Page 23 of Curvy Desire's Second Shot

Hudson stopped pacing and turned to face me, his eyes blazing. “Then we do it together. No more going off on your own. No more risks. Promise me.”

“I promise,” I said quietly.

He nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. But the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t convinced. Not yet.

Later that night,as I lay awake in bed, Hudson’s words echoed in my mind.No more risks. No more going off on your own.

I wanted to believe we could do this—that we could win. But as I replayed Marco’s words, a sinking feeling settled in my chest. This wasn’t just a battle. It was a race against time.

When Hudson came to check on me, I couldn’t hide the fear in my eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed, his expression softening as he reached for my hand.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said quietly. “I promise.”

I nodded, but his promise wasn’t enough to ease the knot in my stomach. Because deep down, I knew he was right.

We were running out of time.

Chapter Eighteen

Hudson

The apartment felt like a cage, the tension between Naomi and me pressing against the walls, suffocating. She was sitting at the kitchen table, fingers drumming a rhythm on the worn wood, her lips pressed into a thin line. I leaned against the window, staring out at nothing in particular. I couldn’t look at her right now, not when the argument from this morning was still fresh.

The silence between us was heavy, crackling like a live wire. I knew what was coming. I could feel it in the way she kept glancing at me, her frustration barely contained.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” she said finally, her voice sharp.

I turned, raising an eyebrow. “What did I do now?”

Her fingers stilled, and she glared at me. “It’s what youdidn’tdo, Hudson. You didn’t trust me. Again.”

“I trust you,” I said, crossing my arms. “But I don’t trust the people we’re dealing with. There’s a difference.”

“No, there’s not,” she snapped, standing abruptly. “You don’t get to decide what I can or can’t handle.”

I pushed off the wall, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “This isn’t about what you can handle, Naomi. This is about keeping you safe.”

“I’m not a child!” she shouted, throwing her hands in the air. “I don’t need you to shield me from everything.”

“Then stop acting like one,” I shot back before I could stop myself.

The words hung in the air, sharp and cutting. Naomi froze, her eyes wide, and for a moment, I thought she might cry. But instead, her expression hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line.

“Wow,” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “Is that what you think of me? That I’m some fragile little thing who can’t take care of herself?”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I just—damn it, Naomi, I’m trying to protect you.”

“I didn’t ask for your protection,” she said, her voice rising again. “I asked for your trust. But you can’t seem to give me that, can you?”

“Because trusting you means letting you put yourself in danger!” I shouted, my frustration boiling over. “And I can’t do that, Naomi. I can’t lose you.”

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, the anger in her eyes softened. But then she shook her head, her jaw tightening.

“You’re not going to lose me, Hudson,” she said, her voice quieter now but no less firm. “But you’re going to push me away if you keep treating me like I’m a liability.”

Her words hit like a punch to the gut, but before I could respond, she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door.

“Naomi,” I said, my voice sharp. “Don’t do this.”

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