Page 185 of Bridesmaid By Chance
“I have to go back to San Francisco,” I say in a sterner voice and grab my suitcase and head toward the front door.
“Hudson,” she says, causing me to turn at the scared tone in her voice.
Fuck.
Leaving would have been so much easier if she were asleep.
I face her, despite the war raging inside me, telling me to flee. When our eyes meet and I see just how terrified she is, a sick dread grows deep in the pit of my stomach.
“Wh-what is going on?” she asks, tears filling her eyes. “I thought…I thought everything was okay, but then last night you pushed me away and didn’t sleep in the same bed?—”
“I didn’t sleep at all.”
“You could have at least just lain with me, and now you’re leaving. Were you going to leave without telling me?”
Yes.
If you didn’t wake up, yes, I would have left, because that’s the kind of coward I am.
“I have to catch my flight, Sloane.”
Her lips grow tight and her arms fold in front of her. “Fine, go catch your flight, Hudson.”
Fuck, sad to pissed in seconds.
Don’t blame her though. Question is, how do I want to leave? It would be easier with her pissed off at me, since I need to keep my distance, but even though I am a coward, I can’t do that to her, so I reach for her arm and tug her into my chest.
She’s resistant at first but gives in and allows me to wrap my arms around her.
God, she smells so good.
She fits so perfectly in my arms.
I don’t want to let this feeling go.
I kiss the side of her head and say, “It’s only for a few days, then I’ll be back. I need to finish this shit with my dad and be done with it.”
“I could go with you,” she says with hope.
“You know you can’t,” I say. “Sheridan needs you for the wedding, and that’s why we’re here, to be there for her, right? For the job.” It’s a subtle reminder for the both of us.
I take a step back and release her because I don’t want to become too attached.
Those large eyes of hers connect with mine, confusion and pain running ramped through them. “Just tell me one thing, Hudson.”
“What?” I ask.
“That you’re not running away because of what happened yesterday.”
“Nothing happened yesterday.”
“Hudson, please,” she says. “You can’t tell me that things didn’t change last night after we found out Terrance told your dad about us being married. I don’t want you…running away from us. I don’t want to handle this on my own. I can, but I don’t want to.”
“I’m not running away, Sloane. I’m trying to fucking fix things, okay?” When her eyes well up again, I sigh heavily. “I don’t want you feeling sad or upset. I’m not running away. If I were, I wouldn’t be coming back. Plus…Sloane, we shouldn’t, we shouldn’t be getting attached to each other like this.”
And that does it.
That sentence right there.
