an inventory of my mind.

29. MDNI. collection of stories i have written.

[daydreamscorners]

THE MASTERLIST. Sometimes we all just need an escape.

series

one shots

fanfics

To anyone who reads these, thank you for your support, and I appreciate for giving my stories a chance. I hope you enjoy it.

[daydreamscorners]

Meet Me In The Afterglow

Summary: Kate Stanmore has only two goals for this summer: focus on her job so she can finally get promoted, and do her usual routine at home, which is work, eat, and sleep. When a new neighbor moves in next door, something shifts in the air. JP Cane feels unhappy with his current position at his company. Sure, he is the CEO along with his two brothers, but he feels like he only receives the leftover work. He is unmotivated. His plans for the summer are to have fun. When he throws a party, Kate calls the police to break up the loud noises, which in turn makes them loathe each other. However, Kate comes to work on Monday morning for her boss to introduce her to the new CEOs of the company, and standing right in front of her is her annoying, charming neighbor JP Cane, along with his brothers. As weeks go by, something sparks between them that might turn the hate talk into flirting and dirty talk. 

Author's Note: Chapter Two :)

Word count: 2.7K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

<- Chapter One // -> Chapter Three

CHAPTER TWO.

The weekend comes, and Sophie appears on my front door with a box of pizza and a tub of cookies-and-cream ice cream. She has been spending her weekends with me for a month now because her kitchen is being renovated. She said it was too overstimulating to see the contractors work when she was home, so she'd rather spend the weekend with me and go home when they were gone. I don’t mind since I usually don’t have plans unless I need to go out for groceries. 

“I saw there’s a hot man in the hall,” Sophie nudges me on my side as I take a bite out of my pizza. 

Poppy is happily lying on her lap, sleeping peacefully, while Sophie threads her fingers in her fur.

“Yeah, I think he just moved in next door,” I shake my head, remembering what happened the other night. “You’ll never guess what happened.”

“Oh no,” Sophie turns to me, tilting her head. “What did you do?”

“Ugh!” I throw my head back against the sofa. “Okay, first of all, I didn’t even know he was out there.”

“No!” Sophie exclaims. “Kate, no! Did you embarrass yourself in front of your new, hot neighbor?”

“No, I didn’t— Okay, maybe it’s a little embarrassing,” I grimace. “Look, I just wanted my dinner, okay? The app said it was delivered, and I wasn’t about to change into something fancy just to pick up my food at my door.”

Sophie’s hazel eyes turn into slits as she waits for me to continue. “I was wearing my oversized shirt and short shorts where you could only see my bare legs.”

Sophie chuckles, taking a sip of her soda. “Oh, god. How do you manage to get yourself in these situations? Didn’t you tell me the other day how you looked like an idiot stuck between the two chemical tanks when Aiden was there?”

“Yeah,” I roll my eyes. 

First of all, I didn’t know there was a small pathway going towards the back wall. I was just trying to help Cora with the hose. I glare at Sophie as she laughs while eating her pizza. 

“It’s not funny,” I pout, taking a sip of my soda. “This is why I don’t go out.”

“Kate, you need to. You are like an island or something. You don’t let anyone come to you,” Sophie says. 

“Yes, I do,” I argue. “I let you come over to my place.”

I flutter my eyelashes at her repeatedly before she takes the throw pillow and throws it at my head, making me laugh. 

“Besides me!” Sophie exclaims, laughing together with me. 

“But…Why? I don’t need anyone. I have you,” I shrug, shoving the rest of my pizza in my mouth.

“Because it’s not healthy for you to just trap yourself in here all the time. When was the last time you went shopping? Or you went to a coffee shop?”

I shrug, taking another piece of pizza from the box. “Look, I’m happy where I am.”

Sophie glares at me as I give her a forced smile before taking a bite of my pizza. She has been trying to get me out of the apartment, but I don’t want to. Bars are too crowded, and there are some creeps there sometimes. I don’t need to go to the mall because I can perfectly shop online and have it dropped at my doorstep.

“Is this about—”

“Don’t say his name.” I cut her off before she can mention the name of that rat. 

“I’m just worried. You haven't truly enjoyed going out since then.” Sophie gives me her concerned hazel eyes, and I can’t help but sigh. 

I understand why she’s worried because she loves me and cares about me, but I’m not truly ready to face the world out there. Sophie will argue that I need to start facing it, but I can’t. I’m still healing from that broken relationship where the trauma still lingers. 

“I’m fine, Soph. Work keeps me busy, anyway,” I protest.

“There’s more to life than work,” Sophie argues.

I press my lips together, not wanting to argue anymore. I know there is, and I’m sure I will regret it one day that I didn’t try to go out there again, but the thought of it… The thought of getting hurt, the thought of feeling betrayed… I’m not sure if I can handle it again. My heart is too fragile. I keep it in a cage now with the key tossed into the ocean where no one can find it. 

Sophie doesn’t bother pressing the subject anymore as we pay attention to the show we are watching. By 9 pm, Sophie is saying goodbye to Poppy, who is being carried in my arms. We both say goodbye to her and watch her enter the elevator. I’m about to close my front door when my hot neighbor walks out from his place. This time, he is wearing another suit. 

I wonder what his job is. I wonder if this man ever wears anything else but a suit. Does he go to bed dressed like that, too? His green eyes catch mine, and I see a line between his brows, as if he has been trying to figure out something all day. The last few times I had seen him, he had that serious look on his face. His fingers are fixing his cufflinks when his eyes scan me again like the first night we saw each other.

Once again, I can feel goosebumps all over my skin. His eyes feel like he has some X-ray vision every time he looks at me. Poppy purrs happily in my arms, her feet kicking me softly.

“Poppy,” I whisper to her, hoping she’d stop.

“So, that's your cat,” the man says.

“Yes, why?” 

The man looks at Poppy for a moment, his eyes intense before shifting back to me.

“She tends to leave some garbage on my balcony whenever you put her outside on yours. Does she know trespassing is illegal?” 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” I apologize. “She probably likes you. Cats tend to leave gifts to people they like.”

“Well, make sure you train her to stay in her own space,” The man says before walking away.

Asshole.

“He may be hot, but what an asshole,” I whisper to Poppy as I close the door.

Poppy meows softly at me as if she agrees with what I just said. I shake my head as I make my way to the living room to clean up and wash the dishes. After I’m done, I make my way to my bed and get comfortable under my covers. I plan on doomscrolling for the rest of the night to start unwinding before I fall asleep. I feel Poppy jump on my bed and settle herself by my feet, curling into a ball.

After two hours of watching reels, I hit that time of the night where everything is funnier. At one point, I’m crying from laughing over something so stupid on Instagram. 

I yawn softly, leaning up to see Poppy is peacefully asleep by my feet. I don’t close my curtains because I’m too lazy to get up to do anything. I can feel myself getting more tired as I stare at the city lights flickering through my floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s peaceful, knowing life is happening out there. The Golden Gate Bridge is a little dimmer tonight from a distance, but it’s still beautiful. I can see cars still heavily passing through the Bay Bridge, and their lights flicker through the night. 

I let my eyes finally close as sleep takes over me. I don’t know how long I have been sleeping, but I'm having a deep sleep until I hear a loud bang coming from the other side of my wall. Immediately, my eyes open, and the sound makes Poppy jolt up from her place on the bed. She meows softly and walks over to me as if she is protecting me.

“It’s alright, my girl,” I brush my hand down her head. “It’s just our new neighbor.”

Suddenly, music vibrates through the thin walls, and I sigh, closing my eyes. Poppy’s head nuzzles on my stomach as I wrap an arm around her and try to go back to sleep. However, the music is too loud. I can't fall asleep anymore. 

“Seriously?” I whisper under my breath. “He’s going to throw a party now?” 

Huffing in frustration, I close my eyes again and flip myself on the bed. I do it three times, and nothing works. Poppy is in such distress that she runs and hides inside my closet. This man is disrupting my sleep and scaring my cat. 

So fucking disrespectful.

Exhaling a deep breath, I swing my legs over the bed and let my feet touch the cold wooden floors. I make my way to my closet and grab my silk robe, wrapping it around my body before heading out of my apartment. I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but anger and sleepiness are controlling my body at this point. 

I rap my fist against my neighbor’s front door and bang on it loudly. The music doesn’t stop as I wait there, my arms wrap around myself. Then, I hear the lock clicking and the door swing open. My neighbor stands there, still in his suit, with glassy green eyes. It looks like he is drunk.

“Yes?” He slurs.

“Could you please turn the music down? Some of us are trying to sleep here,” I grit my teeth.

The man sticks his head out in the hall and looks around before his eyes shift back to me.

“It’s a Saturday night. No one is home, and I don’t see anyone complaining but you,” He says.

“I’m still a person who’s being disrupted. Don’t you have some respect for others?”

The man waves his hand, dismissing me. “I’ll turn it down.”

Just then, he slams the door on my face, making me even angrier. I stomp my way back to my apartment and slam the door, making my way back to my bedroom. How can someone so good-looking be such a fucking asshole?

The music finally stops. 

I sigh in relief and close my eyes, finally feeling at peace when a roar of laughter vibrates through the wall. I groan and grab another pillow to cover my head. For a while, I’m starting to fall asleep again when music starts vibrating through the thin walls again. 

I had enough.

If he doesn’t want to respect his neighbors, then fine. I’ll do something about it. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I do something I know is going to bite me back in the ass later.

______

I’m not proud about it.

It’s two in the morning, and I stand on my tiptoes, one eye closed as I peek through the peephole of my front door. There are two police officers outside the hall talking to my neighbor.

“Yes, sorry, sir,” My neighbor apologizes. “It won't happen again.”

“Okay, have a good night,” the two officers say before walking away.

As if he can tell I’m on the other side of the door, I see my neighbor glare at my front door before going back inside his apartment. I sigh, pressing my back against my door and shutting my eyes. I shouldn't have done it, but I needed to sleep. It has been a stressful week, and this neighbor of mine isn’t helpful. 

I slowly pad my way towards my bedroom, guilt rising in my chest as I settle back under my covers. It isn’t something I’m proud of, but what was I going to do? Let him off the hook and let him party all night long? 

I close my eyes and tell myself to go to sleep. I shouldn't be worrying about him. He is being an asshole, and he deserves it. 

It takes me a while before I finally fall asleep. When I wake up the next morning, it’s already eleven in the morning, and Poppy is softly pawing my cheek because she’s hungry. I flutter my eyes open, seeing the view of San Francisco in front of me. I squint against the light coming through the window and rub my eyes until I see stars. After adjusting my vision, I run my hand down Poppy’s fur as she tilts her head at me and purrs happily.

“Alright, let’s get you some food,” I murmur, my voice still sounding so tired. 

I get up from my bed and make my way to the bathroom to clean up before heading into the kitchen. I pour Poppy some food into her bowl and change her water. She immediately runs towards her corner and eats her food, while I open the fridge to see what I want to eat for breakfast. My stomach growls hungrily, and then I remember last night. 

My stomach immediately twists into knots as I think about what I did. I’m not the kind of person to snitch, but it felt like anger took over my body and had a mind of its own. I have been stressed and tired all week. I don’t want to deal with another thing when I’m at home. Not that I’m making excuses for what I did, but still. It feels unreal thinking about it. 

I push the thoughts away, and I settle for some eggs and toast and cook myself some breakfast before cleaning my apartment. The cleaning turns into deep cleaning every cabinet and crevice due to my guilt and anxiety that is currently overtaking my body. 

Later, I find myself carrying two garbage bags and entering the elevator to take it downstairs to the garage where they keep the big garbage bins. I throw them into the bin and make my way back inside when the elevator doors open, and I see my neighbor staring back at me. 

Well, fuck. 

His green gaze is full of resentment and anger. 

Oh boy… Being found dead in the elevator isn’t the sort of scenario I picture in my head when it’s my time. 

Surprisingly, this time, he is wearing gray sweatpants, a hoodie that fits his muscled body really well, and a backward baseball cap. He looks good for someone about to murder me. I guess that is the bright side, right? 

My throat feels dry and tight as he steps out of the elevator, his eyes never leaving me. I try to focus on the white floors, trying to avoid his gaze as I enter the elevator. There is a heavy tension between us, but I try to ignore it.

“Is that your thing?” My neighbor finally breaks the silence. 

“Wh…What?” My voice comes out hoarse as I press the elevator button. 

Please close the door. Please close the door.

He presses his hand on the elevator doors to stop them from closing and looks me directly in the eye. I swear I feel a drip of sweat down my spine. 

“Snitching,” He says sternly. “Is that your thing? You like to snitch.”

I hitch my breath, heart pounding in my ears. My hands turn into fists at my sides. I tell myself not to let him get to me. He is an asshole first. I didn’t need to call the cops if he just respected his neighbors. It’s not like I was stopping him from throwing a party, but he was making too much noise in the middle of the night. Didn’t he read the contract when he applied for this building? It specifically said to reduce noise by 10 pm. 

I clench my jaw so hard, I think my teeth are going to break. 

“I wouldn’t have done that if you were just respectful,” I argue. 

The corner of his lips lifts as he finally lets go of the doors. He stands there in front of me, his eyes showing that his mind is reeling with different thoughts. I swallow the guilt rising in my throat as the doors finally close, and I can finally breathe. I let out a sharp exhale, leaning against the metal railing and throwing my head back against the wall. 

“Way to go, Kate,” I whisper to myself. “You just made yourself an enemy.”

[daydreamscorners]

Meet Me In The Afterglow

Summary: Kate Stanmore has only two goals for this summer: focus on her job so she can finally get promoted, and do her usual routine at home, which is work, eat, and sleep. When a new neighbor moves in next door, something shifts in the air. JP Cane feels unhappy with his current position at his company. Sure, he is the CEO along with his two brothers, but he feels like he only receives the leftover work. He is unmotivated. His plans for the summer are to have fun. When he throws a party, Kate calls the police to break up the loud noises, which in turn makes them loathe each other. However, Kate comes to work on Monday morning for her boss to introduce her to the new CEOs of the company, and standing right in front of her is her annoying, charming neighbor JP Cane, along with his brothers. As weeks go by, something sparks between them that might turn the hate talk into flirting and dirty talk. 

Author's Note: Wow! It's been a long time since I've been motivated to write. So, here it is! Uploading two chapters for fun ;) The Cane Brothers characters belong to Meghan Quinn.

Word count: 3K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

-> Chapter Two

CHAPTER ONE.

My life consists of only three things: Go to work, eat, and sleep. 

That habit has never budged for three years now, and I like it that way. Besides, when do I have time to do anything else when I am swamped with work all day, every day? I don’t hate my job. Do I love it? No, but I can tolerate it. It’s fine. It’s a good-paying job. I work with good people, and I have a great boss who supports me. I can’t ask for anything else at this point. 

“Hey, Kate,” my boss, Keith, appears in my doorway. “Can I see you for a second?”

I work as a chemist at a biotech company, providing materials and products for scientists researching medicines, though I’m not directly involved in the experiments. 

Keith is terrifying, at least to everyone else. I’ll be lying if I say I’m not terrified either, but he and I have developed a better relationship. If someone else had heard those words he just said, they might start shaking as if they were being sent to the principal’s office. Keith wears several hats to keep this company going. He has been working here for more than twenty years, and even if everyone is terrified of him, everyone respects him. 

No one can ever say no to his requests. 

One day, I’d like to be respected like him. 

Entering Keith’s office, I am greeted by an L-shaped desk and two leather chairs in front of it. He has two bookshelves. One next to his door, and one right by the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city of San Francisco. We are up so high that we can’t see anything but the fog today. 

Most of the summer, that is the view up here. 

He has two plants in his office, and the rest is filled with his family pictures and awards. His other bookshelf is filled with trinkets given to him by employees. Eighty percent of it is made up of the ones I gave him, including birthday and work anniversary cards. 

I never had a good relationship with my parents, and when I first started working here, Keith became not only my mentor but also my father figure. I never thought I would hear the words, “I’m so proud of you,” from anyone before.

“How are you, sir?” I ask, pulling up the leather chair in front of his desk. 

I sit on the chair as he sits across from me, clasping his hands together in front of him. 

Keith sighs, a pinch in his brows. “I got some news.”

“Okay,” I say, waiting for him to continue. 

From his stressed expression, it doesn’t look like good news. 

“A new company has bought Genome Dynamics,” Keith announces. 

Oh. 

It isn’t a surprise that it has been bought yet again. The business has been slow, and we keep changing CEOs every two years for the last four years. It feels like the market has been playing hot potato with the company. They had already laid off several people, and it is scary that none of us had job security. 

With this news, will new changes be coming again? More people getting laid off? More reconstruction? 

“Okay,” I nod, dragging out the word slightly. “Who is it?”

Keith runs a hand down his goatee. “It’s Cane Enterprises. I'm concerned about how they will rebuild us, given that their business is mostly real estate. However, they just finished a merger with Hopper Industries, and it seems like they are trying to expand their business.”

I bite my lower lip, feeling knots forming in my stomach. “So, these people don’t know anything about what we actually do?”

“They do,” Keith reassures. “Well, two of them do. Breaker Cane, the youngest Cane brother, and Hardy Hopper, the youngest Hopper brother, know how this industry works. I’m guessing the older brothers on both sides are here for support when it comes to finances and the decision-making side of the business.”

I sigh, grimacing at the thought of it. I know this isn’t going to end well. In two years, or maybe less, we are going to go through the same shit again, meet a new CEO, and do the same speeches about what we do. 

“I’m trying to hold out hope since their business is booming,” Keith continues. “I’ve talked to the eldest brother, Huxley Cane, and it seems like he is willing to learn every aspect of the business. He also started taking classes to learn about what we do. You know how I am; I like things to be perfect, so I take that as a good sign.”

“Right,” I force a smile. “So, when are they coming?”

“Next week,” Keith pulls out a piece of paper from the pile of documents on his desk. “Kate, I know the training that you have done to become a supervisor. I’ve seen your hard work, and you have proved to me several times that you can do this.”

Warmth blooms inside of me and sends shivers down my spine. Knowing that Keith sees me like this, I can’t help but feel proud of the work I have done. 

“I’d like you to be more exposed when it comes to talking to the executive leadership. I’d like you to accompany me to welcome them here in the building and answer questions that they may want to ask.”

Keith slides the paper in front of me. On it is the schedule for the week when they come and visit. They will arrive at eight in the morning, meet in the conference room, and then tour the facilities. Lunch will be served at noon. We will then meet in the conference room again to answer questions and discuss their plans for the company's future. 

The schedule looks the same all week except for Thursday. We have a town hall meeting for them to introduce themselves to the rest of the building, and it will include lunch for everyone. 

“I will share with you the PowerPoint I’ve created. Can you please review it? I’d like you to add some details if I missed any,” Keith says. 

“Okay, sounds good,” I give him a soft smile. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it for now,” Keith gives me a hopeful smile. “It was nice to always talk to you, Kate.”

“Thanks, sir,” I give him a curt nod before getting up from the chair and exiting his office. 

I blow out a breath as I stare at the schedule in my hands while walking back to my office three doors down. I have concerns about these new CEOs, especially given that their experience differs from our industry. However, Keith believes there is some hope. I trust him more than anyone else, so I will just have to believe it, too. Besides, he is the one who had more meetings with these men. I am sure he can already see what their personalities are like. 

I leave the piece of paper on my desk and make my way downstairs to the lab. I had a Teams chat with one of my team members who needed help before Keith had pulled me into his office. I scan my badge and push the double doors open. Several different instrument noises greet me as I walk down the lab. 

The Main Lab is split into four departments. Surrounding those departments are closed-off labs that have floor-to-ceiling windows. The closed-off labs are separated because they use more hazardous chemicals. Those labs have different ventilation inside to help suck out the smells. 

One of those labs is mine. As I slip on my lab coat and goggles, I can see my team through the floor-to-ceiling windows working hard on their reaction in their own designated hoods and workstations. Because of the glass windows, sometimes when we have visitors in the building, it feels like we are at the zoo, being watched. 

It feels uncomfortable, especially because I hate being watched when I work.

“Hey Cora,” I smile. 

Cora is our newest team member. She has only been working here for six months, and the poor girl has already been bombarded with tasks. 

“Hey, Kate,” Cora sighs. “Can you please help me? The hose for the acetonitrile is not working.”

I watch as Cora turns on the valve, and not even a drop of acetonitrile comes out of the hose. I hum softly, checking the clipboard that is hanging next to the hood. The acetonitrile sticker seems new. So, I don’t know why nothing is pouring out.

“It looks like the tank was just replaced last week,” I say. “Let me check the back and see what’s going on.”

“Okay, thank you,” Cora nods, relief filling her expression. 

I slip out of the back door of the lab and into the chem yard. It is full of gigantic tanks and several bins of lab waste. I walk through the narrow aisles and find the acetonitrile tank hiding in the back wall. 

Great. 

I look around to see which way I can safely find my way between the tanks when I hear the chem yard door open and close. The slam of the door echoes through the area. I ignore it as I try to squeeze in between two big tanks. I feel myself getting stuck between the tanks when a familiar voice startles me.

“Need help?”

“Jesus,” I place my hand on my chest, blowing out a breath. “Stop doing that.”

One of the scientists, Aiden Madden, stands there with his charming smirk. He is wearing his safety glasses and lab coat, and I don’t know how much hotter this man can get. His auburn hair is a little messy today, and his beard is trimmed nicely. 

Oh, Lord. 

“Do you need help?” He raises a brow, tilting his head to try and figure out what I’m doing. 

“Um,” I let out a soft, embarrassed chuckle. “The acetonitrile in our lab isn’t pouring anything.”

It’s only me who gets embarrassingly stuck between two tanks, and her crush just happens to catch her. 

“Ah.” The corner of Aiden’s mouth lifts as he uses his index finger to gesture to me to follow him. 

I twist my lips to the side and squeeze myself out between the tanks and follow Aiden on the other side. I watch as he walks around the big tanks and shows me a narrow pathway that leads to the acetonitrile tank. I feel my cheeks burn even more as Aiden walks down the narrow path and checks the back of the tank. 

“They didn’t turn it on,” Aiden calls out, flipping the valve. “There you go.”

“Thank you,” I smile.

He walks back to me, and I can’t help but stare. This man is every woman’s crush in this building, and somehow, I can't help but fall for his charm, too. 

