by B. Love
She chuckled as her eyes blinked rapidly. “But you meant it, though. That’s all that matters.”
Jerking her arm away from him, Reina walked away. This time, Hudson let her.
The walk to her car was the longest walk she’d ever taken. With each step, she felt as if her breath was suffocating her from the inside out. Because if she breathed, she would break, and she refused to do that in his office. But as soon as she made it to her car, she released the breath she was holding along with a strangled cry as tears fell from her eyes.
As if Laditra felt her daughter’s troubled soul, she called her. Reina started not to answer, but she did anyway. Hoping her mother had some type of advice to offer her. To Reina’s surprise, Laditra had been calling her every day since the recital, and she even told her that she no longer had to pay her to keep her secret. Reina still hadn’t figured out her angle, if she even had one, but she was going to let it ride.
“Hello?” she answered, voice shaky as her tears continued to fall.
“What the hell wrong with you?”
Reina smiled before biting down on her lip. Her head hung as it shook.
“My marriage is over, and it hasn’t even begun. Something is going on with Hudson, and I have no clue what to do.”
“How is he acting?”
“Distant. Detached. I just brought him lunch, and he barely looked at me. When he finally did, he snapped at me. Told me to go home because he didn’t want to talk to me right now.”
Laditra sighed into the phone as Reina started her car. “I’m sorry, baby. But didn’t you take him through a phase a little while ago?”
“Well, yes, but I had a good reason.”
“I’m sure he does too. Of course it won’t seem like a good reason to you. Give him space. Give him the patience he gave you. When he’s ready to open up, he will. In the meantime, just focus on you.”
Reina nodded as if her mother could see her as the call connected to the Bluetooth in her car. “You’re right. Thanks, Ma.”
“No problem.” Laditra chuckled quietly. “I’m happy to even have a conversation like this with you.”
With a smile, Reina pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic.
“Me too. I’ve always wanted us to get here, but I never thought we would.”
“I’m sorry about that, Ray. Truthfully, I was jealous of you. I gave up my dreams to give your father the family he wanted, and he still left me. So the fact that you were so committed to your dream and disciplined… it made me resent my own daughter for having the courage to pursue what she loved like I was unable to do.
But the moment I saw you dance at your recital… I knew that this is exactly what you were created to do. Maybe acting and modeling was never really in the cards for me, but you were born to dance, baby. And even though it’s twenty-three years late, you have my full support.”
Reina released a shaky breath as her head shook. She swallowed hard, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. “You tryna make me cry all over again?”
They shared a soft laugh. “Not at all. I’ll probably apologize a million times though I know nothing will ever change the way I’ve treated you over the years. But I want you to know that I’m truly sorry, and I love you, my ray of Sunshine.”
Nibbling on her bottom lip, Reina nodded softly. “I love you too, Ma. I gotta go, okay?”
“Alright, baby. Call me if you need me.”
Reina agreed, then disconnected the call. Her emotional stability was already uneasy because of Hudson. The last thing she needed to do was turn into a bucket of tears because of her mother all over again.
Hudson had been home for three hours, and neither he nor Reina had attempted to speak to one another. She skipped dinner, choosing instead to dance until she felt better. By the time she began to freestyle to “My Song” by H.E.R. her body and emotional state had weakened. The words began to sink in… and sadness consumed her because Hudson had truly become her person. Her song. Her cultivator. And as much as she wanted to deny it… there was a shift happening between them.
After doing nineteen pirouettes back to back, she fell onto her hands and knees as she sobbed. How had she fallen for a man who was in a sense her mark? The song changed to “If You Let Me” by Sinead Harnett as she felt Hudson’s hands wrap around her arms. Pulling away from him, Laditra’s words replayed in her mind as she scooted back and away from him. Wiping her tears quickly, Reina pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
“Can we talk?” he asked softly.
She wanted to say some slick shit, instead, she remembered how patient he was with her. Reina nodded and stood to grab her phone to lower the music flowing out of the Bluetooth speakers.
“After you left today, I overheard a conversation between Lamar and Harold about someone’s fiancée and the truth. What he would do when he found out the truth.”
Reina’s heart dropped instantly. Swallowing hard, she balled her fists up as he paused and inhaled a deep breath.
“I asked them who they were talking about, because I felt like it was me. They’d seen you leave, so that made the most sense. They brushed it off of course. So I’m only going to ask you this once, and I pray you don’t lie to me.” Her eyes closed as she inhaled a deep breath. When she opened them, Hudson asked, “Is there anything you need to come clean about?”
Their eyes remained locked for a while. It wasn’t until Reina looked away that she shook her head and almost whispered, “No.”
Clenching her jaw, she willed herself not to tell him the truth. Because if she did, she knew she would lose him. And selfishly, she wanted to hold on to him for as long as she could – telling him right before their wedding as she originally intended to do.
