Three months ago, Amber came back. She broke up with her boyfriend and returned from the US like nothing happened.
And Hudson? He went back to her without hesitation. No explanation. No guilt. Nothing.
He took her out to eat, went shopping with her, stayed by her side like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. He even canceled meetings, important ones, the kind he used to say could never be moved. All because she said she was in a bad mood.
I stood by the window one night and watched his car drive away again. Same direction. Same place. Her place.
I didn’t cry this time. I just watched.
And finally understood.
Love was love. Real love didn’t change. No matter how much I gave, how much I tried, how much I broke myself into something smaller and quieter and easier to keep… it would never compare to one look from her. Not even close.
Five years. It was almost over.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
His voice snapped me out of it. I blinked and looked at him, my throat tightening like something was stuck there.
He didn’t remember?
For five years, I’d been counting down every single day, scared that when the time came, he’d just walk away without even looking back. But now he stood there like none of it existed. Like that agreement meant nothing.
Did it ever mean anything to him?
I parted my lips, about to remind him, to say it out loud before I lost the courage again but his phone rang.
He picked it up right away.
I couldn’t hear clearly, but I knew that voice. Amber. She was crying, choking on her words, panicking about something.
Hudson’s expression changed instantly. His whole body tensed, like nothing else in the world mattered anymore.
“Hey, hey… don’t panic,” his voice dropped, low and urgent. “I’m coming right now. Stay there. Don’t move, you hear me?”
He didn’t even wait for a reply. The call ended and he grabbed his keys, already moving.
“Hudson, I—”
I didn’t even finish.
He rushed past me and his shoulder slammed into mine so hard I lost my balance. My back hit the door frame and a sharp pain shot through me. I let out a small sound, something between a gasp and a groan.
But he didn’t stop.
Didn’t look back.
Didn’t even notice.
The door closed and he was gone.
Just like that.
I stayed there for a few seconds, leaning against the wall, trying to breathe through the pain. Then I slowly pushed myself up and walked back to the bedroom.