Ugh, get it together, Kate.

“You’re welcome. Anything else?” Aiden’s eyes study me carefully, and I swear to God, I can feel my knees go weak. 

Goddammit, Kate. 

“Nope, all good!” I give him a thumbs up as if this can’t get any more embarrassing. “Thanks again!” I say over my shoulder as I walk back into the lab.

I mentally curse myself for looking like an idiot in front of him. When I enter the lab again, I shake off the embarrassing feeling and make a beeline back to Cora’s workstation.

“It should be good to go,” I tell her. 

Cora gets up from her chair and opens the hood, turning on the valve. Immediately, the acetonitrile starts pouring into the jug she had placed. 

“Oh, great! Thank you, Kate,” Cora smiles. “I thought I broke the valve earlier.”

“No worries. Let me know if you need anything else.”

I go to check on the rest of the team in the lab to make sure they are doing okay. As a lead, my job is to support them, and I usually try to help as much as I can, even though I've been swamped with projects these days. My supervisor, Max, is barely at work, so I tend to do most of his job. At one point, the team just gave up on expecting anything from him. I’m not sure how Max still has a job, honestly.

Exiting my lab, I slip off my lab coat when I see my best friend, Sophie, passing by with a smile on her face. She is pushing a cart full of chemical bottles. She works in the Quality Control department, and we started together at the same time at the company. We’ve known each other since college, and we were lucky enough to get a job at the same company right after graduation. 

“Hey,” I wave at her, looking at the cart. “Busy day?”

“Yep,” she blows out a breath, adjusting her goggles. “Oh, I saw your boyfriend just passed by.”

Sophie likes to tease me with Aiden. I mentioned the little crush to her once and how I find him hot, and now she has a nickname for him. 

“Yeah, he helped me outside,” I grin happily. 

“Uh huh,” Sophie snorts. “Just ask him out.”

“Yeah, okay,” I say sarcastically, laughing. “As if the rest of the women in this place haven't done that. Aiden doesn’t date anyone here.”

“Hey! I’m a woman, and I don’t like him, nor have I asked him out,” Sophie places her hand on her hip, showing off her sassy attitude. 

“Right, my bad. Everyone but you,” I chuckle. 

Sophie rolls her eyes. “I heard we have a new CEO again. They sent out the email just now.”

“Yeah,” I shrug. “Keith talked to me today. He wanted me to help him accompany them when they visit the site next week. Honestly, I’m not sure about this, but then again, what are we expecting at this point?”

Sophie scoffs. “If it isn’t so hard to find a job in this economy, I would’ve left already.” She shakes her head, looking around the lab. “Anyway, that’s great though. Hopefully, you’ll get promoted soon. You’ve been working your ass off.”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” I bite my lower lip. “Anyway, I have to go. I have a meeting.”

“Okay. I’ll see you this weekend? I’ll bring pizza,” Sophie smiles as she starts pushing her cart again. 

“Yes!” I call out, walking in the opposite direction. 

I give people a curt nod as I pass by them down the lab, making my way out and up the stairs again to the office. I spend the rest of my day reviewing Keith’s PowerPoint and adding additional details, and next thing I know, I’m already driving back home to my place. I park my car in the garage and take the elevator, letting out a sharp breath and leaning my head against the metal wall. Burgers sound really good right now, and the comfort of my own sofa is calling my name. 

When the elevator doors open, I walk down the hall and find moving boxes sitting outside the empty apartment next to mine. It seems like someone is moving in. I shrug and scan the pod on my door, and immediately something soft and fluffy twists around my ankle. 

“Hi, baby,” I smile happily, kneeling to pet her. “Hi, Poppy. How was your day?”

The white Scottish fold cat purrs happily as I continue to run my hand down her head and body. Her head rubs softly against my knee as she flutters her eyes closed. Smiling, I take her in my arms and walk to my kitchen to get her some food. I press a soft kiss on her head and place her on top of my marble counter. 

Grabbing her food from the cabinet, I pour some into her bowl. Poppy immediately jumps off the counter and runs towards her little corner near the floor-to-ceiling windows. 

While Poppy eats her dinner, I open up the sliding door of my balcony, leaving the screen door closed to let in some fresh air. The city noise fills the room, while I walk to my bedroom and grab a fresh pair of clothes. 

“Oh, food,” I whisper to myself, sliding my phone out of my back pocket. 

I order myself a burger and fries from a local restaurant down the street before I hop in the shower. My routine is the same almost every night: come home, cook dinner or order in, shower, and watch whatever series I’m currently watching. If anyone were to look at it, they might think it’s boring, but I like it. It’s peaceful, and I don’t have anything else to worry about. 

By the time I’m out of the shower, I see a notification on my phone that my food has been delivered. I look down at my outfit and pause for a moment. Oversized t-shirt and short shorts with socks? I shrug, knowing the hall is usually pretty quiet around this time of night.

I unlock my front door and see the paper bag sitting on the floor. I bend down to grab it when I hear the door of the apartment next to mine open. I freeze in my spot as a man in a three-piece suit looks at me. His green eyes scan my bare legs, his throat bobbing as I stare back at him, dumbfounded and embarrassed. His hair is styled nicely as if a professional has done it, one curl falling over his forehead. His beard is trimmed well, too. He looks like a million bucks in front of me.

He is handsome.

Of course, this happens to me.

He does another once-over before turning around and grabbing the box that has been sitting in the hall. Feeling my cheeks burn from embarrassment, I quickly close my front door and lock it. 

“Great,” I whisper to myself. “What a great first impression.”

Shaking my head, I grab a plate from my cabinet, place the burger and fries on it, and bring it with me to the living room. Turning on the television, I press play on the next episode of the show I am currently watching. 

I sigh happily as I kick back and eat my dinner. This is definitely the life. 

I love how peaceful this is. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: ;)

Wordcount: 3.6K

Disclaimer: 18+ only, smut

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

“Hey, can I see you in my office?” 

I gazed up from the reaction I was doing and saw Keith peeking his head through the door. I nodded and asked Luca to watch my reaction before walking out of the lab and slipping off my lab coat. It has been three days since the picnic and the incident. I haven’t heard anything about it or about Stella. I honestly didn’t want to. I would rather just be silent and move on with it. 

During the weekend, Hudson helped me pack up my apartment, and we slowly moved into his new house. 

Our house, I guess. 

It still felt weird saying that. Hudson has been so supportive and caring. He took a few days off from work to make sure I was settled into the house well. I haven’t heard from Camille since her visit from the hospital, and I wonder if she was waiting for me to reach out. She was still my sister, after all, and I still loved her. It would just be a little hard for me to forgive and heal from the torn relationship we had, but I was willing to try. 

“Is there something wrong, sir?” I asked the moment I closed Keith’s office door behind me. 

“I have news,” Keith said as he sat on his chair behind his desk, while I settled on one of the chairs across. 

“Bad or good?” I raised my brow. 

“So,” Keith clasped his hands on his desk. “After a long talk with HR and the Canes, we decided not to involve the Hoppers due to conflict of interest— we decided on an answer for Stella.”

I hitched my breath and played with my fingers nervously on my lap. I braced myself for whatever Keith was going to say next. Like I said, I wasn’t interested in what was going to happen to her. I was exhausted from feeling like I spent all my energy on her presence alone. 

“I understand,” I said. 

“I know things have been rocky with her the last two years. I know that you’ve lost some people throughout the time she’s here and also lost your spark, which I missed a lot, by the way,” Keith gave me a small smile. 

I gave him a small crooked smile as I looked down at my lap. 

“Stella’s last day was yesterday,” Keith stated, making my head snap and looking at him with wide eyes. 

“What?” 

“It was Huxley’s decision to terminate her,” Keith said. 

Huxley Cane terminated Stella? The man who also wanted to get rid of me when I made the same mistake two years ago. I wonder if Gigi had something to do with this, but then again, I knew Huxley enough that he was a businessman first. He knew how to separate his business decisions from personal ones. Even if Gigi was my friend, I knew Huxley would have let Stella stay if the action wasn’t that bad. 

“I… Why? I mean…I… I was able to stay…”

“It wasn’t just because of the incident. After the picnic, when the report was handed to HR, I found out that there had been several reports about Stella’s behavior from other people in this building. Obviously, I can’t tell you since they are confidential, but it drove HR and Huxley to make the decision to fully terminate her due to those reasons, also.” 

“Oh,” I bit my lower lip. 

“I called you in here because I want you to hear about it first. I also want to reassure you that I did try to help Stella, just like I did when you were in trouble, but a lot of stuff happened. It wasn’t just the picnic, and I can’t help with that anymore. I also wanted you to know, so you don’t feel guilty about it.”

“Thank you,” I looked up to Keith with soft eyes. “Not for this but for everything. For fighting for me.”

“Of course,” Keith smiled, his blue eyes full of sincerity. “If you ever need anything, my door is always open.”

“Thank you,” I nodded and slowly got up from my seat. 

Walking from Keith’s office and towards my cubicle, my mind started gearing different thoughts. There were truly different ways in which life could be fair and unfair. I couldn’t get past the decision that Huxley made when it came to Stella. Yes, she did terrible things, but so did I. I didn’t want any favoritism or any personal reason why this decision was made. 

“Hey,” Gigi smiled, passing by my cubicle. “What’s wrong?”

“Um, nothing,” I hitched a breath, looking up to her. “Is Huxley here?”

Gigi turned her head to the side and side-eyed me as if I was hiding something from her. She pointed her thumb over her shoulder and said, “Yeah, he was just talking to Hudson.”

“Hudson’s here?” My brow raised, getting up from my seat. 

“Girl, what’s going on?” Gigi asked.

“I… I’ll tell you about it later, but I just want to talk to them,” I said, and I walked past her before she could say anything and quickly walked down the hall. 

Just in time, I saw Huxley and Hudson talking to each other outside the conference room. Huxley squeezed Hudson’s shoulder as Hudson ran a hand down his face as if he was stressed about what Huxley just said. 

“Hey,” I murmured breathlessly. 

Both men turned to me, both their brows raised and eyes wide. Hudson’s stressful expression quickly disappeared as he took a step closer to me. His hand slightly reached out for a moment, but he restrained himself to look professional in front of Huxley. 

“Can I talk to you, Huxley?” My eyes were pinned only to him. 

I could see that Hudson was surprised by my question, but I kept my eyes pinned on Huxley. Huxley nodded, gesturing his arm towards the conference room. I shifted my eyes to Hudson, letting him know it was okay, before I followed Huxley inside the conference room, closing the door behind me. 

“What is it?” Huxley asked, crossing his arms on his chest. 

We didn’t bother sitting down. We stood next to the long wooden conference table and immediately got down to business. 

“About Stella…”

“Yes, what about her?” Huxley asked, his voice serious. 

“I… I mean… I don’t understand,” I stuttered, not really knowing what my real question was for Huxley. 

“You mean, why did I terminate her?” Huxley huffed as I nodded. “It’s confidential, but if it gives you peace, she almost threw some deblock at Luca two weeks ago, and Luca reported it just because she had a bad day. He was trying to help her, but she used her emotions and ran with it.”

“Oh. I…”

“Then, she threw a tantrum and scratched your face in the middle of the grass field just because she was upset she didn’t win. Now, tell me in those two incidents, plus the complaints about her attitude, that I made a mistake in my decision to terminate her.”

“I didn’t…” I stumbled. “I didn’t think it was a mistake. I just wanted to know if…”

“If I did it because of Gigi or Hudson?”

I nodded again, looking down at my feet. 

“No, I didn’t. I think Stella's actions led to these consequences. If you wonder why you were given another chance, it was because it was one incident in your record. Frankly, I was ready to terminate you, too. However, Keith asked me to give you three months, and you’ve changed a lot. Keith asked me the same thing about Stella, but there were too many incidents already, including what happened with the two of you, for me to just look past that.”

Huxley uncrossed his arms and took a step forward to me. “If you’re here asking for me to make you feel better, I’m not going to do that. This is a business, and I study each action and incident in detail before making a decision. Stella’s actions were happening in patterns for me to just not let it go.”

I didn’t say anything as I gazed up at him with glassy eyes. The serious look on Huxley’s face was intimidating. He was very different in front of me than he was with Gigi. Right now, this was CEO Huxley in front of me, and I wanted to curl up in a ball and hope he wouldn’t look at me like that again. 

“Thank you,” I murmured. 

Huxley gave me a curt nod, studying me for a minute before taking a step back and opening the door. Hudson was still outside the door the moment Huxley walked out, and he saw the expression on my face. Hudson gave me an apologetic look before I gave him a small smile and shook my head. 

Huxley was right. 

This was business, and I shouldn’t take it too personally. He made the decision, and that was that. 

______

A delicious aroma greeted me as soon as I stepped inside the house that night. I slipped off my shoes, took off my jacket, and hung it on the coat rack. I walked down the hall and was greeted by Hudson’s back standing over the stove. His back was bent as he cooked, which I was assuming was our dinner. His gray shirt was hugging the muscles on his body, and the gray sweatpants he was wearing were doing something good for his ass. 

“Hey,” He looked over his shoulder when he heard me padding towards him. “How was your day?”

“It was interesting…” I murmured. 

Hudson abandoned the pan on the stove and slowly walked up to me, leaning down to give me a soft kiss on the lips. His hand slid behind me to pull me close to his body. 

“I’m sorry about today,” Hudson whispered, kissing my temple. “I should have…”

“No,” I shook my head, pulling away lightly. “It was my business, Hudson. I never wanted you to be involved in it.”

“Huxley told me his decision. Is that why you talked to him?”

I puffed out a breath as he let me go and walked back to the stove, focusing his attention on the food he was making. I could see that Hudson was trying to not look at me, and I wondered what he was feeling or if he felt uncomfortable about this subject. 

“Yeah,” I leaned my elbows against the kitchen island and stared at his back. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, of course,” Hudson murmured, his back still turned to me. 

I padded my way towards him, wrapping my arms around his torso. I lay my cheek against his back as I felt his muscles contract with every move he made. 

“Hudson…” I whispered. 

I felt him sucked in a deep breath before hearing the stove click. He turned fully to me, taking my arms away from his torso and sliding them up around his neck. Hudson’s blue eyes studied mine before he leaned down to press a soft kiss on my cheek. 

“Just had an argument with Huxley today,” He said. 

“About what?”

“He told me about his decision with Stella and that he made the decision himself without asking the rest of us,” Hudson shook his head. “I get it because of conflict of interest, but I…”

“Hey,” I played with the short strands of his hair on the nape of his neck. 

“It’s okay, Hudson. I didn’t want you to be part of that decision, either. It makes sense, and besides, it’s over.”

“I know,” Hudson’s eyes flicked towards my lips for a moment. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am,” I smiled. “So, please, let’s forget about this, okay?” 

Hudson leaned down to kiss me passionately, my fingers tangling in his hair. I could immediately feel the air shift between us as he trailed his lips on my jaw and down to my neck. Hudson’s fingers started unbuttoning the buttons of my blouse as we both gasped softly. 

“Hudson…” I whispered, sucking on the skin of his neck, which earned me a small moan from him. “I know you just cooked dinner, but I want you.”

“Don’t say things like that,” Hudson kissed me again, harder and hungrily this time. 

“I mean it,” I said through the kiss. “Please.”

“Fuck,” Hudson cursed under his breath.

He slid his hands down to my thighs and pulled me close to his body as he lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. Our lips kept moving in a heated kiss as he quickly walked towards the bedroom until his knees found the edge of the bed and settled me gently on the mattress without pulling away from the kiss. My legs loosened from his waist, while my arms untangled from his neck, and my palms slid down his broad chest until I found the hem of his shirt. 

“I can get used to you coming home like this every night,” Hudson whispered, helping me pull his shirt over his head. 

My fingers tugged on the waistband of his sweatpants and pulled them down, finding his cock straining against his briefs. 

“Come here,” I murmured, pushing his briefs down and wrapping my fingers around the base of his hard cock. 

“Fuck, baby,” Hudson groaned, his eyes watching me intently.

Hudson gathered my hair in his hands as I leaned forward and licked the tip of his cock. I earned another guttural sound from him as I swirled my tongue around his cock before taking him in my mouth. 

“Holy shit,” Hudson groaned, throwing his head back. 

I kept my eyes on him as I sucked him deep, trying not to gag, so he knew that I could take him. Hudson tugged on my hair as I pumped his cock in my mouth, and my other hand was playing with his balls. I continued to thrust him in my mouth until my eyes started to water, and I could feel Hudson trembling under my touch. 

“Stop, stop,” Hudson grunted, taking his cock out of my mouth. 

Hudson’s hands slipped under my arms and pulled me to the center of the bed as he finished unbuttoning my blouse, revealing my red lacy bra. 

“Fuck, baby,” He said, studying me, his eyes darkening. “Why are you walking around the office like this?”

A smirk played on my lips as I pulled him down for another kiss. 

“I was hoping to catch your attention today,” I said through the kiss. 

“I will never walk around the office normally ever again without thinking that you're wearing this under your clothes,” Hudson smiled, slipping my blouse off my body. 

His fingers started unbuttoning my dress pants and tugged them down, only for him to see the matching red lacy underwear underneath them. 

“Yeah, I’ll have to quit,” Hudson said as he muffled the laugh that bubbled up from me. 

Hudson unclasped my bra and helped me tug them away from my body before letting his mouth clasp on one of my nipples, making me gasp loudly. I moaned his name, my fingers tangling in his soft brown hair. I stared up at the ceiling, smiling softly. Hudson lapped around my nipple and sucked it before giving the same attention to the other one, and I couldn’t help but sigh happily, my fingers playing with the strands of his hair. 

“Baby,” I murmured. 

Hudson’s lips pulled away from my nipple, and he gazed up at me with soft eyes. 

“I love you,” I murmured. 

“I love you too,” Hudson grinned, kissing me deeply and feeling his hard cock between my legs. 

He gently grinds his cock, feeling my underwear getting soaked from how wet I am. His lips trailed down between my breasts, down to my stomach, before he paused and pulled my underwear down. He pressed a soft kiss on my wet entrance and let his mouth suck on my clit. 

“Fuck,” I moaned, fluttering my eyes closed. “Yes.”

Hudson continued to lick and sucked on my clit until my legs were trembling, and I could feel the pleasure starting to build on the base of my spine. I tugged on his hair harder, and just right before my orgasm took over me, Hudson pulled away, and I cried out his name for not giving me the release I wanted. 

“Hudson,” My voice sounded frustrated. 

“I want you to come all over my cock,” Hudson said, wrapping his fingers around the base of his cock and letting the tip of it slide through my wet entrance. 

I nudged my hips up, wanting to find that friction that I was craving. I could see the smirk playing on Hudson’s lips. His free hand pinned my hips down on the mattress before he slowly slid his cock inside me, inch by inch, until he bottomed out, and I was so full of him. 

“Baby, please,” I whined. 

“So impatient,” Hudson chuckled, kissing my neck and nipping on the skin before he started thrusting slowly in and out of me. 

I dug my nails into Hudson’s chest as he buried his face in my neck and snapped his hips faster and rougher, sending a hazy fog to my brain. My eyes fluttered closed, our moans echoing through the walls of our bedroom. This connection I have with Hudson was the one constant thing that I had in my life, and whenever he was inside me, I could feel how much he belonged here with me. He fits perfectly as if he were made for each other. The way I also fit perfectly in his arms whenever he would wrap his arms around me. The way he fits perfectly next to me in bed. 

This was us. 

“Fuck,” I moaned, throwing my head back and arching my back, feeling the delicious pleasure building.

Hudson continued to snap his hips faster and deeper inside me as his lips found mine, and he kissed me hungrily and deeply.

“God, you feel so amazing, baby,” Hudson groaned, looking down at me. “Open your eyes. I want you to look at me when you come.”

I fluttered my eyes open, feeling both of our flushed bodies moving together. The sounds of our skin slapping echoed through the walls, and I could feel Hudson’s thrusts starting to get rough and messy. My orgasm was close, and he could tell because he stopped and grabbed me by the hips to bring me to my knees on the bed. Hudson pressed his front against my back and snapped his hips harder, feeling my legs tremble from the delicious burn. 

Hudson slipped his hand to my front and between my legs, slipping two fingers and started rubbing my swollen clit. I could feel the pleasure shooting down my spine and to my toes as I gasped loudly from the immense pleasure I was feeling. Hudson buried his face on my bare shoulder, his free hand digging through my hip. I could already feel the bruise blooming there, and I didn’t care. I wanted to see and know that Hudson left it there. That I was his, and he was mine. 

“Shit,” Hudson groaned, pushing deeper. 

It only took a few more thrusts before I could feel my whole body tremble and my muscles go still until I was crying out Hudson’s name.

“Hudson… Hudson,” I whimpered, my orgasm washing over me, and I was completely boneless in his arms. 

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Hudson whined as he spilled himself inside me, and we both collapsed on the bed, panting and feeling the haze of the pleasure that just washed over us.

After a few seconds, Hudson had caught his breath and crawled closer to me, leaving soft kisses on my bare back as I lay there on my stomach, still catching my breath. 

“I love you so much,” Hudson whispered through my skin. 

I smiled lazily as I closed my eyes, feeling exhausted. Hudson reached to brush a hair out of my face and pressed a soft kiss on my cheek. 

“I want us to start fresh, Hudson,” I whispered, my eyes still closed. 

“What do you mean?” 

I turned my body fully to him, lying on my back. Hudson was resting on his elbow and hovering over me as he pressed his palm on my stomach, his thumb rubbing circles on my flushed skin. 

“I want to move on from everything,” I let out a deep sigh. “I want to forgive the people I love. I want us to have a new beginning. I want us to focus on… us. Our future.”

Hudson smiled softly, leaning down to kiss the edge of my shoulder. “That sounds amazing, baby. Are you sure you’re ready to forgive Camille?”

I played with his fingers that were on my stomach and looked down at them for a moment before flicking my eyes up to his again. 

“I think along the way, I already had before she apologized. She’s my sister, Hudson. I know things aren’t going to be the same as before, but we could try. Despite everything, I know she’s a good person with a good heart. I hope that one day you could accept her, too.”

“Baby,” Hudson cupped my face with his hand. “I’ll do anything to make you happy. I’m not too fond of what she did, but she’s your family, and I’m willing to try as long as you’re safe and protected.”

