A Bad Boy's Gift

Chapter 3

I get up feeling rough the next morning, I head to my dressing room to get dressed, putting my bathing suit on under my teaching shorts and polo top. Spinning my hair into a bun on top of my head I look in the mirror and think about how unattractive I look in this attire. 

I knock on Hudson's bedroom door and hear him tell me he's up. "Want any breakfast, Kiddo?"

"Toast please," is his request, at least I managed to teach him some manners in our parent's absence.

I head down into the kitchen, sliding four rounds of bread into the toaster on my way to the fridge to get out the orange juice. Pouring us both a glass, I check my phone for the time, realising I hadn't got as much time as I thought. 

"Hurry the hell up, Hudson, we're both gonna be late if you keep taking this long!" I shout upstairs, hearing his door open and the sound of him start to walk down. 

I butter his toast, cutting it into four, earning a childish smile from his chubby face.

I scoff my single toast slice and wash it down with orange juice, feeling the claggy bread getting slowly forced down. 

When we are both done, I put our dishes into the dishwasher and almost yank Hudson from his perch at the island, knowing he'll be just on time for rugby and I'll be late, unless I relax and enjoy my car. 

Hudson slings his over filled rugby bag into the boot of the car, then slips into the front passenger seat of my M140i. He takes a painstakingly long time to fix his harness together for saying he does it on a daily basis when I take him to school and his extra curriculars. 

"Oh my God, let me do it!" I fluster, undoing my own harness and leaning across to buckle him in quickly. "Why do you fanny about like that when you know we're running late?" I press, having quickly done my harness back up, and am already on my way out of the gates to our house. It's not a home, it's never been a home. 

"Shut up, River." He crosses his arms, "We're not gonna be late when you drive like a speed-racer." He earns an eye roll and acceleration, making him smile a little. Hudson has always loved the thrill of driving fast, I cannot wait to be able to take him to my races when he's older, who knows, he might be going up against me one day.

"You're staying at Alfie's tonight remember, his Mum will take you to school tomorrow. Your overnight bag is in the boot, don't forget to have a shower after practice and brush your teeth before bed. And remember your manners too." I look at him out of the corner of my eye, seeing him roll his eyes.

"You know you're not my Mother don't you." Jesus, the attitude coming off this little shit is rife. 

"No, I'm not, but she's not here to tell you to look after yourself so I'm the next best thing." I say sternly to him, knowing she couldn't care less whether he brushed his teeth before bed or ate all his vegetables. But I actually care about this stinky pre-pubescent teenager and don't want him to fail at life just because our parents are too busy spending their money on holidays and big high class events to care about their children.

I pull up to the rugby pitch, ruffle Hudson's hair as he unclips his harness, "See you tomorrow kiddo, I'll pick you up from football at five." He turns to smile at me as he gets out the car, "Don't forget your over-night bag, Dude."

"I won't, bye River." He slams the boot of the car, I check in my rear view mirror that he's got both bags over his shoulder, before I speed off, earning some disapproving looks from the parents who actually have time to watch their children play.

I speed into town to our local leisure centre, pull up into a parking spot away from all the other cars, not wanting mine to get damaged. I grab my phone and keys as I hop out of the car, running into the building. I check the time as I clock on, bang on time. Thank fuck for the 340 horses behind the car to keep pushing me forward.