Right As Rain (Complete)

Chapter 28

Maelee

I open the door and gasp when I see Jessica laying on the couch in my office. "Jesus, Jess!" I say, putting my hand on my chest. "You could at least turn on the light." I turn to flip the switch.

It's past midnight and she's still here; I'm not the only one whose schedule has been effected by Noah's stay in the hospital. She has been an amazing friend to Noah, and only leaves when she has to.

She looks at me, tilting her head to the side, and raising her brows. "I heard you turned into a psycho bitch earlier," she says. "Mind explaining?"

I groan and collapse beside her on the couch. "What did you hear?"

"That Hudson ran into you in the hallway and you started yelling at him like a crazy person."

Is that what happened?

Yes, that is exactly what happened. "Is he still here?" I ask.

Jess looks at me sadly. He isn't. He and Anna went home and Cal and Jack made plans to stay the night. She sits impatiently, waiting to hear my side of the story.

I tell her about the woman who lashed out, Austin's intervention, and my meeting with James. "After questioning my qualifications he informed me I am "stereotypically" the type of girl Hudson frequents and asked what he offered me in exchange for our supposed good time."

Jessica plops back on the couch. She wasn't expecting this. "What a shitty day," she finally says. I agree and lay my head against the back of the couch beside her. It has been a shitty day. She turns her head to the side to look at me. "Do you really think he's like that?" she asks.

"No," I say, rubbing my forehead. I don't think he's like that at all. But truthfully, I don't actually know him. "I don't know."

"I didn't. But now I don't know what to think."

"Maelee, he likes you," she says. She's my best friend. She would never knowingly let me get hurt. She's been here, she's seen everything. She knows me. She knows Hudson. Her opinion matters and I need to listen. "He is doing everything he can to show you he's a nice guy. I don't understand why you won't just admit you like him go out with him already."

"Because I have known him three days," I tell her.

"Jesus, Maelee!" she yells, throwing her arms in the air. "You act like I'm forcing you down the aisle to admit he's your soulmate! For once in your life, can you just go with the flow and let something happen?"

Letting something happen with Hudson means a lot more than hanging out. It means living every part of my life in public, indefinitely. Every single thing we do, together or individually, will be printed for the world to see. Just as easily as his job could become the downfall of my career, my job could also become the downfall of his.

"No I can't," I tell her.

"Can't or won't?" she challenges.

"Can't!" I say. "My job, my life... I can't do that to him. I can see the headlines now." I trick my voice for emphasis. "Maelee Parker freaks out at movie premier." I wave my right hand. "Maelee Parker kills dozens before attending American Music Awards." I wave the left. My life isn't the easiest, but it's mine. Jessica looks at me, sadly, knowing the consequences of dragging someone else into it. "I think things are hard enough for him as it is, don't you?"

Jessica shakes her head. "That's not fair," she says. "I get what you're saying, but you aren't giving him enough credit." She looks at me, carefully. "Maelee, in the most stressful situation in the world Hudson hung on to your every word and did exactly what you told him to do to save his best friend. Hudson picked up a guitar and sang to a teenage girl because he knew it would make her feel better. Hudson offered everything short of his penis to a media whore to keep YOU safe. Most importantly, Hudson shamelessly acts like an idiot so he can make you smile every chance he gets, especially when he thinks you need it. If you are going to sit here and tell me you can't do this because of the things the press may or may not say then you are no better than the blood sucking vultures who make his life so hard to begin with."