Cranking my truck, I haul out of the parking lot.
***
Hudson
My eyes follow Cull as he walks away, Hadley still crying into my chest. His shoulders are slumped, head hanging low, and it guts me to see him like that.
You’d think I’d be ecstatic right now. I wanted nothing more than for them to split, but now that it’s happened, my heart is breaking right along with theirs.
Ella comes up behind Hadley and starts to rub her back, producing a tissue like magic. She pulls back from me, taking the tissue with a grateful smile.
“I should have seen this coming,” she cries, voice hitching. “He’s been pulling away from me lately. It was like a switch flipped, and suddenly my Culley wasn’t there anymore.”
She sniffles, trying to wipe away the streaks of mascara on her cheeks. Her two girls just stand there, offering nothing. Nohug, no words, not even a hand on her shoulder. Hadley notices, but doesn’t say anything.
“I’m sure it’s hard,” Ella consoles, “but you two were going off to different colleges. Did you really want to be tied down and miss out on the college experience? Maybe he did you a favor.” She finishes with a shrug, casual like it’s no big deal.
Hadley turns and pulls her into a hug. “Thanks.”
Ella gives me a wink, like she just offered Hadley the solution to all her problems.
“You okay, Hads?” I ask.
My sister turns back to me with a sad smile. “No. But I will be.”
“Let’s get going, Hadley. You need to fix your makeup before we go to the party,” Katie calls from where she’s standing.
I glare at Katie. What is wrong with these two? Their best friend just got dumped, and they don’t give two shits. Cullen was right about both of them. They’ll drop her the second it’s convenient.
“Let me take you home, Hads. A party might not be the best place to go right now.”
She pulls a mirror from her purse and starts fussing with her face. “I think the distraction will be good. Besides, Mom already knows I’m staying with Katie tonight.” She puts the mirror away, then wraps her arms around me. “Thank you for being the best brother. Love you, Hud.”
Shame covers me like a shroud. I’m not worthy of my sister's gratitude. I did a couple of shitty things that helped lead to this breakup.
I keep my face neutral so she won’t see the guilt creeping in, and press a kiss to the top of her head. “Love you too. Be safe tonight. And don’t make any emotional decisions.”
She gives Ella and me a small wave and another sad smile before heading off toward Katie’s car.
Ella grabs my hand and laces our fingers together, dragging me toward my Bronco. Neither of us speaks as we climb in.
We’re quiet as I drive us towards Ella’s house, her boisterous laugh suddenly cutting through the silence. “Well, that was a weird turn of events.”
“It was…” I trail off, eyes on the road. “But why are you laughing?”
“It’s just funny.” She shrugs, still giggling. “You were complaining at the party about wanting them to break up, and now the universe comes along and grants your wish.”
If that’s the case, the universe only granted half my wish. It’s not like Cullen broke up with my sisteranddeclared his undying love for me.
Nowthatwould’ve been a weird turn of events.
I pull into her driveway and turn in my seat. “Thanks for being my fake date tonight.”
She leans over and kisses my cheek. “I had fun. Even with all the drama.”
Yeah. It wasn’t fun for me.
As much as I want to shove Cullen back into the best friend box where he belongs, I’m having a hard time doing it. I can’t stop thinking about Tuesday and how he pulled me out of my depression like it was second nature. The love and care he showed me that day… it was exactly what my soul needed.
