by J. S. Cooper
“I didn’t think.” She glared back at me. “I just acted. I just wanted to help.”
“You nearly drowned.”
“Only because I had my clothes weighing me down and the current out there is crazy,” she muttered back to me.
“Don’t ever do that again, Riley.”
“I didn’t want to see you die, Hudson.” Her eyes filled up with tears. “I had to do something.”
“Shh.” I crouched down and pulled her into my arms. “It’s okay now. We’re both fine.”
“I know.” She nodded and looked into my eyes.
We were both still for a moment before our lips met, slowly and unsteadily at first, as if neither of us knew what the other one wanted. Then the kiss deepened and we fell back into the sand, our tongues exploring each other while we held hands. The kiss only lasted for a few minutes before we both just lay back and stared at the sky in silence. My heart was beating fast as we lay there, exhausted, but happy, both of us wishing that we were somewhere else. That it was just the two of us.
My ringing phone upset the mood, and I groaned when I saw Clara’s name on the screen. I was going to ignore it when I saw Riley look at the screen and jump up.
“I guess we should go.” She looked into the ocean and avoided my eyes.
“Yeah.” I nodded and got up.
We walked back to my car in silence, neither of us mentioning the moment we’d just had. Neither of us bringing up the fact that there was something developing between us. I guess we both realized that, with Clara in the picture, nothing could happen. Or at least nothing should happen. What sort of people would we be if we went ahead while I was still in a relationship?
***
Everything in the gym seemed to go still as I stared at Riley. All the old feelings hit me once again—feelings that had never really left me. I watched as she raised her hand and waved at me with an awkward smile. I stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to do.
I felt guilty that a part of me was so excited to see her. I wanted to run over to her, pick her up, and give her a big kiss. I wanted to hold her close to me. I wanted to feel her warm body against mine once again. I wanted to be able to love her freely. But then I thought of Clara, and the color that had seeped into my world for a brief moment faded to black once again. I turned away abruptly without even acknowledging her and walked to the locker room with my heart beating fast.
Why was she here? I was annoyed. I hadn’t expected to see her. I didn’t want to see her. Riley could make what was very simple become complicated again. I closed my eyes and then went to splash my face with cold water. I felt bad for ignoring her, but I knew that was the only way. I had to be indifferent to her. After everything that had happened, I couldn’t allow myself to seek joy in her presence. I was a sinner and I had to pay for what I had done.
Chapter 8
Riley
Present Day
I hurried out of the gym with tears in my eyes. I should have known that Hudson was Batman. He’d always been Batman. I didn’t understand why he had snubbed me. Well, I guess that was a lie. I did understand why. I just hadn’t expected it.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe as I walked to my car. Seeing him had affected me deeply. I felt winded. When I’d waved at him, his eyes had lit up for one brief second. For a split second, I’d thought everything was going to be okay. He had forgiven me. He had forgiven himself. We were all right. But then the light had faded, his eyes had darkened, and he’d walked away without even acknowledging my existence.
I knew he blamed himself for what had happened. I knew that the guilt must be ravaging him inside. I knew that because the guilt was still ravaging me. Every single day. I felt like I was the scarlet woman. The whore of Babylon. I knew why he hated me, because I hated myself. But I still held hope.
My breath had still caught when I saw him. My heart had still jumped when my eyes took him in. Oh, how I’d longed for the day when I would see him again. My tall, wonderful Hudson. He’d looked sweaty and more fit than I remembered him being. It had been four years since I’d seen him. Four long years. And nobody even realized it aside from me. I knew that Eden didn’t think anything of it. But of course, she didn’t know. She couldn’t know.
I got into my car and sat there for a while, just letting my tears flow. I hadn’t expected it to feel like this.
I’d been waiting for this moment for years. Hudson was my first love. My only love. And I’d longed for the day when I would get to see him again. I’d hoped that it would be like it had been in the beginning: easy, carefree, loving. He’d always been my protector, more than my best friend’s brother. He’d been like my best friend as well. Only I had gone and ruined it. I’d ruined it all in one impetuous moment.
***
Four Years Ago
It was the final night of our summer vacation and while I was happy to have enjoyed the last two weeks of the summer with my best friend and her family, I was also incredibly sad. I had watched Hudson and Clara go out each day, and I’d been jealous. Very, very jealous. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Clara. She was by all accounts a sweet, intelligent girl. But I didn’t want her with Hudson.
Hudson sat next to me on the couch. “Hey, sweet pea. What you thinking about?”
“Nothing. I can’t believe this is our final night.” I smiled at him and tried not to shiver as he put his arm around my shoulder.
“I know.” He nodded. “It went by so fast.”
“We didn’t even get to spend much time together,” I blurted out and then groaned inwardly. Why was I being so obvious?
“You and Eden seem to have been very busy.”
“You and Clara looked busy too.” I could hear the jealousy in my voice, and I bit my lower lip in embarrassment. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. You guys are in love.”
“We’re not in love.” Hudson shook his head. “Far from it.”
“Oh.” I looked into his eyes then and saw an emotion I’d never seen before. “I thought you were.”
