AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hudson
Palmer turns around and stares at me as though I just told her a meteor is about to fall from the sky and kill us all. Her expression holds shock, surprise, and a hint of fight-or-flight mode. “What?”
“Don’t go.” I rise off the bed and take her hands. “Don’t go out with Matt.”
Her face relaxes, and a small sigh slips from her lips. She speaks out loud since Adley is no longer in the room. “Hudson, I know this is different, I haven’t dated anyone in a while, but you have nothing to worry about. Matt is a fling. We both know he’s not going to stick around here. Nothing is going to change with how we parent Adley.”
Awesome. So she’s basically telling me she’s only going out with him to sleep with him. Perfect. Jealousy is like a monster clawing inside my chest.
“That’s not what I mean. Fuck.” I walk away, pushing my fingers through my hair. How do I explain this to her when I’m not even sure I understand what’s going on myself?
“Palm! Someone is here for you!” Harper screams up the stairs.
Palmer turns and inspects herself in the mirror one last time. She walks toward the door, and I reach it before she does, shutting it before she can escape.
She comes to an abrupt stop, forehead wrinkled. “Hudson, what’s going on?”
I shake my head. “Give me a minute.”
“We can talk about this when I get home.” She reaches for the doorknob, but I shift my body in front of the door.
“No.”
“What is wrong with you?” She crosses her arms, giving me the look she used to when we’d fight over something to do with Adley.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “All my thoughts are just jumbled right now.”
As I say that, Theresa pops into my head. How can I tell Palmer not to go out with Matt when I have Theresa on her way over for our own date?
“I just don’t want you to go.”
“Is there something wrong with Matt? Is he going to murder me? Does he have, like, eight different baby mamas and doesn’t pay child support?” Her head tilts to the side.
“No. None of that.” Matt’s a great guy. He’s not looking for anything serious, but now I see that Palmer really isn’t either, so it cancels itself out.
“Then I don’t understand where this is coming from.”
She’s right. From her perspective, this is all coming out of left field. As all these feelings have resurfaced inside me, she’s been living the life we created—a lifelong friendship and co-parenting agreement. Hell, she’s watched me with Theresa for months and even warned me that Theresa is looking to get serious. Never once has Palmer ever acted jealous.
Fuck. I’m alone in this. If I stop her from going out with Matt, I’m an asshole because what I’m feeling, she isn’t.
“Never mind.” I step away from the door, but she doesn’t reach for the knob.
“Hudson?”
I look up, and damn, I hate the fact she’s so done up for another man. “Nothing. Sorry.”
Palmer doesn’t move, watching me, waiting for me to fill her in. She’s my best friend, and I don’t think she’s seen me this nervous since the time I went to her house after the first night we met. I’d been prepared for her to kick me in the balls and send me on my way.
“Honestly.” I open the door, my gut churning. “Go enjoy your night.”
Her gaze doesn’t leave me because she’s probably worried I need medical attention at this point. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. You look great. Go.”
Staring at me the entire time, she slowly walks through the doorway. I don’t stop her because how will it affect us if I open my chest and let my heart out into her hands, and she doesn’t accept it? Then it will be awkward and weird, and we’re going to be in each other’s lives until the end of one of ours.
I follow her down the stairs. Matt tilts his head when he sees me following her.
