The Sudden Love (Hudson Brothers #3)

by Emma Vikes

  “You okay? You look like you’re about to vomit,” the voice was soothing and familiar and suddenly all the unease that I was feeling faded away. Alexa stood in front of me, the worry clear in her eyes. I swallowed and then took a step forward and without a word, wrapped my arms around her and kissed the side of her head, closing my eyes and letting her warmth seep through me. “Everett, what’s wrong?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing.”

  “You’re confusing me.”

  “Just let me hold you for a little bit because right now I’m already missing you.”

  I heard her let out a small sigh and then felt her arms wrap around me too. “I’m right here, Ev.”

  I could feel her hand caressing my back gently and I closed my eyes, holding her as tight as I could. “I know. But after tonight, I won’t get the chance to hold you like this anymore.”

  When we pulled away, I could see that the confusion was back in Alexa’s eyes again and she looked like she was about to say something. But she just shook her head, reached for my hand and interlaced it with hers. “The wedding planner wants us to get in line now. The wedding starts in 10 minutes.”

  “Is Eleanor already here?”

  She pointed at the shiny, white vintage car at the back. “She’s over there. Megan and I went to see her for just a second. She’s a little bit nervous that Leo might run out on her again.”

  There was a confused tone in her voice, when she said again, and I chuckled. I brought her hand up to my mouth and planted a gentle kiss. “I thought you were already aware of their story.”

  “I thought they broke up once, and she got pregnant and didn’t tell him. Then they met again at Milo and Megan’s wedding?”

  “Ah, that’s just a summary that doesn’t make Leo look bad. They weren’t dating but they had something going on between them. Then Leo left her without even saying goodbye, then she found out she was pregnant and didn’t tell him about it. But they met at the wedding and now we’re here at theirs.”

  Alexa looked at me with wide eyes. “I did not know that.”

  I smirked, knowing why she didn’t. “And I take it you had no idea because you didn’t ask.”

  Alexa smiled sheepishly and then squeezed my hand. “In my book, they’re in love and getting married, whatever went on before they got on that road, well, that’s part of their story. It’s not like I need to know every bit of detail to enjoy watching them get married.”

  This was another thing that I liked about her. She could be tenacious and snoopy about some things, the way a detective could be, but she didn’t pry about other things. I dropped her hand and then wrapped my arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. “It’s kind of weird to be in another wedding when the last one that I’d attended wasn’t even that long ago.”

  “Does it give you the vibes to get married too?” Alexa teased but then her smile faltered slightly, as if she was chastising herself for making that comment.

  I nudged her and shrugged. “It’s not that. It’s just that after Milo and Megan’s, I didn’t expect it’d be Leo. But here we are.”

  Before we could continue with our casual conversation, the planner signalled us to get ready. After five minutes, we began walking, Alexa’s hand tucked into my arm and then we went our separate ways after reaching the altar. I took my position next to Milo, who nodded at me in acknowledgement. But my older brother’s eyes were set solely on Megan who was standing across from him, a few feet away. They hadn’t been married for that long and had two kids in their household, but they still had the same heart eyes for each other as if they’d just met.

  My eyes fell on Alexa, standing beside Megan, holding her small bouquet. She looked gorgeous in her dress. Her red hair was tied back and she had a flower crown adorning her face. She looked like a breath of summer in the middle of winter, and I couldn’t stop staring at her.

  Then the music changed and a song came on which was not the traditional ‘here comes the bride’. Everyone stood up to watch, phones were already in place and they were all waiting for her to come in. I glanced at Leo whose mouth was set in a line, and his eyes were focused on the doors that had closed after the maid of honor had come in. He looked so different, and when the doors opened, something sparkled in his eyes and surprisingly, tears began to form.

  When I turned to look, I didn’t see Eleanor standing at the end of the aisle, but Alexa. She was dressed in white and floating towards where I stood. I stared in complete awe as she approached me and all I could remember was the first time that we met at the club, and she was wearing that cropped green shirt, and the way her lips were pressed softly against mine before she left me standing there in shock.

