Page 56 of Pieces

Daphne

Hudson’sfriendsareagreat group. I don’t remember the last time I laughed as much as I have today, so much, my sides ache. It’s a good feeling. I can see why he wanted me to meet them and, honestly, aside from Liv, I haven’t had the time to make many friends outside of class, so this is perfect.

Liv always jokes that I need to schedule in fun on my calendar, but she might not be wrong. I’m about to spend at a minimum of eighteen years not having a lot of spare time, so maybe it’s a good time to take advantage of the time I have now.

“I have a question,” Hudson begins as we walk back to my dorm.

“I’m listening.”

“Hypothetically, when the baby is born. Let’s say I’m so overcome with emotion that I kiss you. Is that okay? Like, would it be allowed even if we’re friends?”

I pause my steps, staring at him. “That’swhat you’re thinking about right now?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, that and how to avoid our parents until the kid is at least eighteen.”

I chuckle. “And how’s that going?”

“Not well.”

“Well, I can always come up with some ideas, like moving to Alaska, for example? My dad would never go somewhere where it was cold a lot of the time.”

He taps the side of his head. “I’m storing that as a backup plan, for sure.”

We both laugh, and although he doesn’t ask about the other part of his question, I don’t want to ignore it either. “As for the…kissing part,” I say, tapping my chin and pretending to think it over. I stop walking again, this time facing him fully. The teasing glint in his eyes makes it harder to stay composed. “I think that if you were overcome with emotion, then…” My words falter as I catch myself staring at his lips.God, have they always been this full?“…maybe there could be…”Why is it so hot all of a sudden?I trail off, losing my train of thought entirely when his gaze dips to my mouth. The air feels heavier, thicker, and before I even realize it, I’ve leaned in. My chest brushes his, and it’s not until I feel the warmth of him that I register how close we’ve gotten.

“Daphne?” he asks softly, his voice so low and gravelly that my stomach flips.

I blink, snapping out of whatever spell I’d fallen under. “I’m sorry, that was, uh…” I stumble over my words, stepping back quickly, looking anywhere but at his stupidly pretty face.

“A moment where you were overcome with emotion?” he offers with a smirk that I can hear in his voice.

I shake my head, refusing to meet his eyes. “I’m not answering that,” I mutter, though I can still feel the heat of his gaze, like he’s daring me to admit he’s right.

“Hm, shame. I would’ve let you have that moment if you’d let me have mine.” He dips low behind me to whisper near my ear. “And trust me when I say I’ve thought about those lips a lot, princess.”

The nickname he gave me from that night makes me weak, softening my defenses, pulling me back to the moment it was born. It shouldn’t have this much power, but it does. It tugs at the reminder of that night’s reckless heat between us and the way he took care of me, held me, made me feel so good. Now, hearing it again, my heart stumbles, my pulse tripping over itself, chasing the memory of us.

Then he breezes past me, leaving me with a racing heart and a missed moment I’m kicking myself for.

***

We’ve been back at my dorm for almost an hour and Hudson hasn’t left yet. I mean, I invited him in, because he bamboozled me earlier, and I don’t know… He lingered in the doorway when we arrived, and maybe I didn’t want to say goodbye yet.

Are proximity baby hormones a thing? Because I quite like to just be near him, and I’m 99% sure that’s because of his baby in my belly. Our baby. Yep, still not done freaking out over that yet.

He’s laid out on my bed, scrolling on his phone, his long limbs hanging off my ditsy floral covers, looking completely out of place and yet somehow like he belongs there. His fitted Henley stretches across his broad chest, the sleeves pushed up to his forearms, and his smart joggers sit low on his hips, emphasizing just how effortlessly good he looks, even when he’s doing nothing at all.

What really gets me, though, is the sight of my childhood cuddly tucked under his arm, held loosely against his side like it’s second nature. I can’t help but smile, biting my lip as I take it all in. This giant football player sprawled out on my flowery bed, snuggling with my stuffed animal, while I sit beside him, scrolling through articles from the school’s social media sites.

I should be organizing my overflowing emails and class assignments, but I can’t seem to focus. My once vibrant planner lies open and forgotten on my desk while I scroll through CLUSports social media, using it as a distraction. Well, that’s how it started, but now I’m invested.

Cedar Lakes loves reporting on its male teams, but only occasionally—I’m talking, hardly once a season—on the women’s teams, and I’ve learned since being here that there are plenty to rave about. Last year, Remy Hernandez, the women’s soccer star forward, was a MAC Hermann Trophy winner, and she got a measly interview and one post. While the equivalent on the male team has at least three posts I’ve found where he talks about getting nominated, winning, and what life looks like for a trophy winner. Tell me how that’s fair? I’ve also done a deep dive on a few senior athletes on the lacrosse team and two of them have children. Why haven’t their stories been told yet?

“You look like you’re mad at your screen,” Hudson says. His phone discarded now, eyes firmly on me.

I sigh, long and deep. “I am a little mad. Did you know that women’s sports don’t get half the exposure of male sports here?”

He shakes his head. “I didn’t know that, but it sucks because the women’s teams here kick ass. I’ve been to a few soccer games, basketball games, you name it, and they’re killer athletes.”

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