“I mean… Fuck, Nat.” He shakes his head, huffing an astonished laugh. “But I think I’d be most worried about the wayit would affect your friendship, and Ellie’s comfortability living here.”
I trail a finger up his bare chest. “I’m speaking to a hypothetical, Coach.”
“Finding myself between the two of you would be a far superior heaven to anything I’d ever could’ve imagined for myself.”
“Hmmm.” I smile. “Maybe we’re your angels, then.”
Hudson kisses the top of my head. “You’re no angel, kitten.”
I roll over, my bare breasts pressing against his chest as his hand slides down my back and rests over the curve of my ass beneath the sheets. “You’re right.”
His blue eyes smolder when he smiles, brushing his fingers through my hair. I lower my lips to his and kiss him hard. He groans into my mouth, and I work hard to remind myself this is supposed to be casual.
***
“Ells!” I call when I catch Ellie walking out of her Research Writing course and heading toward the campus’ main courtyard.
When my International Studies lecture was dismissed fifteen minutes early, I took it as the perfect opportunity to catch her after class and see if I could walk her home. She had strength training early this morning, so I know she’s free right now, and I don’t have to meet my team for open skate until seven.
Men’s hockey is in the rink as we speak, so if I head home with Ellie right now, we’ll have a little time before Hudson gets back, which will hopefully make her more eager to open up when she’s confident there are no listening ears.
Her auburn hair whips in the breeze as she turns around, searching for my voice. When she sees me, she smiles, but itdoesn’t reach her eyes the way it normally does, and my stomach plummets once again. The distance between us lately has been eating me alive.
“Hey,” I say on a breath, catching up to her. “You’re done with classes for the day, right?”
“Yeah, I am, but…” She clears her throat awkwardly. “I have a ton of homework I need to finish this evening. I want to take advantage of a day without afternoon pract?—”
“Can I come over?” I ask bluntly. “I need to talk to you. Also, I lost my emotional support water bottle, and I think it might be in your room.”
“Oh.” She’s quiet for a beat, and I can tell she’s searching for an excuse. “Well…”
“Ellie, I’m going to be real with you right now?—”
“Finally admitting that sometimes you’re not real, Nat?” she asks with a resigned huff, almost as if it’s a challenge.
I rear back, confused. “You’ve been…off the last month or so, and it’s eating me alive. Can we please fucking talk about it? I’ve been losing sleep, losing my appetite.” I halt, grabbing her hand and forcing her to face me. “I’m sick over the thought of you not being okay.”
She gives me a once-over, her beautiful face cast in a hard assessment. “You seem to be glowing to me.”
My stomach heaves, lodging itself in my throat as my heart races from my chest and splatters on the ground between us.She knows.
My eyes fall closed, because the betrayal in her own is too painful. “You’re upset with me.”
“I don’t know,” she admits softly. “I…” She glances around the courtyard, as if suddenly aware we’re still on campus, still in public. “Let’s go home first.”
She walks briskly across the courtyard, and I hurry behind her as we pass the main library and the aquatics centerbefore turning down the narrow alleyway leading to the row of townhouses where Hudson lives.
Ellie doesn’t say anything as she unlocks the door, kicks off her shoes, and starts up the stairs. I follow her steps, locking the door behind me and heading to her bedroom.
I’m barely inside when she spins to face me, tossing her backpack onto her bed. “I just want to know why you’d lie to me about it.”
“I thought you’d be mad,” I admit.
The expression on her face is withdrawn, features solemn in a way that devastates me. “So you decided the better course was to lie to me and hide the fact that you’re fucking my…”
“Step-dad?” I ask, tilting my head. “You don’t like calling him that.”
“He was a man married to my mother, nothing more.” Her brow furrows. “Why does that even matter?”
