Page 27 of Crash and Burn

“Amelia, I don’t know what to say about today.”

“You don’t have to say anything. It was fun. I hope you had a great birthday.”

“This has been the best birthday I’ve had in two years. I didn’t plan to do anything. I was just going to sit home and read that book you gave me. This was beyond anything I could’ve imagined doing.” He smiled but his smile looked sad, and it tugged at a piece of me that wanted to make it better for him. I still didn’t know a lot about him but there was something there that kept him at arm’s length.

I decided to leave it for another time and said, “Hey, everyone deserves to celebrate their birthday. Birthdays are so important. Come on.”

We got on the bus and Jimmy asked, “Did you have a good birthday, son?”

Hudson smiled, “I did. Thank you, Jimmy, for driving us around.”

“My pleasure. You two looked like little kids coming in and out of those stores.”

We laughed and I said, “Jimmy, that pretty much wraps it up. We can head to drop Hudson off now.”

Jimmy pulled up to Hudson’s house and stopped the bus, opening the doors.

I looked at Hudson, “Happy Birthday, Hudson. Hope you always remember today.”

“I willalwaysremember today. Thank you, Amelia.”

I nodded to him as he stood up. He walked toward the doors and stopped to look back at me. “I’ll see you around. Thank you, Am.”

My breath hitched in my throat.He called me, Am.“You’re welcome, Hudson... Have a good night.” He left the bus, turned with a wave, and was gone. Jimmy smiled at me in the rearview mirror and took me home.

Chapter 10

Hudson

Closing the door, I leaned against it and thought about what a great time I had with Amelia. It was unreal. We had started at noon, and it was 6 pm when I got home. I’m sure Carter told everyone I was with Amelia today and I’ll be bombarded with questions later. I wondered how it was possible for me to spend six hours with someone that wasn’t Dev and have fun. A part of me felt guilty, but by that point, I knew I shouldn’t have felt bad about it. Dev would’ve wanted me to enjoy my birthday.

I laughed and looked down at all things I was holding, thinking,I have a record, and a record player.I was always a digital music guy because it was convenient. Taking the record player to the side table in my living room, I plugged it into the wall. It was a grey and black Victrola model. After gently sliding the record out of its sleeve, I put it on the player. It took me a second to remember how to get the record spinning. I lifted the needle arm and dropped it smoothly over the tiny tracks on the outer edge of the record.

A quick, tiny crackle let out as the record spun before Jimi’s voice sounded off through the speakers. The music had an indescribable warm tone to it. It was one of the best sounds I had ever heard. I pulled the book that I had picked out from the bag, thinking,a new book. Well, two new books.I set it on top ofThe Witching Hour, sitting on the other side table. I now had a whopping two books I needed to read. Shaking my head, I laughed thinking about how much my life had changed in the last few weeks. It’s amazing what two books and a record can do. It felt strange, but good.

It was still early in the day, and I wasn’t sure what to do. The music amped me up and had me feeling creative. The sound filled the place and it felt different, foreign, because the house has been so quiet for almost two years. I felt alive and even, happy being there. I picked up my iPad and sat on the couch, drawing away. I only got up to refill my coffee and flip the record over from side A to side B and back again.

When I looked up at the clock on the wall, two hours had passed, and it was eight o’clock at night. It felt normal. My stomach was grumbling at me, though. I realized that I hadn’t eaten since noon when I ate with Amelia. I got up and went to the kitchen to see what I could find. I laughed because there was nothing. I opened the freezer hoping for a frozen T.V. dinner and saw my birthday cake.I thought,Shit! I didn’t even invite her in to have the cake she bought for me. Oh, my fuck, and I still don’t have her damn phone number!

I swear I’m an idiot.I had just spent the whole damn day with her. I couldn’t just show up at her house. It would’ve freaked her the fuck out again. Did I think it was worth it, though? Yeah. Did I think she would be mad? Yeah. But I also thought she would quickly get over it because it was my birthday, right? I pulled the cake out of the freezer and headed for the door, hoping for best.

*

I pulled up to Amelia’s apartment, and just sat there nervously hoping she didn’t freak out. My thumbs tapped away at the steering wheel, then rested on it when I realized that the longer I took, the more the cake would melt. I took a breath and turned off the engine. Walking around to the other side of the car, I grabbed the cake from the front passenger seat. It was cold outside, and I didn’t live far from her house, so thankfully, it hadn’t melted much.

When I reached the door, I paused, thinking,just knock lightly, dummy and step back from the door so she can look out a window and see it’s you.

Tap Tap Tap

In a flash, I remembered,announce yourself, idiot.“It’s Hudson.” I stepped back and watched my breath freeze in the cold night air. I looked up at the upstairs window. I knew it wasn’t hers, but I just wanted to check things out. The chains on her door rattled and I smiled, hoping to soften the blow that might’ve awaited me.Please don’t freak out. Please don’t freak out.

“Hudson? You really got a thing for 9 pm don’t you.” She looked unimpressed.

“I’m sooo sorry. I didn’t have your number which is really dumb because we just spent the whole damn day together, but I got home and realized we didn’t have cake, and….” I was rambling when she held her hand up and laughed.

“Relax, Hudson. I’m not mad. Well, kind of, because you scared me…. again, but it’s your birthday. Can’t be mad at you on your birthday. Come on in.” She opened the door and gestured a dramatic curtsy while waving an arm toward the living room for me to enter.

I let out a deep breath and smiled. “Seriously, I’m sorry. Can we remedy the phone number situation, please?”

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