“No, we’re just friends.”
“Friends with benefits?”
“There aren’t many benefits,” he laughed and looked over at Clara. “I mean, she’s a great girl, but we aren’t together for stuff like that.”
“Stuff like what?” I giggled.
He rolled his eyes. “Benefit stuff.”
“You mean sex?”
“Yes, Riley.” He sighed and squeezed my shoulder. “I mean sex.”
“You guys have never had sex?”
“We have.” His eyes searched mine. “But we haven’t had sex on this trip.”
My eyes widened. “Oh.” I wanted to ask why, but I was scared of his answer.
“Hudson, let’s go down to the bar,” Clara called over to us as she danced along to a song in the kitchen.
“We have beers here, Clara,” Hudson called back, but he didn’t get up.
“I want to go to the bar.” She made a face. “Don’t be a spoilsport.”
“I don’t want to go to the bar. You’ve had enough to drink.”
“Who are you? My dad?” She left the kitchen and walked over to us. “Leave the little kids behind and let’s go be with the big kids.”
I gasped at her words. She’d never been so mean and rude to me before. I could see from across the room that Eden looked a bit shocked as well.
“Be nice.” Hudson frowned. “And maybe go and lie down. You’re drunk.”
“I’m not drunk,” Clara slurred.
“Come on.” Hudson jumped up and grabbed her arm. “Excuse me, Riley.” He gave me a small smile and escorted Clara out of the room.
“I guess they’re about to have some hot drunken sex.” Eden grinned at me, and I attempted a smile, though it was very weak.
“Yeah, who knows.” I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a soda, feeling overwhelmingly sad. “I wish today wasn’t our last day here.”
“I know,” Eden groaned. “I don’t want t
o go back to school.”
“At least we have college applications to look forward to.”
“Are you joking?” Eden gave me a crazy look. “I still have to retake my SATs, and I don’t know if my GPA is good enough to get into State.”
“Not trying for Harvard anymore?” I laughed.
“Harvard my ass.” She grinned at me. “My GPA wouldn’t even get me into the kitchen staff program.”
“Kitchen staff program?” I burst out laughing and collapsed next to her on the couch. “You always make me laugh, you goof.”
“You know it’s true. Shit, I may not even get into State. I may have to go to community college for two years.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” I smiled at her and rubbed her shoulders. “It’s cheaper.”
“You’re a doll, Riley, but I do not want to go to community college first.” She sighed. “I want to meet hot frat guys, and there are no hot frat guys in community college.”
“Eden, you do know you’re not going to college to meet guys, right?”
“What? I’m going to get laid.” She grinned.
“What do you think you’re first time will be like?” I sat back and sipped on my Coke.
“I hope it’s hot.” She grinned. “And I hope he’s hot as well. Tall, blond, maybe a surfer. And I hope he’s really into me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, I would hope he’s really into you as well.”
“What about you? What do you want your first time to be like?”
“I want it to be magical.” I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. “I want it to be under the stars. I want there to be fireworks in the sky. I want him to hold me and love me and kiss me all over. I want him to—”
“Okay, this is sounding like a movie, Riley.” Eden laughed. “I do not foresee some random guy in college kissing you all over. More like a quick in out, in out, and bam.” She laughed. “That’s what Alexis told me her first time was like with Todd.”
“She had sex with Todd?” My mouth dropped open, and Eden nodded.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Eden squealed. “She and Todd had sex and he came within three minutes.”
“What?” I screamed. “Three minutes?”
“And he wasn’t wearing a condom yet.”
“What?” I screamed again.
“So she had to take a pregnancy test.” Eden shook her head. “Imagine if she got pregnant after three minutes.”
“That would be crazy.”
“What would be crazy?” Hudson walked back into the room with his shirt off and I tried not to gasp out loud. He was so hot.
“Nothing.” I shook my head, embarrassed.
“Alexis had sex with Todd and he lasted three minutes and now she thinks she might be pregnant,” Eden burst out.
Hudson laughed in response. “Is this a soap opera or something?”
“No, you know Alexis,” Eden rambled on. “My friend with the white-blond hair and the big boobs.”
“Uh, okay.” He shrugged and looked at me with a small smile. “What are you guys up to tonight?”
“I’m going out with that cute guy from Boston.” Eden jumped up. “I better go and get ready.”
“What about Riley?” Hudson frowned as he watched his sister run to the bathroom.
“Riley doesn’t mind, do you?” She looked at me and I shook my head.
“It’s cool. I’ll just watch TV.”
“Why don’t we go somewhere?” Hudson looked at me casually.
“I thought you and Clara were going to go to a bar.”
“No.” He shook his head. “No, we’re not.”
“Oh.”
“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I think Clara and I are pretty much done.” He sighed. “It was a mistake to date her.”
“Why?” I asked him with wide eyes and excitement in my heart.
“I don’t think we are compatible.” He shrugged. “But let’s not talk about it.” He gave me a smile. “Want to do something tonight?”
“Okay.” I nodded and then thought back to my conversation with Eden. There were some parts that I hadn’t told her. Like that I wanted Hudson to be my first. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
“Maybe we can go swimming.”