I leaned against his touch, closing my eyes and letting his thumb draw circles on my cheek. I felt Hudson’s lips pressed on my forehead before he settled next to me and pulled me into his arms. I lay my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. 

“Thank you,” I whispered. 

Hudson chuckled lightly and pressed a soft kiss on my hair. 

“You have no idea the things I’d do for you,” Hudson murmured. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: Okay, sorry for the late upload. I'm back from vacay!

Wordcount: 3K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

“No, she needs to be fucking fired!” 

“Hudson, there is a process that goes with this.”

“Stella fucking harassed her in the middle of the field!” 

“I want you to remember that she did the same two years ago.”

“Are you really fucking taking her side right now?”

“Hudson, I’m just telling you that this is a business. There’s a process, but I assure you that there is a consequence for her actions.”

“This is such bullshit!” 

“Can you two please talk this out later on or outside? She needs some rest.”

“Sorry.” 

“Sorry.”

My feet were cold. There was a pounding headache on the right side of my head, and I could smell alcohol and a sterile room. There was a metallic taste on my tongue, and my fingers could feel the rough blanket that was on top of my body. I could hear voices that sounded distant one minute, and then sounded close another minute. My brain felt hazy, and I wondered if my injuries, not that they were big, had taken my brain somewhere else other than here on Earth. 

“Seriously, get out,” I heard Gigi’s voice, almost a whisper. 

“I’m not leaving her,” Hudson argued.

“Then shut the fuck up, and take a deep breath. She needs you right now—”

“If he can calm down—”

“Huxley, I swear to God, you will end up in the room next door. Get out." Gigi gritted her teeth. "You two can talk about business later, and whatever the fuck Stella’s consequences will be,” Gigi was whisper-yelling at both men. “Right now, she needs to rest. The doctor said she fainted from the heat and stress. She doesn’t need to wake up with you two arguing.”

“I’m leaving,” Huxley whispered. 

I heard the door open and close quietly. 

Have you ever felt like your body was floating? The kind where all your limbs felt boneless and numb. Then, your mind was just airy, and you didn’t have to think about anything other than just enjoying this feather-light feeling. That was how my body felt for a few minutes. Then, suddenly, as if I was descending on the ground, I felt my whole body aching from everything. My entire body was sore, my scalp was painful, and there was a stinging pain on my right cheek. 

“Hmm…” I groaned softly, trying to flutter my eyes open. “Hudson.”

I heard some rustling and then the right side of my bed dipped from Hudson’s weight. His fingers softly brush away the strand of hair from my face. 

“Hey, baby. How are you feeling?” Hudson’s voice was soft.

I fluttered my eyes open and found Hudson with a worried look on his face as he softly brushed his knuckles against my cheek. Behind him, Gigi stood there with a water bottle in hand, also looking at me with concern. 

“I don’t like those faces,” I murmured, blinking repeatedly to clear my vision. “Do I look that bad?”

Gigi gave me a sad smile and said, “No, you just looked like a big cat scratched your cheek, but it makes it look badass.” 

I chuckled softly, “I’m glad to hear that. At least, I could tell everyone I survived a cat fight.”

Gigi and I chuckled together as I shifted my eyes to Hudson, his face staying the same. I reached out for his hand, and immediately, he intertwined his fingers with mine. 

“Hey, I don’t like that grumpy face,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I’m fine.”

“Hmm…” Hudson let out a small grunt, his eyes studying me intently. 

“Here,” Gigi handed Hudson the water bottle. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll go check on Huxley before he actually ends up in the room next to yours.”

I chuckled, smiling at my friend. “Thank you.” 

I squeezed Hudson’s hand as he inserted a straw into the bottle and helped me up from my bed. He fluffed the pillow behind me and gently helped me lean back against it. He held the water bottle as I took a sip from it, feeling refreshed as the metallic taste in my mouth slowly disappeared. Gigi closed the door behind her as Hudson placed the bottle down on the bedside table. 

“Say something, please,” I murmured. 

Hudson’s jaw was still clenched tight as he brushed my hair away from my shoulder. His blue eyes looked worried, studying my features slowly as if he wanted to see if there were any other injuries that the doctors had missed. I’ve noticed that he changed shirts. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, and his hair was sticking out in different directions as if he had been pulling on it. His expression was bleak, his blue eyes dimmed by the memories of what had happened earlier. 

“Hudson, I’m okay,” I reassured him again. 

“Why didn’t you fight back?” Hudson asked. 

“I’m sorry?” My brows pinched from his sudden question. 

“You had free space to fight back. Why didn’t you?” Hudson’s nose flared. “Why did you let her drag you away like that?”

“Hudson, it happened so fast…”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Hudson snapped. “I saw the look on your face when she was fighting you. I know you had let her win. I know you chose not to fight back. Why?”

“I…” I sighed, knowing I couldn’t keep anything from Hudson. “I thought maybe to just end this. Let her have it since I did the same to her, anyway.”

“Christ,” Hudson got up from his place next to me and ran a palm down his mouth and beard. “Do you know how worried I was?”

“I know. I just…” I threw my arms in the air. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.” 

Hudson opened his mouth to say something when we were interrupted by a knock on the door. Hudson’s nostrils flared as he exhaled a sharp breath, placing his hands on his hips. There was silence for a moment as I stared at him, waiting for him to say something. Another knock on the door disturbed the silence before Hudson rushed to the door and swung it open. 

Standing on the other side were Camille and Bea. I gasped softly to see my sister in sight. I wasn’t surprised with Bea since I probably expected her to come barging in here with flowers and a worried look on her face, but Camille? It was a surprise to me. 

Hudson looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening at me. I didn’t know what to say or react at the sight of them. Slowly, Bea entered first with a bouquet of peonies in her hands, with Camille following along behind her. 

“What is she doing here?” Hudson gritted his teeth at Bea.

“Hudson,” I whispered, shaking my head at him. 

“I want to talk to her,” Camille said.  

“No,” Hudson growled.

“Hudson,” I reached for his hand and squeezed it. “It’s fine.”

Hudson’s nose flared as he looked at me with a wide-eyed look before shifting his eyes back to Camille and then to Bea. Camille and Bea stood at the end of my bed with pleading eyes before Hudson sucked in a deep breath. He leaned forward to cup my cheek and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead before letting my hand go. 

“I’ll be right outside the door,” Hudson warned, giving Camille a look before walking out the door. 

As soon as Hudson was out of earshot, Bea sighed and handed me the bouquet of peonies. 

“That’s for you, sweetheart,” Bea smiled. 

“Thank you, Mother,” I said, smelling the flowers and placing them on my lap before looking at Camille. 

She played with her fingers nervously as she slowly walked up to my bed. She looked worn out, and the dark circles under her eyes were more prominent. 

“I didn’t think you’d go for brooding and grumpy when it comes to a boyfriend,” Camille commented, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Well, nice and kind on the outside and mentally abusive on the inside didn’t work well for me the last time,” I replied. “Besides, Hudson has a good heart even if he looks like that on the outside.”

“It seems like it,” Camille pulled up a chair next to my bed and took a second to gather her thoughts. 

On the other side of the room, Bea had settled into the sofa, brushing her fingers through her hair. 

“I’m sorry,” Camille murmured, looking at me. “For everything.”

I hitched my breath, my fingers slowly wrapping around the stems of the flowers that were on my lap. My heart raced, and I felt the tears well up in my eyes. I didn’t expect Camille to apologize for what happened. When we had fights, big or small, we tend to just start talking to each other again, like nothing happened, after a few days. I knew that this was our biggest fight yet, but I still didn’t expect this. 

“I’m sorry for choosing her in the first place. You’re my sister, and I was blinded by the fact that a girl likes me and wants to be with me, but you’re right. In the end, she still chose to be with her boyfriend, no matter how much effort I put in.” Camille sighed, looking down. 

“She also had an attitude problem,” I added. 

“Yeah, that too,” Camille ran her palms down her face. “I’m really sorry.”

“T…Thank you,” I whispered. “But… It’s going to take some time for me to be able to fix our relationship.”

“I know,” Camille nodded, getting up from her chair. “I just want to check up on you after what happened. I’m just glad you’re okay and that you have someone to take care of you, but I’m here if you need anything. Bea is here, too.”

I quickly wiped away the tear that rolled down my cheek and nodded. Bea got up from the sofa and brushed my hair softly, giving me a soft smile. 

“We’re here for you, sweetheart,” Bea pressed a soft kiss on my hair before taking the flowers from my hands and placing them in a vase next to my bed. “We’ll let you rest.”

“Thank you,” I murmured. 

Camille gave me a soft smile, and just in time, Hudson opened the door for them. He had a serious look on his face as Camille paused in her tracks for a moment and looked up to him. Next to Hudson, Camille looked so small. 

“Take care of her,” Camille whispered. 

“I plan to,” Hudson’s jaw clenched as we watched them walk out of the room.

When the door closed, Hudson turned to look at me, his shoulder slumping. I have never seen Hudson this weary before, and I hated the fact that I was the one who did this to him. I reached one arm out to him as he slid his hand on mine and let me pull him towards the side of my bed. I moved a little bit to give him some room as he settled next to me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. 

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Hudson murmured through my hair. 

“No, I’m sorry. I…” I puffed out a breath and gazed up at him. “I thought that if I let her explode her anger, this would all end, you know? I’m tired of all of this. All the drama, hatred, and remorse. It’s so exhausting.”

“I know,” Hudson pressed a soft kiss on my hair. “But I hate that you let her do that. You deserve to feel what you feel after everything she did.”

I buried my face in the crook of his neck and hummed softly. “Can I go home?”

“Yeah, I was just talking to the nurse, and she said you’re good to go,” Hudson caressed my back softly. “I’d like to take you to my place, is that okay?”

“I’d love that,” I smiled, gazing up at him. 

Hudson gave me a soft smile and leaned down to kiss me softly before getting up from my bed and letting me change into my skirt and his sweatshirt that he brought from home. I pulled the sleeves over my hands, smelling Hudson’s scent on them and feeling warm and comfortable.

“Ready?” Hudson asked. 

I nodded, intertwining my fingers with his as we walked out of the hospital. He opened the car door for me and slid into the driver’s seat, driving away from the hospital and into the streets of San Francisco.

It was already late at night, and the city lights blurred in front of me as I looked out the window. There was comfortable silence in the car as I let Hudson try to process his own thoughts because I knew he had gone through a lot today. I wanted him to be calm by the time we arrived at his house.

When Hudson took a left turn, I looked back at him and said, “Wait, this isn’t going to your house.”

“It is,” Hudson smiled softly. 

After a few minutes, he parked in front of an unfamiliar house. There was a gate, three stories high, and it was up the hill where you could see the whole city, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge. 

“Hudson, is this…?” I looked at him with wide eyes as soon as he helped me step out of the car. 

“Is this the new house?”

“Yeah, I wanted to wait to tell you until everything is all set up. I was going to show you this weekend, but I guess now is a good time,” Hudson led me up the steps, unlocked the door, and placed his hand on the small of my back to lead me inside. 

The foyer was elegant, and there was a staircase that greeted me. The walls were white with dark wood furniture and marbled floors. It looked like something out of a movie. Hudson looked over his shoulder and sucked in a deep breath, his hands caressing my arms softly. 

“I bought this house because I wanted to ask you something,” Hudson murmured. “I swear, I planned this better, but I just couldn’t wait anymore.”

“W…What is it?” My teeth rolled on my bottom lip. 

“I want you to move in with me, baby.” Hudson’s blue eyes were glassy. “I love you, and I want to be with you.” 

My lip trembled from the overwhelming feeling that was washing over me. Hudson Hopper loved me. Hudson Hopper wanted me to move in with him. I needed someone to pinch me to know if this was all a dream because I had hit my head too hard on the grass earlier, or if this was actually real. 

“You’re killing me with your silence, baby,” Hudson chuckled, caressing my cheek with his thumb. 

“No, I mean…” I laughed softly, shaking my head, and paused to gather my thoughts. “I mean, I’m sorry. I was just surprised, but yes, Hudson. I’d love to.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yes,” I laughed as Hudson wrapped his strong arms around my torso and picked me up from the ground. 

I couldn’t help but laugh as he twirled me around in the air. He slid his arm under my thighs as he carried me bridal style and walked up the staircase. Hudson walked down the hall and into the master bedroom, where a king-sized bed was sitting in the middle of the room. Setting me down gently, I hitched my breath as I studied the bedroom. It had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the bay. A bathroom to the left side and then a walk-in closet. 

“Wow,” I let my fingers skim through the fabric of the comforter. “This is so unbelievable.”

“This is our bedroom,” Hudson said, standing by the doorway and watching me study every detail of the room. 

I turned towards the mirror on the vanity and saw the scratch that was a long slash over my right cheek as if a cat had scratched me so deeply into my skin. It was the first time I saw myself since the fight, and I now understood why Hudson looked worried. There was a light bruise blooming on my neck as I lightly let my fingers touch my cheek. 

“Doctor said it should heal in a few days,” Hudson whispered, taking my fingers away from my skin. “Let it heal.”

My eyes dropped to the floor as Hudson pulled my side closer to his chest. His arm wrapped around me for comfort and warmth, his lips pressing on my temple.

“You’re beautiful,” Hudson reassured me. 

I blinked away the tears welling up in my eyes before gazing up at Hudson. He leaned down to kiss me softly as I wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him closer. His hands found my waist, squeezing them lightly as our lips moved together. I licked Hudson’s bottom lip, letting his mouth open and letting me tangle it with his. He twisted his fingers through my hair, angling my head to give him better access.

“You need to rest, baby,” He whispered on my lips. 

I moaned softly, running my hands down his broad chest. “Yeah, I know.”

Hudson smiled, giving a peck on the lips before moving away from me. I whimpered, reaching out to pull him close, but he continued to pull away. 

“How about a bath?” Hudson chuckled, walking towards the bathroom. 

I followed behind him, leaning against the doorframe, and watched him run the water. Hudson opened one of the cabinets and poured bath salt and lavender oil on the water before turning to me. 

“Will you join me?” I asked as he grabbed my hand. 

“How dare you think I’m just going to let you stay in there naked without me?” Hudson’s bottom lip pouted. 

I laughed as I pulled his sweatshirt over his head, and he did the same with mine. We both helped undress each other before Hudson took my hand and helped me into the tub. We both settled inside the tub, the water sloshing around us. My back was pressed against Hudson’s bare chest as he wrapped his arms around me. 

“I love you,” Hudson murmured through my hair. 

Throwing my head back against his chest, I fluttered my eyes closed. I felt Hudson’s lips leave several open-mouthed kisses on my shoulder, making me shiver from his touch.

“I love you, too.” 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: Revenge is NOT sweet.

Wordcount: 3.7K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

The California heat was beating down hard as I parked in the parking lot of the lake park. Music surrounded the large private area where Genome Dynamics was holding their annual BBQ Picnic. I brushed down the mini skirt I was wearing and tugged on the top to adjust it. I was nervous, and I was already looking for Gigi around the park. 

Entering, I was greeted by two large obstacle course bouncy houses. I could smell the BBQ that was being cooked across the park by the catering company that Genome Dynamics hired. My eyes roamed the park and found several employees settling on the grass. They brought their own folding chairs and picnic blankets and joined their friends together. Some brought their children, who were jumping up and down in the bouncy houses. 

Across the park, I found Keith in his cargo shorts and oversized Dad t-shirt, and a fisherman’s hat, talking to Huxley and JP Cane. I never saw Huxley and JP in casual clothes before. It was a sight to see. Huxley was wearing gray chino shorts and a black polo shirt, his muscles almost ripping the shirt. I wonder how Gigi handled that at night. JP was wearing denim pants and a hoodie. I couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t hot under this weather. 

“Hey,” Hudson’s familiar voice broke me out of my thoughts. 

I turned around and found Hudson in a cream Henley sweater, the two buttons were open on his chest, and black dress pants. His sleeves were pushed up to his forearms, his beard was trimmed nicely, and his hair was pushed back, leaving a strand of curly hair hanging on his forehead. 

“Oh, hi,” I smiled at him, his soft smile making me weak in the knees. 

“You look nervous.” Hudson took a step closer, and when he saw I didn’t take a step back, he reached out for my hand. “This okay?”

I hitched my breath, looking over my shoulder, and saw that everyone else was busy in their own conversations. Hudson and I never really had a serious discussion about our relationship going public at work. Still, at this moment, with his blue eyes staring at me, I knew I didn’t want to care about what other people think anymore. 

I squeezed his hand lightly, “Yeah, I… I think so.” 

“I’ve talked to Keith and the Cane brothers,” Hudson pulled me close, my chest pressing against his. 

“About what?” My eyes fluttered at him, my hand guiding his hands to my waist until both of his hands were on my waist. 

“About us,” Hudson grinned happily. “They said they’re happy for us.”

I hummed happily, taking the strand of curly hair from his forehead and letting my fingers slowly push it back. 

“Then, I’m happy for us, too,” I stood on my tiptoes and lightly pressed a soft kiss on Hudson’s lips. 

Smiling through the kiss, Hudson pulled me closer and moved his lips with mine, kissing me hungrily and softly at the same time. This corner of the park was secluded, as it was closer to the trees and the parking lot. However, there were still a couple of people from work who were passing by, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be with Hudson, and I shouldn’t have to worry about it. 

“Excuse me, no display of affection. There are children around.”

We pulled away, Hudson still holding me close in his arms as we found Gigi and Huxley walking together towards us, holding hands. Gigi lightly slapped Huxley on his chest, but Huxley was not even startled. He chuckled softly as he pulled Gigi next to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

“Stop it,” Gigi scolded. “They’re cute together.”

“I know,” Huxley smiled, giving Hudson a curt nod. “Congrats to you two.”

“Congrats also to your… engagement,” I murmured the last part, still surprised at the current situation they had. 

I was happy for Gigi, but that literally took me by surprise. Besides, I haven’t seen Huxley or gotten to know him better. I knew Gigi knew what was best for her, so if she was happy, then I was delighted for her. She deserved the love and care that was given to her by Huxley, and I hoped he was treating her right, or else he was going to have to face me. 

“Thank you,” Huxley looked down at Gigi and leaned down to give her a sweet kiss, making her giggle softly as she cupped the back of his neck to pull him closer. 

“Now, look who’s displaying affection,” Hudson teased, shaking his head. 

I couldn’t help but smile as I looked away, feeling like I was disturbing a sweet moment between them. My eyes caught Stella’s as she passed by us. Her death glare was prominent on her face as she looked at me. I could feel Hudson’s grip on my waist tightening as he leaned down to kiss the top of my head. 

“Okay?” Hudson whispered through my hair. 

I nodded, turning to give him a small, reassuring smile. “Let’s go eat?”

“Yes, I’m hungry!” Gigi clapped her hands, turning together with Huxley as they led the way. 

When we reached the crowded part of the park, I could feel all eyes on us as if I was being exposed naked in front of everyone. I felt goosebumps in my arms as Hudson kept his hand tightly around my waist. It was the first time I was stepping out with Hudson, and the moment I saw Keith in line to get some food, a bright smile immediately appeared on his face. 

“Hello,” He greeted, his eyes shifting between me and Hudson. “Nice to see you guys here.”

“Hi, Keith,” I smiled as Hudson greeted him also. “You didn’t bring your kids and wife this year?”

“No, the kids had some school projects they needed to finish before the school year started. You know how my eldest is; she’s in advanced classes, so they tend to give them extra summer work. My wife was helping them, so they couldn’t make it today.” Keith’s blue eyes studied us slowly. “I’m happy that you’re happy.”

“Thank you,” I smiled, the warm feeling in my stomach that was pooling slowly spread through my body. 

It felt like we were back in our normal relationship before. Keith looked at me like he was proud of me. Keith gestured for us to go ahead in line as we all grabbed a plate and filled it with food. The feeling of nervousness was still lingering in my body, so I only grabbed a few handfuls. I might vomit if I overeat. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Hudson asked when we sat down on one of the picnic benches under the gazebo. 

“Yeah, my stomach is kinda funny, but I’m okay,” I gave him a reassuring smile as he reached behind me and rubbed my back softly. 

“We can go home if you’d like,” He whispered in my ear. 

“I’m okay, I promise,” I smiled and took a sip of my water. 

Gigi and Huxley joined us in a few minutes, both of them sitting across from us. Not a second later, Keith stood behind me with a soft smile. 

“Is this space taken?” Keith asked. 

Hudson and I shook our heads and moved over a little bit to give him some space. Keith settled next to me and gave Gigi and Huxley a curt nod and a slight smile. 

“How’s everything with the business, Huxley?” Keith asked. 

“Good. Going strong. We just opened up another building here in San Francisco, so we might stay a little while in the city,” Huxley looked down at Gigi with a smile. 

I rolled my eyes mentally, knowing full well that Gigi was one of the reasons why he was staying in the city. I couldn’t help but bite my lower lip and hold on to my smile. I ate my food quietly next to Keith as Hudson was also trying to hide his smile. I continued to eat my food in silence, unsure how to start a conversation with Keith. Back then, my mouth wouldn’t stop yapping, but now, it feels like everything has changed. It wasn’t the same anymore, and I hoped Keith wasn’t expecting the old me back.

“How’s the new house, Hudson?” Keith asked, making me snap my head towards Hudson.

Hudson’s face turned white as he tried his best to keep a neutral face towards Keith. However, I knew him well enough to know that he was taken aback by Keith’s question. He hasn’t told me about a new place he bought, so I was surprised too. When I turned to Gigi and Huxley, their forks were halfway to their mouths as they blinked at Hudson with a dumbfounded look. 

“You’re moving?” I asked, my voice was soft. 

“I…” Hudson stuttered. “I’m… I’m buying a new house, yeah.”

“Did I just drop something in front of everyone?” Keith asked, his face turning red. 

“No, no. It’s okay, Keith,” Hudson sucked in a breath and looked down at me. “I was going to wait until everything was finalized.”

“Where are you moving?” I asked. 

“Nowhere. I just bought a new house,” Hudson smiled. “I’m staying in the city.”

“Oh,” I smiled, feeling the relief wash over me. 

Hudson gave me a soft smile as he caressed my back. I could see the hesitation on his face, but I told myself that I wouldn’t ask him right now. We could talk about this later in private. Before I could say anything, we were interrupted by an arm snaking around Hudson’s neck and pulling him back.

