His hands dropped from my waist, and he took a step back like he needed space like the air in the room had shifted.
"Dress up," he said firmly. "I'm taking you home."
I frowned, still trying to catch up. "What happened?"
He turned away from me and grabbed a shirt hanging on the back of a chair a loose gray one and pulled it over his head. He'd already taken off the one he was wearing earlier and thrown it aside.
"Quick, quick. Dress up," he said sharply.
I watched him, my lips curving into a small grin despite myself.
"Oh… I get it," I said with a grin.
He paused and looked at me. "No. You don't."
That wiped the smile off my face.
I pulled my dress back on, smoothing it down, my movements slower now. The room felt colder, heavier.
"What's going on?" I asked.
He rubbed his face and exhaled. "You're drunk. And I shouldn't have let it get that far."
"So that's it?" I said lightly, though my chest felt tight. "You change your mind?"
"It's not about me," he replied. "It's about you. I don't want you waking up tomorrow wishing this never happened."
His words landed harder than I expected.
The music downstairs thumped faintly through the floor, a reminder that the party was still alive while something between us had just… stopped.
He grabbed his jacket and held it out.
"Come on. Let me take you home."
I hesitated, then took it.
As we walked downstairs together, Hudson didn't look back. His hand stayed close, guiding me through the crowd without touching me
As we stepped outside, the noise from the house dulled, the door closing behind us like a seal on everything that had almost happened. The night air hit my face, cool and sobering. I wrapped the jacket tighter around myself.
Hudson walked ahead in silence, pushing his bike out from where it was leaned against the fence. He didn't rush me, didn't scold me. That somehow made it worse.
"Get on," he said gently.
I climbed on behind him, careful this time, my injured leg stiff as I settled. I rested my hands lightly on his sides instead of wrapping around him like before.
The distance felt intentional.
The ride was quiet. No laughter. No teasing. Just the hum of the tires against the road and the wind brushing past us. Streetlights passed one by one, illuminating his profile for seconds at a time. He looked focused serious in a way I hadn't seen before.
"I'm sorry," I said suddenly, the words spilling out before I could stop them.
He didn't turn his head. "For what?"
"For putting you in that position," I said. "For not thinking."
He slowed slightly but kept riding. "You didn't force anything," he replied. "I'm the one who should've stopped earlier."
That surprised me. "But you didn't."
"No," he admitted. "I didn't. But I did stop."
I swallowed.
When we reached my house, he brought the bike to a halt a little distance away, just far enough that the porch light wouldn't catch us. I climbed down carefully.
For a moment, we just stood there.
"I'm glad you came tonight," he said quietly. "Even if it didn't end the way you thought."
I nodded, my throat tight. "Me too."
He hesitated, then reached out and squeezed my hand once brief, reassuring. "Get inside. And text me when you're in your room."
I smiled faintly. "You sound like a parent."
He let out a small breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "Yeah… well."
I turned toward the house, then paused. "Hudson?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," I said. "For stopping."
He met my eyes, something unreadable flickering there. "Goodnight, Charlotte."
I went inside without looking back.
But even as I climbed into bed later, the echo of the music, the near-miss, and the weight of his decision stayed with meheavy and undeniable.
Because some moments don't end with what happens…
The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache.
It felt like someone was drumming inside my skull.
"Charlotte," my mom's voice cut through the fog. "Wake up. You're going to be late."
I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head. The light slipping through the curtains felt aggressive. My throat was dry. My memories blurry.
My mom pulled the blanket down. "Why are you still sleeping? I called you twice already."
"I didn't hear you," I muttered.
She studied my face for a moment. "Are you sick?"
"No," I said quickly, sitting up too fast. The room spun slightly. "Just tired."
She sighed. "You young people and your phones. Go get ready."
When she left the room, I went to the back to wash up,I bent over the basin and splashed water on my face, that's when it hit me. Flashes, Hudson's voice.His hands leaving my waist.
The sudden stop, My heart slammed against my chest.
I straightened up abruptly. "Ah!" I gasped, gripping the edge of the basin.
My reflection stared back at me eyes wide, breathing uneven.
"What was I thinking?" I whispered. "Hudson… really?"
I quickly finished bathing, dressed up, and went downstairs. For the first time in a long while, I joined my parents for breakfast.
"Dad, I can manage," I said when he picked up his car keys. "I don't want you to stress yourself."
But my father insisted that he would drop me off at school
He smiled soft, familiar. The kind of smile I hadn't seen in a while.
"Baby," he said gently, "it's fine."
Something had changed. He felt like the man he used to be. Maybe Mom had talked to him.
"Sweetheart, go with him," my mom said, smiling, I smiled back.
"Hurry up, princess. I'll be waiting for you in the car," my dad said before stepping outside.
I turned to my mom. "What did you say to him?"
She only smiled and lightly shoved me. "Go to school. You're going to be late."
"I love you, Mom," I said, hugging her carefully I couldn't hug her properly because of her big tummy.
"I love you too. Go, go, go!" she laughed.
I rushed outside, got into the car, fastened my seatbelt, and we drove off.
When we reached school, I got down and waved at him. For the first time that morning, I felt… happy. Almost free. I pushed everything about Hudson to the back of my mind, Almost
As I walked toward class, I noticed Martha giggling with another girl, her phone tilted toward her. My steps slowed.
Anger flared in my chest, and I walked faster straight into someone. Alya.
"Heyyy!" she smiled brightly.
"Hi," I replied, forcing a grin.
"There's a video," Alya's friend said suddenly.
"What video?" I asked.
"You haven't seen it yet?"
"Seen what?" My voice tightened.
Alya hesitated, then showed me her phone.
It was Hudson and me, On the stairs, Kissing, the way he lifted me cropped just enough to look wrong, My stomach dropped.
"Are you guys dating?" Alya asked carefully.
"I don't know," I said quickly. "Just"
I turned to leave.
That's when I saw Hudson walking toward us.
"Heyy, girls," he said casually, smiling.
That smile snapped something in me.
I grabbed his arm and dragged him away down the corridor, into an abandoned classroom. Old chairs were stacked awkwardly, some broken, dust floating in the air.
I slammed the door shut.
"Why?" I shoved the phone in his face. "Explain THIS."
His expression changed instantly. "Oh....shit."
"Oh, shit?" I repeated, my voice shaking. "That's all you have to say?"
"Charlotte, listen.."
"Listen to what?" I snapped. "Do you know how this makes me look?"
"I didn't post it," he said quickly. "I swear."
"But it happened," I shot back. "And now everyone thinks..."
He ran a hand through his hair. "I stopped it. You know I did."
"And that makes it better?" I laughed bitterly. "Hudson, people are laughing at me."
"You weren't exactly pushing me away either," he said, frustration creeping into his voice.
I stared at him. "So now this is my fault?"
"I didn't say that."
"You implied it."
He stepped closer. "Charlotte, you were drunk. I should've been smarter..but don't act like I planned this."
"I trusted you," I said quietly.
That made him pause.
"I trusted you to protect me," I continued, my voice breaking. "Instead, I'm the one being talked about."
He softened. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"But it did," I whispered.
Silence stretched between us.
Then he said, "I'll fix it."
I shook my head. "You can't fix what's already everywhere."
I turned to leave.
He reached out and grabbed my wrist. "Charlotte, wait."
I pulled away. "Don't."
I stormed out, my chest tight, my hands shaking.
Behind me, the door stayed closed.