Hadley scoffs and drops her arms. “I was telling you my grandparents said it’s okay if we want to go up to their lake house for Spring Break. They had some friends who were supposed to use it that week, but one of the old geezers broke a hip or something and can’t walk, so… their loss is our gain. It sleeps twelve, so we could get a big group together. What do you think?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“A little more enthusiasm would be nice, Cullen.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just fried from midterms. Honestly, I’m ready to crash.”
Hadley juts her bottom lip out in a pout. “I was hoping you’d come in and we could talk.”
“We’re talking now, Hads.”
She leans over the center console and rests her hand on my leg, inching it up toward my crotch. “That’s not the kind of talking I want to do.”
My dick gives a feeble twitch, but doesn’t bother waking up. Hadley toys with my zipper, bottom lip caught between her straight white teeth as she looks up at me through thick lashes. I grasp her hand and pull it away, pressing a kiss to her fingers before letting go.
“Not tonight.”
Her eyes search my face before she nods and leans back in her seat. She looks a little sad, so I try to offer a bit of comfort. “Don’t be upset, beautiful. I’m just drained. Raincheck?”
She smiles and leans over the console to give me a sweet peck. “Night, Culley. Teacher workday tomorrow, so I’ll see you this weekend.”
She gets out of the truck and walks up the steps to her house, flipping on the porch light as she goes.
I sigh, back out of her driveway, and head toward home. The radio’s on, but I crank it up louder to fill the silence. When I glance at the clock and see it’s only 6:45, curiosity starts to get the best of me.
Instead of going home, I make a U-turn and head back toward town.
Coming up on Melvin’s, I ease off the gas and creep past the storefront. Hudson’s Bronco is still parked in the lot.
At the last second, I pull in and back into a spot a few spaces down, close enough to watch the exit, but far enough not to be noticed.
Stalkerish? Absolutely. But something’s nagging at me in the back of my mind.
I need to know Hudson’s okay.
And any excuse to see him? Yeah… I’ll take it.
I only have to wait about five minutes before I hear obnoxious giggling near the front of the parking lot. Ella’s clinging to Hudson like a spider monkey, but his body looks stiff and uncomfortable. When she glances in my direction, I quickly turn my hat around to help shield my face. Hopefully, they don’t notice my truck.
Hudson, ever the gentleman, opens the passenger door for Ella and helps her climb into the Bronco. She’s giving him full-on googly eyes, but he seems completely oblivious. Hud rounds the front of his car and hops in. A moment later, he backs out of the parking spot, but not before Ella locks eyes with me and sends a chilling, emotionless glare my way.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up as her mouth curls into the tiniest smirk.
Fuck. I wouldn’t put it past her to blow my cover and snitch me out to Hud. The fact that she’s even getting to be this close to him right now sets me on edge.
Not wanting to be a complete creep and follow them wherever they're going, I start the truck and head home, my mind too full. But the more I stew in my thoughts, the angrier I become. It’s like he tried to pull a fast one on me, and that feels like a bitch slap to our friendship.
Once in my driveway, I grab my phone and open my text thread with Hudson.
ME:Meet me at the river tomorrow around noon. We need to talk.
I stare at the message, willing him to respond. The minutes tick by, but it stays unread.
Aggravated, I climb out of my truck and trudge inside. Mom and Dad are cuddled up on the couch watching a comedy when I walk in. I drop into the leather recliner, drained.
“Hey, sweetheart. Have a good time with Hadley?” Mom asks, warm and curious.
“I guess.”
