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I stepped back from him now, looking him coldly up and down with a schooled experience of fool me once, and said ‘’whatever priggish delusions you experience while under the influence of alcohol, enjoy it. Because in the real world Skippy, the only ‘fuck’ you’ll ever get from me is with a ‘you’ attached to the end of it’’ I then took a half step closer, looking him dead center in his now very bitter eyes, each narrowly scowled above a sneered petulant smile ‘’by the way, if that was your optimum effort at swaying my attention, then I’m sorry to inform you Mr. Bennett but you’ve failed miserably. I’m with Hudson and that’s that’’ I told him ‘’oh and from this day forth you’re to stay the hell away from me, understood?! I’ll be civil with you whenever Hudson’s around, as I don’t care to be the unnecessary rift between friends. But as far as you and I go…you’re nothing but yesterday’s news’’ and with that, I spun on my heel angrily batting aside the balcony curtain on my way back into the party.

‘’Word of advice…’’ he said, catching me by my wrist and pulling me up close to him ‘’…never turn your back on a snake’’ and I stood looking coldly into his venomous green eyes, unfearful and unphased by any intent of intimidation.

‘’Watch me’’ I hissed, and snatched my hand away from him before storming back inside the party.

Moments later found me hidden quietly by the outside wall near where Hudson and his ex were talking. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, nor could I help but admit that Skipp’s words got in a little. And now, I just had to know for myself…

‘’…you was, are, and will always be the ugly personification of what women in your world typically become’’ he was saying to her.

‘’Hudson, I’m so so sorry! I still lov-‘’

‘’YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE!! That’s why I chose her. And continue each day to fall in love with everything she is, and everything you will never be’’

WHAT?? Oh my god!! Did…did Hudson just say he loved me??

I didn’t need to hear anymore, those three words alone were enough to mend any damage Skipp did to my heart, and return any lost confidence that may have chipped away as a result. And with that, I decided to respectfully leave them to their conversation. Besides, with the trust Hudson and me had for one another, I’m confident he would fill me in in the comfort of his own time. Right now though I needed to splash a gallon of water over my face, which was still fixed in shock over the beautiful words I’d just learned Hudson felt about me, as that was the exact direction my heart had been feeling for him also.

HUDSON POV:

‘’…I don’t expect you to understand. How could you understand? Your life is so consumed with excessive meaningless greed, I’m confident not even a shadow of your former self reflects you back in the mirror when you look in it’’ I told Jessica, throwing back a few choice words of my own after having her bitch bitterly at me when I told her I was in love with someone else ‘’and that’s the difference between you and me Jessica, because never once did I let the lifestyle rape my soul the way you have’’

‘’I’m not that person anymore, you have to believe me’’ she tried saying, and I snatched my arm back irritably from her when she tried reaching out to touch me again.

‘’That’s irrelevant now Jessica. After eight painful years of trying to get over you, and repelling every potential relationship opportunity that came my way for fear of having my heart broken again, I’m happy to say I’m finally at a point in my life where I’m ready to love again. To let someone close to my heart, someone who quite literally lived in the darkened gutter of our society, yet never once allowed the system to make bitter her sweet heart’’

I then took a step closer to her, deservedly enjoying every pained muscle on her face as she looked at me trying not to cry, and said ‘’now I don’t ever want to see or hear from you again. This is a private party amongst friends, and you sweetheart are not welcome. So please leave.’’

‘’But Hudson I-‘’

‘’NOW!’’

‘’Screw you then!’’ she hissed, and away she went angrily smacking her heels against the concrete ground before disappearing back inside.

I didn’t know when it would happen, but I could already feel the crumbling rubble of emotion begin to fall, as a looming avalanche from tonight’s unexpected encounter would later come crashing down hard, and destroy my heart with pain all over again.

What now Hudson? Eight years ago you would have done anything to have her to walk back into your life, and mend the pieces of your heart that she broke. But this is eight years later, and you have the best heart you’ve ever had to place in comfort next to yours.

Taylor was my everything now, she was my entire world and all I ever needed in it. And I be damned if anyone ever tried getting in the way of us again.

TAYLOR POV:

‘’…how am I supposed to know?!’’ a voice came suddenly bursting in through the restroom door of the ladies, as I sat on the closed toilet seat in the first stall sifting through all the pictures I’d taken that night on my phone. I guess I needed a minute or two to myself, before going back out to the party and mingling amongst the crowd with my neutral face on, the one I’d also need to maintain around Hudson in my ‘naïve’ innocence that I knew nothing of his ex-girlfriend's presence here tonight….pft, I just hope I don’t bump into Skipp when I go back out there, I thought irritably. I knew Hudson was a man very aware of time what with the business he does, and so I was more than certain he was rather concerned about leaving me alone for so long.

I really should get going, I can’t stay in here all night, I thought placing my cell phone back inside my purse.

‘’…he seems absolutely besotted with her, fucking little whore’’ the woman’s voice on the other side of the stall door continued, and I realized it must have been pretty bad whatever was bothering her, as the foul stench of cigarette smoke began fast filling the ladies restroom. I wasn’t a smoker myself, never tried it, and so this was my perfect cue to exit on outta here before the nasty smoke air filled my lungs.

‘’…hold on I need to take a pee, I’m just going to put you on loudspeaker’’ the woman’s voice was saying, and as my fingers reached the latch to unlock the door, I jumped back suddenly in fright as the door to my stall was pushed in an attempt to gain entry, followed by a loud ‘’sorry babes, don’t mind me’’ the woman apologized, sounding rather like she was a little tipsy from the party, before the stall next to mine was swung open with a bang, and the woman began to ‘take a pee’ as she so delicately put it.

Rolling off a few tissues from the loo roll to hold over my nose from the horrible cigarette smell, I decided to wait patiently inside my cubicle for the woman to leave before exiting myself, as it couldn’t hurt me touching up my makeup a little before going back out there, hopefully masking any signs of emotion that could be detected of me crying on my face.

Just a few minutes more…I thought securely holding the tissue over my nose, as the toilet beside me eventually flushed, and the door re-swung open.

Next was the sound of running water, and I stood now with my ear pressed up hard against the cubicle door, needing to make positively certain I’d heard what I’d just heard correctly…

The water stopped, and the blow dryer started. When that too finally stopped, I stood continuing to look horrified as my ears took in clearly now the voice she was talking to…

‘’Yeah, I fucked up and failed too’’ Skipp muttered on loudspeaker, and I realized only then that I was the ‘whore’ the woman who was obviously Jessica, had been referring to.