Page 11 of Truth or Dare

I couldn’t help but smile a little at that, but the weight of the past dragged it down. There was something I’d been holding onto for years, and now it burned at the back of my throat, begging to be let out.

"Why didn’t you answer my letters?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. I hadn’t meant to bring it up, but here we were.

Hudson’s smile faltered, his hand pausing mid-air with the fry he was about to eat. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, a shadow passing over his face. "I want to explain."

I leaned back against the truck door, bracing myself. I had been waiting for this moment, waiting for him to break my heart all over again. The ache in my chest returned, the familiar fear that he’d say he found someone else. But what he said next left me speechless.

"I’m ready," I whispered, though I wasn’t sure I was.

He reached across the seat, grabbing my hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles over the back of it. The touch was comforting but also terrifying. I wasn’t prepared for what came next.

"Everything was great for a while. We moved into a new house, had more money, and I was doing well in school. But then..." Hudson’s jaw clenched, tension rippling across his face. "It all turned to vapor. One night, my dad didn’t come home."

The words hit like a punch, and I sucked in a breath. "What happened?" I barely managed to ask.

He swallowed hard, voice strained. "He died. A road rage incident."

The air left my lungs in a rush. "Oh my God, Hudson…"

Hudson’s grip on my hand tightened, his voice thick with emotion. "They found a dent in his fender and a bullet in his chest. He didn’t stand a chance. Just slumped over in his car on the side of the road. All because someone was pissed off in traffic."

Tears pricked at my eyes, and I squeezed his hand. "Did they ever catch who did it?"

He shook his head, letting out a bitter laugh. "No. One pull of the trigger, and my entire life blew apart. My mom couldn’t afford the house anymore. We had to sell it before the boxes were even unpacked. Everything changed."

My throat tightened, the tears finally spilling over as I whispered, "I’m so sorry, Hudson. I liked your dad. He was always so nice."

Hudson let go of my hand and ran his fingers through his hair, the frustration and grief etched on his face. "Shit got hard after that. We moved into this tiny apartment, and I had to switch schools because my mom couldn’t afford to keep me in the same one. I just… couldn’t bring myself to talk to anyone. Not even you."

The pain in his voice broke something inside me. I wiped at my own tears with the back of my hand, wishing I could’ve been there for him. "I wish you’d told me."

He reached over, brushing the tears from my cheeks with his thumb. "There wasn’t anything you could’ve done. I’m sorry for not answering your letters. I didn’t feel like discussing it back then."

I sniffed, wiping my eyes on the sleeve of my shirt. "But I missed you, Hudson. I even begged my mom to take me to yourhouse, but she always said no. I think she knew something was wrong."

Hudson tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Things are better now. My mom met Alex, and he treats her well. We moved here because of his job. Life is finally back on track."

I wiped away the last of my tears and tried to smile for him. "I’m glad things are better now."

He studied me for a moment, his gaze softening as he brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "You’ve changed too. You’re different from the girl I knew."

"Well, I’m not a gawky nerd anymore," I muttered, trying to laugh it off. "The summer after you left, I kind of… grew up. Guys started noticing."

Hudson’s fingers lingered at the side of my face, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "I didn’t need all that to notice you."

Heat crept up my neck, and I slapped my hand over my mouth, realizing what I was about to say. "You’re… you’re gorgeous," I mumbled, mortified.

Hudson chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "You think I’m gorgeous?"

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I didn’t mean to say that out loud."

He just laughed, his hand dropping to rest on my knee. "Well, now it’s out there. Guess I’m not as forgettable as I thought."

"Not to me," I whispered, looking up at him again, my heart pounding. "Are we friends again?"

Hudson’s grin softened into something gentler, more real. "Yeah. We’re friends again."

Hudson's words hung in the air as he turned onto the main road, the soft hum of the truck filling the silence. I stared out the window, feeling the weight of his comment pressing on my chest. He liked that girl. The one who wasn’t afraid to be herself.The one who didn’t care about popularity or fitting in. The one who wouldn’t have been caught up in this mess with Evan.

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