Page 96 of When It's Us
I take offense to that, my spine stiffening. “That’s not true.”
This soft spot for Hutch that started out as a tiny little speck has turned into something else. I’m defensive of him and it’s the coffee shop all over again. It’s not like he heard either conversation. Still, I hate the way his siblings seem to make a joke out of everything he does or says, as if it would kill them to take him seriously.
“Oh, honey,” Nat chuckles. There’s no spite in her tone, but the more she says, the smaller I feel. “I’ve known him my whole life and trust me when I say, if you looked up the definitionof non-committal in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Hutch.”
Norah nods in agreement, and an awkward chuckle spreads across the table.
From everyone except me. And Wren’s gaze has gone soft as she stares up at me. Finn looks downright uncomfortable for having outed me.
I step away from the table as the conversation stays muted, but I can’t shake the misery that washes over me as I turn Natalie’s words over and over again in my mind.
Ginger
Thebarispacked,bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder as I elbow my way through the crowd. It takes a minute, but I finally squeeze into a spot and flag down Hudson, who’s busy shaking something neon and dangerous looking for a woman wearing a ‘Bride’ sash across her body.
He catches my eye and grins, tipping his chin up like,I see you,before sliding a pink drink across the bar and making his way toward me.
“What can I get you?” he asks, drying his hands on a towel slung over his shoulder.
“I’ll take something ridiculous,” I say with a smirk, hoping to drown out Natalie’s words with booze. “Something bright, too sweet, and embarrassingly girly.”
Hudson chuckles, already reaching for a bottle. “That kind of night, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
He lines up a shot glass, pours in something suspiciously pink and fizzy, and finishes it with a swirl of whipped cream. He douses it in a mixture of rainbow sprinkles and edible glitter before sliding it across to me.
“What’s this one called?” I ask, eyeing the whipped cream mountain.
Hudson grins. “That’s aUnicorn Sneeze.Don’t ask what’s in it.”
I raise a brow. “Why not?”
“Because if I told you, you’d never drink it.” He winks. “Just trust the chaos.”
“Fair enough.” I laugh and take the shot, whipped cream and all. It’s a sugar bomb, ridiculous just like I asked, and strong enough to warm me straight through.
“Also,” I add, licking a smear of cream from my lip, “I need a round for the table. I’ll grab them on my way back from the bathroom, if that’s okay?”
“You got it.”
I nod, still recovering from the sweetness of the shot, when someone slides into the spot next to me. Tall, dark, too confident.
“Damn,” he says, leaning in close enough for the scent of aftershave to hit me. “That shot looked like it was almost as sweet as you.”
His hand drifts toward my hair, brushing the ends before ghosting a fingertip down my bare arm like we’re old friends. “What’s your name, gorgeous?”
I freeze. He’s got a voice like gravel and the kind of smirk that says he’s used to hearingyes.And even though I have zero interest, a flicker in me sparks at the attention. I’ve had twins, my body isn’t what it used to be, and I don’t get looked at like that anymore—well, notusually.
Before I can even respond, a low voice comes from right behind me.
“She’s got a name.” He steps forward. “And she’s not interested.”
The guy turns, sizing Hutch up, then thinks better of it. He mutters something and stands up, melting into the crowd.
Hutch takes another step, one arm caging me in against the bar, the heat of him steady and sure.
He leans in, voice low and full of smug heat. “Didn’t know we were letting just anyone put their hands on you.”
