23. Eloise
ELOISE
We’d been standing at the water’s edge for ten minutes now without speaking.
Just me, Hudson, and the expansive ocean in front of us.
For the first five minutes, I let my body relax.
I let the sound of the waves lapping against the shore fill my soul in a way that I hadn’t realized I needed until I was in the middle of experiencing it.
But, the last five minutes? I’d spent wondering what the heck we were doing here and if Hudson was going to speak first. There was nothing like sitting in awkward silence wondering what the other person was thinking.
Was he agonizing about the silence as much as I was?
Movement next to me drew my attention over.
Hudson had bent down and was scrapping something out of the sand.
I frowned as I watched him, trying to figure out what he was doing.
Eventually he straightened with his left palm out.
He was using his right forefinger to brush the grains of sand away from the black shark tooth.
“Check this out,” he said as he held it up in front of me.
Was he serious? I hadn’t gone shark tooth hunting in years, but it was a decent find. The grey of the tooth hadn’t been fully changed to black yet.
“Wow,” I said not making an effort to hide my sarcasm.
As a kid, I spent hours combing the beaches to find the perfect one.
Gram and I would hold a contest between us for who could find the best tooth that summer with the winner getting a banana split down at the diner.
But now? I was too old for this and the activity held too much pain for me to voluntarily participate.
It took a moment for me to realize that Hudson was staring at me. Apparently my reaction to his find wasn’t what he’d anticipated. I guess he wanted more from me.
“Wow, that’s so cool?” I offered as I raised my eyebrows.
He didn’t seem phased by my response. He just kept his gaze on me before he flicked his attention down to the tooth and then back up. “I bet you can’t find a better one.”
I blinked, startled by his statement. First, he was joking himself if he thought that was all it would take to get me to do whatever it was that he was trying to get me to do.
I wasn’t that easy. Second, why did he think I even cared what he thought?
As kids, sure, I worshipped the ground he walked on.
As adults? Him doubting my ability to do something as equally good as him had very little effect on me.
“I’m okay with you crowning yourself as shark tooth king,” I said with a snort.
He eyed me. “So…you owe me a banana split.”
Oof. I glared at him. That, I had not anticipated. But I should have figured that I he’d hit below the belt.
His smile turned sheepish. “Isn’t that the rule?
The person who finds the best shark tooth owes the other person a banana split.
” He waved to the tooth still nestled in his palm.
“I think I win by default.” He paused like he was planning something important.
“I think I’m going to see if I can get a scoop of strawberry as well. ”
This will not sway me. This will not sway me, I chanted in my head as I glared at him.
Although I’d been determined not to allow myself to be baited by this man, his premature celebration at his ridiculous accomplishment rubbed me the wrong way. I could feel my resolve not to engage with him slip until I let out a disgruntled growl and started moving down the waterline.
I didn’t want to do this but I didn’t want Hudson to think he won. If he wanted to compete, then I would oblige. Just long enough to beat him and his ridiculous idea that anything other than vanilla belonged on a banana split.
I could feel Hudson as he followed after me.
Anger and frustration boiled up inside of me as I walked.
I was irritated with myself that I allowed him to goad me like he had.
He knew exactly the right buttons to push to get me to act.
I’d been so determined not to participate in whatever activity he’d planned for this outing, and yet here I was, scouring the beach for a shark tooth.
“I’m an idiot,” I mumbled under my breath as I kicked a pile of shells that had built up on the shore. It was always a struggle to find the first shark tooth as a kid, but once I found the first one, it was hard not to see the others. I just needed to get the initial find over with.
“I’m sorry, what?”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Hudson had leaned forward like I’d been talking to him and he hadn’t heard me. I sighed as I gave him a flat expression.
“I said I’m an idiot.” Frustrated, I folded my arms and glared at him.
Hudson had straightened and was studying me. “You’re not an idiot.”
I shook my head. “Yes I am. Only an idiot would allow themselves to be swayed into something that they’d already said they didn’t want to be a part of.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t have to do this. You could just declare me the winner and buy me a banana split.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’d like that wouldn’t you.
Being the winner over me.” I sighed. “And why do you need me to buy you a banana split? Things at the bakery not working as—what the hell are you doing?” Before I could think, Hudson had his arms around me and he was hoisting me over his shoulder.
He didn’t stop as he barreled into the water.
My hands were slipping as I frantically grabbed at his back, his shirt, his shoulders—anything to keep myself upright.
“Hudson! Hudson!” I was in survival mode and willing to do anything for him to put me down.
But Hudson didn’t stop. He continued into the ocean until the waves stopped slamming into his legs and the surface of the water had stilled.
My fight or flight response had subsided as the adrenaline in my veins began to dissipate.
Maybe it was acceptance of my fate or it was the fact that he was now almost neck deep in cold water.
It was hard to feel agitated when I was starting to shiver.
We must have gone far enough in to satisfy Hudson because he slowly lowered me so my feet touched the ground. As soon as he let me go, I took a big step back while attempting to hold my balance.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I demanded as I sent a splash of water his direction.
He tried to dodge it, but failed. It was a direct hit. He shook his head, pushing his hand through his hair and then rubbing it down his face. Water droplets clung to his lashes as he spat what I could only assume was some salt water from his mouth.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked and suddenly, a jet of water was coming right at me.
I parted my lips to protest, but I was too late.
The water hit me directly in the face and my open mouth.
I sputtered and coughed as I wiped at my face.
The last thing I wanted was to rub my eyes and end up looking like a raccoon.
While I didn’t care what Hudson thought of me, I still had my dignity.
It was hard to feel fear from someone who looked like they were melting.
“You okay?”
Hudson was closer to me now. I could hear his concern and it just irritated me more. But, I was going to use his weakness to my advantage. If he wanted to act like the knight in shining armor he seemed to think he was, it would be his downfall.
I kept my head down, sputtering like I was struggling.
Like taking candy from a baby, he approached with his hand stretched out and headed straight for my shoulder.
He was in a vulnerable stance and I was determined to use it to my advantage.
I grabbed a hold of his shoulders and with the element of surprise and the movement of the ocean, I jumped up with the hopes that he would lose his footing and I would dunk him in the water.
“Oh, you play dirty,” he muttered as his arm suddenly wrapped around my back. With his hold on me, he lifted me up so he could wrap his other arm around my knees.
I may have misjudged his strength and my athleticism. Where I had to be the damsel in distress earlier, using his chivalry and an element of surprise to my advantage, Hudson had muscles. I was airborne before I could even process what was happening to me.
I once again, was desperate to keep myself stationary.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on feeling even more vulnerable now because I had no idea what his plan was with me.
When it became clear that he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to put me down, I started to relax in his arms against my better judgment.
“Why do you keep picking me up?” I asked as I wiped my eyes so I could glare at him.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Why do you keep attacking me?”
I frowned. “I only attacked you because you attacked me.”
“And I splashed you because you splashed me.”
“Well, you dragged me into the ocean.”
He stared at me. “Well, you won’t look for shark teeth with me.”
I deadpanned. “Why do you want me to look for shark teeth with you? We’re not children.”
He paused. “Looking for shark teeth is a childish activity? What would your Gran say?”
His smile was innocent as he spoke the last sentence, but his words hit like a bullet to the chest. His expression fell as if he’d suddenly just realized what he’d said.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I held onto him as I felt him start to lower me until my feet touched the ocean floor and I was able to stand.
I adjusted my shirt as the water lapped at me.
I peeked over at Hudson, suddenly feeling bad for making him feel bad.
He knew my grandparents so it was only natural that he would bring them up in conversation.
He hadn’t meant to harm me and I didn’t want him thinking he had.