Page 74 of The Sweetest Cruelty: Hudson
“Oh, and I don’t need you to pick me up on Saturday. I’m going with my date, so I’ll see you there. Good luck with your little project.”
As she walked away, I wondered what was happening on Saturday. And then I remembered the party Laura and Lily had mentioned. Maybe it was the same one
I thought back to Tate’s resting bitch face which never wavered. For such a pretty female, it made her look incredibly ugly; like she was sucking on the sourest lemon.
I recalled her words: Project? Did she mean me? Before I could say anything, Storm started speaking again.
“Areyougoing to Nash’s party on Saturday?” Storm chelped, jiggling about in her seat. The girl couldn’t sit still.
So, it was Nash Straker's party, number sixty-nine. I shot her a lopsided smile. “I’m not usually the partying type.”
Storm snorted. “Sure, you are. And from the sounds of things, Hudson will be there.” My eyes narrowed as she turned her head and glanced at Tate. I didn’t miss the slight smile on her face.
“Maybe that’s a good reason why Ishouldn’tgo. He was the one who put the target on my back, remember? All that rubbish about me being a slag.”
She grimaced, clearly confused. “Slag?”
I translated what was probably not a universal word to, “Slut.”
“Oh. Well, his actionslastweek have changed that. I’ve heard there’s a video and it’s hot.”
“There’s a video?” I don’t know why I was so surprised.
“Yes,everyonewas talking about it. Tate was fuming. I’ve never seen her so mad. She thinks she has a claim on all the football players. She’s been trying to ensnare Hudson to make her ex jealous. You’ve met him; he was all over you your first day on campus, if I remember. Cash Ryan?”
So, Cash was the boyfriend who watched me like I was his next meal, and he was Tate Parker’s ex; interesting.
“I take it she’s trying to get him back?”
“I think so. Although it’s not going so well. I’ve seen him eye-fucking other girls, and Tate’s on the warpath about it. She caught him watching the video of you and Hudson. He had it saved on his phone. I heard her say it’s in his spank bank. Now she’s out for blood.” The thought of a guy getting off to a video of me was weird, but I didn’t say anything.
“Why are you telling me all this? Isn’t she your friend?”
“Hmm, kinda, although I use the wordfriendloosely. Daddy encourages our association. She’s a means to an end, and if you ever repeat that, I will deny I said anything,” Storm said, glancing around nervously.
“As I said before. I’m a loyal friend. That means I don’t talk behind people’s backs.”
After omitting an unladylike snort, she added. “Then you’re the only one in this school who doesn’t.”
Storm started chewing her thumbnail as she sized me up and then dropped her hand. “Anyways, you have nothing to worry about. Hudson is un-snare-able. At least I thought so. Maybe you’ll be the girl to change him.” The girl flitted from one opinion to the next so quickly that it was giving me a headache.
Scoffing, I batted back with an arm gesture to highlight the busy lunchroom. One, minus a Hudson. “I can hardly do that when he isn’t even here.”
I had hoped she’d tell me where he was.
“Not now, but he’ll be back.”
“Do you know why he’s off?” I asked.
“Hudson’s attendance has always been poor. He studies from home sometimes. He can’t let himself get behind, or Coach Rutherford would bump him from the team.”
“How does he get away with that?”
“I’m not sure of the ins and outs, but it’s an arrangement based on medical grounds. His therapist set it up.”
My tummy flip-flopped. “Hudson has atherapist?”
She looked at me like I was stupid. “Of course. Doesn’t everyone?”
