Page 123 of Beautiful Collide

Hudson leans back in his chair, looking annoyingly calm. “Yeah, we’re good. No bets broken.”

And that’s that.

The server comes over, saving me. I make a mental note to give her the biggest tip I can afford later.

We all place our orders with varying degrees of mortification and amusement. I’m hopeful Dane has dropped the subject. That this is the distraction I need to be able to change the conversation.

No such luck.

As soon as the server leaves, Mason points a finger at me and then quickly at Hudson.

“You’re both lying.” Mason slams his palms onto the table. “Spill. Who lost?”

“Neither of us,” I insist, knuckles turning white on my mug.

“Whatever you say . . . but you’re both being weird.” Cassidy narrows her eyes and looks at Hudson. “Although that’s not saying much for you, since you’re normally weird.”

“Maybe you’ve all forgotten what normal looks like,” Hudson counters smoothly, his smirk still firmly in place.

Mason grins, leaning forward. “Okay, but we doubled down on bets, so I need to know who’s winning. I have twenty bucks and a potholder collection riding on Molly.”

Josie bursts out laughing. “A potholder collection? Are you serious?”

“Dead serious,” Mason replies, unfazed by how ridiculous this all sounds.

“Dane said he’d wash my car if Hudson loses,” Cassidy adds, grinning. “So I’m kind of rooting for him to crack first.”

I glare at my brother. “Neither of us cracked.”

Dane crosses his arms, eyeing us suspiciously. “You’re sure? Because you’re acting like you did after that time Hudson got a ride from you to the game. Like you can’t even look at each other. Like you hate each other.”

Well, wedidhate each other.

But that was different.

I avoided him back then because I hated him.

I’m avoiding him now because I don’t trust myself not to climb him like a flagpole.

Josie grins, her eyes darting between us. “I think they’re acting like the opposite of hate.”

I scowl. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Josie shrugs innocently. “Just saying. The tension is palpable.”

Hudson chuckles, the sound grating on my last nerve.

Then why do you feel tingly down there?

Fine. His laugh is hot.

He’s still annoying.

“Palpable, huh?” Hudson is like the cat who ate the canary. “Interesting choice of words.”

Does this man ever shut up?

He’s just making it worse.

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