Unequivocally, Blindly, Yours

by B. Love

  If his mother had Reina feeling some type of way, he needed to know why. Before this evening, his parents didn’t express any bad or good feelings about Reina. All they did was express their happiness that he was happy. When he proposed for the second time, his mother did ask him if he was sure that that was what he wanted to do, but she never elaborated as to why.

  With the staff being gone for the evening, Hudson went to the dining room and fixed himself a drink. After pouring three fingers of Cognac into a glass, he sipped the liquor slowly, giving his thoughts time to settle before he went looking for his mother. Except, he didn’t have to. She found him. Diana asked if they could talk, to which Hudson agreed.

  He poured her a glass of Port then sat next to her at the dining room table.

  Waiting for her to speak first, Hudson sat back in his seat and checked the time on his watch. Reina was sound asleep by now which was good. He’d been able to ease her mind so that she could rest in peace, and he didn’t want the sound of his conversation with his mother adding any more doubt to her mind.

  “I am a little concerned,” were the first words out of Diana’s mouth. Knowing his mother well, Hudson didn’t bother to speak. “I looked into Reina’s background. Her parents.” Diana chuckled as her head shook. “There’s no nice way to say this, but her mother is trash and her father is too. I’m sure trash breeds trash. They are certainly not the kind of people we want to mix our bloodline with.”

  She paused, expecting Hudson to reply. He didn’t, allowing her to have the floor to say whatever she needed to say. Because at this point, this would be the only time they ever had this conversation.

  “I just don’t think she’s a good enough fit for this family. She has nothing to give, only room to take.” Diana scoffed as she grabbed her wine glass. “No degree. No job. Her last job was at Cheeks.” Diana’s eyes widened and voice raised when she repeated, “Cheeks!” Inhaling a deep breath, she sat back in her seat. “Plus, there’s the way she was even introduced to you and our family. Maybe if it were under different circumstances years down the line when she has a degree, her own money, and a more proper standing in the community, she would be okay. But as of now, I cannot support you bringing her into our family.”

  “What do you mean the way she was introduced to me and our family?” Diana’s mouth opened, but no words came out. It didn’t matter, though, because at this point, Hudson didn’t want to hear anything else his mother had to say. “Out of your entire spiel, not once did you give a warranted reason as to why Reina should not be my wife. All you give a damn about is the appearance of this family. This is my heart and future on the line.

  I don’t give a fuck about her parents, and I don’t give a fuck about her income and assets. None of that shit matters if she’s with me.” Hudson knocked back the rest of his drink as he stood. “And if we’re being honest, you wouldn’t have any of what you have if it weren’t for you marrying into this family. So who are you to judge? At least Reina is trying to make her dream a reality. Can you say the same? Or have you become so wrapped up in being Mrs. Henry Gray that you’ve forgotten who you are as a woman?”

  “Hudson,” Diana shrieked, leaping from the table. “How dare you speak to me that way?”

  “How dare you speak to me this way? To even suggest that my happiness depends on your approval.”

  Hudson chuckled as he headed out of the dining room.

  “You are making a grave mistake. Mark my words and remember this moment. If you marry her, I will not support you.”

  Standing at the doorframe, Hudson considered his mother’s words. Her threat. His head tilted as he weighed his options.

  “I’m okay with that. Be well, Mom.”

  Releasing a loaded sigh, Hudson took the stairs two at a time. There was no denying the off vibe Reina was getting from his mother at this point. Hell, she probably full out said something to Reina too. There wasn’t anything Hudson would put past his mother now. She would swear she meant no harm and was only trying to protect him and the legacy of their family, but it was always total bullshit. It was the same thing with every other woman he’d dated in the past.

  None of them, in her eyes, were ever good enough for his mother.

  None of them, in her eyes, were ever good enough for his family.

  And in the past, Hudson took that into consideration. But not this time. Not with Reina.

  Back inside their room, Hudson watched Reina sleep for a while. She looked so peaceful he had to smile. Instead of being on her side of the bed, she’d somehow rolled over to his side. Clutching his pillow while she waited for him to join her.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hudson kissed her cheek, then shook her shoulder gently.

  “Golden,” he whispered softly. “Wake up, gorgeous.”

  Her eyes slowly fluttered open. “Is everything okay, Huddy?”

  “What do you need to marry me?”

  Staring at him blankly for a while, Reina thought over his question as she woke up all the way. She sat up in bed, and Hudson cupped her cheek and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

  “What do you need to marry me, bae?”

  Looking around, she smiled softly. Her confusion was evident in her expression, but she went along with it anyway. “Just you and a Pastor. I don’t need all that other fancy shit. I just went along with it for our families.”

  Closing his eyes, Hudson inhaled a deep breath. When he opened them, Hudson took her hands into his.

  “Then come with me to Vegas. Tonight. Let’s elope. And if you want, we can have a reception when we get back for your family. I’m not concerned with including mine.”

  She chuckled nervously as her eyes lit up. “Are you sure, babe? I know how important family is to you…”

  “Nothing is more important to me right now than securing my future with you.”

