Page 101 of Roughing It

hudson

DAY TWENTY

Blakely stares into space, occasionally mumbling to herself, while I move around the kitchen. She’s been off since telling me more about Hawthorne, and despite enjoying her time in Trail Creek, she’s keeping something from me. Something heavy.

Last night she shoved her phone under her pillow and curled around me like I could keep whatever shit’s chasing her at bay. I did my best to live up to that expectation, and will every day she grants me the chance.

Dropping breakfast in front of her, I say, “Talking to yourself?”

Her eyes widen, and she jumps when the plate hits the wooden table. “Was I?”

“Yep. In your sleep, too. Last night, it was a lot of my name. Which made it hard as hell to get any rest.” I lean and kiss her neck. “Even asleep, you’re a nuisance.”

“You love me. Admit it.” As soon as the L-word leaves her lips, she freezes.

She has no idea how close those words are to being the truth.

“I mean it, you loveit. Me saying your name.”

I softly bite where her neck and shoulder meet. “No need for verbal acrobatics.”

Blakely lays her head on her arms and groans. “Hudson, what are we going to do?”

As much as I want to push her right now, I’ve learned enough about Blakely Bradshaw in our twenty days together to know she’s stubborn as shit. So, I give her an out. “Practice your survival skills.”

The little annoyed huff she makes is so fucking cute. “That’s not what I mean, asshole, and you know it.”

I lift her chin from where she tries to hide it and kiss her. “I do.”

But there is one thing we need to address. Clearing my throat, I say, “I thought about what you said last night. About needing something lasting. Something real.”Fuck, here goes.“This thing between us, Spitfire‌, it’s fucking real.”

Her mouth opens, but I plow ahead, cutting her off.

“But I agree. You shouldn’t make choices based on a single bad day or even a handful of good ones.” I swallow. “And neither should I.”

Her lashes flutter as if fighting off tears. “So what? We just wait and see what happens?”

“For now.” Do I wish I could tell her to throw everything she’s built away and stay here? Yes. Do I wish she’d come to that conclusion on her own? Fuck yes. Is it way too soon to be thinking of a lifetime with her? Triple goddamn yes.

I hoist her from the chair, loving how her legs automatically wrap around my waist.

“I can live with that. For now.” A crooked smile brightens her face, and I can’t help but kiss her.

The buzzing of her phone breaks the moment, and I pull away with a groan. The way I wish that fucking phone had landed in the lake…

Blakely squirms in my grip, stretching toward the table. “It’s Ki?—”

“Kirk, yeah, I know.” I’m about ready to chuckKirkinto the lake, too. I plop Blakely back into her seat and stomp to the sink.

In her time here, she’s taken every video call out in the open, not caring if I hear the conversation. But today, when she answers, she says, “Hey, Kirk. Give me a sec.”

My shoulders stiffen, and I crane my neck to catch a glimpse of her.

Without meeting my eyes, she steps away from the table. “I’m taking this on the porch.”

I nod and watch her retreat; irritation partners with concern to two-step in my stomach. Washing the few dishes we dirtied takes all of ten seconds, and while I don’t mean to stand where I can hear her half of the conversation, it’s a small fucking cabin.

Kirk’s voice is muffled, but Blakely’s so damn loud I have no trouble making out her words. “Why are you calling me? Aren’t you on vacation?”

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