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Groaning, I flop backward. “Please tell me I didn’t do something stupid like call Hudson and cry. Please, god.”
“Worse.”
My eyes widen. “No. No. Tell me now. Seriously.”
Tatum recounts last night in vivid detail, not leaving out a single horrid aspect, and by the time she’s done, I feel like I mightactuallypuke. She’s right. It is so bad. I feel so stupid.
“God, you should have seen how he was with you, Care. I have never seen a man be so… gentle? He took your freakin’ makeup off. He remembered how much you hate to sleep in it, so he asked for a makeup wipe and took it off. Then, he put the Advil and water by your bed. He even took off your shoes and tucked you in. Tell me what man does that so tenderly that you could actually weep.”
My stomach plummets.Hudson.
I can’t believe I got so drunk. I’m beyond embarrassed that he had to freakin’ come get me from the frat house and carry me out. Mortified. I don’t think I’ll ever actually be able to face him again, which is sad because I miss him. So much.
“He’s head over heels for you, girl,” Tate adds. “You better go get your man and stop denying that you have feelings for him because by the time your father gets done with him, he might not even be in Chicago anymore.”
“Wait, what?” I croak. My words are as scratchy as my throat currently feels. “What do you mean?”
She sighs, sitting up. “So, uh… about that.” Pulling out her phone, she scrolls and then turns it to face me. A TMZ article is front and center on the screen.
I snatch the phone out of her hand and cover my mouth with my other hand.
Oh my god.
There’s a photo of Hudson carrying me out of the frat house. He looks so mad, like… he could actually murder someone. The title of the article is insinuating…
“Oh, Tate,” I whisper, tears immediately welling in my eyes. “My father is going to have him traded. He’ll be suspended. His career will be over, his professional reputation ruined. What about the kids he coaches… Oh god, I have to fix this. He was so worried when we started hooking up that somehow my father would find out. That the media would make it something scandalous. I thought he was just overreacting.” Thrusting the phone in her face, I cry, “Clearlynot!God, how could I be so stupid? I just cost the guy that I’m in… that I’m seeing his career, all because I had to get plastered at a damn frat house because I wasn’t ready to talk to him about my feelings.” My face is completely wet from the tears streaming down my face.
“Babe, I’m the one who called him, not you. You were very much incapable of doing that. So, technically, this is my fault. And I’m so sorry I left you alone even just for a minute to get your water,” Tatum says sheepishly, remorse heavy in her teary eyes.
“No, stop, Tate. You did exactly what I would’ve wanted you to do. Thank you. For taking care of my drunk, sloppy ass and for calling him. I… It scares me to think of what could have happened with that guy had you guys not walked in…” My entire body shudders as that thought flits through my mind, and then it turns back to Hudson. Who took care of me. Who showed up even though I hurt him.
“I care about him… I think I might even love him, and knowing that… knowing that I’m the reason the media is portraying him this way and that he’s probably going to no longer be an Avalanche? No. I have to fix this. Now.”
I stand from the bed so quickly my head spins, and I head straight to the bathroom. I let the scalding water wash away last night, quickly brush my teeth, then throw clothes on before I walk back out to the room.
“I’m going to see my dad,” I tell her, grabbing my phone and shoving it into my back pocket.
“Right now?”
Nodding, I walk toward the door, desperate to make it to my dad and make this right. To fix whatever I’ve fucked up. “Yes, right now. I’ll be back.”
“Give ’em hell, baby…” Tate smirks, pecking my cheek.
I’m going to need it.
* * *
By the timeI make it to his office, the building is quiet. Most people aren’t working on Sunday, but I know today’s the day my dad likes to review plans, and he prefers to do it in his office so he won’t be distracted.
My stomach is in complete knots, my palms are clammy, and my heart… it feels like it’s shredded. I feel so guilty, so embarrassed and ashamed of last night. I can’t even stomach looking at another article that has Hudson’s name on it. Apparently, I’m into self-sabotaging because I looked his name up in the Uber and couldn’t stop the tears from falling for the rest of the ride.
My Romeo.
The man who I foolishly pushed away when I got scared. The one I wanted to leave before he could leaveme.
That’s why I ran, isn’t it?
I ran away from him because I couldn’t process all of those big feelings inside of me.