“Let me go, Hardy,” Hudson grunted as he wrapped his fingers around Hardy’s forearm. 

“I will kick your ass in the games,” Hardy laughed as he continued to playfully choke Hudson with his arm. 

Behind Hardy, there was a woman with long brown hair, wearing a mini flowy white dress. Her eyes looked exactly like Hudson’s, and she was chuckling at Hardy and Hudson. Hudson had gotten up from his seat as he and Hardy playfully fought each other. The woman replaced Hudson’s seat next to me and shook her head. 

“They never grow old,” The woman said, holding out her hand. “I’m Haisley, Hudson and Hardy's little sister.”

“Hi, nice to finally meet you,” I smiled, shaking her hand and introducing myself. 

“Nice to finally meet you, too. I heard so much about you from Hudson,” Haisley smiled. “I’m so happy he found you.” Haisley looked over her shoulder and watched her two brothers still playfully punching each other. “Hudson deserved someone who would love and take care of him, too. He does a lot of that for us already.” 

“He does with me, too,” I felt my cheeks turn pink. 

“Are you joining the games?” Keith asked. 

“Um, I don’t think so,” I chuckled softly. “I’m not really good at that.”

“That’s too bad.” Keith got up from his seat, taking his empty plate. “If you change your mind, come join my team.”

I nodded as he gave me a curt nod and excused himself to go get ready for the games. Not a minute later, Hudson was walking back to us with Hardy, both of them breathless. Hudson sat on the other side of me, grabbing a napkin to wipe the droplets of sweat that had formed on his forehead. 

“Hi,” Hardy smiled at me as I wiped Hudson’s forehead.

“Hi, Hardy,” I smiled back as Hudson took the napkin from my hand. “Nice to see you again.”

“I’m glad to see you too,” He winked at me, making Hudson shift his eyes to both of us. 

“What’s going on?” Hudson asked, fisting the napkin in his hand. 

“Nothing. Hardy helped me realize what I really want,” I smiled at Hudson. 

“You guys talked?” Hudson asked, raising his brow. 

“Yeah, man,” Hardy set a hand on Hudson’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly. 

Hudson lifted his shoulder to nudge Hardy’s hand, and before Hudson could turn and say something, one of our coordinators, Kelly, blew her whistle.

“Anyone who is joining the games, please start lining up with your team!” She bellowed in the middle of the grass field. 

“That’s me,” Hardy winked and ran towards the field. “Hudson, come join us!” 

I turned to Hudson and raised my brow at him. “Are you going to play?”

I saw the hesitation on Hudson’s expression for a moment before he cupped my cheek with one hand and leaned forward to press a soft kiss on my forehead. 

“Join Keith’s team,” Hudson whispered, giving me a small smile before getting up and jogging down to the field with Hardy. 

The sun was starting to scorch even more as noon hit, and everyone else started gathering on the grass field. I sucked in a deep breath and sat there next to Haisley and Gigi, while the Canes also joined together with Hardy and Hudson. Keith from the other side of the field caught my eye as he gave me a soft smile. He was with Theo, Millie, Max, and Delaney, most of the leadership from our team.

“You’re not going to join?” Haisley nudged me lightly on my arm. 

“I don’t think so. I’ll just slow everyone down,” I chuckled softly. 

“Let’s get closer,” Gigi tugged on my hand as Haisley and I followed her towards the sidelines. 

Hudson winked at me from across the field as I giggled softly.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing my brother like that,” Haisley laughed. “It’s so different and weird, but good.”

I smiled at Haisley as Kelly explained the rules to everyone. They were doing the balloon toss first, but they were going to use a cube jug to toss to each other. Haisley was basically jumping next to me as everyone positioned themselves with their team. I had never seen Hudson like this before, but I was excited to see this side of him. I couldn’t help but smile and cheer along with Haisley and Gigi as they started the game. 

“Hudson only participates in our family games, so it’s good to see him put himself out there,” Haisley murmured. 

“You guys have family games?”

“Oh, yeah,” Haisley laughed. “Our dad loved doing that when we went on vacation in Bora Bora. At my wedding, Hudson literally was dry humping Hardy just to pop the balloon on his lap. It was an interesting sight to see. Those men get too competitive.”

I laughed, looking back at Hudson, who was tossing the jug to Hardy and taking a step back on each toss. 

“Throw further, Hardy!” Hudson exclaimed. 

“I am! Catch better!” Hardy argued across the field. 

We watched as Hardy tossed the jug and made it to the finish line. My eyes shifted towards Huxley and JP, who also just finished. Gigi, next to me, was jumping up and down and cheering as Huxley ran towards her and pulled her into a deep kiss before running back to the field.

“Gigi, your man is competitive, too,” Haisley grinned. “I guess it’s good they’re all on the same team.”

As the games continued, the Hoppers and Canes were in first place, while Keith’s team was in second place. Sadly, Delaney had to leave because the heat was taking its toll on her. Keith’s eyes kept landing on me as they prepared for the last game. The last game involved pushing a cart with water jugs, ensuring they didn’t spill, while meeting with one team member from each post and adding another jug until they crossed the finish line. 

“Looks like Keith needs you,” Gigi whispered.

Haisley had sat back down on the picnic benches under the gazebo because she was getting hot. She was now talking to Bea, while Gigi and I stayed. Delaney was sitting under the tree to get some shade and drinking a bottle of water, while her boyfriend wiped some sweat from her forehead. My eyes shifted towards the scoreboard and furrowed my brow to see who was in third place. When I saw the name, my eyes turned towards the group and found Stella among them. 

Stella’s team was in third place. 

My eyes studied the Canes and Hoppers, and they all looked exhausted from the heat, but they were still energetic. Keith’s team looked exhausted, too, their shoulders slumping as they drank their water. The last game was going to have extra points, and I knew if Keith’s team lost, Stella’s team would become second. Hudson’s team already secured first place and would give their prize money to a charity of JP's choice. I knew the second-place prize money was going to be given to charity, too, if Keith’s team was going to win. Keith always donated that, and if Stella’s group wins… 

“Let me borrow your shoes,” I told Gigi in a hurry as I toed my flats.

“What?” Gigi looked down at our feet. 

“Let me borrow your sneakers,” I said, handing her my shoes.

“I—” 

I grabbed my shoes and handed them to her. “If you let me have your shoes, you can have these. They’re Chanel. Hudson bought it for me, but I got like two other pairs. I need Keith’s team to win.”

“Okay, okay,” Gigi started slipping her shoes off and handed them to me. 

I slipped them on and ran towards the grass field towards Keith’s team. Hudson from across the field gave me a beaming smile as I looked at Keith breathlessly. 

“Hi, sir,” I smiled. 

Keith didn’t need words as he smiled at me, squeezing my shoulder before calling the rest of the team. 

“Remember the expectation,” Keith said to everyone.

“Always one-hundred percent,” We all said together as Keith nodded his head before clapping his hands. 

“Let’s finish this!” Keith said as we ran towards our respective posts. 

I smirked as Stella caught my eye across the field. She whispered something to her team as we heard the whistle blow. My post was the last one. Theo would give me the cart, and I would add another jug of water before I push the cart toward the finish line. Kelly blew her whistle and everyone on the sidelines was cheering for us. Millie started and handed the cart to Keith, then to Max, Theo, and me. I could feel the heat beating down the top of my head as I watched Stella run with her cart towards her other team member. The emotions and anger were slowly boiling through my blood. 

By the time Theo handed me the cart, I held on to the four jugs of water that were sitting on top and told my legs to run as fast as they could until I reached the finish line. I didn’t look back, I didn’t look anywhere else. I focused my eyes on the finish line, seeing my surroundings blur around me until I stopped and heard Kelly’s whistle slowly ringing in my ears. 

“Yes!” I heard Gigi cheered as everyone clapped. 

Right behind me, Stella was just catching up as she yelled, “Fuck!” 

I smiled as the rest of Keith’s team ran towards me and gave me a hug. My eyes caught the scoreboard as we earned the points. Hudson’s team was first, but we won second place, and I felt the warm, happy feeling fill my heart as I felt Hudson’s arms wrapped around me. 

“Great job, baby,” He whispered, kissing me softly on the lips. 

“You’re such a fucking cheater!” Stella yelled, knocking over my cart and pulling me by my shirt and out of Hudson’s arms. “You just want to win everything, don’t you?”

Stella’s fingers found my hair as she tugged on it, making me wince. I watched as Hudson ran towards us, grabbing her hand away from me. My vision was blurry as I felt the pain in my scalp, but I didn’t do anything. I let her just do what she wanted. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was how she felt when I did the same thing to her. 

“Get off of her!” Hudson’s voice was deep and loud. 

“You always want to be the star! You always want to be the favorite!” Stella exclaimed, pushing me down on the grass, feeling the mud covering my back. 

Both of her feet were on either side of me as she reached down and scratched my face with her long nails, making me shut my eyes and feel the stinging pain on my skin along with the sweat that was dripping from my forehead and down to my face.

“Security!” I heard Keith and Huxley’s voices as I felt Stella being dragged away from me. 

Hudson immediately knelt down next to me, taking my body in his arms. 

“Hudson,” I whispered, taking his hand in mine. “It’s okay.”

My smile was forced as I watched the fire in Hudson’s eyes; his jaw was clenched tight as he carried me in his arms. I’ve only now noticed how wet his shirt was, and so was I. Somewhere along the fight, Stella must have taken one of the jugs and thrown it at me, and I didn’t even notice. My eyes stared up at the blue sky, wondering if this was it. If this was the payment for everything that I did to her. 

“Hardy, get the fucking car!” Hudson exclaimed. 

“Shit, shit,” Haisley ran towards us as I buried my face on Hudson’s neck. “Is she okay?”

“Just get the fucking car, Haisley,” Hudson’s voice was angry and concerned. 

“Hardy’s getting it,” I felt Haisley’s soft fingers on my hair. “I’ll meet you in the hospital.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Hudson whispered, pressing a soft kiss on my hair. 

I felt my body float from exhaustion and heat. My eyes remained closed as Hudson settled me in the backseat of the car. I heard the keys clanging, voices around me, before the door closed and the car screeched from the parking lot. 

I was lying on the backseat of Hudson’s car as I watched the tree branches blur through the window. My eyes fluttered closed, and then darkness took over me. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: I have training today, so here's a chapter.

Wordcount: 2.9K

Disclaimer: 18+ only, smut

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

The ring was massive. 

It was staring at me like I was looking straight into the bright sun. It was glimmering in front of my face, and I wondered how someone could wear that and not feel their finger being dragged down by gravity. It was a cushion cut with a gold band, and I kept narrowing my eyes to keep my eyes focused on the big thing. 

“So, that’s where you were this whole time?” I asked. 

“Yeah,” Gigi giggled softly, extending her hand in front of her and then pulling it back closer to her. 

I blinked, giving her a deadpan look. This woman flew with her boyfriend to Europe, and she came back engaged.

Engaged?! 

Apparently, Huxley had got down on his one knee in London and asked her right in front of the Tower Bridge with a picnic, candles, and rose petals.

“Engaged?” I said the word slowly, wondering if I was asking the question to Gigi or if I was trying to figure out if this was reality. 

“Engaged,” Gigi repeated. 

I scratched the side of my head, my brows pinched together as I tilted my head at the big ring on her finger. 

“Engaged,” I repeated again, my voice low. 

Gigi dropped her hand on the table, rolling her eyes and letting out a soft breath. 

“Was I the one who got engaged or you? Because I feel like you’re more surprised than I am,” Gigi said, sipping on her coffee. 

“The hell I am!” I exclaimed. “Your ass went off to Europe for the weekend, and you came back with a big ass ring on your finger, telling me that Huxley Cane proposed to you after just a few months of dating,” I said breathlessly. “Please tell me which part I was not supposed to be surprised about.”

“If you know, you know,” She shrugged, ripping apart her croissant and popping it in her mouth. 

I couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking my head as I picked up my cup of coffee, sipping it slowly. I let the hot liquid spread warm through my body and looked out in the street, watching the cars and people passing by. 

“How about you?” Gigi asked. “You seem happier.”

“Hudson came back,” I murmured, looking down at my croissant and twisting my lips to the side. 

After Hudson lay with me on my bed that night, we had sex again, and then we spent all night just talking about everything and nothing. My mind replayed the memory of his finger slowly caressing my bare back as he listened to me talk about everything that happened after the incident. 

“You’ve been dealing with all of this by yourself?” Hudson asked.

“I mean, I have Gigi, and I see my therapist, Luna,” I gave him a small smile. 

The glow of the city lights from the window behind him was reflecting on the side of his face. Even in the dim light, I could see his blue eyes, glimmering towards me. I was lying on my stomach, my head resting on my arms as Hudson leaned down to leave open-mouth kisses on my bare back. I couldn’t help but smile and flutter my eyes closed, feeling the sensation of his lips on my skin that I missed so much. A slight hum escaped Hudson’s lips as he trailed his lips up my shoulders and then brushed my hair away from my face.

“I missed you so much,” He whispered, kissing my temple. 

I fluttered my eyes open and smiled at him, a teasing hint in my voice. “Well, you shouldn’t have left.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Hudson sighed. 

He settled back on his side of the bed, his back leaning against the headboard. I smiled and pulled the blanket close to my chest, then turned to face him. Hudson’s soft blue eyes stared at me, his fingers brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. 

“I heard about your father,” I said. “What happened?”

Hudson took a deep breath, his fingers slowly caressing my bare arm. “He thinks that we’re not spending time with him. He and I argued that we are trying our best to accept him in our lives again after what happened, but it will take time, you know? Haisley is mostly the one who is still distant, and it’s hurting Dad a lot.”

“Oh,” My fingers played with the blanket. “I’m sorry. Are you… okay now?”

“Not really,” Hudson brushed my hair over my shoulder and gave me a sad smile. “But it’s okay. We’re working on it. He’s a little calmer now.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I moved closer, hovering over him and kissing him on the lips. 

Hudson’s hands moved to my hips as he squeezed them gently and pulled the covers down my chest. His lips trailed down my collarbone and down to my chest before his other hand squeezed my tits. I moaned softly as his mouth sucked on my nipple, my fingers tangling in his hair. 

“God, I don’t think I can ever get enough of you,” Hudson murmured, moving his mouth to my other nipple and sucking it lightly. 

“Hm…” I smiled, my eyes fluttering close and feeling Hudson’s lips on mine again.

We both stayed like that. My lazy body on top of Hudson's as he held me in his arms and our lips moving together, feeling like we have all the time in the world. Both of our bodies flushed against each other until Hudson pulled away, his icy blue eyes studying my face through the glowing light from outside the window. 

“How do you feel about all of this?” Hudson’s thumb brushed my cheek. 

“About us?”

“No, about your torn relationship with Camille and your friends.”

Hudson probably saw the change in my expression because he pulled me close in his arms as I lay my head on his chest. 

“Hey, I’m sorry,” He whispered. 

“No, it’s okay,” I sniffled. “Honestly? I miss her. I miss Bea and my friends, but I can’t… Luca has been trying to talk to me. It’s funny because when I was training you, that was the first time he talked to me in like two years, but even then… I don’t know if we can go back to the way it was.”

“I understand,” Hudson kissed my hair. “Would you like to try again with them if there’s a chance?”

There was silence for a moment as I moved and buried my face in the crook of Hudson’s neck. He squeezed me tight in his arms, a silent message he was sending me to take my time, and he understood if I couldn’t answer his question. 

“I don’t know yet,” I finally answered after a few minutes. “Maybe.”

Hudson hummed approvingly as I fluttered my eyes closed. The city noise outside slowly sounded so distant as I tried to fight the sleep that was taking over me. 

“Sleep, baby,” Hudson whispered. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

And Hudson kept his promise when I found him peacefully asleep next to me the next morning. Something I wanted to see for the rest of my life.

“So, is it good between you guys now?” Gigi interrupted the memories that floated in my mind. 

“I think so,” I smiled softly, remembering Hudson. “I love him, Gigi.”

Gigi squealed, almost choking on her croissant. “I love that for you!”

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “You’re just high from your sudden engagement.”

“I’m still happy for you,” She rolled her eyes, making me laugh again. 

______

“Hi, sweetheart,” Bea’s familiar voice startled me in the break room. 

The noise in the break room made me forget to watch out for whom I was going to bump into. It was a busy hour since it was lunch time, so everyone was heating up their food or talking to themselves near the espresso machine. I made some pasta when Hudson was over at my place, and I didn’t care enough when I went downstairs to heat up my food. 

My conversation with Hudson made me think about my relationships with my past friends and Camille. I wasn’t sure if the breakup with Stella was true, but if it was, I wasn’t sure if she was okay either. She was still my sister, and I still obviously felt the pain that she inflicted on me when she decided to choose Stella, but I still cared. 

“H…Hi,” I whispered, taking a step back. 

“Here, you have something…” Bea reached out for a hair strand and pulled away a piece of lint that got stuck. 

“Thanks,” I said as I looked down at my feet as Bea stepped forward. 

“How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while,” Bea said, setting her tote bag on the counter and pulling out a Tupperware. 

“I’m okay. Just busy,” I bit my lower lip, wishing I wasn’t so awkward about this. “How are you?” 

The relief in Bea’s eyes sent a warm feeling down my body. I knew she was probably expecting me to avoid her again, but I kept thinking about that conversation I had with Hudson. I thought about the question he asked if I would give them another chance to get close again. The truth was, I missed them all. I missed our laughter and friendship. We all had a bond until we all split apart. 

It wasn’t a lie that I kept Bea at an arm’s length because I didn’t want to hurt her. From everyone, she was the only one who didn’t hate me or judge me for what happened, but she stepped back as soon as she realized I was trying to avoid her. She didn’t ask questions, and she didn’t get mad. It was such a motherly thing for her to do. 

“I’m alright,” Bea’s smile was wide and happy. “I’ve missed you.”

There was a heavy tightness on the bridge of my nose as I looked away and focused my eyes on the people and things that surrounded us. I was trying to keep my emotions together and not burst into tears in front of everyone here. 

“Would you like to join me for lunch?” Bea asked. 

Just in time, as if the Universe was scowling at me, the microwave beeped. I opened it and pulled out the pasta I was heating up. I stared at my food for a second, thinking about the answer I would want to give to Bea. 

“I…I don’t like taking breaks in here,” I murmured.

“I’ll come into the office with you. I don’t mind,” Bea pressed. 

I nodded, “Okay.”

The walk from the breakroom, up the stairs, and into the office was silent. I could smell the delicious whiff of my pasta, while I could smell Bea’s ceviche in her own food container mixed with the coffee that she was holding in her other hand. Once we arrived at my cubicle, I grabbed one of the empty chairs and pulled it to my space for Bea to sit on. I didn’t remember how long it had been since Bea had lunch with me. 

When I started pulling away from everyone to avoid Stella during our 9 am breaks, Bea would take me out for lunch outside of work because she’d tell me that she missed hanging out with me. We would go out on the weekends sometimes, but she was still longing for my presence during the week. 

“You don’t love your mother anymore,” She would pout. 

“Oh my god, stop, mother. Don’t start,” I would tell her, rolling my eyes. 

Bea loved to tease me like that, but I knew she was just missing me.

“Did you cook the pasta?” Bea asked as she settled into the chair. 

I nodded, “Yeah, I had…” I cleared my throat. “I had someone over, and we cooked some dinner, but I had leftovers.”

“Hudson, right?” Bea smiled softly. 

My head immediately snapped towards her. My eyes widened in shock as she chuckled softly, shaking her head. I could feel my pulse rising as I stared at her, dumbfounded. How did she know? Were we that obvious? Did everyone know about us?

“Relax,” Bea gave me a reassuring smile. “I could tell how much you’re holding back from him. I was only able to tell because I’m a mother.”

I felt my shoulders relax as I sighed silently. Bea took a bite off her food before turning towards me, both the armchairs of our seat clunking together. 

“Is he nice to you?” Bea asked. 

I felt my cheeks burn as I played with my pasta, nodding my head. 

“Yeah… He’s… He’s very sweet and protective,” I replied, a small smile tugging on my lips. 

“Good. You need someone like that,” Bea smiled. “You still haven’t talked to Camille?”

I sighed, leaning back against my chair, wondering about my sister. I wonder if she was okay. I wonder if she was heartbroken over her breakup with Stella, and I indeed wonder what happened on that vacation that made her decide to finally cut it off. Did Stella cut her off?

“No, not really. I haven’t seen her around much,” I replied. 

Not that I was looking for her. 

“She told me that she broke it off with Stella…”

“I heard,” I finally took a bite of my pasta. 

“She said that she couldn’t take her attitude. She was always angry, and then she gets angry whenever Camille decides to pull away to have some space. She didn’t understand how she kept acting like that after taking a risk with Stella, even if she knew she had a boyfriend.”

I see Bea knew about the boyfriend. 

I was surprised Camille even told her. Last time I checked, she felt embarrassed over it. 

I didn’t say anything as I focused my eyes on my pasta. I didn’t really know what to say. Did Bea want me to feel bad for her? Did Bea want me to reach out to her now that she broke up with Stella? Last time I checked, Camille was the one who kicked me out of the apartment and out of her life. She made that choice. I shouldn’t be the one reaching out to her first because I was only protecting her. 

“I miss you girls together,” Bea placed her hand on top of mine and squeezed it. “But I understand. I understand how you feel about her and the whole situation, so I don’t want to push you about it.”

“Thank you,” I murmured. 

Another silence blanketed over us. The sound of the printer across the room and the AC vent roared around us. Everyone else was downstairs in the breakroom, and the leadership office doors were closed. It was usually quiet in the office; sometimes it felt so eerie. 

“I’m sorry,” Bea said. “I should not have given up that easily. I knew that you needed your space, but I should have kept fighting. For over a year, you were alone, fighting your own battles. You know, I wanted to ask if you needed help when you moved out? But I figured maybe you didn’t want to talk to me.”

“No,” I shook my head. “You don’t have to apologize. I'm sorry I pushed you away because I was so embarrassed about what happened. I couldn’t look at you or anyone else. I felt like a whole different person possessed me, and after what happened, I just thought maybe it was better if I wasn’t so close with you.”

Bea tilted her head, giving me an apologetic look as her eyes turned glassy. She reached out to brush my hair away from my shoulder like she always did and wrapped her arms around me. Her sweet scent engulfed me immediately as she kissed the top of my head and rested her cheek on it. 