“Something is wrong, Reina, and all I want to do is understand why I’m not feeling right.” She gave him her eyes, and the desperation in his made hers water. “Something that I don’t remember is about to fuck up my life. I feel that in my soul. The people that I love are keeping something from me, and I don’t know who to trust anymore…”
“You can trust me, Huddy,” she assured, taking a step in his direction. His head shook as she took his hands into hers. “If there’s something that you need to know, you will, in due time. But in the meantime, I love you, and I’m here for you. If you need space, I’ll give you that too. Just tell me what you need me to do.”
Hudson sighed as he pulled her into his arms. His chest. “I just need you to be patient with me as I figure this out. Can you do that for me?”
Nodding her head rapidly, Reina held onto him tightly. He had no idea what he was setting himself up to find. Or… what he would lose in the process.
Chapter 14
Hudson
The idea came to Hudson in the middle of the night last night, and he’d been working towards making everything perfect today. There had been some static between him and Reina, and because he felt like it was his fault, he wanted to do whatever it took to relieve it. Since they had such a beautiful time in Paris, Hudson decided to recreate some of their favorite moments.
It started with him having her favorite flowers, chocolates, and a handwritten note waiting for her when she woke up. Typically, his day started with a sticky note on the bathroom mirror from her, so he got up extra early to provide that same love boost for her. Then, they had a picnic on the Mississippi River and took a boat ride afterwards. Then, they went shopping, even though she didn’t want him to buy her anything new. That wasted enough time for them to busy themselves until the cabaret show, and just like in Paris, Reina somehow made her way to the stage to perform – getting just as much if not more applause without having to remove a piece of her clothing.
Her sensual movement alone was enough to rile the crowd up.
Their night ended with a romantic dinner, during which Reina questioned his motives. Hudson then confessed that he wanted them to go back to that moment in Paris. Although they’d had good moments and memories in Memphis
since, their time in Paris was filled with more romance and intimacy than he’d ever experienced in his life.
“I just feel like my mind has been playing tricks on me lately, so I was hoping this could be a reset. I’ve been distant and snapping at you, that ain’t right.”
A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she reached for his hand across the table. “You’re struggling with something that I can’t imagine going through. I know this is hard for you. You’re entitled to feel how you feel.”
“Yes, but I should not have taken it out on you.”
“I’m a big girl, Huddy. I know not to take it personally. We’re good. I promise.”
There was no reason for him to not believe her. She sounded sincere, and her eyes were pure. Able to relax a bit more, Hudson lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, committed to doing whatever it took to not be so caught up in what he couldn’t remember. Choosing, instead, to focus on what he did and what he had in this present moment.
Chapter 15
Reina
Reina was a ball of nerves. Hudson’s parents were coming home for Thanksgiving, and this would be the first time they’d met. Well, they would of course have to make it seem as if it wasn’t, but still. She was a nervous wreck. The past couple of months had been good. Once Hudson was able to start clearing his mental and regained his peace of mind, things started to flow as they normally did.
They had officially set a date for their wedding – December fourteenth. Winter was their favorite season, so it made sense for them to have a winter wonderland wedding. Just last weekend, Reina spent the day dress shopping with her mother, Jessica, and Brooke while Hudson went to get fitted for his tux with her brothers, his brother, and a couple of his cousins.
After that, Laditra helped Reina pick the cake, the flower arrangements, and pretty much everything else they would need. The only thing Hudson wanted to do was pay for everything. All of the details were left up to Reina. Even though he told her to spare no expense, she didn’t want to go too over the top. Truthfully, she didn’t know if there would even be a wedding after she told him the truth.
“What are you hiding in here for?” Hudson asked, creeping up on her in their bedroom.
She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn’t see him in the vanity mirror. Hudson laughed at the sight of her jumping before he lowered himself to her and kissed her temple.
“I’m not hiding. I just wanted to give you some time with your parents since you haven’t seen them in months.”
“Yea, well, they’re here to see you too. You look beautiful. Let’s go.”
Without waiting for her to reply, Hudson grabbed her hand and led her out of the room. Harold had already given her pictures of everyone in the family to memorize, and everyone was on board with pretending as if she wasn’t a stranger to them all. But she still felt uneasy about the whole thing. Up until now, all she had to do was focus on Hudson. Now, she had to interact with his family as well and pray they didn’t say or do anything to trigger his memory.
When they entered the living room, his parents stood. His father hugged her first, then his mother. His father, Henry, was definitely warmer and more pleasant. His mother, Diana, pretty much stared at her with a smile and icy glare. When three trays of appetizers were served, Reina used that as an excuse to leave. She said it was to wash her hands, but truthfully, she just wanted to get away from his mother. That didn’t really work because Diana followed behind her, stopping her in the middle of the stairway.
“Does my presence here make you uncomfortable? You’ve been shifting in your seat and avoiding my eyes since we arrived.”
Reina saw where Hudson got his directness from. On him, she loved it. On her, it irritated her.
“Honestly, yes. You’re looking at me like you have a problem with me, and I’m not sure why.”
Diana smiled as she stepped on the stair that was directly in front of Reina.
“I do have a problem with you – you were paid to play my son.”
