It had been a long week for Amanda–between going to classes, working at the coffee shop, and trying to stay clear of Hudson, she was exhausted. She didn’t think she was going to make it through the English class she had that morning. Every class she had that morning. Every time she would go in, she would try to find a place where he couldn’t sit near her. But he would always find some way to be close to her. She could sense it, and it drove her crazy. The worst part was she didn’t know if it was a good crazy or a bad one.
Thankfully, it is Friday. That means two days of not seeing Hudson. She is reading at the food court when Kimmy pops up.
“Hey, friend, what Cha doin’?” Kimmy asks when she plops down in the seat in front of Amanda.
She shakes her head. “Nothing much. What about you?”
“Checking to see if you wanna go to a party tonight?” Kimmy says, smiling.
“Where’s it at?” Amanda asks.
“Oh, just at one of the frat houses. They usually throw one after football games. So, you wanna come?”
Amanda isn’t sure if she is ready for a party or even has anything to wear that is worthy of one.
“I don’t think I have anything to wear?” Amanda says as she looks down at the book in front of her.
“How about I come over later and help you pick something out?” Kimmy offers.
“Okay, that’d be great.”
“Text me your address and I’ll see you later,” Kimmy says as she hops up and walks away.
Amanda smiles as she thought about her first party. She wanted her college life to be completely different from her high school life. And this is definitely something different. She is determined to no longer be that shy, awkward girl to that no one talks. She wants to make friends, meet guys, and have new experiences. First experiences and this fell right into first experiences.
Amanda collects her things and is just about to get up when she feels a chill, and her instincts kick in. she looks up to see Hudson and those piercing blue eyes staring at her. Her smile falls quicker than raindrops on a cloudy day.
“Oh, what’s with the frown? You were happy just a second ago,” he asks her.
“I don’t have time to squabble with you, Hudson,” she tells him as she gets up to leave.
Hudson dashes around the table to her side, standing right next to her before she is even able to get her foot out. Amanda is confused. She knows she isn’t that slow. But there he is, standing right next to her. She takes in a breath, and his scent fills her lungs and sends tingles throughout her body. This is not good. She needs to get away from him. Now!
“Now, why would you think I came over here to squabble with you?” Hudson asks in a deep husky voice.
Amanda takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. “Hudson, my momma taught me if you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all. So, if you don’t mind…”
She turns to walk away, but before she can, he reaches out and grabs her wrist.
“So feisty. Still trying to say you’re not the same girl as you were in high school, are you?” he says mockingly.
“That’s right, Hudson. That girl you used to torment and humiliate is still back home. I’m not that shy, awkward girl anymore. And I will not tolerate your harassment any longer,” she says as she breaks her wrist away from his grip, turns, and walks away.
Amanda is smiling once again as she gets farther away from Hudson. She can feel his stare burning into the back of her as she walks, and before she is completely out of sight, she turns and looks back at him one last time.
Hudson stands there with a burning ache inside. Just touching her makes his skin burn, and it takes everything he has not to pull her into him and kiss her. But he knows she won’t like that. This isn’t the same girl that he went to high school with. No, this is someone completely different, one who has a whole new set of rules that she is playing by. Hudson doesn’t care how long it takes, but he is going to learn those rules and win over this new Amanda. And he is going to enjoy every minute of it.
Amanda’s eyes narrow as she sees a sickening grin creep onto Hudson’s face. She quickly turns and walks out of the court, putting Hudson in the back of her mind. She has a party to look forward to, and she refuses to let Hudson Harlow ruin it.
Amanda and Kimmy show up well after the party had started. Amanda is still not feeling a hundred percent confident in the outfit that Kimmy had chosen for her to wear and tugs down on the front of her top to try and cover her stomach as much as possible. She had pleaded with Kimmy for a sweater or something else to wear because she was not used to wearing something so revealing. But she lost that battle and was forced to wear a crop top and a short skirt.
Amanda looks around at the other party members, seeing if anyone looks the least bit familiar to her. There is no one at the moment she recognizes, making her relieved and worried at the same time. She is relieved that she hasn’t seen Hudson anywhere but also worried that he is going to show up at the worst moment. Which is her usual luck when it comes to him.
She follows Kimmy into the kitchen to get themselves something to drink when she spots a guy she recognizes from one of her classes. When he notices her, he makes his way over to her.
“I think we have History together right?” he asks her.
Amanda nods. “Yeah, that’s right. I thought that was you.”
The guy has dirty blonde hair that falls over his forehead with chocolate eyes. He is tall but not nearly as tall as Hudson is. She shakes her head. Why is she comparing him to Hudson?
“What’s your name?” he asks her.
“Amanda. Yours?”
“Calvin,” he answers.
Amanda nods and spends the next fifteen minutes enjoying the small talk. She is feeling comfortable and actually enjoying herself until a sudden chill hits her. Amanda closes her eyes, praying that it’s not who she thinks it is.
“So, I was wondering if maybe we could go and get some coffee sometime or maybe catch a movie?” Calvin asks her.
Before Amanda can answer, she senses someone standing close behind her, his chest pressed against her back. Amanda sucks in a breath as her body feels the warmth of a hand resting on her hip. Her body is enjoying the touch, but her heart is racing for an explanation.
“Sorry, Pal. This one’s not available,” the husky voice tells him.