The Fixed Trilogy: Found in You(54)

“Or you wanted him for yourself tonight.”

“No! I told you, I’m not after Hudson.” She ran her hand across her forehead, delicately, as though not wanting to mess up her foundation but so used to the cautious movement she didn’t have to think about it. She was a thoroughbred through and through. So out of my league.

I dismissed the flash of envy and focused on her words.

“Look, Laynie, I’m on your side. I am. Can’t you see what would have happened if I’d brought it up? You would have cornered Hudson about it and then you’d have to tell him how you found out and that would mean you’d have to tell him about us chatting about him behind his back. And he brought you anyway! So it all worked out. Everything’s good!”

“Yeah, everything’s great.” I reacted before I’d truly digested her words. Once I did, I saw the truth in what she’d said. Honestly, if our roles had been reversed, I would have probably done the same.

I bit my lip. “God, I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know who to trust. It feels like so many people are against us.”

Her face eased, her worry replaced with a comforting smile. “That’s so not true. Sophia is against you. She’s the only one. And my parents, but they’re only trying to do what they think is best for me. It’s a silly parent thing. They don’t understand. Obviously.”

She meant they didn’t understand that she’d never been with Hudson. They didn’t realize that her baby had not been his. “Why won’t you tell them? It’s been years, you said so yourself. Why don’t you or Hudson admit the truth about the baby?” I’d been wondering about it since I found out. It would solve so many problems. “If you really cared about his happiness, you’d tell the truth and set him free.”

“It seems like that would be the right thing to do, doesn’t it?” Her eyes glazed over as she was thinking, remembering perhaps. When her focus returned, her expression was apologetic. “It’s…it’s complicated. I can’t say more than that. I’m sorry, I wish I could. But it involves more than just me. You have to trust me, this is best for everyone. Hudson included.”

It bothered me that there might be something about the situation that I didn’t know, that Hudson hadn’t chosen to share. But maybe Celia was simply making up excuses, not ready to let her parents know the truth. “Like I said, I don’t know what I trust.”

“Alayna—”

I cringed at her use of my name. No one called me Alayna but Hudson. It wasn’t hers to use. It was his.

The door swung open behind us and someone walked in. We were both quiet until the woman took an empty stall.

“This is a bad time. But you have my number. Call me if you need anything. To sort things out or just to talk.”

I hesitated. The evening had shown me many things, one of which was how easily keeping secrets could tear Hudson and me apart. I didn’t want to keep lying to him. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to end my friendship with Celia. Maybe even come clean about our lunch dates thus far.

Seeming to sense my reluctance to “kiss and make up,” Celia put her hand over mine. “I want things to work out for Hudson more than you can imagine. Believe me.”

Celia gave one more sparkling white smile before exiting the restroom.

I pulled my phone out from my bra and considered deleting her contact info. It was certainly the safest. But, on the other hand, she’d been helpful to me providing insight that I lacked. And she was important to Hudson. I didn’t want to cause problems by being a divide between them.

Funny. The old me would have done just that. The old me, the one before therapy—that me would have made Hudson choose. Her or me. Now, as nice as it sounded to be free of the Werners, I had no desire to force an ultimatum.

And besides being incredibly unrealistic and unhealthy, I was pretty sure Hudson would never go for it.





Chapter Thirteen


It was only seconds after Celia walked out and I had stowed my phone back in my bra when Mira stepped into the vanity from the stall area. Since no toilets had flushed recently and I hadn’t heard any running water, I realized she must have been standing around the corner for a while. Her face was more serious than I’d ever seen, and something about her expression made me feel unexplainably guilty.

“Hey,” I said, trying to shake the strange feeling.

She pierced me with her brown eyes. “You were talking to Celia.”

“Yeah.” I put my hand on the vanity counter for support even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. We were at a family get-together, eight of us in total. Should I really not be expected to talk to one of the other guests? To my boyfriend’s only friend?

“I don’t think you should do that anymore.” Mira’s voice was even and absent of any chiding.

“Why?”

She softened as she stepped toward me, her regular bubbly persona returning. “She’s your competition, Laynie! I mean, Hudson is totally into you and no one but you, but Celia is after him. She’s pictured herself married to him for so long, it’s a done deal in her head.”

“I know, I know.” A strange pang of pity washed over me. Maybe Celia really didn’t want Hudson, and everyone just kept saying that she did, accusing her of something that she’d long past outgrown. I knew how that felt. To be thought still crazy long after I’d gotten better.