“I missed you so much, sweetheart,” She murmured. 

“I’ve missed you, too, mother,” I said, a tear rolling down my cheek. 

In the last two years, there were a few things I wondered about myself. Was I a monster? Was that side of me hidden for so long, and it finally came out? Then, therapy told me that my anger issues stemmed from the toxic environment I grew up in. Though I never truly believed that. I was so convinced for a long time that I was such a horrible person. When Hudson came into my life, I couldn’t understand why he wanted someone like me. 

Someone who was so… broken and horrible. 

When Bea decided to talk to me earlier, I hesitated because I thought maybe that narrative I inserted in myself was still true. But no… the monsters were the thoughts that I decided to put inside my head. The thoughts that I inflicted on myself for so long were because I thought they were true. 

The truth was… Keith was right. We were all humans at the end of the day. We tried to be perfect every day, but we could never be like that. We make mistakes and learn from them. Just like the way Hudson, Bea, and Keith saw me. They forgave me for my mistake and knew that I regretted every detail of it. Gigi stuck by my side no matter what and maybe… I have been looking at this the wrong way this whole time. 

Maybe I just needed the people who were genuine and honest in my life to make me see that. I needed them to remind me that we still were humans, and we learn to forgive and learn from our mistakes. 

Maybe I wasn’t the monster after all. It was just my thoughts. 

[daydreamscorners]

HUDSON HOPPER. *Character is owned by Meghan Quinn. David Corenswet is a fancast for this character.

• One Shots • Series

[daydreamscorners]

JP CANE. *Character is owned by Meghan Quinn. ATJ is my fancast for this character.

• One Shots • Series

[daydreamscorners]

JP CANE ONE SHOTS. *Characters are owned by Meghan Quinn. Repeated side characters will show up.

It's an Effing Sirarcha Sauce! - (18+, fluff) Summary: When dinner with friends turned into a game and an embarrassing moment for the spicy mac and cheese made by JP Cane. Wordcount: 4.4K

When Did All You Bitches Get So Nice? - (18+, fluff) Summary: When I ran into my ex-boyfriend and ex-friend, finding out they are dating, JP Cane and my loved ones were to the rescue. Wordcount: 4.5K

It's Just Thirty Minutes - (18+, fluff, angst) Summary: When the summer BBQ Picnic for the company turned into a disaster, the Cane brothers are to the rescue. Wordcount: 6.2K

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: Things are going to get hot again.

Wordcount: 4.1K

Disclaimer: 18+ only, smut

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

*ping*

I looked up from my report that I was filling in and saw a one-on-one meeting that Keith just scheduled. I felt my pulse suddenly quickening as I clicked on the email, which read, “Follow up from our last meeting.” I hitched my breath, looking at the clock on my laptop. I have about thirty minutes to compose myself and write down notes in case Keith asks me some questions. 

I wondered why Keith had scheduled another meeting with me. I haven’t worked on new responsibilities except for doing training as he requested. I tried to rack my brain for other reasons why he wanted to meet with me, but I couldn’t think of one. Maybe it was a good thing. I was going to hand in my resignation today, but that made me pause for a moment. After talking to Hardy a few days ago, I kept thinking over the weekend if I was ready to let go of Hudson. I kept asking myself if I was going to be happy knowing that I didn’t honestly talk to him about this. I certainly wasn’t ready to see him, but I just knew in my heart that I would regret it if I just disappeared. 

I knew that because I knew how it felt on the other side of this situation. 

The office was quiet and half empty, which meant most of the team was downstairs in the lab. I could hear the keyboard clicking from the leadership offices and the printer turning on and off. It felt a bit eerie as I grabbed my notebook and made my way down the aisle to Keith’s office. His door was open, and I could hear the papers shuffling as I approached his office and knocked on the door. 

Immediately, he gazed up from the paper he was reading and gave me a smile, which surprised me. It has been a while since I received a smile from him. My brain flipped for a moment, feeling even more confused. 

“Good morning,” he murmured in his low voice. 

“Good morning, sir,” I said as I gave him a small smile and closed the door behind me. 

I settled on the chair across his desk, gripping my notebook and pen on my lap. The atmosphere in his office felt a little off, and I couldn’t explain it. Somehow, the warmth that Keith was radiating felt familiar like old times, but I wasn’t used to it anymore. In a way, it felt odd but comforting at the same time.

“Did something happen?” I asked. 

“I just want to check on you and how you are doing,” Keith said, clasping his hands on his desk in front of him.

“Um, I’m okay,” I cleared my throat. “I’ve done two training classes so far.”

“That’s great to hear,” Keith said as he opened up his notebook. “Which ones are they?”

“How to Deal with Difficult People and one Excel training.” 

I shifted in my seat, trying to find a comfortable spot, but somehow, I was just uncomfortable all around. I crossed my ankles under the desk and uncrossed them before clicking on my pen on my lap.

“I’ll be happy to train you more in the lab if you would like that,” Keith suggested. 

I stared at him with a surprised look on my face. I blinked and was quiet for a moment. Since when did Keith have time to train a technician? Usually, that would be our supervisor or lead in the lab who would do it. Was something happening right now? A pit opened up in my stomach, possible scenarios reeling in my mind. 

“Um…” 

“Are you unhappy?” Keith asked. 

Okay, we were direct with questions now…

I blinked, tilting my head at him. The subject went from training to my feelings. It happened so fast, while I was still thinking about other things, that I almost felt like I was knocked out of the wind. 

“Aren’t you unhappy with me?” I asked, turning the question to him. 

“Never.” Keith immediately replied with confidence in his voice. 

For the second time in the last two minutes, I was shocked. Stunned. The silence in Keith’s office was so loud that you could hear a pin drop. The only noise was the AC buzzing above us, along with his computer that was running. I swallowed the tightness in my throat as I tried to find my voice. 

“Is that what you think?” Keith asked, tilting his head at me. 

“I know I disappointed you,” I whispered, my eyes looking down at my lap. “And I’m truly sorry.”

Keith took a deep breath and got up from his chair. I looked up to him, following his move until he sat at the edge of his desk in front of me and crossed his arms. A serious look on his face with growing concern was plastered all over him. 

“I wasn’t disappointed with you. Ever. I was shocked by what happened, but that never crossed my mind once,” Keith said with a genuine look. “Did you think I was disappointed with you?”

“Yes,” I whispered, answering him too quickly. “You… You stopped our meetings together. You looked at me like I had done something unforgivable. All that training… all those messages telling me I should be doing things the right way…”

“I was training you because I knew your potential. I was happy to train you on everything, imparting to you all the knowledge I have, so you can be ready when I can finally promote you.” Keith tilted his head. “Those weren’t punishment. That was me letting you know that no matter what happened, I still believed in you.”

“I…” I was speechless. 

I didn’t know what to say. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, and I was trying so hard not to cry in front of Keith. I never did that. I only did that once when I needed help because Max wasn’t doing his job and wasn’t showing up for his team. Even when I was called into his office after the incident, I didn’t cry. I waited until I was out of the room. 

Now… I was sitting here in front of Keith, trying my best not to burst into tears because, honestly, this office used to be my safe space. I could tell Keith everything, and he would listen. He would give me advice, and I would come out of here with my shoulders straight and my head high. Lately, that hasn’t been the case. I felt too ashamed to even step into this office. I felt like that relationship we built broke the moment I took that action. 

He was the father figure I never had, and I thought I lost that, too. 

“I know the expectation I set for my team. I know I expect everyone to be perfect, but let’s be honest, no one is perfect. We can try our best to be perfect, but we’re never perfect. We are humans. We make mistakes. We do things that we regret and then learn from them.” Keith uncrossed his arms, his eyes still pinned on me. “I know how much you regretted your actions. I’ve seen the way you progressed ever since. I’ve seen how much it changed you. Good and bad. I’ve seen the way it took that light from inside of you, and I wish I could have helped you better. We are never perfect at the end of the day. The question is: are you willing to learn from your mistakes and move on? Are you willing to change and look at your mistake as a lesson to learn from?”

The tightness in my throat was cutting off oxygen in my lungs, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My stomach was somewhere on the floor with the dust, and my tears were screaming to spill out of my eyes. 

“I’m so proud of how much you've progressed. You accepted that mistake and still fought to be here. You still showed up every day, worked hard, and changed into someone stronger. I couldn’t be any prouder of everything that you did.” Keith’s eyes turned glassy as I felt a tear roll down my cheek. 

A whole dam broke inside my chest as the tears continued to cascade down my cheeks. Keith reached out behind him for the box of Kleenex and handed it to me. 

“Thank you,” I whispered, taking a tissue and wiping my tears. “Not for the box of tissues but for all of that. I… I didn’t mean to do any of that. I... Something broke inside me that day, and it felt like someone else was controlling my body. I’m not justifying my actions. I know I made a mistake, but I was so angry. Everything else turned red after that.”

“I know, but that’s in the past,” Keith cleared his throat, blinking away the tears that were welling up in his eyes. “We need to focus now on the future. I heard that you’re trying to leave.”

“I was…” I murmured. 

Keith walked back to his chair and took a seat, clasping his hands in front of him again. The serious look on his face was back. 

“Was? What changed?” 

“Everything,” I said. “I was trying to run away from my problems, and I thought moving to another country was going to fix that.” 

“I’m not saying I don’t want success for you because I do. I’ll support anything that will make you happy and be successful, but we would all miss you and would be lost without you here.”

I huffed out a breath, looking down at my lap as another tear stained my pants. I played with the pen in my hand as I nodded my head. For a moment, I tried to compose myself, and Keith was patient. He gave me a minute to take a deep breath and let my tears dry. Another silence blanketed his office. I used the sounds of the AC buzzing and the cars outside passing by to find comfort, letting myself know that there was a big world out there, and I was okay and safe. 

“Thank you,” I whispered. “That meant a lot to me.”

“Don’t give up, okay? I know you’re strong,” 

When I gazed up, I saw a soft smile on Keith’s face. His eyes were encouraging, and it gave me a little sliver of hope that maybe not everyone hated me here. It was possible to be forgiven for the big mistakes I have made. 

______

I inserted my key into the keyhole and unlocked my apartment. It has been a long, exhausting day. After I met with Keith, I felt mentally drained from all the crying. After, I went to the restroom to clean up my face and hid myself in my cubicle for the rest of the day. Gigi wasn’t here today since Huxley had decided to show up at her doorstep early in the morning, letting her know that he wanted to take her to Europe. 

I mean, c’mon, seriously? What a fucking dream she was living in. 

Riding the bus home, all I could think about was my soft, warm bed calling out my name. I paused in front of my apartment building and looked up to the dark sky, wondering how my life had led me here. Though I thought about the words that Keith said earlier. It may be time for me to fully move on and focus on the present and future. 

Entering my apartment, I noticed the light in the living room was on. Slowly, I held on to my keys in my hand, pointing the sharp edge ready for anyone who would come and attack me. I tiptoed down the hall and slowly took a peek at who was in my apartment. My pulse spiked until I saw a familiar figure sitting on my sofa. I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter and took a deep breath. 

“Hudson?” I said. 

Hudson was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, and he had his fingers tangled up in his hair. When he looked up, he had a painful, dull look on his face. His hair was sticking out in different directions. He was in a brown knit sweater and jeans. It was like a whole other man was looking at me. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked, slipping off my jacket. 

“You’re leaving?” Hudson sounded breathless as he got up from the sofa.

His hands turned into fists on his sides. I had never seen Hudson like this before. He looked torn apart, and it shattered my heart a little to know that somehow, I was one of the reasons why he was like this. I didn’t know what happened to him and his father. I didn’t know what happened to him during the month that he disappeared, but he looked... broken. JP was right. It looked terrifying to see him like this. 

“Hudson…” I whispered. 

“Please answer me,” Hudson stated, stalking towards me. “Are you leaving the city?”

“I was—”

“Was?” Hudson’s brows shot up to his forehead, his eyes widening. “You were just going to leave?” 

I let out a scoff as I looked at him in disbelief. Was he really trying to accuse me? Was he really questioning me when he ghosted me for a month? 

“Are you serious?” I backed away. “You disappeared for a month! You have no right to sound like you are accusing me of not saying anything to you.” 

“I…” Hudson shut his eyes, looking away from me. “I was coming back…”

“Were you?” I scoffed, turning away from him and walking towards my kitchen. “How was I supposed to know that, Hudson? You asked me to give you space, and then you disappeared without any communication!”

“I didn’t know how to handle everything all at once,” Hudson argued, his voice rising an octave. 

“My father was being an ass again, and I was bombarded with new information that you didn’t tell me when I asked you about it.”

“So, it’s my fault?”

“I didn’t say that,” Hudson cut me off. 

“Well, it seems like that’s how you’re seeing it.” I walked towards my closet, grabbed a matching set of pajamas, and headed to the bathroom. 

I could hear his heavy footsteps behind me as I shut the bathroom door. 

“I was just saying how everything got piled up on my plate, and I didn’t know how to handle it,” Hudson said, through the other side of the door.

I didn’t say anything as I washed off the makeup from my face and changed clothes. I could hear Hudson’s heavy breathing and a light thud on the other side of the door.

“Please, I’m sorry,” He murmured. 

I froze for a moment, leaning my back against the door. I knew he was just on the other side, and it felt surreal to see him in front of me again. I closed my eyes, throwing my head back against the door. I took a deep breath, and I could hear Hudson doing the same thing. After a few seconds, I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob and paused for a moment. 

Move on. I reminded myself. 

Turning the doorknob, I opened the door to see Hudson taking a step back and looking at me with glassy eyes. His icy blue eyes stared straight into mine. 

“I know I have hidden some things from you, but it was never my intention to ever hide that forever,” I said. “I was trying to build up the courage to tell you.”

“I know,” Hudson took a step closer. “I know, baby. I’m sorry for the way I reacted. I’m sorry that I disappeared. I didn’t handle the situation well. I was a coward, and I ran off and left you all alone.” 

My lip trembled, feeling the tears spilling out of my eyes. It was the second time today that I found myself sobbing, and all my emotions were just flowing through. I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to. 

“I’m so sorry,” Hudson whispered.

Hudson took another step, and when he saw that I didn’t back away from him, he gently cupped my face in his hands and pressed his forehead against mine. His thumb brushed away the tears that were staining my cheeks before pressing his lips against mine. 

My lips moved gently with his, letting his kiss send a rush of warmth down my body. I slid my hands up to his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me close to his body. Hudson deepened the kiss, pushing me against the wall and letting his hands run down my sides. 

“I’m sorry,” He whispered again, kissing my neck. “Please don’t leave.” 

“Hudson, please…” I moaned softly.

“I don’t know what I’ll do without you,” Hudson pulled away, looking into my eyes. 

The pleading in his blue eyes was the last straw for me. The way he was looking at me. The way his whole body trembled in fear from under my touch. I knew in my heart that I didn’t want to lose him, too. So, I didn’t say anything and just crashed my lips against his, kissing him again and showing him all the emotions I felt for him. 

Hudson’s hands slipped under my thigh as he lifted me up against the wall and wrapped my legs around his hips. My fingers tugged on the hem of his sweater, peeling it off his body and letting my hands roam around the hard muscles of his shoulders, down his arms, and down to his chest. Hudson’s lips sucked and licked the skin of my neck as his fingers worked on the buttons of my pajama top. Halfway through, Hudson ripped apart my pajama top, the buttons softly clattering around my wooden floor. 

A loud gasp escaped from my lips before Hudson crashed his lips into mine again, kissing me passionately. His fingers tangled into my hair as he tilted my head back slightly to give him more access. 

“I’m so sorry,” He whispered, slipping my shirt off. “Please don’t leave. I’m not strong like you.”

“Hudson,” His name came out as a moan as I slipped my hands on the button of his pants. 

Hudson set me down for a moment, helping me slide his pants off. He quickly slipped off my shorts along with my underwear and threw them on the floor with the rest of our clothes. He unclasped my bra and grabbed the back of my thighs again to lift me up. He pinned me against the wall, my legs around his hips as he leaned down to suck on my nipple. 

“Fuck,” I murmured, throwing my head back against the wall. 

Hudson moved to my other nipple and sucked and licked until I was sensitive. It sent a delicious pleasure between my legs that got me grinding over Hudson’s hard cock. A groan escaped his lips as he pulled away for a moment, pressing his forehead against mine. He panted softly as he shut his eyes as if he were in pain. 

“Forgive me, baby,” He whispered. “I never wanted to leave you like that again.”

“Hudson,” I said breathlessly. 

Hudson reached between us, holding on to the base of his cock and letting the wet tip brush against my entrance. 

“Good to know I still make you this wet,” Hudson smiled softly, kissing me and slowly entering his cock inside me. 

We both moaned together as he slowly thrusted, and my legs tightened around his hips. Hudson buried his face on my neck as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, my nails scraping down his back. 

“Fuck,” Hudson cursed under his breath. “You’re so tight, baby.”

Hudson’s thrusts were rough and deep, and I could feel the delicious burning sensation all the way to my toes. I missed being this close to him. I missed this connection and the feeling of him inside me, like we were meant for each other. 

“More,” I said. “I need more, Hudson.”

Hudson grunted as he kissed me messily and deeply, his thrusts going rougher by every move. I could feel him deep inside me as he continued to thrust harder. Both of us were panting as I slid my hands on the side of his head, cupping his face in my hands. His blue eyes were dark as he continued to thrust faster and deeper. 

“Tell me,” I whispered. “Tell me how you feel about me.”

“Fuck,” Hudson shut his eyes and tried to bury his face on my neck, but I didn’t let him. 

I tilted his head back, so he was looking at me. I could feel the pleasure pooling on the base of my spine, and I didn’t want to come until I knew what he was feeling. 

“Hudson, tell me,” I demanded, my pussy squeezing him as he groaned loudly. 

“Baby, you’re the only one I want,” Hudson said. “You’re everything to me, and I never want to lose you. Ever.”

I panted heavily as I kissed him on the lips. I wanted him to say it. I wanted him to say those three little words that he has been telling everyone else but me. 

“Hudson,” I cried out softly, pulling away from the kiss. 

I was close, and I knew he could feel it too. 

“Come for me, baby.” He said as his thrusts became rougher, hitting me deeper on each thrust. 

“Hudson, please.” I whimpered. 

“I love you,” Hudson whispered. 

It was just three little words. Three words that sent my pleasure exploding. I moaned, crying out his name as my legs and body trembled in his arms. His words hit me like a truck as my orgasm washed over me. It only took two more thrusts until Hudson also came inside me, moaning my name and crashing his lips into mine. We moved our lips together, kissing each other passionately, while his fingers tangled in my hair as we both tried to come back down on the ground. Slowly, he helped me get down on the ground and still pressed my back against the wall. 

“I love you so much it hurts that I couldn’t hold you this past month. It rips my heart out that I left you like that. I love you so much that I’d see the world burn as long as you’re happy.” 

I felt my tears staining my cheeks as Hudson cupped my face in his hands, pressing a soft kiss on my forehead. 

“I’m so sorry for leaving you. I was a coward, and I should have stayed knowing that you needed me. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

The tears won’t stop spilling out of my eyes as Hudson continued his “I’m sorry” repeatedly, pressing kisses on my cheeks, lips, and forehead before holding me in his arms. 

“I’m so sorry,” He murmured through my hair again as he cupped the back of my head. 

“I needed you,” I whispered, sniffling. 

“I know,” Hudson held me tightly in his arms as if I was about to slip away. “I love you so much, baby. I promise to make it up to you.”

There was silence for a moment. The noise of the city outside the window was the only thing that I could hear, and Hudson’s heart was beating hard against his chest. He buried my face on his chest as we both stayed in the hall, just holding each other. I slowly pulled away, and the fear was back in Hudson’s face. He looked at me like he was about to lose me, and he was scared that he had lost me forever. 

“I love you, too,” I whispered as Hudson’s shoulders relaxed. 

He cupped the back of my head as he pulled me in for a kiss again, lifting me in his arms and walking me towards my bed. He gently set me on my bed, hovering over me and kissing down my neck. 

“I love you,” Hudson murmured, kissing my lips. “I love you,” He kissed my cheeks, “I love you,” He kissed my forehead. 

I couldn’t help but laugh softly as he smiled down at me, brushing away the dry tears on my face. 

“I love you,” I whispered back again before Hudson leaned down to kiss me passionately. 

My heart was so full, I think it was about to explode in my chest. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: I'm bored at work, so here's a new chapter.

Wordcount: 2.4K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

The lab was empty, which meant my mind was running a thousand miles per hour. 

I glanced towards the clock across the room and saw that I still had an hour left before I was able to leave. Everyone had gone to their last break, and I was just cleaning up the lab after finishing my reaction.  I sighed and saw Gigi pass by through the window. Her face was glued to her phone as she continued walking towards her lab. 

Looking back, I saw that everything was fine and that there was nothing for me to worry about if I left. I walked out of my lab and walked towards Gigi’s lab. She was cleaning up her desk when I entered. There was no one around, which was a good thing because I didn’t really want to see Camille at the moment. 

“Hey, girl,” Gigi greeted me as soon as she saw me enter. “What are you doing here?”

“I just want to tell you something before I leave for today,” I said, playing with the buttons of my lab coat.

Gigi paused what she was doing and turned to me fully. “What’s up?”

I took a deep breath and pulled her towards her chair. I let her sit down, and I pulled up a chair next to her and settled on it. I’ve been talking to my friend, Sara, from Germany, and I knew this was going to rattle her a bit.

“You’re scaring me,” Gigi murmured. 

“I talked to Sara,” I said, and immediately, I saw her hitch her breath. “And I think… I might give this a try.”

There was silence. 

Then, there was a big sigh. Gigi slumped her shoulders and looked down at her lap. I couldn’t see her eyes, but I knew she was disappointed. I reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly as I let her take a moment. She stared at our hands together before squeezing them back. 

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, girl,” Gigi finally said, but it was a low whisper. “I hope you’ll be happy again.”

“Thank you,” I smiled slightly. “I… I just need time.”

“They broke up, you know…” Gigi finally gazed up at me. “Camille and Stella. They broke up. Apparently, it happened right after their trip.”

My heart hammered inside my chest, my eyes widening in shock. I didn’t know how to feel. Should I be happy that Camille was out and away from a toxic person? Should I feel as if I won? But neither of those was in my emotions at the moment. 

