Don’t tell Aspen.
Kimberly’s boss walks by glaring in our direction. He’s a real hard ass. There’ve even been rumors circulating that he keeps track of how often and for how long people use the bathroom. I’m so glad I don’t work for him. My boss could be one of the last poster children for the hippie movement and has a pretty lax management style.
“I gotta go. I’ll see you later?” Kimberly rushes out, but only directs her question at Hudson, not sparing me a second glance. At least the girl is persistent.
When she rounds the corner and is out of sight, Hudson leans back in the extra rolling chair I brought into my cubicle for him. He wraps his hands around the back of his head and does his best to look perpetually at ease without falling out of the chair.
“What?” I ask, rolling back in my seat and pulling out a stack of papers. I have no idea what they are for, but it will make me look busy.
He scooches his chair closer. “It’s nice to see you care.”
My face heats and I wind my arm back, hitting him as hard as possible on the shoulder. “Shut up.”
He laughs, not fazed by my attack even though my knuckles tingle.
Hudson’s phone beeps three times and he looks down, his face pinched together. “Be right back.” He stands and walks a few feet from my cubicle, stopping in front of the window and staring down at the street.
It’s not until then I remember what I said in my head earlier and how much I do care. If Hudson asked me again, I would leave San Francisco for him. It might be one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made — besides leaving my family to come here — but moving here led me to Hudson. Maybe Maine is my next stop. I worked hard to build a life for myself in San Francisco. Great job, amazing friends, and finally got the much sought after apartment in San Francisco. It’s everything I told myself I wanted. Every dream I ever had. Why I worked so hard in college, but as most stepping stones in life, I’ve now obtained it. I want more.
Is it wrong to keep pushing to better yourself and to take more and more? Hudson has shown me there’s something missing from my life. You need more than a close circle of friends or a great apartment. I want companionship — someone to share a bed with even if he does steal most the covers halfway through the night. A second parent for the guinea pigs.
My friends have found that person and even though there were times during each of their relationships when personally I thought it wouldn’t work out between them because their differences were too great, somehow through the magic of love they came together.
And yes, I get I sound like the biggest sappy sap that ever sapped. Yet, a part of me admits it’s true.
“Amanda,” Hudson’s voice draws my head in his direction and I smile.
Yup, totally lost to this man.
“Richie woke up from his coma.”
17
Richie woke up from the coma. What does that mean for me?
Hudson’s words play on repeat in my brain. Over and over and over and over.
Richie woke up.
My face pales even though my body readies to run and adrenaline floods my system. I’m ready to stand up and flee from the office building that felt safe a few minutes earlier.
I’m not worried because he’s woken up, but because now I don’t know what happens next. Who will he name as having been on the scene? How much detail will he be able to give? Will he be the one to out my lies? Why haven’t I confessed sooner?
A sickening sensation grows in my stomach. I’m too aware the happy life I had a minute ago is about to come crashing down around the building. Will I be buried under the rubble or will the same fate who brought me Hudson step in to get me out of this mess, too?
Did she fuck with me after all?
“Is he okay?” I ask when I realize the silence stretched between Hudson and me for too long. Hudson thinks I should be happy he’s woken up, but that’s only because Hudson hasn’t heard the whole story.
“I don’t know what he said, but it sounded like he blamed the crime on Lagina.”
“Who’s that?” My face pinches with the question. I’ve never heard of him.
“The leader of one of the largest gang organizations in the city. He stays under the radar by getting other people to do his dirty work.
“It’s not the mob?” I thought Ben said it was the mob.
Hudson shrugs. “In today’s society they’re one and the same.