  I remembered when our paths had crossed again at the same coffee shop, when she had spilled coffee on me. When I saw her, it was as if the world was solely a hue of green and gold and red. When she had stood up for herself against me and reminded me that she was a scientist in the department too. All the memories of the time that I had spent with her came tumbling, at a fast pace, just like a bullet train.

  I hope we find the courage within ourselves to do the things that make our heart flutter, even if it’s just for the moment.

  And when I blinked, I saw Eleanor passing by me. Rather than looking at the couple, my eyes fell on Alexa who was staring back at me too, her hazel eyes clouded with an emotion that I couldn’t really read. I chewed on my bottom lip and I could feel my stomach flipping upside down over and over again, as if I had gotten off a rollercoaster ride; and my heart was continuing to thump widely in my chest. I willed myself to focus on the ceremony that was happening in front of us.

  But I barely could, and it felt as if all the words that the pastor were saying were all buzzing sounds, and all I could think of was Alexa, Alexa, Alexa, even when she was just there, standing right in front of me. I clenched my fist and then focused my eyes on the altar, just in time for Leo to take hold of the microphone to say his vows.

  “I was supposed to write down my vows and as usual, I did it in the last minute,” Leo was smiling sheepishly at Eleanor, who gave him a blunt look. But there was a playful smile on her face as she shook her head, “But it’s not because I was lazy. Well, maybe 20% of it was because of that. But to be quite honest, I didn’t know how I was meant to sum up all the words that I needed to tell you and everyone else in this room. About how much I love you and all the things that I vow to you and our son. I’ve never been good with words, Ellie, because I’ve always let all my pictures state all that I felt.”

  Eleanor was staring at Leo and I listened intently to what he was about to say. I’d seen Milo be all romantic but I’d never seen that side of Leo. “But since I’ve met you, Ellie, you are the only muse that has mattered to me. There’s nothing this world could offer that could be better than the sight of you when I wake up every day and I’m honoured and grateful to be able to wake up to the most beautiful sight in the world every single day, for the rest of my life.”

  He was looking at Eleanor as if she was his whole world and maybe she really was. It was in that moment that I realized it; Megan and Eleanor didn’t spin them back in the right axis. They were more like the sun in the center and Leo and Milo orbited them.

  In the same way that I orbited Alexa.

  And it was in that moment that I realized that the unease that I had felt, the clammy and sweaty hands, my stomach-churning upside down, my heart thumping wildly, was all because of the thought of ending the fake relationship tonight. It was making me feel like I was going to lose her.

  I had a storm raging inside of me. She was the calm to my storm.

  I like her.

  And for the rest of the ceremony, all I could think about were those three words, an admittance of the feelings that I had for her. All those times that I had wanted to be with her, it was the same way that any guy would want to be next to the girl that they liked.

  It was the people’s applause that brought me back from my reverie, and
I clapped along with everyone else. Leo and Eleanor sealed their marriage with a kiss and Leo pulled away, cheering loudly as if he had won the grand prize. He actually had and I was happy that he had finally found the right woman for him.

  There was a round of photos taken before we finally left the church. The reception for their wedding was at a hilltop restaurant similar to the one where they had held the rehearsal dinner, so we still had a good view of Irving below. It was quite a picturesque setting.

  “I never expected Leo to be this romantic,” Alexa told me, as we began to eat the dinner that had been set for us. The wedding party was in full swing and there was a band playing jazz music, keeping the party alive and putting guests in the mood to have fun.

  I chuckled and then wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Since I realized that I liked her, I didn’t want to hold back now. Our time was running out and if this was the only time that I would get to act as a boyfriend to her, then I would. “You’re not as surprised as I’d been the first time that he told me that he wanted to get his crap together because he was serious about Elle. I never expected to hear those words from Leo.”

