When he was applying the medicine that day, his fingers brushed too close and I let out a small sound before I could stop it. He froze. I turned, confused, and saw his eyes on me, dark and heavy, his throat moving slowly like he was holding something back.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, but his voice sounded rough, not like before.
“No… I just—” I tried to speak but he moved closer. Too close. His hand settled on my waist, firm, like he wasn’t even thinking anymore.
“Hudson…” I whispered, my heart starting to race.
He didn’t answer. His breathing got heavier, his gaze dropping to my lips. His face leaned closer, slow, like he was about to cross a line—
“Smack!”
We both turned.
Amber stood at the door, her eyes red, the fruit basket already on the floor, everything scattered. Her lips trembled. “Did I come at the wrong time? I didn’t know you two were…” She bit her lip, like she couldn’t even finish.
Hudson pulled away from me instantly. “Amber, stop thinking nonsense! It’s not what it looks like. I was just helping her with the medicine, that’s it.”
Before I could react, he shoved me away.
Hard.
I lost balance and fell straight off the bed, the back of my head hitting the sharp edge of the table with a dull crack. Pain exploded and something warm started running down.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to ruin your moment.” Amber’s voice broke as she turned. “I’ll go, you don’t have to explain…”
“Amber!” Hudson didn’t even hesitate. “Wait, listen to me. Don’t run off like this.” His voice turned urgent, almost angry. “Damn it, stop right there.”
He ran after her.
Didn’t look at me.
Not once.
The door slammed and everything went quiet again.
I stayed on the floor, my vision slowly blurring. Blood slid down past my temple, warm and sticky. I stared at the ceiling and suddenly laughed, soft and broken.
Why did I even hope?
Tears slipped into my hair. Wasn’t I used to this already?
By the time the nurse found me, everything was fading. Voices sounded far away.
“Head injury! She’s bleeding a lot, call the doctor now!”
Then darkness.
When I woke up again, my head hurt and everything felt heavy. Because of the injury, I had to stay longer. Hudson never came back. Not once. But I knew why. He was with her. Of course he was. I didn’t call him. Didn’t text. What was the point?