Tilting her head, Reina looked Diana over. Her eyebrows wrinkled as she returned her eyes to hers. It took her a moment to reply. When Harold first presented the situation to her, he made it clear that Hudson’s parents were on board. So Reina was unsure where Diana’s hostility was coming from.
“I thought this was what you all wanted?”
“This was never what I wanted,” Diana corrected. “I would never want my son trapped with a woman who was only with him because she was paid to be. I wanted you to date him, keep an eye on him, then gracefully bow out. Marrying into my family under this unfortunate circumstance was never what I wanted.”
Reina’s arms crossed over her chest. Her lips were pressed together tightly when Diana first began to speak, but by the end of her spiel, a hard smile had formed.
“Well thankfully my relationship with your son isn’t about what you want. I will admit, Hudson and I were brought together because I was paid to be a distraction, but I haven’t accepted a payment from Harold in months. What I feel for your son is real. If you accept that, fine. If you don’t, that’s okay too.
But chill with the icy stares and sneaking up on me from behind. I’m not prissy like you and the rest of your family. If I’m ever disrespected by you or anyone else in your family, I’ll air this bitch out with no hesitation.”
Stepping around Diana, Reina walked down the stairs and headed back to the living room to get their dinner over with. Thanksgiving was two days away, and Hudson had invited her family over. But after her run in with Diana, Reina wasn’t sure if it would even be a good idea to have Laditra around.
Dinner was just as tension filled as Reina thought it would be. More of Hudson’s family had come over, and though they played nice, she heard the whispers and saw the looks. Apparently, people weren’t as accepting of Harold’s plan as he tried to make it seem. They went along with it, but most of them, his parents included, felt it would be best to tell Hudson the truth at this point. But Harold had been so convincing that they trusted him, just as Reina did.
Now, she was wishing she could take her decision back.
But that would mean she would have never met Hudson, and that would have been unacceptable.
That was the only thing keeping Reina’s head in the game. Whether his family liked and accepted their union or not, Reina would do whatever it took to keep Hudson for as long as she could.
The feel of Hudson’s arms wrapping around her pulled Reina out of her thoughts. She relaxed her body against his as her eyes closed and her smile spread. Hudson’s lips lowered and placed a tender kiss to her neck.
“You good?” he checked, as always.
He was always… so concerned about her well-being. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.
“Your mother so doesn’t like me,” she blurted softly through her smile. Trying to remove herself from his grasp unsuccessfully, Reina sighed and turned in his arms.
“What do you mean she doesn’t like you?”
“She doesn’t like me. Not for your wife.”
Cupping her cheeks, Hudson tilted her head and kissed her. It wasn’t enough to soothe her rattled nerves completely, but it helped a little.
“I don’t think that’s true, but I’ll look into why she has you feeling that way. Whether she likes you for my wife or not, I love you, and you will be my wife. That’s the only thing you need to focus on.”
Between his declaration and the feel of his kisses saturating her face, Reina had no choice but to surrender her ill feelings as she held him and giggled.
“May I have some? Please?”
Not answering her vocally, Hudson sat her on top of the dresser and pushed her panties to the side. He lowered himself between her legs, moaning at the realization that her pussy was already soaking wet. Still, he licked the wetness between her folds and slurped her clit into his mouth – licking and sucking until her legs were trembling and closing around him.
When he was satisfied,
Hudson lifted himself and pulled his dick out his pants, smiling at the sight of the pleasured, drained expression that covered her face. Reina’s eyes lowered as her smile was replaced with her biting down on her lip. Spreading her legs wide, she grabbed the edge of the dresser, preparing for his entry.
As soon as he slid inside, a quiet moan slipped from her lips. She watched as he pushed and pulled himself inside of her, shaft glistening from her wetness. There hadn’t been a drought of good sex in her past, but her body reacted to Hudson in ways she’d never experienced before.
Wrapping her legs around him, Reina forced him to go deeper, pulling a guttural groan out of him. His hand went to her neck, squeezing as he dug deeper. Feeling her toes curl, Reina’s mouth opened as she struggled to breathe. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her pussy began to pulse and cream his now throbbing dick.
“Shit,” Hudson groaned, watching her walls convulse and leak.
Ever the gentleman, he waited until she came down from her orgasm to pick her up and press her into the wall. Pumping up and into her, Hudson drew loud moans from her as she held onto his neck. It felt like he was literally at the pit of her – as deep as anyone could reach. Connecting them in the most intimate way possible.
And it didn’t help that her walls were still clutching him tightly. Its cream poured from her even quicker, creating a loud, sticky sound that mixed with his heavy breathing and the curses that fell from her lips.
Hudson carried her over to the bed, his strokes never letting up. Reina was convinced, his dick had the ability to shift her into another dimension. One that was a straight shot to orgasmic oblivion.
Chapter 16
Hudson
Hudson had never been one to beat around the bush. If he had an issue, he always went to the source. The only time he hadn’t was when Nolan was acting funny about Reina. Truthfully, he didn’t want to hear what either of them had to say if it meant learning something about Reina that he didn’t already know.
