Page 65 of We're At It Again

“You’re amazing,” he said, gazing at me. “I’m so proud of you.”

We sat on the edge of his bed, my acceptance letter still clutched in my hand, while he sat beside me, our fingers intertwined. The warm moment enveloped us, and our laughter filled the room. He reached out and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing against my skin. His eyes softened with adoration as he gazed at me, taking in every detail of my happiness. My heart fluttered under his tender gaze. His expression shifted to something more serious.

“I need to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For running off when you mentioned Valentine’s Day.” He said. “I’ve always hated it, but I know you love it.”

I looked at him, concern mingling with curiosity.

“Since when did you hate Valentine’s Day?”

He took a deep breath, his eyes searching mine.

“Since I lost you.”

My heart melted at his words. How am I supposed to respond to something as heartwarming as that?

“Well, you have me back and I’m not going anywhere.”

He moved closer to me with a determined look in his eyes. He gripped my hands in his.

“So, does that mean you’ll be my Valentine?”

My face lit up with pure joy, my happiness radiating from within.

“Always.”

In a burst of emotion, I leaned forward and kissed him, pouring all my happiness and love into that moment. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. As we pulled away, our foreheads rested against each other with a smile, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.

“This is going to be the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

He nodded, a grin spreading across his face.

“I promise I’ll make it perfect.” He said, placing his hands on my waist. “You deserve only the best.”

?

I sat on Hudson’s bed. Our conversation about our weekend plans still lingered in the air. We’d spent the entire morning cuddling, wrapped up in each other’s warmth, when his dad’s voice called from downstairs, asking Hudson to help him with something. Hudson kissed me on the head before untangling himself from me and heading downstairs.

Left alone in his room, I wandered around, my eyes catching glimpses of his childhood photographs scattered on the walls and shelves. My eyes fell on a picture of his mother, like the one in our home. Her radiant smile was always gentle and warm. My eyes fell on a picture of us when we were seven at the carnival. I picked it up and a piece of paper slipped out from behind the frame and fluttered to the floor.

Curious, I picked it up and unfolded it, my heart stopping when I realized it was a college acceptance letter. He said he wasn’t interested in college. My mind raced with a million questions and emotions as reality sank in. Why would he keep this a secret?

The door creaked open, and Hudson walked in. He froze when he saw me holding the letter. His expression shifted from confusion to apprehension.

“Why did you never tell me this?”

He shrugged, trying to play it off.

“It wasn’t important. It’s not like I was planning to go.”

Anger flared within me.

“You cannot pass up an opportunity like this, Hudson. This is an enormous deal.”

I could see the annoyance on his face, but I doubt it could match mine.

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