Page 78 of Verdict

“Cut the shit,” he pressed.

I blew out a heavy sigh. "I thought I heard Hudson say Ava's name…" I trailed off.

Drake nodded, knowingly. "And it bothers you. It bothers you that he took her out," he said, matter of fact.

I froze. My heart sank, my stomach churned. "They went out?" I hadn't realized they were actually going out on dates now. She hadn’t said anything to me. But after the club our relationship had gotten complicated…again.

Drake picked up a weight. "Yeah, man. I thought you knew?"

I shook my head.

He leveled me with a stare. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel? I don't think this Hudson shit is serious, and neither does Aria. She thinks it's just a distraction."

I glanced over at him. "A distraction from what?"

He gestured toward me. "From you, idiot."

I scoffed. "I don't believe that. She looked awfully cozy with Fuller that night at the club… and now they're going out on dates. I think she's made her choice."

Drake rolled his eyes. “Because you left with that girl, you dumbshit. Not to mention you went on a date with that Evelyn chick before that.” He let out a small laugh, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe it. “How the hell is she supposed to take you seriously after that, Jordan?” He continued, “And that’s the real fucking question, isn’t it? Do you even act like someone worth taking seriously? Because you sure as hell get pissed off for a guy who claims he doesn’t want to be attached.” He shoved a weight into my chest. "You two need to figure your shit out, because in the end the only one truly affected by all of this is Ellie. You think you're protecting her by doing whatever the hell you two think you're doing, but you're not. Instead, you're making each other jealous, playing games, and refusing to admit the truth." He paused, eyes locked on mine. "She doesn’t think anyone chooses her,” he said flatly. “And you refuse to choose anyone.”

He stalked off toward the locker room.

Shit. Was he right?

Or had I just gotten so good at calling it protection that I didn’t recognize it as fear anymore?

After I finished my workout, I was grabbing my bag from the locker room when Hudson came in.

Great.

I focused my attention on packing my bag, but I could feel him looking at me. I glanced up. "Can I help you with something?" It came out harsh, but after the lecture from Drake, I wasn't in the mood.

Hudson held his hands up in defense. "Nope. Just grabbing my stuff and heading out."

I straightened, resting my hands on my hips. "Are you and Ava a thing now or what? I feel like I have the right to know, since she is the mother of my daughter, and I assume you will be spending time around Ellie now."

Smooth, Cohen.

He looked at me a moment and then shook his head with a quiet laugh as he glanced down, stuffing a towel into his bag. "Calm down, Jordan." He pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "She kicked my ass to the curb."

I was silent, processing.

Hudson continued, "I may be new to the team, and I may not know either of you very well, but it’s pretty clear she’s hung up on you."

My stomach tightened. I had no idea whether that made me feel relieved… or terrified.

He continued, "And I can't help but have a sneaking suspicion, based on the way you act towards me, that you feel the same way."

I ran a hand along my jaw and sighed. "Listen. I'm sorry I've been sort of a dick towards you. I’ve just got a lot going on."

Hudson laughed. "Apology accepted, and I don't blame you. You two have a complicated situation, and Ava is fantastic." He grabbed his water bottle off the bench. "Are you going to Tennessee for Thanksgiving?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject.

I shook my head. "Nah. My sister went to her best friend's house for the holiday. I'll just be here. Are you going home to North Carolina?"

He nodded. "Did Ava take Ellie to Primrose Hill?"

"Yeah," I answered, unsure of where this was going.