Page 35 of Promise Me

“It’s almost five in the morning, Sadie. You should be asleep. Let’s go.”

“No.”

“Why are you here so early?” Hudson asks him.

“I thought I could check on her and she wouldn’t notice, so imagine my surprise when I see you two sitting here on your little coffee date.”

I roll my eyes at my brother.

“I snuck down here, and he followed me. That’s it.”

“Well, let’s go. You need to relax and have no stress, and this?—”

“The only person adding stress to my life is you, Linc. I’m staying with Hudson.”

“What?” they both ask at the same time.

“I’m not going home with you. Hudson’s place is … calming.”

“Calming,” Hudson says with disbelief, but he’s smiling.

“I’m not going to fight you, Sadie. I’ll just move back to my place.”

I shake my head. “For a day, and then you’ll move right back in and take over again. Nope. I’m staying with Hudson.”

Linc looks at his best friend, and so do I.

Hudson shrugs.

“Yeah, cool.”

“Fucking unreal,” Linc says and walks out.

Hudson watches him go and then looks back at me, shaking his head.

I smile. “Weird. Usually, I’m the Collins storming off in this trio, yeah?”

Hudson’s deep laugh surrounds me as he stands.

“Come on, roomie, let’s lock up.”

I think I like being on Team Hudson.

CHAPTER TEN

HUDSON

“Hudson Asher,” Linc nearly yells.

Almost everyone shifts their attention to him as he storms into the bar.

I pour a beer in front of a tourist, emerge from behind the bar, and nod toward my back office.

I knew this moment was coming.

The moment he marched his grumpy ass out of Sadie’s bakery this morning, I knew he’d be coming back to talk to me without Sadie around. A simple phone call or text would have still gotten across the point he’s about to make, but I understand why he wants to be here in person.

Thankfully, he waits until the door to my office is closed before he starts talking.

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