Page 48 of The Sweetest Cruelty: Hudson (A Sawyer Brothers Story #1)

“And you’re a prude,” he replied, something dangerous flashing in his eyes—almost like the calm before a storm.

I sucked back my pout as I knew it would be wasted on this boy. “Why are you being like this?” Confusion continued to impale me. It felt like we were living in an alternative universe at times.

I exchanged a glance with Storm over his shoulder as he replied. “Like what?”

“So hot and cold. I know this isn’t the real you,” I whispered.

“Maybe it’s reverse psychology. Isn’t it true that we all want what we cannot have?”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “Well, good luck with that. I don’t give my heart easily, especially to a boy whose sole purpose at school appears to be messing with my head. And all because of who my father is.”

Hudson pretended to look affronted. “It’s not my sole purpose. I’m here to learn, too. ”

“How magnanimous of you. But we both know that’s rubbish. I know you’re already at the top of most of your classes, including maths.”

“Yeah, you got me.”

Dragging my fingers through my hair, I pulled out the bobble and shook my head.

It had started to feel too tight. Hudson’s eyes flared as my hair fell around my shoulders in sticky waves.

“What was the real reason you asked me to tutor you? Get me into your bedroom so you can try it on? Taint the sweet principal’s daughter more than your silly slut shaming hearsay? ”

“Oh, you’re good,” Hudson smirked with a pointed finger.

“And you’re deranged . Goodbye, Hudson.” With a swish of hair, I moved past him, grabbed my rucksack, and started walking.

“Wait,” Hudson growled, grabbing my arm to stop me. I turned back, giving him an unimpressed glare at where he held me. He released me and raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Look, yes, at first, but I did need math support. So, it was a double deal.”

“At first. So that isn’t your intention any longer?”

Hudson dashed a hand across the scuff on his jaw. “Yes, no. I don’t know, alright?”

I raised my finger and prodded him in the chest, hard. “That’s a surprise when you act like you have all the answers. But I see straight through you.”

“Really?” he snarked, stepping back as I moved forward. Our roles were now reversed. He was on the defence and I was the attacker.

Hudson stopped just before hitting the safety rails of the bleachers.

“Yes, really. Whatever grim childhood shit you’re dealing with.

Whatever happened before you bunked off school has clearly crucified you and now, you’re being a dick as a distraction.

Whether that’s for my benefit or yours—who knows? ”

My breath caught in my throat as Hudson took my upper arms in his hands and spun me around so my back now touched the bleachers. Reversing our positions. Hudson bent his body, his nose so close to mine. “So, you’re a shrink now? Is there no end to your talents?”

My phone started ringing, but I ignored it. I needed to get things off my chest.

“I’m just saying that you should talk to someone about that. Otherwise, it will eat away at you until there’s nothing left.”

“Yeah, thanks for that. And whilst I love a good mind fuck as much as the next guy, I’ll pass thanks. You know nothing, Molly. If you did, you’d think twice before you called my childhood grim. Grim doesn’t touch the sides, sweetheart. So, you might want to stop testing me.”

“Oh, boo-hoo. So, deal with it, bring it to the surface and have that shit out with someone. Don’t put up walls a mile wide and twenty feet high. If you do, you’ll rot behind them. And who will be there to pick up the pieces?”

“My brothers. They’re always there for me.”

“Your brothers are as fucked up as you are,” I scoffed. My phone started ringing again, and we both turned to glance at it.

He let go of me. “Aren’t you going to get that?”

We moved together, with Hudson snatching up my phone before I could get there. I lunged towards his hand, but he moved his arm into the air.

“Give me that,” I snapped, attempting to catch the moving target. Hudson held me back with his other hand and drew the phone to his face.

“If you break my phone, there will be trouble,” I warned.

“What from all five feet of you? Scary.”

“I mean it,” I panted.

He glanced at the screen and then at me. “Who’s Cassius?”

“Give me that,” I snarled.

“Cassius? Really, like the friendly ghost?” Hudson mocked.

My brow furrowed as I corrected him. “That’s Casper.”

“Whatever, it’s still a pussy’s name.”

“Hudson,” I gasped as he placed a firm hand on my shoulder and answered my phone. His fingers were wrapped partway across my neck, and I couldn’t move. I glanced around. Everyone had moved further into the centre of the field.

“I mean it.”

“Cool it,” he warned before he held the phone to his ear. “Hello? Oh, hi. Yeah. No, she can’t come to the phone right now. She, err, she has her hands full.”

“You are such a tosser,” I snarled under my breath.

Hudson held the phone away from his head and mouthed. “Tosser? Language.” With a cheeky wink, he then continued the conversation. “Yeah. I’ll tell her you called— when she’s dressed.”

