Page 127 of Tempting Me

I stand, toss some money on the bar, and start to walk out.

Hudson grabs my shirt.

“I’ve been in a place where I thought the love of my life just walked out the fucking door and wasn’t coming back. I’ve been in a place where I thought that me—all of me and who I am—wasn’t going to be enough for her. That’s where I’ve been.”

He lets go of my shirt and shoves me back.

“Now, when you decide you’re done being a dick and finished with your pity party, we can fix this together.”

His words cool my anger, but they don’t change the outcome.

“There is no fixing it, Hudson. It was clear that she had doubts about us. She lied so easily and that … you just can’t fix that.”

I don’t wait for him to say more.

I just walk out the door and move on with my day.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

LUCA

Most of the guys are at my house after I get off work.

Hudson decided that tonight was a fucking swell time for boys’ night.

He was wrong.

So, so wrong.

I wasn’t included in the text, or I would have voiced that opinion.

Yep, it’s been a whole five hours since I was sitting in his bar eating lunch. He said he'd give me space to stop being a dick, but apparently, that meant dinner time was my cutoff.

“Dude, you’re being a real downer, and today is a good day. It’s been a good couple of weeks, actually.”

I glare at Miles.

The ending to his summer versus mine are not the same.

“What's going on? For real this time,” he asks and sits up, attempting to look innocent. As if he and Hudson never talk.

I don’t say anything.

Declan walks through the door with a six-pack and some chips.

“I’ve got one hour and then I need to walk back to my house,” he says, quickly setting his things down and twisting the top off a beer. “Your sister is watching Susie and made it very clear I’m on a time limit.”

Dutton walks in next. He’s got his head down, looking at his phone. It reminds me of Grace in a way. That family is all business. This is probably the most social Dutton gets.

Sucks for him that I'm not in the mood.

I’m going to ruin everyone's night.

I’ll blame it on Hudson.

“Good. Everyone is here,” Hudson says as if he’s a judge waiting for all parties to arrive before we begin the night. “Shay and Luca broke up, I think.”

“Seriously?” I groan. “An announcement?”

---