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And that something?
Fucking terrifies me.
21
CAROLINE
Aweek passes after the night in the hotel room in Atlanta with Hudson, and I’ve been so swamped with schoolwork and my internship at the rink that I feel like I haven’t taken a full breath since then. And it sucks that I haven’t been able to see him at all since he had back-to-back games and has been on the road.
We’ve texted daily and have been having a nightly FaceTime, but I miss him and am beyond excited that he lands late tonight. He already asked me to be at his house when he got there, so I’m packing a bag to spend the night with him.
“I feel like we haven’t seen each other in like a year,” Tatum says from her bed as she watches me toss clothes into my overnight bag. “Every time I get home, you’re leaving to stay with your lover boy. I miss you.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Babe, we literally live together. Plus, I’ll be home tomorrow night anyway. He only has one night home. Let’s hang out?”
“Yes. Oh! We should go to Zeta Alpha for their party.”
I have yet to venture to any fraternity parties, sticking mostly to the house whenever I’m not with Tatum or Hudson, but it sounds fun.
“Sure, let’s do it. I’ll be home a little early tomorrow, and you can put me in whatever outfit you want since you love it so much.” I’m teasing her, but her eyes shine with anticipation when she hears me say she can be in charge of my outfit. There’s nothing Tatum loves more than dressing me up with absolute free rein.
“Say less, boo.” She smirks and glances down at her phone while I finish packing my toiletries, then checking the rideshare app to see when the car will be here to bring me to Hudson’s.
I finish throwing everything in my bag, give Tatum a quick peck on the cheek, then head out the door to the Uber.
Hudson’s supposed to get in earlier tonight than the last time I waited for him, so I’m having a few groceries delivered so I can cook him an actual dinner.
Not that I really know much about cooking dinner. But I’m going to make it work because after a grueling game and a plane ride home with my father, I know Hudson will probably be completely exhausted and starving.
Plus, I feel like doing something nice for him since he’ll need his energy for all the orgasms I’ll be getting later.
It’s the least I can do.
When the Uber turns into Hudson’s neighborhood, passing by all the large suburban houses on his street, it’s a stark reminder of how different our lives are. He owns his own house, has an established career complete with a 401K, and tons of professional accomplishments… and half the time, I don’t even know what I’m having for dinner that night. I guess it’s just easy to forget that we’re in completely different places in our personal lives when we’re having fun together.
Pulling up at the curb, I grab my bag and thank the driver before walking up the driveway. I quickly put in the code at the front door and walk inside, turning off the alarm and letting my bag slip from my shoulder to the floor in the entryway.
I’m still not used to how massive his house is—way bigger than any I’ve ever been inside. It’s eerily quiet, so I walk over to his surround sound and Bluetooth my phone to it, putting on some Harry to fill the empty space.
While his house is gorgeous and ridiculously large, the decor is also kind of… generic. There are no personal touches. Nothing on the walls, no framed photos of his family, nothing on the fridge except one lone takeout menu from a local restaurant.
I make a mental note to help this man add some color or something more “him” when my phone pings with a notification.
Groceries. Perfect timing.
I quickly get them from the porch and carry them to the huge island in the kitchen, immediately getting to work on dinner. I only have a few hours to throw something together, something that’s hopefully edible.
Once I start working, I get lost in the motions.
“Bubblegum?” I hear, followed by the front door slamming. Shit, I completely lost track of time.
“In here,” I call out, trying to blow the hair that’s slipped out of my clip from my face. I can’t use my hands because they’re currently covered in sticky cookie dough.
I’m not entirely convinced that dinner will be edible, so when I raided his pantry at the last minute and found the ingredients for cookies, I started throwing them together.
At least dessert will be edible.
Hopefully.
