Page 31 of Truth or Dare

I looked away, biting my lip. “I already did one.”

His hands froze on the steering wheel, eyes wide as he turned back to me. “You broke up with Evan?”

I nodded, the weight of the night pressing down on me.

“Why?” His voice was softer now, as if he already knew the answer.

I sighed. “It’s... personal.”

Hudson’s expression darkened. “Let me guess. He gave you crap about having sex, didn’t he?”

I winced. “How did you know?”

He gripped the wheel tighter. “Because I know him. I heard him bragging in the locker room—saying he’d get in your pants before homecoming.”

My stomach twisted. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” Hudson’s jaw tensed. “I almost decked him right then and there.”

I glanced out the window, suddenly feeling exposed. “Well, jokes on him. I’m not a virgin.”

He looked over at me, eyebrows raised. “You’re not?”

I shook my head. “I never told anyone. I let him think what he wanted.”

His eyes softened. “Who was it?”

I shrugged, not wanting to go into details. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not about that.”

Hudson was quiet for a moment before he pulled into my driveway. The house was dark; my parents were still out, and my little brother was at a friend’s.

“Want to come in?” I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Hudson hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. I’ll stay for a bit.”

Hudson waitedin the hall while I changed, just like always—patient, no complaints. Now, we were stretched out on my queen-sized bed, watchingTitanic. Well, he was. I couldn’t focus. Evan always made a big deal about hating this movie, but Hudson? He just lay there, arms tucked under his head, legs crossed, like it didn’t bother him at all.

I turned on my side, eyes tracing his profile instead of the screen. “It’s my turn,” I said, voice soft but charged.

His lips curled into a lazy grin as he shifted to face me, mirroring my position. “So it is,” he teased, his gaze locking with mine. “I choose truth.”

I didn’t hesitate. “Do you want me?”

His smile faltered, the playfulness slipping away. I watched the muscle in his jaw flex, his once bright blue eyes darkening, thick with unspoken words.

“I’d be lying if I said no,” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly. “I never forgot you.”

A sharp sting hit my chest, emotions swirling. “Then why didn’t you write me?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Hudson sighed, a sound heavy with regret. “I don’t know. I could’ve tracked you down, sure. Found you on social media, dug up your number somehow…”

“Then why didn’t you?” I repeated, the ache in my chest spreading. I wasn’t prepared for how much his absence still hurt, how deeply it lingered.

“I felt stupid,” he admitted, his fingers brushing the edge of my blanket absentmindedly. “I knew you’d get it if I explained, but then… life happened. I found friends at my new school. I got comfortable.”

I swallowed against the lump rising in my throat. “And girls,” I said, the words bitter on my tongue.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Yeah,” he admitted, eyes flicking away for a moment. “But no one like you. No one I felt that close to.” He looked back at me, eyes searching mine. “Did you ever think about me?”

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