“What?” 

“Yeah, that’s why Stella has been in a shitty mood since,” Gigi shook her head. “I think Luca reported her to Theo the other day.”

I pinched my brows at the sudden, new information I was receiving. When did all of this happen? When I was gone for a week because I was heartbroken over Hudson? I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to feel, as if I meant to feel overjoyed about this, but nothing. I didn’t feel anything at all. I feel numb. 

“I…” I blinked. “What happened?”

“Well, she fucking threw a tantrum in front of him. Luca was helping her out, and she gave him an attitude the whole time and told him she didn’t need help. That everyone needs to back the fuck off her.”

“She said that?” My brows shot to my forehead. 

“Curse words and everything. She even took off her gloves and started using chemicals just to piss off Luca.”

“What the fuck?” 

“Yeah,” Gigi shrugged before waving her hand between us, dismissing the subject. “Anyway, how long until I have you?”

“Probably a month,” I gave her a sad smile. “Still got a lot of time.”

Gigi blinked away the tears that were welling up in her eyes before pulling me into a hug. She buried her face on my shoulder and squeezed me gently. 

“I’ll miss you,” She murmured through the fabric of my lab coat. 

“I’ll miss you too,” I sniffled, feeling the tears rolling down my cheeks.

______

I waved goodbye to Gigi that afternoon and slipped on my jacket before leaving the office. I slipped my hands inside my jacket pockets as I took the elevator down and walked out of the building. The streets were filled with people, and the sky was a pink and purple color as the sunset set on the horizon. I walked down the street for three blocks until I found the restaurant. I took a deep breath as I watched the people go in and out of the place. The place was a little crowded, but I could see him at the back corner waiting for me. I told myself that everything was okay, and it was just nerves. 

I took another deep breath before pushing the entrance doors, immediately being greeted by the hostess. 

“Good evening,” The hostess smiled. “For one?”

“Um,” I cleared my throat. “I’m here for Hardy Hopper.”

“That’s right,” She nodded and gestured for me to follow her. 

I followed behind her, and immediately, Hardy’s blue eyes caught mine, and a smile tugged on his lips. I felt my hands tremble as the hostess smiled at both of us and walked away. 

“Hello, nice to see you again,” Hardy smiled, shaking my hand. 

“Thank you for meeting me,” I said as I shook his hand as he pulled out a chair for me to sit. 

Hardy settled across the table from me and handed me the menu. 

“Let’s order first, yeah?” Hardy said. 

God, I was nervous. I never really talked to Hardy. The only time I’ve seen him was the first day they visited work and then, at the town hall with the Canes. Although Hardy seemed to radiate warmth, I couldn’t help but wonder how they were so alike with his brother. Hudson may have a scowl on his face all the time, but he was warm and kind. The only reason I was able to contact him was because, thank god, his signature in his email had his phone number written. It was a work phone, but it worked fine. 

“Okay,” I cleared my throat and focused my eyes on the menu. 

Once we were ready, Hardy gestured for the server to come and take our orders, including our drinks. The moment the server walked away, Hardy leaned forward against the table, a slight smile on his lips. 

“I never was able to thank you for making Hudson so happy,” Hardy said. 

I felt my heart sink into my stomach. “I… I didn’t exactly do that.”

“No?” Hardy shook his head. “You two may have problems right now, but Hudson has never been this happy until he started seeing you.” 

“How is he?” I couldn’t help but ask. 

Before Hardy could answer, the server came to place our drinks on the table. We murmured a small thanks as she walked away. Hardy took a sip of his drink and sighed. 

“He’s Hudson,” Hardy said with sadness in his voice. “He always puts everyone else before himself.” 

“Is it about your father?” I wrapped my fingers around my drink. “I haven’t really seen him or heard from him since he found out about me. The reason why I called was because I just wanted to know if he was okay before I left.”

“Left?” Hardy pinched his brows. “You’re leaving?”

“Yes, I found a job in Europe. I’m putting in my resignation next week,” I said, taking another sip of my drink, hoping the alcohol would calm my nerves. 

Hardy pinned me with a surprised look on his face. There was a mix of concern in his expression, and I could tell he couldn’t seem to find the words to say to me whatever he felt. 

“Hardy, it’s okay,” I murmured. “Hudson and I are over, and there’s nothing left for me here, especially since my sister and I aren’t so great either. I think it’s a good idea for me to start fresh.”

“He loves you,” Hardy blurted out. 

I stared at him with wide eyes. Everyone seemed to tell me that lately, but the one person I wanted to hear it from was.

“Hardy…”

“He loves you. He’s in love with you. He does. He’s just…” Hardy took a deep breath, shaking his head. “He’s so fucking stubborn. This whole thing with our father is easily resolved because we both know Reginald is being an asshole because he feels like we don’t care about him anymore, but we do. We’re trying to fix our relationship with him, but Hudson is using this problem to avoid the fact that he’s in love with you.”

“I…” I looked down at my drink. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

“He slipped up the other day with me, you know? He told me all about how much he loves you and how much he wanted to be with you, but he can’t be with you until this problem with our father gets fixed. I think it’s fucking bullshit,” Hardy exhaled a deep breath. “Hudson has always been looking out for everyone. My mother, I, and Haisley. He never let anyone else care about him or even love him until he met you. I saw the way he changed and how much freer he was. I know you both have something to also work on, but there’s one thing I know… He’s in love with you. I don’t want to dictate your decision because it’s your life, but please… please… don’t leave Hudson like this.”

“He left, Hardy,” I said, feeling a little angry. 

How could Hudson just let everyone else know about how he felt about me except me? He left and didn’t show his face without explanation. I knew he was angry, but I couldn’t just let that go either. It would have been okay if he had just left, but I kept hearing all of this from everyone. If he wanted me, he could have said something. He could have stayed and told me. 

“I know—”

“If he wanted to be with me, then he wouldn’t have left. I understand that I hurt him. I understand that I hid something from him, but leaving and just letting me go would have justified that. Now, I keep hearing all of this from everyone else but him.” I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “He can’t even say it in front of me. If he wanted me, he would have stayed and told me.”

“I… I’m sorry. I know. I’ve told Hudson that,” Hardy sighed. 

I looked away as the server came to place our food on the table. I wiped the tears that rolled down my cheek as Hardy murmured a thank you to her. The server gave him a smile and walked away, thanking my lucky stars that she didn’t really see what was going on. 

Hardy reached for my hand on the table and said, “Let’s eat dinner, yeah? Let’s talk about this later. You haven’t eaten.”

I nodded and wiped the remaining tears before grabbing my fork and eating my pasta. There was silence for a few minutes, and I could see Hardy glancing at me from time to time. Sometimes, he would text someone on his phone, and I would wonder if he was talking to Hudson. I wonder if Hudson knew I was meeting his brother tonight. 

“Does he know about tonight?” I couldn’t help but ask. 

Hardy shook his head, “No, he doesn’t really like it if I bring up the subject of you because it makes him feel frustrated about himself.”

“Is he in town?” 

Hardy shook his head, “He went to Vancouver and stayed at our cabin in Victoria. He has been locking himself up there since, and I don’t know how to get him out.”

I played with my pasta and didn’t say anything. I could see Hardy’s pleading eyes towards me, but I didn’t know what to do. I have a lot on my mind. I was torn between wanting to work this out with Hudson or starting fresh in a new country. I knew he loved me, but I also knew in my mind that I couldn’t believe that until he told me that himself. 

“He’s okay if it makes you feel better,” Hardy said. “He’s sulking in the corner, but he’s okay. Haisley and I are trying our best.” 

I nodded, “Thank you.” 

______

“One time, our father was upset with me because I didn’t pass one of my exams in Business class, and Hudson was there to cover for me,” Hardy said, slipping his hands in his jacket pocket. 

We walked down the sidewalk as I enjoyed the bay breeze blowing through. I couldn’t help but think about how much I would miss this weather. San Francisco’s weather stayed the same all year round and I loved it because it never gets too hot. There were too many memories in this city. Good and bad. I’d miss them all. 

“He always cared, you know?” Hardy sighed. “Even if he seemed like he didn't. He always took the blame from our father and protected all of us. Hudson deserved every ounce of love you had given him, and I’m so happy that you came into his life.”

“I miss him,” I blurted out the words that I have been hiding from myself. “I really miss him, Hardy.”

Hardy stopped in his tracks and turned to me. He took a step closer as he saw the tears welling up in my eyes. 

“Hey,” He reached for my hand and pulled me into his arms. “Hey, it’s okay. I know he misses you, too.”

“It’s my fault. I know it is, but it still hurts, you know?” I sobbed on his chest, wetting his jacket. “I should have told him the truth. I know he was patient, and I should have trusted him, but I was so hesitant about everyone in my life, even my own friends. Now, I lost him.”

“You didn’t lose him,” Hardy murmured into my hair. “He loves you. I know he does.”

“I love him too,” I whispered, burying my face on Hardy’s chest. 

I felt his hand gently rubbing my back until my tears went dry. Hardy lets me cry everything out without saying anything. When I calmed down, he walked me to his car and drove me back to my apartment. I didn’t have any energy to talk or feel anything. Hudson has consumed every part of me, and even if I felt so heartbroken about him leaving, there was no lie that I still wanted him. 

That I love him. 

I love Hudson Hopper, and I couldn’t even say that to him anymore. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: We have a special appearance...

Wordcount: 3K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

It took the whole weekend for me to finally decide to stop feeling sorry for myself and get the fuck up. After I broke down to Gigi on Friday, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, she had made me dinner and cleaned out my kitchen. I called her the next morning and thanked her, apologizing for my behavior. However, Gigi, being Gigi, told me that it was all fine and that I shouldn’t apologize for how I was feeling. 

The emptiness I felt without Hudson was still painful, but I couldn’t drown myself in pity forever. I have to move on. Now that I have cleared my head, I was sitting at my dining table on Sunday morning, looking for new jobs. I couldn’t take being in Genome Dynamics anymore. There were too many painful memories. I’d miss the people, but maybe moving to a new environment would be better for me. 

Unfortunately, there was still no luck with the job search. For now, I would stick it out and hold my head up high a little longer at work. I should have done this a long time ago, but I was too blinded by what happened. I kept trying to feel sorry for myself, but I could see now that it just led me to an even worse scenario. The more I scrolled through job openings online, the more the idea of moving to Germany began to take shape in my mind. 

I wasn’t kidding when I said moving to Europe could be ideal. I knew this was a whole new country I was going to be going to, but what was wrong with it? It could be a refreshing new thing for me. 

“I thought you had given yourself a week to drown in self-pity?” Gigi interrupted my thoughts. 

We were sitting outside on one of the patio benches. She asked me to go to lunch with her rather than lock myself up in my office. She said that I needed some vitamin D, but we both knew she had been trying to make sure I was okay. I appreciated Gigi’s care for me. I really did, but I needed my space to think about my situation here. 

“I did,” I said, using my fork to play with my salad. 

“So, what does it look like you’re still in that head of yours?” 

I sighed, “I was just thinking about Europe.”

Gigi dropped her fork and stared at me blankly. She blinked her eyes a few times as I bit my lower lip. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth because now, I wasn’t going to hear the end of it. 

“I thought we talked about this,” Gigi stated, frustration lacing through her voice.

Yes, Gigi and I talked about it once my mind was cleared. We both realized that I was just making up excuses because I was heartbroken, but my head was clear now, and the thought of it made me want to really make that into a reality.  

“I’m not kidding anymore, Gigi,” I said. “I think it’s best for me to really move on.”

“Can’t you move on, while still staying in the city?” 

I shook my head, “It’s too painful. Everything. Not just Hudson, but also my sister and Stella. It’s just hard if I knew I would be able to bump into them anywhere.”

Gigi exhaled a sharp breath, looking down at her salad and playing with the lettuce with her fork. I could see the despair in her eyes, and I hated that I was hurting her, too. I reached for her forearm, squeezing it lightly. 

“Hey, it’s just an idea. I haven’t even done anything yet,” I said. 

“Yeah, but it’s a possibility,” Gigi gazed up at me with glassy eyes. “But I get it. I want you to be happy.”

“Thank you,” I smiled softly, squeezing her arm again. 

We changed the subject and talked about something else. Gigi mentioned how Huxley had taken her into his private jet during the weekend. They went to New York for a date and went back the next day. I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She was truly living her dream, and I was happy for her. At least if I ever decided to move out of the city, I knew she was in good hands with Huxley Cane. 

______

Sighing, I pulled out my chair and sat down, waking up my computer. There were still two boxes left that I hadn't unpacked in my new cubicle, and I wasn’t in the mood to unpack anything, especially if I decided to go. What was the point of it all? 

Opening up my Teams, I saw a message from Gigi. 

Gigi: I think you should read this. *insert link*

Clicking on the link, I was taken to the San Francisco Chronicle. The headline said, “Hopper Industries on the verge of bankruptcy”. I hitched my breath and read through the article. There was a picture of Reginald Hopper. The article explained that since Reginald Hopper had sued his sons, the business was going down, especially with his competitors, The Cane Enterprises. It mentioned how Hudson and Hardy had joined forces with the Cane brothers. I could feel my nostrils flare out when they added the part about it being Hudson and Hardy’s fault that their father was facing bankruptcy. 

I could feel my blood boiling inside of me, frustrated that they were blaming them. The public didn’t know the real story, and they were quick to judge them with no real reason. I exited out of the article, not bothering to read the rest of the story. My mind wandered to Hudson. I wonder if he was okay after this news. I wonder if he talked to his father about this. Knowing Hudson, I knew he was struggling with his relationship with his father, but I knew he still cared and loved him. 

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I opened up my messages to Hudson, but paused. I wanted to know if he was okay, but I knew he didn’t want to talk to me. I knew he was too hurt by what I did to him. He was already dealing with this, and I didn’t want to add to his plate. 

“Knock, knock.” 

I heard someone knocking on the wall of my cubicle. I looked up and saw JP Cane giving me a small smile. 

“JP,” I said, putting my phone down. “How can I help you?”

JP pulled out an empty chair from another cubicle and sat next to me. His eyes wandered around my newly undone cubicle. There were two boxes on the floor in the corner. I had paperwork stacked next to my computer and a small plant by the window. He twisted his lips to the side before his eyes fell on me. 

“How are you liking the new cubicle?” He asked. 

“It’s fine,” I shrugged. 

“I was wondering if you have time to take a walk with me,” JP said. 

Through his voice, I knew it wasn’t a suggestion or a question. It was a demand.

“Sure,” I grabbed my jacket and slipped it on before following JP out of the office. 

The cold San Francisco air greeted us as soon as we walked out of Genome Dynamics. The financial district was empty since the lunch hour had finished, and everyone was back to work. JP and I walked down the street, my eyes studying him and wondering what he wanted me to talk to him about. 

As we walked down the sidewalk, there was silence for a moment, so I let my eyes linger on JP Cane. He was in a black and white suit, tattoos peeking out of his arms under his sleeves. He had a scruff on his face just like Hudson, and his hair was pushed back. I wondered if this man was also different outside of work, just like Hudson and Huxley were. I didn’t really know Huxley well, but from Gigi’s stories, he seemed to be different from his usual scowl face at work. 

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, breaking the silence. 

“Do you want coffee? I need some coffee,” JP said, pointing at the coffee shop. 

“Sure,” I said, following him inside the building. 

JP greeted the woman at the front desk as she gestured her arm towards the elevators. I gazed up at the tall building. The main lobby was all white and shiny. It was very pristine. I followed JP in the elevator, and it took us to the fourth floor. Immediately, we were greeted with the delicious smell of coffee when the elevator doors opened. 

“What do you want?” JP asked. 

“Um… just an iced latte will be fine,” I replied. 

I stood in the corner, looking out the window towards the rooftop park. The Salesforce Tower was standing tall outside. It was another foggy day in San Francisco, but I was so used to it. It gave me a cozy, warm feeling. 

“Here you go,” JP handed me the coffee. 

“Thank you,” I smiled, taking the coffee from him. 

JP’s hand gestured towards the double doors that led to the rooftop park. I nodded and followed him outside. People were running down the sidewalk, and others were lying on the grass. I took a sip of my coffee, letting the caffeine fill my body. 

“Was it difficult?” JP asked, looking down at me. 

“What was difficult?” 

“Moving forward after the incident.”

I hitched my breath as I stopped in my tracks and looked at JP. I shouldn’t be surprised that he knew. He was the CEO after all, but I just wondered if Hudson told him. Did the three brothers know about it? Did Hardy know about it, too? 

JP chuckled softly, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to fire you.” 

“Wh…Why are we talking about this?” I asked, feeling my hands tremble. 

JP’s blue eyes shifted towards my hands that were holding my cup of coffee. He gently took the coffee cup from me and kept walking. 

“I just want to know your story, that’s all,” JP said. “In the last few months that I have worked with Hudson, I have never seen him this hurt. Trust me, that says a lot because that man doesn’t show one ounce of emotion.”

“I think that’s all of you, don’t you think?” I commented, catching up to him. 

JP paused in his tracks and turned to me with a raised brow. “Joking, are we?” 

I shrugged, “It’s true. The only two men I have seen show emotion were Hardy and Breaker.”

JP chuckled, leaning forward until his face was inches from mine. I swallowed as I tried to keep still from where I was standing, looking into his deep blue eyes. 

“You know nothing about me, babe,” JP said. 

I didn’t say anything as he pulled away and kept walking. I followed him until our steps were in sync. 

“Yes, it is,” I answered his question. “It still is. How did you kn—”

“When we took over the company, we knew every ins and out of this company, including current and past HR issues.” JP looked at me. “Do you think we’re going to invest in a company that has a lot of issues?”

I didn’t say anything as my thoughts started reeling. “How come Hudson doesn’t know?”

JP smirked. “We decide what we invest in since we hold a bigger share in The Cooperative, and we gave Hudson the job to take care of it since he lived in the city.” 

“Oh,” I inhaled a deep breath. 

JP gestured for me to sit on one of the benches. I sat down as he settled next to me, placing his ankle on his knee and his one arm splayed on the back of the bench behind me. 

“When we bought the company, Huxley was adamant to just get rid of you because he didn’t need to deal with some drama. He wanted to start fresh, but Breaker and I told him to give you a chance. Then, Keith had created a justification as to why you should stay. Eventually, Huxley was convinced. However, I was so curious why a director who was the most respected in the company for over twenty years was fighting so hard for you.” 

I looked down at my lap, my fingers playing with it. I didn’t really know what to say. I didn’t even know Keith did all that for me. 

“Then, Hudson went and fell in love with you, and I couldn’t help but wonder who the fuck is this girl,” JP chuckled, studying me. “Now, I know why.”

Fell in love?

That was not right. 

JP didn’t know what he was saying. Hudson wasn’t in love with me. He was just exaggerating, right? But how come the thought of Hudson being in love with me got my heart racing in my chest? 

JP tilted his head, “From the look on your face, I assume you don’t know that information.”

“That’s… That’s not true. Hudson's not in love with me,” I murmured. 

JP raised his brow and gave me a look as if I were the most blind person in this park. I stared back at him, blinking and determined with my answer because it was true. If Hudson loved me, he wouldn’t give up on this so easily. I knew he regretted his choices from being with me, and I honestly didn’t blame him at all. I accepted that before it happened. 

“Babe, I asked him last week if he had any updates on the lab, and he answered me about our project for Maggie’s Bridesmaid For Hire. I don’t know about you, but that’s a whole different topic.”

I bit my lower lip and said, “Doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

“That’s it?” JP got up from his seat. “You both are going to give up?”

“There’s nothing to do, JP,” I said, frustrated. “Besides, this is my problem, not yours.”

I scoffed, walking down the sidewalk. What was I thinking about going on this walk? I was just going to be interrogated. JP didn’t know shit about what happened, and I knew he was trying to help, but I didn’t need help. I continued down the sidewalk and towards the double doors before I heard JP’s voice. 

“Talk to him,” JP stated. “He’s in a shitty situation right now with his father.”

I slowly turned, closing the door behind me. 

“His father?” I asked. 

“Reginald is causing chaos in his life again after he thought they were healing their relationship,” JP explained. “He’s broken from you, and we’re terrified that he won’t come out from this. It’s bad.”

I stared at JP, my chest heaving as he turned to the pigeon that flew by and stood next to the bushes. He knelt down in front of it and fed the crumbs of his pastry. 

“What are you doing?” I asked. 

“Pigeons are poor creatures who need our attention too,” JP answered, continuing to feed the pigeon.

Not this fucking pigeon talk again.

Was he fucking serious right now? He dropped the bomb about Hudson not doing well, and he was squatting there feeding a pigeon as if it wasn’t a big deal. 

“I don’t know if I can talk to him, JP,” I said. “I… I’m planning to leave, and I don’t want to hurt him again.”

JP turned to me, standing up straight again, fixing the button of his suit jacket. His face grew serious as he studied me. 

“You’re leaving?” He asked. 

“I’m trying to,” I whispered. “I… I texted my friend in Germany. She might have a job for me there, and she said I can stay with her for a while until I can get settled.”

JP crossed his arms on his chest. He took a deep breath before his features softened. He walked closer to me, his eyes studying me intently. 

He scoffed, shaking his head. “That motherfucker shouldn’t have run away.”

“It’s my fault,” I muttered. 

“Doesn’t matter. I know how it feels to lose someone you love, and Hudson should have stayed and fought for this. Fought for you.”

I wish, JP. I wish. 

“It’s okay. It’s not meant to be,” I said. 

“Fuck,” JP shook his head and led me back inside the building. “Please think about it clearly before you make a permanent decision. That’s all I ask.”

I nodded as we entered the elevator. I liked that JP didn’t press me about this. He just accepted my decision, and I didn’t need to explain everything because he understood how I felt. On the way back to Genome Dynamics, JP told me about how he almost lost Kelsey, his girlfriend. He wanted to give up, but he continued to fight for her. Whoever this Kelsey was, she was lucky to have JP. Behind the smirk and the serious expression, I learned that JP had a soft heart, especially with his pigeon friends. 

Still, I really didn’t know what that was about. 

“Just… think about it, okay?” JP said once again when he walked me back to my cubicle. “I wasn’t lying when I told you about how he felt.”

I nodded my head, “Thank you.”

