“I know. Neither of us did. And I hate that this is how she found out, but… at least now we don’t have to hide.”
He manages a weak smile.
I get it. The whole thing is bittersweet. Hadley will come around when she’s ready, but judging by today, that may take a while.
I want to cheer him up. And I think I know how.
“Hey, Hud?”
He looks over, those Caribbean-blue eyes steady on me.
“Will you go on a date with me?”
His frown twists into a slow, radiant smile, all white teeth and excitement.
“Right now?”
“No time like the present.”
He jumps off the couch so fast, I swear he creates a breeze.
“Not excited at all, are you?” I tease, laughing.
“I’ve waited long enough to be wined and dined. Now feed me.” He holds out a hand to help me up.
“Brat,” I mumble under my breath.
“But you love me anyway,” he chirps.
I sigh, smiling despite myself. “Yeah. I do.”More than my next breath.
“Okay, where are we going?” He’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, excitement coursing through him.
“I didn’t think past the asking-you part, so we’ll have to decide together.”
“How about the new arcade in Springview? I heard it’s got a grill, laser tag, mini golf—even a rollercoaster simulator,” he suggests.
“Yes! Let’s go there.”
We scramble out of his house and into my truck, taking the short drive to the next town over. We’ve talked about coming here before, but never have. Tonight feels like the perfect time.
The parking lot’s packed for a weeknight, but we snag a spot near the entrance. The building is trimmed in lights, neon strobing across the shrubs. Above the door, “FUN FACTORY” glows in large electric letters, matching the pulses of color coming from inside.
Hudson starts walking ahead, but I catch his hand. He turns, puzzled. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah. You’re my date. I just want to hold your hand.”
His smile is broad. “We can do that now.”
“Yeah. We can,” I agree, smiling wide. I thread my fingers through his, leading us through the entrance.
Inside, we burn hours playing games, racking up tickets, and stealing kisses between rounds. It feels like us, only better. We laugh, compete, and keep our hands tangled. No hiding. Not anymore.
After spending all our tokens, we head to the grill to grab a couple of burgers. While we eat, we talk summer plans, how we’ll set up our dorm room at AB State, and what we think tryouts for the soccer team will be like.
There is a buzz against the table. Hudson licks the grease from his thumb and checks his phone. “Ella’s calling,” he notes, silencing it. “I’ll call her back later.”
“How’s she doing?” I ask, taking a bite of a crispy fry. Hudson and Ella never told anyone that they “broke up.” They just sort of stopped acting like a couple once we returned from the lake. So, as far as I know, no one really knows that they had split.
