"I'll call him back!"
"You want me to answer it?"
"No… it's fine." Hudson shut off the water and grabbed a towel.
But by the time he got to the living room, dripping water everywhere with the towel barely wrapped around his waist, Marcus was sitting on the couch, Hudson's phone in hand.
"He hung up," Marcus said. "Said he'd text you instead."
Hudson took the phone. "Oh. Okay. Thanks."
"Yeah. No problem."
Hudson checked his messages. Nothing yet.
"I'm gonna get dressed,” he said as he retreated to the bedroom.
Marcus was already back at his laptop.
Hudson pulled on his clothes. His phone was on the bed, messages opened. Still nothing.
He picked it up and texted Shaw.
Hudson:Everything okay?
No dots appeared.
Shaw had called him. Shaw wouldn’t call unless— Unless what? Unless it was an emergency? Unless he was in trouble? Unless?—
Hudson: Call me back
He stayed at Marcus’s for another hour, pretending to watch a show, checking his phone every ten seconds like some kind of addict.
Finally, at 1900 hours, he made up an excuse about Taylor wanting him home for dinner and left.
He went straight back to Taylor's place, taking the subway and checking his phone the entire ride. Walked the three blocks checking his phone. Let himself into the apartment checking his phone.
At 2130 hours, his phone finally buzzed.
Shaw:Sorry. Busy day. What's up?
Hudson stared at the message. Four hours. Shaw had left him hanging for four hours and this was his response.
Hudson:You called me
Shaw: Right. Wasn't important. Forgot what I was going to say
Bullshit. Shaw didn’t forget jack shit. He had a memory like a steel trap and if he’d called it was because it mattered.
Hudson:Don't do that
Shaw:Do what?
Hudson:Act like you calling me is normal
There was a long pause. Long enough that Hudson started typing another message, then deleted it, then started again.
Shaw:It's fine. I shouldn't have called
