Page 44 of Curvy Desire's Second Shot

Hudson didn’t respond right away. He just lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles before starting the truck. “You don’t need me to let you be anything, Naomi. You’re already more than enough.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Hudson

The late afternoon sunlight streamed through the apartment window, bathing the room in a warm, golden glow. Naomi was perched on the edge of the couch, a pen in hand as she scribbled notes onto a piece of paper. Her brow furrowed slightly, the tip of her tongue peeking out as she concentrated. It was a simple sight, but it made my chest ache in a way I couldn’t explain.

For weeks, our lives had been defined by danger and uncertainty. But today, for the first time in what felt like forever, there was hope—real hope—for something beyond the chaos.

“What are you working on?” I asked, leaning against the counter with a coffee mug in hand.

Naomi glanced up, her eyes bright. “Ideas.”

“Ideas?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“For us,” she said, smiling. “For what we do next.”

I walked over, setting my coffee on the table and sitting beside her. “Let’s hear it.”

She tilted the paper toward me, and I scanned the list. Some of it was practical—finding a new place, saving up for a fresh start—but there were other things, too. Things that made my throat tighten: a road trip, learning to cook together, adopting a dog.

“This is...” I trailed off, swallowing hard. “This is good, Naomi.”

She shrugged, but there was a nervousness in her eyes. “I just thought, you know, once everything settles down, we could start over. Really start over.”

I nodded, my fingers brushing hers. “I like the sound of that.”

Later that day,we drove to the edge of town, the road winding through fields that were just starting to show the first signs of spring. Naomi had suggested we check out a piece of land for sale—nothing serious, just something to dream about. And for the first time, dreaming didn’t feel so far out of reach.

The property was nothing fancy, just a stretch of open space with a few trees and a weathered fence. But as we walked the perimeter, Naomi’s excitement was contagious. She talked about what we could build, how we could make it our own.

“You could finally have that workshop you’ve always talked about,” she said, nudging me with her elbow.

“And you could have that garden,” I replied, smiling.

She spun around, her arms outstretched as she took in the space. “Can you imagine it, Hudson? A place that’s just ours? No threats, no running. Just... peace.”

The way she said it, so full of hope, made my chest tighten. I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around her from behind and resting my chin on her shoulder. “Yeah,” I said softly. “I can imagine it.”

The ride back was quiet,but it wasn’t the kind of silence that needed to be filled. It was comfortable, the kind of quiet that let my thoughts wander. And as I glanced over at Naomi, her face relaxed as she looked out the window, I realized just how much she’d changed me.

I’d spent so long trying to protect her, to keep her safe at all costs, that I hadn’t stopped to see how strong she’d become. She wasn’t the same woman who’d returned to Cedar Hill weeks ago. She was braver, more determined, and fiercely capable. And for the first time, I felt like I could trust her to stand beside me, not behind me.

When we got back to the apartment, Naomi flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh, her arms stretched over her head. “That was nice,” she said, her voice tinged with satisfaction.

“It was,” I agreed, sitting beside her. “Feels good to think about something other than... you know.”

“The chaos?” she offered, smirking.

“Yeah,” I said, chuckling. “The chaos.”

She shifted to face me, her expression turning serious. “Do you think we can really do it, Hudson? Leave Cedar Hill? Start over?”

I reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I think we can do whatever we set our minds to. We’ve made it this far, haven’t we?”

Her smile was soft but full of emotion. “Yeah. We have.”

The restof the evening passed in a blur of small, meaningful moments. We made dinner together—though Naomi nearly burned the garlic bread—and talked about everything from potential road trip destinations to what kind of dog we’d get. It was easy, natural, and for the first time, it felt like we were building something real.

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