.
My response to his suggestion to trust me really struck a nerve.
Needing something to talk about to break this agonizing silence, I said the first thing that came into my head. “Why didn’t you get that dent fixed?”
The question was out before I had time to fully process it.
Just as I played it back in my mind, heat warmed my cheeks.
That had been the wrong thing to ask. It meant that I remembered that night I drove his truck with him next to me.
It meant that I noticed that it still wasn’t fixed.
It meant that there were memories that I couldn’t get rid of no matter how hard I tried.
“The dent?’ he asked, his voice low as he glanced over at me and then back to the road.
I cleared my throat and shifted my weight on the seat so I could sit straighter. “The dent. Over the left taillight. You never got that fixed.”
He paused, his jaw muscles flinching like he was thinking through my words.
Then he glanced over at me once more and then back to the road.
“I don’t know.” I parted my lips to push him further, but he seemed to anticipate that because he spoke first. “I don’t really care about it. Figured it wasn’t worth my time.”
I raised my eyebrows. That was not the Hudson that I remembered. The old Hudson was all about appearances. He wanted the best and nicest things. Not caring what his truck looked like seemed completely out of character. He was either lying or he’d actually changed and he was telling the truth.
Which, I didn’t believe, but I also wasn’t going to keep fighting him about it. I didn’t need him to ask me why I cared. The truth was, I didn’t, but it’s an undisputed fact that when you say you don’t care, you care. So I just turned my attention back to the window and the landscape passing by.
I frowned as the trees thinned and the crystal-clear water in the background became apparent. I glanced over at Hudson. “Are we going to the ocean?” I asked.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel before shifting his weight on his seat. He cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he said. I could hear the hesitation in his voice.
I didn’t hate that idea. I loved the ocean. It was the only part of Harmony Island I missed besides my grandparents. But it was an overcast day and way too late in the season to be running around in the water.
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.” Embarrassment warmed my skin. It had been a long time since I’d wore a bathing suit around Hudson. While I was proud of the body I had, I couldn’t help but wonder what Hudson would think if he saw it.
I blinked, startled at that thought. Why did I care what Hudson thought of me? That shouldn’t have even entered my mind.
“We’re not swimming,” he said as he pulled off the road an into one of the small parking lots that was surrounded by sand.
“So…” I dragged out that word as he turned off the engine. He pulled on his door release so I did the same. He hadn’t bothered to expound, so as soon as I was standing next to him in front of his truck, I continued. “So, what are we doing here?” I surveyed the beach in front of us.
The ocean lapped at the sand. The sun was hidden behind grey clouds and the wind had picked up my hair and swirled it around in the air above me. I did my best to smooth and gather it before I just gave up and let destiny win. My hair was going to turn into a puffy, matted mess out here.
“Come on,” Hudson said as he kicked off his shoes and set them on the hood of his truck, before stepping onto the sand. He didn’t wait for me to respond as he trudged straight toward the water.
“Wa—wait for me,” I said as I hurriedly kicked off my shoes, yanked off my socks, and set both next to his pair on the hood. Then I gingerly stepped onto the sand before taking off after him. I didn’t want him to tell me what to do, but I equally didn’t want to be left behind.
I was in this weird push and pull with him.
I met him at the water’s edge. He’d stopped advancing and was now just standing there, staring at the ocean. I glanced at him and back to the water a few times before I decided it was pointless to fight with him right now. I was here, might as well go along with whatever he had planned.
I sighed, crossed my arms over my chest, and felt my body relax. There was a reason why ocean sounds was one of the most downloaded sleep sounds. There was something to rhythmic and soothing about it. I could literally feel my stress start to melt away.
He eventually turned his gaze on me, so I turned to meet it. His eyebrows were raised as he studied me.
“Is this to help with city stress as well?” I asked.
His lips tipped up into a smile as he shrugged. “Something like that.”