Page 29 of Secret Hudson

“What’s going on?” Angel hurries toward our little gathering with Hudson right behind him. I assume he met Sammy at some point while I was out on the balcony talking to Francis.

“Ava is banging my husband, that’s what!” Sammy spats.

Leave it to Angel to literally laugh in her face. “Yeah, okay.”

“Whatever. I wouldn’t expect you to tell me the truth. You assholes all stick together anyway.” She gestures at all of us, including Derek who still stands by without saying a single fucking word. Apparently, she’s already used up every ounce of fight the man had in him. No big revelation here. Derek is about the most peace-loving motherfucker around. But I guess you don’t come across a whole lot of Libra’s who aren’t pro harmony.

“I’d tell you the truth.” Hudson’s eyes dart back and forth between Angel and I, and he corrects himself, “I mean, they’re all telling you the truth, but I would have no reason to stick up for Derek or Ava.”

Sammy scoffs. “Aren’t you the guy banging Royce these days? Ava’s little bitch? Yeah, I’m sure you’d be all too happy to sell her out. Not!”

Hudson ignores her, staying his usual mellow self despite her derogatory comments. His reaction actually helps keep mine in check, because I’m ready to fucking pounce on her ass. I don’t care if she’s a chick or not.

“Fine. Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself.” Hudson walks toward her, holding his camera and scrolling through the images until he finds what he’s looking for. “Here. Took these just last night. You really think a guy this miserable is having sex with anyone?”

In an instant, Sammy’s entire demeanor changes. She practically rips Hudson’s camera from his hands. “When last night?”

Hudson stares at Derek uncomfortably. “After he got off the phone with you. I wouldn’t have taken the picture at all, but there was something so beautiful and raw about the emotion. And then the moon in the background. I’m really sorry, dude. It was a total invasion of privacy.”

I don’t even think about it. All it takes is the sincerity in his eyes and his tender, genuine tone to make me want to stand beside him. Claim him. I’ll never meet another man like him. I know that. I fucking know it in my gut, at the core of my being, and in that moment, I cast aside all of my idiotic inabilities to show any sort of affection to the man I love, and I take two strides toward him and clasp his hand in mine. Tightly.

Meanwhile, Derek is too tired to give a shit about anything anymore. Least of all a picture. Certainly not when that very picture is now putting a stop to the precise insanity causing him his state of total exhaustion in the first place.

“It’s fine, man. You were just doing your job. I could have gone to my room. I’m the one burdening everyone with all ofmy drama all the goddamn time, it’s almost nice to know someone was able to do something creative with it for a change. I certainly haven’t been able to. If I write one more song about a motherfucking whiny ass sap crying in his fucking cornflakes, I’m going to break my own fucking fingers just to keep from being able to play it.”

Then, because the bitch is clearly certifiably insane, Sammy runs to Derek, wraps both arms around his neck and crams her tongue into his mouth like she’s some skank on Jerry Springer. Considering the dude has been living like a fucking monk, he isn’t about to stop her. So, as one does with wild unpredictable beasts, the rest of us carefully back out of the room while she’s distracted.

“That was really cool what you did in there, Hudson.” Angel pats him on the shoulder as he splits off to go into his room.

“It really wasn’t anything. You know the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words? Figured it would be beneficial to all of us to see if that was true.” He grins.

Angel just nods. Then lets his eyes drop down to where Hudson’s hand is still pressed firmly to mine. “Yeah. That part was cool, too.” He winks at me just as he’s closing his door.

“What was that about?” Hudson makes a face.

“I think you just got the official welcome to the Finding Nolan family. Not sure if I should hug you or tell you to make a run for it.” I’m joking, but he stays totally serious.

“Or...you could kiss me.” Any other time, the words would be accompanied by the actions and he would already be leaning in to make a move. Except this time, he doesn’t. It’s like he suddenly understood what Angel meant. Like he knew exactly what he was asking me to do. Because it isn’t about kissing himthe same way I have a hundred times over in the last few weeks. It’s about kissing him out in the open. And maybe it’s nuts that I would even hesitate for a fucking second in the privacy of our own suite with only the people I trust most in the world around, and yet, I do. I hesitate. Then, just as he begins to step back, I close my eyes and crush my mouth to his.

HUDSON

Royce kisses me, but it’s too fucking late. I saw it. Saw the hesitation in his face. Saw the exchange between him and Angel. It’s more than just having an aversion to showing affection publicly. It’s about showing me affection publicly.

And publicly isn’t even outside of the four walls we call home while on the road. Apparently, the only place Royce is actually in love with me is inside our bedroom, which brings some really fucking uncomfortable highlights of previous conversations with Ava and pimping back into my mind.

But then I feel his hand slide down my back, drawing me to him. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m being paranoid. Maybe it has nothing to do with me and more to do with Sammy and her drama with Derek. Having her here certainly made for an unpleasant shift in the energy around the suite. And Royce won’t be the only one feeling uneasy because of it. I mean, the place cleared the fuck out, shortly after her arrival. Even before the fight between her and Ava broke out, Angel was all too eager to drag me out to the roof to get some crazy shots of him doing handstands with the skyline in the background. I thoughtit was weird until I looked through my lens. That shit is going to be badass when I get it developed.

The more I think about it, the more I convince myself that Royce is just on edge because of the previous showdown, and the look from Angel, well, maybe it was exactly what Royce said, a sense of accepting that I’m here to stay. That he and I are a unit now.

By the time he’s backing me into our own room, it all makes perfect sense to me. Except for this one nagging thought, that the truth rarely needs so much convincing of.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ROYCE

In the interest of keeping the peace, we all stay in our own rooms for as long as possible. It isn’t until Ava comes through, banging on everyone’s door, shouting about the car being here shortly to take us to the awards that everyone slowly but surely comes creeping back out.

Angel is sitting lazily in the recliner when Hudson and I join him in the living room.

---