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“Did you set me up on a blind date? My shirt has a hole in it, Piper. That’s not how I make a good first impression. And I didn’t bring wine. Flowers. Anything.”
“For you, Mom,” I say to the empty room. “Always for you.” One of the overhead lights flickers, and I laugh. “Yeah. I know you’re here. You wouldn’t miss this. Sometimes I can still hear you yelling at me to get the rebound.” I pause, my shoulders heavy and my eyes wet with tears. “Fuck. I miss you, Mama.”
“What was with the penalty you got earlier? I saw you chirping that dude.” “He liked one of Emmy’s photos on Instagram last week, and it pissed me off. The hit was worth the two-minute timeout I got in the sin bin.” “You’re joking.” “Nope.” “You might be the most deranged man I’ve ever met.” “Nah. Just an idiot in love.”
“We don’t know each other,” I say. “What do you want to know?” “You could have a foot fetish.” “I don’t have a foot fetish.” “You could be a murderer.” “I don’t have enough free time to be a murderer, and I saw how good you are with knives. I wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”
He gives me a wave and flips his hat backward before walking toward us. Jesus Christ. Shit like that should be illegal for men to do in public.
There are a lot of men in the world, but I’m learning there’s only one Hudson Hayes.
“When I said green, I meant that exact shade. You in that outfit, really.” His cheeks are flushed, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “No other variation is ever going to do.”
“Take as long as you need. We’ll be here,” Hudson says. “Go on, Golden Girl.” “Golden Girl?” “Yeah.” He gestures around the kitchen, not blinking at the catastrophe surrounding us. “You’re the brightest thing in this room. The brightest thing in every room.”
“You’re going to be the death of me, Madeline. Please be gentle when you kill me.”
“Tell me again how nice I am, Maddie. I can’t wait to fuck that word right out of your mouth.”
“I don’t care. The award has already been handed out. I present to you the honor of being the best dick of my life.”
“Because y’all are mine.” I tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “And I protect what’s mine.”
