Page 167 of Beautiful Collide

“Maybe?” Mason says. “What about the time you left the lights on in the team bus and drained the battery?”

I turn toward Mason and narrow my eyes. “Why are you listening?”

“You were whispering, so I thought it might be important.”

“So you decided to eavesdrop?”

“Obviously.”

“Mind your own business, Mason,” I fire back while rolling my eyes.

“That was one time,” Hudson answers super late to the conversation.

I twist in my seat to face him. He looks exhausted but hot at the same time. This man is dangerous to my health.

“It was twice,” Aiden chimes in from a row behind us.

Seriously? Is this a whole team convo? What’s next, an intervention? Maybe someone will bust out a sign containing a chart of Hudson’s shortcomings.

It’s not such a bad idea now that I think about it. Maybe it will help me not fall into bed with him every time he looks at me.

Hudson groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Okay, fine. Twice. But in my defense, someone should’ve reminded me.”

“That’s not how responsibility works,” I say, unable to hide my grin.

“See? Even Molly agrees.” Mason cackles.

Hudson’s eyes narrow at me. “Traitor. You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Why would I ever be on your side?” I counter.

His grin returns as he mouths, “Because you secretly like me.”

I snort, rolling my eyes. “Keep dreaming.”

The roast of Hudson continues, with Mason and now Aiden listing everything from Hudson’s tendency to steal food off other people’s plates to his questionable taste in music.

“I don’t care what you say,” Hudson says at one point. “Britney Spears’s ‘Toxic’ is the best thing that came out of the 2000s.”

“We’re still in the 2000s, idiot,” Aiden mutters.

Hudson crosses his arms in mock annoyance. “I stand by my answer.”

“That’s fine, as long as you don’t start singing.”

“Challenge accepted, Slate.”

“That wasn’t a challenge, Wilde. Shit, Goodie, if he starts singing, I’m holding you accountable.”

“How is this my fault?” Mason asks.

“You started this shit.” Aiden sighs.

By the time Hudson sings every song from Britney’s catalog, I’m laughing so hard I can barely breathe. It’s easy to forget the awkwardness of marrying my former archnemesis and let myself get swept up in the Redville Saints chaos and all their antics.These guys are like family, and when I’m with them, it’s easy to pretend that everything will be okay.

But then Mason says something that makes my stomach drop. “Remember that time Wilde got caught sneaking out of that girl’s apartment by her dad? What was her name again?”

I stiffen, my laughter dying instantly. Hudson’s grin fades too, and his gaze darts to mine.

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