Page 98 of Lucky Laces
I just…
I don’t have that in me.
This isn’t ideal—but nothing about this season has been.
“I—” I inhale and exhale, trying to control myself, to temper my laughter.But it keeps coming.“This s-season started off with me catching my fiancé cheating on me and I only found out because I saw him on th-the Jumbotron!And th-then—” I suck in a breath, eyes catching on movement behind him, but I’m too focused on what I need to tell him to worry about King being nosy and potentially spreading gossip.“Thenthere was the fucking earthquake and us getting trapped and—” I shake my head, laughter fading.Because the next part isn’t funny—not at all.“And then…you got hurt.”
“Baby,” he whispers, his expression so gentle I know I’ll never forget it.Not ever.
“Then we had those hours together and you shared that stuff and Ernest and Jason and—” I sigh.“Maybe I should use this as a sign from the universe to stop what we’re doing?—”
His expression becomes thunderous.“You’re not?—”
“No,” I say quietly.“I’m not.I like you, Hudson.A lot.Too much considering how new this is and complicated it could prove to be.But…none of that changes how I feel, so?—”
“DeeDee?”
I freeze, realize belatedly that I’m rambling.“Yeah?”I whisper.
“I like you too.”He touches my cheek.“A whole fucking lot.”
Suddenly, my lungs go tight.“Really?”
“Me mooning over you and telling you about my fantasies didn’t already prove that?”
Suddenly, I can breathe again.“I suppose that’s true enough.”
He tugs at my ponytail.“And since we have this whole liking each other thing happening?—”
I snort.
“—should we talk to HR about…” He trails off and I don’t miss his eyes darkening, a hint of indecision, of worry that I may want to hide this, hide?—
“Us?”I whisper.
A nod, but he almost immediately backtracks.“I get it if you don’t want to go public, sweetheart.I get it.I know things are complicated and?—”
I press a finger to his lips, take the opportunity to enact my own, “Shh.”
His mouth curves.
“I’m not hiding this,” I whisper.“Because I knowexactlywho we should talk to.”
Thirty-Two
Hudson
The next day,I move through the rink, mind on my plans for that evening.
Plans for Diana.
Plans for us.
I like you, Hudson.A lot.
Fuck if those words don’t make me feel like a superhero.
So much so I’ve been replaying them through my mind on repeat since I left her yesterday.
