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“I kind of made a promise. No,wemade a promise to each other,” I begin, chewing on the inside of my cheek, feeling my cheeks flush at the memory.
“A promise?” He swipes a hand through his dark hair, tousling it up. If he wasn’t my very best friend and I didn’t have completely platonic feelings towards him, I’d absolutely be attracted to him. As it is, I appreciate his good looks, but that’s it.
“Yes. He has an issue with getting together with anyone under the age of twenty—”
“Okay,” Hudson says slowly. “I mean, I get that he’s cautious. You’re not eighteen yet and he is older. People could frown on it.”
I pull a face. “Don’t you start. I’ll be eighteen in few days.”
“And then there’s the pretty fucking major issue of your dad being his boss. Beast hooking up with you crosses several boundaries and then some. Not to mention Carter is a certifiable nutcase when he wants to be. You being his daughter makes being together tricky, don’t you think?”
“I thought you said I should bang someone else to make him jealous, that would imply all the things you’ve just said aren’t actually all that important,” I grumble, blowing out a breath.
“That was before I knew how serious this was. I just figured you had a crush.” Hudson shrugs, and I punch him on the arm. “Ow, what was that for?”
“For assuming I had acrush. Crushes are for kids. Seriously, Hud, when have I everreallyliked someone?” I ask.
“You liked me once upon a time,” he points out, much to my dismay.
“I did not!”
He raises his brows and pulls a face. “I’m pretty sure you threw yourself at me.”
“I was pushed into you! I did not throw myself at you!”
“Technicalities,” he smirks, teasing me.
“Those shits shouldn’t have started on me.”
“They totally didn’t realise who they were up against. Though to be fair, you were a shit fighter back then. Beast’s trained you well.”
“I wasnota shit fighter. Pretty sure I knocked out two of the five boys who thought they could try and mug me.”
I grin when he bursts out laughing. “Touchy, touchy tonight, aren’t we? Is it all that pent-up sexual frustration?”
“Ha-bloody-ha.”
“Seriously though, I’m glad you came into my life, our lives. If it weren’t for those pricks I would never have met you—”
“You knowyou’remy favourite right?” I ask, interrupting him. I really like Max, Bryce and Cal, but Hud and I have a special bond.
“Of course,” he jokes, then gets serious again. “I love you, Grim, you mean as much to me as Bryce, Max and Cal do.”
“Did you just say the L word in my presence?” I joke, feeling my heart warm at the words even though I’m trying my hardest not to let him know how much hearing that means to me. I don’t think my dad has ever said he loved me. Never.
Now I’ve had two men say they love me in the space of a few hours. Maybe the words didn’t actually leave Beast’s mouth, but I know that’s what he meant. Hudson gives me his serious look and I wait for whatever it is he’s going to say.
“Grim, you’re like a sister to me. You’re my best friend and a really fucking scary badass bitch all wrapped up in one. I’m glad those shits from the children’s home started on you, otherwise we wouldn’t be mates now.”
“Yeah, me too,” I say.
He nods, putting an arm around my shoulder. “So this thing with Beast is serious then?”
I relax into his arms. “Yeah, it’s serious.”
“But you have this weird love-hate relationship with him. I never thought you’d fall for him.”
“I haven’t fallen for him,” I mumble.