  For the rest of the dinner, Alexa and I were stuck in our own little world, and it felt nice to be back in our world again. Ever since she had drawn a line, it felt like she had disconnected and had been so incredibly cautious around me. But now she was a little loose again and wasn’t on edge, as if the wedding vibe that surrounded us had gotten to her too.

  Megan suddenly appeared before us and grabbed Alexa’s wrist. “It’s time for the bouquet!”

  Alexa’s eyes widened, as did mine, as we both internally winced at the dreaded traditional wedding game. Alexa got up and stood with another bridesmaid and a couple of girls, who were Eleanor’s colleagues and friends. Eleanor was standing in front of them, grinning, and then she turned to where I was and winked, and threw her bouquet in Alexa’s direction.

  I wasn’t sure if I was meant to be amazed by Eleanor’s precision or feel dread, because now it meant that I had to catch the garter; and it was a game that I never looked forward to. I used to duck out the moment I knew that the game was about to start, because I didn’t want to be caught and put in a line of men who would fight for a damn garment, just so they could get under a girl’s skirt. Literally.

  Leo made a show of removing Eleanor’s garter and she had to literally kick him out of her wedding gown, her eyes widening. But I caught the fleeting moment when she literally writhed, when he was still under, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Judging from Leo’s devious smirk, he had planned on doing that. He stood up, took a bow and Eleanor jabbed him in the stomach which caused a round of laughter from the guests.

  “Everett!” Leo called me as I stood in line, after being dragged there by Julian. But well, I didn’t really put up a fight. The last thing I wanted was for someone else to put the garter on Alexa. “Make sure you catch this.”

  Julian punched me on the shoulder lightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t even put up a fight. She’s all yours, brother.”

  The moment that Leo threw the garter, I jumped and easily caught it, not caring about the other guys behind me bumping into each other. I grinned wickedly, mirroring the devious smirk that had been on Leo’s face earlier. The crowd cheered, my family the loudest of all. Alexa was already seated and she refused to look at me but the blush painting her cheeks was enough to tell me that she was embarrassed.

  I knelt in front of her, chuckling. “You know, it’s better me than anyone else.”

  “It’s better someone else than me,” Alexa hissed, her hands on my shoulder. “Please, no funny business, Ev.”

  But I couldn’t really give her any reassurance, as I ducked into her dress right after the host allowed me to, the garter in my mouth. I easily slipped it on her foot and then began to move higher. I could hear the crowd as they kept chanting, higher and higher. My lips grazed her sensitive skin and I felt Alexa squirm beneath me, her hand gently tapping my back, telling me to stop, but I didn’t. The garter was already in position, but I still grazed my teeth against her thigh. Alexa squirmed again and I could smell the seeping wetness coming off of her, and couldn’t stop myself from smirking.

  Still, we were in a wedding and in public. So, I ducked back out of her gown and saw her let out a sigh of relief, but I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw how red she had gotten. I helped her stand up and she squeezed my hand so hard that it hurt.

  Leo had the microphone and he laughed as he said, “Hopefully the next wedding’s going to be theirs. Tick-tock, Everett.”

  Everyone laughed and cheered and teased us, as we took our seat. Alexa seemed to be back in her bubbly mood and stayed by my side for the rest of the evening. We even had fun dancing on the dancefloor with Violet and Max. This time around, I didn’t need to be tipsy with alcohol to enjoy the night. I guess it was the acknowledgment of the sheer magnitude of what I felt for her that did it. It made me want to enjoy this last night with her.

  It was nearly midnight when Alexa and I bid everyone goodbye and I began to drive her back home. The ride back was quiet and I wondered if she was asleep but when I glanced at her, she was simply resting her head against the window and sighing contently. At one, we finally reached her apartment. “Well, this is me.”

  I turned off the ignition of my car and let out a shaky breath. Absentmindedly, I tried to push my glasses up my nose, but realized that I was wearing my contacts; and Alexa laughed when I did that. “I guess this is it then.”

