Page 1 of Breaking Hudson

Chapter One

Colette

Hudson and I arelike two peas in a pod, only he is the richer, more popular pea. I am the quiet, introverted pea. We have been friends since the third grade when he asked me if I wanted to play with him and I punched him in the face. I had just moved to town, and I was scared of everyone. I was newly adopted by my aunt and fresh out of an abusive home, so I was constantly on edge.

Through the years, Hudson has hung onto me and refused to let me stop being friends with him. He was always more popular, and I was… not. No matter how popular he was, he always made time for me. He knew I didn’t want to be around his other friends, so I never went to parties with him. I didn’t want him to get picked on for being friends with the nerdy little introvert that loved to learn and always had a book in her hand.

For over a decade, we have spent every Saturday night together. No matter what we have going on, we spend even just dinner together. His past girlfriends hated this, but he didn’t give much room for argument. His favorite thing to tell me is that it’s always been me, so I come first.

He owns a successful gym, and I work in an office as a paper pusher, so we are in two totally different parts of our life. I feel bad sometimes because I feel like I am holding him back. I have slowly been pulling away from him. It fucking kills me because I am literally in love with this man, but he’s never going to have a chance at real love if I am in the way. Maybe without him around, I can move on and find love as well. That’s laughable… I can’t even talk to the cashier at the grocery store most of the time.

I wasn’t supposed to work today, but I got called in anyway. My boss wanted me to scan in documents that I definitely could have done on Monday. I am so over this day. I just want to go home and go to bed. I am supposed to have dinner with Hudson, but I am about to cancel on him for the first time ever. It’s got to start somewhere, and the day after he went on a date sounds like a good time. I try not to be jealous, but I would rather scoop out my eyeballs with a spork than hear about some pretty and perfect blonde he fucked. I will never be her, and that fucking sucks.

When I step out of the office and lock the door, I get my phone out. I am dreading this conversation, but it has to happen. I take a deep breath and force myself to hit the button.

“Hey, Cole,” Hudson answers happily. “I expected you to call earlier. Where are we meeting?”

“I’m actually going to have to cancel tonight,” I say slowly.

“Woah, what? No,” he says. “What’s going on? You’ve never canceled on me.”

“It’s just been a long day. I had to go to the office and scan shit all day. I’m tired,” I say.

“You’ve fallen asleep more times than I can count when we hang out. Just come watch a movie with me or I’ll come over to your place.”

“Hudson,” I sigh. “I just want to go to bed, okay? All I am going to do is eat something random out of my freezer and read in bed until I pass out.”

“What’s wrong? Did I do something?”

“No, Huddy. You’ve not done anything wrong,” I sigh.

“Then why are you doing this? Seventeen years, and we’ve never spent a Saturday apart. Why now?”

“You have other friends, Hudson. Just go hang with them,” I say. “I’m walking home. I’ll text you tomorrow.”

“Colette, wait—” I end the call before he can finish his plea. Tears stream down my cheeks as I walk home. I quickly wipe my face and put my phone away. No tears, Colette. It’s not a big deal. He has other friends, and I have… me. I have myself and I am content being alone. Right?

I live a mile away from Hudson, but I have to walk through the worst part of town to catch the bus. From there, I walk a half mile home. I’ll get a car one day, but I get paid for shit. I’ve run into some sketchy people, but it’s not really bad until dark. Unfortunately for me, it’s dark outside.

I start walking down the same alleyway that I go down every day after work. I am suddenly regretting all my life choices about halfway through and it’s pitch black. I hear a commotion as one of the doors swings open. Instinct tells me to hide, so I jump behind a dumpster and crouch down.

“Where the fuck is my money?!” a man shouts. “I fucking told you three days.”

I peek out from behind the dumpster to see a group of men standing around one man that is on the ground with a gun to his head. I cover my mouth to keep from screaming, but I don’t look away.

“I’m sorry. I swear I’ll get it… No. No. No. please don’t. Wai—” His words are cut off when the man with the gun pulls the trigger. I let out a scream but slap my other hand over my mouth.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What the fuck is wrong with you, Colette? The men snap their head in my direction, and I immediately jump up and back away. “Well. Well. Well. Who do we have here?” the man with the gun sneers.

“I-I’m s-sorry. I w-won’t say a-anything,” I stammer tearfully as all three of them start walking toward me. One of them tuts at me as they spread out in anticipation for me running.

“Oh, it’s too late for that, pretty girl,” the other man chuckles.

“Look at her. She’s shaking,” the man with the gun laughs.

“P-Please,” I beg. “Please, I’m s-sorry. I just wanna g-go h-home.”

“Oh, but you look so fun to play with,” the man with the gun says as my purse is ripped away from me by another. I stumble backward, but hands grip my waist as the other steps behind me.

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