Page 33 of Waiting for Forever
“I guess it did go to shit.”
Hudson grinned. “Oh, that wasn’t the shit part.”
“It wasn’t?” she asked.
The twinkle in his eyes told her he was about to make a joke. “One night, I’m young and wild and free in Dallas, and the next I’m in Maris, with a grandfather who enforced bedtimes and regular showers and eating those damn vegetables.”
“Oh, the horror,” she teased.
“Right? Looking back now, I can see what a prick I was, but back then, all I felt was angry. At suddenly having to follow rules and do homework. But I think most of all, I was mad at my dad for ruining everything. For robbing that store and getting caught and not thinking about how his actions would impact my life. I think that was the first time I understood his indifference was a bad thing.”
“So you acted out,” Paige said.
“For five years. I was determined to make sure everyone felt as shitty as I did. But I had three main victims.”
Paige nodded, perfectly aware her name was on that list.
“Granddad. Your dad. And you.”
“I can understand why Dad and your grandfather were on your list. But why me?” she asked. She’s always wondered, but in school, she’d been too afraid to ask. And since his return, she didn’t want to ruin the friendship they’d been forging. “Was it just because of who my dad was?”
Hudson shook his head. “That was part of it, but not all. You were just…so perfect.”
Paige crinkled her nose. “I’ve never been a fan of that word.”
“Really?” Hudson seemed surprised by that.
“Dad had high expectations of me and Ty, I told you that. Tyson handled them better because he was more self-confident, stronger-willed than I was as a kid.”
“You’re one of the strongest people I know, Princess.”
“Now,” she clarified. “In school, though, I was insecure and awkward and constantly fighting to live up to what my dad wanted me to be. I never exerted any independence because I was always trying to please him. I mean, I really wanted to quit piano lessons and the debate team, but I stuck with them because of Dad and his expectation that I,” she deepened her voice, mimicking her father, “follow-through on commitments you’ve made.”
“And this is why I thought my childhood was idyllic when I was a kid.”
She snickered.
Hudson seemed to consider that. “To answer your question, I picked on you because you were an easy mark and your last name was Sparks. I wanted someone to hurt as much as me. I know I’ve said I’m sorry before, but?—”
“But nothing. No more apologies, Hudson. I mean it. Besides, I think in some ways your presence in my life influenced the person I am today.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“When I went away to college, I made a conscious decision to change all the things I hated about myself. Top of that list was being someone who didn’t stand up for herself. So I took a self-defense class, joined the clubs that interested me—rather than the ones Dad thought were important—stopped being such a timid, awkward mouse. And once I’d worked up enough courage, I called my dad and told him I’d changed my major to business administration rather than pursuing law school like he wanted.”
“How did he take that?”
“Honestly, I think he was so shocked I was doing something for me, he didn’t knowwhatto say. Of course,” Paige grinned, “by the next time we spoke on the phone, he’d come up with a list of ‘concerns,’” she finger-quoted. “I responded to all of them, and he said he respected my choice. It took him a lot longer to respect my decision to bypass high-paying jobs in the big cities, in favor of coming home to work in the restaurant. Truthfully, I’m still not sure he’s there.”
“You’re amazing, Princess. You always have been.”
Every word he said snuck deep under her skin, warming her from the inside out. “Thanks.”
They shared a soft, slow kiss, then Hudson tucked her against his chest, serving as her pillow as she looped her arm around his waist. Paige wanted to soak in every second of this closeness, so happy to be there with him.
Then, she recalled the second thing she was curious about in regards to Hudson. She lifted her head, eyebrow raised. “So…you stole a job from Beck today?”
Hudson gave her a chagrined look. “I intended to tell you first thing tomorrow.”