  Alexa tugged at her ear, a gesture that was now incredibly familiar to me and I’d learned to adore. "It’s been fun, Everett. Your family is incredible…”

  Her words hung in the air and her eyes stared at me, almost brown under the dim glow of the yellow streetlamp. She let out a shaky breath and smiled at me sadly, saying, “And whoever the girl is, who you decide you want to spend your time with, is incredibly lucky.”

  That girl is you, Alexa.

  I bit my lip and refrained from saying anything else and simply nodded my head. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow?”

  Alexa paused and then she sighed, nodding her head and then kissed me on the cheek, waving goodbye as she disappeared into her building. I closed my eyes and then rested my head against the steering wheel, my hand gripping it tightly.

  I like her and this was the last chance that I had to be with her. I understood why she had decided to put a stop to things. Having a relationship wouldn’t be my priority because I would still very much want to focus on my career and she wanted to do the same thing. But I wanted to be with her right now, in the same way that I’d been with her before.

  I have to give it a shot.

  Without thinking further, I got out of my car and then rushed to her apartment. I knocked frantically on her door, my heart thumping wildly in my chest and Alexa opened the door, her eyes wide with surprise. “Everett, what are you still doing here?”

  Rather than replying, I grabbed her face with both my hands and kissed her, forcing us back inside her apartment. I pushed her against the door, my mouth rough against hers, my tongue desperate to taste her. Alexa gasped at the sudden tenacity but responded just as eagerly to my kiss, moaning beneath me, pushing her body against mine. I could feel my dick hardening as she continued to grind herself against me and I groaned, pulling away from her and resting my head against hers.

  “Everett…” she sounded breathless and I could see desire flickering in her eyes, “what are you doing?”

  I took a step back, breathing hard as I ran a hand through my hair. “I know that this is something you don’t want to do, Lexi. But god, I want to be with you right now. I’m asking you to reconsider. In the morning, our fake relationship will come to an end. I can’t…I want you. Please.”

  Alexa stared at me, her hazel eyes regarding me carefully. Her mouth was set in a grim line and I stood in front of her, my dick straining against my pants, but I willed myself to stay put. I didn’t want to force her into doing anyth
ing that she didn’t want to. But then Alexa let out a shaky breath and she looked at me, her chest rising and falling fast as she breathed hard.

  “We have until dawn,” she whispered, taking a cautious step towards me. She placed a hand against my face, her thumb gently caressing my cheek, “No lines drawn, Everett. But in the morning, I will wake up without you next to me in bed, and we will forget and not speak of what happened. Because no matter how much we want this, our priorities still stand.”

  17

  Alexa

  I woke up at 7 AM and Everett wasn’t by my side anymore. For a moment, I stayed in bed, wondering if he could be in the bathroom or if my door would swing open and he would come in with breakfast. I wanted him to come in and tell me that he was willing to try this for real, that last night hadn’t been just driven by lust, but because he really wanted to be with me.

  But the door didn’t open and there was no Everett. There was no trace of him to be honest, other than his scent which seemed to fill the room still, mixed with the smell of sweat and sex. He hadn’t even left a note- not that I wanted him to, but at least I had expected him to.

  With a heavy heart, I pushed myself out of bed. I was the one who had made it clear last night that we only had until dawn before we had to go back to our lives the way that we had planned. All Everett had asked me to do was to keep the fake relationship going until the wedding. Now that the wedding was over, there was no point in us pretending to be a couple anymore.

  When Everett begged to be with me last night, it was as if his words were a wrecking ball, slamming against the walls that I’d built. In my mind, rationality screamed at me to stop, listing out all the possible consequences this could have. But my heart thumped wildly inside of me, like a caged animal suddenly finding the strength to break free.

  Just this once. Let yourself be happy.

  So I allowed my heart to get what it wanted, but why did it feel like my heart had unravelled, piece by piece?