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“I know,” he chuckles. “You’d let me have your slice of flan if I gave you my pumpkin pie.”
I shake my head, unable to hold back my smile. “It was a good trade-off.” I nod, remembering that. I had forgotten about it.
“It was. We made a pretty good team,” he smiles down at me with such a bright and open smile I want to fall into him.
“Hudson.” My head snaps toward the voice, and my mood drops.
“Dad, Mom,” he nods at them as if they were business partners and not family.
Mrs. Remington stares at me with disgust, and I duck my head, stepping away from Hudson. I’m not in the mood to deal with her. I never am, but less so on a day like today. I catch up with Hope, Ellie, and Toby. I hadn’t realized how much further behind them we were.
“Are you okay?” Hope asks.
“Of course,” I nod with a smile.
“Can’t stand them,” she rolls her eyes.
That makes two of us, but I keep that to myself. They aren’t worth draining my energy over. My mood gets a little better when we reach the pie contest booth and get samples of each person’s pie. We cast our votes once we’re done and satisfied. Although, I don’t think I’ll ever have enough pie.
At some point, Hudson walks toward us. His frown is directed at me.
“I’m sorry about that.”
I wave him off. “No need to apologize.”
“I do, and you know it. They won’t bother us anymore.”
“They’re your parents. They don’t bother you.” I don’t add myself into that because it’d be a lie. His parents don’t need to speak to me in order to bother or offend me. Silence speaks louder than words in their case—or should I say, a stink-eye speaks volumes.
Hudson reaches for my hand and pulls me back away from our friends. “Lex, they may be my parents, but I don’t agree with the way they treat you. I never have, and I’ve been vocal about that.”
“You may have been vocal, but your actions contradict that. I get it, though. I’d never ask you to choose between your family business or me.” My words come out harsher than I intend.
Hudson tilts his head and looks at me with pleading eyes.
“It’s fine. I have thick skin, and they don’t affect me anymore.” I pinch my forearm as if proving my point.
“They affect me, though,” he says with conviction.
I shrug with pursed lips. “That’s on you, Hudson. I don’t mean that in a rude way, but you need to figure out how to deal with that part of your life while maintaining a relationship with them.” I can’t solve that for him. I know he never had a strong relationship with his parents, and it’s part of the reason he got along so well with mine. However, it’s on him to make a choice.
“Yeah,” he nods. When he turns toward someone who greets him, a piece of me crushes. The truth that divided us all those years ago is still a wedge between us.
Sometimes love isn’t enough to make a relationship survive. I learned that the hard way.
10
Lex
“The festival was great yesterday,” my mom says as we sit around the table, eating.
“We’re so proud of you,” my dad adds.
Smiling at them, I nod. “It was fun. The girls did such a great job. I can’t wait to watch Sarah perform in the musical next year.”
“She must be so happy,” my mom smiles. “It was nice to see Hudson, too. Did we tell you we ran into him a couple of weeks ago at the diner?” My mom’s eyes gleam.
My dad scoffs beside her.