JP gave me one last smile before walking away. I sat on my chair, running my hands down to my face. I couldn’t think straight. I wanted to go home and rot in my bed. There were too many things running through my mind, and I needed to organize my thoughts and feelings before making a decision. 

If Hudson wasn’t okay, I wanted to be there for him, but how? How could I reach out to him when I knew he was going to push me away, anyway? Was he even in town? I should have asked JP that. Although if JP suggested talking to him, he must be in town then. 

There could be one person I could talk to. The only one who knew how Hudson was doing. 

Pulling out my pocket, I looked through my contact list and dialed his number. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: Alexa play Down Bad by Taylor Swift.

Wordcount: 3K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five

Present Day.

I stared at Hudson as he sat on the arm of my sofa. He slowly uncrossed his arms from his chest, his eyes looking down at his feet. I just told every detail of the incident, and I wish I could read his mind. I wish I knew how he was feeling. 

Did he look at me differently? Did he regret everything that happened to us? Was this the end of it? 

He was silent, and it was killing me. 

“Say something, please,” I whispered, looking at him. 

“What happened after that?” Hudson asked, his voice was gruff.

I swallowed and kept going. The memories flooded my brain as if I was re-living it again, but I kept going. I wanted to keep going for Hudson. I wanted him to know everything because he deserved that.

“After I walked out of the restroom, I was called into Keith’s office,” I let out a sad laugh. “Crazy how one minute someone could look at you like they are so proud, then the next, they can look at you like you murdered someone.”

“Keith?”

I nodded my head. “You’ve seen Keith being frustrated or disappointed in something, but this look…” I shook my head, wiping the tears rolling down my cheeks. “This look he had on his face hurt the most. The way he looked at me like I betrayed his trust, and I stabbed him in the chest a million times and took the knife away, leaving him to bleed. It was the worst look I have ever received from him.” 

“Was he the one who took away the promotion?” Hudson’s jaw ticked. 

I shook my head, “That day, he was disappointed. He called me in along with Stella and HR. I explained everything that happened and apologized to Stella. She still had frosting in her hair, and she was crying. I couldn’t look at her. I didn’t like who she was, but I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have lost my control.”

I sighed and looked out the window. I remembered how broken Stella was. She cried to Keith, and I was still flushed from my crying in the restroom. Guilt ate away at my stomach. Ever since that day, guilt and shame have taken over me, and I haven’t healed from it completely. It was always attached to me like a dark cloud over my head, reminding me of my mistake. 

“HR wrote a report about it after that. I was given the rest of the week off, and I thought I had already lost my job. I vomited the moment I got home. I waited for the call all week, but when I didn’t get a call, Keith called me back in his office that Monday and told me that the higher-ups heard about the incident and denied my promotion. Keith wrote a justification as to why the company should give me one more chance,” I scoffed, shaking my head. “I don't know why he did that. I was ready for them to let me go, but he pushed through with it. It was because of Keith, who fought for me, I was able to keep my job but on one condition: I wouldn’t be able to be promoted into a supervisor or any promotion for two years, and I needed to get help for my anger issues.” 

Hudson stared at me, his icy blue eyes slowly turning soft again. He stayed where he was as he studied my expression. I couldn’t look at him, so I kept looking out the window of my apartment, finding comfort in the city view.

“Keith believed in you, that’s why,” Hudson murmured. 

“I doubt it,” I sighed. “He just couldn’t lose another good employee because, despite the incident, I knew I did a good job. I never complained or had any late reports. When Keith asked for something, it was done right away.”

I looked at Hudson and wished I could read his mind because it was killing me that I didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling. I was waiting for him to walk out of my apartment any minute now, but he was still here. 

“Anyway, therapy helped me. Honestly, I liked it a lot. I aired out everything, including my family problems.” I laughed sadly. “Funny how my therapist told me I had anger issues because I bottled up all my emotions with my parents and projected it to others, especially when I was stressed.”

Hudson got up from his seat on the arm of the sofa, running a hand down his face. I was anticipating him leaving, but he walked closer to me. His eyes were staring straight into mine, and I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks again. I didn’t want to cry anymore because I didn’t deserve any sympathy from anyone. What happened that day was all my fault, and I accepted that a long time ago. 

“Hey,” Hudson’s voice was soft as he cupped my face in his hands, brushing away the tears. 

“Shh, come here.”

I buried my face on Hudson’s chest as I wrapped my arms around his torso, sobbing and wetting his shirt with my tears. I felt his hand rubbing my back softly, and his lips pressing a soft kiss on top of my head. 

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled through his shirt. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh..” He whispered, letting me sob on his chest until all my tears went dry.

But I wasn’t done. There was more to the story, and I have to keep going. I pulled away from his arms and wiped the remaining tears with the back of my hand. 

“I came back, and I lost everyone. I scared the shit out of Adeline and Maya, so they kept their distance—”

“You don’t have to keep going,” Hudson interrupted. 

“No, I want to,” I said. “Please.”

Hudson nodded his head and let me continue as we sat on my sofa. 

“Luca didn’t want to join the drama, so he kept his distance. Bea kept trying to reach out to me, but I pushed her away because I told myself that she didn’t need to get hurt either. I looked at myself in the mirror since then, like I was some kind of monster. Keith stopped smiling at me. I have paid the price every day since.” I felt a tear roll down my cheek, but Hudson was quick to wipe it away. “A week after, Camille asked me to move out. She never said anything about the incident. Not one word. But her asking me to move out said a lot. She chose her.”

“That’s so stupid,” Hudson whispered. “You’re her sister.”

“She wanted to be loved by someone else,” I looked at Hudson with glassy eyes. “She will always choose that.”

“You loved her,” Hudson said. 

“I still do.”

“Then, that’s fucking bullshit,” Hudson clenched his jaw. “She chose someone else over her own family? Over someone who wasn’t even good.” 

I twisted my lips to the side, playing with my fingers as I looked down at my lap. Another tear rolled down my cheek, and I wished I could stop crying, but the emotions kept flooding me. 

“I found this apartment at the last minute. Camille took our cat, Lucy. She said that I wasn’t responsible enough to have a pet, which is fine because, honestly, this apartment doesn’t accept pets.” I let out a shuddering breath, gazing up at Hudson. “I never pretended with you. I’m sorry that you weren’t able to meet my past self, but I’ve changed. I’m broken, Hudson. I don’t expect you to stay because I’m still putting myself back together. I’m still trying to work on my issues. I’m still trying to control my emotions, and I don’t want to drag you into that.”

There was silence for a moment, and I could see the gears shifting in his brain. Even if Hudson had stayed all night to listen to me, I still didn’t expect him to forgive me and stay. Honestly, I never hoped for it because I knew our time was limited. Hudson would know, and he would see how horrible I was. It was just too bad that I let this go on for too long. 

“I just… I need time,” Hudson murmured, running a hand down his mouth. 

“Hudson,” I got up from the sofa and took his hand in mine. “It’s okay. I understand. You don’t have to feel guilty if you decide you don’t want this anymore. I’m just really sorry that I hid this from you, but there’s one thing I want you to know. I never pretended or used you. Everything else that you’ve come to learn about me was all real. I never lied about that.”

There was another moment of silence. 

Hudson tugged on his hair as he got up from the sofa and paced back and forth in front of me. Then, he paused in his tracks, his hands finding his hips. I stood there and watched him, giving him all the time he needed. Then, when he turned to me, his eyes were glassy, his jaw was clenched, and there was pain in his expression. 

“I…” He exhaled a sharp breath. “I should go…”

Hudson’s voice was so low that if my apartment wasn’t so quiet, anyone would miss it. I knew this was coming, but it still hurt when I felt reality slapping me on my face. I couldn’t say anything but nod my head, feeling like everything around me was shattering in slow motion, but I couldn’t do anything to stop it. 

I was going to lose Hudson. I felt it. 

No, I already lost him. 

I couldn’t look at him, so I just let him go. For a moment, we stood there just face to face, my eyes looking out the window, trying to find solace in the city lights. Then, I felt Hudson’s presence in front of me, taking up my space, taking up every single breath in my lungs. Hudson gently slipped his hand to cup my cheek and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead, making me flutter my eyes closed and feel a tear roll down my cheek.

This was it. 

This was the moment. 

This would be the last time I would see him. 

Hudson lingered his lips on my forehead, feeling his shaking breath on my skin before letting me go. 

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I let him walk away. I couldn’t move. I was frozen in place as I heard him grab his suit jacket from the back of the sofa, and his footsteps getting farther and farther away until I heard my front door close behind him. That was when I broke down into tears, falling down on the sofa and pulling the throw blanket close to my chest. 

I knew I would never see him again. 

______

“Girl, open up, please,” Gigi’s fist banged on my front door for the third time. “I swear to God, if you don’t open up, I will call the cops. You haven’t been at work all week, and I know you're fine. So, please just open up.” 

Sighing, I pushed out of the throw blanket that I wrapped myself in. I called in sick from work for a week, saying that I have a bad case of stomach flu, and I didn’t know how long it would take to get better. Max never questioned me, so he just told me to take care and to call him if I needed anything. I locked myself in my apartment and ordered takeout the whole week. The only person I have seen was the DoorDash driver who would deliver my food. 

Gigi has been texting and calling, and I knew she had my location, so she knew I was alive and locked up in my apartment. I didn’t have the energy to socialize or see anyone. I needed some space and alone time. I haven’t heard from Hudson since that night, and Gigi told me he hasn’t been in the office either, so I wasn’t sure if he was even in town. 

“Girl, c’mon!” Gigi called out from the other side of the door. 

I dragged my feet towards the front door, unlocked it, and opened it for her, not even giving her a look before turning and walking back to my sofa. 

“Good god,” Gigi exclaimed. “Have you cleaned around here?”

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice low as I pulled the throw blanket over my body and lay back down on the sofa. 

“What happened? I know you’re not sick,” Gigi placed a palm on my forehead and received her answer right away. “See, I knew it!”

I groaned and pulled the covers over my head and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. As much as I love Gigi, I need her to leave because I need to be alone and drown myself in self-pity. I knew this wasn’t the right idea, but I promised myself that I would give myself a week to do this and then figure out my situation. At one point, I started looking for new jobs online, but in this economy? There was nothing good that I could find. 

Maybe I need to move to Europe. Yeah, that was a good idea. Why didn’t I even think about that? I have a friend in Germany. Maybe she could help me find a job or something. Perhaps she could help me move. 

“C’mon, get up,” Gigi tugged on the covers. “Get up. Did you not throw away your garbage? It reeks!”

“I didn’t shower either,” I mumbled through the covers. 

“What?” 

“I didn’t shower either,” I said again, my voice rising. 

Gigi tugged on the covers until she entirely took them off me, the sun hitting my face. I didn’t even notice that she opened up the curtains. Now, the burning sun was glaring at my face, and I was groaning like I was a vampire under the sun. 

“Noooo!” I exclaimed, scrambling to take back the covers, but Gigi was quick to throw them across the room. 

“No! That’s enough!” Gigi demanded. “What happened? Why aren’t you at work? Why hasn’t Clark Kent been at work?”

I made a face at Gigi as she rolled her eyes. “Hudson. I call him that because he looks like Clark Kent when he has the safety glasses on.”

I sighed and sat up on the sofa, but slid my body down anyway, feeling like shit. I wanted these stupid feelings to go away. I wanted to just get over Hudson and move on with my life. The idea of moving to Germany was starting to be the option for me. 

“I told him everything, and I lost him,” I flung my arms in the air, feeling defeated. 

“He… He left?” Gigi sat next to me, concern growing on her face. “Just like that? He just left?”

“He said he needs time, but it’s been a week. You said so yourself that he hasn’t been at work, so I’m not surprised if he decided he didn’t want this anymore.”

Gigi sighed, “Maybe he just needs a little more time. I mean, that was a lot of information to take in.”

“I’m moving to Germany,” I murmured. 

“What?” Gigi’s eyes widened, her body straightening from the surprise. “No, you’re not! Since when did you decide on this?”

“Just now.”

Gigi made a face, giving me a glare as she shook her head. She got up from the sofa, grabbed all the empty takeout boxes on the coffee table, and walked towards the kitchen. She tied up the full trash bag and took it out of the garbage can before replacing it and dumping all my empty takeout boxes. 

“Stop that. I can do it myself,” I looked over my shoulder. 

“You’re not moving to Germany,” Gigi paused in her tasks and looked at me. “You can’t just make a decision out of the blue without even thinking through it.”

“No, I really think this is a good idea for me,” I got up from the sofa, picking up the blanket that Gigi had tossed and wrapping it around me. 

Gigi sighed and placed the garbage bag on the floor, setting her hands on her hips. 

“You don't have to move across the world. Hudson may just need a little more time. Maybe wait another week. Then, you can make a decision.”

I sighed, looking out the window as I tried to stop the tears from coming. I cried for the last few days, my eyes were red and puffy. My eyes were exhausted, and I didn’t want to cry anymore. However, the tears wouldn't stop.

“I have nothing left here,” I murmured, looking down.

“What about me?” Gigi walked over to me. “I’m still here.”

“I know,” I looked up to her, tears welling up in my eyes. “But I need to move on. I can’t do that in the same environment that broke me.”

Gigi didn’t say anything as she pulled me into a tight hug. I held on to her tightly as I sobbed on her shoulder until my tears dried. After a few minutes, Gigi gently helped me walk back to my sofa as she lay me down and pulled the covers over me. I was so exhausted, I could barely keep my eyes open. I just wanted to escape from everything. I wanted this pain to go away. I wanted my old self back. I hated this feeling that I have been carrying for the past two years.

I needed to move on and surround myself with better people and a good environment.

“I’ll miss you, you know,” Gigi murmured. 

“I know. I’ll miss you too.” I fluttered my eyes, feeling a tear roll down my cheek before letting sleep completely take over me. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: Here we go...

Wordcount: 3.3K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

Two Years Ago. December.

This week has been nothing but annoying. 

Everyone was fucking asking me stupid questions they know the answers to. I have been crabby all weekend because of Camille. I didn’t need everyone else dipping their toes at the moment. I was so close to taking the day off tomorrow because I honestly didn’t want to deal with everyone. 

Ever since Camille and I have been drifting apart, I felt as if I wasn’t sure where my position was in everyone’s lives. As much as Adeline and Maya were my friends, I knew they would choose Camille because they were friends first. Bea was in the middle of everything, and Luca had been trying to stay away from the drama unfolding. My mood has been shifting up and down, and to add salt into the wound, work has been stressful.

Last week, Stella and Camille argued again. Everyone in the lab was feeling the tension. Theo had asked Camille about what was going on, because the rumors were flying that they had stopped hanging out, but she refused to tell him the truth. She told him that everyone was exaggerating, and she shouldn’t have to be with Stella 24/7. Bea kept asking me to join them for a break, but I refused because I knew Stella was going to be there.

Thank god, I have been busy lately. I’ve spent most of the time with Max, being trained. I moved into a new office a few days ago because Keith had approved my promotion to new supervisor of our department. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, given the latest drama that has been going on. It wasn’t official yet. Keith was still waiting for approval from the higher-ups, but he was confident that it would get approved. He celebrated a little too early by sending me an email and letting me know that I would be moving into a new office due to my new title. 

So, I isolated myself in my office whenever I could. Whenever I got home from work, I isolated myself in my room because I didn’t want to face Camille. It has been cold with us lately. Every time we tried to talk, the subject of Stella was always brought up, which we both ended up arguing over. Christmas was next week, and I wasn’t sure what she and I would do. We usually went out to a nice dinner since we were too lazy to cook, but this year, that plan seemed a little blurry.

“Hey,” Gigi knocked on my office door. “Nice office!”

“Thanks,” I chuckled softly. “I swear, I think this was a storage room, but Keith had told facilities to break down the wall and make a window, so it wouldn't be too suffocating in here. I think they’re going to work on it next week.” 

Gigi looked around the office, filled with boxes full of my things. It wasn’t big like Max, Theo, or Keith’s, but it was enough for me. The window definitely was a good idea because it did feel a little suffocating in here without it, but I was glad there was a narrow floor-to-ceiling window next to the door. I could at least see who was passing by and knocking outside. 

“Well, you should decorate it,” Gigi smiled, placing a gift bag on my desk. “Speaking of decorating…”

“What is this?” I furrowed my brows, taking the bag. “I told you I don't like presents.”

“Like I actually listen to you,” Gigi rolled her eyes. “It’s a little something for your office.”

I gave her a look, raising one brow before opening the gift bag and pulling out a poster of Lois Lane. I laughed softly, shaking my head. 

“Really?” I grinned happily. “Oh, I love it.”

It was Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and I remembered when Gigi watched the movie, she told me how the essence of her character was like me. I couldn’t help but laugh because it was the scene of her pouring a mountain of sugar into her coffee. 

“You’re welcome! I thought it would remind you how strong-headed and amazing you are, no matter what. Lois doesn’t have superpowers, but she’s a superhero,” Gigi smiled, looking at the poster. “Just like you. You have a good heart, and you put joy in everyone, and I think that’s amazing.”

I bit my lower lip and hung up the poster at the back of my door, so I could see it all the time whenever I was stressed in meetings and doing reports. 

“Thank you,” I pulled her into a hug. “This is amazing.”

Gigi grinned happily. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye,” I smiled and watched Gigi close the door. 

I stared at the poster one more time, grinning from ear to ear, before going back to unpacking my boxes. I wanted to decorate this space. I wanted to decorate it to show my personality, while also making it cozy. I wanted anyone who entered my office to feel safe. 

I hope that I was able to also let them feel that way when it came to supervising the team.

______

I walked down the hall later that day when I saw Camille and Stella coming my way. I have been trying to avoid them at all costs. Camille and I still talked, but I could tell something had shifted between us. Every time I saw Stella, there was this anger that rushed through my body that I couldn’t even explain. It was almost like my vision would turn red, and I couldn’t think or feel anything but anger. 

Just the other day, Adeline told me that Stella had ignored them again. The next day, she joined them on break with a smile on her face, as if she had forgotten her previous behavior. It truly pissed me off how she was treating everyone I cared about like shit. She treated Camille like shit, too, but Camille was too blind to see it. I’ve seen the way Stella treated her. Stella followed her like a dog, and she was always demanding everything from her. One time, Camille was sick, and she still went out to dinner with Stella because Stella was apparently not in a good mood. At the end, Stella made the whole night about her, while my sister suffered through dinner listening to her problems. Camille was too friendly and forgiving. 

Well, I wasn’t. 

I knew my own boundaries. 

“Hey, are you joining us for lunch?” Camille asked, stopping me in my tracks. 

“No, thanks,” I said, my eyes shifting towards Stella. 

“C’mon, Bea wants you to come. Maya cooked something,” Camille begged.

“I’ll think about it,” I said before walking away. 

I took a deep breath as I turned my hands into a fist. I didn’t want to feel this way about someone, but she was just bad news. I hated it. I hated the fact that I felt this way. I hated the fact that I was being so remorseful and angry over it. I knew part of my anger was because I felt like I lost my sister through this process and because it was so easy for Camille to choose someone other than her own family. It made me realize how, at the end of the day, I only have myself. 

“Hey,” Adeline and Maya stopped me before I entered my office. 

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked, turning to them. 

“Come with us,” Adeline said. “Maya made some tinga, and I know that’s one of your favorites.”

I sighed, “I don’t know.”

“I promise, she isn’t there,” Adeline said. “I told Camille.” 

I hesitated for a moment as I watched Adeline's brown pleading eyes pinned on me. My anger and trust issues were saying no, but my heart was saying yes. I didn't like how my friends had to beg me to join them. It made me feel guilty because it felt like I was making everything so complicated. However, I still had the right to feel this way about Stella. Her behavior was unacceptable.

“Okay,” I sucked in a shuddering breath.

Adeline and Maya smiled at each other as they led the way to the breakroom. Walking down the hall, we found Bea speed walking out of the lab and immediately stopped when she saw us. Her eyes were wide, a fearful look on her face as if she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing.

“Sorry, I had to finish some things,” She told Adeline as if they had some secret message towards each other.

I furrowed my brows and wondered what was going on. Maya cooked tinga, and she only cooked food for special occasions. Usually, it was Adeline who would cook something for us. Bea was acting weird, and now that I was looking at her, she looked like she had been running around. Then, realization hit me like a truck.

Tomorrow was my birthday.

I totally forgot what day it was. I was so busy that I forgot today was the 17th. I didn’t even realize it. That was why Adeline, Maya, and Camille were so adamant about me joining them for lunch. From the startled look on Bea’s face, I knew she was late to the party. They always did this every year. They would lure me into the break room for a surprise party. 

“It’s fine. We’re going for lunch,” Adeline told Bea. “Let’s go.”

I didn’t say anything as we entered the break room. When we walked around the corner, familiar faces filled the room as they yelled, “Surprise!” 

I couldn’t help but grin happily, feeling shy from all the attention that was being given to me. I slowly walked up to the table they set up with a light blue heart cake. There was confetti all over the table, and a light blue shiny string decoration hung on the wall behind the table. I studied the people who were here. Keith, Max, Gigi, Adeline, Maya, Luca, a few other co-workers from our team, Bea, and Camille. 

“Adeline brought the cake,” Bea said, taking a picture of me. 

“And Keith decorated,” Camille added. 

“Thank you,” I smiled at everyone as they started singing happy birthday. 

I stood behind the table they set up. Bea and Camille were taking pictures, while I felt my cheeks flushed from all the attention. I felt awkward, but my heart was whole. They have done this several times for me, but I always felt loved and grateful for each of them. 

“Thank you,” I said again after they finished singing. 

“Make a wish,” Keith said, lighting up the candle on my cake. 

I closed my eyes and wished for everything to be okay, but right as I was about to blow out my candle, we heard a familiar voice entering the break room. 

“I’m here! I’m sorry!” Stella exclaimed, out of breath. “I’m here! Happy Birthday!”

I stood there in shock, feeling a rush of anger run through my veins. Adeline and Maya exchanged looks. Bea was lowering her phone slowly as she looked over her shoulder to see what the commotion was. Everyone’s heads turned to Stella, exchanging looks as she stood behind Camille. She started singing "Happy Birthday," clapping her hands, but everyone was just standing there staring at her. 

“Sorry, sorry,” She chuckled, stopping mid-singing, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “So, is it cake time?”

“No, she hasn’t blown her candle,” Bea said, turning back to me. “Make a wish and blow your candle, sweetheart.”

