Page 115 of Georgia-Blue & Hudson

I’m shaken out of my thoughts as the bike skids suddenly, the dip in the road on the darkening dirt track coming upon me quicker than I thought. I hit the breaks, but the tire screeches in the mud. All of a sudden, I’m being thrown off, through the air, and I hit something hard with a thud. I hear a crack and I cry out in pain.

Fuck.

Fuck, no.

Everything starts to swirl and the darkness comes for me as I lay in the dirt. My mind shoots back to the day I was flat on my back with more broken bones than I could count when Bucko threw me off. Stars prick behind my eyes and I hear my own sharp intake of breath.

I barely register before I’m being pulled under; the dark cloud lurking as it takes the air from my chest.

I should’ve known. I should’ve taken the corner slower, not ridden in the dark in anger. And now here I lay, unmoving, and no one knows I’m here.

Every time I’ve ever felt a slither of happiness, it’s taken away as quickly as it surfaces. And now I’ll never earn Gray’s forgiveness, or tell Georgia how much I love her and that I always will.

My eyes flicker closed and hers is the last face I see.

30

Georgia

When I hear the news, my world stops. Beau’s staring down at me, holding my shoulders with a frown on his face.

“He… he came off his dirt bike?”

He nods slowly. “He’s messed up pretty bad.”

My racing heart is way in front of my head.Did Beau just say…

“George?”

Fear grips me and tightens its hold. I open my mouth but no sound comes out. Not right away.

“Is he…?” I can’t even say the words.

“They took him to the emergency room. Gray went after him, to smooth things over, that’s when he found him.”

I glance at Beau sharply. “Smooth things over?”

My brother is many things, but when he looks away, I know something’s up. I also know Hudson went over to talk to my dad and brothers, and when I didn’t hear from him hours later, I called Beau. Beau said he’d left ages ago. It wasn’t like Hudson to not answer his phone. Deep down, I knew something was wrong. I felt it in my gut, but I told myself to stop being so needy and let Hudson do this his way.

“He and Gray went at it when Hudson broke the news about you two.”

I rush my hands up to cover my face. “Oh, no.”

“Gray wasn’t happy, which comes as no surprise. He took a swing?—”

“He hit Hudson?”

“Are you really surprised?”

“And then what? He took off angry and crashed his bike?” My words are hysterical. I feel my head swirling with questions but there are no answers. Hudson is hurt, seriously hurt, and he fought with Gray over me.

The tears start to fall before I can stop them.

Beau pulls me into a hug. “We need to get to the hospital, alright?”

“Not until you tell me he’s going to be okay,” I sob.

Wrapping his arms around me, he holds me tight. “You know Hudson, he’s had harder knocks from wounded bulls. Pun intended.”

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