“Swimming?” He looked surprised. “At night?”
“Well, you know. We only went that once and it was a bit of a mess.”
“You can say that again.” He laughed. “Okay then. Let me go and get my trunks.”
“Or maybe we can skinny dip this time,” I spoke slowly, not believing what I was saying.
His eyes blazed into mine in shock. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. A look of understanding passed between us.
“I’m sure.” I reached over and softly touched his chest. He stilled and grabbed my hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Just checking out your tattoos,” I lied, but I wasn’t about to tell him that I just wanted to touch him because I couldn’t resist anymore.
“Do you like them now?”
“They’re just okay.” I half-smiled at him.
“You’re just okay.” He ruffled my hair, and I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Ass.”
“I never want to be an ass to you, Riley.” He pulled me into his arms and looked down at me for a few seconds. “I hope you know that.”
“I do.”
“Are you sure you want to go skinny dipping?”
“Yes.” I nodded and leaned up, kissing him lightly.
“I taught you well.” He laughed, leaning down and kissing me harder. I felt the tip of his tongue on my lips, and I opened my mouth slightly before we both jumped apart.
“You guys decided what you want to do?” Eden walked back into the room, spraying herself with perfume.
“Not yet.” I shrugged, trying not to blush too much. “We’re still deciding.”
“Okay, well, have fun.” She hugged me. “I can’t believe we’re leaving tomorrow.”
“Me either.” I hugged her back hard.
A part of me felt like my life was about to change tonight. Tomorrow seemed so far away. Part of me didn’t care if tomorrow never came, just as long as I had tonight.
“Okies, I’m out. See you fools later.”
“Eden, sometimes I wonder about you.” Hudson laughed and gave her a quick hug. “Be safe and call if you need anything.”
“Yes, brother of mine.” She rolled her eyes and ran to the door. “Don’t worry. I’m not about to lose my V-card tonight.” She laughed again at her brother’s expression and ran out the front door. “Be safe, bitches. See you soon.”
“I don’t know where she got that mouth from.” Hudson grinned at me.
“Haha. You know Eden. She’s always got the slang down.”
“I wish she’d get her grades up.” He sighed. “So what about you? What are your college plans?”
“I’m thinking I’ll go to State and study journalism.”
“I’ll have to show you around when you come visit.” He smiled. “I thought you were going to go to Duke or something?”
“I was thinking about Vanderbilt and Duke but decided State is fine.” I looked down. “It’s cheaper.” And I’ll be closer to you, I thought to myself.
“Makes sense.” He nodded and grabbed my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
We ran out of the house and to his car before stopping. “Want to just walk to the beach?” Hudson looked at me. “Or would you prefer to take the car?”
“Let’s walk.” I nodded, suddenly excited. “But maybe we should get a towel or something.”
“Hold on.” He grinned at me and ran back inside. About five minutes later, he came back outside with a bag and a cocky grin. “Let’s go.”
The walk to the beach seemed to flash by in a blur. All I could think was, He’s holding my hand. Hudson Blake is holding my hand. It felt surreal. And I still felt a bit bad. Even
though he had said he was about to dump Clara, he hadn’t yet. What I was doing was still wrong. I felt bad about it, but I wasn’t really thinking about it. I was too caught up in the moment. I’d never felt this excited and exhilarated before. I was with Hudson and we were about to do something bad—really bad—yet I felt so good.
***
“Are you ready?”
We stood at the edge of the water and stared up at the moon. There was a cool chill in the air, but I didn’t feel cold. In fact, I felt as if my body were burning up. I looked over at Hudson and gasped as he pulled off his shirt and pants in front of me.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, suddenly shy. “I, uh, need a minute.”
“Sure.” He smiled at me, and I watched as he pulled his boxers down as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I stared at his manhood and froze. I couldn’t believe it. I was seeing him naked. “See ya.” He grinned at me and ran into the ocean. I watched as he swam a few strokes and then jumped back up. “You coming in?”
“Yes.” I called out and stared at him in the ocean. He was waiting for me, and I felt as if I were in some indie movie and this was some poetic scene.
I took my clothes off slowly, feeling shy but excited. I was so excited that my fingers were trembling in anticipation. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. The air felt weird against my naked skin. I stood there in my bra and panties and took a step towards the water. I saw Hudson staring at me. I couldn’t see the expression in his eyes, but I knew he was anticipating this moment as much as I was. The moonlight shone down on him, and for some reason, he reminded me of a werewolf.
“What’s so funny?” he called out to me as I started laughing.
“Nothing.” I shook my head, quickly unclasped my bra, and then ran into the ocean. I was too scared to take my panties off. It felt like the moment would be too real if I went completely naked. It was like I was giving myself to him on a silver platter. I didn’t want to be easy.
I dove into the water and stayed underwater as I swam. I wanted my body to become accustomed to the cold water. I came up for air and stared at the sky for a few moments before looking for Hudson.
“Over here,” he called out and waved his hands. He was only a few feet away, and I swam over to him slowly. “Hey.” He smiled at me as I reached him.
