𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕌𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕖𝕟 | ᴜɴᴠᴇɪʟᴇᴅ

Colton

The ride back to Hudson's place after spending the entire day out in the woods together was a mix of the familiar and the new.

I'd surprised him by bringing us lunch out there—sandwiches and vanilla cupcakes, right at the waterfall.

The look on his face when I opened the box with the cupcakes I'd pulled from my backpack was the best reaction I could have ever hoped for, and it would live forever in the back of my mind.

I'd promised him the best date ever—it was a cocky-ass thing to say, but I honestly tried really damn hard... I hoped he liked it.

And now, the steady hum of the motorcycle beneath us, the cool breeze brushing against our skin—it was the perfect end to a day that had been everything I hoped for. Hudson's arms were wrapped around me, holding on just tight enough to make me grin under my helmet.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was how it would always feel with him.

I couldn't get enough of him. I never wanted him to let me go. I wanted to ride off into the sunset with him, just like this, forgetting everything that ever made us worry about anything else in our lives.

When we finally pulled up to his apartment, I killed the engine and took off my helmet, glancing over my shoulder to see Hudson doing the same. There was a certain quiet between us, not awkward but charged, like we both knew something had shifted today.

He slid off the bike, looking a little flushed, but whether it was from the ride or something else, I couldn't be sure.

As I got off the bike, I turned to him, expecting the usual small talk and the usual shy wave goodbye. But before I could say anything, Hudson cleared his throat, his eyes flicking up to meet mine.

"Do you, uh, want to come up for some tea?"

The question hung in the air between us, simple yet loaded with meaning.

Holy shit.

Oh my God.

Was he doing what I thought he was doing?! Was he for real? Was this a dream?

Did I accidentally take us off the road and plunge us to our untimely death on the mountain switchbacks on the way down?!

I raised an eyebrow, trying to play it cool, a smirk tugging at my lips. "Tea, huh?"

He nodded, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes—a mix of anticipation and nerves.

"Yeah, tea," he said, but his voice was softer.

I could tell he was trying to play it cool too, but I wasn't about to let this moment pass without giving him a little bit of a hard time. He was literally the cutest thing alive.

"Is that all we're having?" I asked, stepping a little closer, my gaze locked on his.

Hudson's cheeks flushed that familiar shade of pink, and he let out a small laugh, one that seemed to carry all the nerves he was feeling. "Depends on what you're in the mood for," he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked at the floor for a second.

I couldn't help but smile at that. I smiled widely from ear-to-ear, biting back a laugh over how cute his flirting was... Seeing him like this, stepping out of his comfort zone, made me feel something warm deep in my core.