Page 223 of Bridesmaid By Chance
I sigh and look my brother in the eyes. “I’m living with Hudson, Jude. We’re married, and I don’t plan on changing that.”
He works his jaw to the side, clearly not happy about my response but also not as angry as he was before.
“You…you love him?”
I nod. “I love him.”
“And he loves you.”
“He was the first one to say it.”
He smooths his hand over his jaw now, thinking about it. “Why didn’t you think you could tell me?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I was afraid of how you were going to react.”
“You could have talked me through it.”
“There is no way you would have sat and listened.”
“I did today.”
“Today is different,” I say. “You already found out and have had days to get used to it. This was me cooling you down and letting youknow you can’t treat Hudson the way you did on the phone, which I happened to overhear. He deserves so much better than to have you threaten him like that. He’s a good man, and I know you know this. Deep down, you know that he will protect me, take care of me, love me, never hurt me. You know this, or else you never would have gone into business with him.”
He looks down at the ground, seeming to think that over.
“You are a man of morals, Jude. Your loyalty runs deep, and you don’t associate with people who do not share the same values. So if you were to pick anyone to take care of your sister, wouldn’t it be the person who you trust with your livelihood as well?”
He sighs and seems to wrestle with the idea. After a few seconds, he asks, “You really love him?”
“I really do.”
“Christ.” He drags his hand over his face. “When the hell did you grow up?”
I chuckle and place my hand on his knee. “When you were falling in love with Hudson’s sister.”
Cue Haisley, who comes up to us and sits down next to Jude. She rubs her hand over his thigh, and he wraps his arm around her.
Softly, Haisley says, “He needs love, Jude. And Sloane is the one offering him the type of love I don’t think he thought he would ever have or ever deserve. Please don’t take that away from my brother.”
“Hell,” he groans and then looks between us. “Ganging up on me like this…not fair.”
“Do I need to bring in Stacey? Really make it unfair?”
“No.”
Haisley and I chuckle and then I place my hand on his arm again. “Can you please accept this? Accept us?”
He twists his lips to the side, takes a moment, and then lightly nods his head. “Yeah, I can.”
HUDSON
Silence.
It’s an eerie feeling, especially when everything in your head feels chaotic. Unsettled. Out of control.
She’s been gone over two hours. Two fucking hours.
And I know she said she was coming back, but why did it feel like she was actually saying goodbye? And shouldn’t I be happy about that? That she’s making the split between us easier?
