“What’ve you been up to?” he asks, not even huffing by the time we reach the third floor.
I’ve been here for months and I’m always out of breath by the fourth floor.
“Oh, you know…” Saw a shooting, full-time hot bodyguard, and I’m helping to keep a friend’s secret identity. “The usual stuff, work, and hanging out the girls.”
“You got to get out and live, Amanda,” he says as I unlock my apartment door.
If he only knew how much living I’ve done the last few weeks.
“Well… there is something I need to tell you.”
I open the apartment door slowly so as not to spook Hudson. He jumps off the couch in one fluid motion, his hands flying behind his back. My hand shoots out to stop him, my eyes wide with fear over more than the fact Hudson will meet my brother.
“Um…” I find myself stuck between two men neither of whom I want to explain to the other. My attention jumps back and forth between the two of them, but every possible story I make up isn’t sufficient. I’m sure if Aspen or Marissa were here they’d get a good kick out of this. I’d be the laughing stock for the next two months, but I don’t find it funny. If ever there was a time for San Francisco to experience an earthquake, now would be it. I wait a few more seconds hoping the ground will shake and swallow me. When it doesn’t I blow out the breath, I’d been holding.
“Alex, Hudson. Hudson, Alex, my brother.”
There. All introduced. Time for bed.
“Hudson?” Alex asks sizing him up in a way only a brother is capable. The way his eyes stare at Hudson, he’s trying to drill a hole through him. It isn’t very promising. I love my brother and he’s a pretty strong dude, but Hudson would win in a fight.
“He’s my… My…” I peek at Hudson hopeful he will come up with an answer that doesn’t require me to tell my brother the truth.
“Her boyfriend.”
I suck in a breath and contemplate puking. My boyfriend?
Okay, it makes sense. And quite honestly, I contemplated using the lie myself, but he spit it out there like it was no big deal. It’s a big deal.
Calling someone your fake boyfriend is a big commitment. Plus, a boyfriend is going to leave Alex with a lot of questions. And it gives him the opportunity to play the overprotective little brother. And trust me, Alex does not need any more reasons to do that.
I expect interrogation to start in three seconds.
Three. He stares a Hudson, studying his facial expressions, only to be met with Hudson’s calm demeanor. His face gives nothing away.
Two. His attention moves to me as I stand in the room with my hands on my hips, daring him to throw a fit and also silently pleading with him to please not question this.
One. His mouth opens, and all hope is lost.
“You didn’t have a boyfriend at Thanksgiving unless you’ve been lying to us.”
“No, of course not.” Except I lied about everything to everyone.
Hudson steps up beside me and wraps his arm around my shoulders pulling me tight. “It’s been, what? About three weeks?” he asks staring down at my head as if we’re one of those cute couples you see in picture frames at stores. We’d sell millions of frames.
“Yeah.” What I wouldn’t give right now to possess any of Marissa’s sarcasm or Clare’s ability to lie on her feet. She has enough excuses for getting out of everything. She’d be able to come up with a lie good enough for my brother that would even convince me. That’s a girl you want on your side in times of crisis.
“And you haven’t told Mom and Dad because?” Alex asks dropping his overnight bag to the floor.
It’s a good sign. It means he’s mostly accepted the boyfriend story.
“You know how Mom is. If I tell her about Hudson, she’ll be planning our wedding two days later.”
He sighs and walks into my small kitchen to his right. “Do you know she still talks to Stacy?”
My head shake matches his own. Stacy was Alex’s high school girlfriend. They broke up right before graduation. My mom is obsessed with the fact they’re going to get back together and get married one day. One of my brothers needs to provide her with a grandchild and soon because she needs something to devote her time and energy to besides matchmaking.
Hudson’s body loosens his hold, and he looks to me waiting for the next cue. I shrug. Who knows with my brother. The other good thing with Alex is his attention span.