The little shit. Although, strike that. Not so little .

I watched with my hands fisted as he ended the call looking very pleased with himself. As Hudson started to go through my phone, I lunged forward. He moved away again, and I stood there, cooling my heels with my arms folded.

Eventually, he swiped the screen and handed it back.

Snatching the handset, I snapped. “Has anyone ever said you’re unhinged?”

I thought about calling Cassius back immediately, but didn’t want to do that in front of Hudson.

“Regularly. Getting on people’s nerves is my speciality.”

I watched through narrowed eyes as Hudson crossed his arms over his chest. His body protection made it look awkward.

Sniffing, he explained. “Your boy said he’d speak to you later. Didn’t sound very impressed.”

With a sigh, I shoved the phone into the waistband of my skort. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Oh, believe it, baby. So, who is he? Your boyfriend, I take it? Turns out he wasn’t so friendly.”

“As I said, that’s Casper. You’re impossible. I suggest you get back to practice before I punch you.”

He held his hands up. “Wow, I imagine this must be what it feels like to be threatened by a toddler.”

“Very funny.”

“Why am I saved in your phone as Dick?”

Ah, so he’d seen that. “If the cap fits.”

“Fine. I can give you a picture to go with that if you want,” Hudson offered with a cheeky smile.

Even though I knew he was joking, I wasn’t feeling it. “That’s not happening.”

His expression turned hawkish. “Why not? I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

Raising my nose, I dealt him with my best haughty look. In a proper, stuck-up Brit style. “I don’t think so. You can keep your dick pics to yourself.”

He screwed up his face, as if to say I was no fun. “Do you want to know the name I have you saved in my cell as?”

Bitch, Miller’s brat, who knew. It wouldn’t be complementary. “I’ll pass thanks.”

“Coward,” Hudson chuckled, grasping my chin .

My brows shot sky high, and I removed my jaw from his grasp. “I’m the coward? Really?” My shoulders dropped. “When you want to have a proper conversation, Hudson. Come and find me. Until then, leave me alone.”

“Hudson, hit the weight room, now!” Coach Rutherford bellowed across the field. This distracted him and gave me a chance to turn away.

He was staring over to where the players were leaving the field, and as he turned back, I was walking away.

“Fuck Molly, wait, I’m only playing!”

Looking back over my shoulder with a pang of sadness in my heart. I said, “And that’s where we differ, Hudson. As I’m not. Not anymore anyway. And not with you.”

HUDSON

Fucking chicks and their PMS shit. I thought I was being charming until she shut me down. And to think I had given her some space after freaking out at Nash’s last weekend? It’s like I couldn’t do anything right.

The jury was in. British girls were fucking downright difficult.

It had been a shitty week. I almost fucked my shoulder lifting weights.

An attempt to cool my temper after Molly had stormed off after practice.

I still hadn’t made my mind up about collecting Dad’s shit from Cranston and now Micah was AWOL from school.

He’d missed practice. That never happened, especially when we had a game the following day.

I tried Find My Phone, but he’d taken it offline, another hint that he was up to no good.

As I was leaving campus, I spotted him outside the school, walking along the sidewalk in the opposite direction from home. Micah was wearing his uniform which was rich considering the fucker had missed every single class that day.

I had just pulled my truck out of the lot when I spotted a familiar car in my rearview mirror.

My sixth sense had kicked in, and I pulled over to the curb and stuck her in park.

The Audi was idling outside the gates of the main campus.

I watched as Micah walked over and spoke to someone sitting in the front seat.

I knew it was Creed. I couldn’t be certain from where I was sitting, but it looked like there were two of them in there.

As I laboured there, I watched Micah take a sweater out of his duffle bag and tug it on, pulling the hood over his head. Fucking cloaking himself. As he glanced up and down the street, I hunched down in my seat.

The sidewalk was dotted with students as they poured out from school. Their bodies provided some cover so I could watch undetected.

I mentally scoped out the area. I knew it was Creed’s car as it had the beauty mark on the door I’d carved into it with my house keys. I must admit, I’d been watching my back after threatening Xander at Nash’s. But it appeared he wasn’t there for me.

Ignoring the nods of respect as half of the student body walked past my truck, I continued to watch what was going on through my rearview mirror.

A few groups of students approached the Audi, and I could see money exchanging hands. Anger welled up in my chest at the thought of Creed peddling his shit at my school. I needed to stop that, but how? I was no rat and so couldn’t call the cops.

A vein in my neck started ticking. “I’ll fucking kill him,” I snarled. This time, I meant Micah. I was going to lose my shit with him.

It appeared my brother was more tangled up with Creed’s shit than I had thought. I felt the weight of his lies like a massive chain being draped across my shoulders.

As if I didn’t have enough shit to deal with.