Sliver

Chapter 23

"Mine?" He asks with complete shock written all over his face. Here it comes. This is where he's going to deny it's his. Asking me how I know. Bastard.
"Wow. I'm going to be a dad."  He says as he sits back down on the bar stool looking a little pale.
"That was my reaction too." I say adjusting my towel to sit in the seat next to him.
"A Girl. A daughter?" He asks still in shock
"Yes." I say quietly. I was waiting for the reaction once the shock wore off.
"And you don't want me to be the father." He spat a little angry
Oh he's coming out of it. "Its not that I dont think you'd be a good dad Hudson."
"I'm not a rich rock star, that it?" He spat
"Do you think I care about that?" I asked offended. Then continue " I was with you once Hudson. At one time I was going to be your wife. I can't believe you just said that to me"
"That was before. This Ritchie standing here is not the girl I was in love with five years ago." Ouch.
"I'm the same girl Hudson. Mabey a little jaded. Ok a whole lot Jaded. But I'm still the Ritchie that was raised by a single mom who owned a bar. Even in the  circle I keep now I wouldnt care if someone was rich or not."
"I didnt mean I thought you were a snob or anything, that's not what I meant at all. Mabey I should have worded it differently or something. I meant your better than a police officers wife. Your beyond beautiful Ritchie. Inside and out. Your to damn good for play boy too. I seen how that rock guy looked at you. He loves you and you deserve the world. He can give you that. Not that I'm expecting you to marry me or anything. I was just saying. " He stopped and ran his fingers through his hair "Fuck. I just need to shut my mouth. I'm fucking it all up." He sighs
"Its ok. Im flattered I guess. In a way. Kind of." I say trying to lighten the conversation
Smiling that gorgeous smile that makes my heart pitter patter he says "Thanks."
"When I said I wished it was Dan's baby I lied. Ive always wanted to have your baby Hudson. Actually, I never imagined having anyone else's baby.  I only wished it was his baby for you. Your life is going to be in a upheaval . I imagine your fiance is going to be pretty upset. And I dont blame her. What we did was wrong." I finish with tears in my eyes and an overload of emotion threatening to spill over. Stupid Hormones.
Hudson leans over places his hands on my face. He takes his thumbs and wipes away the tears that disobeyed my command to stay back. Sweeping them away causes more to follow. And before I know it, that dam of emotion I so carefully built crumbles and Im sobbing. Hudson pulls me into his arms. "I know baby. It's ok. Shhh. It's ok" He says soothingly.
"Im sorry". I sob into his neck.
"Dont be. I have a confession to make. I knew the day you got into town. I begged Aunt Sara for any information on you for five years Ritchie. I've dated and I had been seeing Kammi for a few months and knew she wanted way more from me than I wanted. I seen you come into town that day and I couldnt take it. I knew I still loved you Ritch, I just didnt know I loved you that much. I was angry. I loved you but I hated you. So I asked Kammi to marry me and planned a night out to celebrate at the bar. I knew you'd be there and I wanted to hurt you. It was wrong to use her like that. I knew it was the whole time I was doing it. I just couldnt stop. Brent knew it and busted me out on my shit. I told her the next day and apologized. I told her I'd always loved you and probably always would. I broke it off with her and she was actually a good sport about it. Not what I was expecting at all. The nights I'd seen you It nearly killed me and she'd offer to help get my mind off you. So I'd call her. It didn't work. If anything it made it worse. She said she thought she was doing me a favor the day of the rescue but I knew she was staking a claim. A claim she never had. I cut ties with her completely that day. You see my heart was claimed years ago and the beautiful girl that stole it has never given it back. I've been walking around with a part of me in Hawaii Ritchie. I love you. I've always loved you. Its always you."
And then the phone rang.