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“I’m in if you need an investor,” Beck says like spending millions on a news outlet just to close it down is normal.
“The shareholders will take some convincing, but if they say no, I’m happy to go in personally.”
“Me too,” Harrison adds. “And I’m certain Ryker would too. They gave him a pretty rough time about the sexual harassment case.”
“Are you sure? This is a lot of money.”
“They hurt you and the people you love. If this is what you need, Audrey, then this is what we do.”
“I don’t deserve you guys.”
“Of course you do. Now, do you want me to make some calls, or do you want to handle it?”
“Let me.”
“You want us to come over and help you get drunk and bad mouth Hudson after, or shall we send the girls?”
“You don’t need to do that.”
Beck groans. “We know that. We want to make sure you’re okay, and this is our way. We missed too much when you were hurting last time, and we won’t make the same mistake this time. You’re one of us, Audrey, and we stick together.”
“But less hairy and better looking, right?” I ask, wanting to break the intensity.
“Less hairy for sure. Better looking? I’m not sure Norrie would agree.”
I laugh. “Oh, she’d definitely agree with me.”
Harrison chuckles. “Probably right.”
I say goodbye and promise to call them when the ball is rolling and then get to work. By the time I’m finished with Redman, they’ll wish they’d never heard my name. I work flat out all afternoon and into the evening, making deals, pulling together the funding, and calling in every favor I’m owed until I have everything for a hostile takeover of the Redman Media Group.
Then I call my friends to come over, because I know being on my own isn’t what I need right now. I glance at my phone and the ten missed calls from Hudson and my heart aches. Then I see he’s sent me a text notification. My finger hovers over the delete button, but I can’t bring myself, to press it. What if something has happened to Tia? I’d never forgive myself. I guess that’s how Hudson feels. I can’t even be angry about his reaction, because, in a lot of ways, I understand it.
But I’m devastated with what we said afterward, how he accused me of being half out the door and not forgiving him. How he ran again and told me to go home. That’s what hurts. That’s what makes me feel so twisted up inside.
Opening the text on a blown-out breath, I read.
Hudson: Audrey, please pick up.
Hudson: I’m sorry for yelling at you. I was just so worried about Tia.
Hudson: She’d been asking for you. I told her you went home to shower.
Hudson: Why the fuck is your house key here???
Hudson: You left!!!
Hudson: Audrey, pick up the fucking phone.
Hudson: Please talk to me.
Hudson: Fine, I’ll give you some space, but this isn’t over. We need to talk like adults. I never should have said those things to you.
I place the phone face down and pour myself a neat whiskey. My hand shakes as I take the first sip and let the burn warm me. I know he regrets what was said. Hudson is a good man, but he can’t take back the words. Our first sign of trouble and he pushed me away. How can I trust him with my heart when he doesn’t trust me with his? And even if we could work that out, there’s still the issue of my infertility. That isn’t going anywhere and one day he could decide he wants kids more than me and then where would I be?
The buzzer goes and I move to the door to find the whole gang on my doorstep, even baby Isaac.
“Wow, I didn’t expect you all.”