  Her smile fell as her eyes watered, but it quickly returned. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  Chapter 17

  Reina

  As Reina walked down the hall to Hudson, tears filled her eyes and love filled her heart. So did several different kinds of emotions. When he woke her up randomly out of her sleep last night with the idea that they elope, Reina was all for it. A part of her wanted to tell him no, in an attempt to have more time with him. She was firm on her decision to let him know the truth before they were married. The only reason she agreed was because she knew if she didn’t tell Hudson now, someone else in his family would.

  There was only so much time allotted for their scheme. There was no doubt about that in her mind. She’d been lucky up until this point. But soon, Hudson would either regain his memory or find out the truth, and Reina wanted it to be from her.

  When they first arrived in Vegas, Reina started to tell him then. Instead, she chose to give him a few more good memories, because she knew he wouldn’t want to be with her when he found out the truth.

  The first thing they did was apply for a marriage license. Originally, they wanted to go to a chapel, but decided to get married at the courthouse instead. After setting their appointment time, they spent the day on the strip, gambling, eating good and having fun. Two hours before their appointment time, they parted ways. And for two hours straight, Reina was a ball of nerves over her confession.

  Instead of bringing her wedding dress, Reina decided to wear her custom made, white, form fitting pants suit instead. Hudson suggested she wear the dress for their one-year anniversary ceremony, and she agreed, knowing that would probably never happen. Since her hair was almost always up in a bun now because of school, she had it down in loose, wavy curls. She didn’t bother trying to find a makeup artist at the last minute, opting to do it herself instead.

  And by the look on Hudson’s face – he was thoroughly pleased with what he saw.

  Reina was too. He was dressed in all white as well, but his shoes, belt, tie, and pocket square were gray. Gripping the fresh bouquet of roses that he’d had delivered just a few minutes before she left th
e hotel suite, Reina inhaled a shaky breath as she stepped in front of him.

  “You look beautiful, Golden,” he complimented, taking in every inch of her frame.

  “Thank you. You look handsome as always.”

  Hudson smiled, returning his eyes to hers. “You ready?”

  Clenching her jaw, Reina nodded as her eyes watered. She wouldn’t let any tears fall, so she exhaled as her chin trembled instead.

  “There’s something you need to know first. And whatever you decide to do with this information, I will accept.”

  Stepping closer, Hudson shoved his hands into his pockets. His head tilted as he looked down at her intently.

  “A few days before you came home from rehab, I was at Cheeks and your uncle, Harold, approached me. He gave me this sob story about how his nephew had been in a really bad accident and the family was worried about how his life would spiral out of control. Harold offered me some money if I agreed to pretend to be your fiancée.

  He… said he wanted to make sure you didn’t do anything crazy because you couldn’t remember anything from the past two, now two and a half, years of your life. I agreed, but I immediately felt something real for you from the day we met.”

  Hudson chuckled as he stepped back, and Reina continued, speeding up her words to ensure she would be able to get them all out.

  “I didn’t know originally that your real fiancée had died in the car accident and that Harold had basically convinced your family to wipe her out of your life. If I would have known he was trying to replace her with me, I never would have agreed. The moment I found out, I told him the deal was off and I stopped taking his money. I even sent back everything that I hadn’t spent from the previous months.”

  “That’s why you started acting strange out of the blue?” Hudson realized, loosening his tie.

  “Yes. That, and because I really fell in love with you. And I was worried about when and if you would find out the truth. I knew you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me, so I’ve been trying to make the most of our time together. But I couldn’t allow you to marry me without knowing the truth.”

  Hudson flicked his nostril, a clear indicator that he was upset. He took a step away from her as he looked away.

  “So all of this has been a lie.”

  “No.” She stepped towards him, and Hudson quickly lifted his hands as he took another step back. “None of what we’ve shared has been a lie. How we met and how long we’d known each other was a lie. And us being engaged was a lie. But our bond and our love… that’s real, Huddy.”

  “You made me believe there was something between us.”

  “Hudson… there is.”

  “Nolan… that man from the restaurant. He did know me. I was with his sister. And you let me sit there and think he was wrong.”

  No longer able to keep her tears in, they began to fall as she hung her head. “I love you,” she confessed. “And I really want to be…”

  His hand wrapped around her neck so quickly she didn’t have time to move back. Forcefully, Hudson pulled her into his chest.

  “Do you think I’m going to trust a word that comes out of your mouth, Reina? You saw me, going crazy, thinking something was off with my life and my family. Even you. But you let me believe you were solid.”

  “I a–”

  “Shut up,” he roared, shaking her forcefully. “Stay away from me and my home. Am I making myself clear?”

  She nodded, not even bothering to beg for his forgiveness. Honestly, she didn’t feel as if she deserved it. Not any time soon at least. Hudson released her and walked away. He didn’t get too far before he was turning and telling her, “I’m going to get you back to Memphis, but after that, stay the fuck away from me, Reina. Let’s go.”