Bea urged me to, but I could feel the mood shifting in the room. I closed my eyes again, pretending to make a wish before blowing the candle. Everyone applauded around the room as I forced a smile and murmured a thank you. I took a deep breath and stared at the cake on the table. It has a kiss mark decoration on the top, and I couldn’t help but smile at how much they knew me. 

“Happy Birthday, sweetheart,” Bea pulled me into a hug as I hugged her back. 

Over her shoulder, I saw Stella talking to Camille at the back. Everyone else was conversing with each other. The anger was slowly boiling up in my body, but I told myself to calm down, especially since my boss was here. Though seeing Stella wasn’t helping my mood at all. I had to look away before I was even more frustrated. 

“Thank you, mother,” I said as Bea handed me the knife. 

“Cut your cake,” Bea smiled, taking small paper plates and placing them in front of me.

I took the knife from her hands and turned to the table. I started cutting the cake into slices as Bea helped me place them on each plate. I handed everyone one and tried to force a smile as they tried to talk to me. When I arrived at Camille's table, I gave her and Stella each of their plates, but I couldn’t even look at both of them. 

Camille knew. 

She knew how much I was trying to avoid her, and she invited her. She had the nerve to invite her. 

“Here,” Adeline handed me a plate with a slice of cake. 

“It’s okay. I’ll eat later,” I smiled. “Thank you for the cake. It looks so pretty.”

“Of course,” Adeline smiled. “I found her on Instagram, and she lives here locally, so I ordered one from her. Sorry about Stella. I thought she wouldn't be here.”

“Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to apologize, it’s not your fault,” I rubbed Adeline's back and pulled her into a side hug. 

I sat at the table with Adeline, Maya, Gigi, and Bea. Not a minute later, Camille and Stella joined us. I sat there and listened to conversations, smiling from time to time. My hearing kept going in and out as I tried to control my emotions inside. 

“You guys should decorate the whole break room next time,” Stella said, making me look up. “I think it’s better that way. You know, make it a big party.”

“We usually just do this for our group,” Camille replied. 

“Well, on my birthday, I would like to have a big party.” Stella ate a piece of her cake, nodding her head excitedly. 

That’s good for you, Stella. Too bad it isn’t your fucking birthday. 

“Hmm,” She hummed softly, setting her fork down. “Is this yellow or white cake, Adeline?”

“It’s white,” Adeline replied. 

Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t fucking say it.

“Have you guys tried the yellow cake? I feel like it tastes better,” Stella stated, shrugging casually. 

I felt my nostrils flare as I turned my hands into a fist under the table. Maya and Adeline exchanged looks, and I could feel my chest heaving from anger. 

“You know—” I leaned forward when Keith passed by with a smile on his face. 

“Unfortunately, I have a meeting, so I have to go. Happy Birthday,” He smiled and waved goodbye to everyone. 

“Thank you,” I smiled and waved at him.

Max followed behind, and so did my other co-workers, wishing me a happy birthday before leaving. My close group of friends was the only one left, along with Stella. I kept trying to bite back my tongue for the past thirty minutes, but it was getting harder and harder. 

“Are you not going to eat cake?” Stella asked. 

I snapped my head, turning to her, my eyes were filled with fire. Stella must have seen my expression because she looked taken aback. I felt my nostrils flare as red slowly filled my vision.

“Well, from your review, you said the yellow cake is better,” I snapped, sarcasm in my voice. 

“I…” Stella looked at the rest of the table. “It was just a suggestion.”

“Well, it’s rude,” I said, my voice was ice. “Adeline took her time to order this and made sure it’s perfect. You don’t get to comment on it, especially that it’s not your birthday.”

I could feel my heart beating hard in my chest. The air in my lungs had ceased to exist as my chest heaved heavily. Red had taken up my vision, and I thought maybe this was it. This was the day I was going to snap and lose it. I couldn’t stop myself from it. My body trembled in anger, and the more I looked at her, the angrier I was and the more hatred I felt. I could feel my nails digging into my palms as I got up, the chair making a scraping noise on the floor. 

“I was just being suggestive. What is your problem with me, anyway? You stopped talking to me, and you kept looking at me like I did the worst thing.” Stella got up from her chair as well.

I scoffed, “You may not have done anything wrong to me, but you are treating everyone like shit. Not to mention you’re treating the people that I love like shit, so yes, I’m angry.” 

“Hey, that’s enough.” Camille tried to pull Stella down.

I could see Stella was trying to fight back, but I could see the fear in her eyes. She knew I was angry, and she knew this was going to end ugly if she kept poking the bear. 

“I’m sorry if I have bad days,” Stella argued, “But that’s none of your business. What I do with Camille is not your business.”

“Except that it is because I have to hear about it every time she comes home!” I walked towards her, pointing an accusatory finger. “I have to hear about the fact that she’s stressed and doesn’t understand you. She’s my sister, so I care! Unlike how you want everyone to treat you with respect, but you aren’t even respectful to others. Isn’t that one of the company's core values? To be respectful to others.” 

“You know what? I was trying so hard to be nice to you because you’re Camille’s sister, but you’re not who you show yourself to be either! You’re a fucking bitch!” Stella exclaimed.

My pupils darkened as I felt the anger rush through my whole body. It felt like everything was in slow motion. It felt like her words were in slow motion, each word registering in my brain, and anger had taken over.

“You want me to eat cake, Stella?” That was the last thing I said that I remembered clearly. "Fine."

Before I knew it, I had grabbed the slice of cake on her plate and shoved it on her face. I didn’t see anything but red. The gasps I heard around me sounded distant. I felt hands on my forearms, pulling me away, but I was gone. 

It was as if my anger grew its own soul and possessed me, and I couldn’t stop it. I was screaming and scratching the walls on the inside, but it felt like someone else was controlling my body. 

“You’re a fucking bitch!” I screamed, scratching Stella’s face with my nails and tugging on her hair as they continued to pull me away. 

I didn’t know who was dragging me away, but I was being pulled out of the break room. My whole body was trembling, and by the time my vision cleared, I saw Adeline and Maya looking at me with fearful eyes. 

I looked at them breathlessly, my anger disappearing and guilt and shame slowly washing over me. They both were breathless too as they stared at me with a surprised look on their face, along with disappointment.

“I… I’m sorry,” I murmured before running up the stairs. 

I heard Adeline call my name, but I kept going. I ran down the long hallway and towards the women’s restroom. I entered the handicapped stall and locked it before sliding my back against the wall. I pulled my knees close to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs, sobbing quietly. 

“Fuck,” I whispered, sobbing through the fabric of my pants. 

I fucked up. 

This was the end of my career here. 

I was fucked. 

This was the end of it all. 

[daydreamscorners]

Delicate

Summary: A hidden past. A new beginning. What happens when two people meet but one of them isn't who they truly are? Would they let the past come in their way or would they go through it together and start a new chapter?

Author's Note: Things are about to turn, love.

Wordcount: 3.3K

Disclaimer: 18+ only

Chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - twelve - thirteen - fourteen - fifteen - sixteen - seventeen - eighteen - nineteen - twenty - twenty one - twenty two - twenty three - twenty four - twenty five - epilogue

Peace. 

That was what I felt when I was around Hudson. I never felt so lightweight until I was around him. He made me feel safe and warm. He was patient, understanding, and protective. I knew the confession about my past had to happen soon, but I was terrified. After the night in his house, I couldn’t help but feel the fear of losing him. The feeling of him inside me, the sense of the connection we had, I knew I had to come clean. 

So, I decided to do it the next time I come over. 

I knew it was going to be soon because Hudson was already asking me to come over again. When I woke up the next morning after the night we had sex for the first time, I felt Hudson’s soft fingers brushing my bare back. He had a smile on his face as I rubbed my eyes, waking myself up more. 

“Hi,” I whispered to him. 

“Hi,” Hudson’s dimples showed up on his face, then suddenly, worry lines appeared. “Shit.”

He tilted my head and studied my neck. “Fuck, did I do that?”

I furrowed my brows and reached for my phone on the bedside table, opening the camera. When I switched it to the front camera, I found marks on my neck that Hudson left last night. When I pulled down the blanket a little lower, there were marks on my chest, too.

“Shit,” Hudson softly brushed his fingers on my chest. “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rough—”

“It’s okay,” I smiled, kissing him softly. “I liked it.”

“Baby,” Hudson looked at me worriedly.

“I’m okay, I promise,” I reassured him. “You’ve been awake?” 

Hudson nodded, his thumb brushing my cheek softly. “Yes, you looked so peaceful. The worry lines on your face faded.”

“They fade when I’m with you,” I murmured, setting my head on his chest. 

“One day, I hope I’m able to kick those demons away from your mind.” Hudson’s fingers caressed my arm as he pressed a soft kiss on my hair. 

It took only that line for me to make a decision. I knew right then that I needed to tell him. I just needed to compose myself for a moment before I told him everything. I wanted this to work. I wanted to trust Hudson. I wanted him to be in my life, and it wouldn’t work if I were hiding a part of myself from him. 

“Hey,” My thoughts were interrupted by Max’s voice. 

I gazed up from my computer, just now realizing I had been staring at my screen for the last five minutes. My mind has been hazy since that night, replaying Hudson's face in my mind and still feeling his lips on my flushed skin.

“Are you busy?” Max asked.

I shook my head, turning my chair to face him. He closed the door behind him and stood in front of my desk. He took a deep breath and scratched his forehead, hesitant to tell me whatever he wanted to say to me. 

“What is it, Max?” I asked. 

“Um, they cleared up a new cubicle for you,” Max said. “They want you to move in there by Friday.”

I nodded my head, accepting my reality. I knew it was going to happen soon. I was surprised that it didn’t happen sooner, honestly. I wasn’t part of the leadership team, and whoever they decided to promote deserved to have this office. 

“Okay,” I said, my voice soft. “I’ll start packing. I don’t have that much, so I should be fully moved in by Wednesday.”

Max nodded, “Thank you, and I’m sorry—”

“Hey,” I shook my head. “It’s fine. It’s not your fault, Max. You’re only following orders.”

Max stared at me, his eyes glassy. Max and I never had a good relationship. We were up and down. We would argue and then be okay again. I once reported him to Keith because he wasn’t being supportive. He changed right after that, but then he went back to his old ways after a few months, and I gave up trying after that. Keith knew what was happening, and I just tried to get along with Max now. I let him do whatever he wanted because what was the point? 

Although, despite all of that, Max was still caring about me personally. He listened and helped me whenever I needed it. He could be lazy sometimes, and he could be so stubborn, but he knew me. He knew me well, and he defended me to others. That was why, sometimes, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

“If I had the choice…” Max sighed. 

“Max, it’s okay, I promise,” I gave him a small smile. 

Really. 

It was okay.

I’ve come to accept the consequences of my actions. I admitted that what I did was wrong, and I have been trying to make things right. I have been trying to change and make sure that it will never happen again. That I would never act out that way again. I knew it was in the heat of the moment, but I felt guilty. I never wanted to do that to anyone, even to someone I didn’t like. 

“One day,” Max’s eyes looked determined. “I’m getting you back in this chair.”

I chuckled softly, “We’ll see.”

I never knew what the future holds. None of us do, and I didn’t want to hope anymore. I didn’t want to feel sorry for myself. I didn’t want to isolate myself. I accepted my mistake, and I needed to start moving forward. 

“I’ll drop some boxes for you later,” Max said. “I’ll help you with the heavy things if anything.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that,” I said with a smile. But before Max could walk away, I called out his name. “And Max, thank you. For still believing in me.”

“Keith and I still do,” he confessed.

His words hit me like a ton of bricks because I never thought he would say that. I’d believe it if he said he believed in me, but Keith? I wanted to question it. I didn’t believe it. Max must have seen the look on my face because he pulled up a chair in front of my desk and looked me in the eyes. 

“I know it’s hard to believe, but he’s proud of you,” Max said. 

“I’m not too sure about that,” I whispered, my voice breaking. 

“He is,” Max stated firmly. “Please believe it.”

He tapped my hand, gave me a small smile, and got up from the chair. 

“There are still many people who believe in you.”

That was the last thing Max said as he closed the door behind him, and immediately, a tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly wiped it off with the back of my hand as I turned my chair and faced the wall. The picture of Lucy, our cat, stared straight at me. The memory of her suddenly brought me to tears even more because I missed her. I missed my cat. I missed my friends. I missed Bea. I missed my stubborn, love-blind sister. I missed my conversations with Keith. 

I missed everyone. 

All it took was one move. One action. 

And I lost everything that day. 

______

“What are you doing?” Hudson’s voice startled me. 

I jumped as I held on to the box on top of my desk. 

Jesus Christ. 

This man truly needed a bell because he was always appearing out of nowhere. I placed my hand on my chest and watched Hudson close the door behind him, along with the blinds. I definitely would miss our private moments in this office. We wouldn’t be able to really see each other anymore because once I moved into my cubicle, that privacy would be gone. 

“Packing,” I replied. 

“Why?”

“Because like I said before, I wasn’t meant to stay in this office,” I explained, turning to face him fully.

Hudson’s jaw was clenched as he looked around the boxes that were scattered around my small office. This was literally a storage room, and I couldn’t help but think about how much I would miss it anyway. 

“That’s not right,” Hudson muttered under his breath. 

I walked up to him, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it lightly. I pressed my thumb on the line that was forming between his brows. 

“It’s okay,” I said. “This was bound to happen, and you knew that.”

“No,” Hudson shook his head. “You should be here. You should be part of the leadership. You deserved it. I’ve seen everything that you do.”

“Hudson, please,” I pleaded, taking his other hand in mine. “Let’s not push this, okay? I’m okay, I promise. It’s fine.” 

I saw the fire that was burning inside Hudson’s eyes, and the last thing I wanted was for him to get angry over something small. It was just an office after all. It didn’t mean anything. 

“I have to go,” Hudson murmured. 

“Wait, are you okay?” I tugged on his arm. 

“Yes,” He cupped my cheek and pressed a soft kiss on top of my head before letting me go. “I have a meeting with Keith. I’ll see you later.”

I nodded and watched him open up my blinds, and walked out of the room. Somehow, my gut feeling was telling me that something was off. 

______

I watched as the last person in the office left, only hearing Gigi from her cubicle. I finished packing the last of my boxes and walked out. I walked towards Gigi’s cubicle, only for me to pause when I saw a familiar figure standing next to her chair. 

“Hi,” Huxley Cane turned towards me, his face serious. 

“H…Hi,” I murmured.

I didn’t know what Gigi saw in this man. He was terrifying. 

Gigi peeked her head out from her cubicle wall and smiled at me happily. She was grinning from ear to ear, and her face lit up like the sun.

“Hi!” Gigi got up from her seat and dragged me closer to them. “This is Huxley.”

“Hi,” I said, introducing myself. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to finally meet you,” Huxley said, shaking my hand firmly. “I heard lots of good things about you.”

“Oh, I’m sure Gigi is overexaggerating,” I waved my hand in front of me. 

Huxley tilted his head at me, his lips twisting to the side. “I meant from Hudson.”

Oh. 

OH.

Has Hudson told anyone about us? Wait, has he mentioned me to the Canes? If he did, what was he saying? 

“Oop,” Gigi pressed her lips into a thin line, amusement on her face. 

“I see my friend over here never mentioned me, then,” I teased, hoping to change the subject. 

“Oh, she has,” Huxley smirked. “Just never heard a man yap about a certain woman in a one-on-one quarterly business update meeting.”

I felt my cheeks flush as I shifted my eyes to Gigi, asking her for help. I didn’t know my place. I didn’t know if Huxley knew about Hudson and me. I wasn’t sure what to say. 

“He knows,” Gigi answered all my questions as if she were a mind reader. 

“Huxley, listen—”

Huxley held up his hand to stop me. “I don’t care. It would be hypocritical of me to tell you to stop, given my own situation. As long as you know how to keep it professional and separated.” 

Huxley turned to smile at Gigi, and it took me aback at how his face changed. That moment changed my perception of Huxley Cane. I could understand why Gigi liked him. Wow. His expression was soft, and his eyes glimmered when he looked at her. It was like looking at a different person. 

“Right,” I whispered, looking down at my feet. 

“Did you need something, girl?” Gigi asked, intertwining her fingers with Huxley’s. 

“Just… asking if you have seen Hudson,” I bit my lower lip, feeling shy about the subject of Hudson. 

Gigi and Huxley exchanged looks for a moment, and it made me even more nervous. I haven’t seen him since this morning, before his meeting with Keith. I knew he wanted to see me tonight, but he hasn’t answered any of my texts. He has gone silent since. 

“We saw him leave Keith’s office earlier, and he looked upset,” Huxley answered.

“Oh,” I nodded. 

“Have you tried contacting him?” Gigi asked. 

“Yes, but he hasn’t answered,” I took a deep breath. “Whatever it is, maybe he needs space.”

Huxley looked at me for a moment. There was something in his eyes that seemed like he knew what was going on. Whatever it was, I was sure it would be confidential if Huxley couldn’t say anything. I just wished that Hudson could have at least texted me or called me.

“Maybe give him space tonight and call him again tomorrow,” Gigi suggested. “I’m sure he’s okay. He just needs space.”

“Yeah, thank you,” I gave them a smile. “Have a good night, guys.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” Gigi said. 

I walked back to my office, grabbed my things, and left the building that night. I tried calling Hudson again on my way home, but nothing. I was sent to voicemail immediately, and I was starting to worry if he was okay. 

Did he regret what happened to us? Did he change his mind? Did he think it was easier to just disappear now that he didn’t want me? I knew something was off this morning when I saw him. I wonder if he decided he no longer wanted this. Us.

When I arrived at my apartment, I found Hudson’s car parked on the street, but there was no sign of him. I went up the steps and into my apartment, seeing him sitting on my sofa. His white button-up sleeves were rolled up, his hair was sticking out everywhere as if he had been tugging on it, and there was a bleak expression on his face. 

“Hudson?” I murmured, walking up to him. 

When he gazed up, there was a pained expression in his eyes. It hurt to see him like this, and I wondered what had happened during his meeting with Keith. 

“What’s wrong?” I reached for his hand, but he turned me away, which broke my heart a little bit more. 

“How long?” Hudson asked, his voice sounding wounded. 

“What?”

“How long are you going to pretend?” Hudson’s voice cracked. 

I felt my stomach drop. I wasn’t sure what information Keith told him. I wonder how much detail he knew, but I had a sense of what he was talking about. I wasn’t ready. I have been building up courage all week, but it seems like I have to face this now. 

“I’m… I’m not pretending,” I whispered. 

“Don’t bullshit me,” Hudson’s voice sounded angry. “I know everything.” 

“Hudson,” I took a step forward, reaching for him, but he was quick to get up from the sofa. 

I watched as Hudson tugged on his hair, pacing back and forth, confused and hurt. I didn’t want him to know about this from someone else, but I should have told him this a long time ago. Gigi had warned me, but I didn’t listen. I still continued to lie and be selfish. 

“You know what Keith said?” 

I swallowed, “W…What?”

“I sat there and asked him why you aren’t a supervisor because fuck, you deserved that position more than anyone else in the lab. He told me that as much as he wanted to promote you, he couldn’t.” Hudson exhaled a sharp breath. “Because you’re banned from being promoted for two years, and the month I chose for promotions is one month less away from the anniversary of your ban.” 

My bottom lip trembled along the rest of my body. Every single memory from two years ago came rushing into my mind as the view of Hudson blurred out in front of me by the tears that were welling up in my eyes. 

“And you know what else he said that really confused me?” Hudson continued. “He said that he missed you. He missed the girl who was sunshine in a bottle. The one person who would bake and give everyone food. The person he would tease all the time and tell her she’s loud, but everyone, including him, loved it anyway because you brought joy to them. The one who joked and talked to everyone. I sat there, thinking, was Keith talking about the same person? Because the person who was in front of me the last few weeks is totally different from how he described you. So, who are you? Why did you pretend around me? Did you think that if you acted differently, I would feel sorry for you?”

Now, that hurts. 

It was like Hudson took a knife and stabbed it in my chest, pulled it out, and watched me bleed on this apartment floor. How could he think I would do something like that? I fucking hated sympathy from others. I fucking hated every single sympathetic look others gave me because of what happened. 

“I’m not pretending!” I replied, feeling all my emotions running through inside me. “I never… pretended with you. You’re being unfair.”

“Am I?” Hudson’s voice rose, echoing through the walls of my apartment, his expression turning to ice. “He told me what happened. What happened with Stella and Camille. Who, by the way, is your sister? Another little information you hid from me.”

“I…” I shook my head, tears rolling down my cheeks. “I wanted to tell you, but it hurts too much. You have no idea the events that happened right after that day.”

“I asked you several times.” Hudson tugged on his hair harder. “I asked you about Camille. I asked you to trust me, and you didn’t.” He jabbed his index fingers on his chest, his eyes widening. “I don’t know what hurts more. The fact that I don’t even know who you really are, or the fact that you can’t trust me enough about what happened. After I trusted you and told you everything about what happened with my father.” 

“I know, I swear, I was going to tell you,” I cried. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

Hudson’s blue eyes were glassy as he stared at me, his chest heaving. I could see the hurt and betrayal I put inside him. I couldn't help but think how much this shattered me even more than what happened two years ago because I knew I hurt someone who has been nothing but patient and understanding to me. I hurt him because I was a coward.

“Please let me explain, Hudson.” My voice was pleading and breaking. 

I stood there, my eyes red, my cheeks flushed, and my whole heart shattering in the palm of his hand. I wanted to reach for him. To touch him. But I knew he wouldn’t let me at the moment. It wouldn’t help with the situation, so I stood there, feeling like my world was once again shattering underneath my feet, and I couldn’t do anything about it.

Hudson crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face flushed from frustration. I didn’t blame him. I saw this coming. If he decided to let me tell him everything, and he decided that he didn’t want to be with me anymore, I’d accept it too. I wouldn’t force him to stay. I wouldn’t force him to forgive me. As much as I wanted him to stay, I would never want to put him in this position again. He deserved better. He deserved someone who would love him and be truthful to him. The image of someone else being with Hudson made my heart shatter, but I knew he deserved better. 

I’ve done enough damage to everyone. 

“Then, tell me,” Hudson said. 

[lacysribbon]

the Superman final kiss is soooooo good