Page 4 of Curvy Desire's Second Shot

Unknown Number: Be careful who you trust.

My stomach twisted as I read the words again, hoping I’d misunderstood. But there was no mistaking the intent behind them.

“Naomi?” Hudson’s voice pulled me back, his brow furrowed as he leaned forward. “What is it?”

I hesitated, my grip tightening on the phone. “Nothing,” I said quickly, locking the screen. “Just a spam text.”

Hudson didn’t look convinced, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “Spam doesn’t usually make people go pale.”

I forced a smile, hoping it would be enough to deflect his concern. “I’m fine, really.”

He didn’t push, but the way he looked at me told me he wasn’t letting this go. I slid my phone into my bag, trying to focus on anything other than the icy knot forming in my chest.

But the message lingered, its words burning into my mind like a warning I couldn’t ignore.

Be careful who you trust.

Chapter Four

Hudson

Naomi might think she’s good at hiding her emotions, but she’s not as unreadable as she believes. I saw the way her face paled when she looked at her phone in the café. Her hands trembled, just for a second, before she stashed the thing away like she could make it all disappear by pretending it didn’t exist.

“Spam text,” she said, brushing it off. I didn’t believe her for a second.

The moment she left the café, I followed her outside. She’d paused by her car, her shoulders tense as she unlocked the door. Something was eating at her, and I wasn’t about to let it go.

“Naomi,” I called, my voice steady but firm. She froze, her hand halfway to the door handle before she turned to face me.

“What, Hudson?” she asked, her tone sharp but not convincing. She was rattled, and it showed.

“What was on that text?” I asked, stepping closer. “And don’t tell me it was spam, because I’m not buying it.”

Her jaw tightened, and she crossed her arms, leaning back against the car. “It’s none of your business.”

“Like hell it’s not,” I shot back. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost. If something’s going on, I need to know.”

Her eyes flared with a mix of defiance and hesitation. Naomi had always been independent, fiercely so, and it wasn’t easy for her to let people in. But whatever was happening now wasn’t something she could handle on her own.

“It’s nothing,” she insisted, though her voice wavered. “Just... something weird. Probably a prank.”

I didn’t believe her, but I knew better than to push too hard right now. She wasn’t ready to open up, and forcing her wouldn’t help. Still, I wasn’t about to walk away and pretend everything was fine.

“Fine,” I said, stepping back. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s your choice. But don’t think for a second I’m leaving you to deal with this alone.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about keeping an eye on you,” I said plainly. “Until we figure out what’s going on.”

“We?” she echoed, her tone skeptical. “There is no ‘we,’ Hudson. I can handle this.”

“Can you?” I asked, my voice low and steady. “Because from where I’m standing, you don’t look so sure.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. Instead, she let out a frustrated sigh and looked away, her hands gripping her arms tightly. It was a small victory, but it told me I was right—she didn’t have this under control, and she knew it.

“I don’t need your help,” she said, though her tone lacked conviction. “I don’t want to drag you into whatever this is.”

“You’re not dragging me into anything,” I said. “I’m choosing to be here.”

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