Chapter 28 #3
“You have the audacity to say I’m reckless? YOU are the one that just scaled a building seven stories in the air!” The steam is all around us, radiating off our bodies as we stare at each other with the same condemnation for different reasons.
“I’d do a lot worse if I had to” is all he says.
Taking steps back towards me, his hand by my face caging me in.
My breathing is heavy, my eyes are heavy, and the wetness I’m feeling is not only clinging to my skin from the steam, but inconvenient given the guest just outside.
It’s not my fault the person standing in front of me radiates sex by default.
Dripping wet, is just unfucking fair. Even if I am mad at him.
Especially when I am mad at him. “We’ll talk about it later,” he snaps.
Steadying himself. “Tell me what I need to know.”
“Well, he showed up, he said it was an accident, but I don’t think it was, and I don't know why I lied, I should have just said I was recording, but I got confused.” I’m picking up speed but not volume.
No matter how hurt I was by him, he was still the only one I could call for help.
And now that he’s here, the words are tumbling out of my mouth.
“He just came in and started taking notes, and started recording, I just didn’t know what to do.
He knows I’m here, and that the paperwork says we live next door, and I just shouldn’t have even opened the door, but I’ve made it all worse…
I make everything worse…” I take a pause.
“And I’m supposed to change my name?! He’s got questions, and I thought you said home visits were rare, I fucked it up,” I say in a nervous ramble.
“Look at me,” he says, his face close to mine as he lowers his eyes to my level.
“This is on me. None of this is your fault, you hear me?” His eyes narrow, almost with a sense of remorse, and then he takes a step back from me.
Leaving me pressed against the wall by my own paralysis of nerves.
He rips the shirt off his back, dropping it to the floor.
Kicks off his shoes and socks, and steps out of his pants.
Dripping wet, the only thing that prevents him being fully nude, boxer briefs that leave nothing to the imagination. The steam that fills this bathroom makes it feel like this all could be a hallucination, but the smell of peppermint and his cologne make it clear it's not.
“Louisa, the towel.” It’s a sharp whisper, and I look down.
The towel is clutched to my chest like it can hide me from this.
I extend it to him, he wraps it low around his waist. (Now is not the time to be distracted.) “I’ll do the talking, okay?
” he says, his tone finally softer. I nod.
He turns off the shower, leans to my ear, and whispers, “And I am not particular about my hair.”
He steps out of the bathroom first, and walks into the living room where the man is back to not-so-subtly surveying the space and making notes as he does.
Hudson clears his throat harshly, and its meaning is not missed. (Nor is he.) I am quite literally cowering behind him.
“Put that down,” he says. Not mincing words. And the man does as he’s told. Returning a snow globe to the shelf.
“So sorry,” he says without an ounce of sincerity. “Glad you’re here, we can continue.”
“No, we’re done here.” Somehow, this half-naked, soaking-wet man is more intimidating than anyone I could have conjured up myself to save me from this nightmare.
“You are going to be leaving.” Agent Dick looks like he wants to say something, but Hudson continues with such force as he takes steps closer to him.
“You entered this apartment without permission, or a warrant, and are recording, which you and I both know is illegal without two-party consent.” Each word brings Hudson closer to him, threatening in a way he means to be.
He turns softly back to me. “Did you give consent, sweetheart?” he asks softly.
And I just shake my head no. “Exactly,” he says, his tone back to full strength.
“There’s no reason to be defensive, this is just routine,” he stresses, trying to take steps out of Hudson’s path.
“There is nothing routine about you being here at 8 a.m., coercing my wife into complying with some bullshit check-in,” he spits the words out like venom.
“We have our interview scheduled. Anything gained from this illegal entry will not hold up in court, I’ll make fucking sure of it, but not before making sure you never come within six feet of her ever again. ”
I’ve never seen anyone become so large, he fills the space as he moves through it. And despite everything that’s happened, I’m in awe of him.
“Of course.” His hands are in the air, conceding, as he walks back to his brief case and collects his folders, and heads to the door.
As soon as the door shuts behind him, I step backwards until my back hits the wall behind me as I let out a breath that I have been very aware I’m holding, but was unable to release until he was gone.