“I told her,” Hudson said.
Taylor set the mugs down and shot him a shit-eating grin. “Finally. Only took you five years.”
Hudson rolled his eyes.
“I have so many questions,” she said, dropping into her chair.
“I’m not answering any of them.”
“Are you still madly in love with Elliot?”
He ignored her.
“Mom, tell him to tell me.”
His mother got up and collected some candy wrappers and stray popcorn. “I’m getting some wine.”
“That’s not helpful!” Taylor called after her.
“It’s helpful to me,” she called back.
Taylor leaned across the table. “Do you guys ever actually meet up and—” she wiggled her eyebrows.
Hudson closed his eyes. “Oh my god.”
She put her hand over her heart. “I’m your sister. I love you. I just want to know if you’re getting any.”
Hudson opened his mouth. Closed it.
“So, are you?”
He picked up a Scrabble tile and threw it at her. She caught it without looking.
“‘Z,’” she said. “Good one. Thank you.”
Later that night,Hudson lay on his back in Taylor’s guest room, phone on his chest, staring at the ceiling when the door opened without a knock.
Taylor threw herself onto the bed beside him before he could even react.
“Are you texting Elliot?”
“No.”
She craned her neck to look at his screen. “Who’s Reed?”
“You know Reed. From the Ranger Regiment. And Selection. Who got married a couple of years back?”
“Ahh. The hot one who kinda looks like a golden retriever?”
“Yup. That’s the one.” Hudson held up the phone. “He’s visiting family in Connecticut. Wants to come down for a day.”
Taylor sat up. “When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I wanna come.”
“It’s a guy’s thing, Taylor.”