  Following behind him slowly, Reina pulled her hands behind her back to keep from touching him. As much as she wanted to plead her case, it wasn’t fair to him. What she had done was wrong. Worse, she let nine months pass without telling him the truth. Now… she would have to deal with the consequences of the choices she made.

  They made it back to Memphis before the sun even came up the next morning. When Reina first made it home, all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and fall asleep. She knew that wouldn’t be the case when she heard the creaking of the stairs and saw Laditra hurriedly scurrying down them as she tied her robe around herself.

  Too ashamed to even look her mother in her eyes, she dropped her duffle bag and purse at the door and slithered over to the couch. Plopping down, she buried her face in her palms.

  “What’s wrong, Ray?” Laditra wrapped her arm around Reina, and that was almost enough to make her cry.

  “It’s over. He knows the truth.”

  “What? How?”

  “I told him. I couldn’t marry him without telling him, Ma.” Reina laughed as she dropped her hands and looked at her mother. “And of course he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. I can’t even blame him. This whole thing has been a lie.”

  “No. It wasn’t. You may have started this thing on a lie, but your feelings for him were real.”

  Running her hand down her face, Reina sighed. That was true, but it didn’t matter to Hudson. Not that she could even blame him. If the roles were reversed, she probably wouldn’t trust his ass either.

  “Well, he doesn’t care about my feelings for him or his for me for that matter. And I can’t blame him.”

  Laditra dropped her arm from around Reina as she asked, “So what are you going to do?”

  Reina shrugged, looking over at her things by the door. “I’m going to let him go and move on with my life. It’s not fair of me to try and force him to be with me knowing how much this hurt him. If he decides in the future to give me another chance, I’ll take it of course. But if he doesn’t, I have to be okay with that too.”

  With a chuckle and shake of her head, Laditra stood and headed towards the kitchen. “You’re never a fighter when it really counts.”

  Reina’s face twisted up. She was about to say fuck it and not even bother replying, but that almost felt like she’d be proving her mother right. Not wanting to wake up any of her brothers, she waited until her mother returned with her red cookie jar to ask, “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means… you’ve spent your entire life trying to make it seem as if you’re a fighter for what you want when you’re really not. You do the same thing over and over again expecting different results, and when you don’t get them, you quit instead of trying to try something new.

  That’s how you handled your relationship with me, trying to find your deadbeat ass daddy, securing your big break in ballet, and now Hudson. I know you love this man, and instead of you trying to make it right, you’re going to give up because you don’t want to be rejected – not because of his hurt.”

  Laditra shoved the cookie jar in Reina’s chest. “You hurt him? Heal him. But don’t use that as an excuse when the problem is really your fear of rejection.”

  “I am not afraid of rejection.”

  Laditra laughed as she headed towards the stairs. “I’m going to bed, Ray. Goodnight.”

  “Wait,” Reina ordered opening the cookie jaw and seeing the stacks of cash inside. “What’s this?”

  “Every penny you ever gave me. That should be more than enough to make sure you’re straight until you find a job that you like.”

  Tipping the jar over, Reina allowed the money to fall. There had to be at least forty thousand dollars from while she lived with her mother there, not including what she’d given her to keep her secret about Hudson.

  “You never spent it?” Reina looked up and at Laditra as she smiled softly. “Why?”

  “Because I’ve never needed or wanted your money; I just wanted you to pay. That was my own toxic issue to deal with and we’ve gotten past that, but the least I can do is give that back to you.”

  Swallowing back her tears, Reina nodded as she began to put the money back into the jar.

/>   “Thanks,” she whispered, eyes continuing to gloss over.

  “Think about what I said.”

  Laditra went back upstairs, leaving Reina alone in her thoughts. If she were to be honest with herself, she didn’t want to face Hudson’s rejection. She’d had enough of it in her life. But… she had to accept the fact that rejection was not just a part of life but success as well.

  She would never become successful or fulfilled fearing failure – and that included her love life.

  So she would honor Hudson’s feelings and give him time to work things out within himself, but the moment he gave her permission to, Reina was going to make things right.

  Chapter 18

  Hudson

  This was definitely a black Friday. One that was dark, gloomy, and capable of breaking Hudson in ways that were beyond repair. He didn’t know what he would say to Tierra Brinson when he made it to her grave, but there he stood. After putting the roses against her tombstone, Hudson unfolded the black chair he’d brought with him and sat down.

  Yesterday, he got the truth from his family. He went over to Harold’s house where everyone had gathered for Thanksgiving dinner. There, he found out that he had been with Tierra for a year before proposing to her. No one in his family liked her, and his parents begged him not to marry her. She’d been quite the manipulative charmer for quite some time, pulling him away from his family with her beauty, insincere submission, and pussy.

  That worked for a while, but the moment Hudson mentioned her having to sign a prenup he began to see her true colors. Eventually, his family’s disapproval began to wear on Tierra. She got so irritated by them trying to prove that she was a bad woman for him that she became one. Thanksgiving last year, Hudson found out that she was cheating. In front of his family no less. They ended up arguing on the way home from his grandparents home in Gatlinburg, and that’s when they had the accident.